Synthesized Tripodal Amine as Potential Anti-Cancer Therapeutic

Cancer remains a prevalent disease today. This disease may manifest itself in many different ways and affect a variety of tissues with everything from the brain to the blood. With this wide diversity of cancer types, treatment can be complicated since there is not a “one size fits all” treatment for the disease. Surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy are all options that must be weighed with their benefits and side effects. Ultimately though, there are not enough effective treatment options available for every type of cancer. This leaves many with the grim prognosis of never being cured. With this clear need for more anti-cancer medicine, research is warranted into novel treatments and drugs. A novel tris-indolyl iron-chelating drug GS02 was synthesized and tested for its potential anti-cancer properties. The LD50 was determined using MTS assays against human cancer cell lines and apoptosis assays were carried out with the PC3 cell line. Images of the cells were collected using confocal imaging microscopy. Current results show a decrease in cell viability and suggest that GS02 is inducing apoptosis in the PC3 cell line. Furthermore, the compound was shown to be toxic within a specific concentration range which may be of interest for the potential of a new chemotherapy agent. Given these results, GS02 warrants continued investigations into its potential to trigger apoptosis in more human cancer cell lines

Exponential sum approximations for t−βt^{-\beta}

Given $\beta>0$ and $\delta>0$, the function $t^{-\beta}$ may be approximated for $t$ in a compact interval $[\delta,T]$ by a sum of terms of the form $we^{-at}$, with parameters $w>0$ and $a>0$. One such an approximation, studied by Beylkin and Monz\'on, is obtained by applying the trapezoidal rule to an integral representation of $t^{-\beta}$, after which Prony's method is applied to reduce the number of terms in the sum with essentially no loss of accuracy. We review this method, and then describe a similar approach based on an alternative integral representation. The main difference is that the new approach achieves much better results before the application of Prony's method; after applying Prony's method the performance of both is much the same.Comment: 18 pages, 5 figures. I have completely rewritten this paper because after uploading the previous version I realised that there is a much better approach. Note the change to the title. Have included minor corrections following revie

Distinct replay signatures for prospective decision-making and memory preservation

Theories of neural replay propose that it supports a range of functions, most prominently planning and memory consolidation. Here, we test the hypothesis that distinct signatures of replay in the same task are related to model-based decision-making (“planning”) and memory preservation. We designed a reward learning task wherein participants utilized structure knowledge for model-based evaluation, while at the same time had to maintain knowledge of two independent and randomly alternating task environments. Using magnetoencephalography and multivariate analysis, we first identified temporally compressed sequential reactivation, or replay, both prior to choice and following reward feedback. Before choice, prospective replay strength was enhanced for the current task-relevant environment when a model-based planning strategy was beneficial. Following reward receipt, and consistent with a memory preservation role, replay for the alternative distal task environment was enhanced as a function of decreasing recency of experience with that environment. Critically, these planning and memory preservation relationships were selective to pre-choice and post-feedback periods, respectively. Our results provide support for key theoretical proposals regarding the functional role of replay and demonstrate that the relative strength of planning and memory-related signals are modulated by ongoing computational and task demands

Simple and Nearly Optimal Polynomial Root-finding by Means of Root Radii Approximation

We propose a new simple but nearly optimal algorithm for the approximation of all sufficiently well isolated complex roots and root clusters of a univariate polynomial. Quite typically the known root-finders at first compute some crude but reasonably good approximations to well-conditioned roots (that is, those isolated from the other roots) and then refine the approximations very fast, by using Boolean time which is nearly optimal, up to a polylogarithmic factor. By combining and extending some old root-finding techniques, the geometry of the complex plane, and randomized parametrization, we accelerate the initial stage of obtaining crude to all well-conditioned simple and multiple roots as well as isolated root clusters. Our algorithm performs this stage at a Boolean cost dominated by the nearly optimal cost of subsequent refinement of these approximations, which we can perform concurrently, with minimum processor communication and synchronization. Our techniques are quite simple and elementary; their power and application range may increase in their combination with the known efficient root-finding methods.Comment: 12 pages, 1 figur

Effect of vitamin K2 on postural sway in older people who fall:a randomized controlled trial

OBJECTIVES: Vitamin K is thought to be involved in both bone health and maintenance of neuromuscular function. We tested the effect of vitamin K2 supplementation on postural sway, falls, healthcare costs, and indices of physical function in older people at risk of falls.DESIGN: Parallel-group double-blind randomized placebo-controlled trial.SETTING: Fourteen primary care practices in Scotland, UK.PARTICIPANTS: A total of 95 community-dwelling participants aged 65 and older with at least two falls, or one injurious fall, in the previous year.INTERVENTION: Once/day placebo, 200 μg or 400 μg of oral vitamin K2 for 1 year.MEASUREMENTS: The primary outcome was anteroposterior sway measured using sway plates at 12 months, adjusted for baseline. Secondary outcomes included the Short Physical Performance Battery, Berg Balance Scale, Timed Up &amp; Go Test, quality of life, health and social care costs, falls, and adverse events.RESULTS: Mean participant age was 75 (standard deviation [SD] = 7) years. Overall, 58 of 95 (61%) were female; 77 of 95 (81%) attended the 12-month visit. No significant effect of either vitamin K2 dose was seen on the primary outcome of anteroposterior sway (200 μg vs placebo: -.19 cm [95% confidence interval [CI] -.68 to .30; P = .44]; 400 μg vs placebo: .17 cm [95% CI -.33 to .66; P = .50]; or 400 μg vs 200 μg: .36 cm [95% CI -.11 to .83; P = .14]). Adjusted falls rates were similar in each group. No significant treatment effects were seen for other measures of sway or secondary outcomes. Costs were higher in both vitamin K2 arms than in the placebo arm.CONCLUSION: Oral vitamin K2 supplementation did not improve postural sway or physical function in older people at risk of falls.</p

Elucigene FH20 and LIPOchip for the diagnosis of familial hypercholesterolaemia : a systematic review and economic evaluation

PMID: 22469073 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] Free full textPeer reviewedPublisher PD

The Cost-Effectiveness of Reclassification Sampling for Prevalence Estimation

Typically, a two-phase (double) sampling strategy is employed when classifications are subject to error and there is a gold standard (perfect) classifier available. Two-phase sampling involves classifying the entire sample with an imperfect classifier, and a subset of the sample with the gold-standard.In this paper we consider an alternative strategy termed reclassification sampling, which involves classifying individuals using the imperfect classifier more than one time. Estimates of sensitivity, specificity and prevalence are provided for reclassification sampling, when either one or two binary classifications of each individual using the imperfect classifier are available. Robustness of estimates and design decisions to model assumptions are considered. Software is provided to compute estimates and provide advice on the optimal sampling strategy.Reclassification sampling is shown to be cost-effective (lower standard error of estimates for the same cost) for estimating prevalence as compared to two-phase sampling in many practical situations

Relativistic deformed mean-field calculation of binding energy differences of mirror nuclei

Binding energy differences of mirror nuclei for A=15, 17, 27, 29, 31, 33, 39 and 41 are calculated in the framework of relativistic deformed mean-field theory. The spatial components of the vector meson fields and the photon are fully taken into account in a self-consistent manner. The calculated binding energy differences are systematically smaller than the experimental values and lend support to the existency of the Okamoto--Nolen-Schiffer anomaly found decades ago in nonrelativistic calculations. For the majority of the nuclei studied, however, the results are such that the anomaly is significantly smaller than the one obtained within state-of-the-art nonrelativistic calculations.Comment: 13 pages, REVTeX, no figure

The Off Shell ρ\rho-ω\omega Mixing in the QCD Sum Rules

The $q^2$ dependence of the $\rho-\omega$ mixing amplitude is analyzed with the use of the QCD sum rules and the dispersion relation. Going off shell the mixing decreases, changes sign at $q^2 \simeq 0.4 m_{\rho}^2 > 0$ and is negative in the space like region. Implications of this result to the isospin breaking part of the nuclear force are discussed.Comment: 26 pages + 11 figures (PostScript

Ethics, Nanobiosensors and Elite Sport: The Need for a New Governance Framework

Individual athletes, coaches and sports teams seek continuously for ways to improve performance and accomplishment in elite competition. New techniques of performance analysis are a crucial part of the drive for athletic perfection. This paper discusses the ethical importance of one aspect of the future potential of performance analysis in sport, combining the field of biomedicine, sports engineering and nanotechnology in the form of ‘Nanobiosensors’. This innovative technology has the potential to revolutionise sport, enabling real time biological data to be collected from athletes that can be electronically distributed. Enabling precise real time performance analysis is not without ethical problems. Arguments concerning (1) data ownership and privacy; (2) data confidentiality; and (3) athlete welfare are presented alongside a discussion of the use of the Precautionary Principle in making ethical evaluations. We conclude, that although the future potential use of Nanobiosensors in sports analysis offers many potential benefits, there is also a fear that it could be abused at a sporting system level. Hence, it is essential for sporting bodies to consider the development of a robust ethically informed governance framework in advance of their proliferated use