Surface Operator, Bubbling Calabi-Yau and AGT Relation

Surface operators in N=2 four-dimensional gauge theories are interesting half-BPS objects. These operators inherit the connection of gauge theory with the Liouville conformal field theory, which was discovered by Alday, Gaiotto and Tachikawa. Moreover it has been proposed that toric branes in the A-model topological strings lead to surface operators via the geometric engineering. We analyze the surface operators by making good use of topological string theory. Starting from this point of view, we propose that the wave-function behavior of the topological open string amplitudes geometrically engineers the surface operator partition functions and the Gaiotto curves of corresponding gauge theories. We then study a peculiar feature that the surface operator corresponds to the insertion of the degenerate fields in the conformal field theory side. We show that this aspect can be realized as the geometric transition in topological string theory, and the insertion of a surface operator leads to the bubbling of the toric Calabi-Yau geometry.Comment: 36 pages, 14 figures. v2: minor changes and typos correcte

Feasibility study on Intensive polyculture of chainess and Indian carps in I.R.IRAN (Giulan province)

500000 juvenile Indian majour carps (Labeo rohita,Cirhinus merigala, Catla catla) imported (2004) and transferred to the earthen ponds in Shahid Ansari Carp Breeding Center , In order to assess the viability of rearing under the climatic condition of north part of Iran and also achieve some growth parameters from the larval stage to market size.The fry with 300 mg weight, were released in to 8 ponds.specimens were separated to tree experimental categories: 1= (Labeo rohita) , 2= (Cirhinus merigala) , 3= (Catla catla). fishes were fed with artificial food and also with the natural products of the ponds which were enriched with organic fertilizers, after being equally stocked in the ponds .During the experiment, oxygen level ,PH, turbidity, and temperature were measured . Monthly fry samples were taken, for weight and length biometrical analysis and also determination of the weight gain percentage, average daily growth rate, specific growth rate. Results have indicated adaptations and considerable growth in this species, with an increase from the initial weight of 300 mg to an average of 13.5±1.6 mg in 50 days period until the end of November for fingerlings. Also the average weight of growing phase (second year of production) was 647g. For Labeo rohita ,420 g. for Cirhinus merigala and 734g. For Catla catla. The special growth rate(SGR)in Roho was 4.51 %.and 3.9 % for merigal and6.2 % for Catla while for Chinees carps SGR was 4.9, 6.7, 7.6 and 5.8 for silver carp,grass carp, common carp and big head respectively. Results revealed that the Indian majour carps compatibility with the condition in Gilan province was succesfull and the combination of species and optimization of their compatibility were remind for further studies

Characteristics and Spatial Distribution of Structural Features in Age-Related Macular Degeneration: A MACUSTAR Study Report

Purpose: To report the prevalence and topographic distribution of structural characteristics in study participants with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and controls in the cross-sectional study part of the MACUSTAR study (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03349801). Design: European, multicenter cohort study. Subjects: Overall, 301 eyes of 301 subjects with early (n = 34), intermediate (n = 168), and late AMD (n = 43), as well as eyes without any AMD features (n = 56). Methods: In study eyes with intermediate AMD (iAMD), the presence of structural AMD biomarkers, including pigmentary abnormalities (PAs), pigment epithelium detachment (PED), refractile deposits, reticular pseudodrusen (RPD), hyperreflective foci (HRF), incomplete/complete retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), and outer retinal atrophy (i/cRORA), and quiescent choroidal neovascularization (qCNV) was systematically determined in the prospectively acquired multimodal retinal imaging cross-sectional data set of MACUSTAR. Retinal layer thicknesses and the RPE drusen complex (RPEDC) volume were determined for the total study cohort in spectral-domain (SD) OCT imaging using a deep-learning–based algorithm. Main Outcome Measures: Prevalence and topographic distribution of structural iAMD features. Results: A total of 301 study eyes of 301 subjects with a mean (± standard deviation) age of 71.2 ± 7.20 years (63.1% women) were included. Besides large drusen, the most prevalent structural feature in iAMD study eyes were PA (57.1%), followed by HRF (51.8%) and RPD (22.0%). Pigment epithelium detachment lesions were observed in 4.8%, vitelliform lesions in 4.2%, refractile deposits in 3.0%, and qCNV in 2.4%. Direct precursor lesions for manifest retinal atrophy were detected in 10.7% (iRORA) and 4.2% (cRORA) in iAMD eyes. Overall, the highest RPEDC volume with a median of 98.92 × 10−4 mm³ was found in iAMD study eyes. Spatial analysis demonstrated a predominant distribution of RPD in the superior and temporal subfields at a foveal eccentricity of 1.5 to 2 mm, whereas HRF and large drusen had a distinct topographic distribution involving the foveal center. Conclusions: Detailed knowledge of the prevalence and distribution of structural iAMD biomarkers is vital to identify reliable outcome measure for disease progression. Longitudinal analyses are needed to evaluate their prognostic value for conversion to advanced disease stages. Financial Disclosure(s): Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found after the references

Antiinflammatory Therapy with Canakinumab for Atherosclerotic Disease

Background: Experimental and clinical data suggest that reducing inflammation without affecting lipid levels may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Yet, the inflammatory hypothesis of atherothrombosis has remained unproved. Methods: We conducted a randomized, double-blind trial of canakinumab, a therapeutic monoclonal antibody targeting interleukin-1β, involving 10,061 patients with previous myocardial infarction and a high-sensitivity C-reactive protein level of 2 mg or more per liter. The trial compared three doses of canakinumab (50 mg, 150 mg, and 300 mg, administered subcutaneously every 3 months) with placebo. The primary efficacy end point was nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke, or cardiovascular death. RESULTS: At 48 months, the median reduction from baseline in the high-sensitivity C-reactive protein level was 26 percentage points greater in the group that received the 50-mg dose of canakinumab, 37 percentage points greater in the 150-mg group, and 41 percentage points greater in the 300-mg group than in the placebo group. Canakinumab did not reduce lipid levels from baseline. At a median follow-up of 3.7 years, the incidence rate for the primary end point was 4.50 events per 100 person-years in the placebo group, 4.11 events per 100 person-years in the 50-mg group, 3.86 events per 100 person-years in the 150-mg group, and 3.90 events per 100 person-years in the 300-mg group. The hazard ratios as compared with placebo were as follows: in the 50-mg group, 0.93 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.80 to 1.07; P = 0.30); in the 150-mg group, 0.85 (95% CI, 0.74 to 0.98; P = 0.021); and in the 300-mg group, 0.86 (95% CI, 0.75 to 0.99; P = 0.031). The 150-mg dose, but not the other doses, met the prespecified multiplicity-adjusted threshold for statistical significance for the primary end point and the secondary end point that additionally included hospitalization for unstable angina that led to urgent revascularization (hazard ratio vs. placebo, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.73 to 0.95; P = 0.005). Canakinumab was associated with a higher incidence of fatal infection than was placebo. There was no significant difference in all-cause mortality (hazard ratio for all canakinumab doses vs. placebo, 0.94; 95% CI, 0.83 to 1.06; P = 0.31). Conclusions: Antiinflammatory therapy targeting the interleukin-1β innate immunity pathway with canakinumab at a dose of 150 mg every 3 months led to a significantly lower rate of recurrent cardiovascular events than placebo, independent of lipid-level lowering. (Funded by Novartis; CANTOS ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01327846.

Consensus guidelines for the use and interpretation of angiogenesis assays

The formation of new blood vessels, or angiogenesis, is a complex process that plays important roles in growth and development, tissue and organ regeneration, as well as numerous pathological conditions. Angiogenesis undergoes multiple discrete steps that can be individually evaluated and quantified by a large number of bioassays. These independent assessments hold advantages but also have limitations. This article describes in vivo, ex vivo, and in vitro bioassays that are available for the evaluation of angiogenesis and highlights critical aspects that are relevant for their execution and proper interpretation. As such, this collaborative work is the first edition of consensus guidelines on angiogenesis bioassays to serve for current and future reference