Second Order Optimality Conditions in Nonsmooth Unconstrained Optimization

AMS subject classification: 49J52, 90C30.

Riemann-Hilbert Problems with Canonical Normalization and Families of Commuting Operators

2010 Mathematics Subject Classification: 35Q15, 31A25, 37K10, 35Q58.

Fiber Scaffolds of Poly (glycerol-dodecanedioate) and its Derivative via Electrospinning for Neural Tissue Engineering

Peripheral nerves have demonstrated the ability to bridge gaps of up to 6 mm. Peripheral Nerve System injury sites beyond this range need autograft or allograft surgery. Central Nerve System cells do not allow spontaneous regeneration due to the intrinsic environmental inhibition. Although stem cell therapy seems to be a promising approach towards nerve repair, it is essential to use the distinct three-dimensional architecture of a cell scaffold with proper biomolecule embedding in order to ensure that the local environment can be controlled well enough for growth and survival. Many approaches have been developed for the fabrication of 3D scaffolds, and more recently, fiber-based scaffolds produced via the electrospinning have been garnering increasing interest, as it offers the opportunity for control over fiber composition, as well as fiber mesh porosity using a relatively simple experimental setup. All these attributes make electrospun fibers a new class of promising scaffolds for neural tissue engineering. Therefore, the purpose of this doctoral study is to investigate the use of the novel material PGD and its derivative PGDF for obtaining fiber scaffolds using the electrospinning. The performance of these scaffolds, combined with neural lineage cells derived from ESCs, was evaluated by the dissolvability test, Raman spectroscopy, cell viability assay, real time PCR, Immunocytochemistry, extracellular electrophysiology, etc. The newly designed collector makes it possible to easily obtain fibers with adequate length and integrity. The utilization of a solvent like ethanol and water for electrospinning of fibrous scaffolds provides a potentially less toxic and more biocompatible fabrication method. Cell viability testing demonstrated that the addition of gelatin leads to significant improvement of cell proliferation on the scaffolds. Both real time PCR and Immunocytochemistry analysis indicated that motor neuron differentiation was achieved through the high motor neuron gene expression using the metabolites approach. The addition of Fumaric acid into fiber scaffolds further promoted the differentiation. Based on the results, this newly fabricated electrospun fiber scaffold, combined with neural lineage cells, provides a potential alternate strategy for nerve injury repair.

El teorema de Riemann-Roch y el morfismo de Gysin en geometría aritmética

Le th eor eme de Riemann-Roch originale a rme que pour tout morphisme propre f : Y ! X entre vari et es quasi-projectifs lisses sur un corps, et tout el ement a 2 K0(Y ) du groupe de Grothendieck des br es vectoriels on a ch(f!(a)) = f {u100000}Td(Tf ) ch(a) (cf. [BS58]). Ici ch est le caract ere de Chern, Td(Tf ) est la classe de Todd du br e tangent relative et f et f! sont les images directes de l'anneau de Chow et K0 respectivement. Apr es, Baum, Fulton et MacPherson ont d emontr e en [BFM75] le th eor eme de Riemann-Roch pour des morphismes localement intersection compl ete entre des sch emas alg ebriques (sch emas s epar es et localement de type ni sur un corps) projectifs et singuli eres. En [FG83] Fulton et Gillet ont d emontr e le th eor eme sans hypoth eses projectifs. L'extension a la th eorie K sup erieure pour des sch emas r eguli eres sur une base fut d emontr e par Gillet en [Gil81]. Le th eor eme de Riemann-Roch qu'il prouve est pour des morphismes projectifs entre des sch emas lisses et quasi-projectifs. Donc, dans le cas des sch emas sur un corps, le r esultat de Gillet n'inclus pas le th eor eme de [BFM75]. La plus grande g en eralisation du th eor eme de Riemann-Roch que je connais est [D eg14] et [HS15], o u D eglise et Holmstrom-Scholbach obtiennent ind ependamment le th eor eme de Riemann- Roch pour la K-th eorie sup erieure et les morphismes projectifs lic entre sch emas r eguli eres sur une base noetherienne de dimension nie... NOTA 520 8 El teorema de Riemann-Roch original de Grothendieck a rma que para todo mor smo propio f : Y ! X, entre variedades irreducibles quasiproyectivas lisas sobre un cuerpo, y todo elemento a 2 K0(Y ) del grupo de Grothendieck de brados vectoriales se satisface la relaci on ch(f!(a)) = f {u100000}Td(Tf ) ch(a) (cf. [BS58]). Recu erdese que ch denota el car acter de Chern, Td(Tf ) la clase de Todd del brado tangente relativo y f y f! las im agenes directas en el anillo de Chow y K0 respectivamente. M as tarde Baum, Fulton MacPherson probaron en [BFM75] el teorema de Riemann-Roch para mor smos localmente intersecci on completa entre esquemas algebraicos (es decir, esquemas separados localmente de tipo nito sobre cuerpo) proyectivos singulares. En [FG83] Fulton y Gillet probaron el teorema sin hip otesis proyectivas. La notable extensi on a la teor a K superior para esquemas regulares sobre una base fue probada por Gillet en [Gil81]. El teorema de Riemann-Roch all probado es para mor smos proyectivos entre esquemas lisos quasiproyectivos. Sin embargo, obs ervese que en el caso de esquemas sobre cuerpo el resultado de Gillet no recupera el teorema de [BFM75]. La mayor generalizaci on del teorema de Riemann-Roch que yo conozco es [D eg14] y [HS15] donde D eglise y Holmstrom-Scholbach obtuvieron independientemente el teorema de Riemann-Roch para teor a K superior y mor smos proyectivos lic entre esquemas regulares sobre una base noetheriana nito dimensional...

Propriété d'universalité de la fonction zêta de Riemann

Mémoire numérisé par la Direction des bibliothèques de l'Université de Montréal.

A transatlantic case: the derivative action as a corporate governance tool

The derivative action as a minority shareholder protection device seems to be almost a dead-letter law in the British Isles as compared with the United States. Whether it can or should be revived through legislative reform and judicial interpretation presents us with important governance questions at first instance, but also raises questions regarding the importance of law, as distinct from non-legally enforceable norms, to the development of corporate governance systems, in particular regarding the director-shareholder relationship.

Propriété d'universalité de la fonction zêta de Riemann

Mémoire numérisé par la Direction des bibliothèques de l'Université de Montréal.

Targeting treatment resistant breast cancer stem cells with FKBPL and its peptide derivative, AD-01

FKBPL and its peptide derivative, AD-01, have already demonstrated well-established inhibitory effects on breast cancer growth and CD44 dependent anti-angiogenic activity1, 2, 3. Since breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs) are CD44 positive, we wanted to explore if AD-01 could specifically target BCSCs. FKBPL stable overexpression or AD-01 treatment were highly effective at reducing the BCSC population measured by inhibiting mammosphere forming efficiency (MFE) in cell lines and primary breast cancer samples from both solid breast tumours and pleural effusions. Flow cytometry, to assess the ESA+/CD44+/CD24- subpopulation, validated these results. The ability of AD-01 to inhibit the self-renewal capacity of BCSCs was confirmed across three generations of mammospheres, where mammospheres were completely eradicated by the third generation (p<0.001). Clonogenic assays suggested that AD-01 mediated BCSC differentiation, with a significant decrease in the number of holoclones and an associated increase in meroclones/paraclones. In support of this, the stem cell markers, Nanog and Oct4 were significantly reduced following AD-01 treatment, whilst transfection of FKBPL-targeted siRNAs led to an increase in these markers and in mammosphere forming potential, highlighting the endogenous role of FKBPL in stem cell signalling. The clinical relevance of this was confirmed using a publically available microarray data set (GSE7390), where, high FKBPL and low Nanog expression were independently associated with improved overall survival in breast cancer patients (log rank test p=0.03; hazard ratio=3.01). When AD-01 was combined with other agents, we observed synergistic activity with the Notch inhibitor, DAPT and AD-01 was also able to abrogate a chemo- and radiotherapy induced enrichment in BCSCs. Importantly, using ‘gold standard’ in vivo limiting dilution assays we demonstrated a delay in tumour initiation and reoccurrence in AD-01 treated xenografts. In summary, AD-01 appears to have dual anti-angiogenic and anti-BCSC activity which will be advantageous as this agent enters clinical trial.

A Discretization of the Hadamard fractional derivative

We present a new discretization for the Hadamard fractional derivative, that simplifies the computations. We then apply the method to solve a fractional differential equation and a fractional variational problem with dependence on the Hadamard fractional derivative.

Riemann-Hilbert problems for poly-Hardy space on the unit ball

In this paper, we focus on a Riemann–Hilbert boundary value problem (BVP) with a constant coefficients for the poly-Hardy space on the real unit ball in higher dimensions. We first discuss the boundary behaviour of functions in the poly-Hardy class. Then we construct the Schwarz kernel and the higher order Schwarz operator to study Riemann–Hilbert BVPs over the unit ball for the poly- Hardy class. Finally, we obtain explicit integral expressions for their solutions. As a special case, monogenic signals as elements in the Hardy space over the unit sphere will be reconstructed in the case of boundary data given in terms of functions having values in a Clifford subalgebra. Such monogenic signals represent the generalization of analytic signals as elements of the Hardy space over the unit circle of the complex plane.

Recovery of palladium from a spent automobile catalyst leaching solution by a thiodiglycolamide derivative

In the sequence of previous research on the development of novel liquid-liquid amidetype compounds to efficiently and selectively extract platinum-group metals (PGMs) from concentrated hydrochloric acid media, a specific thiodiglycolamide derivative – N,N’-dimethyl-N,N’-dicyclohexylthiodiglycolamide (DMDCHTDGA) – has been applied for the recovery of palladium(II) from a spent automobile catalyst leaching solution, containing palladium(II) and rhodium(III) as PGMs. The results obtained are rather promising, since the DMDCHTDGA behavior towards the two PGMs is similar to that observed for hydrochloric acid aqueous media studied before, simulating the real leaching phases. Within eleven metal elements co-existing in solution, the majority in high fold-excesses, only aluminum(III) and cerium(III) interfere in the palladium(II) liquid-liquid extraction process, requiring further optimization.