Non-stationary de Sitter cosmological models

In this note it is proposed a class of non-stationary de Sitter, rotating and non-rotating, solutions of Einstein's field equations with a cosmological term of variable function.Comment: 11 pages, Latex. International Journal of Modern Physics D (accepted for publication

Charged black holes in Vaidya backgrounds: Hawking's Radiation

In this paper we propose a class of embedded solutions of Einstein's field equations describing non-rotating Reissner-Nordstrom-Vaidya and rotating Kerr-Newman-Vaidya black holes.Comment: 30 pages, latex file, no figure

On the propagation of a two-dimensional viscous density current under surface waves

This study aims to develop an asymptotic theory for the slow spreading of a thin layer of viscous immiscible dense liquid on the bottom of a waterway under the combined effects of surface waves and density current. By virtue of the sharply different length and time scales (wave periodic excitation being effective at fast scales, while gravity and streaming currents at slow scales), a multiple-scale perturbation analysis is conducted. Evolution equations are deduced for the local and global profile distributions of the dense liquid layer as functions of the slow-time variables. When reflected waves are present, the balance between gravity and streaming will result, on a time scale one order of magnitude longer than the wave period, in an undulating water/liquid interface whose displacement amplitude is much smaller than the thickness of the dense liquid layer. On the global scale, the streaming current can predominate and drive the dense liquid to propagate with a distinct pattern in the direction of the surface waves. © 2002 American Institute of Physics.published_or_final_versio

CHASM and SNVBox: toolkit for detecting biologically important single nucleotide mutations in cancer

Summary: Thousands of cancer exomes are currently being sequenced, yielding millions of non-synonymous single nucleotide variants (SNVs) of possible relevance to disease etiology. Here, we provide a software toolkit to prioritize SNVs based on their predicted contribution to tumorigenesis. It includes a database of precomputed, predictive features covering all positions in the annotated human exome and can be used either stand-alone or as part of a larger variant discovery pipeline

Type Ia supernovae tests of fractal bubble universe with no cosmic acceleration

The unexpected dimness of Type Ia supernovae at redshifts z >~ 1 has over the past 7 years been seen as an indication that the expansion of the universe is accelerating. A new model cosmology, the "fractal bubble model", has been proposed by one of us [gr-qc/0503099], based on the idea that our observed universe resides in an underdense bubble remnant from a primordial epoch of cosmic inflation, together with a new solution for averaging in an inhomogeneous universe. Although there is no cosmic acceleration, it is claimed that the luminosity distance of type Ia supernovae data will nonetheless fit the new model, since it mimics a Milne universe at low redshifts. In this paper the hypothesis is tested statistically against the available type Ia supernovae data by both chi-square and Bayesian methods. While the standard model with cosmological constant Omega_Lambda = 1-Omega_m is favoured by a Bayesian analysis with wide priors, the comparison depends strongly on the priors chosen for the density parameter, Omega_m. The fractal bubble model gives better agreement generally for Omega_m<0.2. It also gives reasonably good fits for all the range, Omega_m=0.01-0.55, allowing the possibility of a viable cosmology with just baryonic matter, or alternatively with both baryonic matter and additional cold dark matter.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figures, aastex. v3: Corrected volume factor changes parameter estimates and discussion, figures redrawn, references adde

DNA Damage Response and Repair: Insights into Strategies for Radiation Sensitization

The incorporation of radiotherapy into multimodality treatment plans has led to significant improvements in glioma patient survival. However, local recurrence from glioma resistance to ionizing radiation remains a therapeutic challenge. The tumoricidal effect of radiation therapy is largely attributed to the induction of dsDNA breaks (DSBs). In the past decade, there have been tremendous strides in understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying DSB repair. The identification of gene products required for DSB repair has provided novel therapeutic targets. Recent studies revealed that many US FDA-approved cancer agents inhibit DSB repair by interacting with repair proteins. This article will aim to provide discussion of DSB repair mechanisms to provide molecular targets for radiation sensitization of gliomas and a discussion of FDA-approved cancer therapies that modulate DSB repair to highlight opportunities for combination therapy with radiotherapy for glioma therapy

Development of Clostridium difficile R20291ΔPaLoc model strains and in vitro methodologies reveals CdtR is required for the production of CDT to cytotoxic levels

Assessing the regulation of Clostridium difficile transferase (CDT), is complicated by the presence of a Pathogenicity locus (PaLoc) which encodes Toxins A and B. Here we developed R20291ΔPaLoc model strains and cell-based assays to quantify CDT-mediated virulence. Their application demonstrated that the transcriptional regulator, CdtR, was required for CDT-mediated cytotoxicity

Lung Injury Prevention with Aspirin (LIPS-A): a Protocol for a Multicentre Randomised Clinical Trial in Medical Patients at High Risk of Acute Lung Injury

Introduction: Acute lung injury (ALI) is a devastating condition that places a heavy burden on public health resources. Although the need for effective ALI prevention strategies is increasingly recognised, no effective preventative strategies exist. The Lung Injury Prevention Study with Aspirin (LIPS-A) aims to test whether aspirin (ASA) could prevent and/or mitigate the development of ALI. Methods and analysis LIPS-A is a multicentre, double-blind, randomised clinical trial testing the hypothesis that the early administration of ASA will result in a reduced incidence of ALI in adult patients at high risk. This investigation will enrol 400 study participants from 14 hospitals across the USA. Conditional logistic regression will be used to test the primary hypothesis that early ASA administration will decrease the incidence of ALI. Ethics and dissemination Safety oversight will be under the direction of an independent Data and Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB). Approval of the protocol was obtained from the DSMB prior to enrolling the first study participant. Approval of both the protocol and informed consent documents were also obtained from the institutional review board of each participating institution prior to enrolling study participants at the respective site. In addition to providing important clinical and mechanistic information, this investigation will inform the scientific merit and feasibility of a phase III trial on ASA as an ALI prevention agent. The findings of this investigation, as well as associated ancillary studies, will be disseminated in the form of oral and abstract presentations at major national and international medical specialty meetings. The primary objective and other significant findings will also be presented in manuscript form. All final, published manuscripts resulting from this protocol will be submitted to Pub Med Central in accordance with the National Institute of Health Public Access Policy