Abnormal Myocardial Blood Flow Reserve Observed in Cardiac Amyloidosis

We performed real-time myocardial contrast echocardiography on a patient with cardiac amyloidosis and previous normal coronary angiography presenting with atypical chest pain to assess myocardial blood flow reserve (MBFR). Myocardial contrast echocardiography was performed and flash microbubble destruction and replenishment analysis was used to calculate myocardial blood flow. Dipyridamole was used to achieve hyperemia. MBFR was derived from the ratio of peak myocardial blood flow at hyperemia and rest. The results show a marked reduction in MBFR in our patient. Previous reports of luminal obstruction of intramyocardial rather than epicardial vessels by amyloid deposition may be causing microvascular dysfunction

Hamiltonian formulation of SL(3) Ur-KdV equation

We give a unified view of the relation between the $SL(2)$ KdV, the mKdV, and the Ur-KdV equations through the Fr\'{e}chet derivatives and their inverses. For this we introduce a new procedure of obtaining the Ur-KdV equation, where we require that it has no non-local operators. We extend this method to the $SL(3)$ KdV equation, i.e., Boussinesq(Bsq) equation and obtain the hamiltonian structure of Ur-Bsq equationin a simple form. In particular, we explicitly construct the hamiltonian operator of the Ur-Bsq system which defines the poisson structure of the system, through the Fr\'{e}chet derivative and its inverse.Comment: 12 pages, KHTP-93-03 SNUTP-93-2

Behavior of tachyon in string cosmology based on gauged WZW model

We investigate a string theoretic cosmological model in the context of the gauged Wess-Zumino-Witten model. Our model is based on a product of non-compact coset space and a spectator flat space; $[SL(2,R)/U(1)]_k \times {\bf R}^2$. We extend the formerly studied semiclassical consideration with infinite Kac-Moody level $k$ to a finite one. In this case, the tachyon field appears in the effective action, and we solve the Einstein equation to determine the behavior of tachyon as a function of time. We find that tachyon field dominates over dilaton field in early times. In particular, we consider the energy conditions of the matter fields consisting of the dilaton and the tachyon which affect the initial singularity. We find that not only the strong energy but also the null energy condition is violated.Comment: 10 figure

On commuting UU-operators in Jordan algebras

Recently J.A.Anquela, T.Cort\'es, and H.Petersson proved that for elements $x, y$ in a non-degenerate Jordan algebra $J$, the relation $x \circ y = 0$ implies that the $U$-operators of $x$ and $y$ commute: $U_xU_y = U_yU_x$. We show that the result may be not true without the assumption on non-degeneracity of $J$. We give also a more simple proof of the mentioned result in the case of linear Jordan algebras, that is, when $char\, F\neq 2$

ManiNetCluster: a novel manifold learning approach to reveal the functional links between gene networks.

BACKGROUND:The coordination of genomic functions is a critical and complex process across biological systems such as phenotypes or states (e.g., time, disease, organism, environmental perturbation). Understanding how the complexity of genomic function relates to these states remains a challenge. To address this, we have developed a novel computational method, ManiNetCluster, which simultaneously aligns and clusters gene networks (e.g., co-expression) to systematically reveal the links of genomic function between different conditions. Specifically, ManiNetCluster employs manifold learning to uncover and match local and non-linear structures among networks, and identifies cross-network functional links. RESULTS:We demonstrated that ManiNetCluster better aligns the orthologous genes from their developmental expression profiles across model organisms than state-of-the-art methods (p-value <2.2×10-16). This indicates the potential non-linear interactions of evolutionarily conserved genes across species in development. Furthermore, we applied ManiNetCluster to time series transcriptome data measured in the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii to discover the genomic functions linking various metabolic processes between the light and dark periods of a diurnally cycling culture. We identified a number of genes putatively regulating processes across each lighting regime. CONCLUSIONS:ManiNetCluster provides a novel computational tool to uncover the genes linking various functions from different networks, providing new insight on how gene functions coordinate across different conditions. ManiNetCluster is publicly available as an R package at https://github.com/daifengwanglab/ManiNetCluster

Fate of global symmetries in the Universe: QCD axion, quintessential axion and trans-Planckian inflaton decay-constant

Pseudoscalars appearing in particle physics are reviewd systematically. From the fundamental point of view at an ultra-violat completed theory, they can be light if they are realized as pseudo-Goldstone bosons of some spontaneously broken global symmetries. The spontaneous breaking scale is parametrized by the decay constant $f$. The global symmetry is defined by the lowest order terms allowed in the effective theory consistent with the gauge symmetry in question. Since any global symmetry is known to be broken at least by quantum gravitational effects, all pseudoscalars should be massive. The mass scale is determined by $f$ and the explicit breaking terms $\Delta V$ in the effective potential and also anomaly terms $\Delta\Lambda^4_G$ for some non-Abelian gauge groups $G$. The well-known example by non-Abelian gauge group breaking is the potential for the "invisible" QCD axion, via the Peccei-Quinn symmetry, which constitutes a major part of this review. Even if there is no breaking terms from gauge anomalies, there can be explicit breaking terms $\Delta V$ in the potential in which case the leading term suppressed by $f$ determines the pseudoscalar mass scale. If the breaking term is extremely small and the decay constant is trans-Planckian, the corresponding pseudoscalar can be a candidate for a `quintessential axion'. In general, $(\Delta V)^{1/4}$ is considered to be smaller than $f$, and hence the pseudo-Goldstone boson mass scales are considered to be smaller than the decay constants. In such a case, the potential of the pseudo-Goldstone boson at the grand unification scale is sufficiently flat near the top of the potential that it can be a good candidate for an inflationary model, which is known as `natural inflation'. We review all these ideas in the bosonic collective motion framework.Comment: 41 pages with 27 figure

Microstructure of severely deformed metals from X-ray line profile analysis

Two essentially different materials, cubic Ti(49.8)Ni(50.2) shape memory alloy and hexagonal AZ91 Mg alloy, were deformed by equal channel angular pressing (ECAP). The microstructure developed as a result of severe plastic deformation was studied by X-ray line profile analysis. The correlation between the microstructure and the mechanical behavior was also investigated. Below 100 degrees C the tensile strength of the Mg alloy increased as a consequence of the increase of the dislocation density owing to ECAP. Above 200 degrees C the strength decreased and the ductility increased as a result of the breakage of the Al(12)Mg(17) precipitates due to ECAP. The analysis of the dislocation contrast factors of Ti(49.8)Ni(50.2) revealed that {110} dislocations with line vector formed during ECAP

Evidence for the two pole structure of the Lambda(1405) resonance

The K^- p --> pi^0 pi^0 Sigma^0 reaction is studied within a chiral unitary model. The distribution of pi^0 Sigma^0 states forming the Lambda(1405) shows, in agreement with a recent experiment, a peak at 1420 MeV and a relatively narrow width of Gamma = 38 MeV. The mechanism for the reaction is largely dominated by the emission of a pi^0 prior to the K^- p interaction leading to the Lambda(1405). This ensures the coupling of the Lambda(1405) to the K^- p channel, thus maximizing the contribution of the second state found in chiral unitary theories, which is narrow and of higher energy than the nominal Lambda(1405). This is unlike the pi^- p --> K^0 \pi Sigma reaction, which gives more weight to the pole at lower energy and with a larger width. The data of these two experiments, together with the present theoretical analysis, provides a firm evidence of the two pole structure of the Lambda(1405).Comment: 4 pages, 6 figure