Cardiff University

About: Cardiff University is a education organization based out in Cardiff, United Kingdom. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Context (language use). The organization has 34188 authors who have published 82643 publications receiving 3046531 citations. The organization is also known as: University of Cardiff & University College of South Wales and Monmouthshire.

Planck 2015 results: XIX. Constraints on primordial magnetic fields

Abstract: We predict and investigate four types of imprint of a stochastic background of primordial magnetic fields (PMFs) on the cosmic microwave background (CMB) anisotropies: the impact of PMFs on the CMB temperature and polarization spectra, related to their contribution to cosmological perturbations; the effect on CMB polarization induced by Faraday rotation; magnetically-induced non-Gaussianities and related non-zero bispectra; and the magnetically-induced breaking of statistical isotropy. We present constraints on the amplitude of PMFs derived from different combinations of Planck data products, depending on the specific effect that is analysed. Overall, Planck data constrain the amplitude of PMFs to less than a few nanogauss, with different bounds depending on the considered model. In particular, individual limits coming from the analysis of the CMB angular power spectra, using the Planck likelihood, are B1Mpc < 4:4 nG (where B1Mpc is the comoving field amplitude at a scale of 1 Mpc) at 95 % confidence level, assuming zero helicity, and B1Mpc < 5:6 nG when we consider a maximally helical field. For nearly scaleinvariant PMFs we obtain B1Mpc < 2:1 nG and B1Mpc < 0:7 nG if the impact of PMFs on the ionization history of the Universe is included in the analysis. From the analysis of magnetically-induced non-Gaussianity we obtain three different values, corresponding to three applied methods, all below 5 nG. The constraint from the magnetically-induced passive-tensor bispectrum is B1Mpc < 2:8 nG. A search for preferred directions in the magnetically-induced passive bispectrum yields B1Mpc < 4:5 nG, whereas the the compensated-scalar bispectrum gives B1Mpc < 3 nG. The analysis of the Faraday rotation of CMB polarization by PMFs uses the Planck power spectra in EE and BB at 70 GHz and gives B1Mpc < 1380 nG. In our final analysis, we consider the harmonic-space correlations produced by Alfv´ en waves, finding no significant evidence for the presence of these waves. Together, these results comprise a comprehensive set of constraints on possible PMFs with Planck data.

PRC2 loss amplifies Ras-driven transcription and confers sensitivity to BRD4-based therapies

Abstract: The polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) exerts oncogenic effects in many tumour types1 However, loss-of-function mutations in PRC2 components occur in a subset of haematopoietic malignancies, suggesting that this complex plays a dichotomous and poorly understood role in cancer2, 3 Here we provide genomic, cellular, and mouse modelling data demonstrating that the polycomb group gene SUZ12 functions as tumour suppressor in PNS tumours, high-grade gliomas and melanomas by cooperating with mutations in NF1 NF1 encodes a Ras GTPase-activating protein (RasGAP) and its loss drives cancer by activating Ras4 We show that SUZ12 loss potentiates the effects of NF1 mutations by amplifying Ras-driven transcription through effects on chromatin Importantly, however, SUZ12 inactivation also triggers an epigenetic switch that sensitizes these cancers to bromodomain inhibitors Collectively, these studies not only reveal an unexpected connection between the PRC2 complex, NF1 and Ras, but also identify a promising epigenetic-based therapeutic strategy that may be exploited for a variety of cancers

Analysis of copy number variations at 15 schizophrenia-associated loci

Abstract: Background A number of copy number variants (CNVs) have been suggested as susceptibility factors for schizophrenia. For some of these the data remain equivocal, and the frequency in individuals with schizophrenia is uncertain. Aims To determine the contribution of CNVs at 15 schizophreniaassociated loci (a) using a large new data-set of patients with schizophrenia (n = 6882) and controls (n = 6316), and (b) combining our results with those from previous studies. Method We used Illumina microarrays to analyse our data. Analyses were restricted to 520 766 probes common to all arrays used in the different data-sets. Results