476 research outputs found
Symmetric groups and conjugacy classes
Let S_n be the symmetric group on n-letters. Fix n>5. Given any nontrivial
, we prove that the product of
the conjugacy classes and is never a conjugacy
class. Furthermore, if n is not even and is not a multiple of three, then
is the union of at least three distinct conjugacy
classes. We also describe the elements in the case when
is the union of exactly two distinct conjugacy
classes.Comment: 7 page
An investigation into the psychometric properties of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale in patients with breast cancer
BACKGROUND: To determine the psychometric properties of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) in patients with breast cancer and determine the suitability of the instrument for use with this clinical group. METHODS: A cross-sectional design was used. The study used a pooled data set from three breast cancer clinical groups. The dependent variables were HADS anxiety and depression sub-scale scores. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted on the HADS to determine its psychometric properties in 110 patients with breast cancer. Seven models were tested to determine model fit to the data. RESULTS: Both factor analysis methods indicated that three-factor models provided a better fit to the data compared to two-factor (anxiety and depression) models for breast cancer patients. Clark and Watson's three factor tripartite and three factor hierarchical models provided the best fit. CONCLUSION: The underlying factor structure of the HADS in breast cancer patients comprises three distinct, but correlated factors, negative affectivity, autonomic anxiety and anhedonic depression. The clinical utility of the HADS in screening for anxiety and depression in breast cancer patients may be enhanced by using a modified scoring procedure based on a three-factor model of psychological distress. This proposed alternate scoring method involving regressing autonomic anxiety and anhedonic depression factors onto the third factor (negative affectivity) requires further investigation in order to establish its efficacy
Arithmetic Spacetime Geometry from String Theory
An arithmetic framework to string compactification is described. The approach
is exemplified by formulating a strategy that allows to construct geometric
compactifications from exactly solvable theories at . It is shown that the
conformal field theoretic characters can be derived from the geometry of
spacetime, and that the geometry is uniquely determined by the two-dimensional
field theory on the world sheet. The modular forms that appear in these
constructions admit complex multiplication, and allow an interpretation as
generalized McKay-Thompson series associated to the Mathieu and Conway groups.
This leads to a string motivated notion of arithmetic moonshine.Comment: 36 page
Evaluation of Bovine Myosin Heavy Chain Isoforms and Muscle Fiber Cross-Sectional Area on the Eating Quality of 11 Different Beef Muscles
Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the contribution of muscle fiber type and size on the eating quality of 11 different beef muscles.
Study Description: Eleven different beef muscles were utilized from two separate studies. In study 1, shoulder clod, flank, knuckle, mock tender, top sirloin butt, brisket, eye of round, and ribeye were collected from 10 U.S. Department of Agriculture choice carcasses (n = 80), and each muscle was fabricated into steaks at 2 days postmortem. In study 2, strip loin, tri-tip, and heel were collected from 10 USDA low choice carcasses (n = 30). Myofibrillar proteins were extracted and analyzed by immunoblot to determine muscle fiber type. Cross sectional area (CSA) and muscle fiber diameter were determined under the microscope. An average of 400 fibers per sample were analyzed to determine CSA and muscle fiber diameter. Pearson correlation analysis was conducted to determine the relationship between muscle fiber type, CSA, and diameter with the results for the eating quality of beef as determined by a trained panel that were reported in previous studies.
Results: In study 1, there was a positive correlation between fiber type 1 and initial juiciness (r = 0.37; P \u3c 0.05), sustained juiciness (r = 0.39; P \u3c 0.05) and lipid flavor (r = 0.41; P \u3c 0.05). Conversely, there was a negative correlation between fiber type 2A and initial juiciness (r = -0.40; P \u3c 0.05) sustained juiciness (r = -0.42; P \u3c 0.05), and lipid flavor (r = -0.45; P \u3c 0.01). Both studies saw a negative correlation between muscle fiber CSA and diameter with connective tissue content (P \u3c 0.05), but positive correlations to overall tenderness (P \u3c 0.05).
The Bottom Line: This study shows that muscles predominated by type 1 fibers will likely deliver a higher eating quality experience for consumers, while muscles with more glycolytic fibers 2A and 2X will deliver a less favorable eating experience for consumers. On the other hand, these data also demonstrated that larger muscle fiber CSA and diameter are not necessarily a negative eating quality marker as muscles with those characteristics had less connective tissue and had greater tenderness scores
A Graph Based Neural Network Approach to Immune Profiling of Multiplexed Tissue Samples
Multiplexed immunofluorescence provides an unprecedented opportunity for
studying specific cell-to-cell and cell microenvironment interactions. We
employ graph neural networks to combine features obtained from tissue
morphology with measurements of protein expression to profile the tumour
microenvironment associated with different tumour stages. Our framework
presents a new approach to analysing and processing these complex
multi-dimensional datasets that overcomes some of the key challenges in
analysing these data and opens up the opportunity to abstract biologically
meaningful interactions
Molecular analysis of archival diagnostic prostate cancer biopsies identifies genomic similarities in cases with progression post-radiotherapy, and those with de novo metastatic disease
Purpose It is important to identify molecular features that improve prostate cancer (PCa) risk stratification before radical treatment with curative intent. Molecular analysis of historical diagnostic formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) prostate biopsies from cohorts with post-radiotherapy (RT) long-term clinical follow-up has been limited. Utilizing parallel sequencing modalities, we performed a proof-of-principle sequencing analysis of historical diagnostic FFPE prostate biopsies. We compared patients with i) stable PCa post-primary or salvage RT (sPCa), ii) progressing PCa post-RT (pPCa), and iii) de novo metastatic PCa (mPCa).
Experimental Design A cohort of 19 patients with diagnostic prostate biopsies (n=6 sPCa, n=5 pPCa, n=8 mPCa) and mean 4 years 10 months follow-up (diagnosed 2009-2016) underwent nucleic acid extraction from demarcated malignancy. Samples underwent 3’RNA sequencing (3’RNAseq) (n=19), nanoString analysis (n=12) and Illumina 850k methylation (n=8) sequencing. Bioinformatic analysis was performed to coherently identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and methylated genomic regions (MGRs).
Results 18 of 19 samples provided useable 3’RNAseq data. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) demonstrated similar expression profiles between pPCa and mPCa cases, versus sPCa. Coherently differentially methylated probes between these groups identified ∼600 differentially MGRs. The top 50 genes with increased expression in pPCa patients were associated with reduced progression-free survival post-RT (p<0.0001) in an external cohort.
Conclusions 3’RNAseq, nanoString and 850K-methylation analyses are each achievable from historical FFPE diagnostic pre-treatment prostate biopsies, unlocking the potential to utilize large cohorts of historic clinical samples. Profiling similarities between individuals with pPCa and mPCa suggests biological similarities and historical radiological staging limitations, which warrant further investigation
Genomic evolution and transcriptional changes in the evolution of prostate cancer into neuroendocrine and ductal carcinoma types
Prostate cancer is typically of acinar adenocarcinoma type but can occasionally present as neuroendocrine and/or ductal type carcinoma. These are associated with clinically aggressive disease, and the former often arises on a background of androgen deprivation therapy, although it can also arise de novo. Two prostate cancer cases were sequenced by exome capture from archival tissue. Case 1 was de novo small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma and ductal adenocarcinoma with three longitudinal samples over 5 years. Case 2 was a single time point after the development of treatment-related neuroendocrine prostate carcinoma. Case 1 showed whole genome doubling in all samples and focal amplification of AR in all samples except the first time point. Phylogenetic analysis revealed a common ancestry for ductal and small cell carcinoma. Case 2 showed 13q loss (involving RB1) in both adenocarcinoma and small cell carcinoma regions, and 3p gain, 4p loss, and 17p loss (involving TP53) in the latter. By using highly curated samples, we demonstrate for the first time that small-cell neuroendocrine and ductal prostatic carcinoma can have a common ancestry. We highlight whole genome doubling in a patient with prostate cancer relapse, reinforcing its poor prognostic nature
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High-solids black liquor firing in pulp and paper industry kraft recovery boilers: Phase 1 -- Final report. Volume 2: Project technical results
This project is a multiple-phase effort to develop technologies to improve high-solids black liquor firing in pulp mill recovery boilers. The principal means to this end is to construct and operate a pilot-scale recovery furnace simulator (RFS) in which these technologies can be tested. The Phase 1 objectives are to prepare a preliminary design for the RFS, delineate a project concept for evaluating candidate technologies, establish industrial partners, and report the results. Phase 1 addressed the objectives with seven tasks: Develop a preliminary design of the RFS; estimate the detailed design and construction costs of the RFS and the balance of the project; identify interested parties in the paper industry and key suppliers; plan the Phase 2 and Phase 3 tests to characterize the RFS; evaluate the economic justification for high-solids firing deployment in the industry; evaluate high-solids black liquor property data to support the RFS design; manage the project and reporting results, which included planning the future program direction
Preventing cardiotoxicity in patients with breast cancer and lymphoma: protocol for a multicentre randomised controlled trial (PROACT)
Introduction: Anthracyclines are included in chemotherapy regimens to treat several different types of cancer and are extremely effective. However, it is recognised that a significant side effect is cardiotoxicity; anthracyclines can cause irreversible damage to cardiac cells and ultimately impaired cardiac function and heart failure, which may only be evident years after exposure. The PROACT trial will establish the effectiveness of the ACE inhibitor enalapril maleate (enalapril) in preventing cardiotoxicity in patients with breast cancer and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) receiving anthracycline-based chemotherapy. Methods and analysis: PROACT is a prospective, randomised, open-label, blinded end-point, superiority trial which will recruit adult patients being treated for breast cancer and NHL at NHS hospitals throughout England. The trial aims to recruit 106 participants, who will be randomised to standard care (high-dose anthracycline-based chemotherapy) plus enalapril (intervention) or standard care alone (control). Patients randomised to the intervention arm will receive enalapril (starting at 2.5 mg two times per day and titrating up to a maximum dose of 10 mg two times per day), commencing treatment at least 2 days prior to starting chemotherapy and finishing 3 weeks after their last anthracycline dose. The primary outcome is the presence or absence of cardiac troponin T release at any time during anthracycline treatment, and 1 month after the last dose of anthracycline. Secondary outcomes will focus on cardiac function measured using echocardiogram assessment, adherence to enalapril and side effects. Ethics and dissemination: A favourable opinion was given following research ethics committee review by West Midlands—Edgbaston REC, Ref: 17/WM/0248. Trial findings will be disseminated through engagement with patients, the oncology and cardiology communities, NHS management and commissioning groups and through peer-reviewed publication
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