Extending Gaussian hypergeometric series to the pp-adic setting

We define a function which extends Gaussian hypergeometric series to the $p$-adic setting. This new function allows results involving Gaussian hypergeometric series to be extended to a wider class of primes. We demonstrate this by providing various congruences between the function and truncated classical hypergeometric series. These congruences provide a framework for proving the supercongruence conjectures of Rodriguez-Villegas.Comment: Int. J. Number Theory, accepted for publicatio

INSURING AGAINST LOSSES FROM TRANSGENIC CONTAMINATION

Concerns about contamination of the food supply and the financial losses that would result have limited the promise of certain genetically engineered plants. This article addresses the situation by constructing an insurance pricing model to protect against those losses. The model first estimates the physical dispersal of corn pollen subject to a number of parameters. This physical distribution is then used to calculate the premium for fair valued insurance that would be necessary to destroy contaminated fields. The flexible framework can be readily adapted to other crops, management practices, and regions.contemporaneous fertility, insurance, Lagrangian stochastic model, pharmaceutical-corn, pollen dispersal, Crop Production/Industries, Risk and Uncertainty,

IMPACTS OF LIBERALIZING THE JAPANESE PORK MARKET

The Japanese pork market is protected by a complex set of restrictions, including a variable levy and an import tariff. The combination of these policies distorts the quantity, price, and form of Japanese pork imports. An important issue relevant to the liberalization of the Japanese pork market is the accurate measurement of the price wedge between Japanese and world pork prices. The analysis indicates that the tariff equivalent of the price wedge over the 1986-88 period was 44%. If the tariff equivalent of the price wedge is reduced over a ten-year period, Japanese pork imports are projected to increase by over 39% initially and by over 215% compared to baseline projections by the year 2000. Producer welfare can be maintained by a deficiency payment scheme. A less costly alternative is an industry buffer scheme, which maintains the level of the pork industry for two years and then implements a declining deficiency payment scheme that limits the decrease in production levels to 5% per year.International Relations/Trade,

Photo- and solvatochromic properties of nitrobenzospiropyran in ionic liquids containing the [NTf2]- anion

The photo-, thermo- and solvatochromic properties of 2,3-dihydro-10,30,30-trimethyl-6-nitrospiro- [1-benzopyran-2,20-1H-indole] (BSP-NO2) were studied in ILs containing the anion [NTf2]- by UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy, ab initio molecular orbital theory and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. It was found that the kinetics and thermodynamics of the BSP-NO2 MC (merocyanine) equilibrium was sensitive to the nature of the cation. It was also observed that the imidazolium cation can form a through-space orbital interaction with the MC isomer, rather than a simple electrostatic interaction, thus preventing the MC conversion back to the BSP-NO2 isomer. The BSP-NO2 MC equilibrium thus serves as a model system for studying modes of interaction of the cations in ionic liquids

Human platelet activation by Escherichia coli: roles for FcγRIIA and integrin αIIbβ3

Gram-negative Escherichia coli cause diseases such as sepsis and hemolytic uremic syndrome in which thrombotic disorders can be found. Direct platelet–bacterium interactions might contribute to some of these conditions; however, mechanisms of human platelet activation by E. coli leading to thrombus formation are poorly understood. While the IgG receptor FcγRIIA has a key role in platelet response to various Gram-positive species, its role in activation to Gram-negative bacteria is poorly defined. This study aimed to investigate the molecular mechanisms of human platelet activation by E. coli, including the potential role of FcγRIIA. Using light-transmission aggregometry, measurements of ATP release and tyrosine-phosphorylation, we investigated the ability of two E. coli clinical isolates to activate platelets in plasma, in the presence or absence of specific receptors and signaling inhibitors. Aggregation assays with washed platelets supplemented with IgGs were performed to evaluate the requirement of this plasma component in activation. We found a critical role for the immune receptor FcγRIIA, αIIbβ3, and Src and Syk tyrosine kinases in platelet activation in response to E. coli. IgG and αIIbβ3 engagement was required for FcγRIIA activation. Moreover, feedback mediators adenosine 5’-diphosphate (ADP) and thromboxane A₂ (TxA₂) were essential for platelet aggregation. These findings suggest that human platelet responses to E. coli isolates are similar to those induced by Gram-positive organisms. Our observations support the existence of a central FcγRIIA-mediated pathway by which human platelets respond to both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria

Simultaneous differential scanning calorimetry – synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction : a powerful technique for physical form characterisation in pharmaceutical materials

© 2016 American Chemical Society. We report a powerful new technique: hyphenating synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) with differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). This is achieved with a simple modification to a standard laboratory DSC instrument, in contrast to previous reports which have involved extensive and complex modifications to a DSC to mount it in the synchrotron beam. The high-energy X-rays of the synchrotron permit the recording of powder diffraction patterns in as little as 2 s, meaning that thermally induced phase changes can be accurately quantified and additional insight on the nature of phase transitions obtained. Such detailed knowledge cannot be gained from existing laboratory XRD instruments, since much longer collection times are required. We demonstrate the power of our approach with two model systems, glutaric acid and sulfathiazole, both of which show enantiotropic polymorphism. The phase transformations between the low and high temperature polymorphs are revealed to be direct solid-solid processes, and sequential refinement against the diffraction patterns obtained permits phase fractions at each temperature to be calculated and unit cell parameters to be accurately quantified as a function of temperature. The combination of XRD and DSC has further allowed us to identify mixtures of phases which appeared phase-pure by DSC

Trade Impacts of Soviet Reform: A Heckscher-Ohlin-Vanek Approach

The Heckscher-Ohlin-Vanek (HOV) equations used in this paper provide a feasible method for projecting longer-run trade patterns of the Former Soviet Union, one that does not depend on elasticities or the optimality of existing resource use. The authors contrast forecasted and actual trade patterns and compare their results with those of other studies

Early clinical, radiological and EEG improvement following L-arginine infusion in SMART syndrome

Objectives: To report the clinical, radiological (MRI) and neurophysiological (EEG) changes in a case of SMART (stroke-like migraine attacks after radiation therapy) syndrome following treatment with intravenous L-arginine. Methods: A 60-year-old woman had, ten years prior, been diagnosed with primary CNS diffuse large B cell lymphoma, and was successfully treated with curative chemotherapy and whole brain radiotherapy. She presented acutely with left-sided headache, teichopsia and dysphasia following a chest infection. MRI of the brain showed striking left parieto-occipital gyral swelling, diffusion restriction, leptomeningeal enhancement, and increased cerebral blood volume. Her EEG showed an excess of slow activity diffusely, particularly over the left temporal lobe. A diagnosis of SMART syndrome was made. Intravenous L-arginine (0.5 g/kg) was administered. Results: A few hours post infusion, her migrainous headache subsided and her mentation improved. Her MRI brain performed six days post infusion showed reduced cortical swelling and hyperperfusion, and her EEG showed less temporal slowing. She continued to improve cognitively. Discussion: This is the first report of SMART syndrome with a response to L-arginine, reflected clinically by a measurable improvement in cognition, brain perfusion and EEG parameters, encouraging further clinical studies