The Lemaitre-Schwarzschild Problem Revisited

The Lemaitre and Schwarzschild analytical solutions for a relativistic spherical body of constant density are linked together through the use of the Weyl quadratic invariant. The critical radius for gravitational collapse of an incompressible fluid is shown to vary continuously from 9/8 of the Schwarzschild radius to the Schwarzschild radius itself while the internal pressures become locally anisotropic.Comment: Final version as accepted by GR&G (to appear in vol. 34, september 2002

The Inflationary Perturbation Spectrum

Motivated by the prospect of testing inflation from precision cosmic microwave background observations, we present analytic results for scalar and tensor perturbations in single-field inflation models based on the application of uniform approximations. This technique is systematically improvable, possesses controlled error bounds, and does not rely on assuming the slow-roll parameters to be constant. We provide closed-form expressions for the power spectra and the corresponding scalar and tensor spectral indices.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figur

Examination of a blood-brain barrier targeting β-galactosidase-monoclonal antibody fusion protein in a murine model of GM1-gangliosidosis

GM1-gangliosidosis is a lysosomal disease resulting from a deficiency in the hydrolase β-galactosidase (β-gal) and subsequent accumulation of gangliosides, primarily in neuronal tissue, leading to progressive neurological deterioration and eventually early death. Lysosomal diseases with neurological involvement have limited non-invasive therapies due to the inability of lysosomal enzymes to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB). A novel fusion enzyme, labeled mTfR-GLB1, was designed to act as a ferry across the BBB by fusing β-gal to the mouse monoclonal antibody against the mouse transferrin receptor and tested in a murine model of GM1-gangliosidosis (β-ga

Nonfactorizable contributions to the decay mode D^0 -> K^0 \bar{K^0}

We point out that the decay mode D^0 -> K^0 \bar{K^0} has no factorizable contribution. In the chiral perturbation language, treating D^0 as heavy, the O(p) contribution is zero. We calculate the nonfactorizable chiral loop contributions of order O(p^3). Then, we use a heavy-light type chiral quark model to calculate nonfactorizable tree level terms, also of order O(p^3), proportional to the gluon condensate. We find that both the chiral loops and the gluon condensate contributions are of the same order of magnitude as the experimental amplitude.Comment: 20 pages, 8 figure

Establishment of a community managed marine reserve in the Bay of Ranobe, southwest Madagascar

The Bay of Ranobe, in southwest Madagascar, once noted for its high biodiversity and fish abundance, is under increasing pressure from overfishing, pollution, sedimentation and tourism. The declining health of the coral reef is reflected in fishery productivity and survey data on biological diversity. Sustainable conservation requires the engagement of all interested parties and the integration of their needs into resource management. The British NGO ReefDoctor has adopted this approach in establishing the first community-protected site in the Bay of Ranobe, the Massif des Roses. This is a large coral patch with a high percentage of live coral cover (38%) and important fish diversity compared to other sites surveyed in the lagoon. Since 25 May 2007 it has been legally recognised as a community managed marine reserve under temporary protection where fishing is banned. Tourists must now pay an entry fee to visit the site, with the proceeds contributing to the funding of community projects. In conjunction with the protection of this site, ReefDoctor has worked with local people, regional and local government, tour operators and hotels, and conservation organisations to set up ‘FIMIHARA’, an association representative of local people responsible for the management of this site and the development of sustainable conservation initiatives in the Bay of Ranobe. This paper explains the approach taken by ReefDoctor, by setting up and working with FIMIHARA, to protect the Massif des Roses site and develop other conservation initiatives and community projects in the Bay of Ranobe. RÉSUMÉ La baie de Ranobe, au sud-ouest de Madagascar, autrefois remarquable pour sa biodiversité et l’abondance de la pêche, est de plus en plus menacée par la surpêche, la sédimentation, la pollution et le tourisme. Le déclin de l’état de santé du récif corallien se reflète dans la diminution de la productivité des pêcheries et dans les suivis de la biodiversité marine. La situation est à présent critique car les ressources marines associées au récif assurent la subsistance des populations côtières vivant le long de la baie. Nous considérons ici qu’une protection pérenne nécessite un engagement concret de toutes les parties prenantes - en particulier des communautés locales - et que leurs besoins soient intégrés dans la gestion des ressources. L’ONG ReefDoctor a mis en oeuvre cette approche lors de la création de la première réserve marine dans la baie de Ranobe gérée par la communauté locale, le Massif des Roses. Cette réserve est constituée d’un grand massif de corail largement couvert de coraux et abritant une importante diversité de poissons par rapport au reste du lagon. Depuis le 25 mai 2007, ce site est légalement reconnu comme réserve marine communautaire avec un statut de protection temporaire ; la pêche et les pratiques destructrices associées au tourisme y sont interdites. De plus, les touristes doivent désormais payer un droit d’entrée pour visiter le site, qui contribue au financement de projets communautaires. En parallèle avec la protection du site, ReefDoctor a travaillé avec les communautés locales, les responsables nationaux et régionaux du gouvernement, les opérateurs touristiques et diverses organisations de protection de la nature pour créer l’association FIMIHARA, représentative de la population locale. Cette association, qui a un statut légal depuis le 11 avril 2007, a pour but d’améliorer la qualité de vie de ceux qui vivent le long de la baie de Ranobe et de mettre en oeuvre des projets de conservation des ressources marines et terrestres dans la région de la baie de Ranobe. La création de la réserve marine communautaire du Massif des Roses a rapidement connu le succès qui s’est traduit par la vente de plus d’un millier de tickets, mais l’association FIMIHARA doit encore faire face à de nombreux défis. L’objectif principal de l’association à long terme est de développer son indépendance par rapport à l’ONG ReefDoctor et sa capacité à gérer indépendamment les ressources marines de la baie de Ranobe dont les communautés locales dépendent pour leur survie

Relations between lipoprotein(a) concentrations, LPA genetic variants, and the risk of mortality in patients with established coronary heart disease: a molecular and genetic association study

Background: Lipoprotein(a) concentrations in plasma are associated with cardiovascular risk in the general population. Whether lipoprotein(a) concentrations or LPA genetic variants predict long-term mortality in patients with established coronary heart disease remains less clear. Methods: We obtained data from 3313 patients with established coronary heart disease in the Ludwigshafen Risk and Cardiovascular Health (LURIC) study. We tested associations of tertiles of lipoprotein(a) concentration in plasma and two LPA single-nucleotide polymorphisms ([SNPs] rs10455872 and rs3798220) with all-cause mortality and cardiovascular mortality by Cox regression analysis and with severity of disease by generalised linear modelling, with and without adjustment for age, sex, diabetes diagnosis, systolic blood pressure, BMI, smoking status, estimated glomerular filtration rate, LDL-cholesterol concentration, and use of lipid-lowering therapy. Results for plasma lipoprotein(a) concentrations were validated in five independent studies involving 10 195 patients with established coronary heart disease. Results for genetic associations were replicated through large-scale collaborative analysis in the GENIUS-CHD consortium, comprising 106 353 patients with established coronary heart disease and 19 332 deaths in 22 studies or cohorts. Findings: The median follow-up was 9·9 years. Increased severity of coronary heart disease was associated with lipoprotein(a) concentrations in plasma in the highest tertile (adjusted hazard radio [HR] 1·44, 95% CI 1·14–1·83) and the presence of either LPA SNP (1·88, 1·40–2·53). No associations were found in LURIC with all-cause mortality (highest tertile of lipoprotein(a) concentration in plasma 0·95, 0·81–1·11 and either LPA SNP 1·10, 0·92–1·31) or cardiovascular mortality (0·99, 0·81–1·2 and 1·13, 0·90–1·40, respectively) or in the validation studies. Interpretation: In patients with prevalent coronary heart disease, lipoprotein(a) concentrations and genetic variants showed no associations with mortality. We conclude that these variables are not useful risk factors to measure to predict progression to death after coronary heart disease is established. Funding: Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Technical Development (AtheroRemo and RiskyCAD), INTERREG IV Oberrhein Programme, Deutsche Nierenstiftung, Else-Kroener Fresenius Foundation, Deutsche Stiftung für Herzforschung, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Saarland University, German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, Willy Robert Pitzer Foundation, and Waldburg-Zeil Clinics Isny

The fitness for the Ageing Brain Study II (FABS II): protocol for a randomized controlled clinical trial evaluating the effect of physical activity on cognitive function in patients with Alzheimer's disease

Background: Observational studies have documented a potential protective effect of physical exercise in older adults who are at risk for developing Alzheimer's disease. The Fitness for the Ageing Brain II (FABS II) study is a multicentre randomized controlled clinical trial (RCT) aiming to determine whether physical activity reduces the rate of cognitive decline among individuals with Alzheimer's disease. This paper describes the background, objectives of the study, and an overview of the protocol including design, organization and data collection methods

Naturalizing Institutions: Evolutionary Principles and Application on the Case of Money

In recent extensions of the Darwinian paradigm into economics, the replicator-interactor duality looms large. I propose a strictly naturalistic approach to this duality in the context of the theory of institutions, which means that its use is seen as being always and necessarily dependent on identifying a physical realization. I introduce a general framework for the analysis of institutions, which synthesizes Searle's and Aoki's theories, especially with regard to the role of public representations (signs) in the coordination of actions, and the function of cognitive processes that underly rule-following as a behavioral disposition. This allows to conceive institutions as causal circuits that connect the population-level dynamics of interactions with cognitive phenomena on the individual level. Those cognitive phenomena ultimately root in neuronal structures. So, I draw on a critical restatement of the concept of the meme by Aunger to propose a new conceptualization of the replicator in the context of institutions, namely, the replicator is a causal conjunction between signs and neuronal structures which undergirds the dispositions that generate rule-following actions. Signs, in turn, are outcomes of population-level interactions. I apply this framework on the case of money, analyzing the emotions that go along with the use of money, and presenting a stylized account of the emergence of money in terms of the naturalized Searle-Aoki model. In this view, money is a neuronally anchored metaphor for emotions relating with social exchange and reciprocity. Money as a meme is physically realized in a replicator which is a causal conjunction of money artefacts and money emotions

Association of Factor V Leiden with Subsequent Atherothrombotic Events:A GENIUS-CHD Study of Individual Participant Data

BACKGROUND: Studies examining the role of factor V Leiden among patients at higher risk of atherothrombotic events, such as those with established coronary heart disease (CHD), are lacking. Given that coagulation is involved in the thrombus formation stage on atherosclerotic plaque rupture, we hypothesized that factor V Leiden may be a stronger risk factor for atherothrombotic events in patients with established CHD. METHODS: We performed an individual-level meta-analysis including 25 prospective studies (18 cohorts, 3 case-cohorts, 4 randomized trials) from the GENIUS-CHD (Genetics of Subsequent Coronary Heart Disease) consortium involving patients with established CHD at baseline. Participating studies genotyped factor V Leiden status and shared risk estimates for the outcomes of interest using a centrally developed statistical code with harmonized definitions across studies. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to obtain age- and sex-adjusted estimates. The obtained estimates were pooled using fixed-effect meta-analysis. The primary outcome was composite of myocardial infarction and CHD death. Secondary outcomes included any stroke, ischemic stroke, coronary revascularization, cardiovascular mortality, and all-cause mortality. RESULTS: The studies included 69 681 individuals of whom 3190 (4.6%) were either heterozygous or homozygous (n=47) carriers of factor V Leiden. Median follow-up per study ranged from 1.0 to 10.6 years. A total of 20 studies with 61 147 participants and 6849 events contributed to analyses of the primary outcome. Factor V Leiden was not associated with the combined outcome of myocardial infarction and CHD death (hazard ratio, 1.03 [95% CI, 0.92-1.16]; I2=28%; P-heterogeneity=0.12). Subgroup analysis according to baseline characteristics or strata of traditional cardiovascular risk factors did not show relevant differences. Similarly, risk estimates for the secondary outcomes including stroke, coronary revascularization, cardiovascular mortality, and all-cause mortality were also close to identity. CONCLUSIONS: Factor V Leiden was not associated with increased risk of subsequent atherothrombotic events and mortality in high-risk participants with established and treated CHD. Routine assessment of factor V Leiden status is unlikely to improve atherothrombotic events risk stratification in this population