127 research outputs found
The flavour projection of staggered fermions and the quarter-root trick
It is shown that the flavour projection of staggered fermions can be written
as a projection between the fields on four separate, but parallel, lattices,
where the fields on each are modified forms of the standard staggered fermion
field. Because the staggered Dirac operator acts equally on each lattice, it
respects this flavour projection. We show that the system can be gauged in the
usual fashion and that this does not interfere with flavour projection. We also
consider the path integral, showing that, prior to flavour projection, it
evaluates to the same form on each lattice and that this form is equal to that
used in the quarter-root trick. The flavour projection leaves a path integral
for a single flavour of field on each lattice.Comment: 8 pages, including title pag
Transcriptional complex assembly represented in SBGN PD
This poster shows how transcriptional complex assembly can be represented in SBGN Process Description language. Example: LPS-induced TNF-alpha enhancer complex formation
The in silico macrophage: toward a better understanding of inflammatory disease
Macrophages function as sentinel, cell-regulatory hubs capable of initiating,
perpetuating and contributing to the resolution of an inflammatory response,
following their activation from a resting state. Highly complex and varied gene
expression programs within the macrophage enable such functional diversity. To
investigate how programs of gene expression relate to the phenotypic attributes
of the macrophage, the development of in silico modeling methods is needed.
Such models need to cover multiple scales, from molecular pathways in
cell-autonomous immunity and intercellular communication pathways in tissue
inflammation to whole organism response pathways in systemic disease. Here, we
highlight the potential of in silico macrophage modeling as an amenable and
important yet under-exploited tool in aiding in our understanding of the immune
inflammatory response. We also discuss how in silico macrophage modeling can
help in future therapeutic strategies for modulating both the acute protective
effects of inflammation (such as host defense and tissue repair) and the
harmful chronic effects (such as autoimmune diseases).Comment: 7 pages plus 1 figur
The chiral and flavour projection of Dirac-Kahler fermions in the geometric discretization
It is shown that an exact chiral symmetry can be described for Dirac-Kahler
fermions using the two complexes of the geometric discretization. This
principle is extended to describe exact flavour projection and it is shown that
this necessitates the introduction of a new operator and two new structures of
complex. To describe simultaneous chiral and flavour projection, eight
complexes are needed in all and it is shown that projection leaves a single
flavour of chiral field on each.Comment: v2: 17 pages, Latex. 5 images eps. Added references, reformatted and
clarification of some point
Use of logic theory in understanding regulatory pathway signaling in response to infection
Biological pathways link the molecular and cellular levels of biological activity
and perform complex information processing seamlessly. Systems biology aims
to combine an understanding of the cause–effect relationships of each individual
interaction to build an understanding of the function of whole pathways. Therapies
that target the ‘host’ biological processes in infectious diseases are often limited
to the use of vaccines and biologics rather than small molecules. The development
of host drug targets for small molecules is constrained by a limited knowledge of
the underlying role of each target, particularly its potential to cause harmful side
effects after targeting. By considering the combinatorial complexity of pathways
from the outset, we can develop modeling tools that are better suited to analyzing
large pathways, enabling us to identify new causal relationships. This could lead
to new drug target strategies that beneficially disrupt host–pathogen interactions,
minimizing the number of side effects. We introduce logic theory as part of a
pathway modeling approach that can provide a new framework for understanding
pathways and refine ‘host-based’ drug target identification strategies
The Need for Standardizing Diagnosis, Treatment and Clinical Care of Cholecystitis and Biliary Colic in Gallbladder Disease
Gallstones affect 20% of the Western population and will grow in clinical significance as obesity and metabolic diseases become more prevalent. Gallbladder removal (cholecystectomy) is a common treatment for diseases caused by gallstones, with 1.2 million surgeries in the US each year, each costing USD 10,000. Gallbladder disease has a significant impact on the logistics and economics of healthcare. We discuss the two most common presentations of gallbladder disease (biliary colic and cholecystitis) and their pathophysiology, risk factors, signs and symptoms. We discuss the factors that affect clinical care, including diagnosis, treatment outcomes, surgical risk factors, quality of life and cost-efficacy. We highlight the importance of standardised guidelines and objective scoring systems in improving quality, consistency and compatibility across healthcare providers and in improving patient outcomes, collaborative opportunities and the cost-effectiveness of treatment. Guidelines and scoring only exist in select areas of the care pathway. Opportunities exist elsewhere in the care pathway
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