Sensitivity and variability redux in hot-Jupiter flow simulations

We revisit the issue of sensitivity to initial flow and intrinsic variability in hot-Jupiter atmospheric flow simulations, originally investigated by Cho et al. (2008) and Thrastarson & Cho (2010). The flow in the lower region (~1 to 20 MPa) `dragged' to immobility and uniform temperature on a very short timescale, as in Liu & Showman (2013), leads to effectively a complete cessation of variability as well as sensitivity in three-dimensional (3D) simulations with traditional primitive equations. Such momentum (Rayleigh) and thermal (Newtonian) drags are, however, ad hoc for 3D giant planet simulations. For 3D hot-Jupiter simulations, which typically already employ strong Newtonian drag in the upper region, sensitivity is not quenched if only the Newtonian drag is applied in the lower region, without the strong Rayleigh drag: in general, both sensitivity and variability persist if the two drags are not applied concurrently in the lower region. However, even when the drags are applied concurrently, vertically-propagating planetary waves give rise to significant variability in the ~0.05 to 0.5 MPa region, if the vertical resolution of the lower region is increased (e.g. here with 1000 layers for the entire domain). New observations on the effects of the physical setup and model convergence in ‘deep’ atmosphere simulations are also presented

The Use of a Stringent Selection System Allows the Identification of DNA Elements that Augment Gene Expression

The use of high stringency selection systems often results in the induction of very few recombinant mammalian cell lines, which limits the ability to isolate a cell line with favorable characteristics. The employment of for instance STAR elements in DNA constructs elevates the induced number of colonies and also the protein expression levels in these colonies. Here, we describe a method to systematically identify genomic DNA elements that are able to induce many stably transfected mammalian cell lines. We isolated genomic DNA fragments upstream from the human Rb1 and p73 gene loci and cloned them around an expression cassette that contains a very stringent selection marker. Due to the stringency of the selection marker, hardly any colony survives without flanking DNA elements. We tested fourteen ~3500 bp DNA stretches from the Rb1 and p73 loci. Only two ~3500 bp long DNA fragments, called Rb1E and Rb1F, induced many colonies in the context of the stringent selection system and these colonies displayed high protein expression levels. Functional analysis showed that the Rb1 DNA fragments contained no enhancer, promoter, or STAR activity. Our data show the potential of a methodology to identify novel gene expression augmenting DNA elements in an unbiased manner

Influence of autozygosity on common disease risk across the phenotypic spectrum.

Autozygosity is associated with rare Mendelian disorders and clinically relevant quantitative traits. We investigated associations between the fraction of the genome in runs of homozygosity (FROH) and common diseases in Genes & Health (n = 23,978 British South Asians), UK Biobank (n = 397,184), and 23andMe. We show that restricting analysis to offspring of first cousins is an effective way of reducing confounding due to social/environmental correlates of FROH. Within this group in G&H+UK Biobank, we found experiment-wide significant associations between FROH and twelve common diseases. We replicated associations with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and post-traumatic stress disorder via within-sibling analysis in 23andMe (median n = 480,282). We estimated that autozygosity due to consanguinity accounts for 5%-18% of T2D cases among British Pakistanis. Our work highlights the possibility of widespread non-additive genetic effects on common diseases and has important implications for global populations with high rates of consanguinity

Prognostic and predictive value of androgen receptor expression in postmenopausal women with estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer : results from the Breast International Group Trial 1-98

The androgen receptor (AR) is an emerging prognostic marker and therapeutic target in breast cancer. AR is expressed in 60-80% of breast cancers, with higher prevalence among estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) tumors. Androgen treatment inhibits ER signaling in ER+/AR+ breast cancer cell lines, and AR expression is associated with improved survival for this subtype in epidemiologic studies. However, whether AR expression modifies the efficacy of selective ER modulators or aromatase inhibitors for ER+ cancers remains unclear

Cpd-1 Null Mice Display a Subtle Neurological Phenotype

CPD1 (also known as ANP32-E) belongs to a family of evolutionarily conserved acidic proteins with leucine rich repeats implicated in a variety of cellular processes regulating gene expression, vesicular trafficking, intracellular signaling and apoptosis. Because of its spatiotemporal expression pattern, CPD1 has been proposed to play an important role in brain morphogenesis and synaptic development.We have generated CPD1 knock-out mice that we have subsequently characterized. These mice are viable and fertile. However, they display a subtle neurological clasping phenotype and mild motor deficits.CPD1 is not essential for normal development; however, it appears to play a role in the regulation of fine motor functions. The minimal phenotype suggests compensatory biological mechanisms

Direct Oral Anticoagulants in Asian Patients with Atrial Fibrillation: Consensus Recommendations by the Asian Pacific Society of Cardiology on Strategies for Thrombotic and Bleeding Risk Management

The disease burden of AF is greater in Asia-Pacific than other areas of the world. Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) have emerged as effective alternatives to vitamin K antagonists (VKA) for preventing thromboembolic events in patients with AF. The Asian Pacific Society of Cardiology developed this consensus statement to guide physicians in the management of AF in Asian populations. Statements were developed by an expert consensus panel who reviewed the available data from patients in Asia-Pacific. Consensus statements were developed then put to an online vote. The resulting 17 statements provide guidance on the assessment of stroke risk of AF patients in the region, the appropriate use of DOACs in these patients, as well as the concomitant use of DOACs and antiplatelets, and the transition to DOACs from VKAs and vice versa. The periprocedural management of patients on DOAC therapy and the management of patients with bleeding while on DOACs are also discussed

Sensitivity to Gravitational Waves from Compact Binary Coalescences Achieved during LIGO's Fifth and Virgo's First Science Run

We summarize the sensitivity achieved by the LIGO and Virgo gravitational wave detectors for compact binary coalescence (CBC) searches during LIGO's fifth science run and Virgo's first science run. We present noise spectral density curves for each of the four detectors that operated during these science runs which are representative of the typical performance achieved by the detectors for CBC searches. These spectra are intended for release to the public as a summary of detector performance for CBC searches during these science runs.Comment: 12 pages, 5 figure

A First Search for coincident Gravitational Waves and High Energy Neutrinos using LIGO, Virgo and ANTARES data from 2007

We present the results of the first search for gravitational wave bursts associated with high energy neutrinos. Together, these messengers could reveal new, hidden sources that are not observed by conventional photon astronomy, particularly at high energy. Our search uses neutrinos detected by the underwater neutrino telescope ANTARES in its 5 line configuration during the period January - September 2007, which coincided with the fifth and first science runs of LIGO and Virgo, respectively. The LIGO-Virgo data were analysed for candidate gravitational-wave signals coincident in time and direction with the neutrino events. No significant coincident events were observed. We place limits on the density of joint high energy neutrino - gravitational wave emission events in the local universe, and compare them with densities of merger and core-collapse events.Comment: 19 pages, 8 figures, science summary page at http://www.ligo.org/science/Publication-S5LV_ANTARES/index.php. Public access area to figures, tables at https://dcc.ligo.org/cgi-bin/DocDB/ShowDocument?docid=p120000