Computing Cyclic List Structures

It is argued that list structures containing cycles are useful and unobjectionable Lisp entities. If this is so, it is desirable to have a means of computing them less foreign to the equational-definition style characteristic of Lisp than are the list-structure-altering primitives rplaca and rplacd. A notion is developed of a reasonable system of mutually recursive equations, guaranteed to have a unique solution in list structures. The notion is given in terms of the computations invoked by the equations, without reference to the forms of expressions appearing in them. A variety of programming examples are presented, including a curious implementation of the Knuth-Morris-Pratt string matching algorithm. Two methods of implementing the recursive definitions facility are discussed

Hofer-Zehnder capacity and length minimizing Hamiltonian paths

We use the criteria of Lalonde and McDuff to show that a path that is generated by a generic autonomous Hamiltonian is length minimizing with respect to the Hofer norm among all homotopic paths provided that it induces no non-constant closed trajectories in M. This generalizes a result of Hofer for symplectomorphisms of Euclidean space. The proof for general M uses Liu-Tian's construction of S^1-invariant virtual moduli cycles. As a corollary, we find that any semifree action of S^1 on M gives rise to a nontrivial element in the fundamental group of the symplectomorphism group of M. We also establish a version of the area-capacity inequality for quasicylinders.Comment: Published by Geometry and Topology at http://www.maths.warwick.ac.uk/gt/GTVol5/paper25.abs.htm

Evaluation des immunzytologischen uCyt+ -Tests in der urinbasierten Diagnostik des Harnblasenkarzinoms unter kritischem Einbezug der Rohdatenergebnisse vor dem Hintergrund einer potentiellen Interobserver-Variabilität

Der uCyt+-Test des Herstellers SCIMEDX Corporation (Denville, USA) ist ein nicht-invasiver, urinbasierter Test zur Diagnostik von Harnblasenkarzinomen. Die mit fluoreszierenden Markern versehenen monoklonalen Antikörper 19A211, M344 und LDQ10 binden an tumorassoziierte Antigene auf der Urothelzellmembran und machen diese unter dem Fluoreszenzmikroskop sichtbar. Durch Variieren des 'cut-off'-Levels (>0, ≥3, ≥5) und der für ein positives Testergebnis ausschlaggebenden Zelltypen (definitiv positive, Borderline- und unterschwellige Zellen) wurde die diagnostische Testwertigkeit überprüft. Der ‚best-cut-off‘-Wert lag bei ≥2 bzw. ≥3 Zellen. Zudem zeigte sich die gemeinsame Wertung der ‚definitiv positiven Zellen‘ und der ‚Borderline-Zellen‘ als vorteilhaft. Eine Korrelation mit dem Tumorgrad und der Anzahl der fluoreszierenden Zellen ergab sich in unserer Analyse nicht. Der Einfluss der Tumorinvasivität war nur bei den definitiv positiven roten Zellen statistisch signifikant (p-Wert 0,0384): im Urin der Patienten mit invasivem Tumor wurden weniger fluoreszierende Zellen gefunden als bei jenen mit oberflächlichem Tumor. Des Weiteren wurde der Einfluss verschiedener Parameter auf die Anzahl der falsch-positiv fluoreszierenden Zellen im Urin untersucht. Die Eigenschaften ‚Rauchgewohnheit‘, ‚Hämaturie-Typ‘, ‚Harnwegsinfekt‘ und ‚Alter‘ zeigten keine statistische Signifikanz. Die Parameter ‚Geschlecht‘ (p-Werte 0,0175-0,0408), ‚benigne Prostatahyperplasie oder Prostatakarzinom‘ (p-Wert 0,0311) und ‚mechanische Manipulation bei Urinentnahme‘ (p-Werte 0,0005-0,0447) wiesen einen statistisch signifikanten Einfluss auf. Dieser beschränkte sich bei den beiden zuletzt genannten Parametern auf die uCyt+-Ergebnisse bei Mitbewertung der unterschwelligen Zellen

Happy Marriage, Happy Life? Marital Quality and Subjective Well‐being in Later Life

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/108609/1/jomf12133.pd

Branching, Capping, and Severing in Dynamic Actin Structures

Branched actin networks at the leading edge of a crawling cell evolve via protein-regulated processes such as polymerization, depolymerization, capping, branching, and severing. A formulation of these processes is presented and analyzed to study steady-state network morphology. In bulk, we identify several scaling regimes in severing and branching protein concentrations and find that the coupling between severing and branching is optimally exploited for conditions in vivo. Near the leading edge, we find qualitative agreement with the in vivo morphology

Vacancy Diffusion in the Triangular Lattice Dimer Model

We study vacancy diffusion on the classical triangular lattice dimer model, sub ject to the kinetic constraint that dimers can only translate, but not rotate. A single vacancy, i.e. a monomer, in an otherwise fully packed lattice, is always localized in a tree-like structure. The distribution of tree sizes is asymptotically exponential and has an average of 8.16 \pm 0.01 sites. A connected pair of monomers has a finite probability of being delocalized. When delocalized, the diffusion of monomers is anomalous

Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction and Metabolic Syndrome in Donkeys

Appropriate medical care for donkeys is challenging despite being important working animals in non-industrialized countries and pets in first world countries. Although the same principles of diagnosis and therapy as in horses are commonly applied, there are differences in reference values and physiologic reaction to dynamic tests. However, donkeys seem to suffer from typical equine diseases, such as metabolic syndrome and pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID). Asinine metabolic syndrome (AMS) comprises obesity, insulin dysregulation, and laminitis. The principles of diagnosis are similar to horses. Donkey-specific reference ranges for insulin and glucose have been evaluated previously. Examinations regarding dynamic testing revealed differences in the intravenous glucose tolerance test and the combined insulin tolerance test compared to horses. The therapy of AMS is based mainly on weight loss and exercise. There are conflicting data regarding the incidence of PPID in donkeys. Laminitis and hypertrichosis were described as the main clinical signs. Species-specific and seasonal reference ranges were defined to diagnose PPID in donkeys. Furthermore, the dexamethasone suppression test, the thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH) test and the combined dexamethasone suppression/TRH test were evaluated. Pergolide is commonly recommended for treatment

Active elastic dimers: Cells moving on rigid tracks

Experiments suggest that the migration of some cells in the three-dimensional extracellular matrix bears strong resemblance to one-dimensional cell migration. Motivated by this observation, we construct and study a minimal one-dimensional model cell made of two beads and an active spring moving along a rigid track. The active spring models the stress fibers with their myosin-driven contractility and α-actinin-driven extendability, while the friction coefficients of the two beads describe the catch and slip-bond behaviors of the integrins in focal adhesions. In the absence of active noise, net motion arises from an interplay between active contractility (and passive extendability) of the stress fibers and an asymmetry between the front and back of the cell due to catch-bond behavior of integrins at the front of the cell and slip-bond behavior of integrins at the back.We obtain reasonable cell speeds with independently estimated parameters. We also study the effects of hysteresis in the active spring, due to catch-bond behavior and the dynamics of cross linking, and the addition of active noise on the motion of the cell. Our model highlights the role of α-actinin in three-dimensional cell motility and does not require Arp2/3 actin filament nucleation for net motion