Construction of a topological charge on fuzzy S^2 x S^2 via Ginsparg-Wilson relation

We construct a topological charge of gauge field configurations on a fuzzy S^2xS^2 by using a Dirac operator satisfying the Ginsparg-Wilson relation. The topological charge defined on the fuzzy S^2xS^2 can be interpreted as a noncommutative (or matrix) generalization of the 2nd Chern character on S^2xS^2. We further calculate the number of chiral zero modes of the Dirac operator in topologically nontrivial gauge configurations. Generalizations of our formulation to fuzzy (S^2)^k are also discussed.Comment: 30 pages, typo corrected, version published in Phys.Rev.

The Effect of Lobbying in an Economy with Firm Heterogeneity and Unemployment : Searching for an Optimal Tariff Policy

本稿では、生産性が異質な企業と失業が存在する経済において、ロビー活動が厚生にどのような影響を及ぼすかを検討する。このため、Melitz (2003) を基礎として、企業のロビー活動と失業を明示的に示したモデルを構築する。ロビー活動は、経済全体の雇用と賃金に影響を与え、そのどちらの効果が大きいかによって、厚生に与える影響が異なることが明らかになった。このモデルを用いて、ロビー活動が関税率に与える影響を明らかにし、また、その結果、厚生がどのように変化するのかについて明らかにすることが残された課題である

Index theorem in spontaneously symmetry-broken gauge theories on a fuzzy 2-sphere

We consider a gauge-Higgs system on a fuzzy 2-sphere and study the topological structure of gauge configurations, when the U(2) gauge symmetry is spontaneously broken to U(1) times U(1) by the vev of the Higgs field. The topology is classified by the index of the Dirac operator satisfying the Ginsparg-Wilson relation, which turns out to be a noncommutative analog of the topological charge introduced by 't Hooft. It can be rewritten as a form whose commutative limit becomes the winding number of the Higgs field. We also study conditions which assure the validity of the formulation, and give a generalization of the admissibility condition. Finally we explicitly calculate the topological charge of a one-parameter family of configurations.Comment: 37 pages, 3 figures, typo corrected, version published in Physical Review

The determination of uric acid using modified Patel's method

N 13-b method for determination of uric acid by AutoAnalyzer- I was proposed from Technicon Corporation, but the sensitivity of this method was insufficient. According to the modification by Patel, good sensitivity was obtained for determining of uric acid, but insufficient separation between peaks was accompanied. To get good separation, Patel's method was reexamined by the authors, and the results were as follows. Sufficient separation was obtained by modifing the flow diagram of Patel's method. The mean recovery rates of uric acid added to serum and urine were 103.6% and 102.5%, and coefficients of variation were 1.27% and 1.05% respectively. The correlation between this modified Patel's method and the U.A. test Wako method was recognized (serum : n=95, r=0.97, urine : n=35, r =0.99). According to our modified method, uric acid concentration in serum of 68 subjects, were 5.8±0.9mg/100ml in 29 males and 4.4±0.8mg/100ml in 39 females

Exercise hyperpnea and hypercapnic ventilatory responses in women

SummaryWe studied the relationship between exercise hyperpnea (i.e., ventilatory dynamics) at the onset of exercise and hypercapnic ventilatory response (HCVR), and their differences between the follicular (FP) and luteal (LP) phases of the menstrual cycle in six healthy females. HCVR was tested under three O2 conditions: hyperoxia (FiO2=1.0), normoxia (0.21), and hypoxia (0.12). HCVR was defined as the relationship between the end-tidal PCO2 and minute ventilation (V˙E) using the regression line of the CO2 slope and a mimetically apneic threshold of CO2. HCVR provocation and measurements were conducted using an inspired CO2 concentration of up to approximately 8mmHg higher than the end-tidal PCO2 level of basal isocapnic the end-tidal PCO2 at each menstrual both the slope and threshold in HCVR showed no statistically significant difference between LP and FP under any inspired FiO2 conditions. In the case of exercise hyperpnea during the onset of submaximal exercise, the mean response time (MRT) in V˙E dynamics showed no significant difference between LP and FP. Consequently, MRT in V˙E response was not related to the slope in HCVR. During steady-state exercise, even though the V˙E/V˙CO2 showed no significance between LP and FP, V˙E/V˙CO2 was significantly related to the slope in HCVR (r=0.59, P<0.05). Exercise ventilation (i.e., V˙E/V˙CO2) would partly be adjusted by the enhancement of the chemoreflex drive to CO2 only during the steady-state exercise

Pharmacokinetics of Beclomethasone Dipropionate in an Hydrofluoroalkane-134a Propellant System in Japanese Children with Bronchial Asthma

ABSTRACTBackgroundHydrofluoroalkane-134a (HFA) has been shown to be a safe replacement for chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) as a pharmaceutical propellant, with the advantage that it has no ozone-depleting potential. This is the first report of the pharmacokinetics of beclomethasone dipropionate (BDP) delivered from a pressurized solution formulation using an HFA propellant system (HFA-BDP) in Japanese children with bronchial asthma.MethodsPlasma concentrations of beclomethasone 17-monopropionate (17-BMP), a major metabolite of BDP, following an inhaled dose of HFA-BDP (200 μg as four inhalations from 50 μg/actuation) in five Japanese children with bronchial asthma were quantified and analyzed by a non-compartmental analysis to obtain pharmacokinetic parameters.ResultsThe area under the concentration-time curve from time zero to the last quantifiable time (AUC0-t) was 1659 ± 850 pg • h/mL (arithmetic mean ± standard deviation (SD)), the maximum concentration observed (Cmax) was 825 ± 453 pg/mL and the apparent elimination half-life (t1/2) was 2.1 ± 0.7 hours. The time to reach Cmax (Tmax) was 0.5 hours in all patients. No special relationship was observed between these parameters and age or body weight. These parameters were compared with the previously reported parameters of American children with bronchial asthma. The Japanese/American ratio of the geometric means of each parameter was 1.36 for AUC0-t, 1.04 for Cmax and 1.4 for t1/2. The median of Tmax was 0.5 hours in American patients as well as Japanese patients.ConclusionsThe pharmacokinetics of HFA-BDP in Japanese children with bronchial asthma are reported for the first time and a similarity to those in American children is suggested

Familial pancreatic cancer with PALB2 and NBN pathogenic variants: a case report

Background Family history is one of the risk factors for pancreatic cancer. It is suggested that patients with pancreatic cancer who have a familial history harbor germline pathogenic variants of BRCA1 and/or BRCA2 (BRCA1/2), PALB2, or ATM. Recently, some germline variants of familial pancreatic cancers (FPCs), including PALB2, have been detected. Several countries, including Japan, perform screening workups and genetic analysis for pancreatic cancers. We have been carrying out active surveillance for FPC through epidemiological surveys, imaging analyses, and genetic analysis. Case presentation Here, we present the case of a female patient harboring pathogenic variants of PALB2 and NBN, with a family history of multiple pancreatic cancer in her younger brother, her aunt, and her father. Moreover, her father harbored a PALB2 pathogenic variant and her daughter harbored the same NBN pathogenic variant. Given the PALB2 and NBN variants, we designed surveillance strategies for the pancreas, breast, and ovary. Conclusions Further studies are required to develop strategies for managing FPCs to facilitate prompt diagnosis before their progression

Patient-derived ovarian cancer organoids capture the genomic profiles of primary tumours applicable for drug sensitivity and resistance testing

The use of primary patient-derived organoids for drug sensitivity and resistance testing could play an important role in precision cancer medicine. We developed expandable ovarian cancer organoids in<3 weeks; these organoids captured the characteristics of histological cancer subtypes and replicated the mutational landscape of the primary tumours. Seven pairs of organoids (3 high-grade serous, 1 clear cell, 3 endometrioid) and original tumours shared 59.5% (36.1-73.1%) of the variants identified. Copy number variations were also similar among organoids and primary tumours. The organoid that harboured the BRCA1 pathogenic variant (p.L63*) showed a higher sensitivity to PARP inhibitor, olaparib, as well as to platinum drugs compared to the other organoids, whereas an organoid derived from clear cell ovarian cancer was resistant to conventional drugs for ovarian cancer, namely platinum drugs, paclitaxel, and olaparib. The overall success rate of primary organoid culture, including those of various histological subtypes, was 80% (28/35). Our data show that patient-derived organoids are suitable physiological ex vivo cancer models that can be used to screen effective personalised ovarian cancer drugs