Showing papers by "Spanish National Research Council published in 2015"
University Hospital Bonn1, University of California, Riverside2, Harvard University3, Case Western Reserve University4, University of Illinois at Chicago5, European Institute6, Stanford University7, VA Palo Alto Healthcare System8, Spanish National Research Council9, Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute10, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology11, University of California, Los Angeles12, University of Southern Denmark13, University of Cambridge14, Ikerbasque15, University of the Basque Country16, University of Manchester17, RIKEN Brain Science Institute18, University of Eastern Finland19, University of Massachusetts Medical School20, University of Bonn21, Center of Advanced European Studies and Research22, University of Southern California23, University of South Florida24, Duke University25, Southampton General Hospital26, University of Southampton27, Moorgreen Hospital28, Louisiana State University29, Imperial College London30, Centre national de la recherche scientifique31, Karolinska Institutet32, Max Planck Society33, University of Tübingen34, University of Groningen35, University of Colorado Denver36, Douglas Mental Health University Institute37
TL;DR: Genome-wide analysis suggests that several genes that increase the risk for sporadic Alzheimer's disease encode factors that regulate glial clearance of misfolded proteins and the inflammatory reaction.
Abstract: Increasing evidence suggests that Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis is not restricted to the neuronal compartment, but includes strong interactions with immunological mechanisms in the brain. Misfolded and aggregated proteins bind to pattern recognition receptors on microglia and astroglia, and trigger an innate immune response characterised by release of inflammatory mediators, which contribute to disease progression and severity. Genome-wide analysis suggests that several genes that increase the risk for sporadic Alzheimer's disease encode factors that regulate glial clearance of misfolded proteins and the inflammatory reaction. External factors, including systemic inflammation and obesity, are likely to interfere with immunological processes of the brain and further promote disease progression. Modulation of risk factors and targeting of these immune mechanisms could lead to future therapeutic or preventive strategies for Alzheimer's disease.
3,947 citations
TL;DR: The Virgo Consortium's EAGLE project as discussed by the authors is a suite of hydrodynamical simulations that follow the formation of galaxies and black holes in representative volumes, where thermal energy is injected into the gas, allowing winds to develop without predetermined speed or mass loading factors.
Abstract: We introduce the Virgo Consortium's EAGLE project, a suite of hydrodynamical simulations that follow the formation of galaxies and black holes in representative volumes. We discuss the limitations of such simulations in light of their finite resolution and poorly constrained subgrid physics, and how these affect their predictive power. One major improvement is our treatment of feedback from massive stars and AGN in which thermal energy is injected into the gas without the need to turn off cooling or hydrodynamical forces, allowing winds to develop without predetermined speed or mass loading factors. Because the feedback efficiencies cannot be predicted from first principles, we calibrate them to the z~0 galaxy stellar mass function and the amplitude of the galaxy-central black hole mass relation, also taking galaxy sizes into account. The observed galaxy mass function is reproduced to ≲0.2 dex over the full mass range, 108
2,828 citations
University of Cambridge1, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia2, Lancaster University3, University of Manchester4, Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies5, Technical University of Denmark6, Nokia7, Queen Mary University of London8, University of Trento9, fondazione bruno kessler10, Technische Universität München11, Polytechnic University of Milan12, Centre national de la recherche scientifique13, University of Trieste14, University of Ioannina15, University of Geneva16, Trinity College, Dublin17, Texas Instruments18, University of Paris19, Spanish National Research Council20, Leiden University21, Delft University of Technology22, University of Patras23, École Normale Supérieure24, Radboud University Nijmegen25, Nest Labs26, Airbus UK27, Seoul National University28, Yonsei University29, University of Oxford30, Chalmers University of Technology31, University of Groningen32, STMicroelectronics33, Chemnitz University of Technology34, Max Planck Society35, Aalto University36
TL;DR: An overview of the key aspects of graphene and related materials, ranging from fundamental research challenges to a variety of applications in a large number of sectors, highlighting the steps necessary to take GRMs from a state of raw potential to a point where they might revolutionize multiple industries are provided.
Abstract: We present the science and technology roadmap for graphene, related two-dimensional crystals, and hybrid systems, targeting an evolution in technology, that might lead to impacts and benefits reaching into most areas of society. This roadmap was developed within the framework of the European Graphene Flagship and outlines the main targets and research areas as best understood at the start of this ambitious project. We provide an overview of the key aspects of graphene and related materials (GRMs), ranging from fundamental research challenges to a variety of applications in a large number of sectors, highlighting the steps necessary to take GRMs from a state of raw potential to a point where they might revolutionize multiple industries. We also define an extensive list of acronyms in an effort to standardize the nomenclature in this emerging field.
2,560 citations
Shadab Alam1, Franco D. Albareti2, Carlos Allende Prieto3, Carlos Allende Prieto4 +360 more•Institutions (102)
TL;DR: The third generation of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS-III) took data from 2008 to 2014 using the original SDSS wide-field imager, the original and an upgraded multi-object fiber-fed optical spectrograph, a new near-infrared high-resolution spectrogram, and a novel optical interferometer.
Abstract: The third generation of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS-III) took data from 2008 to 2014 using the original SDSS wide-field imager, the original and an upgraded multi-object fiber-fed optical spectrograph, a new near-infrared high-resolution spectrograph, and a novel optical interferometer. All the data from SDSS-III are now made public. In particular, this paper describes Data Release 11 (DR11) including all data acquired through 2013 July, and Data Release 12 (DR12) adding data acquired through 2014 July (including all data included in previous data releases), marking the end of SDSS-III observing. Relative to our previous public release (DR10), DR12 adds one million new spectra of galaxies and quasars from the Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (BOSS) over an additional 3000 sq. deg of sky, more than triples the number of H-band spectra of stars as part of the Apache Point Observatory (APO) Galactic Evolution Experiment (APOGEE), and includes repeated accurate radial velocity measurements of 5500 stars from the Multi-Object APO Radial Velocity Exoplanet Large-area Survey (MARVELS). The APOGEE outputs now include measured abundances of 15 different elements for each star. In total, SDSS-III added 2350 sq. deg of ugriz imaging; 155,520 spectra of 138,099 stars as part of the Sloan Exploration of Galactic Understanding and Evolution 2 (SEGUE-2) survey; 2,497,484 BOSS spectra of 1,372,737 galaxies, 294,512 quasars, and 247,216 stars over 9376 sq. deg; 618,080 APOGEE spectra of 156,593 stars; and 197,040 MARVELS spectra of 5,513 stars. Since its first light in 1998, SDSS has imaged over 1/3 of the Celestial sphere in five bands and obtained over five million astronomical spectra.
2,471 citations
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TL;DR: In solid-state materials with strong relativistic spin-orbit coupling, charge currents generate transverse spin currents as discussed by the authors and the associated spin Hall and inverse spin Hall effects distinguish between charge and spin current where electron charge is a conserved quantity but its spin direction is not.
Abstract: In solid-state materials with strong relativistic spin-orbit coupling, charge currents generate transverse spin currents. The associated spin Hall and inverse spin Hall effects distinguish between charge and spin current where electron charge is a conserved quantity but its spin direction is not. This review provides a theoretical and experimental treatment of this subfield of spintronics, beginning with distinct microscopic mechanisms seen in ferromagnets and concluding with a discussion of optical-, transport-, and magnetization-dynamics-based experiments closely linked to the microscopic and phenomenological theories presented.
2,178 citations
TL;DR: This work identifies ocean microbial core functionality and reveals that >73% of its abundance is shared with the human gut microbiome despite the physicochemical differences between these two ecosystems.
Abstract: Microbes are dominant drivers of biogeochemical processes, yet drawing a global picture of functional diversity, microbial community structure, and their ecological determinants remains a grand challenge. We analyzed 7.2 terabases of metagenomic data from 243 Tara Oceans samples from 68 locations in epipelagic and mesopelagic waters across the globe to generate an ocean microbial reference gene catalog with >40 million nonredundant, mostly novel sequences from viruses, prokaryotes, and picoeukaryotes. Using 139 prokaryote-enriched samples, containing >35,000 species, we show vertical stratification with epipelagic community composition mostly driven by temperature rather than other environmental factors or geography. We identify ocean microbial core functionality and reveal that >73% of its abundance is shared with the human gut microbiome despite the physicochemical differences between these two ecosystems.
1,934 citations
TL;DR: This paper reviews the different approaches and scales of hybrids, materials, electrodes and devices striving to advance along the diagonal of Ragone plots, providing enhanced energy and power densities by combining battery and supercapacitor materials and storage mechanisms.
Abstract: The hybrid approach allows for a reinforcing combination of properties of dissimilar components in synergic combinations. From hybrid materials to hybrid devices the approach offers opportunities to tackle much needed improvements in the performance of energy storage devices. This paper reviews the different approaches and scales of hybrids, materials, electrodes and devices striving to advance along the diagonal of Ragone plots, providing enhanced energy and power densities by combining battery and supercapacitor materials and storage mechanisms. Furthermore, some theoretical aspects are considered regarding the possible hybrid combinations and tactics for the fabrication of optimized final devices. All of it aiming at enhancing the electrochemical performance of energy storage systems.
1,633 citations
University of London1, University of Queensland2, Nagasaki University3, RMIT University4, Harvard University5, Spanish National Research Council6, Queensland University of Technology7, Umeå University8, Yale University9, National Taiwan University10, Fudan University11, Seoul National University12, University of São Paulo13, University of Tsukuba14
TL;DR: Most of the temperature-related mortality burden was attributable to the contribution of cold, and the effect of days of extreme temperature was substantially less than that attributable to milder but non-optimum weather.
1,569 citations
TL;DR: A measurement of the Higgs boson mass is presented based on the combined data samples of the ATLAS and CMS experiments at the CERN LHC in the H→γγ and H→ZZ→4ℓ decay channels.
Abstract: A measurement of the Higgs boson mass is presented based on the combined data samples of the ATLAS and CMS experiments at the CERN LHC in the H→γγ and H→ZZ→4l decay channels. The results are obtained from a simultaneous fit to the reconstructed invariant mass peaks in the two channels and for the two experiments. The measured masses from the individual channels and the two experiments are found to be consistent among themselves. The combined measured mass of the Higgs boson is mH=125.09±0.21 (stat)±0.11 (syst) GeV.
1,567 citations
Dresden University of Technology1, Catholic University of Portugal2, Centre national de la recherche scientifique3, University of Cyprus4, Agricultural Research Organization, Volcani Center5, Maynooth University6, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology7, Norwegian University of Life Sciences8, University of Lorraine9, Vienna University of Technology10, University of Turku11, University of Catania12, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology13, University of Tartu14, Cajal Institute15, Spanish National Research Council16
TL;DR: The main knowledge gaps, the future research needs and the policy and management options that should be prioritized to tackle antibiotic resistance in the environment are discussed.
Abstract: Antibiotic resistance is a threat to human and animal health worldwide, and key measures are required to reduce the risks posed by antibiotic resistance genes that occur in the environment. These measures include the identification of critical points of control, the development of reliable surveillance and risk assessment procedures, and the implementation of technological solutions that can prevent environmental contamination with antibiotic resistant bacteria and genes. In this Opinion article, we discuss the main knowledge gaps, the future research needs and the policy and management options that should be prioritized to tackle antibiotic resistance in the environment.
1,495 citations
University of Florida1, University of Bonn2, Blaise Pascal University3, Institut national de la recherche agronomique4, Stanford University5, Prince of Songkla University6, Agricultural Research Service7, University of Arizona8, International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center9, Kansas State University10, International Water Management Institute11, Washington State University12, Michigan State University13, CGIAR14, University of Leeds15, Counterintelligence Field Activity16, Spanish National Research Council17, University of Tübingen18, University of Guelph19, Texas A&M University20, University of Maryland, College Park21, Aarhus University22, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research23, Indian Agricultural Research Institute24, Goddard Institute for Space Studies25, Rothamsted Research26, University of Hohenheim27, Wageningen University and Research Centre28, Chinese Academy of Sciences29, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation30, China Agricultural University31, Nanjing Agricultural University32
TL;DR: The authors systematically tested 30 different wheat crop models of the Agricultural Model Intercomparison and Improvement Project against field experiments in which growing season mean temperatures ranged from 15 degrees C to 32 degrees C, including experiments with artificial heating.
Abstract: Crop models are essential tools for assessing the threat of climate change to local and global food production(1). Present models used to predict wheat grain yield are highly uncertain when simulating how crops respond to temperature(2). Here we systematically tested 30 different wheat crop models of the Agricultural Model Intercomparison and Improvement Project against field experiments in which growing season mean temperatures ranged from 15 degrees C to 32 degrees C, including experiments with artificial heating. Many models simulated yields well, but were less accurate at higher temperatures. The model ensemble median was consistently more accurate in simulating the crop temperature response than any single model, regardless of the input information used. Extrapolating the model ensemble temperature response indicates that warming is already slowing yield gains at a majority of wheat-growing locations. Global wheat production is estimated to fall by 6% for each degrees C of further temperature increase and become more variable over space and time.
TL;DR: InteractiVenn is a more flexible tool for interacting with Venn diagrams including up to six sets that offers a clean interface for Venn diagram construction and enables analysis of set unions while preserving the shape of the diagram.
Abstract: Set comparisons permeate a large number of data analysis workflows, in particular workflows in biological sciences. Venn diagrams are frequently employed for such analysis but current tools are limited. We have developed InteractiVenn, a more flexible tool for interacting with Venn diagrams including up to six sets. It offers a clean interface for Venn diagram construction and enables analysis of set unions while preserving the shape of the diagram. Set unions are useful to reveal differences and similarities among sets and may be guided in our tool by a tree or by a list of set unions. The tool also allows obtaining subsets’ elements, saving and loading sets for further analyses, and exporting the diagram in vector and image formats. InteractiVenn has been used to analyze two biological datasets, but it may serve set analysis in a broad range of domains. InteractiVenn allows set unions in Venn diagrams to be explored thoroughly, by consequence extending the ability to analyze combinations of sets with additional observations, yielded by novel interactions between joined sets. InteractiVenn is freely available online at: www.interactivenn.net
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Centre national de la recherche scientifique1, Pierre-and-Marie-Curie University2, Kaiserslautern University of Technology3, Spanish National Research Council4, École Normale Supérieure5, Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives6, Vrije Universiteit Brussel7, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven8, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic9, Sewanee: The University of the South10, University of Évry Val d'Essonne11, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research12, University of Bremen13, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn14, IFREMER15, European Bioinformatics Institute16, Kyoto University17, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine18, University of Paris19, Aix-Marseille University20, Bigelow Laboratory For Ocean Sciences21, National Science Foundation22, University of Western Brittany23
TL;DR: Diversity emerged at all taxonomic levels, both within the groups comprising the ~11,200 cataloged morphospecies of eukaryotic plankton and among twice as many other deep-branching lineages of unappreciated importance in plankton ecology studies.
Abstract: Marine plankton support global biological and geochemical processes. Surveys of their biodiversity have hitherto been geographically restricted and have not accounted for the full range of plankton size. We assessed eukaryotic diversity from 334 size-fractionated photic-zone plankton communities collected across tropical and temperate oceans during the circumglobal Tara Oceans expedition. We analyzed 18S ribosomal DNA sequences across the intermediate plankton-size spectrum from the smallest unicellular eukaryotes (protists, >0.8 micrometers) to small animals of a few millimeters. Eukaryotic ribosomal diversity saturated at ~150,000 operational taxonomic units, about one-third of which could not be assigned to known eukaryotic groups. Diversity emerged at all taxonomic levels, both within the groups comprising the ~11,200 cataloged morphospecies of eukaryotic plankton and among twice as many other deep-branching lineages of unappreciated importance in plankton ecology studies. Most eukaryotic plankton biodiversity belonged to heterotrophic protistan groups, particularly those known to be parasites or symbiotic hosts.
TL;DR: Strong evidence for dust and no statistically significant evidence for tensor modes is found and various model variations and extensions are probe, including adding a synchrotron component in combination with lower frequency data, and find that these make little difference to the r constraint.
Abstract: We report the results of a joint analysis of data from BICEP2/Keck Array and Planck. BICEP2 and Keck Array have observed the same approximately 400 deg2 patch of sky centered on RA 0h, Dec. −57.5deg. The combined maps reach a depth of 57 nK deg in Stokes Q and U in a band centered at 150 GHz. Planck has observed the full sky in polarization at seven frequencies from 30 to 353 GHz, but much less deeply in any given region (1.2 μK deg in Q and U at 143 GHz). We detect 150×353 cross-correlation in B-modes at high significance. We fit the single- and cross-frequency power spectra at frequencies above 150 GHz to a lensed-ΛCDM model that includes dust and a possible contribution from inflationary gravitational waves (as parameterized by the tensor-to-scalar ratio r). We probe various model variations and extensions, including adding a synchrotron component in combination with lower frequency data, and find that these make little difference to the r constraint. Finally we present an alternative analysis which is similar to a map-based cleaning of the dust contribution, and show that this gives similar constraints. The final result is expressed as a likelihood curve for r, and yields an upper limit r0.05<0.12 at 95% confidence. Marginalizing over dust and r, lensing B-modes are detected at 7.0σ significance.
MIND Institute1, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne2, Technical University of Madrid3, Spanish National Research Council4, Hebrew University of Jerusalem5, Howard Hughes Medical Institute6, Imperial College London7, Yale University8, University of Debrecen9, King Juan Carlos University10, Karolinska Institutet11, University of Nottingham12, Tufts University13, Wenzhou Medical College14
TL;DR: A first-draft digital reconstruction of the microcircuitry of somatosensory cortex of juvenile rat is presented, finding a spectrum of network states with a sharp transition from synchronous to asynchronous activity, modulated by physiological mechanisms.
TL;DR: A general overview of recent examples of luminescent and non-luminescent thermometers working at nanometric scale and the challenges and opportunities in the development for highly sensitive ratiometric thermometers operating at the physiological temperature range with submicron spatial resolution is offered.
Abstract: Non-invasive precise thermometers working at the nanoscale with high spatial resolution, where the conventional methods are ineffective, have emerged over the last couple of years as a very active field of research. This has been strongly stimulated by the numerous challenging requests arising from nanotechnology and biomedicine. This critical review offers a general overview of recent examples of luminescent and non-luminescent thermometers working at nanometric scale. Luminescent thermometers encompass organic dyes, QDs and Ln3+ions as thermal probes, as well as more complex thermometric systems formed by polymer and organic–inorganic hybrid matrices encapsulating these emitting centres. Non-luminescent thermometers comprise of scanning thermal microscopy, nanolithography thermometry, carbon nanotube thermometry and biomaterials thermometry. Emphasis has been put on ratiometric examples reporting spatial resolution lower than 1 micron, as, for instance, intracellular thermometers based on organic dyes, thermoresponsive polymers, mesoporous silica NPs, QDs, and Ln3+-based up-converting NPs and β-diketonate complexes. Finally, we discuss the challenges and opportunities in the development for highly sensitive ratiometric thermometers operating at the physiological temperature range with submicron spatial resolution.
SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory1, Stockholm University2, Santa Cruz Institute for Particle Physics3, Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare4, University of Wisconsin-Madison5, Goddard Space Flight Center6, University of Montpellier7, École Polytechnique8, INAF9, George Mason University10, University of Padua11, Instituto Politécnico Nacional12, Fermilab13, C. N. Yang Institute for Theoretical Physics14, Hiroshima University15, Paris Diderot University16, University of Göttingen17, University of North Florida18, University of Iceland19, Spanish National Research Council20, University of Maryland, College Park21, University of California, Irvine22, University of Denver23, Stony Brook University24, Texas A&M University25, Ohio State University26, United States Naval Research Laboratory27
TL;DR: In this article, the authors report on γ-ray observations of the Milky-Way satellite galaxies (dSphs) based on six years of Fermi Large Area Telescope data processed with the new Pass8 event-level analysis.
Abstract: The dwarf spheroidal satellite galaxies (dSphs) of the Milky Way are some of the most dark matter (DM) dominated objects known. We report on γ-ray observations of Milky Way dSphs based on six years of Fermi Large Area Telescope data processed with the new Pass8 event-level analysis. None of the dSphs are significantly detected in γ rays, and we present upper limits on the DM annihilation cross section from a combined analysis of 15 dSphs. These constraints are among the strongest and most robust to date and lie below the canonical thermal relic cross section for DM of mass ≲100 GeV annihilating via quark and τ-lepton channels.
TL;DR: This review offers a detailed description of different cytotoxic drug carriers, such as liposomes, carbon nanotubes, dendrimers, polymeric micelles,polymeric conjugates and polymeric nanoparticles, in passive and active targeted cancer therapy, by enhancing the permeability and retention or by the functionalization of the surface of the carriers.
TL;DR: Since the organic constituents of COFs, when linked, do not undergo significant change in their overall geometry, it has been possible to predict the structures of the resulting COF, and this advantage has facilitated their characterization using powder X-ray diffraction techniques, which has allowed for the synthesis of COF structures by design and for their formation with the desired composition, pore size, and aperture.
Abstract: Linking organic molecules by covalent bonds into extended solids typically generates amorphous, disordered materials. The ability to develop strategies for obtaining crystals of such solids is of interest because it opens the way for precise control of the geometry and functionality of the extended structure, and the stereochemical orientation of its constituents. Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are a new class of porous covalent organic structures whose backbone is composed entirely of light elements (B, C, N, O, Si) that represent a successful demonstration of how crystalline materials of covalent solids can be achieved. COFs are made by combination of organic building units covalently linked into extended structures to make crystalline materials. The attainment of crystals is done by several techniques in which a balance is struck between the thermodynamic reversibility of the linking reactions and their kinetics. This success has led to the expansion of COF materials to include organic units linked by these strong covalent bonds: B-O, C-N, B-N, and B-O-Si. Since the organic constituents of COFs, when linked, do not undergo significant change in their overall geometry, it has been possible to predict the structures of the resulting COFs, and this advantage has facilitated their characterization using powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) techniques. It has also allowed for the synthesis of COF structures by design and for their formation with the desired composition, pore size, and aperture. In practice, the modeled PXRD pattern for a given expected COF is compared with the experimental one, and depending on the quality of the match, this is used as a starting point for solving and then refining the crystal structure of the target COF. These characteristics make COFs an attractive class of new porous materials. Accordingly, they have been used as gas storage materials for energy applications, solid supports for catalysis, and optoelectronic devices. A large and growing library of linkers amenable to the synthesis of COFs is now available, and new COFs and topologies made by reticular synthesis are being reported. Much research is also directed toward the development of new methods of linking organic building units to generate other crystalline COFs. These efforts promise not only new COF chemistry and materials, but also the chance to extend the precision of molecular covalent chemistry to extended solids.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present results from thirteen cosmological simulations that explore the parameter space of the "Evolution and Assembly of GaLaxies and their Environments" (EAGLE) simulation project.
Abstract: We present results from thirteen cosmological simulations that explore the parameter space of the "Evolution and Assembly of GaLaxies and their Environments" (EAGLE) simulation project. Four of the simulations follow the evolution of a periodic cube L = 50 cMpc on a side, and each employs a different subgrid model of the energetic feedback associated with star formation. The relevant parameters were adjusted so that the simulations each reproduce the observed galaxy stellar mass function at z = 0.1. Three of the simulations fail to form disc galaxies as extended as observed, and we show analytically that this is a consequence of numerical radiative losses that reduce the efficiency of stellar feedback in high-density gas. Such losses are greatly reduced in the fourth simulation - the EAGLE reference model - by injecting more energy in higher density gas. This model produces galaxies with the observed size distribution, and also reproduces many galaxy scaling relations. In the remaining nine simulations, a single parameter or process of the reference model was varied at a time. We find that the properties of galaxies with stellar mass <~ M* (the "knee" of the galaxy stellar mass function) are largely governed by feedback associated with star formation, while those of more massive galaxies are also controlled by feedback from accretion onto their central black holes. Both processes must be efficient in order to reproduce the observed galaxy population. In general, simulations that have been calibrated to reproduce the low-redshift galaxy stellar mass function will still not form realistic galaxies, but the additional requirement that galaxy sizes be acceptable leads to agreement with a large range of observables.
TL;DR: It is suggested that the evidence used in many studies to assess environmental filtering is insufficient to distinguish filtering from the outcome of biotic interactions, and a simple framework for considering the role of the environment in shaping community membership is presented.
Abstract: Summary
One of the most pervasive concepts in the study of community assembly is the metaphor of the environmental filter, which refers to abiotic factors that prevent the establishment or persistence of species in a particular location. The metaphor has its origins in the study of community change during succession and in plant community dynamics, although it has gained considerable attention recently as part of a surge of interest in functional trait and phylogenetic-based approaches to the study of communities.
While the filtering metaphor has clear utility in some circumstances, it has been challenging to reconcile the environmental filtering concept with recent developments in ecological theory related to species coexistence. These advances suggest that the evidence used in many studies to assess environmental filtering is insufficient to distinguish filtering from the outcome of biotic interactions.
We re-examine the environmental filtering metaphor from the perspective of coexistence theory. In an effort to move the discussion forward, we present a simple framework for considering the role of the environment in shaping community membership, review the literature to document the evidence typically used in environmental filtering studies and highlight research challenges to address in coming years.
The current usage of the environmental filtering term in empirical studies likely overstates the role abiotic tolerances play in shaping community structure. We recommend that the term ‘environmental filtering’ only be used to refer to cases where the abiotic environment prevents establishment or persistence in the absence of biotic interactions, although only 15% of the studies in our review presented such evidence. Finally, we urge community ecologists to consider additional mechanisms aside from environmental filtering by which the abiotic environment can shape community pattern.
TL;DR: A review discusses recent studies on the early colonization and factors influencing this process which impact on health and an adequate establishment of microbiota and its maintenance throughout life would reduce the risk of disease in early and late life.
Abstract: The intestinal microbiota has become a relevant aspect of human health. Microbial colonization runs in parallel with immune system maturation and plays a role in intestinal physiology and regulation. Increasing evidence on early microbial contact suggest that human intestinal microbiota is seeded before birth. Maternal microbiota forms the first microbial inoculum, and from birth, the microbial diversity increases and converges toward an adult-like microbiota by the end of the first 3-5 years of life. Perinatal factors such as mode of delivery, diet, genetics, and intestinal mucin glycosylation all contribute to influence microbial colonization. Once established, the composition of the gut microbiota is relatively stable throughout adult life, but can be altered as a result of bacterial infections, antibiotic treatment, lifestyle, surgical, and a long-term change in diet. Shifts in this complex microbial system have been reported to increase the risk of disease. Therefore, an adequate establishment of microbiota and its maintenance throughout life would reduce the risk of disease in early and late life. This review discusses recent studies on the early colonization and factors influencing this process which impact on health.
TL;DR: In patients with refractory colorectal cancer, TAS-102, as compared with placebo, was associated with a significant improvement in overall survival, and this phase 3 trial was the first to report this result.
Abstract: BackgroundEarly clinical trials conducted primarily in Japan have shown that TAS-102, an oral agent that combines trifluridine and tipiracil hydrochloride, was effective in the treatment of refractory colorectal cancer. We conducted a phase 3 trial to further assess the efficacy and safety of TAS-102 in a global population of such patients. MethodsIn this double-blind study, we randomly assigned 800 patients, in a 2:1 ratio, to receive TAS-102 or placebo. The primary end point was overall survival. ResultsThe median overall survival improved from 5.3 months with placebo to 7.1 months with TAS-102, and the hazard ratio for death in the TAS-102 group versus the placebo group was 0.68 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.58 to 0.81; P<0.001). The most frequently observed clinically significant adverse events associated with TAS-102 were neutropenia, which occurred in 38% of those treated, and leukopenia, which occurred in 21%; 4% of the patients who received TAS-102 had febrile neutropenia, and one death related...
TL;DR: This review will introduce to the reader the most recent and important progress regarding the production of sustainable carbon materials, whilst also highlighting their application in important environmental and energy related fields.
Abstract: Carbon-based structures are the most versatile materials used in the modern field of renewable energy (i.e., in both generation and storage) and environmental science (e.g., purification/remediation). However, there is a need and indeed a desire to develop increasingly more sustainable variants of classical carbon materials (e.g., activated carbons, carbon nanotubes, carbon aerogels, etc.), particularly when the whole life cycle is considered (i.e., from precursor "cradle" to "green" manufacturing and the product end-of-life "grave"). In this regard, and perhaps mimicking in some respects the natural carbon cycles/production, utilization of natural, abundant and more renewable precursors, coupled with simpler, lower energy synthetic processes which can contribute in part to the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions or the use of toxic elements, can be considered as crucial parameters in the development of sustainable materials manufacturing. Therefore, the synthesis and application of sustainable carbon materials are receiving increasing levels of interest, particularly as application benefits in the context of future energy/chemical industry are becoming recognized. This review will introduce to the reader the most recent and important progress regarding the production of sustainable carbon materials, whilst also highlighting their application in important environmental and energy related fields.
Paris Diderot University1, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre2, Wrocław Medical University3, Medical University of Łódź4, Samsung Medical Center5, National Health Service6, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre7, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Toulouse8, University of Alberta Hospital9, Spanish National Research Council10, Harvard University11, Celgene12
TL;DR: Univariate analysis showed favorable trends for azacitidine compared with CCR across all subgroups defined by baseline demographic and disease features, and adverse events were consistent with the well-established safety profile of azacItidine.
TL;DR: Alkali activation is a highly active and rapidly developing field of activity in the global research and development community as discussed by the authors, and commercial-scale deployment of alkali-activated cements and concretes is now proceeding rapidly in multiple nations.
Chalmers University of Technology1, Agrocampus Ouest2, Institut national de la recherche agronomique3, Aix-Marseille University4, University of Guelph5, Massey University6, Ege University7, Agro ParisTech8, Norwich Research Park9, Norwich University10, University of Massachusetts Amherst11, Spanish National Research Council12, Universidade Nova de Lisboa13, University of California, Davis14, Norwegian University of Life Sciences15, University of Greifswald16, Teagasc17
TL;DR: A general standardised and practical static digestion method based on physiologically relevant conditions that can be applied for various endpoints, which may be amended to accommodate further specific requirements, is proposed.
Abstract: Simulated gastro-intestinal digestion is widely employed in many fields of food and nutritional sciences, as conducting human trials are often costly, resource intensive, and ethically disputable. As a consequence, in vitro alternatives that determine endpoints such as the bioaccessibility of nutrients and non-nutrients or the digestibility of macronutrients (e.g. lipids, proteins and carbohydrates) are used for screening and building new hypotheses. Various digestion models have been proposed, often impeding the possibility to compare results across research teams. For example, a large variety of enzymes from different sources such as of porcine, rabbit or human origin have been used, differing in their activity and characterization. Differences in pH, mineral type, ionic strength and digestion time, which alter enzyme activity and other phenomena, may also considerably alter results. Other parameters such as the presence of phospholipids, individual enzymes such as gastric lipase and digestive emulsifiers vs. their mixtures (e.g. pancreatin and bile salts), and the ratio of food bolus to digestive fluids, have also been discussed at length. In the present consensus paper, within the COST Infogest network, we propose a general standardised and practical static digestion method based on physiologically relevant conditions that can be applied for various endpoints, which may be amended to accommodate further specific requirements. A frameset of parameters including the oral, gastric and small intestinal digestion are outlined and their relevance discussed in relation to available in vivo data and enzymes. This consensus paper will give a detailed protocol and a line-by-line, guidance, recommendations and justifications but also limitation of the proposed model. This harmonised static, in vitro digestion method for food should aid the production of more comparable data in the future.
TL;DR: The role of crucial cellular nucleophiles, such as glutathione, and their capacity to interact with oxidants and to establish networks with other critical enzymes such as peroxiredoxins are focused on.
Abstract: Redox biological reactions are now accepted to bear the Janus faceted feature of promoting both physiological signaling responses and pathophysiological cues. Endogenous antioxidant molecules participate in both scenarios. This review focuses on the role of crucial cellular nucleophiles, such as glutathione, and their capacity to interact with oxidants and to establish networks with other critical enzymes such as peroxiredoxins. We discuss the importance of the Nrf2-Keap1 pathway as an example of a transcriptional antioxidant response and we summarize transcriptional routes related to redox activation. As examples of pathophysiological cellular and tissular settings where antioxidant responses are major players we highlight endoplasmic reticulum stress and ischemia reperfusion. Topologically confined redox-mediated post-translational modifications of thiols are considered important molecular mechanisms mediating many antioxidant responses, whereas redox-sensitive microRNAs have emerged as key players in the posttranscriptional regulation of redox-mediated gene expression. Understanding such mechanisms may provide the basis for antioxidant-based therapeutic interventions in redox-related diseases.
University of Utah1, Northern Arizona University2, University of Nevada, Reno3, Spanish National Research Council4, University of New Mexico5, Arizona State University6, United States Forest Service7, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration8, Lamont–Doherty Earth Observatory9, Princeton University10
TL;DR: P pervasive and substantial “legacy effects” of reduced growth and incomplete recovery for 1 to 4 years after severe drought were found, most prevalent in dry ecosystems, among Pinaceae, and among species with low hydraulic safety margins.
Abstract: The impacts of climate extremes on terrestrial ecosystems are poorly understood but important for predicting carbon cycle feedbacks to climate change. Coupled climate-carbon cycle models typically assume that vegetation recovery from extreme drought is immediate and complete, which conflicts with the understanding of basic plant physiology. We examined the recovery of stem growth in trees after severe drought at 1338 forest sites across the globe, comprising 49,339 site-years, and compared the results with simulated recovery in climate-vegetation models. We found pervasive and substantial "legacy effects" of reduced growth and incomplete recovery for 1 to 4 years after severe drought. Legacy effects were most prevalent in dry ecosystems, among Pinaceae, and among species with low hydraulic safety margins. In contrast, limited or no legacy effects after drought were simulated by current climate-vegetation models. Our results highlight hysteresis in ecosystem-level carbon cycling and delayed recovery from climate extremes.
TL;DR: ATTRwt is an underdiagnosed disease that accounts for a significant number (13%) of HFpEF cases and the effect of emerging TTR-modifying drugs should be evaluated in these patients.
Abstract: Aims Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is a heterogeneous clinical syndrome with multiple underlying causes. Wild-type transthyretin (TTR) amyloidosis (ATTRwt) is an underdiagnosed cause of HFpEF that might benefit from new specific treatments. ATTRwt can be diagnosed non-invasively by 99mTc-3,3-diphosphono-1,2-propanodicarboxylic acid (99mTc-DPD) scintigraphy. We sought to determine the prevalence of ATTRwt among elderly patients admitted due to HFpEF.
Methods and results We prospectively screened all consecutive patients ≥60 years old admitted due to HFpEF [left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction ≥50%] with LV hypertrophy (≥12 mm). All eligible patients were offered a 99mTc-DPD scintigraphy. The study included 120 HFpEF patients (59% women, 82 ± 8 years). A total of 16 patients (13.3%; 95% confidence interval: 7.2–19.5) showed a moderate-to-severe uptake on the 99mTc-DPD scintigraphy. All patients with a positive scan underwent genetic testing of the TTR gene, and no mutations were found. An endomyocardial biopsy was performed in four patients, confirming ATTRwt in all cases. There were no differences in age, gender, hypertension, diabetes, coronary artery disease, or atrial fibrillation between ATTRwt patients and patients with other HFpEF forms. Although patients with ATTRwt exhibited higher median N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (6467 vs. 3173 pg/L; P = 0.019), median troponin I (0.135 vs. 0.025 µg/L; P < 0.001), mean LV maximal wall thickness (17 ± 3.4 vs. 14 ± 2.5 mm; P = 0.001), rate of pericardial effusion (44 vs. 19%; P = 0.047), and rate of pacemakers (44 vs. 12%; P = 0.004), clinical overlap between ATTRwt and other HFpEF forms was high.
Conclusion ATTRwt is an underdiagnosed disease that accounts for a significant number (13%) of HFpEF cases. The effect of emerging TTR-modifying drugs should be evaluated in these patients.