bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The Cauchy problem for a nonlinear Wheeler–DeWitt equation
Authors: Dias J.-P. , Figueira M. 
Published: February 2017

In this paper we consider a nonlinear version of the simplified Wheeler–DeWitt equation which describes the minisuperspace model for the wave function

ψ

of a closed universe (cf. [3], [2], [1]). Following [1], where the linear case has been solved, we study this equation as an evolution equation in the scalar field

y \in \mathbf R

with a scale factor

x\in ]0, R[

. We solve the Cauchy problem for the initial data

ψ(x, 0)

and

\frac{\mathrm{∂}\mathrm{\psi }}{\mathrm{∂}y}(x,0)

and we study some decay properties and blow-up situations. A particular nonlinear version has been proposed in [6].

Résumé

Dans cet article nous considérons une version non linéaire de l’équation de Wheeler-DeWitt simplifiée qui décrit le modèle de mini-superespace pour la fonction d’onde ψ d’un univers fermé (cf. [3], [2], [1]). Dans l’esprit de [1], où nous avons résolu le cas linéaire, nous étudions cette équation comme une équation d’évolution dans le champ scalaire

y \in \mathbf R

avec le facteur d’échelle

x\in ]0, R[

. Nous résolvons le problème de Cauchy pour des données initiales

ψ(x, 0)

et

\frac{\mathrm{∂}\mathrm{\psi }}{\mathrm{∂}y}(x,0)

et nous étudions des propriétés de décroissance à l’infini et des situations d’explosion de la solution. Une version non linéaire particulière a été proposée dans [6].
The Effects of Age on the Interplay Between News Exposure, Political	Discussion, and Political Knowledge
Authors: Trepte Sabine , Schmitt Josephine B. 
Published: February 2017

Abstract. Using the theory of fluid-crystallized intelligence, we argue that with growing age, political discussion becomes less important as a complement to news exposure in political knowledge building. We applied moderated mediation analyses to the survey data of N = 69,125 German respondents. The data supported the hypothesis that news exposure influences political discussion, which in turn leverages political knowledge. As expected, we showed that news exposure is more strongly associated with political discussion for younger age groups. The results are discussed with regard to how to integrate a psychological lifespan perspective into further research on knowledge acquisition.
Why Does Digit Ratio Research Fail to Give Any Implication Regarding	the Organizational Effect of Prenatal Androgen?
Authors: Au Yeung Larry , Tse Wai S. 
Published: February 2017

Abstract. The digit ratio is a putative biomarker for evaluating the organizational effects of prenatal testosterone. This evaluation was performed by relating postnatal traits to digit ratio. We examined the relationship among digit ratio, depression, and positive/negative affect. A total of 335 university students who completed a set of questionnaires had both of their hands scanned, and the digit ratios were measured using a computer program. All the studied variables were insignificantly related to the right-hand digit ratio. The variables remained insignificant even when the data for males and females were analyzed separately. Furthermore, a meta-analysis, including a previous study combined with current data, showed no association between digit ratio and depression, although the current sample size of 355 could detect r = 0.2 at α = 0.05, and β = 0.2. The lack of association between digit ratio and depression was common, and the present results corroborated those of previous studies, which showed no association between digit ratio and depression. This nil result would be least likely attributable to an inadequate sample size, considering that the current sample size of 335 allowed the detection of r = 0.2 at α = 0.05 and β = 0.2, nor idiosyncratic results, given that the meta-analysis with previous relevant studies also concluded the same results. We extensively reviewed the relevant literature and evaluated the use of digit ratio as a biomarker for prenatal testosterone exposure in seven different perspectives. Nearly all the analysis showed the problems of using digit ratio as a biomarker for evaluating the organizational effect of prenatal hormones.
A novel approach for the identification of efficient combination therapies in primary human acute myeloid leukemia specimens
Authors: Baccelli I , Krosl J , Boucher G , Boivin I , Lavallée V-P , Hébert J , Lemieux S , Marinier A , Sauvageau G 
Published: February 2017

AbstractAppropriate culture methods for the interrogation of primary leukemic samples were hitherto lacking and current assays for compound screening are not adapted for large-scale investigation of synergistic combinations. In this study, we report a novel approach that efficiently distills synthetic lethal interactions between small molecules active on primary human acute myeloid leukemia (AML) specimens. In single-dose experiments and under culture conditions preserving leukemia stem cell activity, our strategy considerably reduces the number of tests needed for the identification of promising compound combinations. Initially conducted with a selected library of 5000 small molecules and 20 primary AML specimens, it reveals 5 broad classes of sensitized therapeutic target pathways along with their synergistic patient-specific fingerprints. This novel method opens new avenues for the development of AML personalized therapeutics and may be generalized to other tumor types, for which in vitro cancer stem cell cultures have been developed.
Host specificity of Symbiodinium variants revealed by an ITS2 metahaplotype approach
Authors: Smith Edward G , Ketchum Remi N , Burt John A 
Published: February 2017

Abstract
Analysis of the widely used ITS region is confounded by the presence of intragenomic variants (IGVs). In Symbiodinium, the algal symbionts of reef building corals, deep-sequencing analyses are used to characterise communities within corals, yet these analyses largely overlook IGVs. Here we consider that distinct ITS2 sequences could represent IGVs rather than distinct symbiont types and argue that symbionts can be distinguished by their proportional composition of IGVs, described as their ITS2 metahaplotype. Using our metahaplotype approach on Minimum Entropy Decomposition (MED) analysis of ITS2 sequences from the corals Acropora downingi, Cyphastrea microphthalma and Playgyra daedalea, we show the dominance of a single species-specific Symbiodinium C3 variant within each coral species. We confirm the presence of these species-specific symbionts using the psbA non-coding region. Our findings highlight the importance of accounting for IGVs in ITS2 analyses and demonstrate their capacity to resolve biological patterns that would otherwise be overlooked.
Antibody-controlled actuation of DNA-based molecular circuits
Authors: Engelen Wouter , Meijer Lenny H. H. , Somers Bram , de Greef Tom F. A. , Merkx Maarten 
Published: February 2017

AbstractDNA-based molecular circuits allow autonomous signal processing, but their actuation has relied mostly on RNA/DNA-based inputs, limiting their application in synthetic biology, biomedicine and molecular diagnostics. Here we introduce a generic method to translate the presence of an antibody into a unique DNA strand, enabling the use of antibodies as specific inputs for DNA-based molecular computing. Our approach, antibody-templated strand exchange (ATSE), uses the characteristic bivalent architecture of antibodies to promote DNA-strand exchange reactions both thermodynamically and kinetically. Detailed characterization of the ATSE reaction allowed the establishment of a comprehensive model that describes the kinetics and thermodynamics of ATSE as a function of toehold length, antibody–epitope affinity and concentration. ATSE enables the introduction of complex signal processing in antibody-based diagnostics, as demonstrated here by constructing molecular circuits for multiplex antibody detection, integration of multiple antibody inputs using logic gates and actuation of enzymes and DNAzymes for signal amplification.
Climbing favours the tripod gait over alternative faster insect gaits
Authors: Ramdya Pavan , Thandiackal Robin , Cherney Raphael , Asselborn Thibault , Benton Richard , Ijspeert Auke Jan , Floreano Dario 
Published: February 2017

AbstractTo escape danger or catch prey, running vertebrates rely on dynamic gaits with minimal ground contact. By contrast, most insects use a tripod gait that maintains at least three legs on the ground at any given time. One prevailing hypothesis for this difference in fast locomotor strategies is that tripod locomotion allows insects to rapidly navigate three-dimensional terrain. To test this, we computationally discovered fast locomotor gaits for a model based on Drosophila melanogaster. Indeed, the tripod gait emerges to the exclusion of many other possible gaits when optimizing fast upward climbing with leg adhesion. By contrast, novel two-legged bipod gaits are fastest on flat terrain without adhesion in the model and in a hexapod robot. Intriguingly, when adhesive leg structures in real Drosophila are covered, animals exhibit atypical bipod-like leg coordination. We propose that the requirement to climb vertical terrain may drive the prevalence of the tripod gait over faster alternative gaits with minimal ground contact.
Effective mass and Fermi surface complexity factor from ab initio band structure calculations
Authors: Gibbs Zachary M. , Ricci Francesco , Li Guodong , Zhu Hong , Persson Kristin , Ceder Gerbrand , Hautier Geoffroy , Jain Anubhav , Snyder G. Jeffrey 
Published: February 2017

AbstractThe effective mass is a convenient descriptor of the electronic band structure used to characterize the density of states and electron transport based on a free electron model. While effective mass is an excellent first-order descriptor in real systems, the exact value can have several definitions, each of which describe a different aspect of electron transport. Here we use Boltzmann transport calculations applied to ab initio band structures to extract a density-of-states effective mass from the Seebeck Coefficient and an inertial mass from the electrical conductivity to characterize the band structure irrespective of the exact scattering mechanism. We identify a Fermi Surface Complexity Factor: $${N}_{{\rm{v}}}^{\ast }{K}^{\ast }$$

N

v

*

K

*

from the ratio of these two masses, which in simple cases depends on the number of Fermi surface pockets $$({N}_{{\rm{v}}}^{\ast })$$

(

N

v

*

)

and their anisotropy K*, both of which are beneficial to high thermoelectric performance as exemplified by the high values found in PbTe. The Fermi Surface Complexity factor can be used in high-throughput search of promising thermoelectric materials.
Novel Roles for Staufen1 in Embryonal and Alveolar Rhabdomyosarcoma via c-myc-dependent and -independent events
Authors: Crawford Parks Tara E. , Marcellus Kristen A. , Langill Jonathan , Ravel-Chapuis Aymeric , Michaud Jean , Cowan Kyle N. , Côté Jocelyn , Jasmin Bernard J. 
Published: February 2017

AbstractRhabdomyosarcoma is the most common soft tissue sarcoma in children and young adults. Rhabdomyosarcomas are skeletal muscle-like tumours that typically arise in muscle beds, and express key myogenic regulatory factors. However, their developmental program remains blocked in the proliferative phase with cells unable to exit the cell cycle to fuse into myotubes. Recently, we uncovered a key role for the RNA-binding protein Staufen1 during myogenic differentiation through the regulation of c-myc translation. Given the known implication of c-myc in rhabdomyosarcoma, we hypothesized in the current work that Staufen1 controls rhabdomyosarcoma tumorigenesis. Here, we report for the first time the novel role of Staufen1 in cancer, specifically in rhabdomyosarcoma. We demonstrate that Staufen1 is markedly upregulated in human rhabdomyosarcoma tumours and cell lines as compared to normal skeletal muscle. Moreover, we show that Staufen1 promotes the tumorigenesis of embryonal and alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma subtypes both in cell culture and in animal models. Finally, our data demonstrate that Staufen1 has differential roles in embryonal versus alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma through the control of proliferative and apoptotic pathways, respectively. Together, these results provide the first evidence for Staufen1’s direct implication in cancer biology. Accordingly, Staufen1 thus represents a novel target for the development of future therapeutic strategies for rhabdomyosarcoma.
Generation and quantitative proteomics analysis of CK2α/α’(−/−) cells
Authors: Borgo Christian , Franchin Cinzia , Scalco Stefano , Bosello-Travain Valentina , Donella-Deana Arianna , Arrigoni Giorgio , Salvi Mauro , Pinna Lorenzo A. 
Published: February 2017

AbstractCK2 is a ubiquitous, constitutively active, highly pleiotropic, acidophilic Ser/Thr protein kinase whose holoenzyme is composed of two catalytic (α and/or α’) subunits and a dimer of a non-catalytic β subunit. Abnormally high CK2 level/activity is often associated with malignancy and a variety of cancer cells have been shown to rely on it to escape apoptosis. To gain information about the actual “druggability” of CK2 and to dissect CK2 dependent cellular processes that are instrumental to the establishment and progression of neoplasia we have exploited the CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing technology to generate viable clones of C2C12 myoblasts devoid of either both the CK2 catalytic subunits or its regulatory β-subunit. Suppression of both CK2 catalytic subunits promotes the disappearance of the β-subunit as well, through its accelerated proteasomal degradation. A quantitative proteomics analysis of CK2α/α’(−/−) versus wild type cells shows that knocking out both CK2 catalytic subunits causes a rearrangement of the proteomics profile, with substantially altered level ( > 50%) of 240 proteins, 126 of which are up-regulated, while the other are down-regulated. A functional analysis reveals that up- and down-regulated proteins tend to be segregated into distinct sub-cellular compartments and play different biological roles, consistent with a global rewiring underwent by the cell to cope with the lack of CK2.
Solution of the spatial neutral model yields new bounds on the Amazonian species richness
Authors: Shem-Tov Yahav , Danino Matan , Shnerb Nadav M. 
Published: February 2017

AbstractNeutral models, in which individual agents with equal fitness undergo a birth-death-mutation process, are very popular in population genetics and community ecology. Usually these models are applied to populations and communities with spatial structure, but the analytic results presented so far are limited to well-mixed or mainland-island scenarios. Here we combine analytic results and numerics to obtain an approximate solution for the species abundance distribution and the species richness for the neutral model on continuous landscape. We show how the regional diversity increases when the recruitment length decreases and the spatial segregation of species grows. Our results are supported by extensive numerical simulations and allow one to probe the numerically inaccessible regime of large-scale systems with extremely small mutation/speciation rates. Model predictions are compared with the findings of recent large-scale surveys of tropical trees across the Amazon basin, yielding new bounds for the species richness (between 13100 and 15000) and the number of singleton species (between 455 and 690).
Suppression of TAK1 pathway by shear stress counteracts the inflammatory endothelial cell phenotype induced by oxidative stress and TGF-β1
Authors: Lee Ee Soo , Boldo Llorenç Solé , Fernandez Bernadette O. , Feelisch Martin , Harmsen Martin C. 
Published: February 2017

AbstractEndothelial dysfunction is characterised by aberrant redox signalling and an inflammatory phenotype. Shear stress antagonises endothelial dysfunction by increasing nitric oxide formation, activating anti-inflammatory pathways and suppressing inflammatory pathways. The TAK1 (MAP3K7) is a key mediator of inflammation and non-canonical TGF-β signalling. While the individual roles of TAK1, ERK5 (MAPK7) and TGF-β pathways in endothelial cell regulation are well characterised, an integrative understanding of the orchestration of these pathways and their crosstalk with the redox system under shear stress is lacking. We hypothesised that shear stress counteracts the inflammatory effects of oxidative stress and TGF-β1 on endothelial cells by restoring redox balance and repressing the TAK1 pathway. Using human umbilical vein endothelial cells, we here show that TGF-β1 aggravates oxidative stress-mediated inflammatory activation and that shear stress activates ERK5 signalling while attenuating TGF-β signalling. ERK5 activation restores redox balance, but fails to repress the inflammatory effect of TGF-β1 which is suppressed upon TAK1 inhibition. In conclusion, shear stress counteracts endothelial dysfunction by suppressing the pro-inflammatory non-canonical TGF-β pathway and by activating the ERK5 pathway which restores redox signalling. We propose that a pharmacological compound that abates TGF-β signalling and enhances ERK5 signalling may be useful to counteract endothelial dysfunction.
Characterization of celiac disease related oat proteins: bases for the development of high quality oat varieties suitable for celiac patients
Authors: Giménez María J. , Real Ana , García-Molina M. Dolores , Sousa Carolina , Barro Francisco 
Published: February 2017

AbstractSome studies have suggested that the immunogenicity of oats depends on the cultivar. RP-HPLC has been proposed as a useful technique to select varieties of oats with reduced immunogenicity. The aim of this study was to identify both the avenin protein patterns associated with low gluten content and the available variability for the development of new non-toxic oat cultivars. The peaks of alcohol-soluble avenins of a collection of landraces and cultivars of oats have been characterized based on the RP-HPLC elution times. The immunotoxicity of oat varieties for patients with celiac disease (CD) has been tested using a competitive ELISA based on G12 monoclonal antibody. The oat lines show, on average, seven avenin peaks giving profiles with certain similarities. Based on this similarity, most of the accessions have been grouped into avenin patterns. The variability of RP-HPLC profiles of the collection is great, but not sufficient to uniquely identify the different varieties of the set. Overall, the immunogenicity of the collection is less than 20 ppm. However, there is a different distribution of toxicity ranges between the different peak patterns. We conclude that the RP-HPLC technique is useful to establish groups of varieties differing in degree of toxicity for CD patients.
A xandarellid artiopodan from Morocco – a middle Cambrian link between soft-bodied euarthropod communities in North Africa and South China
Authors: Ortega-Hernández Javier , Azizi Abdelfattah , Hearing Thomas W. , Harvey Thomas H. P. , Edgecombe Gregory D. , Hafid Ahmid , El Hariri Khadija 
Published: February 2017

AbstractXandarellida is a well-defined clade of Lower Palaeozoic non-biomineralized artiopodans that is exclusively known from the early Cambrian (Stage 3) Chengjiang biota of South China. Here we describe a new member of this group,Xandarella mauretanicasp. nov., from the middle Cambrian (Stage 5) Tatelt Formation of Morocco, making this the first non-trilobite Cambrian euarthropod known from North Africa.X. mauretanicasp. nov. represents the youngest occurrence of Xandarellida – extending its stratigraphic range by approximately 10 million years – and expands the palaeobiogeographic distribution of the group to the high southern palaeolatitudes of West Gondwana. The new species provides insights into the lightly sclerotized ventral anatomy of Xandarellida, and offers stratigraphically older evidence for a palaeobiogeographic connection between Burgess Shale-type euarthropod communities in North Africa and South China, relative to the (Tremadocian) Fezouata biota.
High-amplitude electrical stimulation can reduce elicited neuronal activity in visual prosthesis
Authors: Barriga-Rivera Alejandro , Guo Tianruo , Yang Chih-Yu , Abed Amr Al , Dokos Socrates , Lovell Nigel H. , Morley John W. , Suaning Gregg J. 
Published: February 2017

AbstractRetinal electrostimulation is promising a successful therapy to restore functional vision. However, a narrow stimulating current range exists between retinal neuron excitation and inhibition which may lead to misperformance of visual prostheses. As the conveyance of representation of complex visual scenes may require neighbouring electrodes to be activated simultaneously, electric field summation may contribute to reach this inhibitory threshold. This study used three approaches to assess the implications of relatively high stimulating conditions in visual prostheses: (1) in vivo, using a suprachoroidal prosthesis implanted in a feline model, (2) in vitro through electrostimulation of murine retinal preparations, and (3) in silico by computing the response of a population of retinal ganglion cells. Inhibitory stimulating conditions led to diminished cortical activity in the cat. Stimulus-response relationships showed non-monotonic profiles to increasing stimulating current. This was observed in vitro and in silico as the combined response of groups of neurons (close to the stimulating electrode) being inhibited at certain stimulating amplitudes, whilst other groups (far from the stimulating electrode) being recruited. These findings may explain the halo-like phosphene shapes reported in clinical trials and suggest that simultaneous stimulation in retinal prostheses is limited by the inhibitory threshold of the retinal ganglion cells.
Severe Decline of Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate Associates with Progressive Cognitive Deterioration in the Elderly: A Community-Based Cohort Study
Authors: Chen Yi-Chi , Weng Shuo-Chun , Liu Jia-Sin , Chuang Han-Lin , Hsu Chih-Cheng , Tarng Der-Cherng 
Published: February 2017

AbstractCognitive dysfunction is closely related to aging and chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, the association between renal function changes and the risk of developing cognitive impairment has not been elucidated. This longitudinal cohort study was to determine the influence of annual percentage change in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) on subsequent cognitive deterioration or death of the elderly within the community. A total of 33,654 elders with eGFR measurements were extracted from the Taipei City Elderly Health Examination Database. The Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire was used to assess their cognitive progression at least twice during follow-up visits. Multivariable Cox regression models were used to estimate the hazard ratio (HR) for cognitive deterioration or all-cause mortality with the percentage change in eGFR. During a median follow-up of 5.4 years, the participants with severe decline in eGFR (>20% per year) had an increased risk of cognitive deterioration (HR, 1.33; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.08–1.72) and the composite outcome (HR, 1.17; 95% CI, 1.03–1.35) when compared with those who had stable eGFR. Severe eGFR decline could be a possible predictor for cognitive deterioration or death among the elderly. Early detection of severe eGFR decline is a critical issue and needs clinical attentions.