Bivariate Hilbert Functions for the Torsion Functor

Let $(R,P)$ be a commutative, local Noetherian ring, $I$, $J$ ideals, $M$ and $N$ finitely generated $R$-modules. Suppose $J + ann_R M + ann_R N$ is $P$-primary. The main result of this paper is Theorem 6, which gives necessary and sufficient conditions for the length of \t_i(M/I^nM,N/J^mN), to agree with a polynomial, for $m$, $n \gg 0$. As a corollary, it is shown that the length of \t_i(M/I^nM,N/I^nN)) always agrees with a polynomial in $n$, for $n \gg 0$, provided $I + ann_R M + ann_R N$ is $P$-primary

Regulation of Phosphatase Homologue of Tensin Protein Expression by Bone Morphogenetic Proteins in Prostate Epithelial Cells

Phosphatase homologue of tensin (PTEN) is the key endogenous inhibitor of phosphoinositide signaling and is the most commonly mutated gene in human prostate cancer. The bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) are secreted developmental signaling molecules known to promote differentiation in the prostate. BMP ligands have been shown to inhibit prostate cancer cell line proliferation and tumor growth and expression of BMPs, BMP ligands, receptors and signaling effectors are diminished in prostate cancer. A previous report in the colon led us to investigate the potential mechanistic relationship between PTEN and BMP signaling in prostate epithelial cells. We show here that BPM signaling positively regulates PTEN in normal and malignant prostate cells by increasing mRNA expression and stabilizing PTEN protein. Further, we show that BMP attenuates prostate cell growth at least in part through its effects on PTEN. BMP treatment did not further inhibit the growth of conditional PTEN over-expressing cells, and stable shRNA-PTEN transfectants were refractory to BMP-mediated growth inhibition. Loss-of-function of PTEN in prostate cancer cells may render them insensitive to the normal differentiating and growth-inhibitory effects of BMPs. These data are the first to identify a mechanistic linkage between BMP signaling and PTEN in normal prostate epithelial cells and to suggest coordinate dysregulation in prostate cancer

What Exactly did Romanian Post-War Nationalism Mean

In the last century nationalism as a spiritual element – according to the 1919 statement of the historian, archaeologist and philosopher Vasile Pârvan – was a blessed plant grown on Romanian soil during the ’48 revolution, the ’59 union under Prince Cuza, the ’77 war of independence and the preparation of such a national project as the Union with the Romanian Kingdom of several Romanian-speaking provinces dominated by two empires – the Austrian and the Russian – epitomized by Transylvania which came finally to the motherland on the 1st of December 1918, the same day when the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes was born. In the nationalism project, the Union Transylvania was a political priority. But we must add immediately that in the events of 1914–1916 in the neighbourhood of Romania a symbol of the national struggle became what Nicolae Iorga, in a famous lecture of 1915,called “the heroic and martyr Serbia"

Clinical trials with endothelin receptor antagonists: What went wrong and where can we improve?

In the early 1990s, within three years of cloning of endothelin receptors, orally active endothelin receptor antagonists (ERAs) were tested in humans and the first clinical trial of ERA therapy in humans was published in 1995. ERAs were subsequently tested in clinical trials involving heart failure, pulmonary arterial hypertension, resistant arterial hypertension, stroke/subarachnoid hemorrhage and various forms of cancer. The results of most of these trials – except those for pulmonary arterial hypertension and scleroderma-related digital ulcers – were either negative or neutral. Problems with study design, patient selection, drug toxicity, and drug dosing have been used to explain or excuse failures. Currently, a number of pharmaceutical companies who had developed ERAs as drug candidates have discontinued clinical trials or further drug development. Given the problems with using ERAs in clinical medicine, at the Twelfth International Conference on Endothelin in Cambridge, UK, a panel discussion was held by clinicians actively involved in clinical development of ERA therapy in renal disease, systemic and pulmonary arterial hypertension, heart failure, and cancer. This article provides summaries from the panel discussion as well as personal perspectives of the panelists on how to proceed with further clinical testing of ERAs and guidance for researchers and decision makers in clinical drug development on where future research efforts might best be focused

Robot-Assisted Radical Cystectomy in the Management of Bladder Cancer

The application of robotic technology to laparoscopic surgery has the potential to revolutionize the entire field of urology. The use of robotic-assisted radical cystectomy has been demonstrated in the literature only within the past 3 years, as much of the reconstruction and urinary diversion techniques associated with radical cystectomy are considered more technically challenging than other procedures. Here we review the available literature pertaining to this procedure, which consists of a limited number of case reports, case series, and pilot or feasibility studies. While theses results seem to point towards less blood loss, lower transfusion rates, and shorter hospital stays compared to open radical cystectomy, definitive conclusions and recommendations cannot yet be made because of a lack of larger and/or prospective studies or randomized trials

Multivariate reciprocal stationary Gaussian processes

AbstractIn this paper we examine the characterization of multivariate reciprocal stationary Gaussian processes in terms of their covariance matrix function. As an illustration, we identify all second-order reciprocal Gaussian processes