70 research outputs found
Reconstructing Galaxy Histories from Globular Clusters
Nearly a century after the true nature of galaxies as distant "island
universes" was established, their origin and evolution remain great unsolved
problems of modern astrophysics. One of the most promising ways to investigate
galaxy formation is to study the ubiquitous globular star clusters that
surround most galaxies. Recent advances in our understanding of the globular
cluster systems of the Milky Way and other galaxies point to a complex picture
of galaxy genesis driven by cannibalism, collisions, bursts of star formation
and other tumultuous events.Comment: Review Article published in Nature, 1 January 2004. 18 pages, 4
figures, pdf format onl
Drug Off-Target Effects Predicted Using Structural Analysis in the Context of a Metabolic Network Model
Recent advances in structural bioinformatics have enabled the prediction of protein-drug off-targets based on their ligand binding sites. Concurrent developments in systems biology allow for prediction of the functional effects of system perturbations using large-scale network models. Integration of these two capabilities provides a framework for evaluating metabolic drug response phenotypes in silico. This combined approach was applied to investigate the hypertensive side effect of the cholesteryl ester transfer protein inhibitor torcetrapib in the context of human renal function. A metabolic kidney model was generated in which to simulate drug treatment. Causal drug off-targets were predicted that have previously been observed to impact renal function in gene-deficient patients and may play a role in the adverse side effects observed in clinical trials. Genetic risk factors for drug treatment were also predicted that correspond to both characterized and unknown renal metabolic disorders as well as cryptic genetic deficiencies that are not expected to exhibit a renal disorder phenotype except under drug treatment. This study represents a novel integration of structural and systems biology and a first step towards computational systems medicine. The methodology introduced herein has important implications for drug development and personalized medicine
Metal-Poor Stars and the Chemical Enrichment of the Universe
Metal-poor stars hold the key to our understanding of the origin of the
elements and the chemical evolution of the Universe. This chapter describes the
process of discovery of these rare stars, the manner in which their surface
abundances (produced in supernovae and other evolved stars) are determined from
the analysis of their spectra, and the interpretation of their abundance
patterns to elucidate questions of origin and evolution. More generally,
studies of these stars contribute to other fundamental areas that include
nuclear astrophysics, conditions at the earliest times, the nature of the first
stars, and the formation and evolution of galaxies -- including our own Milky
Way. We illustrate this with results from studies of lithium formed during the
Big Bang; of stars dated to within ~1 Gyr of that event; of the most metal-poor
stars, with abundance signatures very different from all other stars; and of
the build-up of the elements over the first several Gyr. The combination of
abundance and kinematic signatures constrains how the Milky Way formed, while
recent discoveries of extremely metal-poor stars in the Milky Way's dwarf
galaxy satellites constrain the hierarchical build-up of its stellar halo from
small dark-matter dominated systems. [abridged]Comment: Book chapter, emulated version, 34 pages; number of references are
limited by publisher; to appear in Vol. 5 of textbook "Planets, Stars and
Stellar Systems", by Springer, in 201
Production of Polyhydroxybutyrate by Bacillus axaraqunsis BIPC01 using Petrochemical Wastewater as Carbon Source
Does a Meditation Protocol Supported by a Mobile Application Help People Reduce Stress? Suggestions from a Controlled Pragmatic Trial
Mindfulness Meditation May Not Increase False-Memory and May Instead Protect from False-Memory Susceptibility
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