An exact sequence for contact- and symplectic homology

A symplectic manifold $W$ with contact type boundary $M = \partial W$ induces a linearization of the contact homology of $M$ with corresponding linearized contact homology $HC(M)$. We establish a Gysin-type exact sequence in which the symplectic homology $SH(W)$ of $W$ maps to $HC(M)$, which in turn maps to $HC(M)$, by a map of degree -2, which then maps to $SH(W)$. Furthermore, we give a description of the degree -2 map in terms of rational holomorphic curves with constrained asymptotic markers, in the symplectization of $M$.Comment: Final version. Changes for v2: Proof of main theorem supplemented with detailed discussion of continuation maps. Description of degree -2 map rewritten with emphasis on asymptotic markers. Sec. 5.2 rewritten with emphasis on 0-dim. moduli spaces. Transversality discussion reorganized for clarity (now Remark 9). Various other minor modification

The chameleon groups of Richard J. Thompson: automorphisms and dynamics

The automorphism groups of several of Thompson's countable groups of piecewise linear homeomorphisms of the line and circle are computed and it is shown that the outer automorphism groups of these groups are relatively small. These results can be interpreted as stability results for certain structures of PL functions on the circle. Machinery is developed to relate the structures on the circle to corresponding structures on the line

'Better' clinical decisions do not necessarily require more time to make

The Web-based intervention modeling experiment (IME; randomized study in a simulated setting) reported by Treweek et al. [1] provided support for using IME methodology in the evaluation of interventions to improve quality of care. As well as the management decision made, Treweek et al.'s data on general practitioners' (GPs) responses to scenarios describing uncomplicated upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) included a measure of perceived decision difficulty for each decision and the time taken to make each decision

Phylogenetic analysis of infectious pancreatic necrosis virus in Ireland reveals the spread of a virulent genogroup 5 subtype previously associated with imports

Peer-reviewed. The final publication is available at Springer via DOI: 10.1007/s00705-014-2307-9Infectious pancreatic necrosis is a significant disease of farmed salmonids resulting in direct economic losses due to high mortality and disease-management costs. Significant outbreaks of the disease occurred in farmed Atlantic salmon in Ireland between 2003 and 2007, associated with imported ova and smolts. As the virus was known to occur in the country since the development of aquaculture in the 1980s, this study examined archived samples to determine whether these older isolates were associated with virulent forms. The study showed that two genotypes of IPNV were present in the 1990s, genotype 3 and genotype 5. A more virulent subtype of the virus first appeared in 2003 associated with clinical outbreaks of IPN, and this subtype is now the most prevalent form of IPNV found in the country. The data also indicated that IPNV in Ireland is more closely related to Scottish and continental European isolates than to Norwegian, Chilean and Australasian genogroup 5 isolates

On the integral cohomology of smooth toric varieties

Let $X_\Sigma$ be a smooth, not necessarily compact toric variety. We show that a certain complex, defined in terms of the fan $\Sigma$, computes the integral cohomology of $X_\Sigma$, including the module structure over the homology of the torus. In some cases we can also give the product. As a corollary we obtain that the cycle map from Chow groups to integral Borel-Moore homology is split injective for smooth toric varieties. Another result is that the differential algebra of singular cochains on the Borel construction of $X_\Sigma$ is formal.Comment: 10 page

Ultra-frequent HRAS p.Q61R somatic mutation in canine acanthomatous ameloblastoma reveals pathogenic similarities with human ameloblastoma

Ameloblastoma is a locally aggressive odontogenic tumour that occurs in humans and dogs. Most ameloblastomas (AM) in humans harbour mutually-exclusive driving mutations in BRAF, HRAS, KRAS, NRAS or FGFR2 that activate MAPK signalling, and in SMO that activates Hedgehog signalling. The remarkable clinical and histological similarities between canine acanthomatous ameloblastoma (CAA) and AM suggest they may harbour similar driving mutations. In this study, aimed at characterizing the mutational status of SMO, BRAF, HRAS, KRAS, NRAS and FGFR2 in CAA, we used RNA sequencing, Sanger sequencing and restriction fragment length polymorphism assays to demonstrate that 94% of CAA (n = 16) harbour a somatic HRAS p.Q61R mutation. The similarities in MAPK-activating mutational profiles between CAA and AM implicate conserved molecular mechanisms of tumorigenesis, thus, qualifying the dog as a potentially useful model of disease. Given the relevance of RAS mutations in the pathogenesis of odontogenic tumours and other types of cancer, the results of this study are of comparative, translational, and veterinary value

Representation theory of finite W algebras

In this paper we study the finitely generated algebras underlying $W$ algebras. These so called 'finite $W$ algebras' are constructed as Poisson reductions of Kirillov Poisson structures on simple Lie algebras. The inequivalent reductions are labeled by the inequivalent embeddings of $sl_2$ into the simple Lie algebra in question. For arbitrary embeddings a coordinate free formula for the reduced Poisson structure is derived. We also prove that any finite $W$ algebra can be embedded into the Kirillov Poisson algebra of a (semi)simple Lie algebra (generalized Miura map). Furthermore it is shown that generalized finite Toda systems are reductions of a system describing a free particle moving on a group manifold and that they have finite $W$ symmetry. In the second part we BRST quantize the finite $W$ algebras. The BRST cohomology is calculated using a spectral sequence (which is different from the one used by Feigin and Frenkel). This allows us to quantize all finite $W$ algebras in one stroke. Explicit results for $sl_3$ and $sl_4$ are given. In the last part of the paper we study the representation theory of finite $W$ algebras. It is shown, using a quantum version of the generalized Miura transformation, that the representations of finite $W$ algebras can be constructed from the representations of a certain Lie subalgebra of the original simple Lie algebra. As a byproduct of this we are able to construct the Fock realizations of arbitrary finite $W$ algebras.Comment: 62 pages, THU-92/32, ITFA-28-9

Locating the Accretion Footprint on a Herbig Ae Star: MWC 480

Accretion is a fundamental process which establishes the dynamics of the protoplanetary disk and the final properties of the forming star. In solar-type stars, the star–disk coupling is determined by the magnetic field structure, which is responsible for funneling material from the disk midplane to higher latitudes on the star. Here, we use pan-chromatic data for the Herbig Ae star MWC 480 to address whether similar processes occur in intermediatemass stars. MWC 480 has X-ray emission typical of actively accreting Herbig Ae stars, but with ∼10× more photoelectric absorption than expected from optical and FUV data. We consider three sources for the absorption: the disk, absorption in a wind or jet, and accretion. While we detect the disk in scattered light in a re-analysis of archival Hubble Space Telescope data, the data are consistent with grazing illumination of the dust disk.We find that MWC 480’s disk is stratified, geometrically thin, and is not responsible for the observed photoelectric absorption. MWC 480 drives a bipolar jet, but with a mass-loss rate that is low compared to other Herbig Ae stars, where the outflow is more favorably oriented and enhanced photoelectric absorption is not seen. This excludes a jet or wind origin for the enhanced photoelectric absorption. We compare MWC 480’s Ovi emission with other Herbig Ae stars. The distribution of the emission in inclination, and lack of a correlation of profile shape and system inclination excludes equatorially confined accretion for the FUSE Herbig Ae stars. The photoelectric absorption data further suggest that the accretion footprint on MWC 480 and other Herbig Ae stars is located at high-temperate, rather than polar, latitudes. These findings support the presence of funneled accretion in MWC 480 and Herbig Ae stars, strengthening the parallel to T Tauri stars

TENDINopathy severity assessment–achilles (TENDINS-A): Evaluation of reliability and validity in accordance with COSMIN recommendations

Objective To evaluate the construct validity (structural validity and hypothesis testing), reliability (test–retest reliability, measurement error and internal consistency) and minimal important change (MIC) of the 13-item TENDINopathy Severity assessment–Achilles (TENDINS-A). Methods Participants with Achilles pain completed an online survey including: demographics, TENDINS-A, Foot and Ankle Outcome Score (FAOS) and Victorian Institute of Sport Assessment–Achilles (VISA-A). Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) assessed dimensionality. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) assessed structural validity (root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA); Comparative Fit Index (CFI); Tucker-Lewis Index (TLI); standardised root measure square (SRMS)). Correlations between TENDINS-A and the FAOS or VISA-A assessed hypothesis testing. Intraclass correlation (ICC) assessed test–retest reliability. Cronbach’s alpha assessed internal consistency. SE of the measurement (SEM) assessed measurement error. A distribution-based approach assessed MIC. Results 79 participants (51% female) with a mean (SD) age=42.6 (13.0) years, height=175.0 (11.7) cm and body mass=82.0 (19.1) kg were included. EFA identified three meaningful factors, proposed as pain, symptoms and function. The best model identified using CFA for TENDINS-A had structural validity (RMSEA=0.101, CFI=0.959, TLI=0.947, SRMS=0.068), which included three factors (pain, symptoms and function), but excluded three items from the original TENDINS-A. TENDINS-A exhibited moderate positive correlation with FAOS (r=0.598, p \u3c 0.001) and a moderate negative correlation with VISA-A (r=−0.639, p \u3c 0.001). Reliability of the TENDINS-A was excellent (ICC=0.930; Cronbach’s =0.808; SEM=6.54 units), with an MIC of 12 units. Conclusions Our evaluation of the revised 10-item TENDINS-A determined it has construct validity and excellent reliability, compared with the VISA-A and FAOS which lack content and construct validity. The TENDINS-A is recommended as the preferred patient-reported outcome measure to assess disability in people with Achilles tendinopathy

Illinois Homeowners and Wildlife Report

We conducted a mail survey designed to replicate the 2000 study “Attitudes of Homeowners in the Greater Chicago Metropolitan Region (GCMR) Toward Nuisance Wildlife.” The purpose of this study was to determine homeowners’ attitudes toward wildlife around their home, extent and types of wildlife damages experienced,and interactions with and preferences for management actions related to coyotes. A stratified random sample of 5,000 homeowners in the Greater Chicago Metropolitan Region was selected for this study. A total of 1,624 questionnaires (34%) were received. Forty percent of residents responded they fed wildlife on their property during the 12 months prior to the study, and 71% of those respondents were actively feeding wildlife at the time of the survey. Most wildlife feeding was done all year (56%), whereas fewer respondents fed wildlife during winter (22%), spring,summer,and fall (16% for each, respectively) only. Respondents (45%) were not sure if their neighbors were feeding wildlife. Approximately one-third(35%) of homeowners planted flowers, shrubs,provided water or nest boxes on property to specifically benefit wildlife.About 80% of homeowners enjoyed most or all wildlife species around their home, and the same proportion felt wildlife was not a threat or was only as light threat to their home or property. Seeing wildlife on a daily basis was important for 80% of respondents. Problems with wildlife were experienced by 54% of survey respondents, with digging or burrowing being the most frequent problem reported (52%), and45%of respondents had damage to shrubs, yard, or landscaping. Raccoons, skunk, and squirrels were the wildlife species identified to cause the greatest problems to residents.Half (50%) of respondents took action themselves to correct the problem, and a majority (51%) spent less than $50 on the problem during the 12 months prior to this study. Of the residents who hired private professional services (14%), most (65%) rated the services provided as “Good” or “Excellent.” A minority of residents (9%) received information about preventing wildlife damage, or requested information(5%) about wildlife from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Of those who did request information from the IDNR, a majority (72%) rated the information provided as “Good” or “Excellent.” Most (69%) survey respondents had not visited the University of Illinois Extension website “Living with Wildlife in Illinois.”A majority(68%)of survey respondents were aware of coyotes in their current community;62% of respondents or their family members observed a coyote in their current community and 55% saw one in a forest preserve. There was no or slight concern for homeowners ’perceived risks of coyotes in their community. When given the options to let the coyote live or to“trap and destroy,” most survey respondents preferred to let coyotes live regardless of frequency or location of coyote situation. Only when a coyote made a den on one’s property did 49% of respondents favor the “trap and destroy” option.unpublishednot peer reviewedOpe