An Exact Bosonization Rule for c=1 Noncritical String Theory

We construct a string field theory for c=1 noncritical strings using the loop variables as the string field. We show how one can express the nonrelativistic free fermions which describes the theory, in terms of these string fields.Comment: 17 pages, to appear in JHE

Essential and Instructive Roles of GATA Factors in Eosinophil Development

GATA transcription factors are major regulators of hematopoietic and immune system. Among GATA factors, GATA-1, GATA-2, and GATA-3 play crucial roles in the development of erythroid cells, hematopoietic stem, and progenitor cells, and T helper type 2 (Th2) cells, respectively. A high level of GATA-1 and GATA-2 expression has been observed in eosinophils, but their roles in eosinophil development remain uncertain both in vitro and in vivo. Here we show that enforced expression of GATA-1 in human primary myeloid progenitor cells completely switches myeloid cell fate into eosinophils. Expression of GATA-1 exclusively promotes development and terminal maturation of eosinophils. Functional domain analyses revealed that the COOH-terminal finger is essential for this capacity while the other domains are dispensable. Importantly, GATA-1–deficient mice failed to develop eosinophil progenitors in the fetal liver. On the other hand, GATA-2 also showed instructive capacity comparable to GATA-1 in vitro and efficiently compensated for GATA-1 deficiency in terms of eosinophil development in vivo, indicating that proper accumulation of GATA factors is critical for eosinophil development. Taken together, our findings establish essential and instructive roles of GATA factors in eosinophil development. GATA-1 and GATA-2 could be novel molecular targets for therapeutic approaches to allergic inflammation

Monte Carlo approach to nonperturbative strings -- demonstration in noncritical string theory

We show how Monte Carlo approach can be used to study the double scaling limit in matrix models. As an example, we study a solvable hermitian one-matrix model with the double-well potential, which has been identified recently as a dual description of noncritical string theory with worldsheet supersymmetry. This identification utilizes the nonperturbatively stable vacuum unlike its bosonic counterparts, and therefore it provides a complete constructive formulation of string theory. Our data with the matrix size ranging from 8 to 512 show a clear scaling behavior, which enables us to extract the double scaling limit accurately. The ``specific heat'' obtained in this way agrees nicely with the known result obtained by solving the Painleve-II equation with appropriate boundary conditions.Comment: 15 pages, 10 figures, LaTeX, JHEP3.cls; references added, typos correcte

Risk factors related to the reduction of subjective taste ability in middle-to old-aged nursing home residents in Sri Lanka : a cross-sectional study

The purpose of this study is to verify the factors significantly related to the reduction of subjective taste ability of 1,015 middle-aged and elderly (50 - 96 years old) at 25 randomized selected nursing homes in Sri Lanka. Binary logistic regression analyses by gender were performed using IBM SPSS on following variables. A dependent variable is taste ability, and 27 independent variables are age, daily lifestyle, nutritional problems, general status, dental status and physiological thresholds of taste abilities (sweet, salt, sour, bitter, and umami). Smell ability (p < 0.001 - 0.05) and the Self-Report Questionnaire, 20-item version :SRQ 20 (p < 0.01 - 0.05) were significant risk factors of reducing taste ability in both genders. Especially, smell ability was closely linked to taste ability. Existence of comprehensive perception of “flavor” composed of taste and smell ability was illustrated. Significant gender differences factors were observed in long term care needs (p < 0.05), sleeping (p < 0.01 - 0.001), bowel condition (p < 0.05) in males; and height (p < 0.05), weight (p < 0.05), BMI 3 categories (p < 0.05), and brushing (p < 0.05) in females. Other variables such as age and five types of physiological taste ability were not significant in both genders. The results of this investigation also strongly indicated that the perception of subjective sense of taste was different from the objective sense of taste. Epidemiological studies such as cohort or intervention studies focusing on a relationship between subjective taste ability and sense of smell are necessary to identify more accurate and changeable risk factors for dysgeusia in order to improve elderly’s nutritional intake in Sri Lanka

Pituitary Volume and Socio-Cognitive Functions in Individuals at Risk of Psychosis and Patients With Schizophrenia

Objectives: Increased pituitary volume, which probably reflects hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) hyperactivity, has been reported in patients with schizophrenia and individuals at risk of psychosis. On the basis of potential role of abnormal HPA axis function on cognitive impairments in psychosis, we aimed to examine possible relations between the pituitary volume and socio-cognitive impairments in these subjects.Methods: This magnetic resonance imaging study examined the pituitary gland volume in 38 subjects with at-risk mental state (ARMS) [of whom 4 (10.5%) exhibited the transition to schizophrenia], 63 patients with schizophrenia, and 61 healthy controls. Social and cognitive functions of the ARMS and schizophrenia groups were assessed using the Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia (BACS), the Schizophrenia Cognition Rating Scale (SCoRS), and the Social and Occupational Functioning Assessment Scale (SOFAS).Results: Both the ARMS and schizophrenia groups had a significantly larger pituitary volume compared to controls. In the schizophrenia group, the pituitary volume was negatively associated with the BACS working memory score. No association was found between the pituitary volume and clinical variables (medication, symptom severity) in either clinical group.Conclusion: Our findings support the notion of common HPA hyperactivity in the ARMS and schizophrenia groups, but abnormal HPA axis function may contribute differently to cognitive deficits according to the illness stages of schizophrenia