7,219 research outputs found
On unitary convex decompositions of vectors in a -algebra
No full textsummary:By exploiting his recent results, the author further investigates the extent to which variation in the coefficients of a unitary convex decomposition of a vector in a unital -algebra permits the vector decomposable as convex combination of fewer unitaries; certain -algebra results due to M. Rørdam have been extended to the general setting of -algebras
Genetic contributions to visuospatial cognition in Williams syndrome: insights from two contrasting partial deletion patients
No full textBackground
Williams syndrome (WS) is a rare neurodevelopmental disorder arising from a hemizygotic deletion of approximately 27 genes on chromosome 7, at locus 7q11.23. WS is characterised by an uneven cognitive profile, with serious deficits in visuospatial tasks in comparison to relatively proficient performance in some other cognitive domains such as language and face processing. Individuals with partial genetic deletions within the WS critical region (WSCR) have provided insights into the contribution of specific genes to this complex phenotype. However, the combinatorial effects of different genes remain elusive.
Methods
We report on visuospatial cognition in two individuals with contrasting partial deletions in the WSCR: one female (HR), aged 11 years 9 months, with haploinsufficiency for 24 of the WS genes (up to GTF2IRD1), and one male (JB), aged 14 years 2 months, with the three most telomeric genes within the WSCR deleted, or partially deleted.
Results
Our in-depth phenotyping of the visuospatial domain from table-top psychometric, and small- and large-scale experimental tasks reveal a profile in HR in line with typically developing controls, albeit with some atypical features. These data are contrasted with patient JB’s atypical profile of strengths and weaknesses across the visuospatial domain, as well as with more substantial visuospatial deficits in individuals with the full WS deletion.
Conclusions
Our findings point to the contribution of specific genes to spatial processing difficulties associated with WS, highlighting the multifaceted nature of spatial cognition and the divergent effects of genetic deletions within the WSCR on different components of visuospatial ability. The importance of general transcription factors at the telomeric end of the WSCR, and their combinatorial effects on the WS visuospatial phenotype are also discussed
Spontaneous and cued gaze-following in autism and Williams syndrome
No full textBackground: From a young age the typical development of social functioning relies upon the allocation of attention to socially relevant information, which in turn allows experience at processing such information and thus enhances social cognition. As such, research has attempted to identify the developmental processes that are derailed in some neuro-developmental disorders that impact upon social functioning. Williams syndrome (WS) and Autism are disorders of development that are characterized by atypical yet divergent social phenotypes and atypicalities of attention to people. Methods: We used eye tracking to explore how individuals with WS and Autism attended to, and subsequently interpreted, an actor’s eye gaze cue within a social scene. Images were presented for three seconds, initially with an instruction simply to look at the picture. The images were then shown again, with the participant asked to identify the object being looked at. Allocation of eye-gaze in each condition was analyzed by ANOVA and accuracy of identification was compared with t-tests. Results: Participants with WS allocated more gaze time to face and eyes than their matched controls both with and without being asked to identify the item being looked at; while participants with Autism spent less time on face and eyes in both conditions. When cued to follow gaze, participants with WS increased gaze to the correct targets, while those with Autism looked more at the face and eyes but did not increase gaze to the correct targets, while continuing to look much more than their controls at implausible targets. Both groups identified fewer objects than their controls. Conclusions: The atypicalities found are likely to be entwined with the deficits shown in interpreting social cognitive cues from the images. WS and Autism are characterised by atypicalities of social attention that impact upon socio-cognitive expertise but importantly the type of atypicality is syndrome-specific
Erratum: Half-supersymmetric solutions in five-dimensional supergravity (Journal of High Energy Physics (2007) 12 (025))
No full text[No abstract available]Gutowski JB, 2007, J HIGH ENERGY PHYS11
Characterization of Anopheles gambiae transglutaminase 3 (AgTG3) and its native substrate Plugin.
No full textMale Anopheles mosquitoes coagulate their seminal fluids via cross-linking of a substrate, called Plugin, by the seminal transglutaminase AgTG3. Formation of the "mating plug" by cross-linking Plugin is necessary for efficient sperm storage by females. AgTG3 has a similar degree of sequence identity (~30%) to both human Factor XIII (FXIII) and tissue transglutaminase 2 (hTG2). Here we report the solution structure and in vitro activity for the cross-linking reaction of AgTG3 and Plugin. AgTG3 is a dimer in solution and exhibits Ca(2+)-dependent nonproteolytic activation analogous to cytoplasmic FXIII. The C-terminal domain of Plugin is predominantly α-helical with extended tertiary structure and oligomerizes in solution. The specific activity of AgTG3 was measured as 4.25 × 10(-2) units mg(-1). AgTG3 is less active than hTG2 assayed using the general substrate TVQQEL but has 8-10× higher relative activity when Plugin is the substrate. Mass spectrometric analysis of cross-linked Plugin detects specific peptides including a predicted consensus motif for cross-linking by AgTG3. These results support the development of AgTG3 inhibitors as specific and effective chemosterilants for A. gambiae
The PNH abnormality in myeloproliferative disorders: association of PNH and acute erythremic myelosis in two children.
No full textThe PNH abnormality in myeloproliferative disorders: association of PNH and acute erythremic myelosis in two children.
No full textSurjective isometries between unitary sets of unital JB∗-algebras
No full textWe would like to thank Prof. Lajos Molnár for encouraging us to explore this problem.
We are also indebted to the anonymous reviewer for several useful comments.
First and fifth authors partially supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (MICINN) and European Regional Development Fund project
no. PGC2018-093332-B-I00, Programa Operativo FEDER 2014-2020 and Consejería de
Economía y Conocimiento de la Junta de Andalucía grant numbers A-FQM-242-UGR18
and FQM375. First author partially supported by EPSRC (UK) project “Jordan Algebras, Finsler Geometry and Dynamics” ref. no. EP/R044228/1. Second author partially
supported by JSPS KAKENHI Grant Number JP 21J21512. Fourth author partially
supported by JSPS KAKENHI (Japan) Grant Number JP 20K03650.
* Funding for open access charge: Universidad de Granada / CBUAThis paper is, in a first stage, devoted to establishing a topological–algebraic characterization of the principal component, U0(M), of the set of unitary elements, U(M), in a unital JB⁎-algebra M. We arrive to the conclusion that, as in the case of unital C⁎-algebras, U0(M)=M1−1∩U(M)={Ue⋯Ue(1):n∈N,hj∈Msa∀1≤j≤n}={u∈U(M): there exists w∈U0(M) with ‖u−w‖<2} is analytically arcwise connected. Actually, U0(M) is the smallest quadratic subset of U(M) containing the set eiM. Our second goal is to provide a complete description of the surjective isometries between the principal components of two unital JB⁎-algebras M and N. Contrary to the case of unital C⁎-algebras, we shall deduce the existence of connected components in U(M) which are not isometric as metric spaces. We shall also establish necessary and sufficient conditions to guarantee that a surjective isometry Δ:U(M)→U(N) admits an extension to a surjective linear isometry between M and N, a conclusion which is not always true. Among the consequences it is proved that M and N are Jordan ⁎-isomorphic if, and only if, their principal components are isometric as metric spaces if, and only if, there exists a surjective isometry Δ:U(M)→U(N) mapping the unit of M to an element in U0(N). These results provide an extension to the setting of unital JB⁎-algebras of the results obtained by O. Hatori for unital C⁎-algebras.CBUAConsejería de Economía y Conocimiento de la Junta de Andalucía
A-FQM-242-UGR18, FQM375Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y UniversidadesEngineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
EP/R044228/1Universidad de GranadaMinisterio de Ciencia e InnovaciónJapan Society for the Promotion of Science JP 20K03650, JP 21J21512European Regional Development Fund
PGC2018-093332-B-I0
Adjunctive interferon-γ immunotherapy for the treatment of HIV-associated cryptococcal meningitis: a randomized controlled trial.
No full textBACKGROUND: Interferon-gamma (IFNγ) is of key importance in the immune response to Cryptococcus neoformans. Mortality related to cryptococcal meningitis remains high, and novel treatment strategies are needed. We performed a randomized controlled trial to determine whether addition of IFNγ to standard therapy increased the rate of clearance of cryptococcal infection in HIV-associated cryptococcal meningitis. METHODS: Patients were randomized to amphotericin B 1 mg/kg per day and 5FC 100 mg/kg per day for 2 weeks (standard therapy), standard therapy and IFNγ1b 100 μg days 1 and 3 (IFNγ two doses), or standard therapy and IFNγ1b 100 μg days 1, 3, 5, 8, 10 and 12 (IFNγ six doses). Primary outcome was rate of clearance of cryptococcus from the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) (early fungicidal activity, EFA) calculated from serial quantitative cultures, previously shown to be independently associated with survival. RESULTS: Rate of fungal clearance was significantly faster in IFNγ containing groups than with standard treatment. Mean EFA [log colony forming unit (CFU)/ml per day] was -0.49 with standard treatment, -0.64 with IFNγ two doses, and -0.64 with IFNγ six doses. Difference in EFA was -0.15 [confidence interval (95% CI) -0.02 to -0.27, P=0.02] between standard treatment and IFNγ two doses, and -0.15 (95% CI -0.05 to -0.26, P=0.006) between standard treatment and IFNγ six doses. Mortality was 16% (14/88) at 2 weeks and 31% (27/87) at 10 weeks, with no significant difference between groups. All treatments were well tolerated. CONCLUSION: Addition of short-course IFNγ to standard treatment significantly increased the rate of clearance of cryptococcal infection from the CSF, and was not associated with any increase in adverse events. Two doses of IFNγ are as effective as six doses
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