256 research outputs found
Nonlinear Differential Equations Satisfied by Certain Classical Modular Forms
A unified treatment is given of low-weight modular forms on \Gamma_0(N),
N=2,3,4, that have Eisenstein series representations. For each N, certain
weight-1 forms are shown to satisfy a coupled system of nonlinear differential
equations, which yields a single nonlinear third-order equation, called a
generalized Chazy equation. As byproducts, a table of divisor function and
theta identities is generated by means of q-expansions, and a transformation
law under \Gamma_0(4) for the second complete elliptic integral is derived.
More generally, it is shown how Picard-Fuchs equations of triangle subgroups of
PSL(2,R) which are hypergeometric equations, yield systems of nonlinear
equations for weight-1 forms, and generalized Chazy equations. Each triangle
group commensurable with \Gamma(1) is treated.Comment: 40 pages, final version, accepted by Manuscripta Mathematic
Complex effects of inhibiting hepatic apolipoprotein B100 synthesis in humans
Mipomersen (Kynamro®) is an antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) that inhibits apolipoprotein B (apoB) synthesis; its LDL lowering effects should, therefore, result from reduced secretion of VLDL. We enrolled 17 healthy volunteers who received placebo injections weekly for 3-wks followed by mipomersen weekly for 7-9 wks. Stable isotopes were used after each treatment to determine fractional catabolic rates (FCRs) and production rates (PRs) of apoB in VLDL, IDL, and LDL, and of TG in VLDL. Mipomersen significantly reduced apoB in VLDL, IDL, and LDL associated with increases in FCRs of VLDL and LDL apoB and reductions in PRs of IDL and LDL apoB. Unexpectedly, the PRs of VLDL apoB and VLDL TG were unaffected. siRNA knockdown of apoB expression in HepG2 cells demonstrated preservation of apoB secretion across a range of apoB synthesis. Titrated ASO knockdown of apoB mRNA in chow-fed mice showed preservation of both apoB and TG secretion. In contrast, titrated ASO knockdown of apoB mRNA in high fat fed mice resulted in stepwise reductions of both apoB and TG secretion. Mipomersen lowered all apoB-lipoproteins without reducing the PR of either VLDL apoB or TG. Our first-in-human data are consistent with longstanding models of post-transcriptional and post-translational regulation of apoB secretion, and are supported by experiments with siRNA in HepG2 cells and ASO in mice. These results indicate that targeting apoB synthesis can lower levels of apoB-lipoproteins without necessarily reducing VLDL secretion, thereby reducing the risk of steatosis associated with this therapeutic strategy
Complex-Temperature Singularities in the Ising Model. III. Honeycomb Lattice
We study complex-temperature properties of the uniform and staggered
susceptibilities and of the Ising model on the honeycomb
lattice. From an analysis of low-temperature series expansions, we find
evidence that and both have divergent singularities at the
point (where ), with exponents
. The critical amplitudes at this
singularity are calculated. Using exact results, we extract the behaviour of
the magnetisation and specific heat at complex-temperature
singularities. We find that, in addition to its zero at the physical critical
point, diverges at with exponent , vanishes
continuously at with exponent , and vanishes
discontinuously elsewhere along the boundary of the complex-temperature
ferromagnetic phase. diverges at with exponent
and at (where ) with exponent , and
diverges logarithmically at . We find that the exponent relation
is violated at ; the right-hand side is 4
rather than 2. The connections of these results with complex-temperature
properties of the Ising model on the triangular lattice are discussed.Comment: 22 pages, latex, figures appended after the end of the text as a
compressed, uuencoded postscript fil
Some New Results on Complex-Temperature Singularities in Potts Models on the Square Lattice
We report some new results on the complex-temperature (CT) singularities of
-state Potts models on the square lattice. We concentrate on the problematic
region (where ) in which CT zeros of the partition function
are sensitive to finite lattice artifacts. From analyses of low-temperature
series expansions for , we establish the existence, in this
region, of complex-conjugate CT singularities at which the magnetization and
susceptibility diverge. From calculations of zeros of the partition function,
we obtain evidence consistent with the inference that these singularities occur
at endpoints of arcs protruding into the (complex-temperature
extension of the) FM phase. Exponents for these singularities are determined;
e.g., for , we find , consistent with .
By duality, these results also imply associated arcs extending to the (CT
extension of the) symmetric PM phase. Analytic expressions are suggested for
the positions of some of these singularities; e.g., for , our finding is
consistent with the exact value . Further discussions of
complex-temperature phase diagrams are given.Comment: 26 pages, latex, with eight epsf figure
Genetic Analyses of Heme Oxygenase 1 (HMOX1) in Different Forms of Pancreatitis
Contains fulltext :
107993.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access)BACKGROUND: Heme oxygenase 1 (HMOX1) is the rate limiting enzyme in heme degradation and a key regulator of inflammatory processes. In animal models the course of pancreatitis was ameliorated by up-regulation of HMOX1 expression. Additionally, carbon monoxide released during heme breakdown inhibited proliferation of pancreatic stellate cells and might thereby prevent the development of chronic pancreatitis (CP). Transcription of HMOX1 in humans is influenced by a GT-repeat located in the promoter. As such, HMOX1 variants might be of importance in the pathogenesis of pancreatitis. METHODS: The GT-repeat and SNP rs2071746 were investigated with fluorescence labelled primers and by melting curve analysis in 285 patients with acute pancreatitis, 208 patients with alcoholic CP, 207 patients with idiopathic/hereditary CP, 147 patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis, and in 289 controls, respectively. GT-repeat analysis was extended to a total of 446 alcoholic CP patients. In addition, we performed DNA sequencing in 145 patients with alcoholic CP, 138 patients with idiopathic/hereditary CP, 147 patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis, and 151 controls. Exon 3 screening was extended to additional patients and controls. RESULTS: S- and L-alleles of the GT-repeat, genotypes and alleles of SNP rs2071746 and non-synonymous variants detected by sequencing were found with similar frequencies in all groups. CONCLUSIONS: Although functional data implicate a potential influence of HMOX1 variants on the pathogenesis of pancreatitis, we did not find any association. As rare non-synonymous HMOX1 variants were found in patients and controls, it is rather unlikely that they will have functional consequences essential for pancreatitis development
First Data Release of the Hyper Suprime-Cam Subaru Strategic Program
The Hyper Suprime-Cam Subaru Strategic Program (HSC-SSP) is a three-layered
imaging survey aimed at addressing some of the most outstanding questions in
astronomy today, including the nature of dark matter and dark energy. The
survey has been awarded 300 nights of observing time at the Subaru Telescope
and it started in March 2014. This paper presents the first public data release
of HSC-SSP. This release includes data taken in the first 1.7 years of
observations (61.5 nights) and each of the Wide, Deep, and UltraDeep layers
covers about 108, 26, and 4 square degrees down to depths of i~26.4, ~26.5, and
~27.0 mag, respectively (5sigma for point sources). All the layers are observed
in five broad bands (grizy), and the Deep and UltraDeep layers are observed in
narrow bands as well. We achieve an impressive image quality of 0.6 arcsec in
the i-band in the Wide layer. We show that we achieve 1-2 per cent PSF
photometry (rms) both internally and externally (against Pan-STARRS1), and ~10
mas and 40 mas internal and external astrometric accuracy, respectively. Both
the calibrated images and catalogs are made available to the community through
dedicated user interfaces and database servers. In addition to the pipeline
products, we also provide value-added products such as photometric redshifts
and a collection of public spectroscopic redshifts. Detailed descriptions of
all the data can be found online. The data release website is
https://hsc-release.mtk.nao.ac.jp/.Comment: 34 pages, 20 figures, 7 tables, moderate revision, accepted for
publication in PAS
Impact of proton pump inhibitors on efficacy of antiplatelet strategies with ticagrelor or aspirin after percutaneous coronary intervention:Insights from the GLOBAL LEADERS trial
BACKGROUND
Several studies have suggested that proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) may reduce the antiplatelet effects of clopidogrel and/or aspirin, possibly leading to cardiovascular events.
AIMS
We aimed to investigate the association between PPI and clinical outcomes in patients treated with ticagrelor monotherapy or conventional antiplatelet therapy after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).
METHODS
This is a subanalysis of the randomized GLOBAL LEADERS trial, comparing the experimental antiplatelet arm (23-month ticagrelor monotherapy following 1-month dual antiplatelet therapy [DAPT]) with the reference arm (12-month aspirin monotherapy following 12-month DAPT) after PCI. Patient-oriented composite endpoints (POCEs: all-cause mortality, myocardial infarction, stroke, or repeat revascularization) and its components were assessed stratified by PPI use as a time-dependent covariate in patients with the experiment or reference antiplatelet arm.
RESULTS
Among 15,839 patients, 2115 patients (13.5%) experienced POCE at 2 years. In the reference arm, the use of PPIs was independently associated with POCE (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.27; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.12-1.44) and its individual components, whereas it was not in the experimental arm (HR: 1.04; 95% CI: 0.92-1.19; pinteraction = 0.035). During the second-year follow-up, patients taking aspirin with PPIs had a significantly higher risk of POCE compared to those on aspirin without PPIs (HR: 1.57; 95% CI: 1.27-1.94), whereas the risk did not differ significantly irrespective of PPI in ticagrelor monotherapy group (HR: 1.03; 95% CI: 0.83-1.28; pinteraction = 0.008).
CONCLUSIONS
In contrast to conventional antiplatelet strategy, there were no evidence suggesting the interaction between ticagrelor monotherapy and PPIs on increased cardiovascular events, which should be confirmed in further studies.
CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION
URL: https://clinicaltrials.gov
What Do We Know About Contracting Out in the United States? Evidence from Household and Establishment Surveys
A variety of evidence points to significant growth in domestic contracting out over the last two decades, yet the phenomenon is not well documented. In this paper, we pull together data from various sources to shed light on the extent of and trends in domestic outsourcing, the occupations in which it has grown, and the industries engaging in outsourcing for the employment services sector, which has been a particularly important area of domestic outsourcing. In addition, we examine evidence of contracting out of selected occupations to other sectors. We point to many gaps in our knowledge on trends in domestic outsourcing and its implications for employment patterns and to inconsistencies across data sets in the information that is available. We recommend steps to improve data in this area
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