Dynamics of intersecting brane systems -- Classification and their applications --

We present dynamical intersecting brane solutions in higher-dimensional gravitational theory coupled to dilaton and several forms. Assuming the forms of metric, form fields, and dilaton field, we give a complete classification of dynamical intersecting brane solutions with/without M-waves and Kaluza-Klein monopoles in eleven-dimensional supergravity. We apply these solutions to cosmology and black holes. It is shown that these give FRW cosmological solutions and in some cases Lorentz invariance is broken in our world. If we regard the bulk space as our universe, we may interpret them as black holes in the expanding universe. We also discuss lower-dimensional effective theories and point out naive effective theories may give us some solutions which are inconsistent with the higher-dimensional Einstein equations.Comment: 44 pages; v2: minor corrections, references adde

Formal deformations, contractions and moduli spaces of Lie algebras

Jump deformations and contractions of Lie algebras are inverse concepts, but the approaches to their computations are quite different. In this paper, we contrast the two approaches, showing how to compute jump deformations from the miniversal deformation of a Lie algebra, and thus arrive at the contractions. We also compute contractions directly. We use the moduli spaces of real 3-dimensional and complex 3 and 4-dimensional Lie algebras as models for explaining a deformation theory approach to computation of contractions.Comment: 27 page

World-sheet duality for D-branes with travelling waves

We study D-branes with plane waves of arbitrary profiles as examples of time-dependent backgrounds in string theory. We show how to reproduce the quantum mechanical (one-to-one) open-string S-matrix starting from the closed-string boundary state for the D-branes, thereby establishing the channel duality of this calculation. The required Wick rotation to a Lorentzian worldsheet singles out as 'prefered' time coordinate the open-string light-cone time.Comment: 17 pages, Latex file, uses JHEP3.cls, two figures. Added references and corrected two typo

Zero-Branes, Quantum Mechanics and the Cosmological Constant

We analyse some dynamical issues in a modified type IIA supergravity, recently proposed as an extension of M-theory that admits de Sitter space. In particular we find that this theory has multiple zero-brane solutions. This suggests a microscopic quantum mechanical matrix description which yields a massive deformation of the usual M(atrix) formulation of M-theory and type IIA string theory.Comment: 15 pages LaTeX, added reference

Epidemiology of bladder cancer: A systematic review and contemporary update of risk factors in 2018

CONTEXT: Bladder cancer (BC) is a significant health problem, and understanding the risk factors for this disease could improve prevention and early detection. OBJECTIVE: To provide a systematic review and summary of novel developments in epidemiology and risk factors for BC. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: A systematic review of original articles was performed by two pairs of reviewers (M.G.C., I.J., F.E., and K.P.) using PubMed/Medline in December 2017, updated in April 2018. To address our primary objective of reporting contemporary studies, we restricted our search to include studies from the last 5yr. We subdivided our review according to specific risk factors (PICO [Population Intervention Comparator Outcome]). EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: Our search found 2191 articles, of which 279 full-text manuscripts were included. We separated our manuscripts by the specific risk factor they addressed (PICO). According to GLOBOCAN estimates, there were 430000 new BC cases and 165000 deaths worldwide in 2012. Tobacco smoking and occupational exposure to carcinogens remain the factors with the highest attributable risk. The literature was limited by heterogeneity of data. CONCLUSIONS: Evidence is emerging regarding gene-environment interactions, particularly for tobacco and occupational exposures. In some populations, incidence rates are declining, which may reflect a decrease in smoking. Standardisation of reporting may help improve epidemiologic evaluation of risk. PATIENT SUMMARY: Bladder cancer is common worldwide, and the main risk factors are tobacco smoking and exposure to certain chemicals in the working and general environments. There is ongoing research to identify and reduce risk factors, as well as to understand the impact of genetics on bladder cancer risk

FGF receptor genes and breast cancer susceptibility: results from the Breast Cancer Association Consortium

Background:Breast cancer is one of the most common malignancies in women. Genome-wide association studies have identified FGFR2 as a breast cancer susceptibility gene. Common variation in other fibroblast growth factor (FGF) receptors might also modify risk. We tested this hypothesis by studying genotyped single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and imputed SNPs in FGFR1, FGFR3, FGFR4 and FGFRL1 in the Breast Cancer Association Consortium. Methods:Data were combined from 49 studies, including 53 835 cases and 50 156 controls, of which 89 050 (46 450 cases and 42 600 controls) were of European ancestry, 12 893 (6269 cases and 6624 controls) of Asian and 2048 (1116 cases and 932 controls) of African ancestry. Associations with risk of breast cancer, overall and by disease sub-type, were assessed using unconditional logistic regression. Results:Little evidence of association with breast cancer risk was observed for SNPs in the FGF receptor genes. The strongest evidence in European women was for rs743682 in FGFR3; the estimated per-allele odds ratio was 1.05 (95 confidence interval=1.02-1.09, P=0.0020), which is substantially lower than that observed for SNPs in FGFR2. Conclusion:Our results suggest that common variants in the other FGF receptors are not associated with risk of breast cancer to the degree observed for FGFR2. © 2014 Cancer Research UK

Hall effect in YbXCu4 and the role of carrier density in the YbInCu4 valence transition

An unrealistically large value of the Gruneisen parameter is required to explain the valence transition which occurs at 42 K in YbInCu4 as due to a Kondo Volume Collapse. A hint as to the origin of the transition lies in the large change in carrier density which occurs at the transition, from trivalent semimetallic behavior at high temperature to mixed valent metallic behavior at low temperature. In this paper we report measurements of the Hall coefficient RH for temperatures in the range 15-300 K for a series of RXCu4 compounds (R = Yb, Lu and X = Au, Zn, Cd, Mg, Tl) that form in the cubic C15b structure. For all X the Hall coefficients are small (∼10-10 m3/C) so that the transport appears to be metallic. The observation that low carrier density is unique to RInCu4 leads us to hypothesize that the valence transition (which is also unique to YbInCu4) is connected with the existence of a quasigap, which is a common feature of the band structure of RXCu4. The quasigap allows for two competing hybridization states of the 4f electrons: a small TK semimetallic state and a large TK metallic state. © 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved

Functional insights from the GC-poor genomes of two aphid parasitoids, Aphidius ervi and Lysiphlebus fabarum.

Parasitoid wasps have fascinating life cycles and play an important role in trophic networks, yet little is known about their genome content and function. Parasitoids that infect aphids are an important group with the potential for biological control. Their success depends on adapting to develop inside aphids and overcoming both host aphid defenses and their protective endosymbionts. We present the de novo genome assemblies, detailed annotation, and comparative analysis of two closely related parasitoid wasps that target pest aphids: Aphidius ervi and Lysiphlebus fabarum (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Aphidiinae). The genomes are small (139 and 141 Mbp) and the most AT-rich reported thus far for any arthropod (GC content: 25.8 and 23.8%). This nucleotide bias is accompanied by skewed codon usage and is stronger in genes with adult-biased expression. AT-richness may be the consequence of reduced genome size, a near absence of DNA methylation, and energy efficiency. We identify missing desaturase genes, whose absence may underlie mimicry in the cuticular hydrocarbon profile of L. fabarum. We highlight key gene groups including those underlying venom composition, chemosensory perception, and sex determination, as well as potential losses in immune pathway genes. These findings are of fundamental interest for insect evolution and biological control applications. They provide a strong foundation for further functional studies into coevolution between parasitoids and their hosts. Both genomes are available at https://bipaa.genouest.org

Unlocking the transcriptomic potential of formalin-fixed paraffin embedded clinical tissues: Comparison of gene expression profiling approaches

Background: High-throughput transcriptomics has matured into a very well established and widely utilised research tool over the last two decades. Clinical datasets generated on a range of different platforms continue to be deposited in public repositories provide an ever-growing, valuable resource for reanalysis. Cost and tissue availability normally preclude processing samples across multiple technologies, making it challenging to directly evaluate performance and whether data from different platforms can be reliably compared or integrated. Methods: This study describes our experiences of nine new and established mRNA profiling techniques including Lexogen QuantSeq, Qiagen QiaSeq, BioSpyder TempO-Seq, Ion AmpliSeq, Nanostring, Affymetrix Clariom S or U133A, Illumina BeadChip and RNA-seq of formalin-fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) and fresh frozen (FF) sequential patient-matched breast tumour samples. Results: The number of genes represented and reliability varied between the platforms, but overall all methods provided data which were largely comparable. Crucially we found that it is possible to integrate data for combined analyses across FFPE/FF and platforms using established batch correction methods as required to increase cohort sizes. However, some platforms appear to be better suited to FFPE samples, particularly archival material. Conclusions: Overall, we illustrate that technology selection is a balance between required resolution, sample quality, availability and cost