A quotient of the Lubin-Tate tower II

In this article we construct the quotient M_1/P(K) of the infinite-level Lubin-Tate space M_1 by the parabolic subgroup P(K) of GL(n,K) of block form (n-1,1) as a perfectoid space, generalizing results of one of the authors (JL) to arbitrary n and K/Q_p finite. For this we prove some perfectoidness results for certain Harris-Taylor Shimura varieties at infinite level. As an application of the quotient construction we show a vanishing theorem for Scholze's candidate for the mod p Jacquet-Langlands and the mod p local Langlands correspondence. An appendix by David Hansen gives a local proof of perfectoidness of M_1/P(K) when n = 2, and shows that M_1/Q(K) is not perfectoid for maximal parabolics Q not conjugate to P.Comment: with an appendix by David Hanse

Shell structure underlying the evolution of quadrupole collectivity in S-38 and S-40 probed by transient-field g-factor measurements on fast radioactive beams

The shell structure underlying shape changes in neutron-rich nuclei between N=20 and N=28 has been investigated by a novel application of the transient field technique to measure the first-excited state g factors in S-38 and S-40 produced as fast radioactive beams. Details of the new methodology are presented. In both S-38 and S-40 there is a fine balance between the proton and neutron contributions to the magnetic moments. Shell model calculations which describe the level schemes and quadrupole properties of these nuclei also give a satisfactory explanation of the g factors. In S-38 the g factor is extremely sensitive to the occupation of the neutron p3/2 orbit above the N=28 shell gap as occupation of this orbit strongly affects the proton configuration. The g factor of deformed S-40 does not resemble that of a conventional collective nucleus because spin contributions are more important than usual.Comment: 10 pages, 36 figures, accepted for publication in Physical Review

Dessins, their delta-matroids and partial duals

Given a map $\mathcal M$ on a connected and closed orientable surface, the delta-matroid of $\mathcal M$ is a combinatorial object associated to $\mathcal M$ which captures some topological information of the embedding. We explore how delta-matroids associated to dessins d'enfants behave under the action of the absolute Galois group. Twists of delta-matroids are considered as well; they correspond to the recently introduced operation of partial duality of maps. Furthermore, we prove that every map has a partial dual defined over its field of moduli. A relationship between dessins, partial duals and tropical curves arising from the cartography groups of dessins is observed as well.Comment: 34 pages, 20 figures. Accepted for publication in the SIGMAP14 Conference Proceeding

Further search for a neutral boson with a mass around 9 MeV/c2

Two dedicated experiments on internal pair conversion (IPC) of isoscalar M1 transitions were carried out in order to test a 9 MeV/c2 X-boson scenario. In the 7Li(p,e+e-)8Be reaction at 1.1 MeV proton energy to the predominantly T=0 level at 18.15 MeV, a significant deviation from IPC was observed at large pair correlation angles. In the 11B(d,n e+e-)12C reaction at 1.6 MeV, leading to the 12.71 MeV 1+ level with pure T=0 character, an anomaly was observed at 9 MeV/c2. The compatibility of the results with the scenario is discussed.Comment: 12 pages, 5 figures, 2 table

Stable sulforaphane protects against gait anomalies and modifies bone microarchitecture in the spontaneous STR/Ort model of osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis (OA), affecting joints and bone, causes physical gait disability with huge socio-economic burden; treatment remains palliative. Roles for antioxidants in protecting against such chronic disorders have been examined previously. Sulforaphane is a naturally occurring antioxidant. Herein, we explore whether SFX-01®, a stable synthetic form of sulforaphane, modifies gait, bone architecture and slows/reverses articular cartilage destruction in a spontaneous OA model in STR/Ort mice. Sixteen mice (n = 8/group) were orally treated for 3 months with either 100 mg/kg SFX-01® or vehicle. Gait was recorded, tibiae were microCT scanned and analysed. OA lesion severity was graded histologically. The effect of SFX-01® on bone turnover markers in vivo was complemented by in vitro bone formation and resorption assays. Analysis revealed development of OA-related gait asymmetry in vehicle-treated STR/Ort mice, which did not emerge in SFX-01®-treated mice. We found significant improvements in trabecular and cortical bone. Despite these marked improvements, we found that histologically-graded OA severity in articular cartilage was unmodified in treated mice. These changes are also reflected in anabolic and anti-catabolic actions of SFX-01® treatment as reflected by alteration in serum markers as well as changes in primary osteoblast and osteoclast-like cells in vitro. We report that SFX-01® improves bone microarchitecture in vivo, produces corresponding changes in bone cell behaviour in vitro and leads to greater symmetry in gait, without marked effects on cartilage lesion severity in STR/Ort osteoarthritic mice. Our findings support both osteotrophic roles and novel beneficial gait effects for SFX-01® in this model of spontaneous OA

Highly efficient synthesis of the tricyclic core of Taxol by cascade metathesis

An efficient enantioselective synthesis of the ABC tricyclic core of the anticancer drug Taxol is reported. The key step of this synthesis is a cascade metathesis reaction, which leads in one operation to the required tricycle if appropriate fine-tuning of the dienyne precursor is performed

217 MECHANISMS OF ACTION OF ESE1, A NOVEL TRANSCRIPTIONAL REGULATOR OF CARTILAGE REMODELING, IN MMP-13 REGULATION

Ischemic preconditioning (IPC) limits myocardial infarct size through the activation of the PI3K-Akt signal cascade; however, little is known about the roles of individual PI3K isoforms in cardioprotection. We aimed, therefore, to elucidate the role of the PI3K alpha isoform in cardioprotection Pharmacological PI3K alpha inhibition was assessed in isolated-perfused mouse hearts subjected to ischemia/reperfusion injury (IRI), either during the IPC procedure or at reperfusion. PI3K alpha inhibition abrogated the IPC-induced protective effect at reperfusion, but not when given only during the IPC protocol. These results were confirmed in an in vivo model. Moreover, pharmacological PI3K alpha activation by insulin at reperfusion was sufficient to confer cardioprotection against IRI. In addition, PI3K alpha was shown to be expressed and activated in mouse cardiomyocytes, mouse cardiac endothelial cells, as well as in mouse and human heart tissue. Furthermore, PI3K alpha was shown to mediate its effect though the inhibition of mitochondrial permeability transition pore opening. In conclusion, PI3K alpha activity is required during the early reperfusion phase to reduce myocardial infarct size. This suggests that strategies specifically enhancing the alpha isoform of PI3K at reperfusion promote tissue salvage and as such, and could provide a direct target for clinical treatment of IRI.Fundacion Rafael del Pino FONDECYT 3160298 British Heart Foundation Cancer Research UK C23338/A15965 UK NIHR University College London Hospitals Biomedical Research Centr

Solar Fusion Cross Sections

We review and analyze the available information for nuclear fusion cross sections that are most important for solar energy generation and solar neutrino production. We provide best values for the low-energy cross-section factors and, wherever possible, estimates of the uncertainties. We also describe the most important experiments and calculations that are required in order to improve our knowledge of solar fusion rates.Comment: LaTeX file, 48 pages (figures not included). To appear in Rev. Mod. Phys., 10/98. All authors now listed. Full postscript version with figures available at http://www.sns.ias.edu/~jnb/Papers/Preprints/nuclearfusion.htm

Angular Correlations in Internal Pair Conversion of Aligned Heavy Nuclei

We calculate the spatial correlation of electrons and positrons emitted by internal pair conversion of Coulomb excited nuclei in heavy ion collisions. The alignment or polarization of the nucleus results in an anisotropic emission of the electron-positron pairs which is closely related to the anisotropic emission of $\gamma$-rays. However, the angular correlation in the case of internal pair conversion exhibits diverse patterns. This might be relevant when investigating atomic processes in heavy-ion collisions performed at the Coulomb barrier.Comment: 27 pages + 6 eps figures, uses revtex.sty and epsf.sty, tar-compressed and uuencoded with uufile

Serum microRNA array analysis identifies miR-140-3p, miR-33b-3p and miR-671-3p as potential osteoarthritis biomarkers involved in metabolic processes.

Background: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) in circulation have emerged as promising biomarkers. In this study, we aimed to identify a circulating miRNA signature for osteoarthritis (OA) patients and in combination with bioinformatics analysis to evaluate the utility of selected differentially expressed miRNAs in the serum as potential OA biomarkers. Methods: Serum samples were collected from 12 primary OA patients, and 12 healthy individuals were screened using the Agilent Human miRNA Microarray platform interrogating 2549 miRNAs. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves were constructed to evaluate the diagnostic performance of the deregulated miRNAs. Expression levels of selected miRNAs were validated by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) in all serum and in articular cartilage samples from OA patients (n = 12) and healthy individuals (n = 7). Bioinformatics analysis was used to investigate the involved pathways and target genes for the above miRNAs. Results: We identified 279 differentially expressed miRNAs in the serum of OA patients compared to controls. Two hundred and five miRNAs (73.5%) were upregulated and 74 (26.5%) downregulated. ROC analysis revealed that 77 miRNAs had area under the curve (AUC) > 0.8 and p < 0.05. Bioinformatics analysis in the 77 miRNAs revealed that their target genes were involved in multiple signaling pathways associated with OA, among which FoxO, mTOR, Wnt, pI3K/akt, TGF-β signaling pathways, ECM-receptor interaction, and fatty acid biosynthesis. qRT-PCR validation in seven selected out of the 77 miRNAs revealed 3 significantly downregulated miRNAs (hsa-miR-33b-3p, hsa-miR-671-3p, and hsa-miR-140-3p) in the serum of OA patients, which were in silico predicted to be enriched in pathways involved in metabolic processes. Target-gene analysis of hsa-miR-140-3p, hsa-miR-33b-3p, and hsa-miR-671-3p revealed that InsR and IGFR1 were common targets of all three miRNAs, highlighting their involvement in regulation of metabolic processes that contribute to OA pathology. Hsa-miR-140-3p and hsa-miR-671-3p expression levels were consistently downregulated in articular cartilage of OA patients compared to healthy individuals. Conclusions: A serum miRNA signature was established for the first time using high density resolution miR-arrays in OA patients. We identified a three-miRNA signature, hsa-miR-140-3p, hsa-miR-671-3p, and hsa-miR-33b-3p, in the serum of OA patients, predicted to regulate metabolic processes, which could serve as a potential biomarker for the evaluation of OA risk and progression.Peer reviewedFinal Published versio