On the linear forms of the Schrodinger equation

Generalizing the linearisation procedure used by Dirac and later by L\'evy-Leblond, we derive the first-order non-relativistic wave equations for particles of spin 1 and spin 3/2 starting from the Schrodinger equation

A multimodal iPSC platform for cystic fibrosis drug testing

Cystic fibrosis is a monogenic lung disease caused by dysfunction of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator anion channel, resulting in significant morbidity and mortality. The progress in elucidating the role of CFTR using established animal and cell-based models led to the recent discovery of effective modulators for most individuals with CF. However, a subset of individuals with CF do not respond to these modulators and there is an urgent need to develop novel therapeutic strategies. In this study, we generate a panel of airway epithelial cells using induced pluripotent stem cells from individuals with common or rare CFTR variants representative of three distinct classes of CFTR dysfunction. To measure CFTR function we adapt two established in vitro assays for use in induced pluripotent stem cell-derived airway cells. In both a 3-D spheroid assay using forskolin-induced swelling as well as planar cultures composed of polarized mucociliary airway epithelial cells, we detect genotype-specific differences in CFTR baseline function and response to CFTR modulators. These results demonstrate the potential of the human induced pluripotent stem cell platform as a research tool to study CF and in particular accelerate therapeutic development for CF caused by rare variants

NNZ-2566, a novel analog of (1-3) IGF-1, as a potential therapeutic agent for fragile X syndrome

Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is the most common form of inherited intellectual disability. Previous studies have implicated mGlu5 in the pathogenesis of the disease, and many agents that target the underlying pathophysiology of FXS have focused on mGluR5 modulation. In the present work, a novel pharmacological approach for FXS is investigated. NNZ-2566, a synthetic analog of a naturally occurring neurotrophic peptide derived from insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), was administered to fmr1 knockout mice correcting learning and memory deficits, abnormal hyperactivity and social interaction, normalizing aberrant dendritic spine density, overactive ERK and Akt signaling, and macroorchidism. Altogether, our results indicate a unique disease-modifying potential for NNZ-2566 in FXS. Most importantly, the present data implicate the IGF-1 molecular pathway in the pathogenesis of FXS. A clinical trial is under way to ascertain whether these findings translate into clinical effects in FXS patients

Grain refinement in dual-phase steels

Deformation-induced ferrite transformation (DIFT) was applied in laboratory tests to produce fine-grained dual-phase (DP) steels. Four different chemistries were investigated, starting from a conventional DP 600 chemistry of 0.06 wt pct C-1.9 wt pct Mn-0.16 wt pct Mo and subsequently varying Nb and Mo additions. For all investigated steels, ultrafine ferrite (UFF) with a grain size of 1 to 2 μm can be obtained when a sufficient amount of deformation (e.g., a true strain of 0.6 or above in axisymmetric compression) is applied to an austenite microstructure with a grain size in the range of 10 to 20 μm at 25 °C to 50 °C above the austenite-to-ferrite transformation start temperature (Ar 3) characteristic for the given cooling condition. Rapid post-deformation cooling at rates of approximately 100 °C/s yields the desired UFF-martensite microstructure. Electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) mapping reveals a high percentage (approximately 40 pct) of low-angle boundaries in these microstructures, except for the steel that is just microalloyed with Nb. The steel with the plain-carbon-base chemistry was subjected to hot torsion simulations of a hot strip rolling processing schedules that incorporate a DIFT pass after a conventional seven-stand finish mill schedule. Executing the DIFT pass at 650 °C to 675 °C produced an UFF microstructure, illustrating the potential for the design of novel thermomechanical processing paths to produce hot-rolled ultrafine DP steels