18,877 research outputs found
Finitely generated ideal languages and synchronizing automata
We study representations of ideal languages by means of strongly connected
synchronizing automata. For every finitely generated ideal language L we
construct such an automaton with at most 2^n states, where n is the maximal
length of words in L. Our constructions are based on the De Bruijn graph.Comment: Submitted to WORDS 201
Reducing prostaglandin E2 production to raise cancer immunogenicity
Cyclooxygenases (COX), commonly upregulated in numerous cancers, generate prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), which has been implicated in key aspects of malignant growth including proliferation, invasion and angiogenesis. Recently, we showed that production of PGE2 by cancer cells dominantly enables progressive tumor growth via immune escape and that cyclooxygenase inhibitors synergize with immunotherapy to enhance tumor eradication
Experimental determination of the non-extensive entropic parameter
We show how to extract the parameter from experimental data, considering
an inhomogeneous magnetic system composed by many Maxwell-Boltzmann homogeneous
parts, which after integration over the whole system recover the Tsallis
non-extensivity. Analyzing the cluster distribution of
LaSrMnO manganite, obtained through scanning tunnelling
spectroscopy, we measure the parameter and predict the bulk magnetization
with good accuracy. The connection between the Griffiths phase and
non-extensivity is also considered. We conclude that the entropic parameter
embodies information about the dynamics, the key role to describe complex
systems.Comment: Submitted to Phys. Rev. Let
Caracterização de isolados de Phytophthora infestans do Distrito Federal e de Goiás.
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Previous issue date: 2006-10-2
Fear or humour in anti-smoking campaigns? Impact on perceived effectiveness and support for tobacco control policies
Several anti-smoking campaigns have been used for decades to reduce smoking consumption. However, so far, there is no consensus regarding the effectiveness of inducing distinct emotions in reducing smoke consumption. This study tested the effects of two types of anti-smoking ads, inducing fear or humor, on emotions, perceived effectiveness, support for tobacco control policies, urges to smoke, and susceptibility to smoke. Participants (N = 108; 54 smokers) of both genders were randomly assigned to one of the two following emotion ads condition: fear (N = 52) or humor (N = 56). During exposure, the continuous flow of their emotions by self-report and physiologically was collected. Measures of ads impact on emotions, perceived effectiveness, urges and susceptibility to smoking, and support for tobacco policies were applied after exposure. The results have shown that fear ads were perceived as more effective and reduced the urges to smoke in smokers. Non-smokers were more supportive of tobacco control policies. In conclusion, this study showed that fear campaigns can reduce the urge to smoke among smokers and are perceived to be more effective. This perceived effectiveness can be partially explained by feelings of fear, regardless the other emotions it also triggers, and of the smoking status.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
A Hamiltonian approach for explosive percolation
We introduce a cluster growth process that provides a clear connection
between equilibrium statistical mechanics and an explosive percolation model
similar to the one recently proposed by Achlioptas et al. [Science 323, 1453
(2009)]. We show that the following two ingredients are essential for obtaining
an abrupt (first-order) transition in the fraction of the system occupied by
the largest cluster: (i) the size of all growing clusters should be kept
approximately the same, and (ii) the inclusion of merging bonds (i.e., bonds
connecting vertices in different clusters) should dominate with respect to the
redundant bonds (i.e., bonds connecting vertices in the same cluster).
Moreover, in the extreme limit where only merging bonds are present, a complete
enumeration scheme based on tree-like graphs can be used to obtain an exact
solution of our model that displays a first-order transition. Finally, the
proposed mechanism can be viewed as a generalization of standard percolation
that discloses an entirely new family of models with potential application in
growth and fragmentation processes of real network systems.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure
The anxiolytic effect of probiotics: A systematic review and meta-analysis of the clinical and preclinical literature
A grant from the One-University Open Access Fund at the University of Kansas was used to defray the author's publication fees in this Open Access journal. The Open Access Fund, administered by librarians from the KU, KU Law, and KUMC libraries, is made possible by contributions from the offices of KU Provost, KU Vice Chancellor for Research & Graduate Studies, and KUMC Vice Chancellor for Research. For more information about the Open Access Fund, please see http://library.kumc.edu/authors-fund.xml.Background
Probiotics have generated intensive research interest in recent years as a novel mode of treatment for physical and mental illness. Nevertheless, the anxiolytic potential of probiotics remains unclear. The present systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the clinical and preclinical (animal model) evidence regarding the effect of probiotic administration on anxiety.
Methods
The PubMed, PsycINFO, and Web of Science databases were reviewed for preclinical and clinical studies that met the defined inclusion and exclusion criteria. The effects of probiotics on anxiety-like behavior and symptoms of anxiety were analyzed by meta-analyses. Separate subgroup analyses were conducted on diseased versus healthy animals, specific preclinical probiotic species, and clinical versus healthy human samples.
Results
Data were extracted from 22 preclinical studies (743 animals) and 14 clinical studies (1527 individuals). Overall, probiotics reduced anxiety-like behavior in animals (Hedges’ g = -0.47, 95% CI -0.77 –-0.16, p = 0.004). Subgroup analyses revealed a significant reduction only among diseased animals. Probiotic species-level analyses identified only Lactobacillus (L.) rhamnosus as an anxiolytic species, but these analyses were broadly under-powered. Probiotics did not significantly reduce symptoms of anxiety in humans (Hedges’ g = -0.12, 95% CI -0.29–0.05, p = 0.151), and did not differentially affect clinical and healthy human samples.
Conclusions
While preclinical (animal) studies suggest that probiotics may help reduce anxiety, such findings have not yet translated to clinical research in humans, perhaps due to the dearth of extant research with clinically anxious populations. Further investigation of probiotic treatment for clinically relevant anxiety is warranted, particularly with respect to the probiotic species L. rhamnosus
Molecular mechanism of influenza A NS1-mediated TRIM25 recognition and inhibition
RIG-I is a viral RNA sensor that induces the production of type I interferon (IFN) in response to infection with a variety of viruses. Modification of RIG-I with K63-linked poly-ubiquitin chains, synthesised by TRIM25, is crucial for activation of the RIG-I/MAVS signalling pathway. TRIM25 activity is targeted by influenza A virus non-structural protein 1 (NS1) to suppress IFN production and prevent an efficient host immune response. Here we present structures of the human TRIM25 coiled-coil-PRYSPRY module and of complexes between the TRIM25 coiled-coil domain and NS1. These structures show that binding of NS1 interferes with the correct positioning of the PRYSPRY domain of TRIM25 required for substrate ubiquitination and provide a mechanistic explanation for how NS1 suppresses RIG-I ubiquitination and hence downstream signalling. In contrast, the formation of unanchored K63-linked poly-ubiquitin chains is unchanged by NS1 binding, indicating that RING dimerisation of TRIM25 is not affected by NS1
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