A remark on the multipliers on spaces of weak products of functions

If $\mathcal{H}$ denotes a Hilbert space of analytic functions on a region $\Omega \subseteq \mathbb{C}^d$, then the weak product is defined by $$\mathcal{H}\odot\mathcal{H}=\left\{h=\sum_{n=1}^\infty f_n g_n : \sum_{n=1}^\infty \|f_n\|_{\mathcal{H}}\|g_n\|_{\mathcal{H}} <\infty\right\}.$$ We prove that if $\mathcal{H}$ is a first order holomorphic Besov Hilbert space on the unit ball of $\mathbb{C}^d$, then the multiplier algebras of $\mathcal{H}$ and of $\mathcal{H}\odot\mathcal{H}$ coincide.Comment: v1: 6 pages. To appear Concr. Ope

Statistical Indicators of Collective Behavior and Functional Clusters in Gene Networks of Yeast

We analyze gene expression time-series data of yeast S. cerevisiae measured along two full cell-cycles. We quantify these data by using q-exponentials, gene expression ranking and a temporal mean-variance analysis. We construct gene interaction networks based on correlation coefficients and study the formation of the corresponding giant components and minimum spanning trees. By coloring genes according to their cell function we find functional clusters in the correlation networks and functional branches in the associated trees. Our results suggest that a percolation point of functional clusters can be identified on these gene expression correlation networks.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figure

Powering Sigfox nodes with harvested energy

Sigfox is one of the popular LPWAN technologies used in the Internet of Things. As in the case of many other wireless protocols, Sigfox nodes are mainly powered with batteries, which leads to important maintenance costs and slows down its acceptance. Enabling such systems to work on harvested energy will facilitate their use and acceptance. We designed and tested a Sigfox node that can be powered by a 1 cm2 solar cell, opening the door to further optimization in size and costs. Preliminary tests made at the window of one of our office show that one can transmit tens of message per day with that node

A remark on the multipliers on spaces of Weak Products of functions

Operators on function spaces of form Cɸf = f ∘ ɸ, where ɸ is a fixed map are called composition operators with symbol ɸ. We study such operators acting on the Hilbert Hardy space over the right half-plane and characterize the situations when they are invertible, Fredholm, unitary, and Hermitian. We determine the normal composition operators with inner, respectively with Möbius symbol. In select cases, we calculate their spectra, essential spectra, and numerical ranges

Strong evidence for age as the single most dominant predictor of medically supervised driving test-mini mental status test outcomes provide only weak but significant moderate additional predictive value

Background: With age, medical conditions impairing safe driving accumulate. Consequently, the risk of accidents increases. To mitigate this risk, Swiss law requires biannual assessments of the fitness to drive of elderly drivers. Drivers may prove their cognitive and physical capacity for safe driving in a medically supervised driving test (MSDT) when borderline cases, as indicated by low performance in a set of four cognitive tests, including e.g. the mini mental status test (MMST). Any prognostic, rather than indicative, relations for MSDT outcomes have neither been confirmed nor falsified so far. In order to avoid use of unsubstantiated rules of thumb, we here evaluate the predictive value for MSDT outcomes of the outcomes of the standard set of four cognitive tests, used in Swiss traffic medicine examinations. Methods: We present descriptive information on age, gender and cognitive pretesting results of all MSDTs recorded in our case database from 2017 to 2019. Based on these retrospective cohort data, we used logistic regression to predict the binary outcome MSDT. An exploratory analysis used all available data (model 1). Based on the Akaike Information Criterion (AIC), we then established a model including variables age and MMST (model 2). To evaluate the predictive value of the four cognitive assessments, model 3 included cognitive test outcomes only. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) and area under the curve (AUC) allowed evaluating discriminative performance of the three different models using independent validation data. Results: Using N = 188 complete data sets of a total of 225 included cases, AIC identified age (p < 0.0008) and MMST (p = 0.024) as dominating predictors for MSDT outcomes with a median AUC of 0.71 (95%-CI 0.57-0.85) across different training and validation splits, while using the four cognitive test results exclusively yielded a median AUC of 0.55 (95%-CI 0.40-0.71). Conclusions: Our analysis provided strong evidence for age as the single most dominant predictor of MSDT outcomes. Adding MMST provides only weak additional predictive value for MSDT outcomes. Combining the results of four cognitive test used as standard screen in Swiss traffic medicine alone, proved to be of poor predictive value. This highlights the importance of MSDTs for balancing between the mitigation of risks by and the right to drive for the elderly. Keywords: Clock test; Cognitive testing; Elderly drivers; Fitness to drive; Medically supervised driving test; Mini mental status test; Receiver operating characteristics; Traffic medicine; Trail making test

Thallium adsorption onto phyllosilicate minerals

The adsorption of thallium (Tl) onto phyllosilicate minerals plays a critical role in the retention of Tl in soils and sediments and the potential transfer of Tl into plants and groundwater. Especially micaceous minerals are thought to strongly bind monovalent Tl(i), in analogy to their strong binding of Cs. To advance the understanding of Tl(i) adsorption onto phyllosilicate minerals, we studied the adsorption of Tl(i) onto Na- and K-saturated illite and Na-saturated smectite, two muscovites, two vermiculites and a naturally Tl-enriched soil clay mineral fraction. Macroscopic adsorption isotherms were combined with the characterization of the adsorbed Tl by X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). In combination, the results suggest that the adsorption of Tl(i) onto phyllosilicate minerals can be interpreted in terms of three major uptake paths: (i) highest-affinity inner-sphere adsorption of dehydrated Tl(+) on a very low number of adsorption sites at the wedge of frayed particle edges of illite and around collapsed zones in vermiculite interlayers through complexation between two siloxane cavities, (ii) intermediate-affinity inner-sphere adsorption of partially dehydrated Tl(+) on the planar surfaces of illite and muscovite through complexation onto siloxane cavities, (iii) low-affinity adsorption of hydrated Tl(+), especially in the hydrated interlayers of smectite and expanded vermiculite. At the frayed edges of illite particles and in the vermiculite interlayer, Tl uptake can lead to the formation of new wedge sites that enable further adsorption of dehydrated Tl(+). On the soil clay fraction, a shift in Tl(i) uptake from frayed edge sites (on illite) to planar sites (on illite and muscovite) was observed with increasing Tl(i) loading. The results from this study show that the adsorption of Tl(i) onto phyllosilicate minerals follows the same trends as reported for Cs and Rb and thus suggests that concepts to describe the retention of (radio)cesium by different types of phyllosilicate minerals in soils, sediments and rocks are also applicable to Tl(i)

VEGF-dependent induction of CD62E on endothelial cells mediates glioma tropism of adult haematopoietic progenitor cells

Haematopoietic progenitor cells (HPC) are attracted by experimental gliomas in vivo. This attraction is further enhanced by irradiation or hypoxic preconditioning of the glioma cells. Adhesive interactions might be critical to the preferential accumulation of HPC within the glioma tissue. Here, we studied the interactions of HPC with endothelial cells. Exposure of human cerebral endothelial cells (SV-HCEC), human microvascular endothelial cells (HMEC) and brain tumour endothelial cells derived from human glioblastomas (BTEC) to supernatants of glioma cells and primary glioma cells (SN-G) induced the expression of E-selectin (CD62E). CD62E expression was further enhanced when the glioma cells had been exposed to irradiation or hypoxia prior to the collection of supernatants, as well as by irradiation or exposure to hypoxia of the endothelial cells. Vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1) was constitutively expressed on SV-HCEC, HMEC and BTEC, but was not modulated by SN-G, irradiation or hypoxia. Transendothelial HPC migration was enhanced after CD62E induction in vitro. Neutralizing antibodies to CD62E strongly reduced the homing of lin-Sca-1+c-kit+ cells to orthotopic SMA-560 gliomas in vivo. Tissue microarray sampling normal brain tissue and astrocytomas of WHO grades II-IV revealed a selective expression of CD62E on endothelial cells of tumour vessels. SN-G-induced CD62E expression on endothelial cells in vitro required transforming growth factor (TGF)-β signalling in glioma cells and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)/VEGF receptor 2 (VEGF-R2) signalling in endothelial cells. Further, we observed a nuclear factor kappa B-dependent activation of the CD62E promoter peaking at 12 h after VEGF-R2 activation by glioma-derived VEGF. Taken together, we identify glioma cell-induced CD62E expression on endothelial cells as one mediator of the glioma tropism of HP

The chemokine CXCL13 is a key regulator of B cell recruitment to the cerebrospinal fluid in acute Lyme neuroborreliosis

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The chemokine CXCL13 is known to dictate homing and motility of B cells in lymphoid tissue and has been implicated in the formation of ectopic lymphoid tissue in chronic inflammation. Whether it influences B cell trafficking during acute infection, is largely unclear. In previous studies, we showed that (I) CXCL13 levels are markedly increased in the B cell-rich cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with acute Lyme neuroborreliosis (LNB), and (II) CXCL13 is released by monocytes upon recognition of borrelial outer surface proteins by Toll-like receptor 2. Here, we assessed the role of CXCL13 - in comparison to other chemokines - in the recruitment of B cells to the CSF of patients with acute LNB.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Measurement of chemokines was done by ELISA. B cells were isolated from whole blood using magnetic cell separation (MACS). For migration experiments, a modified Boyden chamber assay was used and the migrated B cells were further analysed by FACS. The migration was inhibited either by preincubation of the CSF samples with neutralizing antibodies, heating to 60°C, removal of proteins >3 kDa, or by pre-treatment of the B cells with pertussis toxin. The principal statistical tests used were one-way analysis of variance and Bonferroni test (chemokine measurements) as well as paired Student's t-test (migration experiments).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Measurements of chemokine levels revealed an increase in three of the four known major B cell chemoattractants CXCL13, CCL19 and CXCL12 in LNB CSF. The CXCL13 CSF:serum ratio, as a measure of the chemotactic gradient, was substantially higher than that of CCL19 and CXCL12. Moreover, the chemotactic activity of LNB CSF was reduced up to 56% after preincubation with a neutralizing CXCL13 antibody, while combined preincubation with antibodies against CXCL13, CCL19, and CXCL12 did not lead to further reduction. Since treatment with pertussis toxin, heating to 60°C, and removal of proteins >3 kDa abrogated the chemotactic activity, further not yet identified chemokines seem to be involved in B cell recruitment to LNB CSF.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Combined, our study suggests a key role of CXCL13 in B cell migration to sites of infection as shown here for the CSF of LNB patients.</p

Outcome and prognostic factors of desmoplastic medulloblastoma treated within a multidisciplinary treatment concept

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Desmoplasia in medulloblastoma is often diagnosed in adult patients and was repeatedly associated with improved results. Today, all medulloblastoma patients receive intensive multimodal treatment including surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. This study was set up to investigate treatment outcome and prognostic factors after radiation therapy in patients with desmoplastic medulloblastomas.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Twenty patients treated for desmoplastic medulloblastoma in the Department of Radiation Oncology at the University of Heidelberg between 1984 and 2007 were included. Data were collected retrospectively. Tumor resection was performed in all patients. All patients underwent postsurgical radiotherapy (RT). Two patients underwent whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT), and 18 patients received craniospinal irradiation (CSI). In all patients, an additional boost was delivered to the posterior fossa. The median dose to the whole brain and the craniospinal axis was 35.2 Gray (Gy), and 54.4 Gy to the posterior fossa. Fourteen patients received chemotherapy, including seven who were treated with combined radiochemotherapy and twelve who received adjuvant chemotherapy. Statistical analysis was performed using the log-rank test and the Kaplan-Meier method.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Median follow-up was 59 months. Overall (OS), local (LPFS) and distant progression-free survival (DPFS) was 80%, 71.2%, and 83.3% at 60 months. Patients who suffered from local or distant relapses had significantly worse outcome. Five patients died from recurrent medulloblastoma. Treatment-associated toxicity was acceptable.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Multimodal approaches with surgical resection followed by chemoirradiation achieved high response rates with long OS in desmoplastic medulloblastoma patients. Staging parameters expected to predict for poor prognosis did not significantly influence outcome. However, success of any first line regimen had strong impact on disease control, and remission was achieved in no patient with relapsing disease. Multimodal concepts must be evaluated in further clinical trials.</p