194 research outputs found
One-Loop Effect of Null-Like Cosmology's Holographic Dual Super-Yang-Mills
We calculate the 1-loop effect in super-Yang-Mills which preserves
1/4-supersymmetries and is holographically dual to the null-like cosmology with
a big-bang singularity. Though the bosonic and fermionic spectra do not agree
precisely, we do obtain vanishing 1-loop vacuum energy for generic warped
plane-wave type backgrounds with a big-bang singularity. Moreover, we find that
the cosmological "constant" contributed either by bosons or fermions is
time-dependent. The issues about the particle production of some background and
about the UV structure are also commented. We argue that the effective higher
derivative interactions are suppressed as long as the Fourier transform of the
time-dependent coupling is UV-finite. Our result holds for scalar
configurations that are BPS but with arbitrary time-dependence. This suggests
the existence of non-renormalization theorem for such a new class of
time-dependent theories. Altogether, it implies that such a super-Yang-Mills is
scale-invariant, and that its dual bulk quantum gravity might behave regularly
near the big bang.Comment: 20 pages, v2 add comments and references, v3 clarify BPS condition &
add new discussion on particle production and UV structure, v4&v5 minor
changes, final to JHE
Hypoxia and inflammation as a consequence of β-fibril accumulation. A perspective view for new potential therapeutic targets
Amyloidoses are heterogeneous diseases that result from the deposition of toxic insoluble β-sheet fibrillar protein aggregates in different tissues. The cascade of molecular events leading to amyloidoses and to the related clinical manifestations is not completely understood. Nevertheless, it is known that tissue damage associated to this disease involves alteration of tissue architecture, interaction with cell surface receptors, inflammation elicited by the amyloid protein deposition, oxidative stress, and apoptosis. However, another important aspect to consider is that systemic protein massive deposition not only subverts tissue architecture but also determines a progressive cellular hypertrophy and dilation of the extracellular space enlarging the volume of the organ. Such an alteration increases the distance between cells and vessels with a drop in pO2 that, in turn, causes both necrotic cell death and activation of the hypoxia transcription factor HIF-1α. Herewith, we propose the hypothesis that both cell death and hypoxia represent two important events for the pathogenesis of damage and progression of amyloidoses. In fact, molecules released by necrotic cells activate inflammatory cells from one side while binding to HIF-1α-dependent membrane receptors expressed on hypoxic parenchymal cells on the other side. This latter event generates a signaling cascade triggering NFκB activation and chronic inflammation. Finally, we also suggest that this scenario, once proved and detailed, might suggest important targets for new therapeutic interventions
Identification of MOR-positive B cell as possible innovative biomarker (Mu lympho-marker) for chronic pain diagnosis in patients with fibromyalgia and osteoarthritis diseases
Fibromyalgia (FM) diagnosis follows the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria, based on clinical evaluation and written questionnaires without any objective diagnostic tool. The lack of specific biomarkers is a tragic aspect for FM and chronic pain diseases in general. Interestingly, the endogenous opioid system is close to the immune one because of the expression of opioid receptors on lymphocytes membrane. Here we analyzed the role of the Mu opioid receptor on B lymphocytes as a specific biomarker for FM and osteoarthritis (OA) patients. We enrolled three groups of females: FM patients, OA patients (chronic pain control group) and healthy subjects (pain-free negative control group). We collected blood samples to apply immunophenotyping analysis. Written tests were administrated for psychological analysis. Data were statistically analyzed. Final results showed that the percentage of Mu-positive B cells were statistically lower in FM and OA patients than in pain-free subjects. A low expression of Mu-positive B cell was not associated with the psychological characteristics investigated. In conclusion, here we propose the percentage of Mu-positive B cells as a biological marker for an objective diagnosis of chronic pain suffering patients, also contributing to the legitimacy of FM as a truly painful disease
Drug utilization, safety, and effectiveness of exenatide, sitagliptin, and vildagliptin for type 2 diabetes in the real world: Data from the Italian AIFA Anti-diabetics Monitoring Registry
AbstractBackground and aimsIn Italy, the reimbursed use of incretin mimetics and incretin enhancers was subject to enrollment of patients into a web-based system recording the general demographic and clinical data of patients. We report the utilization data of glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP1) receptor agonists and dipeptidylpeptidase-4 (DPP4) inhibitors in clinical practice as recorded by the Italian Medicines Agency (AIFA) Monitoring Registry.Methods and resultsFrom February 2008 to August 2010, 75,283 patients with type 2 diabetes were entered into the registry and treated with exenatide, sitagliptin, or vildagliptin. The treatment was administered to patients in a wide range of ages (≥75 years, n = 6125 cases), body mass index (BMI) (≥35 kg/m2, n = 22,015), and metabolic control (HbA1c ≥ 11% ((96 mmol/mol), n = 3151). Overall, 1116 suspected adverse drug reactions were registered, including 12 cases of acute pancreatitis (six on exenatide). Hypoglycemic episodes mainly occurred in combination with sulfonylureas. Treatment discontinuation for the three drugs (logistic regression analysis) was negatively associated with the male gender and positively with baseline HbA1c, diabetes duration, and, limitedly to DPP-4 inhibitors, with BMI. Treatment discontinuation (including loss to follow-up, accounting for 21–26%) was frequent. Discontinuation for treatment failure occurred in 7.7% of cases (exenatide), 3.8% (sitagliptin), and 4.1% (vildagliptin), respectively, corresponding to 27–40% of all discontinuations, after excluding lost to follow-up. HbA1c decreased on average by 0.9–1.0% (9 mmol/mol). Body weight decreased by 3.5% with exenatide and by 1.0–1.5% with DPP-4 inhibitors.ConclusionsIn the real world of Italian diabetes centers, prescriptions of incretins have been made in many cases outside the regulatory limits. Nevertheless, when appropriately utilized, incretins may grant results at least in line with pivotal trials
Branes from a non-Abelian (2,0) tensor multiplet with 3-algebra
In this paper, we study the equations of motion for non-Abelian N=(2,0)
tensor multiplets in six dimensions, which were recently proposed by Lambert
and Papageorgakis. Some equations are regarded as constraint equations. We
employ a loop extension of the Lorentzian three-algebra (3-algebra) and examine
the equations of motion around various solutions of the constraint equations.
The resultant equations take forms that allow Lagrangian descriptions. We find
various (5+d)-dimensional Lagrangians and investigate the relation between them
from the viewpoint of M-theory duality.Comment: 44+1 pages, reference added, typos corrected, and several discussions
added; v3, reference added, many typos corrected, the language improved; v4,
some typos and references corrected, final version to appear in J. Phys.
Renormalization group approach to matrix models via noncommutative space
We develop a new renormalization group approach to the large-N limit of
matrix models. It has been proposed that a procedure, in which a matrix model
of size (N-1) \times (N-1) is obtained by integrating out one row and column of
an N \times N matrix model, can be regarded as a renormalization group and that
its fixed point reveals critical behavior in the large-N limit. We instead
utilize the fuzzy sphere structure based on which we construct a new map
(renormalization group) from N \times N matrix model to that of rank N-1. Our
renormalization group has great advantage of being a nice analog of the
standard renormalization group in field theory. It is naturally endowed with
the concept of high/low energy, and consequently it is in a sense local and
admits derivative expansions in the space of matrices. In construction we also
find that our renormalization in general generates multi-trace operators, and
that nonplanar diagrams yield a nonlocal operation on a matrix, whose action is
to transport the matrix to the antipode on the sphere. Furthermore the
noncommutativity of the fuzzy sphere is renormalized in our formalism. We then
analyze our renormalization group equation, and Gaussian and nontrivial fixed
points are found. We further clarify how to read off scaling dimensions from
our renormalization group equation. Finally the critical exponent of the model
of two-dimensional gravity based on our formalism is examined.Comment: 1+42 pages, 4 figure
Voltage distribution over capacitively coupled plasma electrode for atmospheric-pressure plasma generation
Dynamical aspects of the fuzzy CP in the large reduced model with a cubic term
``Fuzzy CP^2'', which is a four-dimensional fuzzy manifold extension of the
well-known fuzzy analogous to the fuzzy 2-sphere (S^2), appears as a classical
solution in the dimensionally reduced 8d Yang-Mills model with a cubic term
involving the structure constant of the SU(3) Lie algebra. Although the fuzzy
S^2, which is also a classical solution of the same model, has actually smaller
free energy than the fuzzy CP^2, Monte Carlo simulation shows that the fuzzy
CP^2 is stable even nonperturbatively due to the suppression of tunneling
effects at large N as far as the coefficient of the cubic term () is
sufficiently large. As \alpha is decreased, both the fuzzy CP and the fuzzy
S^2 collapse to a solid ball and the system is essentially described by the
pure Yang-Mills model (\alpha = 0). The corresponding transitions are of first
order and the critical points can be understood analytically. The gauge group
generated dynamically above the critical point turns out to be of rank one for
both CP^2 and S^2 cases. Above the critical point, we also perform perturbative
calculations for various quantities to all orders, taking advantage of the
one-loop saturation of the effective action in the large-N limit. By
extrapolating our Monte Carlo results to N=\infty, we find excellent agreement
with the all order results.Comment: 27 pages, 7 figures, (v2) References added (v3) all order analyses
added, some typos correcte
Quantized Nambu-Poisson Manifolds in a 3-Lie Algebra Reduced Model
We consider dimensional reduction of the Bagger-Lambert-Gustavsson theory to
a zero-dimensional 3-Lie algebra model and construct various stable solutions
corresponding to quantized Nambu-Poisson manifolds. A recently proposed Higgs
mechanism reduces this model to the IKKT matrix model. We find that in the
strong coupling limit, our solutions correspond to ordinary noncommutative
spaces arising as stable solutions in the IKKT model with D-brane backgrounds.
In particular, this happens for S^3, R^3 and five-dimensional Neveu-Schwarz
Hpp-waves. We expand our model around these backgrounds and find effective
noncommutative field theories with complicated interactions involving
higher-derivative terms. We also describe the relation of our reduced model to
a cubic supermatrix model based on an osp(1|32) supersymmetry algebra.Comment: 22 page
Approaches to interim analysis of cancer randomised clinical trials with time to event endpoints: A survey from the Italian National Monitoring Centre for Clinical Trials
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Although interim analysis approaches in clinical trials are widely known, information on current practice of planned monitoring is still scarce. Reports of studies rarely include details on the strategies for both data monitoring and interim analysis. The aim of this project is to investigate the forms of monitoring used in cancer clinical trials and in particular to gather information on the role of interim analyses in the data monitoring process of a clinical trial. This study focused on the prevalence of different types of interim analyses and data monitoring in cancer clinical trials.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Source of investigation were the protocols of cancer clinical trials included in the Italian registry of clinical trials from 2000 to 2005. Evaluation was restricted to protocols of randomised studies with a time to event endpoint, such as overall survival (OS) or progression free survival (PFS). A template data extraction form was developed and tested in a pilot phase. Selection of relevant protocols and data extraction were performed independently by two evaluators, with differences in the data assessment resolved by consensus with a third reviewer, referring back to the original protocol. Information was obtained on a) general characteristics of the protocol b) disease localization and patient setting; c) study design d) interim analyses; e) DSMC.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The analysis of the collected protocols reveals that 70.7% of the protocols incorporate statistical interim analysis plans, but only 56% have also a DSMC and be considered adequately planned. The most concerning cases are related to lack of any form of monitoring (20.0% of the protocols), and the planning of interim analysis, without DSMC (14.7%).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The results indicate that there is still insufficient attention paid to the implementation of interim analysis.</p
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