An effective theory of accelerated expansion

We work out an effective theory of accelerated expansion to describe general phenomena of inflation and acceleration (dark energy) in the Universe. Our aim is to determine from theoretical grounds, in a physically-motivated and model independent way, which and how many (free) parameters are needed to broadly capture the physics of a theory describing cosmic acceleration. Our goal is to make as much as possible transparent the physical interpretation of the parameters describing the expansion. We show that, at leading order, there are five independent parameters, of which one can be constrained via general relativity tests. The other four parameters need to be determined by observing and measuring the cosmic expansion rate only, H(z). Therefore we suggest that future cosmology surveys focus on obtaining an accurate as possible measurement of $H(z)$ to constrain the nature of accelerated expansion (dark energy and/or inflation).Comment: In press; minor changes, results unchange

Streaming flow by oscillating bubbles: Quantitative diagnostics via particle tracking velocimetry

Oscillating microbubbles can be used as microscopic agents. Using external acoustic fields they are able to set the surrounding fluid into motion, Erode surfaces and even to carry particles attached to their interfaces. Although the acoustic streaming flow that the bubble generates in its vicinity has been often observed, it has never been measured and quantitatively compared with the available theoretical models. The scarcity of quantitative data is partially due to the strong three-dimensional character of bubble-induced streaming flows, which demands advanced velocimetry techniques. In this work, we present quantitative measurements of the flow generated by single and pairs of acoustically excited sessile microbubbles using a three-dimensional particle tracking technique. Using this novel experimental approach we are able to obtain the bubble's resonant oscillating frequency, study the boundaries of the linear oscillation regime, give predictions on the flow strength and the shear in the surrounding surface and study the flow and the stability of a two-bubble system. Our results show that velocimetry techniques are a suitable tool to make diagnostics on the dynamics of acoustically excited microbubbles

Cysteine-based 3-substituted 1, 5-benzoxathiepin derivatives: Two new classes of anti-proliferative agents

Two distinct series of the 3-amino-1, 5-benzoxathiepin scaffold, derived from L-cysteine, were synthesized and evaluated for their anti-proliferative activity in the breast cancer MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 cells, and in the ovarian carcinoma SKOV-3 cell line. (3R)-Amino-3, 4-dihydro-2H-1, 5-benzoxathiepin [(R)-10] was diversified into two forms: (a) by incorporating different amino acids at its position 3, through an amide bond; and (b) by construction of the purine ring to give 6-chloro-9-[2-(3, 4-dihydro-2H-1, 5-benzoxathiepin-(3R)-yl)]-9H-purine [(R)-28]. Nevertheless, when the introduction of iodine was tried at position 2 of the purine ring of (R)-28, 2-{[2-(6-chloro-2-iodo-9H-purin-9-yl) prop-2-en-1-yl] thio} phenol (34) was obtained. Compound 34 shows activity against cancer cells. Interestingly, 34 inhibits mammosphere formation at the micromolar range, demonstrating activity against cancer stem cells. Although further studies of its targets and mechanism of action are needed, these findings support the therapeutic potential of this compound in cancer

Gene expression changes in mononuclear cells from patients with metabolic syndrome after acute intake of phenol-rich virgin olive oil

RIGHTS : This article is licensed under the BioMed Central licence at http://www.biomedcentral.com/about/license which is similar to the 'Creative Commons Attribution Licence'. In brief you may : copy, distribute, and display the work; make derivative works; or make commercial use of the work - under the following conditions: the original author must be given credit; for any reuse or distribution, it must be made clear to others what the license terms of this work are.Abstract Background Previous studies have shown that acute intake of high-phenol virgin olive oil reduces pro-inflammatory, pro-oxidant and pro-thrombotic markers compared with low phenols virgin olive oil, but it still remains unclear whether effects attributed to its phenolic fraction are exerted at transcriptional level in vivo. To achieve this goal, we aimed at identifying expression changes in genes which could be mediated by virgin olive oil phenol compounds in the human. Results Postprandial gene expression microarray analysis was performed on peripheral blood mononuclear cells during postprandial period. Two virgin olive oil-based breakfasts with high (398 ppm) and low (70 ppm) content of phenolic compounds were administered to 20 patients suffering from metabolic syndrome following a double-blinded, randomized, crossover design. To eliminate the potential effect that might exist in their usual dietary habits, all subjects followed a similar low-fat, carbohydrate rich diet during the study period. Microarray analysis identified 98 differentially expressed genes (79 underexpressed and 19 overexpressed) when comparing the intake of phenol-rich olive oil with low-phenol olive oil. Many of these genes seem linked to obesity, dyslipemia and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Among these, several genes seem involved in inflammatory processes mediated by transcription factor NF-κB, activator protein-1 transcription factor complex AP-1, cytokines, mitogen-activated protein kinases MAPKs or arachidonic acid pathways. Conclusion This study shows that intake of virgin olive oil based breakfast, which is rich in phenol compounds is able to repress in vivo expression of several pro-inflammatory genes, thereby switching activity of peripheral blood mononuclear cells to a less deleterious inflammatory profile. These results provide at least a partial molecular basis for reduced risk of cardiovascular disease observed in Mediterranean countries, where virgin olive oil represents a main source of dietary fat. Admittedly, other lifestyle factors are also likely to contribute to lowered risk of cardiovascular disease in this region.Published versio

Methods for interpreting lists of affected genes obstained in a DNA microarray experiment

Background - The aim of this paper was to describe and compare the methods used and the results obtained by the participants in a joint EADGENE (European Animal Disease Genomic Network of Excellence) and SABRE (Cutting Edge Genomics for Sustainable Animal Breeding) workshop focusing on post analysis of microarray data. The participating groups were provided with identical lists of microarray probes, including test statistics for three different contrasts, and the normalised log-ratios for each array, to be used as the starting point for interpreting the affected probes. The data originated from a microarray experiment conducted to study the host reactions in broilers occurring shortly after a secondary challenge with either a homologous or heterologous species of Eimeria. Results - Several conceptually different analytical approaches, using both commercial and public available software, were applied by the participating groups. The following tools were used: Ingenuity Pathway Analysis, MAPPFinder, LIMMA, GOstats, GOEAST, GOTM, Globaltest, TopGO, ArrayUnlock, Pathway Studio, GIST and AnnotationDbi. The main focus of the approaches was to utilise the relation between probes/genes and their gene ontology and pathways to interpret the affected probes/genes. The lack of a well-annotated chicken genome did though limit the possibilities to fully explore the tools. The main results from these analyses showed that the biological interpretation is highly dependent on the statistical method used but that some common biological conclusions could be reached. Conclusion - It is highly recommended to test different analytical methods on the same data set and compare the results to obtain a reliable biological interpretation of the affected genes in a DNA microarray experimen

Transcriptional Profile Associated with Clinical Outcomes in Metastatic Hormone-Sensitive Prostate Cancer Treated with Androgen Deprivation and Docetaxel

(1) Background: Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) and docetaxel (DX) combination is a standard therapy for metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC) patients. (2) Methods: We investigate if tumor transcriptomic analysis predicts mHSPC evolution in a multicenter retrospective biomarker study. A customized panel of 184 genes was tested in mRNA from tumor samples by the nCounter platform in 125 mHSPC patients treated with ADT+DX. Gene expression was correlated with castration-resistant prostate cancer-free survival (CRPC-FS) and overall survival (OS). (3) Results: High expression of androgen receptor (AR) signature was independently associated with longer CRPC-FS (hazard ratio (HR) 0.6, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.3-0.9; p = 0.015), high expression of estrogen receptor (ESR) signature with longer CRPC-FS (HR 0.6, 95% CI 0.4-0.9; p = 0.019) and OS (HR 0.5, 95% CI 0.2-0.9, p = 0.024), and lower expression of tumor suppressor genes (TSG) (RB1, PTEN and TP53) with shorter OS (HR 2, 95% CI 1-3.8; p = 0.044). ARV7 expression was independently associated with shorter CRPC-FS (HR 1.5, 95% CI 1.1-2.1, p = 0.008) and OS (HR 1.8, 95% CI 1.2-2.6, p = 0.004), high ESR2 was associated with longer OS (HR 0.5, 95% CI 0.2-1, p = 0.048) and low expression of RB1 was independently associated with shorter OS (HR 1.9, 95% CI 1.1-3.2, p = 0.014). (4) Conclusions: AR, ESR, and TSG expression signatures, as well as ARV7, RB1, and ESR2 expression, have a prognostic value in mHSPC patients treated with ADT+DX

Charge separation relative to the reaction plane in Pb-Pb collisions at sNN=2.76\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}= 2.76 TeV

Measurements of charge dependent azimuthal correlations with the ALICE detector at the LHC are reported for Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}} = 2.76$ TeV. Two- and three-particle charge-dependent azimuthal correlations in the pseudo-rapidity range $|\eta| < 0.8$ are presented as a function of the collision centrality, particle separation in pseudo-rapidity, and transverse momentum. A clear signal compatible with a charge-dependent separation relative to the reaction plane is observed, which shows little or no collision energy dependence when compared to measurements at RHIC energies. This provides a new insight for understanding the nature of the charge dependent azimuthal correlations observed at RHIC and LHC energies.Comment: 12 pages, 3 captioned figures, authors from page 2 to 6, published version, figures at http://aliceinfo.cern.ch/ArtSubmission/node/286

Search for chargino-neutralino production with mass splittings near the electroweak scale in three-lepton final states in √s=13 TeV pp collisions with the ATLAS detector

A search for supersymmetry through the pair production of electroweakinos with mass splittings near the electroweak scale and decaying via on-shell W and Z bosons is presented for a three-lepton final state. The analyzed proton-proton collision data taken at a center-of-mass energy of √s=13  TeV were collected between 2015 and 2018 by the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 139  fb−1. A search, emulating the recursive jigsaw reconstruction technique with easily reproducible laboratory-frame variables, is performed. The two excesses observed in the 2015–2016 data recursive jigsaw analysis in the low-mass three-lepton phase space are reproduced. Results with the full data set are in agreement with the Standard Model expectations. They are interpreted to set exclusion limits at the 95% confidence level on simplified models of chargino-neutralino pair production for masses up to 345 GeV

Measurement of the cross-section and charge asymmetry of WW bosons produced in proton-proton collisions at s=8\sqrt{s}=8 TeV with the ATLAS detector

This paper presents measurements of the $W^+ \rightarrow \mu^+\nu$ and $W^- \rightarrow \mu^-\nu$ cross-sections and the associated charge asymmetry as a function of the absolute pseudorapidity of the decay muon. The data were collected in proton--proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 8 TeV with the ATLAS experiment at the LHC and correspond to a total integrated luminosity of 20.2~\mbox{fb^{-1}}. The precision of the cross-section measurements varies between 0.8% to 1.5% as a function of the pseudorapidity, excluding the 1.9% uncertainty on the integrated luminosity. The charge asymmetry is measured with an uncertainty between 0.002 and 0.003. The results are compared with predictions based on next-to-next-to-leading-order calculations with various parton distribution functions and have the sensitivity to discriminate between them.Comment: 38 pages in total, author list starting page 22, 5 figures, 4 tables, submitted to EPJC. All figures including auxiliary figures are available at https://atlas.web.cern.ch/Atlas/GROUPS/PHYSICS/PAPERS/STDM-2017-13