Recursive actions for scalar theories

We introduce a class of self-interacting scalar theories in which the various coupling contants obey a recursive relation. These imply a particularly simple form for the generating function of the Feynman amplitudes with vanishing external momenta, as well as for the effective potential. In addition we discuss an interesting duality inherent in these models. Specializing to the case of zero spacetime dimensions we find intriguing nullification properties for the amplitudes.Comment: 28 pages, 2 figures Replaced contract numbe

Spatio-temporal impact of climate change on the groundwater system

Given the importance of groundwater for food production and drinking water supply, but also for the survival of groundwater dependent terrestrial ecosystems (GWDTEs) it is essential to assess the impact of climate change on this freshwater resource. In this paper we study with high temporal and spatial resolution the impact of 28 climate change scenarios on the groundwater system of a lowland catchment in Belgium. Our results show for the scenario period 2070–2101 compared with the reference period 1960– 1991, a change in annual groundwater recharge between −20% and +7%. On average annual groundwater recharge decreases 7%. In most scenarios the recharge increases during winter but decreases during summer. The altered recharge patterns cause the groundwater level to decrease significantly from September to January. On average the groundwater level decreases about 7 cm with a standard deviation between the scenarios of 5 cm. Groundwater levels in interfluves and upstream areas are more sensitive to climate change than groundwater levels in the river valley. Groundwater discharge to GWDTEs is expected to decrease during late summer and autumn as much as 10%, though the discharge remains at reference-period level during winter and early spring. As GWDTEs are strongly influenced by temporal dynamics of the groundwater system, close monitoring of groundwater and implementation of adaptive management measures are required to prevent ecological loss

239. Ocena efektu przeciwnowotworowego genetycznie modyfikowanej szczepionki komórkowej w mysim modelu raka nerki

CelGenetycznie modyfikowane szczepionki komórkowe (GMTV) mają za zadanie indukcję efektywnej odpowiedzi przeciwnowotworowej. Postanowiliśmy ocenić efekt protekcyjny dwóch różnych GMTV w mysim modelu raka jasnokomórkowego nerki, oraz rolę komórek dendrytycznych w fazie indukcji przeciwnowotworowej odpowiedzi komórkowej.MetodyPrzy wykorzystaniu wektorów retrowirusowych DCCMV-IRES-Neo-H-6 oraz DCCMV-IRES-Neo-IL-6 wprowadzono do komórek mysiego raka jasnokomórkowego (RenCa) skonstruowano dwa rodzaje GMTV: (i) Komórki RenCa wykazujące ekspresję genu Interleukiny-6, (ii) komórki RenCa wykazujące ekspresję genu Hyper-lnterleukiny-6 (sztuczna cytokina będąca białkiem fuzyjnym składającym się z IL-6 powiązanej sztucznym linkerem z agonistycznym rozpuszczalnym receptorem) W celu oceny efektu protekcyjnego GMTV, myszy Balb/c w wieku 8–12 tygodni (8 osobników w jednej grupie eksperymentalnej) immunizowano podając podskórnie w lewe udo, 1×10^6 naświetlonych (80 Gy) komórek (RenCa w/t, RenCa-IL-6, Renca-H6). Po 14 dniach myszom podawano podskórnie w prawe udo wyjściowe komórki RenCa w/t w ilości 5×10^5. Następnie oceniano dynamikę pojawiania się guzów oraz kinetykę ich wzrostu. W celu oceny mechanizmów indukcji odpowiedzi immunologicznej postanowiono ocenić in situ wpływ poszczególnych rodzajów GMTV na komórki dendrytyczne. Myszy Balb/c otrzymywały w okolicy śródbrzusza, podskórnie 2×10^6 napromienionych (80 Gy) komórek Renca w/t, Renca-IL-6, Renca H-6 zawieszonych w Matrigelu™. Po 7 dniach przy pomocy cytometru przepływowego analizowano komórki naciekające Matrigel.Wyniki i podsumowanieImmunizacja myszy komórkami RenCa-H6 okazała się najbardziej efektywna w porównaniu do komórek RenCa w/t i RenCa-IL-6. Jakkolwiek nie przeciwdziałała wzrostowi guzów. Aktywowane komórki DC naciekały najsilniej komórki RenCa-H6. Efekt protekcyjny wyraźnie korelował z ilością aktywowanych komórek DC naciekających miejsce podania GMTV. Intensywna infiltracja miejsca podania GMTV przez komórki DC o wysokim poziomie aktywacji wskazuje na silną role Hyper-Interleukiny-6 w procesie indukcji funkcjonalnej przeciwnowotworowej odpowiedzi immunologicznej

The first NINDS/NIBIB consensus meeting to define neuropathological criteria for the diagnosis of chronic traumatic encephalopathy.

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a neurodegeneration characterized by the abnormal accumulation of hyperphosphorylated tau protein within the brain. Like many other neurodegenerative conditions, at present, CTE can only be definitively diagnosed by post-mortem examination of brain tissue. As the first part of a series of consensus panels funded by the NINDS/NIBIB to define the neuropathological criteria for CTE, preliminary neuropathological criteria were used by 7 neuropathologists to blindly evaluate 25 cases of various tauopathies, including CTE, Alzheimer's disease, progressive supranuclear palsy, argyrophilic grain disease, corticobasal degeneration, primary age-related tauopathy, and parkinsonism dementia complex of Guam. The results demonstrated that there was good agreement among the neuropathologists who reviewed the cases (Cohen's kappa, 0.67) and even better agreement between reviewers and the diagnosis of CTE (Cohen's kappa, 0.78). Based on these results, the panel defined the pathognomonic lesion of CTE as an accumulation of abnormal hyperphosphorylated tau (p-tau) in neurons and astroglia distributed around small blood vessels at the depths of cortical sulci and in an irregular pattern. The group also defined supportive but non-specific p-tau-immunoreactive features of CTE as: pretangles and NFTs affecting superficial layers (layers II-III) of cerebral cortex; pretangles, NFTs or extracellular tangles in CA2 and pretangles and proximal dendritic swellings in CA4 of the hippocampus; neuronal and astrocytic aggregates in subcortical nuclei; thorn-shaped astrocytes at the glial limitans of the subpial and periventricular regions; and large grain-like and dot-like structures. Supportive non-p-tau pathologies include TDP-43 immunoreactive neuronal cytoplasmic inclusions and dot-like structures in the hippocampus, anteromedial temporal cortex and amygdala. The panel also recommended a minimum blocking and staining scheme for pathological evaluation and made recommendations for future study. This study provides the first step towards the development of validated neuropathological criteria for CTE and will pave the way towards future clinical and mechanistic studies

99mTc-labelled Stealth® liposomal doxorubicin (Caelyx®) in glioblastomas and metastatic brain tumours

British Journal of Cancer (2002) 86, 659–660. DOI: 10.1038/sj/bjc/6600093 www.bjcancer.co

Using Flow Specifications of Parameterized Cache Coherence Protocols for Verifying Deadlock Freedom

We consider the problem of verifying deadlock freedom for symmetric cache coherence protocols. In particular, we focus on a specific form of deadlock which is useful for the cache coherence protocol domain and consistent with the internal definition of deadlock in the Murphi model checker: we refer to this deadlock as a system- wide deadlock (s-deadlock). In s-deadlock, the entire system gets blocked and is unable to make any transition. Cache coherence protocols consist of N symmetric cache agents, where N is an unbounded parameter; thus the verification of s-deadlock freedom is naturally a parameterized verification problem. Parametrized verification techniques work by using sound abstractions to reduce the unbounded model to a bounded model. Efficient abstractions which work well for industrial scale protocols typically bound the model by replacing the state of most of the agents by an abstract environment, while keeping just one or two agents as is. However, leveraging such efficient abstractions becomes a challenge for s-deadlock: a violation of s-deadlock is a state in which the transitions of all of the unbounded number of agents cannot occur and so a simple abstraction like the one above will not preserve this violation. In this work we address this challenge by presenting a technique which leverages high-level information about the protocols, in the form of message sequence dia- grams referred to as flows, for constructing invariants that are collectively stronger than s-deadlock. Efficient abstractions can be constructed to verify these invariants. We successfully verify the German and Flash protocols using our technique

Mapping the EQ-5D index by UPDRS and PDQ-8 in patients with Parkinson’s disease

Background: Clinical studies employ the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) to measure the severity of Parkinson’s disease. Evaluations often fail to consider the health-related quality of life (HrQoL) or apply disease-specific instruments. Health-economic studies normally use estimates of utilities to calculate quality-adjusted life years. We aimed to develop an estimation algorithm for EuroQol- 5 dimensions (EQ-5D)-based utilities from the clinical UPDRS or disease-specific HrQoL data in the absence of original utilities estimates. Methods: Linear and fractional polynomial regression analyses were performed with data from a study of Parkinson’s disease patients (n=138) to predict the EQ-5D index values from UPDRS and Parkinson’s disease questionnaire eight dimensions (PDQ-8) data. German and European weights were used to calculate the EQ-5D index. The models were compared by R2, the root mean square error (RMS), the Bayesian information criterion, and Pregibon’s link test. Three independent data sets validated the models. Results: The regression analyses resulted in a single best prediction model (R2: 0.713 and 0.684, RMS: 0.139 and 13.78 for indices with German and European weights, respectively) consisting of UPDRS subscores II, III, IVa-c as predictors. When the PDQ-8 items were utilised as independent variables, the model resulted in an R2 of 0.60 and 0.67. The independent data confirmed the prediction models. Conclusion: The best results were obtained from a model consisting of UPDRS subscores II, III, IVa-c. Although a good model fit was observed, primary EQ-5D data are always preferable. Further validation of the prediction algorithm within large, independent studies is necessary prior to its generalised use