WorldWideScience

Sample records for gut inspired theories

  1. String field theory-inspired algebraic structures in gauge theories

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zeitlin, Anton M.

    2009-01-01

    We consider gauge theories in a string field theory-inspired formalism. The constructed algebraic operations lead, in particular, to homotopy algebras of the related Batalin-Vilkovisky theories. We discuss an invariant description of the gauge fixing procedure and special algebraic features of gauge theories coupled to matter fields.

  2. Global F-theory GUTs

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Blumenhagen, Ralph; /Munich, Max Planck Inst.; Grimm, Thomas W.; /Bonn U.; Jurke, Benjamin; /Munich, Max Planck Inst.; Weigand, Timo; /SLAC

    2010-08-26

    We construct global F-theory GUT models on del Pezzo surfaces in compact Calabi-Yau fourfolds realized as complete intersections of two hypersurface constraints. The intersections of the GUT brane and the flavour branes as well as the gauge flux are described by the spectral cover construction. We consider a split S[U(4) x U(1){sub X}] spectral cover, which allows for the phenomenologically relevant Yukawa couplings and GUT breaking to the MSSM via hypercharge flux while preventing dimension-4 proton decay. General expressions for the massless spectrum, consistency conditions and a new method for the computation of curvature-induced tadpoles are presented. We also provide a geometric toolkit for further model searches in the framework of toric geometry. Finally, an explicit global model with three chiral generations and all required Yukawa couplings is defined on a Calabi-Yau fourfold which is fibered over the del Pezzo transition of the Fano threefold P{sup 4}.

  3. Global F-theory GUTs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Blumenhagen, Ralph; Grimm, Thomas W.; Jurke, Benjamin; Weigand, Timo

    2010-01-01

    We construct global F-theory GUT models on del Pezzo surfaces in compact Calabi-Yau fourfolds realized as complete intersections of two hypersurface constraints. The intersections of the GUT brane and the flavour branes as well as the gauge flux are described by the spectral cover construction. We consider a split S[U(4)xU(1) X ] spectral cover, which allows for the phenomenologically relevant Yukawa couplings and GUT breaking to the MSSM via hypercharge flux while preventing dimension-4 proton decay. General expressions for the massless spectrum, consistency conditions and a new method for the computation of curvature-induced tadpoles are presented. We also provide a geometric toolkit for further model searches in the framework of toric geometry. Finally, an explicit global model with three chiral generations and all required Yukawa couplings is defined on a Calabi-Yau fourfold which is fibered over the del Pezzo transition of the Fano threefold P 4 [4].

  4. Constraints on GUT 7-brane topology in F-theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hayashi, Hirotaka; Kawano, Teruhiko; Watari, Taizan

    2012-01-01

    We study the relation between phenomenological requirements and the topology of the surfaces that GUT 7-branes wrap in F-theory compactifications. In addition to the exotic matter free condition in the hypercharge flux scenario of SU(5) GUT breaking, we analyze a new condition that comes from a discrete symmetry aligning the contributions to low-energy Yukawa matrices from a number of codimension-three singularity points. We see that the exotic matter free condition excludes Hirzebruch surfaces (except F 0 ) as the GUT surface, correcting an existing proof in the literature. We further find that the discrete symmetry for the alignment of the Yukawa matrices excludes del Pezzo surfaces and a rational elliptic surface as the GUT surface. Therefore, some GUT 7-brane surfaces are good for some phenomenological requirements, but sometimes not for others, and this aspect should be kept in mind in geometry search in F-theory compactifications.

  5. Supersymmetric grand unified theories from quarks to strings via SUSY GUTs

    CERN Document Server

    Raby, Stuart

    2017-01-01

    These course-tested lectures provide a technical introduction to Supersymmetric Grand Unified Theories (SUSY GUTs), as well as a personal view on the topic by one of the pioneers in the field. While the Standard Model of Particle Physics is incredibly successful in describing the known universe it is, nevertheless, an incomplete theory with many free parameters and open issues. An elegant solution to all of these quandaries is the proposed theory of SUSY GUTs. In a GUT, quarks and leptons are related in a simple way by the unifying symmetry and their electric charges are quantized, further the relative strength of the strong, weak and electromagnetic forces are predicted. SUSY GUTs additionally provide a framework for understanding particle masses and offer candidates for dark matter. Finally, with the extension of SUSY GUTs to string theory, a quantum-mechanically consistent unification of the four known forces (including gravity) is obtained. The book is organized in three sections: the first section contai...

  6. A note on local GUT models in F-theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen, C.-M.; Chung, Y.-C.

    2010-01-01

    We construct non-minimal GUT local models in the F-theory configuration. The gauge group on the bulk G S is one rank higher than the GUT gauge group. The line bundles on the curves are nontrivial to break G S down to the GUT gauge groups. We demonstrate examples of SU(5) GUT from G S =SU(6) and G S =SO(10), the flipped SU(5) from G S =SO(10), and the SO(10) GUT from G S =SO(12) and G S =E 6 . We obtain complete GUT matter spectra and couplings, with minimum exotic matter contents. GUT gauge group breaking to MSSM is achievable by instanton configurations.

  7. No-scale SU(5) super-GUTs

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ellis, John [King' s College London, Theoretical Physics and Cosmology Group, Department of Physics, London (United Kingdom); CERN, Theoretical Physics Department, Geneva 23 (Switzerland); Evans, Jason L. [KIAS, School of Physics, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Nagata, Natsumi [University of Tokyo, Department of Physics, Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku (Japan); Nanopoulos, Dimitri V. [Texas A and M University, George P. and Cynthia W. Mitchell Institute for Fundamental Physics and Astronomy, College Station, TX (United States); Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC), Astroparticle Physics Group, Woodlands, TX (United States); Academy of Athens, Division of Natural Sciences, Athens (Greece); Olive, Keith A. [University of Minnesota, School of Physics and Astronomy, William I. Fine Theoretical Physics Institute, Minneapolis, MN (United States)

    2017-04-15

    We reconsider the minimal SU(5) grand unified theory (GUT) in the context of no-scale supergravity inspired by string compactification scenarios, assuming that the soft supersymmetry-breaking parameters satisfy universality conditions at some input scale M{sub in} above the GUT scale M{sub GUT}. When setting up such a no-scale super-GUT model, special attention must be paid to avoiding the Scylla of rapid proton decay and the Charybdis of an excessive density of cold dark matter, while also having an acceptable mass for the Higgs boson. We do not find consistent solutions if none of the matter and Higgs fields are assigned to twisted chiral supermultiplets, even in the presence of Giudice-Masiero terms. However, consistent solutions may be found if at least one fiveplet of GUT Higgs fields is assigned to a twisted chiral supermultiplet, with a suitable choice of modular weights. Spin-independent dark matter scattering may be detectable in some of these consistent solutions. (orig.)

  8. Aspects of Flavour and Supersymmetry in F-theory GUTs

    CERN Document Server

    Conlon, Joseph P; 10.1007

    2009-01-01

    We study the constraints of supersymmetry on flavour in recently proposed models of F-theory GUTs. We relate the topologically twisted theory to the canonical presentation of eight-dimensional super Yang-Mills and provide a dictionary between the two. We describe the constraints on Yukawa couplings implied by holomorphy of the superpotential in the effective 4-dimensional supergravity theory, including the scaling with \\alpha_{GUT}. Taking D-terms into account we solve explicitly to second order for wavefunctions and Yukawas due to metric and flux perturbations and find a rank-one Yukawa matrix with no subleading corrections.

  9. Monodromies, fluxes, and compact three-generation F-theory GUTs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Marsano, Joseph; Saulina, Natalia; Schaefer-Nameki, Sakura

    2009-01-01

    We analyze constraints for embedding local SU(5) F-theory GUTs into consistent compactifications and construct explicit three-generation models based on the geometry of [1]. The key tool for studying constraints in this problem when there is an underlying E 8 structure is the spectral cover, which encodes all of the symmetries that fix the allowed couplings in the superpotential, as well as the consistent, supersymmetric G-fluxes. Imposing phenomenological requirements such as the existence of three generations, top and bottom Yukawa couplings, good flavor structure and absence of exotics and of a tree-level μ-term, we derive stringent constraints on the allowed spectral covers. The resulting spectral covers are in conflict with the neutrino scenarios that have been studied in local F-theory models unless we allow for the possibility of additional charged fields, perhaps playing the role of gauge messengers, that do not comprise complete GUT multiplets. Quite remarkably, the existence of additional incomplete GUT multiplets below the GUT scale is necessary for consistency with gauge coupling 'unification', as their effect can precisely cancel that of the internal hypercharge flux, which distorts the gauge couplings already at M GUT .

  10. Neutrino masses in the flipped SU(5) x U(1) and the SU(4) x O(4) GUT models

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ranfone, S.; Papageorgiu, E.

    1992-03-01

    We classify the different neutrino-mass pattern arising in string-inspired Grand Universal Theory (GUT) and supersymmetric GUT models based on the flipped SU(5)xU(1) and the SU(4)xO(4) gauge groups. Phenomenologically interesting spectra are obtained through the interplay of the two seesaw mechanisms present, with typical neutrino masses {approx}10{sup -3} eV in the supersymmetric GUT models and of order 0.1 - 10 KeV in the ordinary GUTs. (author).

  11. F-theory GUTs with U(1) symmetries: Generalities and survey

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dolan, Matthew J.; Marsano, Joseph; Saulina, Natalia; Schaefer-Nameki, Sakura

    2011-01-01

    We study the structure of SU(5) F-theory grand unified theory (GUT) models that engineer additional U(1) symmetries. These are highly constrained by a set of relations observed by Dudas and Palti (DP) that originate from the physics of four-dimensional anomaly cancellation. Using the DP relations, we describe a general tension between unification and the suppression of dimension 5 proton decay when one or more U(1)'s are Peccei-Quinn (PQ) symmetries and hypercharge flux is used to break the SU(5) GUT group. We then specialize to spectral cover models, whose global completions in F theory we know how to construct. In that setting, we provide a technical derivation of the DP relations, construct spectral covers that yield all possible solutions to them, and provide a complete survey of spectral cover models for SU(5) GUTs that exhibit two U(1) symmetries.

  12. GUT models at current and future hadron colliders and implications to dark matter searches

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arcadi, Giorgio; Lindner, Manfred; Mambrini, Yann; Pierre, Mathias; Queiroz, Farinaldo S.

    2017-08-01

    Grand Unified Theories (GUT) offer an elegant and unified description of electromagnetic, weak and strong interactions at high energy scales. A phenomenological and exciting possibility to grasp GUT is to search for TeV scale observables arising from Abelian groups embedded in GUT constructions. That said, we use dilepton data (ee and μμ) that has been proven to be a golden channel for a wide variety of new phenomena expected in theories beyond the Standard Model to probe GUT-inspired models. Since heavy dilepton resonances feature high signal selection efficiencies and relatively well-understood backgrounds, stringent and reliable bounds can be placed on the mass of the Z‧ gauge boson arising in such theories. In this work, we obtain 95% C.L. limits on the Z‧ mass for several GUT-models using current and future proton-proton colliders with √{ s} = 13 TeV , 33 TeV ,and 100 TeV, and put them into perspective with dark matter searches in light of the next generation of direct detection experiments.

  13. GUT models at current and future hadron colliders and implications to dark matter searches

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Giorgio Arcadi

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Grand Unified Theories (GUT offer an elegant and unified description of electromagnetic, weak and strong interactions at high energy scales. A phenomenological and exciting possibility to grasp GUT is to search for TeV scale observables arising from Abelian groups embedded in GUT constructions. That said, we use dilepton data (ee and μμ that has been proven to be a golden channel for a wide variety of new phenomena expected in theories beyond the Standard Model to probe GUT-inspired models. Since heavy dilepton resonances feature high signal selection efficiencies and relatively well-understood backgrounds, stringent and reliable bounds can be placed on the mass of the Z′ gauge boson arising in such theories. In this work, we obtain 95% C.L. limits on the Z′ mass for several GUT-models using current and future proton–proton colliders with s=13 TeV,33 TeV,and100 TeV, and put them into perspective with dark matter searches in light of the next generation of direct detection experiments.

  14. F-theory uplifts and GUTs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Blumenhagen, Ralph; Jurke, Benjamin; Grimm, Thomas W.; Weigand, Timo

    2009-01-01

    We study the F-theory uplift of Type IIB orientifold models on compact Calabi-Yau threefolds containing divisors which are del Pezzo surfaces. We consider two examples defined via del Pezzo transitions of the quintic. The first model has an orientifold projection leading to two disjoint O7-planes and the second involution acts via an exchange of two del Pezzo surfaces. The two uplifted fourfolds are generically singular with minimal gauge enhancements over a divisor and, respectively, a curve in the non-Fano base. We study possible further degenerations of the elliptic fiber leading to F-theory GUT models based on subgroups of E 8 .

  15. On the GUT scale of F-theory SU(5)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Leontaris, G.K.; Vlachos, N.D.

    2011-01-01

    In F-theory GUTs, threshold corrections from Kaluza-Klein (KK) massive modes arising from gauge and matter multiplets play an important role in the determination of the weak mixing angle and the strong gauge coupling of the effective low energy model. In this Letter we further explore the induced modifications on the gauge couplings running and the GUT scale. In particular, we focus on the KK-contributions from matter curves and analyze the conditions on the chiral and Higgs matter spectrum which imply a GUT scale consistent with the minimal unification scenario. As an application, we present an explicit computation of these thresholds for matter fields residing on specific non-trivial Riemann surfaces.

  16. GUT precursors and fixed points in higher-dimensional theories

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    that it is possible to construct self-consistent 'hybrid' models containing ... states associated with the emergence of a grand unified theory (GUT) at this en- .... However, even though these couplings are extremely weak, the true loop expansion.

  17. Preface to a GUT (Grand Unified Theory)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Honig, W.

    1982-01-01

    A Grand Unified Theory (GUT) is proposed exhibiting relativistic invariance and based on a physical model for vacuum space consisting of the superposition of oppositely charged continuous fluids. Models for the photon, electron, neutrino, proton, etc., consist of separate unique variations in the relative densities of the fluids and their flow patterns. This GUT is also based on the use of transfinite axiomatic number forms and on a concept of metrical relativity which hopefully reconciles the many logical dichotomies in and between Special Relativity and Quantum Mechanics. These ideas result in a number of experimental proposals and predicted results which appear to be underivable from present paradigms, first among which is a physical model for the hidden variable of Quantum Mechanics. It is on these features that attention should rest. (Auth.)

  18. On hypercharge flux and exotics in F-theory GUTs

    CERN Document Server

    Dudas, Emilian; 10.1007

    2010-01-01

    We study SU(5) Grand Unified Theories within a local framework in F-theory with multiple extra U(1) symmetries arising from a small monodromy group. The use of hypercharge flux for doublet-triplet splitting implies massless exotics in the spectrum that are protected from obtaining a mass by the U(1) symmetries. We find that lifting the exotics by giving vacuum expectation values to some GUT singlets spontaneously breaks all the U(1) symmetries which implies that proton decay operators are induced. If we impose an additional R-parity symmetry by hand we find all the exotics can be lifted while proton decay operators are still forbidden. These models can retain the gauge coupling unification accuracy of the MSSM at 1-loop. For models where the generations are distributed across multiple curves we also present a motivation for the quark-lepton mass splittings at the GUT scale based on a Froggatt-Nielsen approach to flavour.

  19. GUTs and exceptional branes in F-theory - II. Experimental predictions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Beasley, Chris; Heckman, Jonathan J.; Vafa, Cumrun

    2009-01-01

    We consider realizations of GUT models in F-theory. Adopting a bottom up approach, the assumption that the dynamics of the GUT model can in principle decouple from Planck scale physics leads to a surprisingly predictive framework. An internal U(1) hypercharge flux Higgses the GUT group directly to the MSSM or to a flipped GUT model, a mechanism unavailable in heterotic models. This new ingredient automatically addresses a number of puzzles present in traditional GUT models. The internal U(1) hyperflux allows us to solve the doublet-triplet splitting problem, and explains the qualitative features of the distorted GUT mass relations for lighter generations due to the Aharanov-Bohm effect. These models typically come with nearly exact global symmetries which prevent bare μ terms and also forbid dangerous baryon number violating operators. Strong curvature around our brane leads to a repulsion mechanism for Landau wave functions for neutral fields. This leads to large hierarchies of the form exp(-c/ε 2γ ) where c and γ are order one parameters and ε ∼ α GUT -1 M GUT /M pl . This effect can simultaneously generate a viably small μ term as well as an acceptable Dirac neutrino mass on the order of 0.5 x 10 -2±0.5 eV. In another scenario, we find a modified seesaw mechanism which predicts that the light neutrinos have masses in the expected range while the Majorana mass term for the heavy neutrinos is ∼ 3 x 10 12±1.5 GeV. Communicating supersymmetry breaking to the MSSM can be elegantly realized through gauge mediation. In one scenario, the same repulsion mechanism also leads to messenger masses which are naturally much lighter than the GUT scale.

  20. Towards an Ancient Chinese-Inspired Theory of Music Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tan, Leonard

    2016-01-01

    In this philosophical paper, I propose a theory of music education inspired by ancient Chinese philosophy. In particular, I draw on five classical Chinese philosophical texts: the Analects (lunyu [Chinese characters omitted]), the Mencius (Mengzi [Chinese characters omitted]), the Zhuangzi ([Chinese characters omitted]), the Xunzi ([Chinese…

  1. F-theory, GUTs, and the weak scale

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Heckman, Jonathan J.; Vafa, Cumrun

    2009-01-01

    In this paper we study a deformation of gauge mediated supersymmetry breaking in a class of local F-theory GUT models where the scale of supersymmetry breaking determines the value of the μ term. Geometrically correlating these two scales constrains the soft SUSY breaking parameters of the MSSM. In this scenario, the hidden SUSY breaking sector involves an anomalous U(1) Peccei-Quinn symmetry which forbids bare μ and Bμ terms. This sector typically breaks supersymmetry at the desired range of energy scales through a simple stringy hybrid of a Fayet and Polonyi model. A variant of the Giudice-Masiero mechanism generates the value μ ∼ 10 2 -10 3 GeV when the hidden sector scale of supersymmetry breaking is F 1/2 ∼ 10 8.5 GeV. Further, the Bμ problem is solved due to the mild hierarchy between the GUT scale and Planck scale. These models relate SUSY breaking with the QCD axion, and solve the strong CP problem through an axion with decay constant f a ∼ M GUT cμ/Λ, where Λ ∼ 10 5 GeV is the characteristic scale of gaugino mass unification in gauge mediated models, and the ratio μ/Λ ∼ M GUT /M pl ∼ 10 -3 . We find f a ∼ 10 12 GeV, which is near the high end of the phenomenologically viable window. Here, the axino is the goldstino mode which is eaten by the gravitino. The gravitino is the LSP with a mass of about 10 1 -10 2 MeV, and a bino-like neutralino is (typically) the NLSP with mass of about 10 2 -10 3 GeV. Compatibility with electroweak symmetry breaking also determines the value of tanβ ∼ 30±7.

  2. Froggatt-Nielsen models from E8 in F-theory GUTs

    CERN Document Server

    Dudas, Emilian; 10.1007

    2009-01-01

    This paper studies F-theory SU(5) GUT models where the three generations of the standard model come from three different curves. All the matter is taken to come from curves intersecting at a point of enhanced E8 gauge symmetry. Giving a vev to some of the GUT singlets naturally implements a Froggatt-Nielsen approach to flavour structure. A scan is performed over all possible models and the results are filtered using phenomenological constraints. We find a unique model that fits observations of quark and lepton masses and mixing well. This model suffers from two drawbacks: R-parity must be imposed by hand and there is a doublet-triplet splitting problem.

  3. An Immune System Inspired Theory for Crime and Violence in Cities

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Soumya Banerjee

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Crime is ubiquitous and has been around for millennia. Crime is analogous to a pathogenic infection and police response to it is similar to an immune response. The biological immune system is also engaged in an arms race with pathogens. We propose an immune system inspired theory of crime and violence in human societies, especially in large agglomerations like cities. In this work we suggest that an immune system inspired theory of crime can provide a new perspective on the dynamics of violence in societies. The competitive dynamics between police and criminals has similarities to how the immune system is involved in an arms race with invading pathogens. Cities have properties similar to biological organisms and in this theory the police and military forces would be the immune system that protects against detrimental internal and external forces. Our theory has implications for public policy: ranging from how much financial resource to invest in crime fighting, to optimal policing strategies, pre-placement of police, and number of police to be allocated to different cities. Our work can also be applied to other forms of violence in human societies (like terrorism and violence in other primate societies and eusocial insects. We hope this will be the first step towards a quantitative theory of violence and conflict in human societies. Ultimately we hope that this will help in designing smart and efficient cities that can scale and be sustainable despite population increase.

  4. Rational F-theory GUTs without exotics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Krippendorf, Sven; Peña, Damián Kaloni Mayorga; Oehlmann, Paul-Konstantin; Ruehle, Fabian

    2014-01-01

    We construct F-theory GUT models without exotic matter, leading to the MSSM matter spectrum with potential singlet extensions. The interplay of engineering explicit geometric setups, absence of four-dimensional anomalies, and realistic phenomenology of the couplings places severe constraints on the allowed local models in a given geometry. In constructions based on the spectral cover we find no model satisfying all these requirements. We then provide a survey of models with additional U1 symmetries arising from rational sections of the elliptic fibration in toric constructions and obtain phenomenologically appealing models based on SU(5) tops. Furthermore we perform a bottom-up exploration beyond the toric section constructions discussed in the literature so far and identify benchmark models passing all our criteria, which can serve as a guideline for future geometric engineering.

  5. Rational F-theory GUTs without exotics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krippendorf, Sven; Peña, Damián Kaloni Mayorga; Oehlmann, Paul-Konstantin; Ruehle, Fabian

    2014-07-01

    We construct F-theory GUT models without exotic matter, leading to the MSSM matter spectrum with potential singlet extensions. The interplay of engineering explicit geometric setups, absence of four-dimensional anomalies, and realistic phenomenology of the couplings places severe constraints on the allowed local models in a given geometry. In constructions based on the spectral cover we find no model satisfying all these requirements. We then provide a survey of models with additional U(1) symmetries arising from rational sections of the elliptic fibration in toric constructions and obtain phenomenologically appealing models based on SU(5) tops. Furthermore we perform a bottom-up exploration beyond the toric section constructions discussed in the literature so far and identify benchmark models passing all our criteria, which can serve as a guideline for future geometric engineering.

  6. Rational F-theory GUTs without exotics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Krippendorf, Sven; Pena, Damian Kaloni Mayorga; Oehlmann, Paul-Konstantin

    2014-01-01

    We construct F-theory GUT models without exotic matter, leading to the MSSM matter spectrum with potential singlet extensions. The interplay of engineering explicit geometric setups, absence of four-dimensional anomalies, and realistic phenomenology of the couplings places severe constraints on the allowed local models in a given geometry. In constructions based on the spectral cover we find no model satisfying all these requirements. We then provide a survey of models with additional U(1) symmetries arising from rational sections of the elliptic fibration in toric constructions and obtain phenomenologically appealing models based on SU(5) tops. Furthermore we perform a bottom-up exploration beyond the toric section constructions discussed in the literature so far and identify benchmark models passing all our criteria, which can serve as a guideline for future geometric engineering.

  7. Building GUTs from strings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aldazabal, G.; Ibanez, L.E.; Uranga, A.M.

    1996-01-01

    We study in detail the structure of Grand Unified Theories derived as the low-energy limit of orbifold four-dimensional strings. To this aim, new techniques for building level-two symmetric orbifold theories are presented. New classes of GUTs in the context of symmetric orbifolds are then constructed. The method of permutation modding is further explored and SO(10) GUTs with both 45- or 54-plets are obtained. SU(5) models are also found through this method. It is shown that, in the context of symmetric orbifold SO(10) GUTs, only a single GUT Higgs, either a 54 or a 45, can be present and it always resides in an order-two untwisted sector. Very restrictive results also hold in the case of SU(5). General properties and selection rules for string GUTs are described. Some of these selection rules forbid the presence of some particular GUT-Higgs couplings which are sometimes used in SUSY-GUT model building. Some semi-realistic string GUT examples are presented and their properties briefly discussed. (orig.)

  8. On building superpotentials in F-GUTs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saidi, E. H.

    2016-01-01

    Using characters of finite group representations, we construct the fusion algebras of operators of the spectrum of F-theory grand unified theories (GUTs). These fusion relations are used in building monodromy-invariant superpotentials of the low-energy effective 4D N=1 supersymmetric GUT models

  9. Diphoton resonance in F-theory inspired flipped SO(10)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Leontaris, George K. [Ioannina University, Physics Department, Theory Division, Ioannina (Greece); Shafi, Qaisar [University of Delaware, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Bartol Research Institute, Newark, DE (United States)

    2016-10-15

    Motivated by the di-photon excess at 750 GeV reported by the ATLAS and CMS experiments, we present an F-theory inspired flipped SO(10) model embedded in E{sub 6}. The low energy spectrum includes the three MSSM chiral families, vector-like colour triplets, several pairs of charged SU(2){sub L} singlet fields (E{sup c}, anti E{sup c}), as well as MSSM singlets, one or more of which could contribute to the di-photon resonance. A total decay width in the multi-GeV range can arise from couplings involving the singlet and MSSM fields. (orig.)

  10. SO(10) GUT baryogenesis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gu Peihong; Sarkar, Utpal

    2008-01-01

    Baryogenesis, through the decays of heavy bosons, was considered to be one of the major successes of the grand unified theories (GUTs). It was then realized that the sphaleron processes erased any baryon asymmetry from the GUT-baryogenesis at a later stage. In this Letter, we discuss the idea of resurrecting GUT-baryogenesis [M. Fukugita, T. Yanagida, Phys. Rev. Lett. 89 (2002) 131602] in a large class of SO(10) GUTs. Our analysis shows that fast lepton number violating but baryon number conserving processes can partially wash out the GUT-baryogenesis produced lepton and/or baryon asymmetry associated with or without the sphaleron and/or Yukawa interactions

  11. Fermion Mass Textures in an M-Inspired Flipped SU(5) Model Derived from String

    CERN Document Server

    Ellis, Jonathan Richard; Lola, S; Nanopoulos, Dimitri V

    1998-01-01

    We are inspired by the facts that M-theory may reconcile the supersymmetric GUT scale with that of quantum gravity, and that it provides new avenues for low-energy supersymmetry breaking, to re-examine a flipped SU(5) model that has been derived from string and may possess an elevation to a fully-fledged M-phenomenological model. Using a complete analysis of all superpotential terms through the sixth order, we explore in this model a new flat potential direction that provides a pair of light Higgs doublets, yields realistic textures for the fermion mass matrices, and is free of R-violating interactions and dimension-five proton decay operators.

  12. Family symmetries in F-theory GUTs

    CERN Document Server

    King, S F; Ross, G G

    2010-01-01

    We discuss F-theory SU(5) GUTs in which some or all of the quark and lepton families are assigned to different curves and family symmetry enforces a leading order rank one structure of the Yukawa matrices. We consider two possibilities for the suppression of baryon and lepton number violation. The first is based on Flipped SU(5) with gauge group SU(5)\\times U(1)_\\chi \\times SU(4)_{\\perp} in which U(1)_{\\chi} plays the role of a generalised matter parity. We present an example which, after imposing a Z_2 monodromy, has a U(1)_{\\perp}^2 family symmetry. Even in the absence of flux, spontaneous breaking of the family symmetry leads to viable quark, charged lepton and neutrino masses and mixing. The second possibility has an R-parity associated with the symmetry of the underlying compactification manifold and the flux. We construct an example of a model with viable masses and mixing angles based on the gauge group SU(5)\\times SU(5)_{\\perp} with a U(1)_{\\perp}^3 family symmetry after imposing a Z_2 monodromy.

  13. Towards the quantization of Eddington-inspired-Born-Infeld theory

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bouhmadi-López, Mariam [Departamento de Física, Universidade da Beira Interior, Rua Marquês D' Ávila e Bolama, 6201-001 Covilhã (Portugal); Chen, Che-Yu, E-mail: mbl@ubi.pt, E-mail: b97202056@gmail.com [Department of Physics, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617 Taiwan (China)

    2016-11-01

    The quantum effects close to the classical big rip singularity within the Eddington-inspired-Born-Infeld theory (EiBI) are investigated through quantum geometrodynamics. It is the first time that this approach is applied to a modified theory constructed upon Palatini formalism. The Wheeler-DeWitt (WDW) equation is obtained and solved based on an alternative action proposed in ref. [1], under two different factor ordering choices. This action is dynamically equivalent to the original EiBI action while it is free of square root of the spacetime curvature. We consider a homogeneous, isotropic and spatially flat universe, which is assumed to be dominated by a phantom perfect fluid whose equation of state is a constant. We obtain exact solutions of the WDW equation based on some specific conditions. In more general cases, we propose a qualitative argument with the help of a Wentzel-Kramers-Brillouin (WKB) approximation to get further solutions. Besides, we also construct an effective WDW equation by simply promoting the classical Friedmann equations. We find that for all the approaches considered, the DeWitt condition hinting singularity avoidance is satisfied. Therefore the big rip singularity is expected to be avoided through the quantum approach within the EiBI theory.

  14. Late inspiral and merger of binary black holes in scalar–tensor theories of gravity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Healy, James; Bode, Tanja; Laguna, Pablo; Shoemaker, Deirdre M; Haas, Roland; Pazos, Enrique; Yunes, Nicolás

    2012-01-01

    Gravitational wave observations will probe nonlinear gravitational interactions and thus enable strong tests of Einstein’s theory of general relativity. We present a numerical relativity study of the late inspiral and merger of binary black holes in scalar–tensor theories of gravity. We consider binaries inside a scalar field bubble, including in some cases a potential. We demonstrate how an evolving scalar field is able to trigger detectable differences between gravitational waves in scalar–tensor gravity and the corresponding waves in general relativity. (fast track communication)

  15. Neutrino masses in the flipped SU(5)xU(1) and the SU(4)xO(4) GUT models

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Papageorgiu, E.; Ranfone, S. (Rutherford Appleton Lab., Chilton (United Kingdom))

    1992-05-21

    We classify the different neutrino-mass patterns arising in string-inspired GUT and supersymmetric GUT models based on the flipped SU(5)xU(1) and the SU(4)xO(4) gauge groups. Phenomenologically interesting spectra are obtained through the interplay of the two seesaw mechanisms present, with typical neutrino masses {proportional to}10{sup -3} eV in the supersymmetric GUT models and of order 0.1-10 keV in the ordinary GUTs. (orig.).

  16. Superstring-inspired SO(10) GUT model with intermediate scale

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sasaki, Ken

    1987-12-01

    A new mechanism is proposed for the mixing of Weinberg-Salam Higgs fields in superstring-inspired SO(10) models with no SO(10) singlet fields. The higher-dimensional terms in the superpotential can generate both Higgs field mixing and a small mass for the physical neutrino. I would like to thank Professor C. Iso for hospitality extended to me at the Tokyo Institute of Technology.

  17. Vectorlike particles, Z‧ and Yukawa unification in F-theory inspired E6

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karozas, Athanasios; Leontaris, George K.; Shafi, Qaisar

    2018-03-01

    We explore the low energy implications of an F-theory inspired E6 model whose breaking yields, in addition to the MSSM gauge symmetry, a Z‧ gauge boson associated with a U (1) symmetry broken at the TeV scale. The zero mode spectrum of the effective low energy theory is derived from the decomposition of the 27 and 27 ‾ representations of E6 and we parametrise their multiplicities in terms of a minimum number of flux parameters. We perform a two-loop renormalisation group analysis of the gauge and Yukawa couplings of the effective theory model and estimate lower bounds on the new vectorlike particles predicted in the model. We compute the third generation Yukawa couplings in an F-theory context assuming an E8 point of enhancement and express our results in terms of the local flux densities associated with the gauge symmetry breaking. We find that their values are compatible with the ones computed by the renormalisation group equations, and we identify points in the parameter space of the flux densities where the t - b - τ Yukawa couplings unify.

  18. Isotropic LQC and LQC-inspired models with a massless scalar field as generalised Brans-Dicke theories

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rama, S. Kalyana

    2018-06-01

    We explore whether generalised Brans-Dicke theories, which have a scalar field Φ and a function ω (Φ ), can be the effective actions leading to the effective equations of motion of the LQC and the LQC-inspired models, which have a massless scalar field σ and a function f( m). We find that this is possible for isotropic cosmology. We relate the pairs (σ , f) and (Φ , ω ) and, using examples, illustrate these relations. We find that near the bounce of the LQC evolutions for which f(m) = sin m, the corresponding field Φ → 0 and the function ω (Φ ) ∝ Φ ^2. We also find that the class of generalised Brans-Dicke theories, which we had found earlier to lead to non singular isotropic evolutions, may be written as an LQC-inspired model. The relations found here in the isotropic cases do not apply to the anisotropic cases, which perhaps require more general effective actions.

  19. Noncommutative GUTs, Standard Model and C,P,T

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aschieri, P.; Jurco, B.; Schupp, P.; Wess, J.

    2003-01-01

    Noncommutative Yang-Mills theories are sensitive to the choice of the representation that enters in the gauge kinetic term. We constrain this ambiguity by considering grand unified theories. We find that at first order in the noncommutativity parameter θ, SU(5) is not truly a unified theory, while SO(10) has a unique noncommutative generalization. In view of these results we discuss the noncommutative SM theory that is compatible with SO(10) GUT and find that there are no modifications to the SM gauge kinetic term at lowest order in θ. We study in detail the reality, Hermiticity and C,P,T properties of the Seiberg-Witten map and of the resulting effective actions expanded in ordinary fields. We find that in models of GUTs (or compatible with GUTs) right-handed fermions and left-handed ones appear with opposite Seiberg-Witten map

  20. Noncommutative GUTs, Standard Model and C,P,T

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Aschieri, P. E-mail: aschieri@theorie.physik.uni-muenchen.de; Jurco, B. E-mail: jurco@theorie.physik.uni-muenchen.de; Schupp, P. E-mail: p.schupp@iu-bremen.de; Wess, J. E-mail: wess@theorie.physik.uni-muenchen.de

    2003-02-17

    Noncommutative Yang-Mills theories are sensitive to the choice of the representation that enters in the gauge kinetic term. We constrain this ambiguity by considering grand unified theories. We find that at first order in the noncommutativity parameter {theta}, SU(5) is not truly a unified theory, while SO(10) has a unique noncommutative generalization. In view of these results we discuss the noncommutative SM theory that is compatible with SO(10) GUT and find that there are no modifications to the SM gauge kinetic term at lowest order in {theta}. We study in detail the reality, Hermiticity and C,P,T properties of the Seiberg-Witten map and of the resulting effective actions expanded in ordinary fields. We find that in models of GUTs (or compatible with GUTs) right-handed fermions and left-handed ones appear with opposite Seiberg-Witten map.

  1. Bio-inspired computation in telecommunications

    CERN Document Server

    Yang, Xin-She; Ting, TO

    2015-01-01

    Bio-inspired computation, especially those based on swarm intelligence, has become increasingly popular in the last decade. Bio-Inspired Computation in Telecommunications reviews the latest developments in bio-inspired computation from both theory and application as they relate to telecommunications and image processing, providing a complete resource that analyzes and discusses the latest and future trends in research directions. Written by recognized experts, this is a must-have guide for researchers, telecommunication engineers, computer scientists and PhD students.

  2. Vectorlike particles, Z′ and Yukawa unification in F-theory inspired E6

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Athanasios Karozas

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available We explore the low energy implications of an F-theory inspired E6 model whose breaking yields, in addition to the MSSM gauge symmetry, a Z′ gauge boson associated with a U(1 symmetry broken at the TeV scale. The zero mode spectrum of the effective low energy theory is derived from the decomposition of the 27 and 27‾ representations of E6 and we parametrise their multiplicities in terms of a minimum number of flux parameters. We perform a two-loop renormalisation group analysis of the gauge and Yukawa couplings of the effective theory model and estimate lower bounds on the new vectorlike particles predicted in the model. We compute the third generation Yukawa couplings in an F-theory context assuming an E8 point of enhancement and express our results in terms of the local flux densities associated with the gauge symmetry breaking. We find that their values are compatible with the ones computed by the renormalisation group equations, and we identify points in the parameter space of the flux densities where the t−b−τ Yukawa couplings unify.

  3. Fit reduced GUTS models online: From theory to practice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baudrot, Virgile; Veber, Philippe; Gence, Guillaume; Charles, Sandrine

    2018-05-20

    Mechanistic modeling approaches, such as the toxicokinetic-toxicodynamic (TKTD) framework, are promoted by international institutions such as the European Food Safety Authority and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development to assess the environmental risk of chemical products generated by human activities. TKTD models can encompass a large set of mechanisms describing the kinetics of compounds inside organisms (e.g., uptake and elimination) and their effect at the level of individuals (e.g., damage accrual, recovery, and death mechanism). Compared to classical dose-response models, TKTD approaches have many advantages, including accounting for temporal aspects of exposure and toxicity, considering data points all along the experiment and not only at the end, and making predictions for untested situations as realistic exposure scenarios. Among TKTD models, the general unified threshold model of survival (GUTS) is within the most recent and innovative framework but is still underused in practice, especially by risk assessors, because specialist programming and statistical skills are necessary to run it. Making GUTS models easier to use through a new module freely available from the web platform MOSAIC (standing for MOdeling and StAtistical tools for ecotoxIClogy) should promote GUTS operability in support of the daily work of environmental risk assessors. This paper presents the main features of MOSAIC_GUTS: uploading of the experimental data, GUTS fitting analysis, and LCx estimates with their uncertainty. These features will be exemplified from literature data. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2018;00:000-000. © 2018 SETAC. © 2018 SETAC.

  4. Nature-inspired computing and optimization theory and applications

    CERN Document Server

    Yang, Xin-She; Nakamatsu, Kazumi

    2017-01-01

    The book provides readers with a snapshot of the state of the art in the field of nature-inspired computing and its application in optimization. The approach is mainly practice-oriented: each bio-inspired technique or algorithm is introduced together with one of its possible applications. Applications cover a wide range of real-world optimization problems: from feature selection and image enhancement to scheduling and dynamic resource management, from wireless sensor networks and wiring network diagnosis to sports training planning and gene expression, from topology control and morphological filters to nutritional meal design and antenna array design. There are a few theoretical chapters comparing different existing techniques, exploring the advantages of nature-inspired computing over other methods, and investigating the mixing time of genetic algorithms. The book also introduces a wide range of algorithms, including the ant colony optimization, the bat algorithm, genetic algorithms, the collision-based opti...

  5. Radiative breaking scenario for the GUT gauge symmetry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fukuyama, T.; Kikuchi, T.

    2006-01-01

    The origin of the grand unified theory (GUT) scale from the top-down perspective is explored. The GUT gauge symmetry is broken by the renormalization group effects, which is an extension of the radiative electroweak symmetry breaking scenario to the GUT models. That is, in the same way as the origin of the electroweak scale, the GUT scale is generated from the Planck scale through the radiative corrections to the soft supersymmetry breaking mass parameters. This mechanism is applied to a perturbative SO(10) GUT model, recently proposed by us. In the SO(10) model, the relation between the GUT scale and the Planck scale can naturally be realized by using order-one coupling constants. (orig.)

  6. Strange and scary memories of the intensive care unit: a qualitative, longitudinal study inspired by Ricoeur's interpretation theory

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Svenningsen, Helle; Egerod, Ingrid; Dreyer, Pia

    2016-01-01

    of patient experiences in intensive care unit, but large-scale studies are also needed to inform intensive care unit follow-up. Methods: The study had a qualitative design using phenomenological hermeneutic analysis inspired by Ricoeur's interpretive theory. Patients were assessed with Confusion Assessment...

  7. Hadronic EDM constraints on orbifold GUTs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hisano, Junji; Kakizaki, Mitsuru; Nagai, Minoru

    2005-01-01

    We point out that the null results of the hadronic electric dipole moment (EDM) searches constrain orbifold grand unified theories (GUTs), where the GUT symmetry and supersymmetry (SUSY) are both broken by boundary conditions in extra dimensions and it leads to rich fermion and sfermion flavor structures. A marginal chromoelectric dipole moment (CEDM) of the up quark is induced by the misalignment between the CP violating left- and right-handed up-type squark mixings, in contrast to the conventional four-dimensional SUSY GUTs. The up quark CEDM constraint is found to be as strong as those from charged lepton flavor violation (LFV) searches. The interplay between future EDM and LFV experiments will probe the structures of the GUTs and the SUSY breaking mediation mechanism

  8. String GUTs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aldazabal, G.; Ibanez, L.E.; Uranga, A.M.

    1995-01-01

    Standard SUSY-GUTs such as those based on SU(5) or SO(10) lead to predictions for the values of α s and sin 2 θ W in amazing agreement with experiment. In this article we investigate how these models may be obtained from string theory, thus bringing them into the only known consistent framework for quantum gravity. String models with matter in standard GUT representations require the realization of affine Lie algebras at higher levels. We start by describing some methods to build level k=2 symmetric orbifold string models with gauge groups SU(5) or SO(10). We present several examples and identify generic features of the type of models constructed. Chiral fields appropriate to break the symmetry down to the standard model generically appear in the massless spectrum. However, unlike in standard SUSY-GUTs, they often behave as string moduli, i.e., they do not have self-couplings. We also discuss briefly the doublet-triplet Higgs splitting. We find that, in some models, built-in sliding-singlet type of couplings exist. (orig.)

  9. Microbiota-Brain-Gut Axis and Neurodegenerative Diseases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Quigley, Eamonn M M

    2017-10-17

    The purposes of this review were as follows: first, to provide an overview of the gut microbiota and its interactions with the gut and the central nervous system (the microbiota-gut-brain axis) in health, second, to review the relevance of this axis to the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson's disease, and, finally, to assess the potential for microbiota-targeted therapies. Work on animal models has established the microbiota-gut-brain axis as a real phenomenon; to date, the evidence for its operation in man has been limited and has been confronted by considerable logistical challenges. Animal and translational models have incriminated a disturbed gut microbiota in a number of CNS disorders, including Parkinson's disease; data from human studies is scanty. While a theoretical basis can be developed for the use of microbiota-directed therapies in neurodegenerative disorders, support is yet to come from high-quality clinical trials. In theory, a role for the microbiota-gut-brain axis is highly plausible; clinical confirmation is awaited.

  10. The structure of GUT breaking by orbifolding

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hebecker, Arthur; March-Russell, John

    2002-01-01

    Recently, an attractive model of GUT breaking has been proposed in which a 5-dimensional supersymmetric SU(5) gauge theory on an S 1 /(Z 2 xZ 2 ') orbifold is broken down to the 4d MSSM by SU(5)-violating boundary conditions. Motivated by this construction and several related realistic models, we investigate the general structure of orbifolds in the effective field theory context, and of this orbifold symmetry breaking mechanism in particular. An analysis of the group theoretic structure of orbifold breaking is performed. This depends upon the existence of appropriate inner and outer automorphisms of the Lie algebra, and we show that a reduction of the rank of the GUT group is possible. Some aspects of larger GUT theories based on SO(10) and E 6 are discussed. We explore the possibilities of defining the theory directly on a space with boundaries and breaking the gauge symmetry by more general consistently chosen boundary conditions for the fields. Furthermore, we derive the relation of orbifold breaking with the familiar mechanism of Wilson line breaking, finding a one-to-one correspondence, both conceptually and technically. Finally, we analyse the consistency of orbifold models in the effective field theory context, emphasizing the necessity for self-adjoint extensions of the Hamiltonian and other conserved operators, and especially the highly restrictive anomaly cancellation conditions that apply if the bulk theory lives in more than 5 dimensions

  11. String derived exophobic SU(6)×SU(2) GUTs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bernard, Laura; Faraggi, Alon E.; Glasser, Ivan; Rizos, John; Sonmez, Hasan

    2013-01-01

    With the apparent discovery of the Higgs boson, the Standard Model has been confirmed as the theory accounting for all sub-atomic phenomena. This observation lends further credence to the perturbative unification in Grand Unified Theories (GUTs) and string theories. The free fermionic formalism yielded fertile ground for the construction of quasi-realistic heterotic-string models, which correspond to toroidal Z 2 ×Z 2 orbifold compactifications. In this paper we study a new class of heterotic-string models in which the GUT group is SU(6)×SU(2) at the string level. We use our recently developed fishing algorithm to extract an example of a three generation SU(6)×SU(2) GUT model. We explore the phenomenology of the model and show that it contains the required symmetry breaking Higgs representations. We show that the model admits flat directions that produce a Yukawa coupling for a single family. The novel feature of the SU(6)×SU(2) string GUT models is that they produce an additional family universal anomaly free U(1) symmetry, and may remain unbroken below the string scale. The massless spectrum of the model is free of exotic states.

  12. Inspirations from the theories of Bohr and Mottelson: a Canadian perspective

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ward, D; Waddington, J C; Svensson, C E

    2016-01-01

    The theories developed by Bohr and Mottelson have inspired much of the world-wide experimental investigation into the structure of the atomic nucleus. On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the awarding of their Nobel prize, we reflect on some of the experimental developments made in understanding the structure of nuclei. We have chosen to focus on experiments performed in Canada, or having strong ties to Canada, and the work included here spans virtually the whole of the second half of the 20th century. The 8π Spectrometer, which figures prominently in this story, was a novel departure for funding science in Canada that involved an intimate collaboration between a Crown Corporation (Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd) and University research, and enabled many of the insights discussed here. (invited comment)

  13. Froggatt-Nielsen meets Mordell-Weil: a phenomenological survey of global F-theory GUTs with U(1)s

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Krippendorf, Sven; Schäfer-Nameki, Sakura; Wong, Jin-Mann

    2015-01-01

    In F-theory, U(1) gauge symmetries are encoded in rational sections, which generate the Mordell-Weil group of the elliptic fibration of the compactification space. Recently the possible U(1) charges for global SU(5) F-theory GUTs with smooth rational sections were classified http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/JHEP09(2015)144. In this paper we utilize this classification to probe global F-theory models for their phenomenological viability. After imposing an exotic-free MSSM spectrum, anomaly cancellation (related to hypercharge flux GUT breaking in the presence of U(1) gauge symmetries), absence of dimension four and five proton decay operators and other R-parity violating couplings, and the presence of at least the third generation top Yukawa coupling, we generate the remaining quark and lepton Yukawa textures by a Froggatt-Nielsen mechanism. In this process we require that the dangerous couplings are forbidden at leading order, and when re-generated by singlet vevs, lie within the experimental bounds. We scan over all possible configurations, and show that only a small class of U(1) charge assignments and matter distributions satisfy all the requirements. The solutions give rise to the exact MSSM spectrum with realistic quark and lepton Yukawa textures, which are consistent with the CKM and PMNS mixing matrices. We also discuss the geometric realization of these models, and provide pointers to the class of elliptic fibrations with good phenomenological properties.

  14. Testing GUTs: where do monopoles fit

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ellis, J.

    1982-10-01

    The report shows why the inadequacies of the standard model of elementary particles impel some theorists toward embedding the strong, weak and electromagnetic interactions in a simple GUT group, and explains why the grand unification scale and hence the GUM (Grand Unified Monopoles) mass are expected to be so large (greater than or equal to 10 14 GeV). It goes on to describe some model GUTs, notably minimal SU(5) and supersymmetric (susy) GUTs. The grand unified analogues of generalized Cabibbo mixing angles are introduced relevant to the prediction of baryon decay modes in different theories as well as to the Decay modes catalyzed by GUMs. Phenomenologies of conventional and susy GUTs are contrasted including the potential increase in the grand unification scale as well as possible different baryon decay modes in susy GUTs. The phenomenology of GUMs is discussed, principally their ability to catalyze baryon decays. Some of the astrophysical and cosmological constraints on GUMs, GUMs, which make it difficult to imagine ever seeing a GUM and may impose serious restrictions on GUT model-building via their behavior in the very early universe are introduced. Finally, the reasons why GUMs are crucial aspects and tests of GUTs are summarized

  15. Gut Endotoxin Leading to a Decline IN Gonadal function (GELDING) - a novel theory for the development of late onset hypogonadism in obese men.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tremellen, Kelton

    2016-01-01

    Obesity is an increasing public health problem, with two-thirds of the adult population in many Western countries now being either overweight or obese. Male obesity is associated with late onset hypogonadism, a condition characterised by decreased serum testosterone, sperm quality plus diminished fertility and quality of life. In this paper we propose a novel theory underlying the development of obesity related hypogonadism- the GELDING theory (Gut Endotoxin Leading to a Decline IN Gonadal function). Several observational studies have previously reported an association between obesity related hypogonadism (low testosterone) and systemic inflammation. However, for the first time we postulate that the trans-mucosal passage of bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from the gut lumen into the circulation is a key inflammatory trigger underlying male hypogonadism. Obesity and a high fat/high calorie diet are both reported to result in changes to gut bacteria and intestinal wall permeability, leading to the passage of bacterial endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide- LPS) from within the gut lumen into the circulation (metabolic endotoxaemia), where it initiates systemic inflammation. Endotoxin is known to reduce testosterone production by the testis, both by direct inhibition of Leydig cell steroidogenic pathways and indirectly by reducing pituitary LH drive, thereby also leading to a decline in sperm production. In this paper we also highlight the novel evolutionary benefits of the GELDING theory. Testosterone is known to be a powerful immune-suppressive, decreasing a man's ability to fight infection. Therefore we postulate that the male reproductive axis has evolved the capacity to lower testosterone production during times of infection and resulting endotoxin exposure, decreasing the immunosuppressive influence of testosterone, in turn enhancing the ability to fight infection. While this response is adaptive in times of sepsis, it becomes maladaptive in the setting of "non

  16. Maximal sfermion flavour violation in super-GUTs

    CERN Document Server

    AUTHOR|(CDS)2108556; Velasco-Sevilla, Liliana

    2016-01-01

    We consider supersymmetric grand unified theories with soft supersymmetry-breaking scalar masses $m_0$ specified above the GUT scale (super-GUTs) and patterns of Yukawa couplings motivated by upper limits on flavour-changing interactions beyond the Standard Model. If the scalar masses are smaller than the gaugino masses $m_{1/2}$, as is expected in no-scale models, the dominant effects of renormalization between the input scale and the GUT scale are generally expected to be those due to the gauge couplings, which are proportional to $m_{1/2}$ and generation-independent. In this case, the input scalar masses $m_0$ may violate flavour maximally, a scenario we call MaxFV, and there is no supersymmetric flavour problem. We illustrate this possibility within various specific super-GUT scenarios that are deformations of no-scale gravity.

  17. Maximal sfermion flavour violation in super-GUTs

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ellis, John [King' s College London, Theoretical Particle Physics and Cosmology Group, Department of Physics, London (United Kingdom); Olive, Keith A. [CERN, Theoretical Physics Department, Geneva (Switzerland); University of Minnesota, William I. Fine Theoretical Physics Institute, School of Physics and Astronomy, Minneapolis, MN (United States); Velasco-Sevilla, L. [University of Bergen, Department of Physics and Technology, PO Box 7803, Bergen (Norway)

    2016-10-15

    We consider supersymmetric grand unified theories with soft supersymmetry-breaking scalar masses m{sub 0} specified above the GUT scale (super-GUTs) and patterns of Yukawa couplings motivated by upper limits on flavour-changing interactions beyond the Standard Model. If the scalar masses are smaller than the gaugino masses m{sub 1/2}, as is expected in no-scale models, the dominant effects of renormalisation between the input scale and the GUT scale are generally expected to be those due to the gauge couplings, which are proportional to m{sub 1/2} and generation independent. In this case, the input scalar masses m{sub 0} may violate flavour maximally, a scenario we call MaxSFV, and there is no supersymmetric flavour problem. We illustrate this possibility within various specific super-GUT scenarios that are deformations of no-scale gravity. (orig.)

  18. Fermion Masses and Mixing in SUSY Grand Unified Gauge Models with Extended Gut Gauge Groups

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chou, Chih-Lung

    2005-04-05

    The authors discuss a class of supersymmetric (SUSY) grand unified gauge (GUT) models based on the GUT symmetry G x G or G x G x G, where G denotes the GUT group that has the Standard Model symmetry (SU(3){sub c} x SU(2){sub L} x U(1){sub Y}) embedded as a subgroup. As motivated from string theory, these models are constructed without introducing any Higgs field of rani two or higher. Thus all the Higgs fields are in the fundamental representations of the extended GUT symmetry or, when G = SO(10), in the spinorial representation. These Higgs fields, when acquiring their vacuum expectation values, would break the extended GUT symmetry down to the Standard Model symmetry. In this dissertation, they argue that the features required of unified models, such as the Higgs doublet-triplet splitting, proton stability, and the hierarchy of fermion masses and mixing angles, could have natural explanations in the framework of the extended SUSY GUTs. Furthermore, they argue that the frameworks used previously to construct SO(10) GUT models using adjoint Higgs fields can naturally arise from the SO(10) x SO(10) and SO(10) x SO(10) x SO(10) models by integrating out heavy fermions. This observation thus suggests that the traditional SUSY GUT SO(10) theories can be viewed as the low energy effective theories generated by breaking the extended GUT symmetry down to the SO(10) symmetry.

  19. 8th International Conference on Bio-Inspired Computing : Theories and Applications

    CERN Document Server

    Pan, Linqiang; Fang, Xianwen

    2013-01-01

    International Conference on Bio-Inspired Computing: Theories and Applications (BIC-TA) is one of the flagship conferences on Bio-Computing, bringing together the world’s leading scientists from different areas of Natural Computing. Since 2006, the conferences have taken place at Wuhan (2006), Zhengzhou (2007), Adelaide (2008), Beijing (2009), Liverpool & Changsha (2010), Malaysia (2011) and India (2012). Following the successes of previous events, the 8th conference is organized and hosted by Anhui University of Science and Technology in China. This conference aims to provide a high-level international forum that researchers with different backgrounds and who are working in the related areas can use to present their latest results and exchange ideas. Additionally, the growing trend in Emergent Systems has resulted in the inclusion of two other closely related fields in the BIC-TA 2013 event, namely Complex Systems and Computational Neuroscience. These proceedings are intended for researchers in the fiel...

  20. Toric Methods in F-Theory Model Building

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Johanna Knapp

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available We discuss recent constructions of global F-theory GUT models and explain how to make use of toric geometry to do calculations within this framework. After introducing the basic properties of global F-theory GUTs, we give a self-contained review of toric geometry and introduce all the tools that are necessary to construct and analyze global F-theory models. We will explain how to systematically obtain a large class of compact Calabi-Yau fourfolds which can support F-theory GUTs by using the software package PALP.

  1. Supergravity theories

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Uehara, S.

    1985-01-01

    Of all supergravity theories, the maximal, i.e., N = 8 in 4-dimension or N = 1 in 11-dimension, theory should perform the unification since it owns the highest degree of symmetry. As to the N = 1 in d = 11 theory, it has been investigated how to compactify to the d = 4 theories. From the phenomenological point of view, local SUSY GUTs, i.e., N = 1 SUSY GUTs with soft breaking terms, have been studied from various angles. The structures of extended supergravity theories are less understood than those of N = 1 supergravity theories, and matter couplings in N = 2 extended supergravity theories are under investigation. The harmonic superspace was recently proposed which may be useful to investigate the quantum effects of extended supersymmetry and supergravity theories. As to the so-called Kaluza-Klein supergravity, there is another possibility. (Mori, K.)

  2. GUTs in type IIB orientifold compactifications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Blumenhagen, Ralph; Braun, Volker; Grimm, Thomas W.; Weigand, Timo

    2009-01-01

    We systematically analyse globally consistent SU(5) GUT models on intersecting D7-branes in genuine Calabi-Yau orientifolds with O3- and O7-planes. Beyond the well-known tadpole and K-theory cancellation conditions there exist a number of additional subtle but quite restrictive constraints. For the realisation of SU(5) GUTs with gauge symmetry breaking via U(1) Y flux we present two classes of suitable Calabi-Yau manifolds defined via del Pezzo transitions of the elliptically fibred hypersurface P 1,1,1,6,9 [18] and of the Quintic P 1,1,1,1,1 [5], respectively. To define an orientifold projection we classify all involutions on del Pezzo surfaces. We work out the model building prospects of these geometries and present five globally consistent string GUT models in detail, including a 3-generation SU(5) model with no exotics whatsoever. We also realise other phenomenological features such as the 10105 H Yukawa coupling and comment on the possibility of moduli stabilisation, where we find an entire new set of so-called swiss-cheese type Calabi-Yau manifolds. It is expected that both the general constrained structure and the concrete models lift to F-theory vacua on compact Calabi-Yau fourfolds.

  3. GUTs on Compact Type IIB Orientifolds

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Blumenhagen, Ralph; /Munich, Max Planck Inst.; Braun, Volker; /Dublin Inst.; Grimm, Thomas W.; /Bonn U.; Weigand, Timo; /SLAC

    2008-12-01

    We systematically analyze globally consistent SU(5) GUT models on intersecting D7-branes in genuine Calabi-Yau orientifolds with O3- and O7-planes. Beyond the well-known tadpole and K-theory cancellation conditions there exist a number of additional subtle but quite restrictive constraints. For the realization of SU(5) GUTs with gauge symmetry breaking via U(1)Y flux we present two classes of suitable Calabi-Yau manifolds defined via del Pezzo transitions of the elliptically fibred hypersurface P{sub 1,1,1,6,9}[18] and of the Quintic P{sub 1,1,1,1,1}[5], respectively. To define an orientifold projection we classify all involutions on del Pezzo surfaces. We work out the model building prospects of these geometries and present five globally consistent string GUT models in detail, including a 3-generation SU(5) model with no exotics whatsoever. We also realize other phenomenological features such as the 10 10 5{sub H} Yukawa coupling and comment on the possibility of moduli stabilization, where we find an entire new set of so-called swiss-cheese type Calabi-Yau manifolds. It is expected that both the general constrained structure and the concrete models lift to F-theory vacua on compact Calabi-Yau fourfolds.

  4. Unification beyond GUT's: Gauge-Yukawa unification

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kubo, J.; Mondragon, M.; Zoupanos, G.

    1996-01-01

    Gauge-Yukawa Unification (GYU) is a renormalization group invariant functional relation among gauge and Yukawa couplings which holds beyond the unification point in Grand Unified Theories (GUTs). We present here various models where GYU is obtained by requiring the principles of finiteness and reduction of couplings. We examine the consequences of these requirements for the low energy parameters, especially for the top quark mass. The predictions are such that they clearly distinguish already GYU from ordinary GUTs. It is expected that it will be possible to discriminate among the various GYUs when more accurate measurements of the top quark mass are available. (author)

  5. Creative design inspired by biological knowledge: Technologies and methods

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tan, Runhua; Liu, Wei; Cao, Guozhong; Shi, Yuan

    2018-05-01

    Biological knowledge is becoming an important source of inspiration for developing creative solutions to engineering design problems and even has a huge potential in formulating ideas that can help firms compete successfully in a dynamic market. To identify the technologies and methods that can facilitate the development of biologically inspired creative designs, this research briefly reviews the existing biological-knowledge-based theories and methods and examines the application of biological-knowledge-inspired designs in various fields. Afterward, this research thoroughly examines the four dimensions of key technologies that underlie the biologically inspired design (BID) process. This research then discusses the future development trends of the BID process before presenting the conclusions.

  6. Bio-inspired computation in unmanned aerial vehicles

    CERN Document Server

    Duan, Haibin

    2014-01-01

    Bio-inspired Computation in Unmanned Aerial Vehicles focuses on the aspects of path planning, formation control, heterogeneous cooperative control and vision-based surveillance and navigation in Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) from the perspective of bio-inspired computation. It helps readers to gain a comprehensive understanding of control-related problems in UAVs, presenting the latest advances in bio-inspired computation. By combining bio-inspired computation and UAV control problems, key questions are explored in depth, and each piece is content-rich while remaining accessible. With abundant illustrations of simulation work, this book links theory, algorithms and implementation procedures, demonstrating the simulation results with graphics that are intuitive without sacrificing academic rigor. Further, it pays due attention to both the conceptual framework and the implementation procedures. The book offers a valuable resource for scientists, researchers and graduate students in the field of Control, Aeros...

  7. On gravitational waves in Born-Infeld inspired non-singular cosmologies

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jiménez, Jose Beltrán [Aix-Marseille Université, Université de Toulon, CNRS, CPT, Marseille (France); Heisenberg, Lavinia [Institute for Theoretical Studies, ETH Zurich, Clausiusstrasse 47, 8092 Zurich (Switzerland); Olmo, Gonzalo J. [Depto. de Física Teórica and IFIC, Universidad de Valencia—CSIC, Calle Dr. Moliner 50, Burjassot 46100, Valencia (Spain); Rubiera-Garcia, Diego, E-mail: jose.beltran@uam.es, E-mail: lavinia.heisenberg@eth-its.ethz.ch, E-mail: gonzalo.olmo@uv.es, E-mail: drgarcia@fc.ul.pt [Instituto de Astrofísica e Ciências do Espaço, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Edifício C8, Campo Grande, P-1749-016 Lisbon (Portugal)

    2017-10-01

    We study the evolution of gravitational waves for non-singular cosmological solutions within the framework of Born-Infeld inspired gravity theories, with special emphasis on the Eddington-inspired Born-Infeld theory. We review the existence of two types of non-singular cosmologies, namely bouncing and asymptotically Minkowski solutions, from a perspective that makes their features more apparent. We study in detail the propagation of gravitational waves near these non-singular solutions and carefully discuss the origin and severity of the instabilities and strong coupling problems that appear. We also investigate the role of the adiabatic sound speed of the matter sector in the regularisation of the gravitational waves evolution. We extend our analysis to more general Born-Infeld inspired theories where analogous solutions are found. As a general conclusion, we obtain that the bouncing solutions are generally more prone to instabilities, while the asymptotically Minkowski solutions can be rendered stable, making them appealing models for the early universe.

  8. Inspiration in the Act of Reading

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zeller, Kinga

    2016-01-01

    In German-language theology, Professor Ulrich H. J. Körtner’s theory of inspiration, as it relates to the Bible reader’s perspective, is well known. His attempt to gain fruitful insights from contemporary literary hermeneutics while linking them to theological concerns makes his approach a valued...... yet not uncontroversial example of a reception-aesthetics twist on the Lutheran sola Scriptura. This article presents Körtner’s hermeneutical considerations with special regard to inspiration related to the Bible reader’s perspective and shows how this approach may be related to some aspects...

  9. 7th International Conference on Bio-Inspired Computing : Theories and Applications

    CERN Document Server

    Singh, Pramod; Deep, Kusum; Pant, Millie; Nagar, Atulya

    2013-01-01

    The book is a collection of high quality peer reviewed research papers presented in Seventh International Conference on Bio-Inspired Computing (BIC-TA 2012) held at ABV-IIITM Gwalior, India. These research papers provide the latest developments in the broad area of "Computational Intelligence". The book discusses wide variety of industrial, engineering and scientific applications of nature/bio-inspired computing and presents invited papers from the inventors/originators of novel computational techniques.

  10. Neutrino assisted GUT baryogenesis revisited

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Wei-Chih; Päs, Heinrich; Zeißner, Sinan

    2018-03-01

    Many grand unified theory (GUT) models conserve the difference between the baryon and lepton number, B -L . These models can create baryon and lepton asymmetries from heavy Higgs or gauge boson decays with B +L ≠0 but with B -L =0 . Since the sphaleron processes violate B +L , such GUT-generated asymmetries will finally be washed out completely, making GUT baryogenesis scenarios incapable of reproducing the observed baryon asymmetry of the Universe. In this work, we revisit the idea to revive GUT baryogenesis, proposed by Fukugita and Yanagida, where right-handed neutrinos erase the lepton asymmetry before the sphaleron processes can significantly wash out the original B +L asymmetry, and in this way one can prevent a total washout of the initial baryon asymmetry. By solving the Boltzmann equations numerically for baryon and lepton asymmetries in a simplified 1 +1 flavor scenario, we can confirm the results of the original work. We further generalize the analysis to a more realistic scenario of three active and two right-handed neutrinos to highlight flavor effects of the right-handed neutrinos. Large regions in the parameter space of the Yukawa coupling and the right-handed neutrino mass featuring successful baryogenesis are identified.

  11. Constraints on GUTS with Coleman-Weinberg symmetry breaking

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sher, M.A.

    1981-01-01

    A popular assumption introduced by Coleman and Weinberg is that the elementary Higgs scalars of a gauge theory are massless at the tree level; the symmetry breakdown is then entirely due to quantum radiative corrections. In grand unified theories (GUTS), this assumption becomes particularly attractive. Many GUTS have intermediate mass scales [scales of symmetry breaking between baryon number generation and SU(2) x U(1) breaking], and it is attractive to apply the Coleman-Weinberg assumption to all stages of symmetry breaking after baryon number generation. In this paper, it is shown that most such GUTS are phenomenologically unacceptable. The reason is that as the universe cools, at each scale of symmetry breaking there will be a phase transition; if the symmetry is broken a la Coleman-Weinberg, this transition is strongly first order and thus generates entropy, decreasing the previously generated baryon number to entropy ratio by a large, and perhaps unacceptable amount. The entropy generated in a general intermediate mass scale transition is calculated, and the severe constraints that any Coleman-Weinberg-type GUT with intermediate mass scales must satisfy (in order to avoid excessive entropy generation) are found. Turning to specific models, it is shown that all intermediate mass scale transitions associated with SO(10) do not satisfy these constraints; the Coleman-Weinberg form of these transitions is inconsistent with cosmological observations and is thus phenomenologically unacceptable. (orig.)

  12. Gut

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Muscogiuri, Giovanna; Balercia, Giancarlo; Barrea, Luigi

    2017-01-01

    The gut regulates glucose and energy homeostasis; thus, the presence of ingested nutrients into the gut activates sensing mechanisms that affect both glucose homeostasis and regulate food intake. Increasing evidence suggest that gut may also play a key role in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes...... which may be related to both the intestinal microbiological profile and patterns of gut hormones secretion. Intestinal microbiota includes trillions of microorganisms but its composition and function may be adversely affected in type 2 diabetes. The intestinal microbiota may be responsible...... metabolism. Thus, the aim of this manuscript is to review the current evidence on the role of the gut in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes, taking into account both hormonal and microbiological aspects....

  13. Finite Unification: Theory, Models and Predictions

    CERN Document Server

    Heinemeyer, S; Zoupanos, G

    2011-01-01

    All-loop Finite Unified Theories (FUTs) are very interesting N=1 supersymmetric Grand Unified Theories (GUTs) realising an old field theory dream, and moreover have a remarkable predictive power due to the required reduction of couplings. The reduction of the dimensionless couplings in N=1 GUTs is achieved by searching for renormalization group invariant (RGI) relations among them holding beyond the unification scale. Finiteness results from the fact that there exist RGI relations among dimensional couplings that guarantee the vanishing of all beta-functions in certain N=1 GUTs even to all orders. Furthermore developments in the soft supersymmetry breaking sector of N=1 GUTs and FUTs lead to exact RGI relations, i.e. reduction of couplings, in this dimensionful sector of the theory, too. Based on the above theoretical framework phenomenologically consistent FUTs have been constructed. Here we review FUT models based on the SU(5) and SU(3)^3 gauge groups and their predictions. Of particular interest is the Hig...

  14. Realizing an Optimization Approach Inspired from Piaget’s Theory on Cognitive Development

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Utku Kose

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available The objective of this paper is to introduce an artificial intelligence based optimization approach, which is inspired from Piaget’s theory on cognitive development. The approach has been designed according to essential processes that an individual may experience while learning something new or improving his / her knowledge. These processes are associated with the Piaget’s ideas on an individual’s cognitive development. The approach expressed in this paper is a simple algorithm employing swarm intelligence oriented tasks in order to overcome single-objective optimization problems. For evaluating effectiveness of this early version of the algorithm, test operations have been done via some benchmark functions. The obtained results show that the approach / algorithm can be an alternative to the literature in terms of single-objective optimization.The authors have suggested the name: Cognitive Development Optimization Algorithm (CoDOA for the related intelligent optimization approach.

  15. On the fine-tuning problem in minimal SO(10) SUSY-GUT

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hempfling, R.

    1994-05-01

    In grand unified theories (GUT) based on SO(10) all fermions of one generation are embedded in a single representation. As a result, the top quark, the bottom quark, and the τ lepton have the same Yukawa coupling at the GUT scale. This implies a very large ratio of Higgs vacuum expectation values, tanβ≅m t /m b . In this letter we show that GUT threshold correction to the universal Higgs mass parameter can solve the fine-tuning problem associated with such large values of tan β. (orig.)

  16. New minimal SO(10) GUT: A theory for all epochs

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    [16,17] and are also reported in these proceedings in the contributions of Ila Garg and ..... maintaining realism in the fermion and GUT SSB sector and accounting for low- and .... a lily already well enamelled: as maintained by these authors.

  17. GUT scale threshold corrections in a complete supersymmetric SO(10) model: αs(MZ) versus proton lifetime

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lucas, V.; Raby, S.

    1996-01-01

    We show that one-loop GUT scale threshold corrections to gauge couplings are a significant constraint on the GUT symmetry-breaking sector of the theory. The one-loop threshold corrections relate the prediction for α s (M Z ) to the proton lifetime. We have calculated these corrections in a new complete SO(10) SUSY GUT. The results are consistent with the low-energy measurement of α s (M Z ). We have also calculated the proton lifetime and branching ratios in this model. We show that proton decay rates provide a powerful test for theories of fermion masses. copyright 1996 The American Physical Society

  18. Gut Microbiota-brain Axis

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Hong-Xing Wang; Yu-Ping Wang

    2016-01-01

    Objective:To systematically review the updated information about the gut microbiota-brain axis.Data Sources:All articles about gut microbiota-brain axis published up to July 18,2016,were identified through a literature search on PubMed,ScienceDirect,and Web of Science,with the keywords of"gut microbiota","gut-brain axis",and "neuroscience".Study Selection:All relevant articles on gut microbiota and gut-brain axis were included and carefully reviewed,with no limitation of study design.Results:It is well-recognized that gut microbiota affects the brain's physiological,behavioral,and cognitive functions although its precise mechanism has not yet been fully understood.Gut microbiota-brain axis may include gut microbiota and their metabolic products,enteric nervous system,sympathetic and parasympathetic branches within the autonomic nervous system,neural-immune system,neuroendocrine system,and central nervous system.Moreover,there may be five communication routes between gut microbiota and brain,including the gut-brain's neural network,neuroendocrine-hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis,gut immune system,some neurotransmitters and neural regulators synthesized by gut bacteria,and barrier paths including intestinal mucosal barrier and blood-brain barrier.The microbiome is used to define the composition and functional characteristics of gut microbiota,and metagenomics is an appropriate technique to characterize gut microbiota.Conclusions:Gut microbiota-brain axis refers to a bidirectional information network between the gut microbiota and the brain,which may provide a new way to protect the brain in the near future.

  19. Polymers in the gut compress the colonic mucus hydrogel.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Datta, Sujit S; Preska Steinberg, Asher; Ismagilov, Rustem F

    2016-06-28

    Colonic mucus is a key biological hydrogel that protects the gut from infection and physical damage and mediates host-microbe interactions and drug delivery. However, little is known about how its structure is influenced by materials it comes into contact with regularly. For example, the gut abounds in polymers such as dietary fibers or administered therapeutics, yet whether such polymers interact with the mucus hydrogel, and if so, how, remains unclear. Although several biological processes have been identified as potential regulators of mucus structure, the polymeric composition of the gut environment has been ignored. Here, we demonstrate that gut polymers do in fact regulate mucus hydrogel structure, and that polymer-mucus interactions can be described using a thermodynamic model based on Flory-Huggins solution theory. We found that both dietary and therapeutic polymers dramatically compressed murine colonic mucus ex vivo and in vivo. This behavior depended strongly on both polymer concentration and molecular weight, in agreement with the predictions of our thermodynamic model. Moreover, exposure to polymer-rich luminal fluid from germ-free mice strongly compressed the mucus hydrogel, whereas exposure to luminal fluid from specific-pathogen-free mice-whose microbiota degrade gut polymers-did not; this suggests that gut microbes modulate mucus structure by degrading polymers. These findings highlight the role of mucus as a responsive biomaterial, and reveal a mechanism of mucus restructuring that must be integrated into the design and interpretation of studies involving therapeutic polymers, dietary fibers, and fiber-degrading gut microbes.

  20. Finite and Gauge-Yukawa unified theories: Theory and predictions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kobayashi, T.; Kubo, J.; Mondragon, M.; Zoupanos, G.

    1999-01-01

    All-loop Finite Unified Theories (FUTs) are very interesting N=1 GUTs in which a complete reduction of couplings has been achieved. FUTs realize an old field theoretical dream and have remarkable predictive power. Reduction of dimensionless couplings in N=1 GUTs is achieved by searching for renormalization group invariant (RGI) relations among them holding beyond the unification scale. Finiteness results from the fact that there exists RGI relations among dimensionless couplings that guarantee the vanishing of the β- functions in certain N=1 supersymmetric GUTS even to all orders. Recent developments in the soft supersymmetry breaking (SSB) sector of N=1 GUTs and FUTs lead to exact RGI relations also in this sector of the theories. Of particular interest is a RGI sum rule for the soft scalar masses holding to all orders. The characteristic features of SU(5) models that have been constructed based on the above tools are: a) the old agreement of the top quark prediction with the measured value remains unchanged, b) the lightest Higgs boson is predicted to be around 120 GeV, c) the s-spectrum starts above several hundreds of GeV

  1. [Gut microbiota and immune crosstalk in metabolic disease].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burcelin, Rémy

    2017-01-01

    The aim of the review is to discuss about the role played by the defence crosstalk between the gut microbiota and the intestinal immune system, in the development of metabolic disease focusing on obesity and diabetes. Starting from physiological and pathological stand points and based on the latest published data, this review is addressing how the concept of the hologenome theory of evolution can drive the fate of metabolic disease. The notion of "metabolic infection" to explain the "metabolic inflammation" is discussed. This imply comments about the process of bacterial translocation and impaired intestinal immune defense against commensals. Eventually this review sets the soil for personalized medicine. The monthly increase in the number of publications on the gut microbiota to intestinal immune defense and the control of metabolism demonstrate the importance of this field of investigation. The notion of commensal as "self or non-self" has to be reevaluated in the light of the current data. Furthermore, data demonstrate the major role played by short chain fatty acids, secondary bile acids, LPS, peptidoglycans, indole derivatives, and other bacteria-related molecules on the shaping of cells involved in the intestinal protection against commensals is now becoming a central player in the incidence of metabolic diseases. The literature demonstrates that the onset of metabolic diseases and some specific co-morbidities can be explained by a gut microbiota to intestinal immune system crosstalk. Therefore, one should now consider this avenue of investigation as a putative source of biomarkers and therapeutic targets to personalize the treatment of metabolic disease and its co-morbidities. Gut microbiota is considered as a major regulator of metabolic disease. This reconciles the notion of metabolic inflammation and the epidemic development of the disease. In addition to evidence showing that a specific gut microbiota characterizes patients with obesity, type 2 diabetes

  2. LEP constraints on grand unified theories

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sarkar, Utpal

    1993-01-01

    Recent developments on grand unified theories (GUTs) in the context of the LEP measurements of the coupling constants are reviewed. The three coupling constants at the electroweak scale have been measured at LEP quite precisely. One can allow these couplings to evolve with energy following the renormalization group equations for the various groups and find out whether all the coupling constants meet at any energy. It was pointed out that the minimal SU(5) grand unified theory fails to satisfy this test. However, various extensions of the theory are still allowed. These extensions include (i) supersymmetric SU(5) GUT, with some arbitrariness in the susy breaking scale arising from the threshold corrections, (ii) non-susy SU(5) GUTs with additional fermions as well as Higgs multiplets, which has masses of the order of TeV, and (iii) non-renormalizable effect of gravity with a fine tuned relation among the coupling constants at the unification energy. The LEP results also constrain GUTs with an intermediate symmetry breaking scale. By adjusting the intermediate symmetry breaking scale, one usually can have unification, but these theories get constrained. For example, the left-right symmetric theories coming from GUTs can be broken only at energies higher than about ∼10 10 GeV. This implies that if right handed gauge bosons are found at energies lower than this scale, then that will rule out the possibility of grand unification. Another recent interesting development on the subject, namely, low energy unification, is discussed in this context. All the coupling constants are unified at energies of the order of ∼10 8 GeV when they are embedded in an SU(15)GUT, with some particular symmetry breaking pattern. But even in this case the results of the intermediate symmetry breaking scale remain unchanged. (author). 16 refs., 3 figs

  3. Perinatal Programming of Asthma: The Role of Gut Microbiota

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Meghan B. Azad

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Perinatal programming, a dominant theory for the origins of cardiovascular disease, proposes that environmental stimuli influence developmental pathways during critical periods of prenatal and postnatal development, inducing permanent changes in metabolism. In this paper, we present evidence for the perinatal programming of asthma via the intestinal microbiome. While epigenetic mechanisms continue to provide new explanations for the programming hypothesis of asthma development, it is increasingly apparent that the intestinal microbiota plays an independent and potentially interactive role. Commensal gut bacteria are essential to immune system development, and exposures disrupting the infant gut microbiota have been linked to asthma. This paper summarizes the recent findings that implicate caesarean delivery, breastfeeding, perinatal stress, probiotics, and antibiotics as modifiers of infant gut microbiota in the development of asthma.

  4. Writing Inspired

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tischhauser, Karen

    2015-01-01

    Students need inspiration to write. Assigning is not teaching. In order to inspire students to write fiction worth reading, teachers must take them through the process of writing. Physical objects inspire good writing with depth. In this article, the reader will be taken through the process of inspiring young writers through the use of boxes.…

  5. Nature-inspired design of hybrid intelligent systems

    CERN Document Server

    Castillo, Oscar; Kacprzyk, Janusz

    2017-01-01

    This book highlights recent advances in the design of hybrid intelligent systems based on nature-inspired optimization and their application in areas such as intelligent control and robotics, pattern recognition, time series prediction, and optimization of complex problems. The book is divided into seven main parts, the first of which addresses theoretical aspects of and new concepts and algorithms based on type-2 and intuitionistic fuzzy logic systems. The second part focuses on neural network theory, and explores the applications of neural networks in diverse areas, such as time series prediction and pattern recognition. The book’s third part presents enhancements to meta-heuristics based on fuzzy logic techniques and describes new nature-inspired optimization algorithms that employ fuzzy dynamic adaptation of parameters, while the fourth part presents diverse applications of nature-inspired optimization algorithms. In turn, the fifth part investigates applications of fuzzy logic in diverse areas, such as...

  6. Combining Bio-inspired Sensing with Bio-inspired Locomotion

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Shaikh, Danish; Hallam, John; Christensen-Dalsgaard, Jakob

    In this paper we present a preliminary Braitenberg vehicle–like approach to combine bio-inspired audition with bio-inspired quadruped locomotion in simulation. Locomotion gaits of the salamander–like robot Salamandra robotica are modified by a lizard’s peripheral auditory system model that modula......In this paper we present a preliminary Braitenberg vehicle–like approach to combine bio-inspired audition with bio-inspired quadruped locomotion in simulation. Locomotion gaits of the salamander–like robot Salamandra robotica are modified by a lizard’s peripheral auditory system model...

  7. GUTs and supersymmetric GUTs in the very early universe

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ellis, J.

    1983-01-01

    This talk is intended as background material for many of the other talks treating the possible applications of GUTs to the very early universe. It starts with a review of the present theoretical and phenomenological status of GUTs and then goes on to raise some new issues for their prospective cosmological applications which arise in supersymmetric (susy) GUTs. (author)

  8. Kinetic theory of Jean instability in Eddington-inspired Born-Infeld gravity

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Martino, Ivan de [University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Department of Theoretical Physics and History of Science, Faculty of Science and Technology, Leioa (Spain); Capolupo, Antonio [Universita di Salerno, Dipartimento di Fisica E.R. Caianiello, Fisciano (Italy); INFN Gruppo Collegato di Salerno, Fisciano (Italy)

    2017-10-15

    We analyze the stability of self-gravitating systems which dynamics is investigated using the collisionless Boltzmann equation, and the modified Poisson equation of Eddington-inspired Born-Infield gravity. These equations provide a description of the Jeans paradigm used to determine the critical scale above which such systems collapse. At equilibrium, the systems are described using the time-independent Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution function f{sub 0}(v). Considering small perturbations to this equilibrium state, we obtain a modified dispersion relation, and we find a new characteristic scale length. Our results indicate that the dynamics of self-gravitating astrophysical systems can be fully addressed in the Eddington-inspired Born-Infeld gravity. The latter modifies the Jeans instability in high densities environments, while its effects become negligible in star formation regions. (orig.)

  9. Grand unified theory precursors and nontrivial fixed points in higher-dimensional gauge theories

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dienes, Keith R.; Dudas, Emilian; Gherghetta, Tony

    2003-01-01

    Within the context of traditional logarithmic grand unification at M GUT ≅10 16 GeV, we show that it is nevertheless possible to observe certain GUT states such as X and Y gauge bosons at lower scales, perhaps even in the TeV range. We refer to such states as 'GUT precursors'. These states offer an interesting alternative possibility for new physics at the TeV scale, and could be used to directly probe GUT physics even though the scale of gauge coupling unification remains high. Our results also give rise to a Kaluza-Klein realization of nontrivial fixed points in higher-dimensional gauge theories

  10. GUTs and supersymmetric GUTs in the very early universe

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ellis, J.

    1982-10-01

    This talk is intended as background material for many of the other talks treating the possible applications of GUTs to the very early universe. I start with a review of the present theoretical and phenomenological status of GUTs before going on to raise some new issues for their prospective cosmological applications which arise in supersymmetric (susy) GUTs. The first section is an update on conventional GUTs, which is followed by a reminder of some of the motivations for going supersymmetric. There then follows a simple primer on susy and a discussion of the structure and phenomenology of simple sysy GUTs. Finally we come to the cosmological issues, including problems arising from the degeneracy of susy minima, baryosynthesis and supersymmetric inflation, the possibility that gravity is an essential complication in constructing susy GUTs and discussing their cosmology, and the related question of what mass range is allowed for the gravitino. Several parts of this write-up contain new material which has emerged either during the Workshop or subsequently. They are included here for completeness and the convenience of the prospective reader. Wherever possible, these anachronisms will be flagged so as to keep straight the historical record

  11. GUTs without guts

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gato-Rivera, B. [NIKHEF Theory Group, Science Park 105, 1098 XG Amsterdam (Netherlands); Instituto de Física Fundamental, IFF-CSIC, Serrano 123, Madrid 28006 (Spain); Schellekens, A.N., E-mail: t58@nikhef.nl [NIKHEF Theory Group, Science Park 105, 1098 XG Amsterdam (Netherlands); Instituto de Física Fundamental, IFF-CSIC, Serrano 123, Madrid 28006 (Spain); IMAPP, Radboud Universiteit, Nijmegen (Netherlands)

    2014-06-15

    The structure of a Standard Model family is derived in a class of brane models with a U(M)×U(N) factor, from two mildly anthropic requirements: a massless photon and a universe that does not turn into a plasma of massless charged particles. If we choose M=3 and N=2, the only option is shown to be the Standard Model with an undetermined number of families. We do not assume the U(1) embedding, charge quantization, family repetition, nor the fermion representations; all of these features are derived, assuming a doublet Higgs. With a slightly stronger assumption even the Higgs representation is determined. We also consider a more general class, requiring an asymptotically free strong SU(M) (with M⩾3) interaction from the first factor and an electromagnetic U(1) embedded in both factors. We allow Higgs symmetry breaking of the U(N)×U(1) flavor group by at most one Higgs boson in any representation, combined with any allowed chiral symmetry breaking by SU(M). For M=3 there is a large number of solutions with an unbroken U(1). In all of these, “quarks” have third-integral charges and color singlets have integer charges in comparison to leptons. Hence Standard Model charge quantization holds for any N. Only for N=2 these models allow an SU(5) GUT extension, but this extension offers no advantages whatsoever for understanding the Standard Model; it only causes complications, such as the doublet–triplet splitting problem. Although all these models have a massless photon, all except the Standard Model are ruled out by the second anthropic requirement. In this class of brane models the Standard Model is realized as a GUT with its intestines removed, to keep only the good parts: a GUT without guts.

  12. GUTs without guts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gato-Rivera, B.; Schellekens, A.N.

    2014-01-01

    The structure of a Standard Model family is derived in a class of brane models with a U(M)×U(N) factor, from two mildly anthropic requirements: a massless photon and a universe that does not turn into a plasma of massless charged particles. If we choose M=3 and N=2, the only option is shown to be the Standard Model with an undetermined number of families. We do not assume the U(1) embedding, charge quantization, family repetition, nor the fermion representations; all of these features are derived, assuming a doublet Higgs. With a slightly stronger assumption even the Higgs representation is determined. We also consider a more general class, requiring an asymptotically free strong SU(M) (with M⩾3) interaction from the first factor and an electromagnetic U(1) embedded in both factors. We allow Higgs symmetry breaking of the U(N)×U(1) flavor group by at most one Higgs boson in any representation, combined with any allowed chiral symmetry breaking by SU(M). For M=3 there is a large number of solutions with an unbroken U(1). In all of these, “quarks” have third-integral charges and color singlets have integer charges in comparison to leptons. Hence Standard Model charge quantization holds for any N. Only for N=2 these models allow an SU(5) GUT extension, but this extension offers no advantages whatsoever for understanding the Standard Model; it only causes complications, such as the doublet–triplet splitting problem. Although all these models have a massless photon, all except the Standard Model are ruled out by the second anthropic requirement. In this class of brane models the Standard Model is realized as a GUT with its intestines removed, to keep only the good parts: a GUT without guts

  13. Mind-altering with the gut: Modulation of the gut-brain axis with probiotics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Namhee; Yun, Misun; Oh, Young Joon; Choi, Hak-Jong

    2018-03-01

    It is increasingly evident that bidirectional interactions exist among the gastrointestinal tract, the enteric nervous system, and the central nervous system. Recent preclinical and clinical trials have shown that gut microbiota plays an important role in these gut-brain interactions. Furthermore, alterations in gut microbiota composition may be associated with pathogenesis of various neurological disorders, including stress, autism, depression, Parkinson's disease, and Alzheimer's disease. Therefore, the concepts of the microbiota-gut-brain axis is emerging. Here, we review the role of gut microbiota in bidirectional interactions between the gut and the brain, including neural, immune-mediated, and metabolic mechanisms. We highlight recent advances in the understanding of probiotic modulation of neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders via the gut-brain axis.

  14. Inspired Responses

    Science.gov (United States)

    Steele, Carol Frederick

    2011-01-01

    In terms of teacher quality, Steele believes the best teachers have reached a stage she terms inspired, and that teachers move progressively through the stages of unaware, aware, and capable until the most reflective teachers finally reach the inspired level. Inspired teachers have a wide repertoire of teaching and class management techniques and…

  15. The human gut resistome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Schaik, Willem

    2015-06-05

    In recent decades, the emergence and spread of antibiotic resistance among bacterial pathogens has become a major threat to public health. Bacteria can acquire antibiotic resistance genes by the mobilization and transfer of resistance genes from a donor strain. The human gut contains a densely populated microbial ecosystem, termed the gut microbiota, which offers ample opportunities for the horizontal transfer of genetic material, including antibiotic resistance genes. Recent technological advances allow microbiota-wide studies into the diversity and dynamics of the antibiotic resistance genes that are harboured by the gut microbiota ('the gut resistome'). Genes conferring resistance to antibiotics are ubiquitously present among the gut microbiota of humans and most resistance genes are harboured by strictly anaerobic gut commensals. The horizontal transfer of genetic material, including antibiotic resistance genes, through conjugation and transduction is a frequent event in the gut microbiota, but mostly involves non-pathogenic gut commensals as these dominate the microbiota of healthy individuals. Resistance gene transfer from commensals to gut-dwelling opportunistic pathogens appears to be a relatively rare event but may contribute to the emergence of multi-drug resistant strains, as is illustrated by the vancomycin resistance determinants that are shared by anaerobic gut commensals and the nosocomial pathogen Enterococcus faecium.

  16. θ13PMNS=θC/√(2) from GUTs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Antusch, Stefan; Gross, Christian; Maurer, Vinzenz; Sluka, Constantin

    2013-01-01

    The recent observations of the leptonic mixing angle θ 13 PMNS are consistent with θ 13 PMNS =θ C /√(2) (with θ C being the Cabibbo angle θ 12 CKM ). We discuss how this relation can emerge in Grand Unified Theories (GUTs) via charged lepton corrections. The key ingredient is that in GUTs the down-type quark Yukawa matrix and the charged lepton Yukawa matrix are generated from the same set of GUT operators, which implies that the resulting entries are linked and differ only by group-theoretical Clebsch factors. This allows a link θ 12 e ≈θ C to be established, which can induce θ 13 PMNS ≈θ C /√(2) provided that the 1–3 mixing in the neutrino mass matrix is much smaller than θ C . We find simple conditions under which θ 13 PMNS ≈θ C /√(2) can arise via this link in SU(5) GUTs and Pati–Salam models. We also discuss possible corrections to the exact relation. Using lepton mixing sum rules different neutrino mixing patterns can be distinguished by their predictions for the Dirac CP phase δ PMNS .

  17. New hierarchy in GUTs based on SU(n,1)/SU(n)U(1) SUGRA

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hayashi, M.J.; Murayama, Akihiro

    1985-01-01

    Grand unified theories (GUTs) in the framework of SU(n, 1)/SU(n) x U(1) supergravity are discussed which naturally generate a new hierarchy, Msub(P) (Planck mass): Msub(X) (GUT scale):msub(3/2) (gravitino mass):m (explicit supersymmetry breaking scale)=1:epsilon:epsilon 3 :epsilon 5 α(Msub(X)) with Msub(P) as the only input mass scale. The SUSY breaking scale m is expected to be fixed radiatively as mproportionalMsub(W), i.e., epsilonproportional10 -3 . Our method would be applicable to any GUT based on SU(n, 1)/SU(n) x U(1) supergravity. (orig.)

  18. Gut microbiota’s effect on mental health: The gut-brain axis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Megan Clapp

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available The bidirectional communication between the central nervous system and gut microbiota, referred to as the gut-brain-axis, has been of significant interest in recent years. Increasing evidence has associated gut microbiota to both gastrointestinal and extragastrointestinal diseases. Dysbiosis and inflammation of the gut have been linked to causing several mental illnesses including anxiety and depression, which are prevalent in society today. Probiotics have the ability to restore normal microbial balance, and therefore have a potential role in the treatment and prevention of anxiety and depression. This review aims to discuss the development of the gut microbiota, the linkage of dysbiosis to anxiety and depression, and possible applications of probiotics to reduce symptoms.

  19. Tail gut cyst.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rao, G Mallikarjuna; Haricharan, P; Ramanujacharyulu, S; Reddy, K Lakshmi

    2002-01-01

    The tail gut is a blind extension of the hindgut into the tail fold just distal to the cloacal membrane. Remnants of this structure may form tail gut cyst. We report a 14-year-old girl with tail gut cyst that presented as acute abdomen. The patient recovered after cyst excision.

  20. Beyond gut feelings: how the gut microbiota regulates blood pressure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marques, Francine Z; Mackay, Charles R; Kaye, David M

    2018-01-01

    Hypertension is the leading risk factor for heart disease and stroke, and is estimated to cause 9.4 million deaths globally every year. The pathogenesis of hypertension is complex, but lifestyle factors such as diet are important contributors to the disease. High dietary intake of fruit and vegetables is associated with reduced blood pressure and lower cardiovascular mortality. A critical relationship between dietary intake and the composition of the gut microbiota has been described in the literature, and a growing body of evidence supports the role of the gut microbiota in the regulation of blood pressure. In this Review, we describe the mechanisms by which the gut microbiota and its metabolites, including short-chain fatty acids, trimethylamine N-oxide, and lipopolysaccharides, act on downstream cellular targets to prevent or contribute to the pathogenesis of hypertension. These effects have a direct influence on tissues such as the kidney, the endothelium, and the heart. Finally, we consider the role of the gut microbiota in resistant hypertension, the possible intergenerational effect of the gut microbiota on blood pressure regulation, and the promising therapeutic potential of gut microbiota modification to improve health and prevent disease.

  1. Critical Theory: Implications for School Leadership Theory and Practice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peca, Kathy

    The school leader's behaviors are inspired by theories, and theories are intrinsic to practice. This paper provides an overview of an emerging perspective in educational administration, critical theory. The paper first highlights the philosophies of Immanuel Kant, Fichte, Hegel, Marx, and the Frankfurt School. It then discusses critical theory…

  2. Gut metabolome meets microbiome

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lamichhane, Santosh; Sen, Partho; Dickens, Alex M

    2018-01-01

    It is well established that gut microbes and their metabolic products regulate host metabolism. The interactions between the host and its gut microbiota are highly dynamic and complex. In this review we present and discuss the metabolomic strategies to study the gut microbial ecosystem. We...... highlight the metabolic profiling approaches to study faecal samples aimed at deciphering the metabolic product derived from gut microbiota. We also discuss how metabolomics data can be integrated with metagenomics data derived from gut microbiota and how such approaches may lead to better understanding...

  3. Astrophysical constraints on unparticle-inspired models of gravity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bertolami, O.; Paramos, J.; Santos, P.

    2009-01-01

    We use stellar dynamics arguments to constrain the relevant parameters of unparticle-inspired models of gravity. We show that resulting bounds do constrain the parameters of the theory of unparticles, as far as its energy scale satisfies the condition Λ U ≥1 TeV and d U is close to unity.

  4. A human gut phage catalog correlates the gut phageome with type 2 diabetes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Yingfei; You, Xiaoyan; Mai, Guoqin; Tokuyasu, Taku; Liu, Chenli

    2018-02-01

    Substantial efforts have been made to link the gut bacterial community to many complex human diseases. Nevertheless, the gut phages are often neglected. In this study, we used multiple bioinformatic methods to catalog gut phages from whole-community metagenomic sequencing data of fecal samples collected from both type II diabetes (T2D) patients (n = 71) and normal Chinese adults (n = 74). The definition of phage operational taxonomic units (pOTUs) and identification of large phage scaffolds (n = 2567, ≥ 10 k) revealed a comprehensive human gut phageome with a substantial number of novel sequences encoding genes that were unrelated to those in known phages. Interestingly, we observed a significant increase in the number of gut phages in the T2D group and, in particular, identified 7 pOTUs specific to T2D. This finding was further validated in an independent dataset of 116 T2D and 109 control samples. Co-occurrence/exclusion analysis of the bacterial genera and pOTUs identified a complex core interaction between bacteria and phages in the human gut ecosystem, suggesting that the significant alterations of the gut phageome cannot be explained simply by co-variation with the altered bacterial hosts. Alterations in the gut bacterial community have been linked to the chronic disease T2D, but the role of gut phages therein is not well understood. This is the first study to identify a T2D-specific gut phageome, indicating the existence of other mechanisms that might govern the gut phageome in T2D patients. These findings suggest the importance of the phageome in T2D risk, which warrants further investigation.

  5. Diet, gut microbiota and cognition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Proctor, Cicely; Thiennimitr, Parameth; Chattipakorn, Nipon; Chattipakorn, Siriporn C

    2017-02-01

    The consumption of a diet high in fat and sugar can lead to the development of obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), cardiovascular disease and cognitive decline. In the human gut, the trillions of harmless microorganisms harboured in the host's gastrointestinal tract are called the 'gut microbiota'. Consumption of a diet high in fat and sugar changes the healthy microbiota composition which leads to an imbalanced microbial population in the gut, a phenomenon known as "gut dysbiosis". It has been shown that certain types of gut microbiota are linked to the pathogenesis of obesity. In addition, long-term consumption of a high fat diet is associated with cognitive decline. It has recently been proposed that the gut microbiota is part of a mechanistic link between the consumption of a high fat diet and the impaired cognition of an individual, termed "microbiota-gut-brain axis". In this complex relationship between the gut, the brain and the gut microbiota, there are several types of gut microbiota and host mechanisms involved. Most of these mechanisms are still poorly understood. Therefore, this review comprehensively summarizes the current evidence from mainly in vivo (rodent and human) studies of the relationship between diet, gut microbiota and cognition. The possible mechanisms that the diet and the gut microbiota have on cognition are also presented and discussed.

  6. Surface singularities in Eddington-inspired Born-Infeld gravity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pani, Paolo; Sotiriou, Thomas P

    2012-12-21

    Eddington-inspired Born-Infeld gravity was recently proposed as an alternative to general relativity that offers a resolution of spacetime singularities. The theory differs from Einstein's gravity only inside matter due to nondynamical degrees of freedom, and it is compatible with all current observations. We show that the theory is reminiscent of Palatini f(R) gravity and that it shares the same pathologies, such as curvature singularities at the surface of polytropic stars and unacceptable Newtonian limit. This casts serious doubt on its viability.

  7. Frozen up dilaton and the GUT/Planck mass ratio

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davidson, Aharon; Ygael, Tomer

    2017-09-01

    By treating modulus and phase on equal footing, as prescribed by Dirac, local scale invariance can consistently accompany any Brans-Dicke ω-theory. We show that in the presence of a soft scale symmetry breaking term, the classical solution, if it exists, cannot be anything else but general relativistic. The dilaton modulus gets frozen up by the Weyl-Proca vector field, thereby constituting a gravitational quasi-Higgs mechanism. Assigning all grand unified scalars as dilatons, they enjoy Weyl universality, and upon symmetry breaking, the Planck (mass)2 becomes the sum of all their individual (VEV)2s. The emerging GUT/Planck (mass)2 ratio is thus ∼ ωgGUT2 / 4 π.

  8. Nucleon decay in a realistic SO(10) SUSY GUT

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lucas, V.; Raby, S.

    1997-01-01

    In this paper, we calculate neutron and proton decay rates and branching ratios in a predictive SO(10) SUSY GUT which agrees well with low energy data. We show that the nucleon lifetimes are consistent with the experimental bounds. The nucleon decay rates are calculated using all one-loop chargino and gluino-dressed diagrams regardless of their chiral structure. We show that the four-fermion operator C jk (u R d jR )(d kL ν τL ), commonly neglected in previous nucleon decay calculations, not only contributes significantly to nucleon decay, but, for many values of the initial GUT parameters and for large tanβ, actually dominates the decay rate. As a consequence, we find that τ p /τ n is often substantially larger than the prediction obtained in small tanβ models. We also find that gluino-dressed diagrams, often neglected in nucleon decay calculations, contribute significantly to nucleon decay. In addition we find that the branching ratios obtained from this realistic SO(10) SUSY GUT differ significantly from the predictions obtained from open-quotes genericclose quotes SU(5) SUSY GUT close-quote s. Thus, nucleon decay branching ratios, when observed, can be used to test theories of fermion masses. copyright 1997 The American Physical Society

  9. Form factors and charge radii in a quantum chromodynamics-inspired potential model using variationally improved perturbation theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hazarika, Bhaskar Jyoti; Choudhury, D.K.

    2015-01-01

    We use variationally improved perturbation theory (VIPT) for calculating the elastic form factors and charge radii of D, D s , B, B s and B c mesons in a quantum chromodynamics (QCD)-inspired potential model. For that, we use linear-cum-Coulombic potential and opt the Coulombic part first as parent and then the linear part as parent. The results show that charge radii and form factors are quite small for the Coulombic parent compared to the linear parent. Also, the analysis leads to a lower as well as upper bounds on the four-momentum transfer Q 2 , hinting at a workable range of Q 2 within this approach, which may be useful in future experimental analyses. Comparison of both the options shows that the linear parent is the better option. (author)

  10. RG-inspired machine learning for lattice field theory

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Foreman Sam

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Machine learning has been a fast growing field of research in several areas dealing with large datasets. We report recent attempts to use renormalization group (RG ideas in the context of machine learning. We examine coarse graining procedures for perceptron models designed to identify the digits of the MNIST data. We discuss the correspondence between principal components analysis (PCA and RG flows across the transition for worm configurations of the 2D Ising model. Preliminary results regarding the logarithmic divergence of the leading PCA eigenvalue were presented at the conference. More generally, we discuss the relationship between PCA and observables in Monte Carlo simulations and the possibility of reducing the number of learning parameters in supervised learning based on RG inspired hierarchical ansatzes.

  11. RG-inspired machine learning for lattice field theory

    Science.gov (United States)

    Foreman, Sam; Giedt, Joel; Meurice, Yannick; Unmuth-Yockey, Judah

    2018-03-01

    Machine learning has been a fast growing field of research in several areas dealing with large datasets. We report recent attempts to use renormalization group (RG) ideas in the context of machine learning. We examine coarse graining procedures for perceptron models designed to identify the digits of the MNIST data. We discuss the correspondence between principal components analysis (PCA) and RG flows across the transition for worm configurations of the 2D Ising model. Preliminary results regarding the logarithmic divergence of the leading PCA eigenvalue were presented at the conference. More generally, we discuss the relationship between PCA and observables in Monte Carlo simulations and the possibility of reducing the number of learning parameters in supervised learning based on RG inspired hierarchical ansatzes.

  12. Gut Protozoa: Friends or Foes of the Human Gut Microbiota?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chabé, Magali; Lokmer, Ana; Ségurel, Laure

    2017-12-01

    The importance of the gut microbiota for human health has sparked a strong interest in the study of the factors that shape its composition and diversity. Despite the growing evidence suggesting that helminths and protozoa significantly interact with gut bacteria, gut microbiome studies remain mostly focused on prokaryotes and on populations living in industrialized countries that typically have a low parasite burden. We argue that protozoa, like helminths, represent an important factor to take into account when studying the gut microbiome, and that their presence - especially considering their long coevolutionary history with humans - may be beneficial. From this perspective, we examine the relationship between the protozoa and their hosts, as well as their relevance for public health. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. A comment on the quark mixing in the supersymmetric SU(4)xO(4) GUT model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ranfone, S.

    1992-08-01

    The SU(4) x O(4) and the ''flipped'' SU(5) x U(1) models seem to be the only possible Grand Universal Theories (GUT's) derivable from string theories with Kac-Moody level K=1. Naively, the SU(4) x O(4) model, at least in its minimal GUT version, is characterized by the lack of any mixing in the quark sector. In this ''Comment'' we show that, although some mixing may be generated as a consequence of large vacuum-expectation-values for the scalar partners of the right-handed neutrinos, it turns out to be too small by several orders of magnitude, in net contrast with our experimental information concerning the Cabibbo mixing. Our result, which therefore rules out the minimal SU(4) x O(4) GUT model, also applies to ''flipped'' SU(5) x U(1) in the case of the embedding in SO(10). (Author)

  14. Gut microbiota and obesity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gérard, Philippe

    2016-01-01

    The human intestine harbors a complex bacterial community called the gut microbiota. This microbiota is specific to each individual despite the existence of several bacterial species shared by the majority of adults. The influence of the gut microbiota in human health and disease has been revealed in the recent years. Particularly, the use of germ-free animals and microbiota transplant showed that the gut microbiota may play a causal role in the development of obesity and associated metabolic disorders, and lead to identification of several mechanisms. In humans, differences in microbiota composition, functional genes and metabolic activities are observed between obese and lean individuals suggesting a contribution of the gut microbiota to these phenotypes. Finally, the evidence linking gut bacteria to host metabolism could allow the development of new therapeutic strategies based on gut microbiota modulation to treat or prevent obesity.

  15. Gut feelings as a third track in general practitioners' diagnostic reasoning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stolper, Erik; Van de Wiel, Margje; Van Royen, Paul; Van Bokhoven, Marloes; Van der Weijden, Trudy; Dinant, Geert Jan

    2011-02-01

    General practitioners (GPs) are often faced with complicated, vague problems in situations of uncertainty that they have to solve at short notice. In such situations, gut feelings seem to play a substantial role in their diagnostic process. Qualitative research distinguished a sense of alarm and a sense of reassurance. However, not every GP trusted their gut feelings, since a scientific explanation is lacking. This paper explains how gut feelings arise and function in GPs' diagnostic reasoning. The paper reviews literature from medical, psychological and neuroscientific perspectives. Gut feelings in general practice are based on the interaction between patient information and a GP's knowledge and experience. This is visualized in a knowledge-based model of GPs' diagnostic reasoning emphasizing that this complex task combines analytical and non-analytical cognitive processes. The model integrates the two well-known diagnostic reasoning tracks of medical decision-making and medical problem-solving, and adds gut feelings as a third track. Analytical and non-analytical diagnostic reasoning interacts continuously, and GPs use elements of all three tracks, depending on the task and the situation. In this dual process theory, gut feelings emerge as a consequence of non-analytical processing of the available information and knowledge, either reassuring GPs or alerting them that something is wrong and action is required. The role of affect as a heuristic within the physician's knowledge network explains how gut feelings may help GPs to navigate in a mostly efficient way in the often complex and uncertain diagnostic situations of general practice. Emotion research and neuroscientific data support the unmistakable role of affect in the process of making decisions and explain the bodily sensation of gut feelings.The implications for health care practice and medical education are discussed.

  16. Retina-Inspired Filter.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Doutsi, Effrosyni; Fillatre, Lionel; Antonini, Marc; Gaulmin, Julien

    2018-07-01

    This paper introduces a novel filter, which is inspired by the human retina. The human retina consists of three different layers: the Outer Plexiform Layer (OPL), the inner plexiform layer, and the ganglionic layer. Our inspiration is the linear transform which takes place in the OPL and has been mathematically described by the neuroscientific model "virtual retina." This model is the cornerstone to derive the non-separable spatio-temporal OPL retina-inspired filter, briefly renamed retina-inspired filter, studied in this paper. This filter is connected to the dynamic behavior of the retina, which enables the retina to increase the sharpness of the visual stimulus during filtering before its transmission to the brain. We establish that this retina-inspired transform forms a group of spatio-temporal Weighted Difference of Gaussian (WDoG) filters when it is applied to a still image visible for a given time. We analyze the spatial frequency bandwidth of the retina-inspired filter with respect to time. It is shown that the WDoG spectrum varies from a lowpass filter to a bandpass filter. Therefore, while time increases, the retina-inspired filter enables to extract different kinds of information from the input image. Finally, we discuss the benefits of using the retina-inspired filter in image processing applications such as edge detection and compression.

  17. Leptogenesis in a Δ(27)×SO(10) SUSY GUT

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Björkeroth, Fredrik [School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Southampton,SO17 1BJ Southampton (United Kingdom); Anda, Francisco J. de [Departamento de Física, CUCEI, Universidad de Guadalajara,Guadalajara (Mexico); Varzielas, Ivo de Medeiros; King, Stephen F. [School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Southampton,SO17 1BJ Southampton (United Kingdom)

    2017-01-17

    Although SO(10) Supersymmetric (SUSY) Grand Unification Theories (GUTs) are very attractive for neutrino mass and mixing, it is often quite difficult to achieve successful leptogenesis from the lightest right-handed neutrino N{sub 1} due to the strong relations between neutrino and up-type quark Yukawa couplings. We show that in a realistic model these constraints are relaxed, making N{sub 1} leptogenesis viable. To illustrate this, we calculate the baryon asymmetry of the Universe Y{sub B} from flavoured N{sub 1} leptogenesis in a recently proposed Δ(27)×SO(10) SUSY GUT. The flavoured Boltzmann equations are solved numerically, and comparison with the observed Y{sub B} places constraints on the allowed values of right-handed neutrino masses and neutrino Yukawa couplings. The flavoured SO(10) SUSY GUT is not only fairly complete and predictive in the lepton sector, but can also explain the BAU through leptogenesis with natural values in the lepton sector albeit with some tuning in the quark sector.

  18. SUSY GUT Model Building

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Raby, Stuart

    2008-01-01

    In this talk I discuss the evolution of SUSY GUT model building as I see it. Starting with 4 dimensional model building, I then consider orbifold GUTs in 5 dimensions and finally orbifold GUTs embedded into the E 8 xE 8 heterotic string.

  19. Cosmology in Gauge Field Theory and String Theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Garcia Compean, H

    2005-01-01

    This new book is intended for students and researchers who want to go into the interplay between cosmology and high-energy physics. It assumes a prior knowledge of these subjects such as some of the topics contained in the previous books by the authors, Introduction to Gauge Field Theory (1993 Bristol: Institute of Physics Publishing) and Supersymmetric Gauge Field Theory and String Theory (1994 Bristol: Institute of Physics Publishing). However, the book is intended to be self-contained, explaining, from a modern perspective, some background material mainly in standard cosmology, topological defects, baryogenesis, inflationary cosmology and, at the end of the book, some of the basics of string theory. What is distinctively new about this book is that it lies in the interplay between cosmology and high-energy physics typically above 100 GeV (10 15 K). Often these subjects are presented in regular textbooks in a disconnected way, or in research papers, proceedings and review papers but usually not in a pedagogical style. Thus, in this sense, the book is unique and deserves a special place in the recent literature. The book starts by reviewing the standard material of the early universe. The standard model of cosmology from a modern perspective is revised in chapter 1. In chapter 2, phase transitions in different models are discussed, Higgs, electroweak, GUTs, supersymmetric GUTs and supergravity, by using quantum field theory at finite temperature. Chapter 3 is devoted to a general account of topological defects and discusses how they arise as possible remnants of these phase transitions in GUTs. Other relics, such as neutrinos and axions, are introduced in chapter 5 and their impact in cosmology is assessed. In chapter 4, some of the most relevant mechanisms of baryogenesis are discussed in the context of the different GUTs and the minimal supersymmetric standard model (MSSM). Inflation is also discussed in the context of GUTs. In chapter 6, the authors introduce

  20. Proton decay in grand unified theories

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lucha, W.

    1984-01-01

    Interactions which violate the conservation of baryon and lepton number represent an intrinsic part of all grand unified theories (GUTs) of strong and electroweak interactions. These new interactions - predicted within the framework of GUTs - generate B and L violating four-fermion interactions via the exchange of superheavy particles which cannot be ascribed a well-defined baryon or lepton number. The effective coupling constant of these four-fermion interactions might be large enough to make the proton decay detectable by the present generation of experiments. In this review the basic concepts of conventional as well as supersymmetric GUTs relevant for proton decay are sketched. The baryon number violating sector of grand unified theories is discussed in more detail. Special emphasis is laid on the various selection rules arising as consequences of low-energy gauge invariance and supersymmetry for proton decay. These selection rules already determine the coarse pattern of the resulting decay modes and branching ratios without any reference to or detailed knowledge of the underlying grand unified theory. Finally the numerous theoretical predictions are summarized and confronted with experiment. (Author)

  1. Crackle Pitch Rises Progressively during Inspiration in Pneumonia, CHF, and IPF Patients

    OpenAIRE

    Vyshedskiy, Andrey; Murphy, Raymond

    2012-01-01

    Objective. It is generally accepted that crackles are due to sudden opening of airways and that larger airways produce crackles of lower pitch than smaller airways do. As larger airways are likely to open earlier in inspiration than smaller airways and the reverse is likely to be true in expiration, we studied crackle pitch as a function of crackle timing in inspiration and expiration. Our goal was to see if the measurement of crackle pitch was consistent with this theory. Methods. Patient...

  2. The "Gut Feeling": Breaking Down the Role of Gut Microbiome in Multiple Sclerosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Freedman, Samantha N; Shahi, Shailesh K; Mangalam, Ashutosh K

    2018-01-01

    Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic neuroinflammatory disease of the central nervous system with unknown etiology. Recently, the gut microbiota has emerged as a potential factor in the development of MS, with a number of studies having shown that patients with MS exhibit gut dysbiosis. The gut microbiota helps the host remain healthy by regulating various functions, including food metabolism, energy homeostasis, maintenance of the intestinal barrier, inhibition of colonization by pathogenic organisms, and shaping of both mucosal and systemic immune responses. Alteration of the gut microbiota, and subsequent changes in its metabolic network that perturb this homeostasis, may lead to intestinal and systemic disorders such as MS. Here we discuss the findings of recent MS microbiome studies and potential mechanisms through which gut microbiota can predispose to, or protect against, MS. These findings highlight the need of an improved understanding of the interactions between the microbiota and host for developing therapies based on gut commensals with which to treat MS.

  3. Gut microbiome and bone.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ibáñez, Lidia; Rouleau, Matthieu; Wakkach, Abdelilah; Blin-Wakkach, Claudine

    2018-04-11

    The gut microbiome is now viewed as a tissue that interacts bidirectionally with the gastrointestinal, immune, endocrine and nervous systems, affecting the cellular responses in numerous organs. Evidence is accumulating of gut microbiome involvement in a growing number of pathophysiological processes, many of which are linked to inflammatory responses. More specifically, data acquired over the last decade point to effects of the gut microbiome on bone mass regulation and on the development of bone diseases (such as osteoporosis) and of inflammatory joint diseases characterized by bone loss. Mice lacking a gut microbiome have bone mass alteration that can be reversed by gut recolonization. Changes in the gut microbiome composition have been reported in mice with estrogen-deficiency osteoporosis and have also been found in a few studies in humans. Probiotic therapy decreases bone loss in estrogen-deficient animals. The effect of the gut microbiome on bone tissue involves complex mechanisms including modulation of CD4 + T cell activation, control of osteoclastogenic cytokine production and modifications in hormone levels. This complexity may contribute to explain the discrepancies observed betwwen some studies whose results vary depending on the age, gender, genetic background and treatment duration. Further elucidation of the mechanisms involved is needed. However, the available data hold promise that gut microbiome manipulation may prove of interest in the management of bone diseases. Copyright © 2018 Société française de rhumatologie. Published by Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.

  4. Radiation and Gut

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Potten, C.S.; Hendry, J.H.

    1995-08-01

    Texts on gut with reference to radiation (or other cytotoxic and carcinogenic agents) consist of primary research papers, review articles, or books which are now very out-of-date. With this in mind, the present book was conceived. Here, with chapters by experts in the field, we cover the basic structure and cell replacement process in the gut, the physical situation relevant for gut radiation exposure and a description of some of the techniques used to study radiation effects, in particular the clonal regeneration assay that assesses stem cell functional capacity. Chapters comprehensively cover the effects of radiation in experimental animal model systems and clinical experiences. The effects of radiation on the supportive tissue of the gut is also reviewed. The special radiation situation involving ingested radionuclides is reviewed and the most important late response-carcinogenesis-within the gut is considered. This book follows a volume on 'Radiation and Skin' (1985) and another on 'Radiation and Bone Marrow' is in preparation. The present volume is intended to cover the anatomy and renewal characteristics of the gut, and its response in terms of carcinogenicity and tissue injury in mammalian species including in particular man. The book is expected to be useful to students and teachers in these topics, as well as clinical oncologists (radiotherapists) and medical oncologists, and industrial health personnel. 70 figs., 20 tabs., 869 refs

  5. Comparative gut physiology symposium: The microbe-gut-brain axis

    Science.gov (United States)

    The Comparative Gut Physiology Symposium titled “The Microbe-Gut-Brain Axis” was held at the Joint Annual Meeting of the American Society of Animal Science and the American Dairy Science Association on Thursday, July 21, 2016, in Salt Lake City Utah. The goal of the symposium was to present basic r...

  6. Effect of Antibiotics on Gut Microbiota, Gut Hormones and Glucose Metabolism

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mikkelsen, Kristian H; Frost, Morten; Bahl, Martin Iain

    2015-01-01

    The gut microbiota has been designated as an active regulator of glucose metabolism and metabolic phenotype in a number of animal and human observational studies. We evaluated the effect of removing as many bacteria as possible by antibiotics on postprandial physiology in healthy humans. Meal tests...... tolerance, insulin secretion or plasma lipid concentrations were found. Apart from an acute and reversible increase in peptide YY secretion, no changes were observed in postprandial gut hormone release. As evaluated by selective cultivation of gut bacteria, a broad-spectrum 4-day antibiotics course...... with vancomycin, gentamycin and meropenem induced shifts in gut microbiota composition that had no clinically relevant short or long-term effects on metabolic variables in healthy glucose-tolerant males. clinicaltrials.gov NCT01633762....

  7. SUSY see-saw and NMSO(10)GUT inflation after BICEP2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Garg, Ila

    2016-01-01

    Supersymmetric see-saw slow roll inflection point inflation occurs along a MSSM D-flat direction associated with gauge invariant combination of Higgs, s lepton and right-handed s neutrino at a scale set by the right-handed neutrino mass M vc ∼ 10 6 -10 13 GeV. The tensor to scalar perturbation ratio r ∼ 10 -3 can be achieved in this scenario. However, this scenario faced difficulty in being embedded in the realistic new minimal supersymmetric SO(10) grand unified theory (NMSO(10)GUT). The recent discovery of B-mode polarization by BICEP2, changes the prospects of NMSO(10) GUT inflation. Inflection point models become strongly disfavoured, as the trilinear coupling of SUSY see-saw inflation potential gets suppressed relative to the mass parameter favoured by BICEP2. Large values of r ≈ 0.2 can be achieved with super-Planck scale inflaton values and mass scales of inflaton ≥10 13 GeV. In NMSO(10)GUT, this can be made possible with an admixture of heavy Higgs doublet fields, i.e., other than MSSM Higgs field, which are present and have masses of order GUT scale. (author)

  8. Quark and lepton masses at the GUT scale including supersymmetric threshold corrections

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Antusch, S.; Spinrath, M.

    2008-01-01

    We investigate the effect of supersymmetric (SUSY) threshold corrections on the values of the running quark and charged lepton masses at the grand unified theory (GUT) scale within the large tanβ regime of the minimal supersymmetric standard model. In addition to the typically dominant SUSY QCD contributions for the quarks, we also include the electroweak contributions for quarks and leptons and show that they can have significant effects. We provide the GUT scale ranges of quark and charged lepton Yukawa couplings as well as of the ratios m μ /m s , m e /m d , y τ /y b and y t /y b for three example ranges of SUSY parameters. We discuss how the enlarged ranges due to threshold effects might open up new possibilities for constructing GUT models of fermion masses and mixings.

  9. Accelerating Inspire

    CERN Document Server

    AUTHOR|(CDS)2266999

    2017-01-01

    CERN has been involved in the dissemination of scientific results since its early days and has continuously updated the distribution channels. Currently, Inspire hosts catalogues of articles, authors, institutions, conferences, jobs, experiments, journals and more. Successful orientation among this amount of data requires comprehensive linking between the content. Inspire has lacked a system for linking experiments and articles together based on which accelerator they were conducted at. The purpose of this project has been to create such a system. Records for 156 accelerators were created and all 2913 experiments on Inspire were given corresponding MARC tags. Records of 18404 accelerator physics related bibliographic entries were also tagged with corresponding accelerator tags. Finally, as a part of the endeavour to broaden CERN's presence on Wikipedia, existing Wikipedia articles of accelerators were updated with short descriptions and links to Inspire. In total, 86 Wikipedia articles were updated. This repo...

  10. Gut microbiota and metabolic syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Festi, Davide; Schiumerini, Ramona; Eusebi, Leonardo Henry; Marasco, Giovanni; Taddia, Martina; Colecchia, Antonio

    2014-11-21

    Gut microbiota exerts a significant role in the pathogenesis of the metabolic syndrome, as confirmed by studies conducted both on humans and animal models. Gut microbial composition and functions are strongly influenced by diet. This complex intestinal "superorganism" seems to affect host metabolic balance modulating energy absorption, gut motility, appetite, glucose and lipid metabolism, as well as hepatic fatty storage. An impairment of the fine balance between gut microbes and host's immune system could culminate in the intestinal translocation of bacterial fragments and the development of "metabolic endotoxemia", leading to systemic inflammation and insulin resistance. Diet induced weight-loss and bariatric surgery promote significant changes of gut microbial composition, that seem to affect the success, or the inefficacy, of treatment strategies. Manipulation of gut microbiota through the administration of prebiotics or probiotics could reduce intestinal low grade inflammation and improve gut barrier integrity, thus, ameliorating metabolic balance and promoting weight loss. However, further evidence is needed to better understand their clinical impact and therapeutic use.

  11. Noncommutative geometry inspired Einstein–Gauss–Bonnet black holes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ghosh, Sushant G.

    2018-04-01

    Low energy limits of a string theory suggests that the gravity action should include quadratic and higher-order curvature terms, in the form of dimensionally continued Gauss–Bonnet densities. Einstein–Gauss–Bonnet is a natural extension of the general relativity to higher dimensions in which the first and second-order terms correspond, respectively, to general relativity and Einstein–Gauss–Bonnet gravity. We obtain five-dimensional (5D) black hole solutions, inspired by a noncommutative geometry, with a static spherically symmetric, Gaussian mass distribution as a source both in the general relativity and Einstein–Gauss–Bonnet gravity cases, and we also analyzes their thermodynamical properties. Owing the noncommutative corrected black hole, the thermodynamic quantities have also been modified, and phase transition is shown to be achievable. The phase transitions for the thermodynamic stability, in both the theories, are characterized by a discontinuity in the specific heat at r_+=rC , with the stable (unstable) branch for r ) rC . The metric of the noncommutative inspired black holes smoothly goes over to the Boulware–Deser solution at large distance. The paper has been appended with a calculation of black hole mass using holographic renormalization.

  12. Prospects for gauge theories

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bailin, D.

    1980-01-01

    The author reviews the present status of the standard model of weak and electromagnetic interactions and of QCD and examines the likely avenues of future development. The most attractive possibility is that there is a ''grand unified theory'' (GUT) which describes all known interactions except gravity, and in which the only input energy scale is the Planck mass. The GUTs so far proposed share the deficiency that they offer no explanation of the (>=3) observed fermion generations. The author reviews the 'horizontal' symmetries invented to bring order to the fermion sector. Typically such theories have non-minimal Higgs content, so he reviews the processes whereby charged or neutral scalars may be found. The incorporation of supersymmetry into the gauge theory of strong, weak and electromagnetic interactions is another attractive prospect and he discusses briefly the attempts to do this and the likely experimental signatures of such a scheme. (Auth.)

  13. Predicting the sparticle spectrum from GUTs via SUSY threshold corrections with SusyTC

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Antusch, Stefan [Department of Physics, University of Basel,Klingelbergstr. 82, CH-4056 Basel (Switzerland); Max-Planck-Institut für Physik (Werner-Heisenberg-Institut),Föhringer Ring 6, D-80805 München (Germany); Sluka, Constantin [Department of Physics, University of Basel,Klingelbergstr. 82, CH-4056 Basel (Switzerland)

    2016-07-21

    Grand Unified Theories (GUTs) can feature predictions for the ratios of quark and lepton Yukawa couplings at high energy, which can be tested with the increasingly precise results for the fermion masses, given at low energies. To perform such tests, the renormalization group (RG) running has to be performed with sufficient accuracy. In supersymmetric (SUSY) theories, the one-loop threshold corrections (TC) are of particular importance and, since they affect the quark-lepton mass relations, link a given GUT flavour model to the sparticle spectrum. To accurately study such predictions, we extend and generalize various formulas in the literature which are needed for a precision analysis of SUSY flavour GUT models. We introduce the new software tool SusyTC, a major extension to the Mathematica package REAP http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/1126-6708/2005/03/024, where these formulas are implemented. SusyTC extends the functionality of REAP by a full inclusion of the (complex) MSSM SUSY sector and a careful calculation of the one-loop SUSY threshold corrections for the full down-type quark, up-type quark and charged lepton Yukawa coupling matrices in the electroweak-unbroken phase. Among other useful features, SusyTC calculates the one-loop corrected pole mass of the charged (or the CP-odd) Higgs boson as well as provides output in SLHA conventions, i.e. the necessary input for external software, e.g. for performing a two-loop Higgs mass calculation. We apply SusyTC to study the predictions for the parameters of the CMSSM (mSUGRA) SUSY scenario from the set of GUT scale Yukawa relations ((y{sub e})/(y{sub d}))=−(1/2), ((y{sub μ})/(y{sub s}))=6, and ((y{sub τ})/(y{sub b}))=−(3/2), which has been proposed recently in the context of SUSY GUT flavour models.

  14. Physicists Get INSPIREd: INSPIRE Project and Grid Applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Klem, Jukka; Iwaszkiewicz, Jan

    2011-01-01

    INSPIRE is the new high-energy physics scientific information system developed by CERN, DESY, Fermilab and SLAC. INSPIRE combines the curated and trusted contents of SPIRES database with Invenio digital library technology. INSPIRE contains the entire HEP literature with about one million records and in addition to becoming the reference HEP scientific information platform, it aims to provide new kinds of data mining services and metrics to assess the impact of articles and authors. Grid and cloud computing provide new opportunities to offer better services in areas that require large CPU and storage resources including document Optical Character Recognition (OCR) processing, full-text indexing of articles and improved metrics. D4Science-II is a European project that develops and operates an e-Infrastructure supporting Virtual Research Environments (VREs). It develops an enabling technology (gCube) which implements a mechanism for facilitating the interoperation of its e-Infrastructure with other autonomously running data e-Infrastructures. As a result, this creates the core of an e-Infrastructure ecosystem. INSPIRE is one of the e-Infrastructures participating in D4Science-II project. In the context of the D4Science-II project, the INSPIRE e-Infrastructure makes available some of its resources and services to other members of the resulting ecosystem. Moreover, it benefits from the ecosystem via a dedicated Virtual Organization giving access to an array of resources ranging from computing and storage resources of grid infrastructures to data and services.

  15. Constructivist Grounded Theory?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Barney G. Glaser, PhD, Hon. PhD

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available AbstractI refer to and use as scholarly inspiration Charmaz’s excellent article on constructivist grounded theory as a tool of getting to the fundamental issues on why grounded theory is not constructivist. I show that constructivist data, if it exists at all, is a very, very small part of the data that grounded theory uses.

  16. F-GUTs with Mordell-Weil U(1)'s

    CERN Document Server

    Antoniadis, I

    2014-01-01

    In this note we study the constraints on F-theory GUTs with extra $U(1)$'s in the context of elliptic fibrations with rational sections. We consider the simplest case of one abelian factor (Mordell-Weil rank one) and investigate the conditions that are induced on the coefficients of its Tate form. Converting the equation representing the generic hypersurface $P_{112}$ to this Tate's form we find that the presence of a U(1), already in this local description, is consistent with the exceptional ${\\cal E}_6$ and ${\\cal E}_7$ non-abelian singularities. We briefly comment on a viable ${\\cal E}_6\\times U(1)$ effective F-theory model.

  17. Understanding the gut microbiome of dairy calves: Opportunities to improve early-life gut health.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Malmuthuge, Nilusha; Guan, Le Luo

    2017-07-01

    Early gut microbiota plays a vital role in the long-term health of the host. However, understanding of these microbiota is very limited in livestock species, especially in dairy calves. Neonatal calves are highly susceptible to enteric infections, one of the major causes of calf death, so approaches to improving gut health and overall calf health are needed. An increasing number of studies are exploring the microbial composition of the gut, the mucosal immune system, and early dietary interventions to improve the health of dairy calves, revealing possibilities for effectively reducing the susceptibility of calves to enteric infections while promoting growth. Still, comprehensive understanding of the effect of dietary interventions on gut microbiota-one of the key aspects of gut health-is lacking. Such knowledge may provide in-depth understanding of the mechanisms behind functional changes in response to dietary interventions. Understanding of host-microbial interactions with dietary interventions and the role of the gut microbiota during pathogenesis at the site of infection in early life is vital for designing effective tools and techniques to improve calf gut health. Copyright © 2017 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. [Gut microbiome and psyche: paradigm shift in the concept of brain-gut axis].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Konturek, Peter C; Zopf, Yurdagül

    2016-05-25

    The concept of the brain-gut axis describes the communication between the central and enteric nervous system. The exchange of information takes place in both directions. The great advances in molecular medicine in recent years led to the discovery of an enormous number of microorganisms in the intestine (gut microbiome), which greatly affect the function of the brain-gut axis. Overview Numerous studies indicate that the dysfunction of the brain-gut axis could lead to both inflammatory and functional diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Moreover, it was shown that a faulty composition of the gut microbiota in childhood influences the maturation of the central nervous system and thus may favor the development of mental disorders such as autism, depression, or other. An exact causal relationship between psyche and microbiome must be clarified by further studies in order to find new therapeutic options.

  19. Supersymmetric grand unified theories and cosmology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lazarides, G.; Shafi, Q.

    1983-01-01

    By examining the behavior of supersymmetric grand unified theories (GUT's) in the very early universe we find two classes of realistic models. In one of them supersymmetry is broken at or near superheavy GUT scale. The cosmological implications of such models are expected to be similar to those of nonsupersymmetric GUT's. In the second class of models, the superheavy GUT scale is related to the supersymmetry-breaking scale in the manner of Witten. Two types of cosmological scenarios appear possible in this case, either with or without an intermediate (new) inflationary phase. They can be experimentally distinguished, since the former predicts an absence and the latter an observable number density of superheavy monopoles. A mechanism for generating baryon asymmetry in such models is pointed out

  20. Revisiting Metchnikoff: Age-related alterations in microbiota-gut-brain axis in the mouse.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scott, Karen A; Ida, Masayuki; Peterson, Veronica L; Prenderville, Jack A; Moloney, Gerard M; Izumo, Takayuki; Murphy, Kiera; Murphy, Amy; Ross, R Paul; Stanton, Catherine; Dinan, Timothy G; Cryan, John F

    2017-10-01

    Over the last decade, there has been increased interest in the role of the gut microbiome in health including brain health. This is by no means a new theory; Elie Metchnikoff proposed over a century ago that targeting the gut by consuming lactic acid bacteria such as those in yogurt, could improve or delay the onset of cognitive decline associated with ageing. However, there is limited information characterising the relationship between the behavioural and physiological sequelae of ageing and alterations in the gut microbiome. To this end, we assessed the behavioural, physiological and caecal microbiota profile of aged male mice. Older mice (20-21months old) exhibited deficits in spatial memory and increases in anxiety-like behaviours compared to younger mice (2-3months old). They also exhibited increased gut permeability, which was directly correlated with elevations in peripheral pro-inflammatory cytokines. Furthermore, stress exacerbated the gut permeability of aged mice. Examination of the caecal microbiota revealed significant increases in phylum TM7, family Porphyromonadaceae and genus Odoribacter of aged mice. This represents a shift of aged microbiota towards a profile previously associated with inflammatory disease, particularly gastrointestinal and liver disorders. Furthermore, Porphyromonadaceae, which has also been associated with cognitive decline and affective disorders, was directly correlated with anxiety-like behaviour in aged mice. These changes suggest that changes in the gut microbiota and associated increases in gut permeability and peripheral inflammation may be important mediators of the impairments in behavioural, affective and cognitive functions seen in ageing. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. Effect of Antibiotics on Gut Microbiota, Gut Hormones and Glucose Metabolism

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mikkelsen, Kristian H; Frost, Morten; Bahl, Martin Iain

    2015-01-01

    The gut microbiota has been designated as an active regulator of glucose metabolism and metabolic phenotype in a number of animal and human observational studies. We evaluated the effect of removing as many bacteria as possible by antibiotics on postprandial physiology in healthy humans. Meal tests...... with measurements of postprandial glucose tolerance and postprandial release of insulin and gut hormones were performed before, immediately after and 6 weeks after a 4-day, broad-spectrum, per oral antibiotic cocktail (vancomycin 500 mg, gentamycin 40 mg and meropenem 500 mg once-daily) in a group of 12 lean...... and glucose tolerant males. Faecal samples were collected for culture-based assessment of changes in gut microbiota composition. Acute and dramatic reductions in the abundance of a representative set of gut bacteria was seen immediately following the antibiotic course, but no changes in postprandial glucose...

  2. Gut-Brain Axis and Behavior.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martin, Clair R; Mayer, Emeran A

    2017-01-01

    In the last 5 years, interest in the interactions among the gut microbiome, brain, and behavior has exploded. Preclinical evidence supports a role of the gut microbiome in behavioral responses associated with pain, emotion, social interactions, and food intake. Limited, but growing, clinical evidence comes primarily from associations of gut microbial composition and function to behavioral and clinical features and brain structure and function. Converging evidence suggests that the brain and the gut microbiota are in bidirectional communication. Observed dysbiotic states in depression, chronic stress, and autism may reflect altered brain signaling to the gut, while altered gut microbial signaling to the brain may play a role in reinforcing brain alterations. On the other hand, primary dysbiotic states due to Western diets may signal to the brain, altering ingestive behavior. While studies performed in patients with depression and rodent models generated by fecal microbial transfer from such patients suggest causation, evidence for an influence of acute gut microbial alterations on human behavioral and clinical parameters is lacking. Only recently has an open-label microbial transfer therapy in children with autism tentatively validated the gut microbiota as a therapeutic target. The translational potential of preclinical findings remains unclear without further clinical investigation. © 2017 Nestec Ltd., Vevey/S. Karger AG, Basel.

  3. Metagenomic Surveys of Gut Microbiota

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rahul Shubhra Mandal

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Gut microbiota of higher vertebrates is host-specific. The number and diversity of the organisms residing within the gut ecosystem are defined by physiological and environmental factors, such as host genotype, habitat, and diet. Recently, culture-independent sequencing techniques have added a new dimension to the study of gut microbiota and the challenge to analyze the large volume of sequencing data is increasingly addressed by the development of novel computational tools and methods. Interestingly, gut microbiota maintains a constant relative abundance at operational taxonomic unit (OTU levels and altered bacterial abundance has been associated with complex diseases such as symptomatic atherosclerosis, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and colorectal cancer. Therefore, the study of gut microbial population has emerged as an important field of research in order to ultimately achieve better health. In addition, there is a spontaneous, non-linear, and dynamic interaction among different bacterial species residing in the gut. Thus, predicting the influence of perturbed microbe–microbe interaction network on health can aid in developing novel therapeutics. Here, we summarize the population abundance of gut microbiota and its variation in different clinical states, computational tools available to analyze the pyrosequencing data, and gut microbe–microbe interaction networks.

  4. Carbohydrates and the human gut microbiota.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chassard, Christophe; Lacroix, Christophe

    2013-07-01

    Due to its scale and its important role in maintaining health, the gut microbiota can be considered as a 'new organ' inside the human body. Many complex carbohydrates are degraded and fermented by the human gut microbiota in the large intestine to both yield basic energy salvage and impact gut health through produced metabolites. This review will focus on the gut microbes and microbial mechanisms responsible for polysaccharides degradation and fermentation in the large intestine. Gut microbes and bacterial metabolites impact the host at many levels, including modulation of inflammation, and glucose and lipid metabolisms. A complex relationship occurs in the intestine between the human gut microbiota, diet and the host. Research on carbohydrates and gut microbiota composition and functionality is fast developing and will open opportunities for prevention and treatment of obesity, diabetes and other related metabolic disorders through manipulation of the gut ecosystem.

  5. Diminution of the gut resistome after a gut microbiota-targeted dietary intervention in obese children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Guojun; Zhang, Chenhong; Wang, Jing; Zhang, Feng; Wang, Ruirui; Shen, Jian; Wang, Linghua; Pang, Xiaoyan; Zhang, Xiaojun; Zhao, Liping; Zhang, Menghui

    2016-04-05

    The gut microbiome represents an important reservoir of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). Effective methods are urgently needed for managing the gut resistome to fight against the antibiotic resistance threat. In this study, we show that a gut microbiota-targeted dietary intervention, which shifts the dominant fermentation of gut bacteria from protein to carbohydrate, significantly diminished the gut resistome and alleviated metabolic syndrome in obese children. Of the non-redundant metagenomic gene catalog of ~2 × 10(6) microbial genes, 399 ARGs were identified in 131 gene types and conferred resistance to 47 antibiotics. Both the richness and diversity of the gut resistome were significantly reduced after the intervention. A total of 201 of the 399 ARGs were carried in 120 co-abundance gene groups (CAGs) directly binned from the gene catalog across both pre-and post-intervention samples. The intervention significantly reduced several CAGs in Klebsiella, Enterobacter and Escherichia, which were the major hubs for multiple resistance gene types. Thus, dietary intervention may become a potentially effective method for diminishing the gut resistome.

  6. Smart Nacre-inspired Nanocomposites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peng, Jingsong; Cheng, Qunfeng

    2018-03-15

    Nacre-inspired nanocomposites with excellent mechanical properties have achieved remarkable attention in the past decades. The high performance of nacre-inspired nanocomposites is a good basis for the further application of smart devices. Recently, some smart nanocomposites inspired by nacre have demonstrated good mechanical properties as well as effective and stable stimuli-responsive functions. In this Concept, we summarize the recent development of smart nacre-inspired nanocomposites, including 1D fibers, 2D films and 3D bulk nanocomposites, in response to temperature, moisture, light, strain, and so on. We show that diverse smart nanocomposites could be designed by combining various conventional fabrication methods of nacre-inspired nanocomposites with responsive building blocks and interface interactions. The nacre-inspired strategy is versatile for different kinds of smart nanocomposites in extensive applications, such as strain sensors, displays, artificial muscles, robotics, and so on, and may act as an effective roadmap for designing smart nanocomposites in the future. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  7. Gut Microbiome and Infant Health: Brain-Gut-Microbiota Axis and Host Genetic Factors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cong, Xiaomei; Xu, Wanli; Romisher, Rachael; Poveda, Samantha; Forte, Shaina; Starkweather, Angela; Henderson, Wendy A

    2016-09-01

    The development of the neonatal gut microbiome is influenced by multiple factors, such as delivery mode, feeding, medication use, hospital environment, early life stress, and genetics. The dysbiosis of gut microbiota persists during infancy, especially in high-risk preterm infants who experience lengthy stays in the Neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Infant microbiome evolutionary trajectory is essentially parallel with the host (infant) neurodevelopmental process and growth. The role of the gut microbiome, the brain-gut signaling system, and its interaction with the host genetics have been shown to be related to both short and long term infant health and bio-behavioral development. The investigation of potential dysbiosis patterns in early childhood is still lacking and few studies have addressed this host-microbiome co-developmental process. Further research spanning a variety of fields of study is needed to focus on the mechanisms of brain-gut-microbiota signaling system and the dynamic host-microbial interaction in the regulation of health, stress and development in human newborns.

  8. Denoising of Mechanical Vibration Signals Using Quantum-Inspired Adaptive Wavelet Shrinkage

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yan-long Chen

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The potential application of a quantum-inspired adaptive wavelet shrinkage (QAWS technique to mechanical vibration signals with a focus on noise reduction is studied in this paper. This quantum-inspired shrinkage algorithm combines three elements: an adaptive non-Gaussian statistical model of dual-tree complex wavelet transform (DTCWT coefficients proposed to improve practicability of prior information, the quantum superposition introduced to describe the interscale dependencies of DTCWT coefficients, and the quantum-inspired probability of noise defined to shrink wavelet coefficients in a Bayesian framework. By combining all these elements, this signal processing scheme incorporating the DTCWT with quantum theory can both reduce noise and preserve signal details. A practical vibration signal measured from a power-shift steering transmission is utilized to evaluate the denoising ability of QAWS. Application results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method. Moreover, it achieves better performance than hard and soft thresholding.

  9. Inspiring and Challenging Laboratory Exercise in Multivariable Control Theory – The Four-rotor Helicopter

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dag A. H. Samuelsen

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available Engineering students in a module on multivariable control theory are given a laboratory exercise for developing their skills in practical implementation of control systems. This is done in an effort to create a more complete module that gives the students experiences in the practical sides of implementing control systems, while still being theoretically challenging and inspiring. Presenting students with this kind of real-life challenges like sub-optimal models, limited processing time and large degree of uncertainty, is a challenging task, partly due to the need of adapting the level of complexity to the student or group of students doing the exercise in order to keep them engaged throughout the exercise, and in part due to the university's need to reduce expenses related to the administration, supervision, and execution of laboratory exercises. The possibility of adapting the complexity of the exercise to each student's skill level is important, both through the design of the exercise and through the students choosing between different models. The eager student might be tempted by the better performing, but more complex models, while the struggling student can find satisfaction in stabilising the aircraft using the less complex models. The laboratory setup presented uses low-cost components, giving low investment and maintenance costs.

  10. Analysis of gut microbial regulation of host gene expression along the length of the gut and regulation of gut microbial ecology through MyD88.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Larsson, Erik; Tremaroli, Valentina; Lee, Ying Shiuan; Koren, Omry; Nookaew, Intawat; Fricker, Ashwana; Nielsen, Jens; Ley, Ruth E; Bäckhed, Fredrik

    2012-08-01

    The gut microbiota has profound effects on host physiology but local host-microbial interactions in the gut are only poorly characterised and are likely to vary from the sparsely colonised duodenum to the densely colonised colon. Microorganisms are recognised by pattern recognition receptors such as Toll-like receptors, which signal through the adaptor molecule MyD88. To identify host responses induced by gut microbiota along the length of the gut and whether these required MyD88, transcriptional profiles of duodenum, jejunum, ileum and colon were compared from germ-free and conventionally raised wild-type and Myd88-/- mice. The gut microbial ecology was assessed by 454-based pyrosequencing and viruses were analysed by PCR. The gut microbiota modulated the expression of a large set of genes in the small intestine and fewer genes in the colon but surprisingly few microbiota-regulated genes required MyD88 signalling. However, MyD88 was essential for microbiota-induced colonic expression of the antimicrobial genes Reg3β and Reg3γ in the epithelium, and Myd88 deficiency was associated with both a shift in bacterial diversity and a greater proportion of segmented filamentous bacteria in the small intestine. In addition, conventionally raised Myd88-/- mice had increased expression of antiviral genes in the colon, which correlated with norovirus infection in the colonic epithelium. This study provides a detailed description of tissue-specific host transcriptional responses to the normal gut microbiota along the length of the gut and demonstrates that the absence of MyD88 alters gut microbial ecology.

  11. Gut Homeostasis, Microbial Dysbiosis, and Opioids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Fuyuan; Roy, Sabita

    2017-01-01

    Gut homeostasis plays an important role in maintaining animal and human health. The disruption of gut homeostasis has been shown to be associated with multiple diseases. The mutually beneficial relationship between the gut microbiota and the host has been demonstrated to maintain homeostasis of the mucosal immunity and preserve the integrity of the gut epithelial barrier. Currently, rapid progress in the understanding of the host-microbial interaction has redefined toxicological pathology of opioids and their pharmacokinetics. However, it is unclear how opioids modulate the gut microbiome and metabolome. Our study, showing opioid modulation of gut homeostasis in mice, suggests that medical interventions to ameliorate the consequences of drug use/abuse will provide potential therapeutic and diagnostic strategies for opioid-modulated intestinal infections. The study of morphine's modulation of the gut microbiome and metabolome will shed light on the toxicological pathology of opioids and its role in the susceptibility to infectious diseases.

  12. Impact of the gut microbiota on the development of obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Isabel eMoreno Indias

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available Obesity and its associated disorders are a major public health concern. Although obesity has been mainly related with perturbations of the balance between food intake and energy expenditure, other factors must nevertheless be considered. Recent insight suggests that an altered composition and diversity of gut microbiota could play an important role in the development of metabolic disorders. This review discusses research aimed at understanding the role of gut microbiota in the pathogenesis of obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus. The establishment of gut microbiota is dependent on the type of birth. With effect from this point, gut microbiota remain quite stable, although changes take place between birth and adulthood due to external influences, such as diet, disease and environment. Understand these changes is important to predict diseases and develop therapies. A new theory suggests that gut microbiota contribute to the regulation of energy homeostasis, provoking the development of an impairment in energy homeostasis and causing metabolic diseases, such as insulin resistance or type 2 diabetes mellitus. The metabolic endotoxemia, modifications in the secretion of incretins and butyrate production might explain the influence of the microbiota in these diseases.

  13. Impact of the gut microbiota on the development of obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moreno-Indias, Isabel; Cardona, Fernando; Tinahones, Francisco J; Queipo-Ortuño, María Isabel

    2014-01-01

    Obesity and its associated disorders are a major public health concern. Although obesity has been mainly related with perturbations of the balance between food intake and energy expenditure, other factors must nevertheless be considered. Recent insight suggests that an altered composition and diversity of gut microbiota could play an important role in the development of metabolic disorders. This review discusses research aimed at understanding the role of gut microbiota in the pathogenesis of obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (TDM2). The establishment of gut microbiota is dependent on the type of birth. With effect from this point, gut microbiota remain quite stable, although changes take place between birth and adulthood due to external influences, such as diet, disease and environment. Understand these changes is important to predict diseases and develop therapies. A new theory suggests that gut microbiota contribute to the regulation of energy homeostasis, provoking the development of an impairment in energy homeostasis and causing metabolic diseases, such as insulin resistance or TDM2. The metabolic endotoxemia, modifications in the secretion of incretins and butyrate production might explain the influence of the microbiota in these diseases.

  14. Interaction between gut immunity and polysaccharides.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Xiaojun; Nie, Shaoping; Xie, Mingyong

    2017-09-22

    The human gut is colonized with a vast and diverse microbial ecosystem, and these bacteria play fundamental roles in the well being of our bodies. Gut-associated lymphoid tissues, the largest mucosal immune system, should never be overlooked for their profound effect in maintaining the host immunity. Therefore, we discussed the relationship between gut immunity and host health, primarily from two aspects: the homeostasis of gut microbiota, and the function of gut-associated lymphoid tissues. Polysaccharides, widely concerned as bioactive macromolecules in recent centuries, have been proved to benefit the intestinal health. Dietary polysaccharides can improve the ratio of probiotics, regulate the intestinal microenvironment like decreasing the gut pH, and stimulate the macrophages or lymphocytes in gut tissues to fight against diseases like cancer. Based on various experimental and clinical evidence, the impacts of dietary polysaccharides on intestinal health are summarized, in order to reveal the possible immunomodulatory mechanisms of polysaccharides.

  15. String cosmology. Large-field inflation in string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Westphal, Alexander

    2014-09-01

    This is a short review of string cosmology. We wish to connect string-scale physics as closely as possible to observables accessible to current or near-future experiments. Our possible best hope to do so is a description of inflation in string theory. The energy scale of inflation can be as high as that of Grand Unification (GUT). If this is the case, this is the closest we can possibly get in energy scales to string-scale physics. Hence, GUT-scale inflation may be our best candidate phenomenon to preserve traces of string-scale dynamics. Our chance to look for such traces is the primordial gravitational wave, or tensor mode signal produced during inflation. For GUT-scale inflation this is strong enough to be potentially visible as a B-mode polarization of the cosmic microwave background (CMB). Moreover, a GUT-scale inflation model has a trans-Planckian excursion of the inflaton scalar field during the observable amount of inflation. Such large-field models of inflation have a clear need for symmetry protection against quantum corrections. This makes them ideal candidates for a description in a candidate fundamental theory like string theory. At the same time the need of large-field inflation models for UV completion makes them particularly susceptible to preserve imprints of their string-scale dynamics in the inflationary observables, the spectral index n s and the fractional tensor mode power r. Hence, we focus this review on axion monodromy inflation as a mechanism of large-field inflation in string theory.

  16. Chinese Learning Through Internet Inspired by Contructivist Learning Theory

    OpenAIRE

    Yan, Huang

    2011-01-01

    With the changing concept of education, there is growing emphasis on “student-centered”principle. This is one of the characteristics of Constructivist learning theory. On network teachingChinese, Constructivist learning theory is indispensable. This article is the design of online Chineseteaching which is basic on the Constructivist learning theory.

  17. Impact of human milk bacteria and oligosaccharides on neonatal gut microbiota establishment and gut health.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jost, Ted; Lacroix, Christophe; Braegger, Christian; Chassard, Christophe

    2015-07-01

    Neonatal gut microbiota establishment represents a crucial stage for gut maturation, metabolic and immunologic programming, and consequently short- and long-term health status. Human milk beneficially influences this process due to its dynamic profile of age-adapted nutrients and bioactive components and by providing commensal maternal bacteria to the neonatal gut. These include Lactobacillus spp., as well as obligate anaerobes such as Bifidobacterium spp., which may originate from the maternal gut via an enteromammary pathway as a novel form of mother-neonate communication. Additionally, human milk harbors a broad range of oligosaccharides that promote the growth and activity of specific bacterial populations, in particular, Bifidobacterium and Bacteroides spp. This review focuses on the diversity and origin of human milk bacteria, as well as on milk oligosaccharides that influence neonatal gut microbiota establishment. This knowledge can be used to develop infant formulae that more closely mimic nature's model and sustain a healthy gut microbiota. © The Author(s) 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the International Life Sciences Institute. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  18. Statistical constraints on binary black hole inspiral dynamics

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Galley, Chad R; Herrmann, Frank; Silberholz, John; Tiglio, Manuel [Department of Physics, Center for Fundamental Physics, Center for Scientific Computation and Mathematical Modeling, Joint Space Institute, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 (United States); Guerberoff, Gustavo, E-mail: tiglio@umd.ed [Facultad de IngenierIa, Instituto de Matematica y EstadIstica, ' Prof. Ing. Rafael Laguardia' , Universidad de la Republica, Montevideo (Uruguay)

    2010-12-21

    We perform a statistical analysis of binary black holes in the post-Newtonian approximation by systematically sampling and evolving the parameter space of initial configurations for quasi-circular inspirals. Through a principal component analysis of spin and orbital angular momentum variables, we systematically look for uncorrelated quantities and find three of them which are highly conserved in a statistical sense, both as functions of time and with respect to variations in initial spin orientations. For example, we find a combination of spin scalar products, 2S-circumflex{sub 1{center_dot}}S-circumflex{sub 2} + (S-circumflex{sub 1{center_dot}}L-circumflex) (S-circumflex{sub 2{center_dot}}L-circumflex), that is exactly conserved in time at the considered post-Newtonian order (including spin-spin and radiative effects) for binaries with equal masses and spin magnitudes evolving in a quasi-circular inspiral. We also look for and find the variables that account for the largest variations in the problem. We present binary black hole simulations of the full Einstein equations analyzing to what extent these results might carry over to the full theory in the inspiral and merger regimes. Among other applications these results should be useful both in semi-analytical and numerical building of templates of gravitational waves for gravitational wave detectors.

  19. First Foods and Gut Microbes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Laursen, Martin Frederik; Bahl, Martin Iain; Michaelsen, Kim F.

    2017-01-01

    , are generally recognized to be of particular importance for the healthy development of children. While dietary changes are known to affect the adult gut microbiota, there is a gap in our knowledge on how the introduction of new dietary components into the diet of infants/young children affects the gut...... microbiota development. This perspective paper summarizes the currently very few studies addressing the effects of complementary diet on gut microbiota, and highlights the recent finding that transition to family foods greatly impacts the development of gut microbial diversity. Further, we discuss potential......(breast/formula). Consequently, the neonatal period and early infancy has attracted much attention. However, after this first period the gut microbial composition continues to develop until the age of 3 years, and these 1st years have been designated "a window of opportunity" for microbial modulation. The beginning and end...

  20. Hh pathway expression in human gut tissues and in inflammatory gut diseases

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Nielsen, Corinne M.; Williams, Jerrell; van den Brink, Gijs R.; Lauwers, Gregory Y.; Roberts, Drucilla J.

    2004-01-01

    Sonic hedgehog (Shh) directs early gut patterning via epithelial-mesenchymal signaling and remains expressed in endoderm-derived tissues into the adult period. In human adult gut epithelium SHH/SHH expression is strongest in basal layers, which suggests that SHH may function in the maintenance of

  1. Gut-associated lymphoid tissue, gut microbes and susceptibility to experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stanisavljević, S; Lukić, J; Momčilović, M; Miljković, M; Jevtić, B; Kojić, M; Golić, N; Mostarica Stojković, M; Miljković, D

    2016-06-01

    Gut microbiota and gut-associated lymphoid tissue have been increasingly appreciated as important players in pathogenesis of various autoimmune diseases, including multiple sclerosis. Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) is an animal model of multiple sclerosis that can be induced with an injection of spinal cord homogenate emulsified in complete Freund's adjuvant in Dark Agouti (DA) rats, but not in Albino Oxford (AO) rats. In this study, mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN), Peyer's patches (PP) and gut microbiota were analysed in these two rat strains. There was higher proportion of CD4(+) T cells and regulatory T cells in non-immunised DA rats in comparison to AO rats. Also, DA rat MLN and PP cells were higher producers of pro-inflammatory cytokines interferon-γ and interleukin-17. Finally, microbial analyses showed that uncultivated species of Turicibacter and Atopostipes genus were exclusively present in AO rats, in faeces and intestinal tissue, respectively. Thus, it is clear that in comparison of an EAE-susceptible with an EAE-resistant strain of rats, various discrepancies at the level of gut associated lymphoid tissue, as well as at the level of gut microbiota can be observed. Future studies should determine if the differences have functional significance for EAE pathogenesis.

  2. Role of the normal gut microbiota.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jandhyala, Sai Manasa; Talukdar, Rupjyoti; Subramanyam, Chivkula; Vuyyuru, Harish; Sasikala, Mitnala; Nageshwar Reddy, D

    2015-08-07

    Relation between the gut microbiota and human health is being increasingly recognised. It is now well established that a healthy gut flora is largely responsible for overall health of the host. The normal human gut microbiota comprises of two major phyla, namely Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes. Though the gut microbiota in an infant appears haphazard, it starts resembling the adult flora by the age of 3 years. Nevertheless, there exist temporal and spatial variations in the microbial distribution from esophagus to the rectum all along the individual's life span. Developments in genome sequencing technologies and bioinformatics have now enabled scientists to study these microorganisms and their function and microbe-host interactions in an elaborate manner both in health and disease. The normal gut microbiota imparts specific function in host nutrient metabolism, xenobiotic and drug metabolism, maintenance of structural integrity of the gut mucosal barrier, immunomodulation, and protection against pathogens. Several factors play a role in shaping the normal gut microbiota. They include (1) the mode of delivery (vaginal or caesarean); (2) diet during infancy (breast milk or formula feeds) and adulthood (vegan based or meat based); and (3) use of antibiotics or antibiotic like molecules that are derived from the environment or the gut commensal community. A major concern of antibiotic use is the long-term alteration of the normal healthy gut microbiota and horizontal transfer of resistance genes that could result in reservoir of organisms with a multidrug resistant gene pool.

  3. Supersymmetric GUTs and cosmology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lazarides, G.; Shafi, Q.

    1982-06-01

    By examining the behaviour of supersymmetric GUTs in the very early universe we find two classes of realistic models. In one of them supersymmetry is broken at or near the superheavy GUT scale. The cosmological implications of such models are expected to be similar to those of nonsupersymmetric GUTs. In the second class of models, the superheavy GUT scale is related to the supersymmetry breaking scale a la Witten. Two types of cosmological scenarios appear possible in this case, either with or without an intermediate (new) inflationary phase. They can be experimentally distinguished, since the former predicts an absence and the latter an observable number density of superheavy monopoles. A mechanism for generating baryon asymmetry in such models is pointed out. Further constraint on model building appears if global R invariance is employed to resolve the strong CP problem. (author)

  4. Effective quantum field theories

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Georgi, H.M.

    1989-01-01

    Certain dimensional parameters play a crucial role in the understanding of weak and strong interactions based on SU(2) x U(1) and SU(3) symmetry group theories and of grand unified theories (GUT's) based on SU(5). These parameters are the confinement scale of quantum chromodynamics and the breaking scales of SU(2) x U(1) and SU(5). The concepts of effective quantum field theories and renormalisability are discussed with reference to the economics and ethics of research. (U.K.)

  5. GUT Scale Fermion Mass Ratios

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Spinrath, Martin

    2014-01-01

    We present a series of recent works related to group theoretical factors from GUT symmetry breaking which lead to predictions for the ratios of quark and lepton Yukawa couplings at the unification scale. New predictions for the GUT scale ratios y μ /y s , y τ /y b and y t /y b in particular are shown and compared to experimental data. For this comparison it is important to include possibly large supersymmetric threshold corrections. Due to this reason the structure of the fermion masses at the GUT scale depends on TeV scale physics and makes GUT scale physics testable at the LHC. We also discuss how this new predictions might lead to predictions for mixing angles by discussing the example of the recently measured last missing leptonic mixing angle θ 13 making this new class of GUT models also testable in neutrino experiments

  6. Albumin infusion after reperfusion prevents gut ischemia-reperfusion-induced gut-associated lymphoid tissue atrophy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ikezawa, Fumie; Fukatsu, Kazuhiko; Moriya, Tomoyuki; Maeshima, Yoshinori; Okamoto, Koichi; Hara, Etsuko; Hiraide, Hoshio; Compher, Charlene W

    2006-01-01

    Our recent study clarified that gut ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) causes gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT) mass atrophy, a possible mechanism for increased morbidity of infectious complications after severe surgical insults. Because albumin administration reportedly reduces hemorrhagic shock-induced lung injury, we hypothesized that albumin treatment prevents GALT atrophy due to gut I/R. Male mice (n = 37) were randomized to albumin, normal saline, and sham groups. All groups underwent jugular vein catheter insertion. The albumin and normal saline groups underwent 75-minute occlusion of the superior mesenteric artery. During gut ischemia, all mice received normal saline infusions at 1.0 mL/h. The albumin group was given 5% bovine serum albumin in normal saline at 1.0 mL/h for 60 minutes after reperfusion, whereas the normal saline group received 0.9% sodium chloride at 1.0 mL/h. The sham group underwent laparotomy only. Mice were killed on day 1 or 7, and the entire small intestine was harvested. GALT lymphocytes were isolated and counted. Their phenotypes (alphabetaTCR, gammadeltaTCR, CD4, CD8, B220) were determined by flow cytometry. On day 1, the gut I/R groups showed significantly lower total lymphocyte and B cell numbers in Peyer's patches and the lamina propria than the sham group. However, the albumin infusion partially but significantly restored these cell numbers. On day 7, there were no significant differences in any of the parameters measured among the 3 groups. Albumin infusion after a gut ischemic insult may maintain gut immunity by preventing GALT atrophy.

  7. Gut Microbiota and Metabolic Disorders

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kyu Yeon Hur

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Gut microbiota plays critical physiological roles in the energy extraction and in the control of local or systemic immunity. Gut microbiota and its disturbance also appear to be involved in the pathogenesis of diverse diseases including metabolic disorders, gastrointestinal diseases, cancer, etc. In the metabolic point of view, gut microbiota can modulate lipid accumulation, lipopolysaccharide content and the production of short-chain fatty acids that affect food intake, inflammatory tone, or insulin signaling. Several strategies have been developed to change gut microbiota such as prebiotics, probiotics, certain antidiabetic drugs or fecal microbiota transplantation, which have diverse effects on body metabolism and on the development of metabolic disorders.

  8. Physicists get INSPIREd

    CERN Multimedia

    CERN Bulletin

    2010-01-01

    Particle physicists thrive on information. They first create information by performing experiments or elaborating theoretical conjectures and then they share it through publications and various web tools. The INSPIRE service, just released, will bring state of the art information retrieval to the fingertips of researchers.   Keeping track of the information shared within the particle physics community has long been the task of libraries at the larger labs, such as CERN, DESY, Fermilab and SLAC, as well as the focus of indispensible services like arXiv and those of the Particle Data Group. In 2007, many providers of information in the field came together for a summit at SLAC to see how physics information resources could be enhanced, and the INSPIRE project emerged from that meeting. The vision behind INSPIRE was built by a survey launched by the four labs to evaluate the real needs of the community. INSPIRE responds to these directives from the community by combining the most successful aspe...

  9. Bio-inspired networking

    CERN Document Server

    Câmara, Daniel

    2015-01-01

    Bio-inspired techniques are based on principles, or models, of biological systems. In general, natural systems present remarkable capabilities of resilience and adaptability. In this book, we explore how bio-inspired methods can solve different problems linked to computer networks. Future networks are expected to be autonomous, scalable and adaptive. During millions of years of evolution, nature has developed a number of different systems that present these and other characteristics required for the next generation networks. Indeed, a series of bio-inspired methods have been successfully used to solve the most diverse problems linked to computer networks. This book presents some of these techniques from a theoretical and practical point of view. Discusses the key concepts of bio-inspired networking to aid you in finding efficient networking solutions Delivers examples of techniques both in theoretical concepts and practical applications Helps you apply nature's dynamic resource and task management to your co...

  10. Testing effective quantum gravity with gravitational waves from extreme mass ratio inspirals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yunes, N; Sopuerta, C F

    2010-01-01

    Testing deviation of GR is one of the main goals of the proposed Laser Interferometer Space Antenna. For the first time, we consistently compute the generation of gravitational waves from extreme-mass ratio inspirals (stellar compact objects into supermassive black holes) in a well-motivated alternative theory of gravity, that to date remains weakly constrained by double binary pulsar observations. The theory we concentrate on is Chern-Simons (CS) modified gravity, a 4-D, effective theory that is motivated both from string theory and loop-quantum gravity, and which enhances the Einstein-Hilbert action through the addition of a dynamical scalar field and the parity-violating Pontryagin density. We show that although point particles continue to follow geodesics in the modified theory, the background about which they inspiral is a modification to the Kerr metric, which imprints a CS correction on the gravitational waves emitted. CS modified gravitational waves are sufficiently different from the General Relativistic expectation that they lead to significant dephasing after 3 weeks of evolution, but such dephasing will probably not prevent detection of these signals, but instead lead to a systematic error in the determination of parameters. We end with a study of radiation-reaction in the modified theory and show that, to leading-order, energy-momentum emission is not CS modified, except possibly for the subdominant effect of scalar-field emission. The inclusion of radiation-reaction will allow for tests of CS modified gravity with space-borne detectors that might be two orders of magnitude larger than current binary pulsar bounds.

  11. The gut microbiota in type 2 diabetes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Trine; Allin, Kristine Højgaard; Pedersen, Oluf

    2016-01-01

    The exploration of the gut microbiota has intensified within the past decade with the introduction of cultivation-independent methods. By investigation of the gut bacterial genes, our understanding of the compositional and functional capability of the gut microbiome has increased. It is now widely...... recognized that the gut microbiota has profound effect on host metabolism and recently changes in the gut microbiota have been associated with type 2 diabetes. Animal models and human studies have linked changes in the gut microbiota to the induction of low-grade inflammation, altered immune response......, and changes in lipid and glucose metabolism. Several factors have been identified that might affect the healthy microbiota, potentially inducing a dysbiotic microbiota associated with a disease state. This increased understanding of the gut microbiota might potentially contribute to targeted intervention...

  12. From anomalies of finite symmetries to heterotic GUTs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vaudrevange, Patrick K. S.

    2017-11-01

    We review the role of finite symmetries for particle physics with special emphasis on discrete anomalies and on their possible origin from extra dimensions. Then, we apply our knowledge on finite symmetries to the problematic proton decay operators of various mass-dimensions, focusing on ℤ4R , i.e. a special R-symmetry of order 4. We show that this ℤ4R symmetry can naturally originate from extra dimensions as a discrete remnant of higher-dimensional Lorentz symmetry. Finally, in order to obtain a unified picture from the heterotic string theory we discuss grand unified theories (GUTs) in extra dimensions compactified on ℤ2 × ℤ2 orbifolds and show how proton decay operators can be suppressed in a certain class of orbifolds.

  13. Forum: Communication Activism Pedagogy. Look to Our Campuses for Focus and Inspiration

    Science.gov (United States)

    McConnell, Kathleen F.

    2017-01-01

    Lawrence R. Frey and David L. Palmer describe communication activism pedagogy (CAP) as "putting meat on critical pedagogy's theoretical bones" and applying theory to real-life activist movements (Frey & Palmer 2014). Their hope is to inspire students "beyond matriculation to develop their roles as activists," and Frey and…

  14. Early Life Experience and Gut Microbiome: The Brain-Gut-Microbiota Signaling System.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cong, Xiaomei; Henderson, Wendy A; Graf, Joerg; McGrath, Jacqueline M

    2015-10-01

    Over the past decades, advances in neonatal care have led to substantial increases in survival among preterm infants. With these gains, recent concerns have focused on increases in neurodevelopment morbidity related to the interplay between stressful early life experiences and the immature neuroimmune systems. This interplay between these complex mechanisms is often described as the brain-gut signaling system. The role of the gut microbiome and the brain-gut signaling system have been found to be remarkably related to both short- and long-term stress and health. Recent evidence supports that microbial species, ligands, and/or products within the developing intestine play a key role in early programming of the central nervous system and regulation of the intestinal innate immunity. The purpose of this state-of-the-science review is to explore the supporting evidence demonstrating the importance of the brain-gut-microbiota axis in regulation of early life experience. We also discuss the role of gut microbiome in modulating stress and pain responses in high-risk infants. A conceptual framework has been developed to illustrate the regulation mechanisms involved in early life experience. The science in this area is just beginning to be uncovered; having a fundamental understanding of these relationships will be important as new discoveries continue to change our thinking, leading potentially to changes in practice and targeted interventions.

  15. Modified Eddington-inspired-Born-Infeld Gravity with a Trace Term

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chen, Che-Yu [National Taiwan University, Department of Physics, Taipei (China); LeCosPA, National Taiwan University, Taipei (China); National Taiwan University, Graduate Institute of Astrophysics, Taipei (China); Bouhmadi-Lopez, Mariam [Universidade da Beira Interior, Departamento de Fisica, Covilha (Portugal); Centro de Matematica e Aplicacoes da Universidade da Beira Interior (CMA-UBI), Covilha (Portugal); University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Department of Theoretical Physics, P.O. Box 644, Bilbao (Spain); IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao (Spain); Chen, Pisin [National Taiwan University, Department of Physics, Taipei (China); LeCosPA, National Taiwan University, Taipei (China); National Taiwan University, Graduate Institute of Astrophysics, Taipei (China); Stanford University, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology, Stanford, CA (United States)

    2016-01-15

    In this paper, a modified Eddington-inspired-Born-Infeld (EiBI) theory with a pure trace term g{sub μν}R being added to the determinantal action is analysed from a cosmological point of view. It corresponds to the most general action constructed from a rank two tensor that contains up to first order terms in curvature. This term can equally be seen as a conformal factor multiplying the metric g{sub μν}. This very interesting type of amendment has not been considered within the Palatini formalism despite the large amount of works on the Born-Infeld-inspired theory of gravity. This model can provide smooth bouncing solutions which were not allowed in the EiBI model for the same EiBI coupling. Most interestingly, for a radiation filled universe there are some regions of the parameter space that can naturally lead to a de Sitter inflationary stage without the need of any exotic matter field. Finally, in this model we discover a new type of cosmic ''quasi-sudden'' singularity, where the cosmic time derivative of the Hubble rate becomes very large but finite at a finite cosmic time. (orig.)

  16. A tick gut protein with fibronectin III domains aids Borrelia burgdorferi congregation to the gut during transmission

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Narasimhan, Sukanya; Coumou, Jeroen; Schuijt, Tim J.; Boder, Eric; Hovius, Joppe W.; Fikrig, Erol

    2014-01-01

    Borrelia burgdorferi transmission to the vertebrate host commences with growth of the spirochete in the tick gut and migration from the gut to the salivary glands. This complex process, involving intimate interactions of the spirochete with the gut epithelium, is pivotal to transmission. We utilized

  17. Gut microbiota sustains hematopoiesis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Theilgaard-Mönch, Kim

    2017-01-01

    In this issue of Blood, Josefsdottir et al provide substantial evidence that commensal gut microbes regulate and sustain normal steady-state hematopoiesis.1......In this issue of Blood, Josefsdottir et al provide substantial evidence that commensal gut microbes regulate and sustain normal steady-state hematopoiesis.1...

  18. Gut dysbiosis and detection of "live gut bacteria" in blood of Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sato, Junko; Kanazawa, Akio; Ikeda, Fuki; Yoshihara, Tomoaki; Goto, Hiromasa; Abe, Hiroko; Komiya, Koji; Kawaguchi, Minako; Shimizu, Tomoaki; Ogihara, Takeshi; Tamura, Yoshifumi; Sakurai, Yuko; Yamamoto, Risako; Mita, Tomoya; Fujitani, Yoshio; Fukuda, Hiroshi; Nomoto, Koji; Takahashi, Takuya; Asahara, Takashi; Hirose, Takahisa; Nagata, Satoru; Yamashiro, Yuichiro; Watada, Hirotaka

    2014-08-01

    Mounting evidence indicates that the gut microbiota are an important modifier of obesity and diabetes. However, so far there is no information on gut microbiota and "live gut bacteria" in the systemic circulation of Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes. Using a sensitive reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) method, we determined the composition of fecal gut microbiota in 50 Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes and 50 control subjects, and its association with various clinical parameters, including inflammatory markers. We also analyzed the presence of gut bacteria in blood samples. The counts of the Clostridium coccoides group, Atopobium cluster, and Prevotella (obligate anaerobes) were significantly lower (P blood at a significantly higher rate in diabetic patients than in control subjects (28% vs. 4%, P type 2 diabetes as assessed by RT-qPCR. The high rate of gut bacteria in the circulation suggests translocation of bacteria from the gut to the bloodstream. © 2014 by the American Diabetes Association. Readers may use this article as long as the work is properly cited, the use is educational and not for profit, and the work is not altered.

  19. How Agile Methods Inspire Project Management - The Half Double Initiative

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Heeager, Lise Tordrup; Svejvig, Per; Schlichter, Bjarne Rerup

    Increased complexity in projects has forced new project management initiatives. In software development several agile methods have emerged and are today highly implemented in practice. Observations of general project management practice show how it has been inspired by agile software development......, but very little research addresses the issue of agile project management. In order to understand and to provide suggestions for future practice on how agility can be incorporated in general project management, this paper provides an analysis which compares ten characteristics of agile software development...... (identified in theory) and the Half Double Methodology developed by the Danish Project Half Double initiative; a Methodology developed with practitioners and tested in seven Danish case companies. The analysis shows how the general project management to a great extent has been inspired by agile methods...

  20. Inspiration from britain?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vagnby, Bo

    2008-01-01

    Danish housing policy needs a dose of renewed social concern - and could find new inspiration in Britain's housing and urban planning policies, says Bo Vagnby. Udgivelsesdato: November......Danish housing policy needs a dose of renewed social concern - and could find new inspiration in Britain's housing and urban planning policies, says Bo Vagnby. Udgivelsesdato: November...

  1. Gut microbiome and its role in cardiovascular diseases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahmadmehrabi, Shadi; Tang, W H Wilson

    2017-11-01

    In recent years, an interest in intestinal microbiota-host interactions has increased due to many findings about the impact of gut bacteria on human health and disease. Dysbiosis, a change in the composition of the gut microbiota, has been associated with much pathology, including cardiovascular diseases (CVD). This article will review normal functions of the gut microbiome, its link to CVD, and potential therapeutic interventions. The recently discovered contribution of gut microbiota-derived molecules in the development of heart disease and its risk factors has significantly increased attention towards the connection between our gut and heart. The gut microbiome is virtually an endocrine organ, arguably the largest, capable of contributing to and reacting to circulating signaling molecules within the host. Gut microbiota-host interactions occur through many pathways, including trimethylamine-N-oxide and short-chain fatty acids. These molecules and others have been linked to much pathology including chronic kidney disease, atherosclerosis, and hypertension. Although our understanding of gut microbiota-host interactions has increased recently; many questions remain about the mechanistic links between the gut microbiome and CVD. With further research, we may one day be able to add gut microbiota profiles as an assessable risk factor for CVD and target therapies towards the gut microbiota.

  2. Pragmatism and practice theory

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Buch, Anders; Elkjær, Bente

    Proponents of the ‘practice turn’ in the social sciences rarely mention American pragmatism as a source of inspiration or refer to pragmatist philosophy. This strikes us as not only odd, but also a disadvantage since the pragmatist legacy has much to offer practice theory in the study of organiza......Proponents of the ‘practice turn’ in the social sciences rarely mention American pragmatism as a source of inspiration or refer to pragmatist philosophy. This strikes us as not only odd, but also a disadvantage since the pragmatist legacy has much to offer practice theory in the study...... of organizations. In this paper we want to spell out the theoretical similarities and divergences between practice theory and pragmatism to consider whether the two traditions can find common ground when gazing upon organization studies. We suggest that pragmatism should be included in the ‘tool-kit’ of practice...

  3. 33 CFR 117.537 - Townsend Gut.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Townsend Gut. 117.537 Section 117... OPERATION REGULATIONS Specific Requirements Maine § 117.537 Townsend Gut. The draw of the Southport (SR27) Bridge, at mile 0.7, across Townsend Gut between Boothbay Harbor and Southport, Maine shall open on...

  4. Functional Comparison of Bacteria from the Human Gut and Closely Related Non-Gut Bacteria Reveals the Importance of Conjugation and a Paucity of Motility and Chemotaxis Functions in the Gut Environment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dobrijevic, Dragana; Abraham, Anne-Laure; Jamet, Alexandre; Maguin, Emmanuelle; van de Guchte, Maarten

    2016-01-01

    The human GI tract is a complex and still poorly understood environment, inhabited by one of the densest microbial communities on earth. The gut microbiota is shaped by millennia of evolution to co-exist with the host in commensal or symbiotic relationships. Members of the gut microbiota perform specific molecular functions important in the human gut environment. This can be illustrated by the presence of a highly expanded repertoire of proteins involved in carbohydrate metabolism, in phase with the large diversity of polysaccharides originating from the diet or from the host itself that can be encountered in this environment. In order to identify other bacterial functions that are important in the human gut environment, we investigated the distribution of functional groups of proteins in a group of human gut bacteria and their close non-gut relatives. Complementary to earlier global comparisons between different ecosystems, this approach should allow a closer focus on a group of functions directly related to the gut environment while avoiding functions related to taxonomically divergent microbiota composition, which may or may not be relevant for gut homeostasis. We identified several functions that are overrepresented in the human gut bacteria which had not been recognized in a global approach. The observed under-representation of certain other functions may be equally important for gut homeostasis. Together, these analyses provide us with new information about this environment so critical to our health and well-being.

  5. Functional Comparison of Bacteria from the Human Gut and Closely Related Non-Gut Bacteria Reveals the Importance of Conjugation and a Paucity of Motility and Chemotaxis Functions in the Gut Environment.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dragana Dobrijevic

    Full Text Available The human GI tract is a complex and still poorly understood environment, inhabited by one of the densest microbial communities on earth. The gut microbiota is shaped by millennia of evolution to co-exist with the host in commensal or symbiotic relationships. Members of the gut microbiota perform specific molecular functions important in the human gut environment. This can be illustrated by the presence of a highly expanded repertoire of proteins involved in carbohydrate metabolism, in phase with the large diversity of polysaccharides originating from the diet or from the host itself that can be encountered in this environment. In order to identify other bacterial functions that are important in the human gut environment, we investigated the distribution of functional groups of proteins in a group of human gut bacteria and their close non-gut relatives. Complementary to earlier global comparisons between different ecosystems, this approach should allow a closer focus on a group of functions directly related to the gut environment while avoiding functions related to taxonomically divergent microbiota composition, which may or may not be relevant for gut homeostasis. We identified several functions that are overrepresented in the human gut bacteria which had not been recognized in a global approach. The observed under-representation of certain other functions may be equally important for gut homeostasis. Together, these analyses provide us with new information about this environment so critical to our health and well-being.

  6. How gut transcriptional function of Drosophila melanogaster varies with the presence and composition of the gut microbiota.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bost, Alyssa; Franzenburg, Soeren; Adair, Karen L; Martinson, Vincent G; Loeb, Greg; Douglas, Angela E

    2018-04-01

    Despite evidence from laboratory experiments that perturbation of the gut microbiota affects many traits of the animal host, our understanding of the effect of variation in microbiota composition on animals in natural populations is very limited. The core purpose of this study on the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster was to identify the impact of natural variation in the taxonomic composition of gut bacterial communities on host traits, with the gut transcriptome as a molecular index of microbiota-responsive host traits. Use of the gut transcriptome was validated by demonstrating significant transcriptional differences between the guts of laboratory flies colonized with bacteria and maintained under axenic conditions. Wild Drosophila from six field collections made over two years had gut bacterial communities of diverse composition, dominated to varying extents by Acetobacteraceae and Enterobacteriaceae. The gut transcriptomes also varied among collections and differed markedly from those of laboratory flies. However, no overall relationship between variation in the wild fly transcriptome and taxonomic composition of the gut microbiota was evident at all taxonomic scales of bacteria tested for both individual fly genes and functional categories in Gene Ontology. We conclude that the interaction between microbiota composition and host functional traits may be confounded by uncontrolled variation in both ecological circumstance and host traits (e.g., genotype, age physiological condition) under natural conditions, and that microbiota effects on host traits identified in the laboratory should, therefore, be extrapolated to field population with great caution. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  7. Gut immunity in Lepidopteran insects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Kai; Yang, Bing; Huang, Wuren; Dobens, Leonard; Song, Hongsheng; Ling, Erjun

    2016-11-01

    Lepidopteran insects constitute one of the largest fractions of animals on earth, but are considered pests in their relationship with man. Key to the success of this order of insects is its ability to digest food and absorb nutrition, which takes place in the midgut. Because environmental microorganisms can easily enter Lepidopteran guts during feeding, the innate immune response guards against pathogenic bacteria, virus and microsporidia that can be devoured with food. Gut immune responses are complicated by both resident gut microbiota and the surrounding peritrophic membrane and are distinct from immune responses in the body cavity, which depend on the function of the fat body and hemocytes. Due to their relevance to agricultural production, studies of Lepidopteran insect midgut and immunity are receiving more attention, and here we summarize gut structures and functions, and discuss how these confer immunity against different microorganisms. It is expected that increased knowledge of Lepidopteran gut immunity may be utilized for pest biological control in the future. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Healthy human gut phageome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Manrique, Pilar; Bolduc, Benjamin; Walk, Seth T; van der Oost, John; de Vos, Willem M; Young, Mark J

    2016-09-13

    The role of bacteriophages in influencing the structure and function of the healthy human gut microbiome is unknown. With few exceptions, previous studies have found a high level of heterogeneity in bacteriophages from healthy individuals. To better estimate and identify the shared phageome of humans, we analyzed a deep DNA sequence dataset of active bacteriophages and available metagenomic datasets of the gut bacteriophage community from healthy individuals. We found 23 shared bacteriophages in more than one-half of 64 healthy individuals from around the world. These shared bacteriophages were found in a significantly smaller percentage of individuals with gastrointestinal/irritable bowel disease. A network analysis identified 44 bacteriophage groups of which 9 (20%) were shared in more than one-half of all 64 individuals. These results provide strong evidence of a healthy gut phageome (HGP) in humans. The bacteriophage community in the human gut is a mixture of three classes: a set of core bacteriophages shared among more than one-half of all people, a common set of bacteriophages found in 20-50% of individuals, and a set of bacteriophages that are either rarely shared or unique to a person. We propose that the core and common bacteriophage communities are globally distributed and comprise the HGP, which plays an important role in maintaining gut microbiome structure/function and thereby contributes significantly to human health.

  9. Relations between grand unified and monopole theories

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Olive, D.I.

    1983-01-01

    Two kinds of interrelationships between GUTs and monopole theories are discussed: how the duality conjectures could have a bearing on understanding GUTs, and how some of the mathematical technology used in monopole studies can yield simple (Dynkin) diagrammatic rules for some of the common GUT group theory calculations. A compact notation for semisimple Lie algebras is supplied by Dynkin diagrams. Minimal fundamental weights are seen to define minimal representations into which matter may be placed, and also define a special direction for the adjoint Higgs field. Minimal weights play a special role, therefore, both in defining matter multiplets and in symmetry breaking. After considering gauge groups G broken down to U(1) X K/Z (with K semisimple) by an adjoint representation (AR) Higgs, it is asked how the representations of G will look when decomposed into irreducible representations of U(1) X K, by proving two theorems as given. The point is pedagogical: using concepts like the Weyl group, practical calculations can be performed with simple Dynkin diagrams

  10. Brain Gut Microbiome Interactions and Functional Bowel Disorders

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mayer, Emeran A.; Savidge, Tor; Shulman, Robert J.

    2014-01-01

    Alterations in the bidirectional interactions between the gut and the nervous system play an important role in IBS pathophysiology and symptom generation. A body of largely preclinical evidence suggests that the gut microbiota can modulate these interactions. Characterizations of alterations of gut microbiota in unselected IBS patients, and assessment of changes in subjective symptoms associated with manipulations of the gut microbiota with prebiotics, probiotics and antibiotics support a small, but poorly defined role of dybiosis in overall IBS symptoms. It remains to be determined if the observed abnormalities are a consequence of altered top down signaling from the brain to the gut and microbiota, if they are secondary to a primary perturbation of the microbiota, and if they play a role in the development of altered brain gut interactions early in life. Different mechanisms may play role in subsets of patients. Characterization of gut microbiome alterations in large cohorts of well phenotyped patients as well as evidence correlating gut metabolites with specific abnormalities in the gut brain axis are required to answer these questions. PMID:24583088

  11. Gut transit is associated with gastrointestinal symptoms and gut hormone profile in patients with cirrhosis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kalaitzakis, Evangelos; Sadik, Riadh; Holst, Jens Juul

    2008-01-01

    BACKGROUND & AIMS: Liver cirrhosis is associated with increased prevalence of gastrointestinal symptoms, insulin resistance, and altered gut transit. We aimed to assess the prevalence of gut transit abnormalities in patients with cirrhosis, compared with healthy controls, and to evaluate the rela......BACKGROUND & AIMS: Liver cirrhosis is associated with increased prevalence of gastrointestinal symptoms, insulin resistance, and altered gut transit. We aimed to assess the prevalence of gut transit abnormalities in patients with cirrhosis, compared with healthy controls, and to evaluate...... the relation of gut transit with gastrointestinal symptoms and postprandial glucose and hormone profiles. METHODS: Half gastric emptying, small bowel residence, and colonic filling times were measured with a validated radiologic procedure in 42 consecutive patients with cirrhosis. In a subgroup of 25 patients......, gastrointestinal symptoms were evaluated by using a validated questionnaire and a caloric satiation test. Postprandial glucose, insulin, leptin, ghrelin, glucagon-like peptide 1, and PYY responses were also studied. Eighty-three healthy subjects served as controls for the transit studies and 10 for the hormone...

  12. Linking the Gut Microbial Ecosystem with the Environment: Does Gut Health Depend on Where We Live?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nishat Tasnim

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Global comparisons reveal a decrease in gut microbiota diversity attributed to Western diets, lifestyle practices such as caesarian section, antibiotic use and formula-feeding of infants, and sanitation of the living environment. While gut microbial diversity is decreasing, the prevalence of chronic inflammatory diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease, diabetes, obesity, allergies and asthma is on the rise in Westernized societies. Since the immune system development is influenced by microbial components, early microbial colonization may be a key factor in determining disease susceptibility patterns later in life. Evidence indicates that the gut microbiota is vertically transmitted from the mother and this affects offspring immunity. However, the role of the external environment in gut microbiome and immune development is poorly understood. Studies show that growing up in microbe-rich environments, such as traditional farms, can have protective health effects on children. These health-effects may be ablated due to changes in the human lifestyle, diet, living environment and environmental biodiversity as a result of urbanization. Importantly, if early-life exposure to environmental microbes increases gut microbiota diversity by influencing patterns of gut microbial assembly, then soil biodiversity loss due to land-use changes such as urbanization could be a public health threat. Here, we summarize key questions in environmental health research and discuss some of the challenges that have hindered progress toward a better understanding of the role of the environment on gut microbiome development.

  13. Towards a complete Δ(27) × SO(10) GUT of flavour

    Science.gov (United States)

    Björkeroth, Fredrik

    2017-09-01

    We propose a renormalisable model based on Δ(27) family symmetry with an SO(10) grand unified theory (GUT) leading to a novel form of spontaneous geometrical CP violation. The symmetries are broken close to the GUT breaking scale to yield the minimal supersymmetric standard model with standard R-parity. Low-scale Yukawa structure is dictated by the coupling of matter to Δ(27) antitriplets \\bar φ whose vacuum expectation values are aligned in the CSD3 directions by the superpotential. Light physical Majorana neutrinos masses emerge from the seesaw mechanism within SO(10). The model predicts a normal neutrino mass hierarchy with the best-fit lightest neutrino mass m 1 ∼ 0.3 meV, CP-violating oscillation phase δl ≈ 280° and the remaining neutrino parameters all within 1σ of their best-fit experimental values.

  14. A Tony Thomas-Inspired Guide to INSPIRE

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    O' Connell, Heath B.; /Fermilab

    2010-04-01

    The SPIRES database was created in the late 1960s to catalogue the high energy physics preprints received by the SLAC Library. In the early 1990s it became the first database on the web and the first website outside of Europe. Although indispensible to the HEP community, its aging software infrastructure is becoming a serious liability. In a joint project involving CERN, DESY, Fermilab and SLAC, a new database, INSPIRE, is being created to replace SPIRES using CERN's modern, open-source Invenio database software. INSPIRE will maintain the content and functionality of SPIRES plus many new features. I describe this evolution from the birth of SPIRES to the current day, noting that the career of Tony Thomas spans this timeline.

  15. A Tony Thomas-Inspired Guide to INSPIRE

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    O'Connell, Heath B.

    2010-01-01

    The SPIRES database was created in the late 1960s to catalogue the high energy physics preprints received by the SLAC Library. In the early 1990s it became the first database on the web and the first website outside of Europe. Although indispensible to the HEP community, its aging software infrastructure is becoming a serious liability. In a joint project involving CERN, DESY, Fermilab and SLAC, a new database, INSPIRE, is being created to replace SPIRES using CERN's modern, open-source Invenio database software. INSPIRE will maintain the content and functionality of SPIRES plus many new features. I describe this evolution from the birth of SPIRES to the current day, noting that the career of Tony Thomas spans this timeline.

  16. Intestinal crosstalk: a new paradigm for understanding the gut as the "motor" of critical illness.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clark, Jessica A; Coopersmith, Craig M

    2007-10-01

    For more than 20 years, the gut has been hypothesized to be the "motor" of multiple organ dysfunction syndrome. As critical care research has evolved, there have been multiple mechanisms by which the gastrointestinal tract has been proposed to drive systemic inflammation. Many of these disparate mechanisms have proved to be important in the origin and propagation of critical illness. However, this has led to an unusual situation where investigators describing the gut as a "motor" revving the systemic inflammatory response syndrome are frequently describing wholly different processes to support their claim (i.e., increased apoptosis, altered tight junctions, translocation, cytokine production, crosstalk with commensal bacteria, etc). The purpose of this review is to present a unifying theory as to how the gut drives critical illness. Although the gastrointestinal tract is frequently described simply as "the gut," it is actually made up of (1) an epithelium; (2) a diverse and robust immune arm, which contains most of the immune cells in the body; and (3) the commensal bacteria, which contain more cells than are present in the entire host organism. We propose that the intestinal epithelium, the intestinal immune system, and the intestine's endogenous bacteria all play vital roles driving multiple organ dysfunction syndrome, and the complex crosstalk between these three interrelated portions of the gastrointestinal tract is what cumulatively makes the gut a "motor" of critical illness.

  17. Kiwifruit, mucins, and the gut barrier.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moughan, Paul J; Rutherfurd, Shane M; Balan, Prabhu

    2013-01-01

    Kiwifruit has long been regarded in China, where it originated from, for its health properties and particularly in relation to digestion and general gut health. There are a number of physical and chemical properties of the fruit, including its dietary fiber content, the presence of raphides, its high water holding capacity and actinidin content, that suggest that kiwifruit may be effective in influencing gut mucin production and thus enhancing the integrity of the gut barrier. The mucous layer, which comprises mucins and other materials, overlying the mucosal epithelium, is an important component of the gut barrier. The gut barrier plays a crucial role in separating the host from the often noxious external environment. The mucous layer, which covers the entire gastrointestinal tract (GIT), is the front line of innate host defense. There have been few direct studies of the effect of kiwifruit ingestion on mucin production in the GIT, and findings that are available using animal models are somewhat inconsistent. Taking results for digesta mucin content, number of goblet cells, and mucin gene expression, together, it would seem that green kiwifruit and possibly gold kiwifruit do influence gut mucin production, and the kiwifruit as part of a balanced diet may help to maintain the mucous layer and gut barrier. More corroborative experimental evidence is needed, and studies need to be undertaken in humans. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Gut microbiota and malnutrition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Million, Matthieu; Diallo, Aldiouma; Raoult, Didier

    2017-05-01

    Malnutrition is the leading cause of death worldwide in children under the age of five, and is the focus of the first World Health Organization (WHO) Millennium Development Goal. Breastfeeding, food and water security are major protective factors against malnutrition and critical factors in the maturation of healthy gut microbiota, characterized by a transient bifidobacterial bloom before a global rise in anaerobes. Early depletion in gut Bifidobacterium longum, a typical maternal probiotic, known to inhibit pathogens, represents the first step in gut microbiota alteration associated with severe acute malnutrition (SAM). Later, the absence of the Healthy Mature Anaerobic Gut Microbiota (HMAGM) leads to deficient energy harvest, vitamin biosynthesis and immune protection, and is associated with diarrhea, malabsorption and systemic invasion by microbial pathogens. A therapeutic diet and infection treatment may be unable to restore bifidobacteria and HMAGM. Besides refeeding and antibiotics, future trials including non-toxic missing microbes and nutrients necessary to restore bifidobacteria and HMAGM, including prebiotics and antioxidants, are warranted in children with severe or refractory disease. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. High Energy Theory: Task B and Task L. Progress report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1994-01-01

    Research areas briefly covered in this report include semi-leptonic and non-leptonic B- and D-decays, CP violation, lattice gauge theory, light cone field theory, supersymmetry, fermion mass matrices, superstrings derived SUSY GUTs, neutrino physics and cosmology

  20. Precision LEP data, supersymmetric GUTs and string unification

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ellis, J.; Kelley, S.; Nanopoulos, D.V.; Houston Area Research Center

    1990-01-01

    The precision of sin 2 θ w MS (m Z ) extracted from LEP data (0.233±0.001) confirms the prediction of minimal supersymmetric GUTs (0.235±0.004) within the errors of about 2%. Moreover, supersymmetric GUTs with three generations and a heavy top quark also predict m b =5.2±0.3 GeV in perfect agreement with potential model estimates (5.0±0.2 GeV). String unification would require that the effective grand unification scale m GUT be no larger than the effective string unification scale m SU , which is indeed consistent with the LEP data, which indicate m GUT ≅ 2x10 16 GeV in a minimal supersymmetric GUT, compared with the theoretical estimate m SU ≅ 10 17 GeV. Specific choices of the string model moduli could enforce m GUT =m SU even in minimal supersymmetric GUTs, whilst non-minimal supersymmetric GUTs can reconcile the successful predictions of sin 2 θ w with m GUT = m SU for generic values of the moduli, but tend to have m b too large. (orig.)

  1. Gut dysfunction in Parkinson's disease

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mukherjee, Adreesh; Biswas, Atanu; Das, Shyamal Kumar

    2016-01-01

    Early involvement of gut is observed in Parkinson’s disease (PD) and symptoms such as constipation may precede motor symptoms. α-Synuclein pathology is extensively evident in the gut and appears to follow a rostrocaudal gradient. The gut may act as the starting point of PD pathology with spread toward the central nervous system. This spread of the synuclein pathology raises the possibility of prion-like propagation in PD pathogenesis. Recently, the role of gut microbiota in PD pathogenesis has received attention and some phenotypic correlation has also been shown. The extensive involvement of the gut in PD even in its early stages has led to the evaluation of enteric α-synuclein as a possible biomarker of early PD. The clinical manifestations of gastrointestinal dysfunction in PD include malnutrition, oral and dental disorders, sialorrhea, dysphagia, gastroparesis, constipation, and defecatory dysfunction. These conditions are quite distressing for the patients and require relevant investigations and adequate management. Treatment usually involves both pharmacological and non-pharmacological measures. One important aspect of gut dysfunction is its contribution to the clinical fluctuations in PD. Dysphagia and gastroparesis lead to inadequate absorption of oral anti-PD medications. These lead to response fluctuations, particularly delayed-on and no-on, and there is significant relationship between levodopa pharmacokinetics and gastric emptying in patients with PD. Therefore, in such cases, alternative routes of administration or drug delivery systems may be required. PMID:27433087

  2. Geonic black holes and remnants in Eddington-inspired Born-Infeld gravity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Olmo, Gonzalo J; Rubiera-Garcia, D; Sanchis-Alepuz, Helios

    We show that electrically charged solutions within the Eddington-inspired Born-Infeld theory of gravity replace the central singularity by a wormhole supported by the electric field. As a result, the total energy associated with the electric field is finite and similar to that found in the Born-Infeld electromagnetic theory. When a certain charge-to-mass ratio is satisfied, in the lowest part of the mass and charge spectrum the event horizon disappears, yielding stable remnants. We argue that quantum effects in the matter sector can lower the mass of these remnants from the Planck scale down to the TeV scale.

  3. Experiences that inspire hope: Perspectives of suicidal patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vatne, May; Nåden, Dagfinn

    2018-06-01

    Suffering in a suicidal crisis includes feelings such as despair, loneliness, anxiety, fear, shame, guilt and hopelessness. This study highlights the experiences of patients in the aftermath of suicide attempts. The research question was, what do suicidal patients see as meaningful help in care and treatment situations? The methodology is inspired by Gadamer's hermeneutics, where the parts are understood in light of the whole, and the whole is understood in light of the parts. Qualitative interviews were employed. Participants and research context: A total of 10 persons, 4 women and 6 men 21-52 years old, were informed and asked to participate by specialists in psychology at two emergency psychiatric wards and by one crisis resolution team. Nine of the participants had experienced one or more suicide attempts using drugs and alcohol. Forced hospitalization prevented one of the 10 participants from attempting suicide. Ethical considerations: Before the participants signed an informed consent form, the interviewer met all participants to provide the written information, talking about the interview. A meeting to terminate contact was arranged after the participants had read their own interviews. Three themes were generated by the methodology we applied: (1) experiencing hope through encounters, (2) experiencing hope through the atmosphere of wisdom and (3) experiencing a ray of hope from taking back responsibility. The findings are discussed in the light of Eriksson's suffering theory and Lindström's theory about psychiatric care, as well as earlier research and theories about suicidality. The study reinforces possibilities that hope in suicidal patients can be inspired in encounters with healthcare personnel and within caring cultures. Through dialogue and cooperation, patients' safety and ability to cope with suffering is created and thereby the hope and will to struggle for life.

  4. First Foods and Gut Microbes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Laursen, Martin Frederik; Bahl, Martin Iain; Michaelsen, Kim F.

    2017-01-01

    The establishment of the human gut microbiota in early life has been associated with later health and disease. During the 1st months after birth, the microbial composition in the gut is known to be affected by the mode of delivery, use of antibiotics, geographical location and type of feeding...... of this window is currently debated, but it likely coincides with the complementary feeding period, marking the gradual transition from milk- based infant feeding to family diet usually occurring between 6 and 24 months. Furthermore, the 'first 1000 days,' i.e., the period from conception until age 2 years...... microbiota development. This perspective paper summarizes the currently very few studies addressing the effects of complementary diet on gut microbiota, and highlights the recent finding that transition to family foods greatly impacts the development of gut microbial diversity. Further, we discuss potential...

  5. The gut microbiota, obesity and insulin resistance

    Science.gov (United States)

    The human gut is densely populated by commensal and symbiotic microbes (the "gut microbiota"), with the majority of the constituent microorganisms being bacteria. Accumulating evidence indicates that the gut microbiota plays a significant role in the development of obesity, obesity-associated inflam...

  6. Metagenomic Analysis of the Human Gut Microbiome

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    dos Santos, Marcelo Bertalan Quintanilha

    Understanding the link between the human gut microbiome and human health is one of the biggest scientific challenges in our decade. Because 90% of our cells are bacteria, and the microbial genome contains 200 times more genes than the human genome, the study of the human microbiome has...... the potential to impact many areas of our health. This PhD thesis is the first study to generate a large amount of experimental data on the DNA and RNA of the human gut microbiome. This was made possible by our development of a human gut microbiome array capable of profiling any human gut microbiome. Analysis...... of our results changes the way we link the gut microbiome with diseases. Our results indicate that inflammatory diseases will affect the ecological system of the human gut microbiome, reducing its diversity. Classification analysis of healthy and unhealthy individuals demonstrates that unhealthy...

  7. Effect of venous (gut) CO2 loading on intrapulmonary gas fractions and ventilation in the tegu lizard.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ballam, G O; Donaldson, L A

    1988-01-01

    Studies were conducted to determine regional pulmonary gas concentrations in the tegu lizard lung. Additionally, changes in pulmonary gas concentrations and ventilatory patterns caused by elevating venous levels of CO2 by gut infusion were measured. It was found that significant stratification of lung gases was present in the tegu and that dynamic fluctuations of CO2 concentration varied throughout the length of the lung. Mean FCO2 was greater and FO2 less in the posterior regions of the lung. In the posterior regions gas concentrations remained nearly constant, whereas in the anterior regions large swings were observed with each breath. In the most anterior sections of the lung near the bronchi, CO2 and O2 concentrations approached atmospheric levels during inspiration and posterior lung levels during expiration. During gut loading of CO2, the rate of rise of CO2 during the breathing pause increased. The mean level of CO2 also increased. Breathing rate and tidal volume increased to produce a doubling of VE. These results indicate that the method of introduction of CO2 into the tegu respiratory system determines the ventilatory response. If the CO2 is introduced into the venous blood a dramatic increase in ventilation is observed. If the CO2 is introduced into the inspired air a significant decrease in ventilation is produced. The changes in pulmonary CO2 environment caused by inspiratory CO2 loading are different from those caused by venous CO2 loading. We hypothesize that the differences in pulmonary CO2 environment caused by either inspiratory CO2 loading or fluctuations in venous CO2 concentration act differently on the IPC. The differing response of the IPC to the two methods of CO2 loading is the cause of the opposite ventilatory response seen during either venous or inspiratory loading.

  8. A conceptual framework for the integration of flow theory and cognitive evaluation theory

    OpenAIRE

    Abuhamdeh, Sami

    2012-01-01

    Flow theory (Csikszentmihalyi, Beyond boredom and anxiety: Experiencing flow in work and play. Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, 1975) and cognitive evaluation theory (Deci and Ryan, Intrinsic motivation and self-determination in human behaviour. Plenum, New York, 1985) have each inspired a large body of research dedicated to understanding why we enjoy doing what we enjoy doing. Although both theories ostensibly address the same category of behavior—namely, intrinsically motivated behavior—there ha...

  9. Microbiota-gut-brain axis and the central nervous system

    OpenAIRE

    Zhu, Xiqun; Han, Yong; Du, Jing; Liu, Renzhong; Jin, Ketao; Yi, Wei

    2017-01-01

    The gut and brain form the gut-brain axis through bidirectional nervous, endocrine, and immune communications. Changes in one of the organs will affect the other organs. Disorders in the composition and quantity of gut microorganisms can affect both the enteric nervous system and the central nervous system (CNS), thereby indicating the existence of a microbiota-gut-brain axis. Due to the intricate interactions between the gut and the brain, gut symbiotic microorganisms are closely associated ...

  10. Control Theory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Toso, Robert B.

    2000-01-01

    Inspired by William Glasser's Reality Therapy ideas, Control Theory (CT) is a disciplinary approach that stresses people's ability to control only their own behavior, based on internal motivations to satisfy five basic needs. At one North Dakota high school, CT-trained teachers are the program's best recruiters. (MLH)

  11. Mycotoxin: Its Impact on Gut Health and Microbiota

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liew, Winnie-Pui-Pui; Mohd-Redzwan, Sabran

    2018-01-01

    The secondary metabolites produced by fungi known as mycotoxins, are capable of causing mycotoxicosis (diseases and death) in human and animals. Contamination of feedstuffs as well as food commodities by fungi occurs frequently in a natural manner and is accompanied by the presence of mycotoxins. The occurrence of mycotoxins' contamination is further stimulated by the on-going global warming as reflected in some findings. This review comprehensively discussed the role of mycotoxins (trichothecenes, zearalenone, fumonisins, ochratoxins, and aflatoxins) toward gut health and gut microbiota. Certainly, mycotoxins cause perturbation in the gut, particularly in the intestinal epithelial. Recent insights have generated an entirely new perspective where there is a bi-directional relationship exists between mycotoxins and gut microbiota, thus suggesting that our gut microbiota might be involved in the development of mycotoxicosis. The bacteria–xenobiotic interplay for the host is highlighted in this review article. It is now well established that a healthy gut microbiota is largely responsible for the overall health of the host. Findings revealed that the gut microbiota is capable of eliminating mycotoxin from the host naturally, provided that the host is healthy with a balance gut microbiota. Moreover, mycotoxins have been demonstrated for modulation of gut microbiota composition, and such alteration in gut microbiota can be observed up to species level in some of the studies. Most, if not all, of the reported effects of mycotoxins, are negative in terms of intestinal health, where beneficial bacteria are eliminated accompanied by an increase of the gut pathogen. The interactions between gut microbiota and mycotoxins have a significant role in the development of mycotoxicosis, particularly hepatocellular carcinoma. Such knowledge potentially drives the development of novel and innovative strategies for the prevention and therapy of mycotoxin contamination and

  12. Mycotoxin: Its Impact on Gut Health and Microbiota

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Winnie-Pui-Pui Liew

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available The secondary metabolites produced by fungi known as mycotoxins, are capable of causing mycotoxicosis (diseases and death in human and animals. Contamination of feedstuffs as well as food commodities by fungi occurs frequently in a natural manner and is accompanied by the presence of mycotoxins. The occurrence of mycotoxins' contamination is further stimulated by the on-going global warming as reflected in some findings. This review comprehensively discussed the role of mycotoxins (trichothecenes, zearalenone, fumonisins, ochratoxins, and aflatoxins toward gut health and gut microbiota. Certainly, mycotoxins cause perturbation in the gut, particularly in the intestinal epithelial. Recent insights have generated an entirely new perspective where there is a bi-directional relationship exists between mycotoxins and gut microbiota, thus suggesting that our gut microbiota might be involved in the development of mycotoxicosis. The bacteria–xenobiotic interplay for the host is highlighted in this review article. It is now well established that a healthy gut microbiota is largely responsible for the overall health of the host. Findings revealed that the gut microbiota is capable of eliminating mycotoxin from the host naturally, provided that the host is healthy with a balance gut microbiota. Moreover, mycotoxins have been demonstrated for modulation of gut microbiota composition, and such alteration in gut microbiota can be observed up to species level in some of the studies. Most, if not all, of the reported effects of mycotoxins, are negative in terms of intestinal health, where beneficial bacteria are eliminated accompanied by an increase of the gut pathogen. The interactions between gut microbiota and mycotoxins have a significant role in the development of mycotoxicosis, particularly hepatocellular carcinoma. Such knowledge potentially drives the development of novel and innovative strategies for the prevention and therapy of mycotoxin

  13. Cellulose digestion in primitive hexapods: Effect of ingested antibiotics on gut microbial populations and gut cellulase levels in the firebrat,Thermobia domestica (Zygentoma, Lepismatidae).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Treves, D S; Martin, M M

    1994-08-01

    Antibiotic feeding studies were conducted on the firebrat,Thermobia domestica (Zygentoma, Lepismatidae) to determine if the insect's gut cellulases were of insect or microbial origin. Firebrats were fed diets containing either nystatin, metronidazole, streptomycin, tetracycline, or an antibiotic cocktail consisting of all four antibiotics, and then their gut microbial populations and gut cellulase levels were monitored and compared with the gut microbial populations and gut cellulase levels in firebrats feeding on antibiotic-free diets. Each antibiotic significantly reduced the firebrat's gut micro-flora. Nystatin reduced the firebrat's viable gut fungi by 89%. Tetracycline and the antibiotic cocktail reduced the firebrat's viable gut bacteria by 81% and 67%, respectively, and metronidazole, streptomycin, tetracycline, and the antibiotic cocktail reduced the firebrat's total gut flora by 35%, 32%, 55%, and 64%, respectively. Although antibiotics significantly reduced the firebrat's viable and total gut flora, gut cellulase levels in firebrats fed antibiotics were not significantly different from those in firebrats on an antibiotic-free diet. Furthermore, microbial populations in the firebrat's gut decreased significantly over time, even in firebrats feeding on the antibiotic-free diet, without corresponding decreases in gut cellulase levels. Based on this evidence, we conclude that the gut cellulases of firebrats are of insect origin. This conclusion implies that symbiont-independent cellulose digestion is a primitive trait in insects and that symbiont-mediated cellulose digestion is a derived condition.

  14. The diagnostic role of gut feelings in general practice A focus group study of the concept and its determinants

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    van der Weijden Trudy

    2009-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background General practitioners sometimes base clinical decisions on gut feelings alone, even though there is little evidence of their diagnostic and prognostic value in daily practice. Research into these aspects and the use of the concept in medical education require a practical and valid description of gut feelings. The goal of our study was therefore to describe the concept of gut feelings in general practice and to identify their main determinants Methods Qualitative research including 4 focus group discussions. A heterogeneous sample of 28 GPs. Text analysis of the focus group discussions, using a grounded theory approach. Results Gut feelings are familiar to most GPs in the Netherlands and play a substantial role in their everyday routine. The participants distinguished two types of gut feelings, a sense of reassurance and a sense of alarm. In the former case, a GP is sure about prognosis and therapy, although they may not always have a clear diagnosis in mind. A sense of alarm means that a GP has the feeling that something is wrong even though objective arguments are lacking. GPs in the focus groups experienced gut feelings as a compass in situations of uncertainty and the majority of GPs trusted this guide. We identified the main determinants of gut feelings: fitting, alerting and interfering factors, sensation, contextual knowledge, medical education, experience and personality. Conclusion The role of gut feelings in general practice has become much clearer, but we need more research into the contributions of individual determinants and into the test properties of gut feelings to make the concept suitable for medical education.

  15. Flavor physics induced by light Z{sup ′} from SO(10) GUT

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hisano, Junji [Kobayashi-Maskawa Institute for the Origin of Particles and the Universe,Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-8602 (Japan); Department of Physics,Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-8602 (Japan); Kavli IPMU (WPI), UTIAS, The University of Tokyo,Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8583 (Japan); Muramatsu, Yu [Kavli IPMU (WPI), UTIAS, The University of Tokyo,Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8583 (Japan); School of Physics, KIAS,Seoul 130-722 (Korea, Republic of); Omura, Yuji [Kobayashi-Maskawa Institute for the Origin of Particles and the Universe,Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-8602 (Japan); Shigekami, Yoshihiro [Department of Physics,Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-8602 (Japan)

    2016-11-04

    In this paper, we investigate predictions of the SO(10) Grand Unified Theory (GUT), where an extra U(1){sup ′} gauge symmetry remains up to the supersymmetry (SUSY) breaking scale. The minimal setup of SO(10) GUT unifies quarks and leptons into a 16-representational field in each generations. The setup, however, suffers from the realization of the realistic Yukawa couplings at the electroweak scale. In order to solve this problem, we introduce 10-representational matter fields, and then the two kinds of matter fields mix with each other at the SUSY breaking scale, where the extra U(1){sup ′} gauge symmetry breaks down radiatively. One crucial prediction is that the Standard Model quarks and leptons are given by the linear combinations of the fields with two different U(1){sup ′} charges. The mixing also depends on the flavor. Consequently, the U(1){sup ′} interaction becomes flavor violating, and the flavor physics is the smoking-gun signal of our GUT model. The flavor violating Z{sup ′} couplings are related to the fermion masses and the CKM matrix, so that we can derive some explicit predictions in flavor physics. We especially discuss K-K̄ mixing, B{sub (s)}- (B{sub (s)})-bar mixing, and the (semi)leptonic decays of K and B in our model. We also study the flavor violating μ and τ decays and discuss the correlations among the physical observables in this SO(10) GUT framework.

  16. Microbiota-gut-brain axis and the central nervous system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Xiqun; Han, Yong; Du, Jing; Liu, Renzhong; Jin, Ketao; Yi, Wei

    2017-08-08

    The gut and brain form the gut-brain axis through bidirectional nervous, endocrine, and immune communications. Changes in one of the organs will affect the other organs. Disorders in the composition and quantity of gut microorganisms can affect both the enteric nervous system and the central nervous system (CNS), thereby indicating the existence of a microbiota-gut-brain axis. Due to the intricate interactions between the gut and the brain, gut symbiotic microorganisms are closely associated with various CNS diseases, such as Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia, and multiple sclerosis. In this paper, we will review the latest advances of studies on the correlation between gut microorganisms and CNS functions & diseases.

  17. The gut microbiota and inflammatory noncommunicable diseases

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    West, Christina E; Renz, Harald; Jenmalm, Maria C

    2015-01-01

    Rapid environmental transition and modern lifestyles are likely driving changes in the biodiversity of the human gut microbiota. With clear effects on physiologic, immunologic, and metabolic processes in human health, aberrations in the gut microbiome and intestinal homeostasis have the capacity...... for neurodevelopment and mental health. These diverse multisystem influences have sparked interest in strategies that might favorably modulate the gut microbiota to reduce the risk of many NCDs. For example, specific prebiotics promote favorable intestinal colonization, and their fermented products have anti....... In human subjects it has been successfully used in cases of Clostridium difficile infection and IBD, although controlled trials are lacking for IBD. Here we discuss relationships between gut colonization and inflammatory NCDs and gut microbiota modulation strategies for their treatment and prevention....

  18. [Nikola Tesla: flashes of inspiration].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Villarejo-Galende, Albero; Herrero-San Martín, Alejandro

    2013-01-16

    Nikola Tesla (1856-1943) was one of the greatest inventors in history and a key player in the revolution that led to the large-scale use of electricity. He also made important contributions to such diverse fields as x-rays, remote control, radio, the theory of consciousness or electromagnetism. In his honour, the international unit of magnetic induction was named after him. Yet, his fame is scarce in comparison with that of other inventors of the time, such as Edison, with whom he had several heated arguments. He was a rather odd, reserved person who lived for his inventions, the ideas for which came to him in moments of inspiration. In his autobiography he relates these flashes with a number of neuropsychiatric manifestations, which can be seen to include migraine auras, synaesthesiae, obsessions and compulsions.

  19. [Gut microbiota: Description, role and pathophysiologic implications].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Landman, C; Quévrain, E

    2016-06-01

    The human gut contains 10(14) bacteria and many other micro-organisms such as Archaea, viruses and fungi. Studying the gut microbiota showed how this entity participates to gut physiology and beyond this to human health, as a real "hidden organ". In this review, we aimed to bring information about gut microbiota, its structure, its roles and its implication in human pathology. After bacterial colonization in infant, intestinal microbial composition is unique for each individual although more than 95% can be assigned to four major phyla. The use of culture independent methods and more recently the development of high throughput sequencing allowed to depict precisely gut microbiota structure and diversity as well as its alteration in diseases. Gut microbiota is implicated in the maturation of the host immune system and in many fundamental metabolic pathways including sugars and proteins fermentation and metabolism of bile acids and xenobiotics. Imbalance of gut microbial populations or dysbiosis has important functional consequences and is implicated in many digestive diseases (inflammatory bowel diseases, colorectal cancer, etc.) but also in obesity and autism. These observations have led to a surge of studies exploring therapeutics which aims to restore gut microbiota equilibrium such as probiotics or fecal microbiota transplantation. But recent research also investigates biological activity of microbial products which could lead to interesting therapeutics leads. Copyright © 2015 Société Nationale Française de Médecine Interne (SNFMI). Published by Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.

  20. Search of wormholes in different dimensional non-commutative inspired space-times with Lorentzian distribution

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bhar, Piyali; Rahaman, Farook [Jadavpur University, Department of Mathematics, Kolkata, West Bengal (India)

    2014-12-01

    In this paper we ask whether the wormhole solutions exist in different dimensional noncommutativity-inspired spacetimes. It is well known that the noncommutativity of the space is an outcome of string theory and it replaced the usual point-like object by a smeared object. Here we have chosen the Lorentzian distribution as the density function in the noncommutativity-inspired spacetime. We have observed that the wormhole solutions exist only in four and five dimensions; however, in higher than five dimensions no wormhole exists. For five dimensional spacetime, we get a wormhole for a restricted region. In the usual four dimensional spacetime, we get a stable wormhole which is asymptotically flat. (orig.)

  1. Kinds of inspiration in interaction design

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Halskov, Kim

    2010-01-01

    In this paper, we explore the role of sources of inspiration in interaction design. We identify four strategies for relating sources of inspiration to emerging ideas: selection; adaptation; translation; and combination. As our starting point, we argue that sources of inspiration are a form...... of knowledge crucial to creativity. Our research is based on empirical findings arising from the use of Inspiration Card Workshops, which are collaborative design events in which domain and technology insight are combined to create design concepts. In addition to the systematically introduced sources...... of inspiration that form part of the workshop format, a number of spontaneous sources of inspiration emerged during these workshops....

  2. The Microbiome-Gut-Behavior Axis: Crosstalk Between the Gut Microbiome and Oligodendrocytes Modulates Behavioral Responses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ntranos, Achilles; Casaccia, Patrizia

    2018-01-01

    Environmental and dietary stimuli have always been implicated in brain development and behavioral responses. The gut, being the major portal of communication with the external environment, has recently been brought to the forefront of this interaction with the establishment of a gut-brain axis in health and disease. Moreover, recent breakthroughs in germ-free and antibiotic-treated mice have demonstrated the significant impact of the microbiome in modulating behavioral responses in mice and have established a more specific microbiome-gut-behavior axis. One of the mechanisms by which this axis affects social behavior is by regulating myelination at the prefrontal cortex, an important site for complex cognitive behavior planning and decision-making. The prefrontal cortex exhibits late myelination of its axonal projections that could extend into the third decade of life in humans, which make it susceptible to external influences, such as microbial metabolites. Changes in the gut microbiome were shown to alter the composition of the microbial metabolome affecting highly permeable bioactive compounds, such as p-cresol, which could impair oligodendrocyte differentiation. Dysregulated myelination in the prefrontal cortex is then able to affect behavioral responses in mice, shifting them towards social isolation. The reduced social interactions could then limit microbial exchange, which could otherwise pose a threat to the survival of the existing microbial community in the host and, thus, provide an evolutionary advantage to the specific microbial community. In this review, we will analyze the microbiome-gut-behavior axis, describe the interactions between the gut microbiome and oligodendrocytes and highlight their role in the modulation of social behavior.

  3. Gut-Bioreactor and Human Health in Future.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Purohit, Hemant J

    2018-03-01

    Gut-microbiome provides the complementary metabolic potential to the human system. To understand the active participation and the performance of the microbial community in human health, the concept of gut as a plug-flow reactor with the fed-batch mode of operation can provide better insight. The concept suggests the virtual compartmentalized gut with sequential stratification of the microbial community in response to a typical host genotype. It also provides the analysis plan for gut microbiome; and its relevance in developing health management options under the identified clinical conditions.

  4. Gut dysbiosis impairs recovery after spinal cord injury.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kigerl, Kristina A; Hall, Jodie C E; Wang, Lingling; Mo, Xiaokui; Yu, Zhongtang; Popovich, Phillip G

    2016-11-14

    The trillions of microbes that exist in the gastrointestinal tract have emerged as pivotal regulators of mammalian development and physiology. Disruption of this gut microbiome, a process known as dysbiosis, causes or exacerbates various diseases, but whether gut dysbiosis affects recovery of neurological function or lesion pathology after traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) is unknown. Data in this study show that SCI increases intestinal permeability and bacterial translocation from the gut. These changes are associated with immune cell activation in gut-associated lymphoid tissues (GALTs) and significant changes in the composition of both major and minor gut bacterial taxa. Postinjury changes in gut microbiota persist for at least one month and predict the magnitude of locomotor impairment. Experimental induction of gut dysbiosis in naive mice before SCI (e.g., via oral delivery of broad-spectrum antibiotics) exacerbates neurological impairment and spinal cord pathology after SCI. Conversely, feeding SCI mice commercial probiotics (VSL#3) enriched with lactic acid-producing bacteria triggers a protective immune response in GALTs and confers neuroprotection with improved locomotor recovery. Our data reveal a previously unknown role for the gut microbiota in influencing recovery of neurological function and neuropathology after SCI. © 2016 Kigerl et al.

  5. Influence of gut microbiota on neuropsychiatric disorders.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cenit, María Carmen; Sanz, Yolanda; Codoñer-Franch, Pilar

    2017-08-14

    The last decade has witnessed a growing appreciation of the fundamental role played by an early assembly of a diverse and balanced gut microbiota and its subsequent maintenance for future health of the host. Gut microbiota is currently viewed as a key regulator of a fluent bidirectional dialogue between the gut and the brain (gut-brain axis). A number of preclinical studies have suggested that the microbiota and its genome (microbiome) may play a key role in neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders. Furthermore, alterations in the gut microbiota composition in humans have also been linked to a variety of neuropsychiatric conditions, including depression, autism and Parkinson's disease. However, it is not yet clear whether these changes in the microbiome are causally related to such diseases or are secondary effects thereof. In this respect, recent studies in animals have indicated that gut microbiota transplantation can transfer a behavioral phenotype, suggesting that the gut microbiota may be a modifiable factor modulating the development or pathogenesis of neuropsychiatric conditions. Further studies are warranted to establish whether or not the findings of preclinical animal experiments can be generalized to humans. Moreover, although different communication routes between the microbiota and brain have been identified, further studies must elucidate all the underlying mechanisms involved. Such research is expected to contribute to the design of strategies to modulate the gut microbiota and its functions with a view to improving mental health, and thus provide opportunities to improve the management of psychiatric diseases. Here, we review the evidence supporting a role of the gut microbiota in neuropsychiatric disorders and the state of the art regarding the mechanisms underlying its contribution to mental illness and health. We also consider the stages of life where the gut microbiota is more susceptible to the effects of environmental stressors, and

  6. The gut microbiome in atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jie, Zhuye; Xia, Huihua; Zhong, Shi-Long

    2017-01-01

    The gut microbiota has been linked to cardiovascular diseases. However, the composition and functional capacity of the gut microbiome in relation to cardiovascular diseases have not been systematically examined. Here, we perform a metagenome-wide association study on stools from 218 individuals...... with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ACVD) and 187 healthy controls. The ACVD gut microbiome deviates from the healthy status by increased abundance of Enterobacteriaceae and Streptococcus spp. and, functionally, in the potential for metabolism or transport of several molecules important for cardiovascular......), with liver cirrhosis, and rheumatoid arthritis. Our data represent a comprehensive resource for further investigations on the role of the gut microbiome in promoting or preventing ACVD as well as other related diseases.The gut microbiota may play a role in cardiovascular diseases. Here, the authors perform...

  7. Alterations of the Gut Microbiome in Hypertension

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Qiulong Yan

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Human gut microbiota is believed to be directly or indirectly involved in cardiovascular diseases and hypertension. However, the identification and functional status of the hypertension-related gut microbe(s have not yet been surveyed in a comprehensive manner.Methods: Here we characterized the gut microbiome in hypertension status by comparing fecal samples of 60 patients with primary hypertension and 60 gender-, age-, and body weight-matched healthy controls based on whole-metagenome shotgun sequencing.Results: Hypertension implicated a remarkable gut dysbiosis with significant reduction in within-sample diversity and shift in microbial composition. Metagenome-wide association study (MGWAS revealed 53,953 microbial genes that differ in distribution between the patients and healthy controls (false discovery rate, 0.05 and can be grouped into 68 clusters representing bacterial species. Opportunistic pathogenic taxa, such as, Klebsiella spp., Streptococcus spp., and Parabacteroides merdae were frequently distributed in hypertensive gut microbiome, whereas the short-chain fatty acid producer, such as, Roseburia spp. and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, were higher in controls. The number of hypertension-associated species also showed stronger correlation to the severity of disease. Functionally, the hypertensive gut microbiome exhibited higher membrane transport, lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis and steroid degradation, while in controls the metabolism of amino acid, cofactors and vitamins was found to be higher. We further provided the microbial markers for disease discrimination and achieved an area under the receiver operator characteristic curve (AUC of 0.78, demonstrating the potential of gut microbiota in prediction of hypertension.Conclusion: These findings represent specific alterations in microbial diversity, genes, species and functions of the hypertensive gut microbiome. Further studies on the causality relationship between

  8. Clay Bells: Edo Inspiration

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wagner, Tom

    2010-01-01

    The ceremonial copper and iron bells at the Smithsonian's National Museum of African Art were the author's inspiration for an interdisciplinary unit with a focus on the contributions various cultures make toward the richness of a community. The author of this article describes an Edo bell-inspired ceramic project incorporating slab-building…

  9. Introduction to the human gut microbiota.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thursby, Elizabeth; Juge, Nathalie

    2017-05-16

    The human gastrointestinal (GI) tract harbours a complex and dynamic population of microorganisms, the gut microbiota, which exert a marked influence on the host during homeostasis and disease. Multiple factors contribute to the establishment of the human gut microbiota during infancy. Diet is considered as one of the main drivers in shaping the gut microbiota across the life time. Intestinal bacteria play a crucial role in maintaining immune and metabolic homeostasis and protecting against pathogens. Altered gut bacterial composition (dysbiosis) has been associated with the pathogenesis of many inflammatory diseases and infections. The interpretation of these studies relies on a better understanding of inter-individual variations, heterogeneity of bacterial communities along and across the GI tract, functional redundancy and the need to distinguish cause from effect in states of dysbiosis. This review summarises our current understanding of the development and composition of the human GI microbiota, and its impact on gut integrity and host health, underlying the need for mechanistic studies focusing on host-microbe interactions. © 2017 The Author(s).

  10. [Glucose homeostasis and gut-brain connection].

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Vadder, Filipe; Mithieux, Gilles

    2015-02-01

    Since the XIX(th) century, the brain has been known for its role in regulating food intake (via the control of hunger sensation) and glucose homeostasis. Further interest has come from the discovery of gut hormones, which established a clear link between the gut and the brain in regulating glucose and energy homeostasis. The brain has two particular structures, the hypothalamus and the brainstem, which are sensitive to information coming either from peripheral organs or from the gut (via circulating hormones or nutrients) about the nutritional status of the organism. However, the efforts for a better understanding of these mechanisms have allowed to unveil a new gut-brain neural axis as a key regulator of the metabolic status of the organism. Certain nutrients control the hypothalamic homeostatic function via this axis. In this review, we describe how the gut is connected to the brain via different neural pathways, and how the interplay between these two organs drives the energy balance. © 2015 médecine/sciences – Inserm.

  11. Gut microbiota controls adipose tissue expansion, gut barrier and glucose metabolism: novel insights into molecular targets and interventions using prebiotics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Geurts, L; Neyrinck, A M; Delzenne, N M; Knauf, C; Cani, P D

    2014-03-01

    Crosstalk between organs is crucial for controlling numerous homeostatic systems (e.g. energy balance, glucose metabolism and immunity). Several pathological conditions, such as obesity and type 2 diabetes, are characterised by a loss of or excessive inter-organ communication that contributes to the development of disease. Recently, we and others have identified several mechanisms linking the gut microbiota with the development of obesity and associated disorders (e.g. insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, hepatic steatosis). Among these, we described the concept of metabolic endotoxaemia (increase in plasma lipopolysaccharide levels) as one of the triggering factors leading to the development of metabolic inflammation and insulin resistance. Growing evidence suggests that gut microbes contribute to the onset of low-grade inflammation characterising these metabolic disorders via mechanisms associated with gut barrier dysfunctions. We have demonstrated that enteroendocrine cells (producing glucagon-like peptide-1, peptide YY and glucagon-like peptide-2) and the endocannabinoid system control gut permeability and metabolic endotoxaemia. Recently, we hypothesised that specific metabolic dysregulations occurring at the level of numerous organs (e.g. gut, adipose tissue, muscles, liver and brain) rely from gut microbiota modifications. In this review, we discuss the mechanisms linking gut permeability, adipose tissue metabolism, and glucose homeostasis, and recent findings that show interactions between the gut microbiota, the endocannabinoid system and the apelinergic system. These specific systems are discussed in the context of the gut-to-peripheral organ axis (intestine, adipose tissue and brain) and impacts on metabolic regulation. In the present review, we also briefly describe the impact of a variety of non-digestible nutrients (i.e. inulin-type fructans, arabinoxylans, chitin glucans and polyphenols). Their effects on the composition of the gut microbiota and

  12. INSPIRE 2012 da Istanbul a Firenze

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mauro Salvemini

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available DURING THE CONFERENCE HELD IN  ISTANBUL IN  2012 INSPIRE  THE  NEWS  THAT  MOST  IMPRESSED ITALIANS PRESENT,  EVEN THOSE IN THE PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION , WAS THAT THE NEXT  INSPIRE CONFERENCE WILL TAKE PLACE IN  FLORENCEDurante la conferenza INSPIRE 2012 svoltasi ad Istanbul la notizia che ha maggiormente colpito gli italiani presenti, anche quelli della pubblica amministrazione , è stata che la prossima Conferenza INSPIRE si svolgerà a Firenze dal 23 al 27 giugno 2013.

  13. INSPIRE 2012 da Istanbul a Firenze

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mauro Salvemini

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available DURING THE CONFERENCE HELD IN  ISTANBUL IN  2012 INSPIRE  THE  NEWS  THAT  MOST  IMPRESSED ITALIANS PRESENT,  EVEN THOSE IN THE PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION , WAS THAT THE NEXT  INSPIRE CONFERENCE WILL TAKE PLACE IN  FLORENCE Durante la conferenza INSPIRE 2012 svoltasi ad Istanbul la notizia che ha maggiormente colpito gli italiani presenti, anche quelli della pubblica amministrazione , è stata che la prossima Conferenza INSPIRE si svolgerà a Firenze dal 23 al 27 giugno 2013.

  14. The human gut microbiota and virome: Potential therapeutic implications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scarpellini, Emidio; Ianiro, Gianluca; Attili, Fabia; Bassanelli, Chiara; De Santis, Adriano; Gasbarrini, Antonio

    2015-12-01

    Human gut microbiota is a complex ecosystem with several functions integrated in the host organism (metabolic, immune, nutrients absorption, etc.). Human microbiota is composed by bacteria, yeasts, fungi and, last but not least, viruses, whose composition has not been completely described. According to previous evidence on pathogenic viruses, the human gut harbours plant-derived viruses, giant viruses and, only recently, abundant bacteriophages. New metagenomic methods have allowed to reconstitute entire viral genomes from the genetic material spread in the human gut, opening new perspectives on the understanding of the gut virome composition, the importance of gut microbiome, and potential clinical applications. This review reports the latest evidence on human gut "virome" composition and its function, possible future therapeutic applications in human health in the context of the gut microbiota, and attempts to clarify the role of the gut "virome" in the larger microbial ecosystem. Copyright © 2015 Editrice Gastroenterologica Italiana S.r.l. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Practice Theory: Viewing Leadership as Leading

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilkinson, Jane; Kemmis, Stephen

    2015-01-01

    Inspired by Theodore Schatzki's "societist" approach--in which he advocates a notion of "site ontologies"--in this article, we outline our theory of practice architectures (a theory about what practices are composed of) and ecologies of practices (how practices relate to one another). Drawing on case studies of four Australian…

  16. From Central Asia to South Africa: In Search of Inspiration in Rock Art Studies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rozwadowski Andrzej

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available The paper describes the story of discovering South African rock art as an inspiration for research in completely different part of the globe, namely in Central Asia and Siberia. It refers to those aspect of African research which proved to importantly develop the understanding of rock art in Asia. Several aspects are addressed. First, it points to importance of rethinking of relationship between art, myth and ethnography, which in South Africa additionally resulted in reconsidering the ontology of rock images and the very idea of reading of rock art. From the latter viewpoint particularly inspiring appeared the idea of three-dimensionality of rock art ‘text’. The second issue of South African ‘origin,’ which notably inspired research all over the world, concerns a new theorizing of shamanism. The paper then discusses how and to what extent this new theory add to the research on the rock art in Siberia and Central Asia.

  17. Enterotypes influence temporal changes in gut microbiota

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Roager, Henrik Munch; Licht, Tine Rask; Kellebjerg Poulsen, Sanne

    The human gut microbiota plays an important role for human health. The question is whether we can modulate the gut microbiota by changing diet. During a 6-month, randomised, controlled dietary intervention, the effect of consuming a diet following the New Nordic Diet recommendations (NND......) as opposed to Average Danish Diet (ADD) on the gut microbiota in humans (n=62) was investigated. Quantitative PCR analysis showed that the microbiota did not change significantly by the intervention. Nevertheless, by stratifying subjects into two enterotypes, distinguished by the Prevotella/Bacteroides ratio...... (P/B), we were able to detect significant changes in the gut microbiota composition resulting from the interventions. Subjects with a high-P/B experienced more pronounced changes in the gut microbiota composition than subjects with a low-P/B. The study is the first to indicate that enterotypes...

  18. Microbiota in fermented feed and swine gut.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Cheng; Shi, Changyou; Zhang, Yu; Song, Deguang; Lu, Zeqing; Wang, Yizhen

    2018-04-01

    Development of alternatives to antibiotic growth promoters (AGP) used in swine production requires a better understanding of their impacts on the gut microbiota. Supplementing fermented feed (FF) in swine diets as a novel nutritional strategy to reduce the use of AGP and feed price, can positively affect the porcine gut microbiota, thereby improving pig productivities. Previous studies have noted the potential effects of FF on the shift in benefit of the swine microbiota in different regions of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT). The positive influences of FF on swine gut microbiota may be due to the beneficial effects of both pre- and probiotics. Necessarily, some methods should be adopted to properly ferment and evaluate the feed and avoid undesired problems. In this mini-review, we mainly discuss the microbiota in both fermented feed and swine gut and how FF influences swine gut microbiota.

  19. Artificial Intelligence and Economic Theories

    OpenAIRE

    Marwala, Tshilidzi; Hurwitz, Evan

    2017-01-01

    The advent of artificial intelligence has changed many disciplines such as engineering, social science and economics. Artificial intelligence is a computational technique which is inspired by natural intelligence such as the swarming of birds, the working of the brain and the pathfinding of the ants. These techniques have impact on economic theories. This book studies the impact of artificial intelligence on economic theories, a subject that has not been extensively studied. The theories that...

  20. Gut proteases target Yersinia invasin in vivo

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Freund Sandra

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Yersinia enterocolitica is a common cause of food borne gastrointestinal disease. After oral uptake, yersiniae invade Peyer's patches of the distal ileum. This is accomplished by the binding of the Yersinia invasin to β1 integrins on the apical surface of M cells which overlie follicle associated lymphoid tissue. The gut represents a barrier that severely limits yersiniae from reaching deeper tissues such as Peyer's patches. We wondered if gut protease attack on invasion factors could contribute to the low number of yersiniae invading Peyer's patches. Findings Here we show that invasin is rapidly degraded in vivo by gut proteases in the mouse infection model. In vivo proteolytic degradation is due to proteolysis by several gut proteases such as trypsin, α-chymotrypsin, pancreatic elastase, and pepsin. Protease treated yersiniae are shown to be less invasive in a cell culture model. YadA, another surface adhesin is cleaved by similar concentrations of gut proteases but Myf was not cleaved, showing that not all surface proteins are equally susceptible to degradation by gut proteases. Conclusions We demonstrate that gut proteases target important Yersinia virulence factors such as invasin and YadA in vivo. Since invasin is completely degraded within 2-3 h after reaching the small intestine of mice, it is no longer available to mediate invasion of Peyer's patches.

  1. The Gut Microbiota of Marine Fish

    Science.gov (United States)

    Egerton, Sian; Culloty, Sarah; Whooley, Jason; Stanton, Catherine; Ross, R. Paul

    2018-01-01

    The body of work relating to the gut microbiota of fish is dwarfed by that on humans and mammals. However, it is a field that has had historical interest and has grown significantly along with the expansion of the aquaculture industry and developments in microbiome research. Research is now moving quickly in this field. Much recent focus has been on nutritional manipulation and modification of the gut microbiota to meet the needs of fish farming, while trying to maintain host health and welfare. However, the diversity amongst fish means that baseline data from wild fish and a clear understanding of the role that specific gut microbiota play is still lacking. We review here the factors shaping marine fish gut microbiota and highlight gaps in the research. PMID:29780377

  2. Multislice ct in gut related pathologies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nadeem, A.; Shaukat, A.; Ahmad, M.W.; Amin, Y.

    2007-01-01

    The objective of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of Multislice CT in Gut related pathologies. 50 consecutive patients, referred from surgical and medical departments, with gut pathology suspicion were scanned in this respect on Toshiba MSCT 4 slice Aquilion. Patients were. 100 ml iodinated non ionic IV contrast was given. Preferably water was used as oral contrast and oral iodinated contrast was used only in selective cases. As a result, 33 patients showed positive response and 17 were normal; 23 were females and 10 were males. We found following pathologies Acute Appendicitis 10, Diverticulitis 02, Inflammatory Bowel Disease 03, Small Bowel Obstruction 04, Malignant Gut masses 08, Omental Implants 05, Perforation (Duodenal) 01. It is thus concluded that MDCT has a definite role in gut pathologies especially when the ultrasound is negative. (author)

  3. Perceptually-Inspired Computing

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ming Lin

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available Human sensory systems allow individuals to see, hear, touch, and interact with the surrounding physical environment. Understanding human perception and its limit enables us to better exploit the psychophysics of human perceptual systems to design more efficient, adaptive algorithms and develop perceptually-inspired computational models. In this talk, I will survey some of recent efforts on perceptually-inspired computing with applications to crowd simulation and multimodal interaction. In particular, I will present data-driven personality modeling based on the results of user studies, example-guided physics-based sound synthesis using auditory perception, as well as perceptually-inspired simplification for multimodal interaction. These perceptually guided principles can be used to accelerating multi-modal interaction and visual computing, thereby creating more natural human-computer interaction and providing more immersive experiences. I will also present their use in interactive applications for entertainment, such as video games, computer animation, and shared social experience. I will conclude by discussing possible future research directions.

  4. On the chirality of the SM and the fermion content of GUTs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Renato M. Fonseca

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available The Standard Model (SM is a chiral theory, where right- and left-handed fermion fields transform differently under the gauge group. Extra fermions, if they do exist, need to be heavy otherwise they would have already been observed. With no complex mechanisms at work, such as confining interactions or extra-dimensions, this can only be achieved if every extra right-handed fermion comes paired with a left-handed one transforming in the same way under the Standard Model gauge group, otherwise the new states would only get a mass after electroweak symmetry breaking, which would necessarily be small (∼100 GeV. Such a simple requirement severely constrains the fermion content of Grand Unified Theories (GUTs. It is known for example that three copies of the representations 5¯+10 of SU(5 or three copies of the 16 of SO(10 can reproduce the Standard Model's chirality, but how unique are these arrangements? In a systematic way, this paper looks at the possibility of having non-standard mixtures of fermion GUT representations yielding the correct Standard Model chirality. Family unification is possible with large special unitary groups — for example, the 171 representation of SU(19 may decompose as 3(16+120+3(1 under SO(10.

  5. The First Microbial Colonizers of the Human Gut: Composition, Activities, and Health Implications of the Infant Gut Microbiota.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Milani, Christian; Duranti, Sabrina; Bottacini, Francesca; Casey, Eoghan; Turroni, Francesca; Mahony, Jennifer; Belzer, Clara; Delgado Palacio, Susana; Arboleya Montes, Silvia; Mancabelli, Leonardo; Lugli, Gabriele Andrea; Rodriguez, Juan Miguel; Bode, Lars; de Vos, Willem; Gueimonde, Miguel; Margolles, Abelardo; van Sinderen, Douwe; Ventura, Marco

    2017-12-01

    The human gut microbiota is engaged in multiple interactions affecting host health during the host's entire life span. Microbes colonize the neonatal gut immediately following birth. The establishment and interactive development of this early gut microbiota are believed to be (at least partially) driven and modulated by specific compounds present in human milk. It has been shown that certain genomes of infant gut commensals, in particular those of bifidobacterial species, are genetically adapted to utilize specific glycans of this human secretory fluid, thus representing a very intriguing example of host-microbe coevolution, where both partners are believed to benefit. In recent years, various metagenomic studies have tried to dissect the composition and functionality of the infant gut microbiome and to explore the distribution across the different ecological niches of the infant gut biogeography of the corresponding microbial consortia, including those corresponding to bacteria and viruses, in healthy and ill subjects. Such analyses have linked certain features of the microbiota/microbiome, such as reduced diversity or aberrant composition, to intestinal illnesses in infants or disease states that are manifested at later stages of life, including asthma, inflammatory bowel disease, and metabolic disorders. Thus, a growing number of studies have reported on how the early human gut microbiota composition/development may affect risk factors related to adult health conditions. This concept has fueled the development of strategies to shape the infant microbiota composition based on various functional food products. In this review, we describe the infant microbiota, the mechanisms that drive its establishment and composition, and how microbial consortia may be molded by natural or artificial interventions. Finally, we discuss the relevance of key microbial players of the infant gut microbiota, in particular bifidobacteria, with respect to their role in health and

  6. Nostalgia-Evoked Inspiration: Mediating Mechanisms and Motivational Implications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stephan, Elena; Sedikides, Constantine; Wildschut, Tim; Cheung, Wing-Yee; Routledge, Clay; Arndt, Jamie

    2015-10-01

    Six studies examined the nostalgia-inspiration link and its motivational implications. In Study 1, nostalgia proneness was positively associated with inspiration frequency and intensity. In Studies 2 and 3, the recollection of nostalgic (vs. ordinary) experiences increased both general inspiration and specific inspiration to engage in exploratory activities. In Study 4, serial mediational analyses supported a model in which nostalgia increases social connectedness, which subsequently fosters self-esteem, which then boosts inspiration. In Study 5, a rigorous evaluation of this serial mediational model (with a novel nostalgia induction controlling for positive affect) reinforced the idea that nostalgia-elicited social connectedness increases self-esteem, which then heightens inspiration. Study 6 extended the serial mediational model by demonstrating that nostalgia-evoked inspiration predicts goal pursuit (intentions to pursue an important goal). Nostalgia spawns inspiration via social connectedness and attendant self-esteem. In turn, nostalgia-evoked inspiration bolsters motivation. © 2015 by the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc.

  7. Modulatory Effects of Gut Microbiota on the Central Nervous System: How Gut Could Play a Role in Neuropsychiatric Health and Diseases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yarandi, Shadi S; Peterson, Daniel A; Treisman, Glen J; Moran, Timothy H; Pasricha, Pankaj J

    2016-04-30

    Gut microbiome is an integral part of the Gut-Brain axis. It is becoming increasingly recognized that the presence of a healthy and diverse gut microbiota is important to normal cognitive and emotional processing. It was known that altered emotional state and chronic stress can change the composition of gut microbiome, but it is becoming more evident that interaction between gut microbiome and central nervous system is bidirectional. Alteration in the composition of the gut microbiome can potentially lead to increased intestinal permeability and impair the function of the intestinal barrier. Subsequently, neuro-active compounds and metabolites can gain access to the areas within the central nervous system that regulate cognition and emotional responses. Deregulated inflammatory response, promoted by harmful microbiota, can activate the vagal system and impact neuropsychological functions. Some bacteria can produce peptides or short chain fatty acids that can affect gene expression and inflammation within the central nervous system. In this review, we summarize the evidence supporting the role of gut microbiota in modulating neuropsychological functions of the central nervous system and exploring the potential underlying mechanisms.

  8. Effect of inspiration on airway dimensions measured in maximal inspiration CT images of subjects without airflow limitation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Petersen, Jens; Wille, Mathilde M.W.; Raket, Lars Lau

    2014-01-01

    . Automated software was utilized to segment lungs and airways, identify segmental bronchi, and match airway branches in all images of the same subject. Inspiration level was defined as segmented total lung volume (TLV) divided by predicted total lung capacity (pTLC). Mixed-effects models were used to predict......OBJECTIVES: To study the effect of inspiration on airway dimensions measured in voluntary inspiration breath-hold examinations. METHODS: 961 subjects with normal spirometry were selected from the Danish Lung Cancer Screening Trial. Subjects were examined annually for five years with low-dose CT...... • The effect of inspiration is greater in higher-generation (more peripheral) airways • Airways of generation 5 and beyond are as distensible as lung parenchyma • Airway dimensions measured from CT should be adjusted for inspiration level....

  9. The problem with brain GUTs: conflation of different senses of "prediction" threatens metaphysical disaster.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anderson, Michael L; Chemero, Tony

    2013-06-01

    Clark appears to be moving toward epistemic internalism, which he once rightly rejected. This results from a double over-interpretation of predictive coding's significance. First, Clark argues that predictive coding offers a Grand Unified Theory (GUT) of brain function. Second, he over-reads its epistemic import, perhaps even conflating causal and epistemic mediators. We argue instead for a plurality of neurofunctional principles.

  10. The first microbial colonizers of the human gut

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Milani, Christian; Duranti, Sabrina; Bottacini, Francesca; Casey, Eoghan; Turroni, Francesca; Mahony, Jennifer; Belzer, Clara; Palacio, Susana Delgado; Montes, Silvia Arboleya; Mancabelli, Leonardo; Lugli, Gabriele Andrea; Rodriguez, Juan Miguel; Bode, Lars; Vos, De Willem; Gueimonde, Miguel; Margolles, Abelardo; Sinderen, Van Douwe; Ventura, Marco

    2017-01-01

    The human gut microbiota is engaged in multiple interactions affecting host health during the host's entire life span. Microbes colonize the neonatal gut immediately following birth. The establishment and interactive development of this early gut microbiota are believed to be (at least partially)

  11. Recruitment and establishment of the gut microbiome in arctic shorebirds.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grond, Kirsten; Lanctot, Richard B; Jumpponen, Ari; Sandercock, Brett K

    2017-12-01

    Gut microbiota play a key role in host health. Mammals acquire gut microbiota during birth, but timing of gut microbial recruitment in birds is unknown. We evaluated whether precocial chicks from three species of arctic-breeding shorebirds acquire gut microbiota before or after hatching, and then documented the rate and compositional dynamics of accumulation of gut microbiota. Contrary to earlier reports of microbial recruitment before hatching in chickens, quantitative PCR and Illumina sequence data indicated negligible microbiota in the guts of shorebird embryos before hatching. Analyses of chick feces indicated an exponential increase in bacterial abundance of guts 0-2 days post-hatch, followed by stabilization. Gut communities were characterized by stochastic recruitment and convergence towards a community dominated by Clostridia and Gammaproteobacteria. We conclude that guts of shorebird chicks are likely void of microbiota prior to hatch, but that stable gut microbiome establishes as early as 3 days of age, probably from environmental inocula. © FEMS 2017. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  12. A catalog of the mouse gut metagenome

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Xiao, Liang; Feng, Qiang; Liang, Suisha

    2015-01-01

    laboratories and fed either a low-fat or high-fat diet. Similar to the human gut microbiome, >99% of the cataloged genes are bacterial. We identified 541 metagenomic species and defined a core set of 26 metagenomic species found in 95% of the mice. The mouse gut microbiome is functionally similar to its human......We established a catalog of the mouse gut metagenome comprising ∼2.6 million nonredundant genes by sequencing DNA from fecal samples of 184 mice. To secure high microbiome diversity, we used mouse strains of diverse genetic backgrounds, from different providers, kept in different housing...... counterpart, with 95.2% of its Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) orthologous groups in common. However, only 4.0% of the mouse gut microbial genes were shared (95% identity, 90% coverage) with those of the human gut microbiome. This catalog provides a useful reference for future studies....

  13. Anxiety, Depression, and the Microbiome: A Role for Gut Peptides.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lach, Gilliard; Schellekens, Harriet; Dinan, Timothy G; Cryan, John F

    2018-01-01

    The complex bidirectional communication between the gut and the brain is finely orchestrated by different systems, including the endocrine, immune, autonomic, and enteric nervous systems. Moreover, increasing evidence supports the role of the microbiome and microbiota-derived molecules in regulating such interactions; however, the mechanisms underpinning such effects are only beginning to be resolved. Microbiota-gut peptide interactions are poised to be of great significance in the regulation of gut-brain signaling. Given the emerging role of the gut-brain axis in a variety of brain disorders, such as anxiety and depression, it is important to understand the contribution of bidirectional interactions between peptide hormones released from the gut and intestinal bacteria in the context of this axis. Indeed, the gastrointestinal tract is the largest endocrine organ in mammals, secreting dozens of different signaling molecules, including peptides. Gut peptides in the systemic circulation can bind cognate receptors on immune cells and vagus nerve terminals thereby enabling indirect gut-brain communication. Gut peptide concentrations are not only modulated by enteric microbiota signals, but also vary according to the composition of the intestinal microbiota. In this review, we will discuss the gut microbiota as a regulator of anxiety and depression, and explore the role of gut-derived peptides as signaling molecules in microbiome-gut-brain communication. Here, we summarize the potential interactions of the microbiota with gut hormones and endocrine peptides, including neuropeptide Y, peptide YY, pancreatic polypeptide, cholecystokinin, glucagon-like peptide, corticotropin-releasing factor, oxytocin, and ghrelin in microbiome-to-brain signaling. Together, gut peptides are important regulators of microbiota-gut-brain signaling in health and stress-related psychiatric illnesses.

  14. Crackle Pitch Rises Progressively during Inspiration in Pneumonia, CHF, and IPF Patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vyshedskiy, Andrey; Murphy, Raymond

    2012-01-01

    Objective. It is generally accepted that crackles are due to sudden opening of airways and that larger airways produce crackles of lower pitch than smaller airways do. As larger airways are likely to open earlier in inspiration than smaller airways and the reverse is likely to be true in expiration, we studied crackle pitch as a function of crackle timing in inspiration and expiration. Our goal was to see if the measurement of crackle pitch was consistent with this theory. Methods. Patients with a significant number of crackles were examined using a multichannel lung sound analyzer. These patients included 34 with pneumonia, 38 with heart failure, and 28 with interstitial fibrosis. Results. Crackle pitch progressively increased during inspirations in 79% of all patients. In these patients crackle pitch increased by approximately 40 Hz from the early to midinspiration and by another 40 Hz from mid to late-inspiration. In 10% of patients, crackle pitch did not change and in 11% of patients crackle pitch decreased. During expiration crackle pitch progressively decreased in 72% of patients and did not change in 28% of patients. Conclusion. In the majority of patients, we observed progressive crackle pitch increase during inspiration and decrease during expiration. Increased crackle pitch at larger lung volumes is likely a result of recruitment of smaller diameter airways. An alternate explanation is that crackle pitch may be influenced by airway tension that increases at greater lung volume. In any case improved understanding of the mechanism of production of these common lung sounds may help improve our understanding of pathophysiology of these disorders.

  15. Gut Pharmacomicrobiomics: the tip of an iceberg of complex interactions between drugs and gut-associated microbes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saad, Rama; Rizkallah, Mariam R; Aziz, Ramy K

    2012-11-30

    The influence of resident gut microbes on xenobiotic metabolism has been investigated at different levels throughout the past five decades. However, with the advance in sequencing and pyrotagging technologies, addressing the influence of microbes on xenobiotics had to evolve from assessing direct metabolic effects on toxins and botanicals by conventional culture-based techniques to elucidating the role of community composition on drugs metabolic profiles through DNA sequence-based phylogeny and metagenomics. Following the completion of the Human Genome Project, the rapid, substantial growth of the Human Microbiome Project (HMP) opens new horizons for studying how microbiome compositional and functional variations affect drug action, fate, and toxicity (pharmacomicrobiomics), notably in the human gut. The HMP continues to characterize the microbial communities associated with the human gut, determine whether there is a common gut microbiome profile shared among healthy humans, and investigate the effect of its alterations on health. Here, we offer a glimpse into the known effects of the gut microbiota on xenobiotic metabolism, with emphasis on cases where microbiome variations lead to different therapeutic outcomes. We discuss a few examples representing how the microbiome interacts with human metabolic enzymes in the liver and intestine. In addition, we attempt to envisage a roadmap for the future implications of the HMP on therapeutics and personalized medicine.

  16. Proton decay in non-minimal SU(5) GUTs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rudaz, S.

    1984-01-01

    We first give an overview of the minimal SU(5) GUT, outlining its successes and failures: we argue that in view of the failure of this theory to reproduce correctly light quark and lepton mass ratios, the lack of experimental evidence for the decay mode p → e + π 0 is hardly surprising. We then consider non-minimal extensions of the basic SU(5) model, with or without supersymmetry, which give rise to quite different hierarchies of nucleon decay modes. These considerations serve to emphasize the importance of ''broad band'' searches for proton decay in all possible modes in the next generation of experiments. 31 refs

  17. A half-century of automata theory celebration and inspiration

    CERN Document Server

    Salomaa, A; Yu, S

    2001-01-01

    This volume gathers lectures by 8 distinguished pioneers of automata theory, including two Turing Award winners. In each contribution, the early developments of automata theory are reminisced about and future directions are suggested. Although some of the contributions go into rather intriguing technical details, most of the book is accessible to a wide audience interested in the progress of the age of computers. The book is a must for professionals in theoretical computer science and related areas of mathematics. For students in these areas it provides an exceptionally deep view at the beginn

  18. Copepod guts as biogeochemical hotspots in the sea

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tang, Kam W.; Glud, Ronnie N.; Glud, Anni

    2011-01-01

    The environmental conditions inside the gut of Calanus hyperboreus and C. glacialis were measured with microelectrodes. An acidic potential hydrogen (pH) gradient was present in the gut of C. hyperboreus, and the lowest pH recorded was 5.40. The gut pH of a starved copepod decreased by 0.53 after...... the copepod resumed feeding for a few hours, indicating the secretion of acidic digestive fluid. A copepod feeding on Thalassiosira weissflogii (diatom) had slightly lower pH than that feeding on Rhodomonas salina (cryptophyte). Oxygen was undersaturated in the gut of both C. hyperboreus and C. glacialis......, with a steep gradient from the anal opening to the metasome region. The central metasome region was completely anoxic. Food remains in the gut led to a lower oxygen level, and a diatom diet induced a stronger oxygen gradient than a cryptophyte diet. The acidic and suboxic–anoxic environments of the copepod gut...

  19. Contribution of Gut Bacteria to Liver Pathobiology

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gakuhei Son

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Emerging evidence suggests a strong interaction between the gut microbiota and health and disease. The interactions of the gut microbiota and the liver have only recently been investigated in detail. Receiving approximately 70% of its blood supply from the intestinal venous outflow, the liver represents the first line of defense against gut-derived antigens and is equipped with a broad array of immune cells (i.e., macrophages, lymphocytes, natural killer cells, and dendritic cells to accomplish this function. In the setting of tissue injury, whereby the liver is otherwise damaged (e.g., viral infection, toxin exposure, ischemic tissue damage, etc., these same immune cell populations and their interactions with the infiltrating gut bacteria likely contribute to and promote these pathologies. The following paper will highlight recent studies investigating the relationship between the gut microbiota, liver biology, and pathobiology. Defining these connections will likely provide new targets for therapy or prevention of a wide variety of acute and chronic liver pathologies.

  20. Early-life gut microbiome and egg allergy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fazlollahi, M; Chun, Y; Grishin, A; Wood, R A; Burks, A W; Dawson, P; Jones, S M; Leung, D Y M; Sampson, H A; Sicherer, S H; Bunyavanich, S

    2018-07-01

    Gut microbiota may play a role in egg allergy. We sought to examine the association between early-life gut microbiota and egg allergy. We studied 141 children with egg allergy and controls from the multicenter Consortium of Food Allergy Research study. At enrollment (age 3 to 16 months), fecal samples were collected, and clinical evaluation, egg-specific IgE measurement, and egg skin prick test were performed. Gut microbiome was profiled by 16S rRNA sequencing. Analyses for the primary outcome of egg allergy at enrollment, and the secondary outcomes of egg sensitization at enrollment and resolution of egg allergy by age 8 years, were performed using Quantitative Insights into Microbial Ecology, Phylogenetic Investigation of Communities by Reconstruction of Unobserved States, and Statistical Analysis of Metagenomic Profiles. Compared to controls, increased alpha diversity and distinct taxa (PERMANOVA P = 5.0 × 10 -4 ) characterized the early-life gut microbiome of children with egg allergy. Genera from the Lachnospiraceae, Streptococcaceae, and Leuconostocaceae families were differentially abundant in children with egg allergy. Predicted metagenome functional analyses showed differential purine metabolism by the gut microbiota of egg-allergic subjects (Kruskal-Wallis P adj  = 0.021). Greater gut microbiome diversity and genera from Lachnospiraceae and Ruminococcaceae were associated with egg sensitization (PERMANOVA P = 5.0 × 10 -4 ). Among those with egg allergy, there was no association between early-life gut microbiota and egg allergy resolution by age 8 years. The distinct early-life gut microbiota in egg-allergic and egg-sensitized children identified by our study may point to targets for preventive or therapeutic intervention. © 2018 EAACI and John Wiley and Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley and Sons Ltd.

  1. The gut microbiota and its relationship to diet and obesity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clarke, Siobhan F.; Murphy, Eileen F.; Nilaweera, Kanishka; Ross, Paul R.; Shanahan, Fergus; O’Toole, Paul W.; Cotter, Paul D.

    2012-01-01

    Obesity develops from a prolonged imbalance of energy intake and energy expenditure. However, the relatively recent discovery that the composition and function of the gut microbiota impacts on obesity has lead to an explosion of interest in what is now a distinct research field. Here, research relating to the links between the gut microbiota, diet and obesity will be reviewed under five major headings: (1) the gut microbiota of lean and obese animals, (2) the composition of the gut microbiota of lean and obese humans, (3) the impact of diet on the gut microbiota, (4) manipulating the gut microbiota and (5) the mechanisms by which the gut microbiota can impact on weight gain. PMID:22572830

  2. A Review on Development and Applications of Bio-Inspired Superhydrophobic Textiles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ishaq Ahmad

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Bio-inspired engineering has been envisioned in a wide array of applications. All living bodies on Earth, including animals and plants, have well organized functional systems developed by nature. These naturally designed functional systems inspire scientists and engineers worldwide to mimic the system for practical applications by human beings. Researchers in the academic world and industries have been trying, for hundreds of years, to demonstrate how these natural phenomena could be translated into the real world to save lives, money and time. One of the most fascinating natural phenomena is the resistance of living bodies to contamination by dust and other pollutants, thus termed as self-cleaning phenomenon. This phenomenon has been observed in many plants, animals and insects and is termed as the Lotus Effect. With advancement in research and technology, attention has been given to the exploration of the underlying mechanisms of water repellency and self-cleaning. As a result, various concepts have been developed including Young’s equation, and Wenzel and Cassie–Baxter theories. The more we unravel this process, the more we get access to its implications and applications. A similar pursuit is emphasized in this review to explain the fundamental principles, mechanisms, past experimental approaches and ongoing research in the development of bio-inspired superhydrophobic textiles.

  3. A Review on Development and Applications of Bio-Inspired Superhydrophobic Textiles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahmad, Ishaq; Kan, Chi-wai

    2016-01-01

    Bio-inspired engineering has been envisioned in a wide array of applications. All living bodies on Earth, including animals and plants, have well organized functional systems developed by nature. These naturally designed functional systems inspire scientists and engineers worldwide to mimic the system for practical applications by human beings. Researchers in the academic world and industries have been trying, for hundreds of years, to demonstrate how these natural phenomena could be translated into the real world to save lives, money and time. One of the most fascinating natural phenomena is the resistance of living bodies to contamination by dust and other pollutants, thus termed as self-cleaning phenomenon. This phenomenon has been observed in many plants, animals and insects and is termed as the Lotus Effect. With advancement in research and technology, attention has been given to the exploration of the underlying mechanisms of water repellency and self-cleaning. As a result, various concepts have been developed including Young’s equation, and Wenzel and Cassie–Baxter theories. The more we unravel this process, the more we get access to its implications and applications. A similar pursuit is emphasized in this review to explain the fundamental principles, mechanisms, past experimental approaches and ongoing research in the development of bio-inspired superhydrophobic textiles. PMID:28774012

  4. Can practice theory inspire studies of ICTs in everyday life?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Christensen, Toke Haunstrup; Røpke, Inge

    2010-01-01

    a new ‘normality’ in everyday life: the expectations and conventions regarding a normal home’s necessary ‘infrastructure’ and the ordinary gear for a normal way of life are changing, and the changes are proceeding rapidly. This chapter takes a closer look at the construction of a new normality...... in everyday life and discusses how this development can be studied from the perspective of practice theory. We show how a practice theory approach shifts the analytic focus away from the consumption of ICT as such and toward the practices that integrate ICT as one element among many others. Thereby......, a practice theory approach helps us to avoid the risk of ending up with a ‘media-centric’ understanding of the use of new media and adds interesting details and subtleties to the study of the construction of a new normality in everyday life. Our application of practice theory in the study...

  5. CT-Sellink - a new method for demonstrating the gut wall

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thiele, J.; Kloeppel, R.; Schulz, H.G.

    1993-01-01

    34 patients were examined by CT following a modified enema (CT-Sellink) in order to demonstrate the gut. By introducing a 'gut index' it is possible to define the tone of the gut providing its folds remain constant. By means of a radial density profile the gut wall can be defined objectively and in numerical terms. Gut wall thickness in the small bowel averaged 1.2 mm with a density of 51 Hu and gut wall thickness in the colon averaged 2 mm with a density of 59 Hu. (orig.) [de

  6. Status of the Texas A and M GUT monopole search

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Webb, R.C.

    1984-01-01

    This chapter describes the use of a large area (approx. 53 m 2 ) scintillation counter telescope to detect the passage of a slow moving, superheavy, magnetic monopole. The detector is described and the expected signature for a passing magnetic monopole is presented. The detector utilizes acrylic based scintillation material as the detector medium. The electronics for the monopole search were selected and designed to be sensitive to the properties of the Grand Unified Theory (GUT) monopoles. The described experiment is located underground at a depth of 1500' in a nearby salt mine

  7. The Gut Hormones in Appetite Regulation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Keisuke Suzuki

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Obesity has received much attention worldwide in association with an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and cancer. At present, bariatric surgery is the only effective treatment for obesity in which long-term weight loss is achieved in patients. By contrast, pharmacological interventions for obesity are usually followed by weight regain. Although the exact mechanisms of long-term weight loss following bariatric surgery are yet to be fully elucidated, several gut hormones have been implicated. Gut hormones play a critical role in relaying signals of nutritional and energy status from the gut to the central nervous system, in order to regulate food intake. Cholecystokinin, peptide YY, pancreatic polypeptide, glucagon-like peptide-1, and oxyntomodulin act through distinct yet synergistic mechanisms to suppress appetite, whereas ghrelin stimulates food intake. Here, we discuss the role of gut hormones in the regulation of food intake and body weight.

  8. 21 CFR 878.4830 - Absorbable surgical gut suture.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Absorbable surgical gut suture. 878.4830 Section 878.4830 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES... surgical gut suture. (a) Identification. An absorbable surgical gut suture, both plain and chromic, is an...

  9. Challenges of metabolomics in human gut microbiota research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smirnov, Kirill S; Maier, Tanja V; Walker, Alesia; Heinzmann, Silke S; Forcisi, Sara; Martinez, Inés; Walter, Jens; Schmitt-Kopplin, Philippe

    2016-08-01

    The review highlights the role of metabolomics in studying human gut microbial metabolism. Microbial communities in our gut exert a multitude of functions with huge impact on human health and disease. Within the meta-omics discipline, gut microbiome is studied by (meta)genomics, (meta)transcriptomics, (meta)proteomics and metabolomics. The goal of metabolomics research applied to fecal samples is to perform their metabolic profiling, to quantify compounds and classes of interest, to characterize small molecules produced by gut microbes. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and mass spectrometry are main technologies that are applied in fecal metabolomics. Metabolomics studies have been increasingly used in gut microbiota related research regarding health and disease with main focus on understanding inflammatory bowel diseases. The elucidated metabolites in this field are summarized in this review. We also addressed the main challenges of metabolomics in current and future gut microbiota research. The first challenge reflects the need of adequate analytical tools and pipelines, including sample handling, selection of appropriate equipment, and statistical evaluation to enable meaningful biological interpretation. The second challenge is related to the choice of the right animal model for studies on gut microbiota. We exemplified this using NMR spectroscopy for the investigation of cross-species comparison of fecal metabolite profiles. Finally, we present the problem of variability of human gut microbiota and metabolome that has important consequences on the concepts of personalized nutrition and medicine. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

  10. Influence of functional food components on gut health.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wan, Murphy L Y; Ling, K H; El-Nezami, Hani; Wang, M F

    2018-01-30

    Intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) lining the gastrointestinal tract establish a barrier between external environments and the internal milieu. An intact intestinal barrier maintains gut health and overall good health of the body by preventing from tissue injury, pathogen infection and disease development. When the intestinal barrier function is compromised, bacterial translocation can occur. Our gut microbiota also plays a fundamentally important role in health, for example, by maintaining intestinal barrier integrity, metabolism and modulating the immune system, etc. Any disruption of gut microbiota composition (also termed dysbiosis) can lead to various pathological conditions. In short, intestinal barrier and gut microbiota are two crucial factors affecting gut health. The gastrointestinal tract is a complex environment exposed to many dietary components and commensal bacteria. Dietary components are increasingly recognized to play various beneficial roles beyond basic nutrition, resulting in the development of the functional food concepts. Various dietary modifiers, including the consumption of live bacteria (probiotics) and ingestible food constituents such as prebiotics, as well as polyphenols or synbiotics (combinations of probiotics and prebiotics) are the most well characterized dietary bioactive compounds and have been demonstrated to beneficially impact the gut health and the overall well-being of the host. In this review we depict the roles of intestinal epithelium and gut microbiota in mucosal defence responses and the influence of certain functional food components on the modulation of gut health, with a particular focus on probiotics, prebiotics and polyphenols.

  11. Inspiring a generation

    CERN Multimedia

    2012-01-01

    The motto of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games is ‘Inspire a generation’ so it was particularly pleasing to see science, the LHC and Higgs bosons featuring so strongly in the opening ceremony of the Paralympics last week.   It’s a sign of just how far our field has come that such a high-profile event featured particle physics so strongly, and we can certainly add our support to that motto. If the legacy of London 2012 is a generation inspired by science as well as sport, then the games will have more than fulfilled their mission. Particle physics has truly inspiring stories to tell, going well beyond Higgs and the LHC, and the entire community has played its part in bringing the excitement of frontier research in particle physics to a wide audience. Nevertheless, we cannot rest on our laurels: maintaining the kind of enthusiasm for science we witnessed at the Paralympic opening ceremony will require constant vigilance, and creative thinking about ways to rea...

  12. Probiotics, Prebiotics, and Synbiotics: Gut and Beyond

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Usha Vyas

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available The human intestinal tract has been colonized by thousands of species of bacteria during the coevolution of man and microbes. Gut-borne microbes outnumber the total number of body tissue cells by a factor of ten. Recent metagenomic analysis of the human gut microbiota has revealed the presence of some 3.3 million genes, as compared to the mere 23 thousand genes present in the cells of the tissues in the entire human body. Evidence for various beneficial roles of the intestinal microbiota in human health and disease is expanding rapidly. Perturbation of the intestinal microbiota may lead to chronic diseases such as autoimmune diseases, colon cancers, gastric ulcers, cardiovascular disease, functional bowel diseases, and obesity. Restoration of the gut microbiota may be difficult to accomplish, but the use of probiotics has led to promising results in a large number of well-designed (clinical studies. Microbiomics has spurred a dramatic increase in scientific, industrial, and public interest in probiotics and prebiotics as possible agents for gut microbiota management and control. Genomics and bioinformatics tools may allow us to establish mechanistic relationships among gut microbiota, health status, and the effects of drugs in the individual. This will hopefully provide perspectives for personalized gut microbiota management.

  13. Neutrino mass textures from F-theory

    CERN Document Server

    Antoniadis, I

    2013-01-01

    Experimental data on the neutrino mixing and masses strongly suggest an underlying approximate symmetry of the relevant Yukawa superpotential terms. Intensive phenomenological explorations during the last decade indicate that permutation symmetries such as S_4, A_4 and their subgroups, under certain assumptions and vacuum alignments, predict neutrino mass textures compatible with such data. Motivated by these findings, in the present work we analyse the neutrino properties in F-theory GUT models derived in the framework of the maximal underlying E_8 symmetry in the elliptic fibration. More specifically, we consider local F-SU(5) GUT models and study in detail spectral cover geometries with monodromies associated to the finite symmetries S_4, A_4 and their transitive subgroups, including the dihedral group D_4 and Z_2 X Z_2. We discuss various issues that emerge in the implementation of S_4, A_4 neutrino models in the F-theory context and suggest how these can be resolved. Realistic models are presented for th...

  14. Gradual Changes of Gut Microbiota in Weaned Miniature Piglets

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xianghua Yan

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Colonization of gut microbiota in mammals during the early life is vital to host health. The miniature piglet has recently been considered as an optimal infant model. However, less is known about the development of gut microbiota in miniature piglets. Here, this study was conducted to explore how the gut microbiota develops in weaned Congjiang miniature piglets. In contrast to the relatively stabilized gut fungal community, gut bacterial community showed a marked drop in alpha diversity, accompanied by significant alterations in taxonomic compositions. The relative abundances of 24 bacterial genera significantly declined, whereas the relative abundances of 7 bacterial genera (Fibrobacter, Collinsella, Roseburia, Prevotella, Dorea, Howardella, and Blautia significantly increased with the age of weaned piglets. Fungal taxonomic analysis showed that the relative abundances of 2 genera (Kazachstania and Aureobasidium significantly decreased, whereas the relative abundances of 4 genera (Aspergillus, Cladosporium, Simplicillium, and Candida significantly increased as the piglets aged. Kazachstania telluris was the signature species predominated in gut fungal communities of weaned miniature piglets. The functional maturation of the gut bacterial community was characterized by the significantly increased digestive system, glycan biosynthesis and metabolism, and vitamin B biosynthesis as the piglets aged. These findings suggest that marked gut microbial changes in Congjiang miniature piglets may contribute to understand the potential gut microbiota development of weaned infants.

  15. Supersymmetry - When Theory Inspires Experimental Searches

    CERN Document Server

    AUTHOR|(CDS)2070740

    2014-01-01

    We review, in the first part of this work, many pioneering works on supersymmetry and organize these results to show how supersymmetric quantum field theories arise from spin-statistics, N{\\oe}ther and a series of no-go theorems. We then introduce the so-called superspace formalism dedicated to the natural construction of supersymmetric Lagrangians and detail the most popular mechanisms leading to soft supersymmetry breaking. As an application, we describe the building of the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model and investigate current experimental limits on the parameter space of its most constrained versions. To this aim, we use various flavor, electroweak precision, cosmology and collider data. We then perform several phenomenological excursions beyond this minimal setup and probe effects due to non-minimal flavor violation in the squark sector, revisiting various constraints arising from indirect searches for superpartners. Next, we use several interfaced high-energy physics tools, including the FeynRule...

  16. La maturità di INSPIRE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mauro Salvemini

    2010-03-01

    Full Text Available INPIRE's maturityThe INSPIRE Conference 2010 took place from 23 to 25 June 2010 in Kraków, Poland. On 22 June pre-conference workshops have been organized. The theme of this year’s edition has been "INSPIRE as a Framework for Cooperation".The INSPIRE Conference has been organised through a series of plenary sessions addressing common policy issues, and parallel sessions focusing in particular on applications and implementations of SDIs, research issues and new and evolvingtechnologies and applications and poster presentations.

  17. Probiotics and the Gut Immune System: Indirect Regulation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    La Fata, Giorgio; Weber, Peter; Mohajeri, M Hasan

    2018-03-01

    The gastrointestinal tract (GIT) represents the largest interface between the human organism and the external environment. In the lumen and upper part of the mucus layer, this organ hosts an enormous number of microorganisms whose composition affects the functions of the epithelial barrier and the gut immune system. Consequentially, the microorganisms in the GIT influence the health status of the organism. Probiotics are living microorganisms which, in specific conditions, confer a health benefit to the host. Among others, probiotics have immunomodulatory properties that usually act directly by (a) increasing the activity of macrophages or natural killer cells, (b) modulating the secretion of immunoglobulins or cytokines, or indirectly by (c) enhancing the gut epithelial barrier, (d) altering the mucus secretion, and (e) competitive exclusion of other (pathogenic) bacteria. This review focuses on specific bacteria strains with indirect immunomodulatory properties. Particularly, we describe here the mechanisms through which specific probiotics enhance the gut epithelial barrier and modulate mucus production. Moreover, we describe the antimicrobial properties of specific bacteria strains. Recent data suggest that multiple pathologies are associated with an unbalanced gut microflora (dysbiosis). Although the cause-effect relationship between pathology and gut microflora is not yet well established, consumption of specific probiotics may represent a powerful tool to re-establish gut homeostasis and promote gut health.

  18. Xenobiotic Metabolism and Gut Microbiomes.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anubhav Das

    Full Text Available Humans are exposed to numerous xenobiotics, a majority of which are in the form of pharmaceuticals. Apart from human enzymes, recent studies have indicated the role of the gut bacterial community (microbiome in metabolizing xenobiotics. However, little is known about the contribution of the plethora of gut microbiome in xenobiotic metabolism. The present study reports the results of analyses on xenobiotic metabolizing enzymes in various human gut microbiomes. A total of 397 available gut metagenomes from individuals of varying age groups from 8 nationalities were analyzed. Based on the diversities and abundances of the xenobiotic metabolizing enzymes, various bacterial taxa were classified into three groups, namely, least versatile, intermediately versatile and highly versatile xenobiotic metabolizers. Most interestingly, specific relationships were observed between the overall drug consumption profile and the abundance and diversity of the xenobiotic metabolizing repertoire in various geographies. The obtained differential abundance patterns of xenobiotic metabolizing enzymes and bacterial genera harboring them, suggest their links to pharmacokinetic variations among individuals. Additional analyses of a few well studied classes of drug modifying enzymes (DMEs also indicate geographic as well as age specific trends.

  19. Impacts of Gut Bacteria on Human Health and Diseases

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Yu-Jie; Li, Sha; Gan, Ren-You; Zhou, Tong; Xu, Dong-Ping; Li, Hua-Bin

    2015-01-01

    Gut bacteria are an important component of the microbiota ecosystem in the human gut, which is colonized by 1014 microbes, ten times more than the human cells. Gut bacteria play an important role in human health, such as supplying essential nutrients, synthesizing vitamin K, aiding in the digestion of cellulose, and promoting angiogenesis and enteric nerve function. However, they can also be potentially harmful due to the change of their composition when the gut ecosystem undergoes abnormal changes in the light of the use of antibiotics, illness, stress, aging, bad dietary habits, and lifestyle. Dysbiosis of the gut bacteria communities can cause many chronic diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease, obesity, cancer, and autism. This review summarizes and discusses the roles and potential mechanisms of gut bacteria in human health and diseases. PMID:25849657

  20. Nature-inspired optimization algorithms

    CERN Document Server

    Yang, Xin-She

    2014-01-01

    Nature-Inspired Optimization Algorithms provides a systematic introduction to all major nature-inspired algorithms for optimization. The book's unified approach, balancing algorithm introduction, theoretical background and practical implementation, complements extensive literature with well-chosen case studies to illustrate how these algorithms work. Topics include particle swarm optimization, ant and bee algorithms, simulated annealing, cuckoo search, firefly algorithm, bat algorithm, flower algorithm, harmony search, algorithm analysis, constraint handling, hybrid methods, parameter tuning

  1. Gut Pharmacomicrobiomics: the tip of an iceberg of complex interactions between drugs and gut-associated microbes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Saad Rama

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract The influence of resident gut microbes on xenobiotic metabolism has been investigated at different levels throughout the past five decades. However, with the advance in sequencing and pyrotagging technologies, addressing the influence of microbes on xenobiotics had to evolve from assessing direct metabolic effects on toxins and botanicals by conventional culture-based techniques to elucidating the role of community composition on drugs metabolic profiles through DNA sequence-based phylogeny and metagenomics. Following the completion of the Human Genome Project, the rapid, substantial growth of the Human Microbiome Project (HMP opens new horizons for studying how microbiome compositional and functional variations affect drug action, fate, and toxicity (pharmacomicrobiomics, notably in the human gut. The HMP continues to characterize the microbial communities associated with the human gut, determine whether there is a common gut microbiome profile shared among healthy humans, and investigate the effect of its alterations on health. Here, we offer a glimpse into the known effects of the gut microbiota on xenobiotic metabolism, with emphasis on cases where microbiome variations lead to different therapeutic outcomes. We discuss a few examples representing how the microbiome interacts with human metabolic enzymes in the liver and intestine. In addition, we attempt to envisage a roadmap for the future implications of the HMP on therapeutics and personalized medicine.

  2. Metformin Alters Gut Microbiota of Healthy Mice: Implication for Its Potential Role in Gut Microbiota Homeostasis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wei Ma

    2018-06-01

    Full Text Available In recent years, the first-line anti-diabetic drug metformin has been shown to be also useful for the treatment of other diseases like cancer. To date, few reports were about the impact of metformin on gut microbiota. To fully understand the mechanism of action of metformin in treating diseases other than diabetes, it is especially important to investigate the impact of long-term metformin treatment on the gut microbiome in non-diabetic status. In this study, we treated healthy mice with metformin for 30 days, and observed 46 significantly changed gut microbes by using the 16S rRNA-based microbiome profiling technique. We found that microbes from the Verrucomicrobiaceae and Prevotellaceae classes were enriched, while those from Lachnospiraceae and Rhodobacteraceae were depleted. We further compared the altered microbiome profile with the profiles under various disease conditions using our recently developed comparative microbiome tool known as MicroPattern. Interestingly, the treatment of diabetes patients with metformin positively correlates with colon cancer and type 1 diabetes, indicating a confounding effect on the gut microbiome in patients with diabetes. However, the treatment of healthy mice with metformin exhibits a negative correlation with multiple inflammatory diseases, indicating a protective anti-inflammatory role of metformin in non-diabetes status. This result underscores the potential effect of metformin on gut microbiome homeostasis, which may contribute to the treatment of non-diabetic diseases.

  3. Redefining the gut as the motor of critical illness

    OpenAIRE

    Mittal, Rohit; Coopersmith, Craig M.

    2013-01-01

    The gut is hypothesized to play a central role in the progression of sepsis and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome. Critical illness alters gut integrity by increasing epithelial apoptosis and permeability and by decreasing epithelial proliferation and mucus integrity. Additionally, toxic gut-derived lymph induces distant organ injury. Although the endogenous microflora ordinarily exist in a symbiotic relationship with the gut epithelium, severe physiologic insults alter this relationship, l...

  4. Geo-inspired model: Agents vectors naturals inspired by the environmental management (AVNG of water tributaries

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Edwin Eduardo Millán Rojas

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Context: Management to care for the environment and the Earth (geo can be source of inspiration for developing models that allow addressing complexity issues; the objective of this research was to develop an additional aspect of the inspired models. The geoinspired model has two features, the first covering aspects related to environmental management and the behavior of natural resources, and the second has a component of spatial location associated with existing objects on the Earth's surface. Method: The approach developed in the research is descriptive and its main objective is the representation or characterization of a case study within a particular context. Results: The result was the design of a model to emulate the natural behavior of the water tributaries of the Amazon foothills, in order to extend the application of the inspired models and allow the use of elements such as geo-referencing and environmental management. The proposed geoinspired model is called “natural vectors agents inspired in environmental management”. Conclusions: The agents vectors naturals inspired by the environmental are polyform elements that can assume the behavior of environmental entities, which makes it possible to achieve progress in other fields of environmental management (use of soil, climate, flora, fauna, and link environmental issues with the structure of the proposed model.

  5. Experimental models of the gut microbiome

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Venema, K.; Abbeele, P. van den

    2013-01-01

    The human gut contains a diverse microbiota with large potential to influence health. Given the difficulty to access the main sites of the gut, in vitro models have been developed to dynamically monitor microbial processes at the site of metabolic activity. These models range from simple batch

  6. The gut microbiome in atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jie, Zhuye; Xia, Huihua; Zhong, Shi-Long

    2017-01-01

    The gut microbiota has been linked to cardiovascular diseases. However, the composition and functional capacity of the gut microbiome in relation to cardiovascular diseases have not been systematically examined. Here, we perform a metagenome-wide association study on stools from 218 individuals...... with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ACVD) and 187 healthy controls. The ACVD gut microbiome deviates from the healthy status by increased abundance of Enterobacteriaceae and Streptococcus spp. and, functionally, in the potential for metabolism or transport of several molecules important for cardiovascular...... health. Although drug treatment represents a confounding factor, ACVD status, and not current drug use, is the major distinguishing feature in this cohort. We identify common themes by comparison with gut microbiome data associated with other cardiometabolic diseases (obesity and type 2 diabetes...

  7. Intestinal crosstalk – a new paradigm for understanding the gut as the “motor” of critical illness

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clark, Jessica A; Coopersmith, Craig M

    2007-01-01

    For more than 20 years, the gut has been hypothesized to be the “motor” of multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS). As critical care research has evolved, there have been multiple mechanisms by which the gastrointestinal tract has been proposed to drive systemic inflammation. Many of these disparate mechanisms have proved to be important in the origin and propagation of critical illness. However, this has led to an unusual situation where investigators describing the gut as a “motor” revving the systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) are frequently describing wholly different processes to support their claim (i.e. increased apoptosis, altered tight junctions, translocation, cytokine production, crosstalk with commensal bacteria, etc). The purpose of this review is to present a unifying theory as to how the gut drives critical illness. Although the gastrointestinal tract is frequently described simply as “the gut,” it is actually made up of a) an epithelium, b) a diverse and robust immune arm, which contains the majority of immune cells in the body, and c) the commensal bacteria, which contain more cells than are present in the entire host organism. We propose that the intestinal epithelium, the intestinal immune system and the intestine’s endogenous bacteria all play vital roles driving MODS, and the complex crosstalk between these three interrelated portions of the gastrointestinal tract are cumulatively what makes the gut a “motor” of critical illness. PMID:17577136

  8. Exercise, fitness, and the gut.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cronin, Owen; Molloy, Michael G; Shanahan, Fergus

    2016-03-01

    Exercise and gut symptomatology have long been connected. The possibility that regular exercise fosters intestinal health and function has been somewhat overlooked in the scientific literature. In this review, we summarize current knowledge and discuss a selection of recent, relevant, and innovative studies, hypotheses and reviews that elucidate a complex topic. The multiorgan benefits of regular exercise are extensive. When taken in moderation, these benefits transcend improved cardio-respiratory fitness and likely reach the gut in a metabolic, immunological, neural, and microbial manner. This is applicable in both health and disease. However, further work is required to provide safe, effective recommendations on physical activity in specific gastrointestinal conditions. Challenging methodology investigating the relationship between exercise and gut health should not deter from exploring exercise in the promotion of gastrointestinal health.

  9. Singular instantons in Eddington-inspired-Born-Infeld gravity

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Arroja, Frederico; Chen, Che-Yu; Chen, Pisin; Yeom, Dong-han, E-mail: arroja@phys.ntu.edu.tw, E-mail: b97202056@gmail.com, E-mail: pisinchen@phys.ntu.edu.tw, E-mail: innocent.yeom@gmail.com [Leung Center for Cosmology and Particle Astrophysics, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan (China)

    2017-03-01

    In this work, we investigate O (4)-symmetric instantons within the Eddington-inspired-Born-Infeld gravity theory (EiBI) . We discuss the regular Hawking-Moss instanton and find that the tunneling rate reduces to the General Relativity (GR) value, even though the action value is different by a constant. We give a thorough analysis of the singular Vilenkin instanton and the Hawking-Turok instanton with a quadratic scalar field potential in the EiBI theory. In both cases, we find that the singularity can be avoided in the sense that the physical metric, its scalar curvature and the scalar field are regular under some parameter restrictions, but there is a curvature singularity of the auxiliary metric compatible with the connection. We find that the on-shell action is finite and the probability does not reduce to its GR value. We also find that the Vilenkin instanton in the EiBI theory would still cause the instability of the Minkowski space, similar to that in GR, and this is observationally inconsistent. This result suggests that the singularity of the auxiliary metric may be problematic at the quantum level and that these instantons should be excluded from the path integral.

  10. Norsk inspiration til uddannelse og job

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Skovhus, Randi Boelskifte; Thomsen, Rie; Buhl, Rita

    2017-01-01

    Anmeldelse af bog om det norske fag Utdanningsvalg - inspiration til arbejde med uddannelse og job......Anmeldelse af bog om det norske fag Utdanningsvalg - inspiration til arbejde med uddannelse og job...

  11. Feeling Is Believing: Inspiration Encourages Belief in God.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Critcher, Clayton R; Lee, Chan Jean

    2018-05-01

    Even without direct evidence of God's existence, about half of the world's population believes in God. Although previous research has found that people arrive at such beliefs intuitively instead of analytically, relatively little research has aimed to understand what experiences encourage or legitimate theistic belief systems. Using cross-cultural correlational and experimental methods, we investigated whether the experience of inspiration encourages a belief in God. Participants who dispositionally experience more inspiration, were randomly assigned to relive or have an inspirational experience, or reported such experiences to be more inspirational all showed stronger belief in God. These effects were specific to inspiration (instead of adjacent affective experiences) and a belief in God (instead of other empirically unverifiable claims). Being inspired by someone or something (but not inspired to do something) offers a spiritually transcendent experience that elevates belief in God, in part because it makes people feel connected to something beyond themselves.

  12. Neutrino masses and mixings as an evidence of GUT, and the impact to (flavor changing) nucleon decay

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maekawa, Nobuhiro; Muramatsu, Yu

    2017-11-01

    First, we see that the observed data of quark and lepton masses and mixings, which has been completed by adding neutrino data, can be a qualitative signature of S U(5) grand unified theory (GUT). Actually, an assumption, 10 fields induce stronger hierarchy in Yukawa couplings than 5 ¯ fields, can explain all hierarchical structures of quark and lepton masses and mixings. Second, we see the attractiveness of E6 GUT, in which the above assumption in S U(5) GUT can be derived and as the result various Yukawa hierarchies of quarks and leptons can be obtained from only one basic hierarchy. Third, we compare the predictions for nucleon decay among several GUTs with S U(5), S O(10), and E6 unification group which satisfy the above important assumption for Yukawa hierarchy, since this understanding about Yukawa structures reduces the ambiguities in prediction of nucleon decay via superheavy gauge boson exchange. We stress the importance of observations for several decay modes. One of them is flavor changing nucleon decay, for example, P → π0 µ+, which is the decay mode that SuperKamiokande has reported two events in the signal region. This article is based on our works in Ref.[1, 2

  13. Gut Microbiota in Cardiovascular Health and Disease

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tang, W.H. Wilson; Kitai, Takeshi; Hazen, Stanley L

    2017-01-01

    Significant interest in recent years has focused on gut microbiota-host interaction because accumulating evidence has revealed that intestinal microbiota play an important role in human health and disease, including cardiovascular diseases. Changes in the composition of gut microbiota associated with disease, referred to as dysbiosis, have been linked to pathologies such as atherosclerosis, hypertension, heart failure, chronic kidney disease, obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus. In addition to alterations in gut microbiota composition, the metabolic potential of gut microbiota has been identified as a contributing factor in the development of diseases. Recent studies revealed that gut microbiota can elicit a variety of effects on the host. Indeed, the gut microbiome functions like an endocrine organ, generating bioactive metabolites, that can impact host physiology. Microbiota interact with the host through a number of pathways, including the trimethylamine (TMA)/ trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) pathway, short-chain fatty acids pathway, and primary and secondary bile acids pathways. In addition to these “metabolism dependent” pathways, metabolism independent processes are suggested to also potentially contribute to CVD pathogenesis. For example, heart failure associated splanchnic circulation congestion, bowel wall edema and impaired intestinal barrier function are thought to result in bacterial translocation, the presence of bacterial products in the systemic circulation and heightened inflammatory state. These are believed to also contribute to further progression of heart failure and atherosclerosis. The purpose of the current review is to highlight the complex interplay between microbiota, their metabolites and the development and progression of cardiovascular diseases. We will also discuss the roles of gut microbiota in normal physiology and the potential of modulating intestinal microbial inhabitants as novel therapeutic targets. PMID:28360349

  14. Building theory through design

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Markussen, Thomas

    2017-01-01

    This chapter deals with a fundamental matter of concern in research through design: how can design work lead to the building of new theory? Controversy exists about the balance between theory and design work in research through design. While some researchers see theory production as the scientific...... hallmark of this type of research, others argue for design work being the primary achievement, with theory serving the auxiliary function of inspiring new designs. This paper demonstrates how design work and theory can be appreciated as two equally important outcomes of research through design. To set...... the scene, it starts out by briefly examining ideas on this issue presented in existing research literature. Hereafter, it introduces three basic forms in which design work can lead to theory that is referred to as extending theories, scaffolding theories and blending theories. Finally, it is discussed how...

  15. Handling stress may confound murine gut microbiota studies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cary R. Allen-Blevins

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Background Accumulating evidence indicates interactions between human milk composition, particularly sugars (human milk oligosaccharides or HMO, the gut microbiota of human infants, and behavioral effects. Some HMO secreted in human milk are unable to be endogenously digested by the human infant but are able to be metabolized by certain species of gut microbiota, including Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis (B. infantis, a species sensitive to host stress (Bailey & Coe, 2004. Exposure to gut bacteria like B. infantisduring critical neurodevelopment windows in early life appears to have behavioral consequences; however, environmental, physical, and social stress during this period can also have behavioral and microbial consequences. While rodent models are a useful method for determining causal relationships between HMO, gut microbiota, and behavior, murine studies of gut microbiota usually employ oral gavage, a technique stressful to the mouse. Our aim was to develop a less-invasive technique for HMO administration to remove the potential confound of gavage stress. Under the hypothesis that stress affects gut microbiota, particularly B. infantis, we predicted the pups receiving a prebiotic solution in a less-invasive manner would have the highest amount of Bifidobacteria in their gut. Methods This study was designed to test two methods, active and passive, of solution administration to mice and the effects on their gut microbiome. Neonatal C57BL/6J mice housed in a specific-pathogen free facility received increasing doses of fructooligosaccharide (FOS solution or deionized, distilled water. Gastrointestinal (GI tracts were collected from five dams, six sires, and 41 pups over four time points. Seven fecal pellets from unhandled pups and two pellets from unhandled dams were also collected. Qualitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR was used to quantify and compare the amount of Bifidobacterium, Bacteroides, Bacteroidetes, and

  16. The gut microbiome in cardio-metabolic health

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Tue Haldor; Gøbel, Rikke J; Hansen, Torben

    2015-01-01

    that the gut microbiota, as an environmental factor influencing the metabolic state of the host, is readily modifiable through a variety of interventions. In this review we provide an overview of the development of the gut microbiome and its compositional and functional changes in relation to cardio......With the prevalence of cardio-metabolic disorders reaching pandemic proportions, the search for modifiable causative factors has intensified. One such potential factor is the vast microbial community inhabiting the human gastrointestinal tract, the gut microbiota. For the past decade evidence has...... accumulated showing the association of distinct changes in gut microbiota composition and function with obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Although causality in humans and the pathophysiological mechanisms involved have yet to be decisively established, several studies have demonstrated...

  17. Theories of quantum gravity: Pt. 1

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aragone, C.

    1990-01-01

    Superstrings continue to be a source of inspiration for the basic understanding of quantum gravity. They seem to provide a more fundamental arena than quantum field theory. Even though we still do not have a theory of everything, string concepts bring a new theoretical richness to research in quantum and classical gravity. Papers presented at the session on this subject are reviewed. (author)

  18. Relative gut lengths of coral reef butterflyfishes (Pisces: Chaetodontidae)

    KAUST Repository

    Berumen, Michael L.; Pratchett, Morgan S.; Goodman, Brett Alexander

    2011-01-01

    Variation in gut length of closely related animals is known to generally be a good predictor of dietary habits. We examined gut length in 28 species of butterflyfishes (Chaetodontidae), which encompass a wide range of dietary types (planktivores, omnivores, and corallivores). We found general dietary patterns to be a good predictor of relative gut length, although we found high variation among groups and covariance with body size. The longest gut lengths are found in species that exclusively feed on the living tissue of corals, while the shortest gut length is found in a planktivorous species. Although we tried to control for phylogeny, corallivory has arisen multiple times in this family, confounding our analyses. The butterflyfishes, a speciose family with a wide range of dietary habits, may nonetheless provide an ideal system for future work studying gut physiology associated with specialization and foraging behaviors. © 2011 Springer-Verlag.

  19. Breaking down the gut microbiome composition in multiple sclerosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Budhram, Adrian; Parvathy, Seema; Kremenchutzky, Marcelo; Silverman, Michael

    2017-04-01

    The gut microbiome, which consists of a highly diverse ecologic community of micro-organisms, has increasingly been studied regarding its role in multiple sclerosis (MS) immunopathogenesis. This review critically examines the literature investigating the gut microbiome in MS. A comprehensive search was performed of PubMed databases and ECTRIMS meeting abstracts for literature relating to the gut microbiome in MS. Controlled studies examining the gut microbiome in patients with MS were included for review. Identified studies were predominantly case-control in their design and consistently found differences in the gut microbiome of MS patients compared to controls. We examine plausible mechanistic links between these differences and MS immunopathogenesis, and discuss the therapeutic implications of these findings. Review of the available literature reveals potential immunopathogenic links between the gut microbiome and MS, identifies avenues for therapeutic advancement, and emphasizes the need for further systematic study in this emerging field.

  20. Relative gut lengths of coral reef butterflyfishes (Pisces: Chaetodontidae)

    KAUST Repository

    Berumen, Michael L.

    2011-06-17

    Variation in gut length of closely related animals is known to generally be a good predictor of dietary habits. We examined gut length in 28 species of butterflyfishes (Chaetodontidae), which encompass a wide range of dietary types (planktivores, omnivores, and corallivores). We found general dietary patterns to be a good predictor of relative gut length, although we found high variation among groups and covariance with body size. The longest gut lengths are found in species that exclusively feed on the living tissue of corals, while the shortest gut length is found in a planktivorous species. Although we tried to control for phylogeny, corallivory has arisen multiple times in this family, confounding our analyses. The butterflyfishes, a speciose family with a wide range of dietary habits, may nonetheless provide an ideal system for future work studying gut physiology associated with specialization and foraging behaviors. © 2011 Springer-Verlag.

  1. Analysis of a Scenario for Chaotic Quantal Slowing Down of Inspiration

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-01-01

    On exposure to opiates, preparations from rat brain stems have been observed to continue to produce regular expiratory signals, but to fail to produce some inspiratory signals. The numbers of expirations between two successive inspirations form an apparently random sequence. Here, we propose an explanation based on the qualitative theory of dynamical systems. A relatively simple scenario for the dynamics of interaction between the generators of expiratory and inspiratory signals produces pseudo-random behaviour of the type observed. PMID:24040967

  2. A unifying theory The universe on a string

    CERN Multimedia

    Greene, Brian

    2006-01-01

    Seventy-five years ago, Albert Einstein completed his unified field theory; but, as had happened before and would happen again, Einstein had to go bak to the drawing board. Much progress have been inspired, with the most recent advances coming from an approach called string theory. (1,5 page)

  3. Redefining the gut as the motor of critical illness.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mittal, Rohit; Coopersmith, Craig M

    2014-04-01

    The gut is hypothesized to play a central role in the progression of sepsis and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome. Critical illness alters gut integrity by increasing epithelial apoptosis and permeability and by decreasing epithelial proliferation and mucus integrity. Additionally, toxic gut-derived lymph induces distant organ injury. Although the endogenous microflora ordinarily exist in a symbiotic relationship with the gut epithelium, severe physiological insults alter this relationship, leading to induction of virulence factors in the microbiome, which, in turn, can perpetuate or worsen critical illness. This review highlights newly discovered ways in which the gut acts as the motor that perpetuates the systemic inflammatory response in critical illness. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Targeting gut microbiome: A novel and potential therapy for autism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Yongshou; Tian, Jinhu; Yang, Bo

    2018-02-01

    Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a severely neurodevelopmental disorder that impairs a child's ability to communicate and interact with others. Children with neurodevelopmental disorder, including ASD, are regularly affected by gastrointestinal problems and dysbiosis of gut microbiota. On the other hand, humans live in a co-evolutionary association with plenty of microorganisms that resident on the exposed and internal surfaces of our bodies. The microbiome, refers to the collection of microbes and their genetic material, confers a variety of physiologic benefits to the host in many key aspects of life as well as being responsible for some diseases. A large body of preclinical literature indicates that gut microbiome plays an important role in the bidirectional gut-brain axis that communicates between the gut and central nervous system. Moreover, accumulating evidences suggest that the gut microbiome is involved in the pathogenesis of ASD. The present review introduces the increasing evidence suggesting the reciprocal interaction network among microbiome, gut and brain. It also discusses the possible mechanisms by which gut microbiome influences the etiology of ASD via altering gut-brain axis. Most importantly, it highlights the new findings of targeting gut microbiome, including probiotic treatment and fecal microbiota transplant, as novel and potential therapeutics for ASD diseases. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Light grand unified theory triplets and Yukawa splitting

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rakshit, Subhendu; Shadmi, Yael; Raz, Guy; Roy, Sourov

    2004-01-01

    Triplet-mediated proton decay in grand unified theories (GUTs) is usually suppressed by arranging a large triplet mass. Here we explore instead a mechanism for suppressing the couplings of the triplets to the first and second generations compared to the Yukawa couplings, so that the triplets can be light. This mechanism is based on a 'triplet symmetry' in the context of product-group GUTs. We study two possibilities. The first possibility, which requires the top Yukawa coupling to arise from a nonrenormalizable operator at the GUT scale, is that all triplet couplings to matter are negligible, so that the triplets can be at the weak scale, giving new evidence for grand unification. The second possibility is that some triplet couplings, and in particular Ttb and Tt-barl-bar, are equal to the corresponding Yukawa couplings. This would give a distinct signature of grand unification if the triplets were sufficiently light. However, we derive a model-independent bound on the triplet mass in this case, which is at least 10 6 GeV. Finally, we construct an explicit viable GUT model based on Yukawa splitting, with the triplets at 10 14 GeV, as required for coupling unification to work. This model requires no additional thresholds below the GUT scale

  6. Regulation of body fat mass by the gut microbiota

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Schéle, Erik; Grahnemo, Louise; Anesten, Fredrik

    2016-01-01

    New insight suggests gut microbiota as a component in energy balance. However, the underlying mechanisms by which gut microbiota can impact metabolic regulation is unclear. A recent study from our lab shows, for the first time, a link between gut microbiota and energy balance circuitries...

  7. Mining the Human Gut Microbiota for Immunomodulatory Organisms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Geva-Zatorsky, Naama; Sefik, Esen; Kua, Lindsay; Pasman, Lesley; Tan, Tze Guan; Ortiz-Lopez, Adriana; Yanortsang, Tsering Bakto; Yang, Liang; Jupp, Ray; Mathis, Diane; Benoist, Christophe; Kasper, Dennis L

    2017-02-23

    Within the human gut reside diverse microbes coexisting with the host in a mutually advantageous relationship. Evidence has revealed the pivotal role of the gut microbiota in shaping the immune system. To date, only a few of these microbes have been shown to modulate specific immune parameters. Herein, we broadly identify the immunomodulatory effects of phylogenetically diverse human gut microbes. We monocolonized mice with each of 53 individual bacterial species and systematically analyzed host immunologic adaptation to colonization. Most microbes exerted several specialized, complementary, and redundant transcriptional and immunomodulatory effects. Surprisingly, these were independent of microbial phylogeny. Microbial diversity in the gut ensures robustness of the microbiota's ability to generate a consistent immunomodulatory impact, serving as a highly important epigenetic system. This study provides a foundation for investigation of gut microbiota-host mutualism, highlighting key players that could identify important therapeutics. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Proceedings of the 14. Claude Itzykson Meeting-2009 recent advances in string theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aharoni, O.; Arkani-Hamed, N.; Becker, K.; Berkovits, N.; Bern, Z.; De Boer, J.; Emparan, R.; Green, M.; Hartnoll, S.; Heckman, J.; Kachru, S.; Lambert, N.; Louis, J.; Marino, M.; Mathur, S.; McAllister, L.; McGreevy, J.; Polchinski, J.; Sen, A.; Weigand, T.

    2009-01-01

    This document is made up of the slides of the presentations. The titles of the 20 presentations are the following: 1) On d=3 Yang-Mills Chern-Simons theories with 'fractional branes' and their gravity duals; 2) Holography and the S-Matrix; 3) Torsional heterotic geometries; 4) Spin chains from the topological AdS 5 xS 5 string; 5) Harmony of Scattering Amplitudes: from N=4 Super-Yang-Mills Theory to N=8 Supergravity; 6) Quantum aspects of black holes; 7) Black-folds; 8) Supersymmetric String and Field Theory Scattering Amplitudes; 9) Quantum bosons for holographic superconductors; 10) The Point of E8 in F-theory GUTs; 11) Gauge/gravity duality and particle physics; 12) Coupling M2-branes to Background Fields; 13) Compactifications and Generalized Geometries; 14) Nonperturbative aspects of the topological string; 15) Lessons from the information paradox: 16) Inflation in String Theory; 17) Holographic descriptions of quantum liquids; 18) Holography from CFT; 19) Black hole hair removal; and 20) Type IIB GUT vacua and their F-theory uplift

  9. Approximate Waveforms for Extreme-Mass-Ratio Inspirals: The Chimera Scheme

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sopuerta, Carlos F; Yunes, Nicolás

    2012-01-01

    We describe a new kludge scheme to model the dynamics of generic extreme-mass-ratio inspirals (EMRIs; stellar compact objects spiraling into a spinning supermassive black hole) and their gravitational-wave emission. The Chimera scheme is a hybrid method that combines tools from different approximation techniques in General Relativity: (i) A multipolar, post-Minkowskian expansion for the far-zone metric perturbation (the gravitational waveforms) and for the local prescription of the self-force; (ii) a post-Newtonian expansion for the computation of the multipole moments in terms of the trajectories; and (iii) a BH perturbation theory expansion when treating the trajectories as a sequence of self-adjusting Kerr geodesies. The EMRI trajectory is made out of Kerr geodesic fragments joined via the method of osculating elements as dictated by the multipolar post-Minkowskian radiation-reaction prescription. We implemented the proper coordinate mapping between Boyer-Lindquist coordinates, associated with the Kerr geodesies, and harmonic coordinates, associated with the multipolar post-Minkowskian decomposition. The Chimera scheme is thus a combination of approximations that can be used to model generic inspirals of systems with extreme to intermediate mass ratios, and hence, it can provide valuable information for future space-based gravitational-wave observatories, like LISA, and even for advanced ground detectors. The local character in time of our multipolar post-Minkowskian self-force makes this scheme amenable to study the possible appearance of transient resonances in generic inspirals.

  10. Gut Microbiota: From Microorganisms to Metabolic Organ Influencing Obesity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stephens, Richard W; Arhire, Lidia; Covasa, Mihai

    2018-05-01

    This review summarizes the current understanding of the relationship between gut microbiota and the host as it pertains to the regulation of energy balance and obesity. The paper begins with a brief description of the gut microbiota environment, distribution, and its unique symbiotic relationship with the host. The way that enviromental factors influence microbiota composition and subsequent impact on the host are then described. Next, the mechanisms linking gut dysbiosis with obesity are discussed, and finally current challenges and limitations in understanding the role of gut microbiota in control of obesity are presented. Gut microbiota has been implicated in regulation of fat storage, as well as gut dysbiosis, thus contributing to the development of obesity, insulin resistance, hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia. However, the underlying mechanisms of these processes are far from being clear and will require complex preclinical and clinical interdisciplinary studies of bacteria and host cell-to-cell interactions. There is a need for a better understanding of how changes in gut microbiota composition can impact energy balance and thus control weight gain. This may represent a promising avenue in the race to develop nonsurgical treatments for obesity. © 2018 The Obesity Society.

  11. Empathy, burn-out and the use of gut feeling

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pedersen, Anette Fischer; Ingeman, Mads Lind; Vedsted, Peter

    2018-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: Research has suggested that physicians' gut feelings are associated with parents' concerns for the well-being of their children. Gut feeling is particularly important in diagnosis of serious low-incidence diseases in primary care. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine whether...... results suggest that gut feelings have diagnostic value, these findings highlight the importance of incorporating empathy and interpersonal skills into medical training to increase sensitivity to patient concern and thereby increase the use and reliability of gut feeling....

  12. Paradigms for biologically inspired design

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lenau, T. A.; Metzea, A.-L.; Hesselberg, T.

    2018-01-01

    engineering, medical engineering, nanotechnology, photonics,environmental protection and agriculture. However, a major obstacle for the wider use of biologically inspired design isthe knowledge barrier that exist between the application engineers that have insight into how to design suitable productsand......Biologically inspired design is attracting increasing interest since it offers access to a huge biological repository of wellproven design principles that can be used for developing new and innovative products. Biological phenomena can inspireproduct innovation in as diverse areas as mechanical...... the biologists with detailed knowledge and experience in understanding how biological organisms function in theirenvironment. The biologically inspired design process can therefore be approached using different design paradigmsdepending on the dominant opportunities, challenges and knowledge characteristics...

  13. Interaction between dietary lipids and gut microbiota regulates hepatic cholesterol metabolism

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Caesar, Robert; Nygren, Heli; Orešič, Matej

    2016-01-01

    The gut microbiota influences many aspects of host metabolism. We have previously shown that the presence of a gut microbiota remodels lipid composition. Here we investigated how interaction between gut microbiota and dietary lipids regulates lipid composition in the liver and plasma, and gene...... of most lipid classes differed between mice fed lard and fish oil. However, the gut microbiota also affected lipid composition. The gut microbiota increased hepatic levels of cholesterol and cholesteryl esters in mice fed lard, but not in mice fed fish oil. Serum levels of cholesterol and cholesteryl...... esters were not affected by the gut microbiota. Genes encoding enzymes involved in cholesterol biosynthesis were downregulated by the gut microbiota in mice fed lard and were expressed at a low level in mice fed fish oil independent of microbial status. In summary, we show that gut microbiota...

  14. The Expensive-Tissue Hypothesis in Vertebrates: Gut Microbiota Effect, a Review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chun Hua Huang

    2018-06-01

    Full Text Available The gut microbiota is integral to an organism’s digestive structure and has been shown to play an important role in producing substrates for gluconeogenesis and energy production, vasodilator, and gut motility. Numerous studies have demonstrated that variation in diet types is associated with the abundance and diversity of the gut microbiota, a relationship that plays a significant role in nutrient absorption and affects gut size. The Expensive-Tissue Hypothesis states (ETH that the metabolic requirement of relatively large brains is offset by a corresponding reduction of the other tissues, such as gut size. However, how the trade-off between gut size and brain size in vertebrates is associated with the gut microbiota through metabolic requirements still remains unexplored. Here, we review research relating to and discuss the potential influence of gut microbiota on the ETH.

  15. Feed additives shift gut microbiota and enrich antibiotic resistance in swine gut.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Yi; Su, Jian-Qiang; An, Xin-Li; Huang, Fu-Yi; Rensing, Christopher; Brandt, Kristian Koefoed; Zhu, Yong-Guan

    2018-04-15

    Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) are emerging environmental contaminants posing a threat to public health. Antibiotics and metals are widely used as feed additives and could consequently affect ARGs in swine gut. In this study, high-throughput quantitative polymerase chain reaction (HT-qPCR) based ARG chip and next-generation 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing data were analyzed using multiple statistical approaches to profile the antibiotic resistome and investigate its linkages to antibiotics and metals used as feed additives and to the microbial community composition in freshly collected swine manure samples from three large-scale Chinese pig farms. A total of 146 ARGs and up to 1.3×10 10 total ARG copies per gram of swine feces were detected. ARGs conferring resistance to aminoglycoside, macrolide-lincosamide-streptogramin B (MLSB) and tetracycline were dominant in pig gut. Total abundance of ARGs was positively correlated with in-feed antibiotics, microbial biomass and abundance of mobile genetic elements (MGEs) (Padditives and community composition (16.5%). These results suggest that increased levels of in-feed additives could aggravate the enrichment of ARGs and MGEs in swine gut. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Gut inflammation in chronic fatigue syndrome

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kirchgessner Annette

    2010-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS is a debilitating disease characterized by unexplained disabling fatigue and a combination of accompanying symptoms the pathology of which is incompletely understood. Many CFS patients complain of gut dysfunction. In fact, patients with CFS are more likely to report a previous diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS, a common functional disorder of the gut, and experience IBS-related symptoms. Recently, evidence for interactions between the intestinal microbiota, mucosal barrier function, and the immune system have been shown to play a role in the disorder's pathogenesis. Studies examining the microecology of the gastrointestinal (GI tract have identified specific microorganisms whose presence appears related to disease; in CFS, a role for altered intestinal microbiota in the pathogenesis of the disease has recently been suggested. Mucosal barrier dysfunction promoting bacterial translocation has also been observed. Finally, an altered mucosal immune system has been associated with the disease. In this article, we discuss the interplay between these factors in CFS and how they could play a significant role in GI dysfunction by modulating the activity of the enteric nervous system, the intrinsic innervation of the gut. If an altered intestinal microbiota, mucosal barrier dysfunction, and aberrant intestinal immunity contribute to the pathogenesis of CFS, therapeutic efforts to modify gut microbiota could be a means to modulate the development and/or progression of this disorder. For example, the administration of probiotics could alter the gut microbiota, improve mucosal barrier function, decrease pro-inflammatory cytokines, and have the potential to positively influence mood in patients where both emotional symptoms and inflammatory immune signals are elevated. Probiotics also have the potential to improve gut motility, which is dysfunctional in many CFS patients.

  17. Gut as a target for cadmium toxicity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tinkov, Alexey A; Gritsenko, Viktor A; Skalnaya, Margarita G; Cherkasov, Sergey V; Aaseth, Jan; Skalny, Anatoly V

    2018-04-01

    The primary objective of the present study was to review the impact of Cd exposure on gut microbiota and intestinal physiology, as well as to estimate whether gut may be considered as the target for Cd toxicity. The review is based on literature search in available databases. The existing data demonstrate that the impact of Cd on gut physiology is two-sided. First, Cd exposure induces a significant alteration of bacterial populations and their relative abundance in gut (increased Bacteroidetes-to-Firmicutes ratio), accompanied by increased lipopolysaccharide (LPS) production, reflecting changed metabolic activity of the intestinal microbiome. Second, in intestinal wall Cd exposure induces inflammatory response and cell damage including disruption of tight junctions, ultimately leading to increased gut permeability. Together with increased LPS production, impaired barrier function causes endotoxinemia and systemic inflammation. Hypothetically, Cd-induced increase gut permeability may also result in increased bacterial translocation. On the one hand, bacteriolysis may be associated with aggravation of endotoxemia. At the same time, together with Cd-induced impairment of macrophage inflammatory response, increased bacterial translocation may result in increased susceptibility to infections. Such a supposition is generally in agreement with the finding of higher susceptibility of Cd-exposed mice to infections. The changed microbiome metabolic activity and LPS-induced systemic inflammation may have a significant impact on target organs. The efficiency of probiotics in at least partial prevention of the local (intestinal) and systemic toxic effects of cadmium confirms the role of altered gut physiology in Cd toxicity. Therefore, probiotic treatment may be considered as the one of the strategies for prevention of Cd toxicity in parallel with chelation, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory therapy. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Gut microbiota and the development of obesity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boroni Moreira, A P; Fiche Salles Teixeira, T; do C Gouveia Peluzio, M; de Cássia Gonçalves Alfenas, R

    2012-01-01

    Advances in tools for molecular investigations have allowed deeper understanding of how microbes can influence host physiology. A very interesting field of research that has gained attention recently is the possible role of gut microbiota in the development of obesity and metabolic disorders. The aim of this review is to discuss mechanisms that explain the influence of gut microbiota on host metabolism. The gut microbiota is important for normal physiology of the host. However, differences in their composition may have different impacts on host metabolism. It has been shown that obese and lean subjects present different microbiota composition profile. These differences in microbiota composition may contribute to weight imbalance and impaired metabolism. The evidences from animal models suggest that it is possible that the microbiota of obese subjects has higher capacity to harvest energy from the diet providing substrates that can activate lipogenic pathways. In addition, microorganisms can also influence the activity of lipoprotein lipase interfering in the accumulation of triglycerides in the adipose tissue. The interaction of gut microbiota with the endocannabinoid system provides a route through which intestinal permeability can be altered. Increased intestinal permeability allows the entrance of endotoxins to the circulation, which are related to the induction of inflammation and insulin resistance in mice. The impact of the proposed mechanisms for humans still needs further investigations. However, the fact that gut microbiota can be modulated through dietary components highlights the importance to study how fatty acids, carbohydrates, micronutrients, prebiotics, and probiotics can influence gut microbiota composition and the management of obesity. Gut microbiota seems to be an important and promising target in the prevention and treatment of obesity and its related metabolic disturbances in future studies and in clinical practice.

  19. Modulation of Gut Microbiota in Pathological States

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yulan Wang

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available The human microbiota is an aggregate of microorganisms residing in the human body, mostly in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT. Our gut microbiota evolves with us and plays a pivotal role in human health and disease. In recent years, the microbiota has gained increasing attention due to its impact on host metabolism, physiology, and immune system development, but also because the perturbation of the microbiota may result in a number of diseases. The gut microbiota may be linked to malignancies such as gastric cancer and colorectal cancer. It may also be linked to disorders such as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD; obesity and diabetes, which are characterized as “lifestyle diseases” of the industrialized world; coronary heart disease; and neurological disorders. Although the revolution in molecular technologies has provided us with the necessary tools to study the gut microbiota more accurately, we need to elucidate the relationships between the gut microbiota and several human pathologies more precisely, as understanding the impact that the microbiota plays in various diseases is fundamental for the development of novel therapeutic strategies. Therefore, the aim of this review is to provide the reader with an updated overview of the importance of the gut microbiota for human health and the potential to manipulate gut microbial composition for purposes such as the treatment of antibiotic-resistant Clostridium difficile (C. difficile infections. The concept of altering the gut community by microbial intervention in an effort to improve health is currently in its infancy. However, the therapeutic implications appear to be very great. Thus, the removal of harmful organisms and the enrichment of beneficial microbes may protect our health, and such efforts will pave the way for the development of more rational treatment options in the future.

  20. Obesity: An overview of possible role(s) of gut hormones, lipid sensing and gut microbiota.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mishra, Alok Kumar; Dubey, Vinay; Ghosh, Asit Ranjan

    2016-01-01

    Obesity is one of the major challenges for public health in 21st century, with 1.9 billion people being considered as overweight and 600 million as obese. There are certain diseases such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and several forms of cancer which were found to be associated with obesity. Therefore, understanding the key molecular mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of obesity could be beneficial for the development of a therapeutic approach. Hormones such as ghrelin, glucagon like peptide 1 (GLP-1) peptide YY (PYY), pancreatic polypeptide (PP), cholecystokinin (CCK) secreted by an endocrine organ gut, have an intense impact on energy balance and maintenance of homeostasis by inducing satiety and meal termination. Glucose and energy homeostasis are also affected by lipid sensing in which different organs respond in different ways. However, there is one common mechanism i.e. formation of esterified lipids (long chain fatty acyl CoAs) and the activation of protein kinase C δ (PKC δ) involved in all these organs. The possible role of gut microbiota and obesity has been addressed by several researchers in recent years, indicating the possible therapeutic approach toward the management of obesity by the introduction of an external living system such as a probiotic. The proposed mechanism behind this activity is attributed by metabolites produced by gut microbial organisms. Thus, this review summarizes the role of various physiological factors such as gut hormone and lipid sensing involved in various tissues and organ and most important by the role of gut microbiota in weight management. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. Gut Melatonin in Vertebrates: Chronobiology and Physiology

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dr. Saumen Kumar Maitra

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available Melatonin, following discovery in the bovine pineal gland, has been detected in several extra-pineal sources including gastrointestinal tract or gut. Arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase (AANAT is the key regulator of its biosynthesis. Melatonin in pineal is rhythmically produced with a nocturnal peak in synchronization with environmental light-dark cycle. A recent study on carp reported first that melatonin levels and intensity of a ~23kDa AANAT protein in each gut segment also exhibit significant daily variations but, unlike pineal, show a peak at midday in all seasons. Extensive experimental studies ruled out direct role of light-dark conditions in determining temporal pattern of gut melatoninergic system in carp, and opened up possible role of environmental non-photic cue(s as its synchronizer. Based on mammalian findings, physiological significance of gut derived melatonin also appears unique because its actions at local levels sharing paracrine and/or autocrine functions have been emphasized. The purpose of this mini-review is to summarize existing data on the chronobiology and physiology of gut melatonin and to emphasize their relation with the same hormone derived in the pineal in vertebrates including fish.

  2. Gut symbiotic microbes imprint intestinal immune cells with the innate receptor SLAMF4 which contributes to gut immune protection against enteric pathogens.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cabinian, Allison; Sinsimer, Daniel; Tang, May; Jang, Youngsoon; Choi, Bongkum; Laouar, Yasmina; Laouar, Amale

    2018-05-01

    Interactions between host immune cells and gut microbiota are crucial for the integrity and function of the intestine. How these interactions regulate immune cell responses in the intestine remains a major gap in the field. We have identified the signalling lymphocyte activation molecule family member 4 (SLAMF4) as an immunomodulator of the intestinal immunity. The aim is to determine how SLAMF4 is acquired in the gut and what its contribution to intestinal immunity is. Expression of SLAMF4 was assessed in mice and humans. The mechanism of induction was studied using GFP tg bone marrow chimaera mice, lymphotoxin α and TNLG8A-deficient mice, as well as gnotobiotic mice. Role in immune protection was revealed using oral infection with Listeria monocytogenes and Cytobacter rodentium . SLAMF4 is a selective marker of intestinal immune cells of mice and humans. SLAMF4 induction occurs directly in the intestinal mucosa without the involvement of the gut-associated lymphoid tissue. Gut bacterial products, particularly those of gut anaerobes, and gut-resident antigen-presenting cell (APC) TNLG8A are key contributors of SLAMF4 induction in the intestine. Importantly, lack of SLAMF4 expression leads the increased susceptibility of mice to infection by oral pathogens culminating in their premature death. SLAMF4 is a marker of intestinal immune cells which contributes to the protection against enteric pathogens and whose expression is dependent on the presence of the gut microbiota. This discovery provides a possible mechanism for answering the long-standing question of how the intertwining of the host and gut microbial biology regulates immune cell responses in the gut. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

  3. Sneutrino driven GUT inflation in supergravity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gonzalo, Tomás E.; Heurtier, Lucien; Moursy, Ahmad

    2017-01-01

    In this paper, we embed the model of flipped GUT sneutrino inflation — in a flipped SU(5) or SO(10) set up — developed by Ellis et al. in a supergravity framework. The GUT symmetry is broken by a waterfall which could happen at early or late stage of the inflationary period. The full field dynamics is thus studied in detail and these two main inflationary configurations are exposed, whose cosmological predictions are both in agreement with recent astrophysical measurements. The model has an interesting feature where the inflaton has natural decay channels to the MSSM particles allowed by the GUT gauge symmetry. Hence it can account for the reheating after the inflationary epoch.

  4. Sneutrino driven GUT inflation in supergravity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gonzalo, Tomás E.; Heurtier, Lucien; Moursy, Ahmad

    2017-06-01

    In this paper, we embed the model of flipped GUT sneutrino inflation — in a flipped SU(5) or SO(10) set up — developed by Ellis et al. in a supergravity framework. The GUT symmetry is broken by a waterfall which could happen at early or late stage of the inflationary period. The full field dynamics is thus studied in detail and these two main inflationary configurations are exposed, whose cosmological predictions are both in agreement with recent astrophysical measurements. The model has an interesting feature where the inflaton has natural decay channels to the MSSM particles allowed by the GUT gauge symmetry. Hence it can account for the reheating after the inflationary epoch.

  5. Advancing gut microbiome research using cultivation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sommer, Morten OA

    2015-01-01

    Culture-independent approaches have driven the field of microbiome research and illuminated intricate relationships between the gut microbiota and human health. However, definitively associating phenotypes to specific strains or elucidating physiological interactions is challenging for metagenomic...... approaches. Recently a number of new approaches to gut microbiota cultivation have emerged through the integration of high-throughput phylogenetic mapping and new simplified cultivation methods. These methodologies are described along with their potential use within microbiome research. Deployment of novel...... cultivation approaches should enable improved studies of xenobiotic tolerance and modification phenotypes and allow a drastic expansion of the gut microbiota reference genome catalogues. Furthermore, the new cultivation methods should facilitate systematic studies of the causal relationship between...

  6. CoMiniGut-a small volume in vitro colon model for the screening of gut microbial fermentation processes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wiese, Maria; Khakimov, Bekzod; Nielsen, Sebastian; Sørensen, Helena; van den Berg, Frans; Nielsen, Dennis Sandris

    2018-01-01

    Driven by the growing recognition of the influence of the gut microbiota (GM) on human health and disease, there is a rapidly increasing interest in understanding how dietary components, pharmaceuticals and pre- and probiotics influence GM. In vitro colon models represent an attractive tool for this purpose. With the dual objective of facilitating the investigation of rare and expensive compounds, as well as an increased throughput, we have developed a prototype in vitro parallel gut microbial fermentation screening tool with a working volume of only 5 ml consisting of five parallel reactor units that can be expanded with multiples of five to increase throughput. This allows e.g., the investigation of interpersonal variations in gut microbial dynamics and the acquisition of larger data sets with enhanced statistical inference. The functionality of the in vitro colon model, Copenhagen MiniGut (CoMiniGut) was first demonstrated in experiments with two common prebiotics using the oligosaccharide inulin and the disaccharide lactulose at 1% (w/v). We then investigated fermentation of the scarce and expensive human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) 3-Fucosyllactose, 3-Sialyllactose, 6-Sialyllactose and the more common Fructooligosaccharide in fermentations with infant gut microbial communities. Investigations of microbial community composition dynamics in the CoMiniGut reactors by MiSeq-based 16S rRNA gene amplicon high throughput sequencing showed excellent experimental reproducibility and allowed us to extract significant differences in gut microbial composition after 24 h of fermentation for all investigated substrates and fecal donors. Furthermore, short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) were quantified for all treatments and donors. Fermentations with inulin and lactulose showed that inulin leads to a microbiota dominated by obligate anaerobes, with high relative abundance of Bacteroidetes, while the more easily fermented lactulose leads to higher relative abundance of

  7. Dysbiosis of gut microbiota and microbial metabolites in Parkinson's Disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Meng-Fei; Shen, Yan-Qin

    2018-04-26

    Gut microbial dysbiosis and alteration of microbial metabolites in Parkinson's disease (PD) have been increasingly reported. Dysbiosis in the composition and abundance of gut microbiota can affect both the enteric nervous system and the central nervous system (CNS), indicating the existence of a microbiota-gut-brain axis and thereby causing CNS diseases. Disturbance of the microbiota-gut-brain axis has been linked to specific microbial products that are related to gut inflammation and neuroinflammation. Future directions should therefore focus on the exploration of specific gut microbes or microbial metabolites that contribute to the development of PD. Microbiota-targeted interventions, such as antibiotics, probiotics and fecal microbiota transplantation, have been shown to favorably affect host health. In this review, recent findings regarding alterations and the role of gut microbiota and microbial metabolites in PD are summarized, and potential molecular mechanisms and microbiota-targeted interventions in PD are discussed. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  8. [Shedding light on chaos theory].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chou, Shieu-Ming

    2004-06-01

    Gleick (1987) said that only three twentieth century scientific theories would be important enough to continue be of use in the twenty-first century: The Theory of Relativity, Quantum Theory, and Chaos Theory. Chaos Theory has become a craze which is being used to forge a new scientific system. It has also been extensively applied in a variety of professions. The purpose of this article is to introduce chaos theory and its nursing applications. Chaos is a sign of regular order. This is to say that chaos theory emphasizes the intrinsic potential for regular order within disordered phenomena. It is to be hoped that this article will inspire more nursing scientists to apply this concept to clinical, research, or administrative fields in our profession.

  9. Gut microbiota and obesity: lessons from the microbiome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cani, Patrice D

    2013-07-01

    The distal gut harbours microbial communities that outnumber our own eukaryotic cells. The contribution of the gut microbiota to the development of several diseases (e.g. obesity, type 2 diabetes, steatosis, cardiovascular diseases and inflammatory bowel diseases) is becoming clear, although the causality remains to be proven in humans. Global changes in the gut microbiota have been observed by a number of culture-dependent and culture-independent methods, and while the latter have mostly included 16S ribosomal RNA gene analyses, more recent studies have utilized DNA sequencing of whole-microbial communities. Altogether, these high-throughput methods have facilitated the identification of novel candidate bacteria and, most importantly, metabolic functions that might be associated with obesity and type 2 diabetes. This review discusses the association between specific taxa and obesity, together with the techniques that are used to characterize the gut microbiota in the context of obesity and type 2 diabetes. Recent results are discussed in the framework of the interactions between gut microbiota and host metabolism.

  10. Gene expression profiling gut microbiota in different races of humans

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Lei; Zhang, Yu-Hang; Huang, Tao; Cai, Yu-Dong

    2016-03-01

    The gut microbiome is shaped and modified by the polymorphisms of microorganisms in the intestinal tract. Its composition shows strong individual specificity and may play a crucial role in the human digestive system and metabolism. Several factors can affect the composition of the gut microbiome, such as eating habits, living environment, and antibiotic usage. Thus, various races are characterized by different gut microbiome characteristics. In this present study, we studied the gut microbiomes of three different races, including individuals of Asian, European and American races. The gut microbiome and the expression levels of gut microbiome genes were analyzed in these individuals. Advanced feature selection methods (minimum redundancy maximum relevance and incremental feature selection) and four machine-learning algorithms (random forest, nearest neighbor algorithm, sequential minimal optimization, Dagging) were employed to capture key differentially expressed genes. As a result, sequential minimal optimization was found to yield the best performance using the 454 genes, which could effectively distinguish the gut microbiomes of different races. Our analyses of extracted genes support the widely accepted hypotheses that eating habits, living environments and metabolic levels in different races can influence the characteristics of the gut microbiome.

  11. Immmunohistochemical study of the blood and lymphatic vasculature and the innervation of mouse gut and gut-associated lymphoid tissue.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, B; von Wasielewski, R; Lindenmaier, W; Dittmar, K E J

    2007-02-01

    The blood and lymphatic vascular system of the gut plays an important role in tissue fluid homeostasis, nutrient absorption and immune surveillance. To obtain a better understanding of the anatomic basis of these functions, the blood and lymphatic vasculature of the lower segment of mouse gut and several constituents of gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT) including Peyer's patch, specialized lymphoid nodules in the caecum, small lymphoid aggregates and lymphoid nodules in the colon were studied by using confocal microscopy. Additionally, the innervation and nerve/immune cell interactions in the gut and Peyer's patch were investigated by using cell surface marker PGP9.5 and Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). In the gut and Peyer's patch, the nerves have contact with B cell, T cell and B220CD3 double-positive cells. Dendritic cells, the most important antigen-presenting cells, were closely apposed to some nerves. Some dendritic cells formed membrane-membrane contact with nerve terminals and neuron cell body. Many fine nerve fibres, which are indirectly detected by GFAP, have contact with dendritic cells and other immune cells in the Peyer's patch. Furthermore, the expression of Muscarinic Acetylcholine receptor (subtype M2) was characterized on dendritic cells and other cell population. These findings are expected to provide a route to understand the anatomic basis of neuron-immune regulation/cross-talk and probably neuroinvasion of prion pathogens in the gut and GALT.

  12. Keeping gut lining at bay: impact of emulsifiers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cani, Patrice D; Everard, Amandine

    2015-06-01

    Obesity is associated with altered gut microbiota and low-grade inflammation. Both dietary habits and food composition contribute to the onset of such diseases. Emulsifiers, compounds commonly used in a variety of foods, were shown to induce body weight gain, low-grade inflammation and metabolic disorders. These dietary compounds promote gut microbiota alteration and gut barrier dysfunction leading to negative metabolic alterations. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Diets Alter the Gut Microbiome of Crocodile Lizards

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hai-Ying Jiang

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available The crocodile lizard is a critically endangered reptile, and serious diseases have been found in this species in recent years, especially in captive lizards. Whether these diseases are caused by changes in the gut microbiota and the effect of captivity on disease remains to be determined. Here, we examined the relationship between the gut microbiota and diet and disease by comparing the fecal microbiota of wild lizards with those of sick and healthy lizards in captivity. The gut microbiota in wild crocodile lizards was consistently dominated by Proteobacteria (∼56.4% and Bacteroidetes (∼19.1%. However, the abundance of Firmicutes (∼2.6% in the intestine of the wild crocodile lizards was distinctly lower than that in other vertebrates. In addition, the wild samples from Guangdong Luokeng Shinisaurus crocodilurus National Nature Reserve also had a high abundance of Deinococcus–Thermus while the wild samples from Guangxi Daguishan Crocodile Lizard National Nature Reserve had a high abundance of Tenericutes. The gut microbial community in loach-fed crocodile lizards was significantly different from the gut microbial community in the earthworm-fed and wild lizards. In addition, significant differences in specific bacteria were detected among groups. Notably, in the gut microbiota, the captive lizards fed earthworms resulted in enrichment of Fusobacterium, and the captive lizards fed loaches had higher abundances of Elizabethkingia, Halomonas, Morganella, and Salmonella, all of which are pathogens or opportunistic pathogens in human or other animals. However, there is no sufficient evidence that the gut microbiota contributes to either disease A or disease B. These results provide a reference for the conservation of endangered crocodile lizards and the first insight into the relationship between disease and the gut microbiota in lizards.

  14. Standard methods for research on apis mellifera gut symbionts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gut microbes can play an important role in digestion, disease resistance, and the general health of animals, but little is known about the biology of gut symbionts in Apis mellifera. This paper is part of a series on honey bee research methods, providing protocols for studying gut symbionts. We desc...

  15. Guard Cell and Tropomyosin Inspired Chemical Sensor

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jacquelyn K.S. Nagel

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available Sensors are an integral part of many engineered products and systems. Biological inspiration has the potential to improve current sensor designs as well as inspire innovative ones. This paper presents the design of an innovative, biologically-inspired chemical sensor that performs “up-front” processing through mechanical means. Inspiration from the physiology (function of the guard cell coupled with the morphology (form and physiology of tropomyosin resulted in two concept variants for the chemical sensor. Applications of the sensor design include environmental monitoring of harmful gases, and a non-invasive approach to detect illnesses including diabetes, liver disease, and cancer on the breath.

  16. Biologically Inspired Micro-Flight Research

    Science.gov (United States)

    Raney, David L.; Waszak, Martin R.

    2003-01-01

    Natural fliers demonstrate a diverse array of flight capabilities, many of which are poorly understood. NASA has established a research project to explore and exploit flight technologies inspired by biological systems. One part of this project focuses on dynamic modeling and control of micro aerial vehicles that incorporate flexible wing structures inspired by natural fliers such as insects, hummingbirds and bats. With a vast number of potential civil and military applications, micro aerial vehicles represent an emerging sector of the aerospace market. This paper describes an ongoing research activity in which mechanization and control concepts for biologically inspired micro aerial vehicles are being explored. Research activities focusing on a flexible fixed- wing micro aerial vehicle design and a flapping-based micro aerial vehicle concept are presented.

  17. Introduction to string theory and string compactifications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    GarcIa-Compean, Hugo

    2005-01-01

    Basics of some topics on perturbative and non-perturbative string theory are reviewed. After a mathematical survey of the Standard Model of particle physics and GUTs, the bosonic string kinematics for the free case and with interaction is described. The effective action of the bosonic string and the spectrum is also discussed. T-duality in closed and open strings and the definition of D-brane are surveyed. Five perturbative superstring theories and their spectra is briefly outlined. Calabi-Yau three-fold compactifications of heterotic strings and their relation to some four-dimensional physics are given. Finally, non-perturbative issues like S-duality, M-theory and F-theory are also reviewed

  18. Effect of inspiration on airway dimensions measured in maximal inspiration CT images of subjects without airflow limitation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Petersen, Jens; Raket, Lars Lau; Nielsen, Mads [University of Copenhagen, Department of Computer Science, Copenhagen (Denmark); Wille, Mathilde M.W.; Dirksen, Asger [University of Copenhagen, Department of Respiratory Medicine, Gentofte Hospital, Hellerup (Denmark); Feragen, Aasa [University of Copenhagen, Department of Computer Science, Copenhagen (Denmark); Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems and Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Tuebingen (Germany); Pedersen, Jesper H. [Rigshospitalet, University Hospital of Copenhagen, Department of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery RT, Copenhagen (Denmark); Bruijne, Marleen de [University of Copenhagen, Department of Computer Science, Copenhagen (Denmark); Erasmus MC Rotterdam, Departments of Medical Informatics and Radiology, Rotterdam (Netherlands)

    2014-09-15

    To study the effect of inspiration on airway dimensions measured in voluntary inspiration breath-hold examinations. 961 subjects with normal spirometry were selected from the Danish Lung Cancer Screening Trial. Subjects were examined annually for five years with low-dose CT. Automated software was utilized to segment lungs and airways, identify segmental bronchi, and match airway branches in all images of the same subject. Inspiration level was defined as segmented total lung volume (TLV) divided by predicted total lung capacity (pTLC). Mixed-effects models were used to predict relative change in lumen diameter (ALD) and wall thickness (AWT) in airways of generation 0 (trachea) to 7 and segmental bronchi (R1-R10 and L1-L10) from relative changes in inspiration level. Relative changes in ALD were related to relative changes in TLV/pTLC, and this distensibility increased with generation (p < 0.001). Relative changes in AWT were inversely related to relative changes in TLV/pTLC in generation 3-7 (p < 0.001). Segmental bronchi were widely dispersed in terms of ALD (5.7 ± 0.7 mm), AWT (0.86 ± 0.07 mm), and distensibility (23.5 ± 7.7 %). Subjects who inspire more deeply prior to imaging have larger ALD and smaller AWT. This effect is more pronounced in higher-generation airways. Therefore, adjustment of inspiration level is necessary to accurately assess airway dimensions. (orig.)

  19. The microbial flora of the different gut regions of the variegated ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The microbial flora of the gut regions and gut contents of the variegated grasshopper Zonocerus variegatus instars was studied using the pour plate technique. The gut sections (Fore-, mid-, and hind-gut) harboured a variety organisms mainly bacteria, fungi and mould. Yeasts species isolated were Candida, ...

  20. Delayed radiation injury of gut-exposed and gut-shielded mice. I. The decrement in resistance to continuous gamma-ray stress

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Spalding, J.F.; Archuleta, R.F.; London, J.E.; Prine, J.R.

    1977-02-01

    Two mouse strains (RF/J and C57B1/6J) were exposed to x-ray doses totaling 400, 800, or 1200 rad. Total doses were given in 200-rad fractions at 7-day intervals to the whole body, gut only, or gut shielded. Animals treated as above (conditioned) were divided into 2 groups to form a two-part investigation. X-ray-conditioned and control mice were subjected to a continuous gamma-ray stress (challenge exposure) 28 days after the last x-ray dose. Delayed injury was measured as a reduction in mean after-survival (MAS) time and was observed in whole-body, gut-conditioned, and gut-shielded groups. The cause of death was attributed to hemopoietic hypoplasia in all groups. MAS reduction in all conditioned groups in both strains was linear with dose within the dose range used. Delayed injury per volume dose (measured as a reduction in MAS) was independent of the tissue initially conditioned with an acute dose of x rays. Thus, delayed injury per unit weight of gut tissue exposed was equal to that of either whole-body or gut-shielded radiation injury. Comparative weight loss observations during the continuous gamma-ray challenge exposure revealed a decrement in metabolic processes associated with body weight maintenance. This decrement was seen in all x-ray-conditioned groups

  1. Gut Microbiome and Obesity: A Plausible Explanation for Obesity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sanmiguel, Claudia; Gupta, Arpana; Mayer, Emeran A

    2015-06-01

    Obesity is a multifactorial disorder that results in excessive accumulation of adipose tissue. Although obesity is caused by alterations in the energy consumption/expenditure balance, the factors promoting this disequilibrium are incompletely understood. The rapid development of new technologies and analysis strategies to decode the gut microbiota composition and metabolic pathways has opened a door into the complexity of the guest-host interactions between the gut microbiota and its human host in health and in disease. Pivotal studies have demonstrated that manipulation of the gut microbiota and its metabolic pathways can affect host's adiposity and metabolism. These observations have paved the way for further assessment of the mechanisms underlying these changes. In this review we summarize the current evidence for possible mechanisms underlying gut microbiota induced obesity. The review addresses some well-known effects of the gut microbiota on energy harvesting and changes in metabolic machinery, on metabolic and immune interactions and on possible changes in brain function and behavior. Although there is limited understanding on the symbiotic relationship between us and our gut microbiome, and how disturbances of this relationship affects our health, there is compelling evidence for an important role of the gut microbiota in the development and perpetuation of obesity.

  2. Gut Microbiome and Obesity: A Plausible Explanation for Obesity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sanmiguel, Claudia; Gupta, Arpana; Mayer, Emeran A.

    2015-01-01

    Obesity is a multifactorial disorder that results in excessive accumulation of adipose tissue. Although obesity is caused by alterations in the energy consumption/expenditure balance, the factors promoting this disequilibrium are incompletely understood. The rapid development of new technologies and analysis strategies to decode the gut microbiota composition and metabolic pathways has opened a door into the complexity of the guest-host interactions between the gut microbiota and its human host in health and in disease. Pivotal studies have demonstrated that manipulation of the gut microbiota and its metabolic pathways can affect host’s adiposity and metabolism. These observations have paved the way for further assessment of the mechanisms underlying these changes. In this review we summarize the current evidence for possible mechanisms underlying gut microbiota induced obesity. The review addresses some well-known effects of the gut microbiota on energy harvesting and changes in metabolic machinery, on metabolic and immune interactions and on possible changes in brain function and behavior. Although there is limited understanding on the symbiotic relationship between us and our gut microbiome, and how disturbances of this relationship affects our health, there is compelling evidence for an important role of the gut microbiota in the development and perpetuation of obesity. PMID:26029487

  3. Human gut microbiota and healthy aging: Recent developments and future prospective.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kumar, Manish; Babaei, Parizad; Ji, Boyang; Nielsen, Jens

    2016-10-27

    The human gut microbiota alters with the aging process. In the first 2-3 years of life, the gut microbiota varies extensively in composition and metabolic functions. After this period, the gut microbiota demonstrates adult-like more stable and diverse microbial species. However, at old age, deterioration of physiological functions of the human body enforces the decrement in count of beneficial species (e.g. Bifidobacteria ) in the gut microbiota, which promotes various gut-related diseases (e.g. inflammatory bowel disease). Use of plant-based diets and probiotics/prebiotics may elevate the abundance of beneficial species and prevent gut-related diseases. Still, the connections between diet, microbes, and host are only partially known. To this end, genome-scale metabolic modeling can help to explore these connections as well as to expand the understanding of the metabolic capability of each species in the gut microbiota. This systems biology approach can also predict metabolic variations in the gut microbiota during ageing, and hereby help to design more effective probiotics/prebiotics.

  4. No Gut No Gain! Enteral Bile Acid Treatment Preserves Gut Growth but Not Parenteral Nutrition-Associated Liver Injury in a Novel Extensive Short Bowel Animal Model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Villalona, Gustavo; Price, Amber; Blomenkamp, Keith; Manithody, Chandrashekhara; Saxena, Saurabh; Ratchford, Thomas; Westrich, Matthew; Kakarla, Vindhya; Pochampally, Shruthika; Phillips, William; Heafner, Nicole; Korremla, Niraja; Greenspon, Jose; Guzman, Miguel A; Kumar Jain, Ajay

    2018-04-27

    Parenteral nutrition (PN) provides nutrition intravenously; however, this life-saving therapy is associated with significant liver disease. Recent evidence indicates improvement in PN-associated injury in animals with intact gut treated with enteral bile acid (BA), chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA), and a gut farnesoid X receptor (FXR) agonist, which drives the gut-liver cross talk (GLCT). We hypothesized that similar improvement could be translated in animals with short bowel syndrome (SBS). Using piglets, we developed a novel 90% gut-resected SBS model. Fifteen SBS piglets receiving PN were given CDCA or control (vehicle control) for 2 weeks. Tissue and serum were analyzed posteuthanasia. CDCA increased gut FXR (quantitative polymerase chain reaction; P = .008), but not downstream FXR targets. No difference in gut fibroblast growth factor 19 (FGF19; P = .28) or hepatic FXR (P = .75), FGF19 (P = .86), FGFR4 (P = .53), or Cholesterol 7 α-hydroxylase (P = .61) was noted. PN resulted in cholestasis; however, no improvement was noted with CDCA. Hepatic fibrosis or immunostaining for Ki67, CD3, or Cytokeratin 7 was not different with CDCA. PN resulted in gut atrophy. CDCA preserved (P = .04 vs control) gut mass and villous/crypt ratio. The median (interquartile range) for gut mass for control was 0.28 (0.17-0.34) and for CDCA was 0.33 (0.26-0.46). We note that, unlike in animals with intact gut, in an SBS animal model there is inadequate CDCA-induced activation of gut-derived signaling to cause liver improvement. Thus, it appears that activation of GLCT is critically dependent on the presence of adequate gut. This is clinically relevant because it suggests that BA therapy may not be as effective for patients with SBS. © 2018 American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition.

  5. Compartmentalization of the gut viral reservoir in HIV-1 infected patients

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Grant Tannika

    2007-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Recently there has been an increasing interest and appreciation for the gut as both a viral reservoir as well as an important host-pathogen interface in human immunodefiency virus type 1 (HIV-1 infection. The gut associated lymphoid tissue (GALT is the largest lymphoid organ infected by HIV-1. In this study we examined if different HIV-1 quasispecies are found in different parts of the gut of HIV-1 infected individuals. Results Gut biopsies (esophagus, stomach, duodenum and colorectum were obtained from eight HIV-1 infected preHAART (highly active antiretroviral therapy patients. HIV-1 Nef and Reverse transcriptase (RT encoding sequences were obtained through nested PCR amplification from DNA isolated from the gut biopsy tissues. The PCR fragments were cloned and sequenced. The resulting sequences were subjected to various phylogenetic analyses. Expression of the nef gene and viral RNA in the different gut tissues was determined using real-time RT-PCR. Phylogenetic analysis of the Nef protein-encoding region revealed compartmentalization of viral replication in the gut within patients. Viral diversity in both the Nef and RT encoding region varied in different parts of the gut. Moreover, increased nef gene expression (p Conclusion Our results indicated that different HIV-1 quasispecies populate different parts of the gut, and that viral replication in the gut is compartmentalized. These observations underscore the importance of the gut as a host-pathogen interface in HIV-1 infection.

  6. Older Siblings Affect Gut Microbiota Development in Early Childhood

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Laursen, Martin Frederik; Zachariassen, Gitte; Bahl, Martin Iain

    .006) at 18 months. Further, having older siblings was associated with increased relative abundance of several bacterial taxa at both 9 and 18 months of age. Compared to the effect of having siblings, presence of household furred pets and early life infections had less pronounced effects on the gut microbiota....... Gut microbiota characteristics were not significantly associated with cumulative occurrence of eczema and asthmatic bronchitis during the first three years of life. Conclusions: Presence of older siblings is associated with increased gut microbial diversity and richness during early childhood, which...... could contribute to the substantiation of the hygiene hypothesis. However, no associations were found between gut microbiota and atopic symptoms of eczema and asthmatic bronchitis during early childhood and thus further studies are required to elucidate whether sibling-associated gut microbial changes...

  7. The food-gut human axis: the effects of diet on gut microbiota and metabolome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Angelis, Maria; Garruti, Gabriella; Minervini, Fabio; Bonfrate, Leonilde; Portincasa, Piero; Gobbetti, Marco

    2017-04-27

    Gut microbiota, the largest symbiont community hosted in human organism, is emerging as a pivotal player in the relationship between dietary habits and health. Oral and, especially, intestinal microbes metabolize dietary components, affecting human health by producing harmful or beneficial metabolites, which are involved in the incidence and progression of several intestinal related and non-related diseases. Habitual diet (Western, Agrarian and Mediterranean omnivore diets, vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free diets) drives the composition of the gut microbiota and metabolome. Within the dietary components, polymers (mainly fibers, proteins, fat and polyphenols) that are not hydrolyzed by human enzymes seem to be the main leads of the metabolic pathways of gut microbiota, which in turn directly influences the human metabolome. Specific relationships between diet and microbes, microbes and metabolites, microbes and immune functions and microbes and/or their metabolites and some human diseases are being established. Dietary treatments with fibers are the most effective to benefit the metabolome profile, by improving the synthesis of short chain fatty acids and decreasing the level of molecules, such as p-cresyl sulfate, indoxyl sulfate and trimethylamine N-oxide, involved in disease state. Based on the axis diet-microbiota-health, this review aims at describing the most recent knowledge oriented towards a profitable use of diet to provide benefits to human health, both directly and indirectly, through the activity of gut microbiota. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

  8. Emerging Technologies for Gut Microbiome Research

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arnold, Jason W.; Roach, Jeffrey; Azcarate-Peril, M. Andrea

    2016-01-01

    Understanding the importance of the gut microbiome on modulation of host health has become a subject of great interest for researchers across disciplines. As an intrinsically multidisciplinary field, microbiome research has been able to reap the benefits of technological advancements in systems and synthetic biology, biomaterials engineering, and traditional microbiology. Gut microbiome research has been revolutionized by high-throughput sequencing technology, permitting compositional and functional analyses that were previously an unrealistic undertaking. Emerging technologies including engineered organoids derived from human stem cells, high-throughput culturing, and microfluidics assays allowing for the introduction of novel approaches will improve the efficiency and quality of microbiome research. Here, we will discuss emerging technologies and their potential impact on gut microbiome studies. PMID:27426971

  9. Gut microbiota and probiotics in modulation of epithelium and gut-associated lymphoid tissue function.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sanz, Yolanda; De Palma, Giada

    2009-01-01

    The intestinal tract mucosa is exposed to a vast number of environmental antigens and a large community of commensal bacteria. The mucosal immune system has to provide both protection against pathogens and tolerance to harmless bacteria. Immune homeostasis depends on the interaction of indigenous commensal and transient bacteria (probiotics) with various components of the epithelium and the gut-associated lymphoid tissue. Herein, an update is given of the mechanisms by which the gut microbiota and probiotics are translocated through the epithelium, sensed via pattern-recognition receptors, and activate innate and adaptive immune responses.

  10. Constrained Sypersymmetric Flipped SU (5) GUT Phenomenology

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ellis, John; /CERN /King' s Coll. London; Mustafayev, Azar; /Minnesota U., Theor. Phys. Inst.; Olive, Keith A.; /Minnesota U., Theor. Phys. Inst. /Minnesota U. /Stanford U., Phys. Dept. /SLAC

    2011-08-12

    We explore the phenomenology of the minimal supersymmetric flipped SU(5) GUT model (CFSU(5)), whose soft supersymmetry-breaking (SSB) mass parameters are constrained to be universal at some input scale, Min, above the GUT scale, M{sub GUT}. We analyze the parameter space of CFSU(5) assuming that the lightest supersymmetric particle (LSP) provides the cosmological cold dark matter, paying careful attention to the matching of parameters at the GUT scale. We first display some specific examples of the evolutions of the SSB parameters that exhibit some generic features. Specifically, we note that the relationship between the masses of the lightest neutralino {chi} and the lighter stau {tilde {tau}}{sub 1} is sensitive to M{sub in}, as is the relationship between m{sub {chi}} and the masses of the heavier Higgs bosons A,H. For these reasons, prominent features in generic (m{sub 1/2}, m{sub 0}) planes such as coannihilation strips and rapid-annihilation funnels are also sensitive to Min, as we illustrate for several cases with tan {beta} = 10 and 55. However, these features do not necessarily disappear at large Min, unlike the case in the minimal conventional SU(5) GUT. Our results are relatively insensitive to neutrino masses.

  11. Constrained supersymmetric flipped SU(5) GUT phenomenology

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ellis, John [CERN, TH Division, PH Department, Geneva 23 (Switzerland); King' s College London, Theoretical Physics and Cosmology Group, Department of Physics, London (United Kingdom); Mustafayev, Azar [University of Minnesota, William I. Fine Theoretical Physics Institute, Minneapolis, MN (United States); Olive, Keith A. [University of Minnesota, William I. Fine Theoretical Physics Institute, Minneapolis, MN (United States); Stanford University, Department of Physics and SLAC, Palo Alto, CA (United States)

    2011-07-15

    We explore the phenomenology of the minimal supersymmetric flipped SU(5) GUT model (CFSU(5)), whose soft supersymmetry-breaking (SSB) mass parameters are constrained to be universal at some input scale, M{sub in}, above the GUT scale, M{sub GUT}. We analyze the parameter space of CFSU(5) assuming that the lightest supersymmetric particle (LSP) provides the cosmological cold dark matter, paying careful attention to the matching of parameters at the GUT scale. We first display some specific examples of the evolutions of the SSB parameters that exhibit some generic features. Specifically, we note that the relationship between the masses of the lightest neutralino {chi} and the lighter stau {tau}{sub 1} is sensitive to M{sub in}, as is the relationship between m{sub {chi}} and the masses of the heavier Higgs bosons A,H. For these reasons, prominent features in generic (m{sub 1/2},m{sub 0}) planes such as coannihilation strips and rapid-annihilation funnels are also sensitive to M{sub in}, as we illustrate for several cases with tan {beta}=10 and 55. However, these features do not necessarily disappear at large M{sub in}, unlike the case in the minimal conventional SU(5) GUT. Our results are relatively insensitive to neutrino masses. (orig.)

  12. Constrained supersymmetric flipped SU(5) GUT phenomenology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ellis, John; Mustafayev, Azar; Olive, Keith A.

    2011-01-01

    We explore the phenomenology of the minimal supersymmetric flipped SU(5) GUT model (CFSU(5)), whose soft supersymmetry-breaking (SSB) mass parameters are constrained to be universal at some input scale, M in , above the GUT scale, M GUT . We analyze the parameter space of CFSU(5) assuming that the lightest supersymmetric particle (LSP) provides the cosmological cold dark matter, paying careful attention to the matching of parameters at the GUT scale. We first display some specific examples of the evolutions of the SSB parameters that exhibit some generic features. Specifically, we note that the relationship between the masses of the lightest neutralino χ and the lighter stau τ 1 is sensitive to M in , as is the relationship between m χ and the masses of the heavier Higgs bosons A,H. For these reasons, prominent features in generic (m 1/2 ,m 0 ) planes such as coannihilation strips and rapid-annihilation funnels are also sensitive to M in , as we illustrate for several cases with tan β=10 and 55. However, these features do not necessarily disappear at large M in , unlike the case in the minimal conventional SU(5) GUT. Our results are relatively insensitive to neutrino masses. (orig.)

  13. Advances and perspectives in in vitro human gut fermentation modeling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Payne, Amanda N; Zihler, Annina; Chassard, Christophe; Lacroix, Christophe

    2012-01-01

    The gut microbiota is a highly specialized organ containing host-specific assemblages of microbes whereby metabolic activity directly impacts human health and disease. In vitro gut fermentation models present an unmatched opportunity of performing studies frequently challenged in humans and animals owing to ethical concerns. Multidisciplinary systems biology analyses supported by '-omics' platforms remain widely neglected in the field of in vitro gut fermentation modeling but are key to advancing the significance of these models. Model-driven experimentation using a combination of in vitro gut fermentation and in vitro human cell models represent an advanced approach in identifying complex host-microbe interactions and niches central to gut fermentation processes. The aim of this review is to highlight the advances and challenges exhibited by in vitro human gut fermentation modeling. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Inspiration fra NY-times

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ejersbo, Lisser Rye

    2015-01-01

    NY-times har en ugentlig klumme med gode råd. For nogle uger siden var ugens inspiration henvendt til lærere/undervisere og drejede sig om, hvordan man skaber taletid til alle uden at have favoritter og overse de mere stille elever.......NY-times har en ugentlig klumme med gode råd. For nogle uger siden var ugens inspiration henvendt til lærere/undervisere og drejede sig om, hvordan man skaber taletid til alle uden at have favoritter og overse de mere stille elever....

  15. Three-dimensional trajectory tracking for underactuated AUVs with bio-inspired velocity regulation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jiajia Zhou

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available This paper attempts to address the motion parameter skip problem associated with three-dimensional trajectory tracking of an underactuated Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV using backstepping-based control, due to the unsmoothness of tracking trajectory. Through kinematics concepts, a three-dimensional dynamic velocity regulation controller is derived. This controller makes use of the surge and angular velocity errors with bio-inspired models and backstepping techniques. It overcomes the frequently occurring problem of parameter skip at inflection point existing in backstepping tracking control method and increases system robustness. Moreover, the proposed method can effectively avoid the singularity problem in backstepping control of virtual velocity error. The control system is proved to be uniformly ultimately bounded using Lyapunov stability theory. Simulation results illustrate the effectiveness and efficiency of the developed controller, which can realize accurate three-dimensional trajectory tracking for an underactuated AUV with constant external disturbances. Keywords: Dynamic velocity regulation, Bio-inspired model, Backstepping, Underactuated AUV, Three-dimensional trajectory tracking

  16. Characterization of the human gut microbiome during travelers' diarrhea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Youmans, Bonnie P; Ajami, Nadim J; Jiang, Zhi-Dong; Campbell, Frederick; Wadsworth, W Duncan; Petrosino, Joseph F; DuPont, Herbert L; Highlander, Sarah K

    2015-01-01

    Alterations in the gut microbiota are correlated with ailments such as obesity, inflammatory bowel disease, and diarrhea. Up to 60% of individuals traveling from industrialized to developing countries acquire a form of secretory diarrhea known as travelers' diarrhea (TD), and enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) and norovirus (NoV) are the leading causative pathogens. Presumably, TD alters the gut microbiome, however the effect of TD on gut communities has not been studied. We report the first analysis of bacterial gut populations associated with TD. We examined and compared the gut microbiomes of individuals who developed TD associated with ETEC, NoV, or mixed pathogens, and TD with no pathogen identified, to healthy travelers. We observed a signature dysbiotic gut microbiome profile of high Firmicutes:Bacteroidetes ratios in the travelers who developed diarrhea, regardless of etiologic agent or presence of a pathogen. There was no significant difference in α-diversity among travelers. The bacterial composition of the microbiota of the healthy travelers was similar to the diarrheal groups, however the β-diversity of the healthy travelers was significantly different than any pathogen-associated TD group. Further comparison of the healthy traveler microbiota to those from healthy subjects who were part of the Human Microbiome Project also revealed a significantly higher Firmicutes:Bacteriodetes ratio in the healthy travelers and significantly different β-diversity. Thus, the composition of the gut microbiome in healthy, diarrhea-free travelers has characteristics of a dysbiotic gut, suggesting that these alterations could be associated with factors such as travel.

  17. The role of probiotics and prebiotics inducing gut immunity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Angelica Thomaz Vieira

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available The gut immune system is influenced by many factors, including dietary components and commensal bacteria. Nutrients that affect gut immunity and strategies that restore a healthy gut microbial community by affecting the microbial composition are being developed as new therapeutic approaches to treat several inflammatory diseases. Although probiotics (live microorganisms and prebiotics (food components have shown promise as treatments for several diseases in both clinical and animal studies, an understanding of the molecular mechanisms behind the direct and indirect effects on the gut immune response will facilitate better and possibly more efficient therapy for diseases. In this review, we will first describe the concept of prebiotics, probiotics and symbiotics and cover the most recently well-established scientific findings regarding the direct and indirect mechanisms by which these dietary approaches can influence gut immunity. Emphasis will be placed on the relationship of diet, the microbiota and the gut immune system. Second, we will highlight recent results from our group, which suggest a new dietary manipulation that includes the use of nutrient products (organic selenium and Lithothamnium muelleri and probiotics (Saccharomyces boulardii UFMG 905 and Bifidobacterium sp. that can stimulate and manipulate the gut immune response, inducing intestinal homeostasis. Furthermore, the purpose of this review is to discuss and translate all of this knowledge into therapeutic strategies and into treatment for extra-intestinal compartment pathologies. We will conclude by discussing perspectives and molecular advances regarding the use of prebiotics or probiotics as new therapeutic strategies that manipulate the microbial composition and the gut immune responses of the host.

  18. Inspiration til undervisning på museer

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hyllested, Trine Elisabeth

    2015-01-01

    collection and arrangement of knowledge meant to give a general view of, to inspire and to develop teaching at museums in Denmark......collection and arrangement of knowledge meant to give a general view of, to inspire and to develop teaching at museums in Denmark...

  19. Theory Meets Practice

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Schlamovitz, Jesper

    2015-01-01

    Process thinking and process-based theory are receiving increased attention in the field of organization studies and organization theory development (Tsoukas & Chia, 2002; Langley & Tsoukas, 2010; Hernes, 2014). The aim has been to study processes rather than structures, in organizations. This has...... recently inspired research on the organizing of projects and the development of a (new) theory of temporary organizations (Bakker, 2010; Blomquist et al. 2010; Söderlund, 2013). These theories are still under development and need empirical studies that can show their relevance for practice. This paper...... will give an overview of this theoretical development and discuss the consequences for the practice of project management. The paper finds that the focus on processes such as time and temporality, meaning structures, and articulation are covered in project management research, but sparsely documented...

  20. Effects of Gut Microbes on Nutrient Absorption and Energy Regulation

    OpenAIRE

    Krajmalnik-Brown, Rosa; Ilhan, Zehra-Esra; Kang, Dae-Wook; DiBaise, John K.

    2012-01-01

    Malnutrition may manifest as either obesity or undernutrition. Accumulating evidence suggests that the gut microbiota plays an important role in the harvest, storage, and expenditure of energy obtained from the diet. The composition of the gut microbiota has been shown to differ between lean and obese humans and mice; however, the specific roles that individual gut microbes play in energy harvest remain uncertain. The gut microbiota may also influence the development of conditions characteriz...

  1. Health cyberinfrastructure for collaborative use-inspired research and practice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chismar, William; Horan, Thomas A; Hesse, Bradford W; Feldman, Sue S; Shaikh, Abdul R

    2011-05-01

    Rapid advances in information and networking technologies have greatly expanded the modes for conducting business and science. For the past two decades, the National Science Foundation (NSF) has been supporting efforts to develop a comprehensive cyberinfrastructure with the goal of transforming the nature of scientific investigations. More recently, the NIH began supporting efforts to develop a cyberinfrastructure of healthcare research and practice. However, the best structure and applications of cyberinfrastructure in health care have yet to be defined. To address these issues, the NIH and the Kay Center for E-Health Research at Claremont Graduate University sponsored a symposium on "Cyberinfrastructure for Public Health and Health Services: Research and Funding Directions." The symposium convened researchers, practitioners, and federal funders to discuss how to further cyberinfrastructure systems and research in the public health and health services sectors. This paper synthesizes findings of the symposium, the goals of which were to determine the dynamics necessary for executing and utilizing cyberinfrastructure in public health and health services; examine the requirements of transdisciplinary collaboration; and identify future research directions. A multi-faceted conception of use-inspired research for cyberinfrastructure is developed. Use-inspired research aims to further basic theory but is grounded, inspired, and informed by practical problems. A cyberinfrastructure framework is presented that incorporates three intersecting dimensions: research-practice, health services-public health, and social-technical dimensions. Within this framework, this paper discusses the ways in which cyberinfrastructure provides opportunities to integrate across these dimensions to develop research and actions that can improve both clinical outcomes and public health. Copyright © 2011 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. All rights reserved.

  2. The teaching theory of Montaigne

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    José PENALVA BUITRAGO

    2013-11-01

    Full Text Available This article seeks to articulate the teaching theory of Montaigne. The core idea is that Montaigne’s thought, founded on formation classical ideal, is based on basic belief about the confidence in man, confidence in humanity possibilities to release from the weakness and frauds of the mind, to be a real man. The author develops the idea along these three lines: firstly, anthropology theory that inspires the educational theory of Montaigne; secondly, the anthropology values that we need to became a real man; and thirdly, the teaching process and the relationship with the teacher. Finally, in conclusion, the author shows a articulation of the tea- ching theory.

  3. Data specifications for INSPIRE

    Science.gov (United States)

    Portele, Clemens; Woolf, Andrew; Cox, Simon

    2010-05-01

    In Europe a major recent development has been the entering in force of the INSPIRE Directive in May 2007, establishing an infrastructure for spatial information in Europe to support Community environmental policies, and policies or activities which may have an impact on the environment. INSPIRE is based on the infrastructures for spatial information established and operated by the 27 Member States of the European Union. The Directive addresses 34 spatial data themes needed for environmental applications, with key components specified through technical implementing rules. This makes INSPIRE a unique example of a legislative "regional" approach. One of the requirements of the INSPIRE Directive is to make existing spatial data sets with relevance for one of the spatial data themes available in an interoperable way, i.e. where the spatial data from different sources in Europe can be combined to a coherent result. Since INSPIRE covers a wide range of spatial data themes, the first step has been the development of a modelling framework that provides a common foundation for all themes. This framework is largely based on the ISO 19100 series of standards. The use of common generic spatial modelling concepts across all themes is an important enabler for interoperability. As a second step, data specifications for the first set of themes has been developed based on the modelling framework. The themes include addresses, transport networks, protected sites, hydrography, administrative areas and others. The data specifications were developed by selected experts nominated by stakeholders from all over Europe. For each theme a working group was established in early 2008 working on their specific theme and collaborating with the other working groups on cross-theme issues. After a public review of the draft specifications starting in December 2008, an open testing process and thorough comment resolution process, the draft technical implementing rules for these themes have been

  4. INSPIRE from the JRC Point of View

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vlado Cetl

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available This paper summarises some recent developments in INSPIRE implementation from the JRC (Joint Research Centre point of view. The INSPIRE process started around 11 years ago and today, clear results and benefits can be seen. Spatial data are more accessible and shared more frequently between countries and at the European level. In addition to this, efficient, unified coordination and collaboration between different stakeholders and participants has been achieved, which is another great success. The JRC, as a scientific think-tank of the European Commission, has played a very important role in this process from the very beginning. This role is in line with its mission, which is to provide customer-driven scientific and technical support for the conception, development, implementation and monitoring of European Union (EU policies. The JRC acts as the overall technical coordinator of INSPIRE, but it also carries out the activities necessary to support the coherent implementation of INSPIRE, by helping member states in the implementation process. Experiences drawn from collaboration and negotiation in each country and at the European level will be of great importance in the revision of the INSPIRE Directive, which is envisaged for 2014. Keywords: spatial data infrastructure (SDI; INSPIRE; development; Joint Research Centre (JRC

  5. Nature-inspired computation in engineering

    CERN Document Server

    2016-01-01

    This timely review book summarizes the state-of-the-art developments in nature-inspired optimization algorithms and their applications in engineering. Algorithms and topics include the overview and history of nature-inspired algorithms, discrete firefly algorithm, discrete cuckoo search, plant propagation algorithm, parameter-free bat algorithm, gravitational search, biogeography-based algorithm, differential evolution, particle swarm optimization and others. Applications include vehicle routing, swarming robots, discrete and combinatorial optimization, clustering of wireless sensor networks, cell formation, economic load dispatch, metamodeling, surrogated-assisted cooperative co-evolution, data fitting and reverse engineering as well as other case studies in engineering. This book will be an ideal reference for researchers, lecturers, graduates and engineers who are interested in nature-inspired computation, artificial intelligence and computational intelligence. It can also serve as a reference for relevant...

  6. Constrained Supersymmetric Flipped SU(5) GUT Phenomenology

    CERN Document Server

    Ellis, John; Olive, Keith A

    2011-01-01

    We explore the phenomenology of the minimal supersymmetric flipped SU(5) GUT model (CFSU(5)), whose soft supersymmetry-breaking (SSB) mass parameters are constrained to be universal at some input scale, $M_{in}$, above the GUT scale, $M_{GUT}$. We analyze the parameter space of CFSU(5) assuming that the lightest supersymmetric particle (LSP) provides the cosmological cold dark matter, paying careful attention to the matching of parameters at the GUT scale. We first display some specific examples of the evolutions of the SSB parameters that exhibit some generic features. Specifically, we note that the relationship between the masses of the lightest neutralino and the lighter stau is sensitive to $M_{in}$, as is the relationship between the neutralino mass and the masses of the heavier Higgs bosons. For these reasons, prominent features in generic $(m_{1/2}, m_0)$ planes such as coannihilation strips and rapid-annihilation funnels are also sensitive to $M_{in}$, as we illustrate for several cases with tan(beta)...

  7. The gut microbiota, obesity and insulin resistance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shen, Jian; Obin, Martin S; Zhao, Liping

    2013-02-01

    The human gut is densely populated by commensal and symbiotic microbes (the "gut microbiota"), with the majority of the constituent microorganisms being bacteria. Accumulating evidence indicates that the gut microbiota plays a significant role in the development of obesity, obesity-associated inflammation and insulin resistance. In this review we discuss molecular and cell biological mechanisms by which the microbiota participate in host functions that impact the development and maintenance of the obese state, including host ingestive behavior, energy harvest, energy expenditure and fat storage. We additionally explore the diverse signaling pathways that regulate gut permeability and bacterial translocation to the host and how these are altered in the obese state to promote the systemic inflammation ("metabolic endotoxemia") that is a hallmark of obesity and its complications. Fundamental to our discussions is the concept of "crosstalk", i.e., the biochemical exchange between host and microbiota that maintains the metabolic health of the superorganism and whose dysregulation is a hallmark of the obese state. Differences in community composition, functional genes and metabolic activities of the gut microbiota appear to distinguish lean vs obese individuals, suggesting that gut 'dysbiosis' contributes to the development of obesity and/or its complications. The current challenge is to determine the relative importance of obesity-associated compositional and functional changes in the microbiota and to identify the relevant taxa and functional gene modules that promote leanness and metabolic health. As diet appears to play a predominant role in shaping the microbiota and promoting obesity-associated dysbiosis, parallel initiatives are required to elucidate dietary patterns and diet components (e.g., prebiotics, probiotics) that promote healthy gut microbiota. How the microbiota promotes human health and disease is a rich area of investigation that is likely to generate

  8. The Gut Microbiota: Ecology and Function

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Willing, B.P.; Jansson, J.K.

    2010-06-01

    The gastrointestinal (GI) tract is teeming with an extremely abundant and diverse microbial community. The members of this community have coevolved along with their hosts over millennia. Until recently, the gut ecosystem was viewed as black box with little knowledge of who or what was there or their specific functions. Over the past decade, however, this ecosystem has become one of fastest growing research areas of focus in microbial ecology and human and animal physiology. This increased interest is largely in response to studies tying microbes in the gut to important diseases afflicting modern society, including obesity, allergies, inflammatory bowel diseases, and diabetes. Although the importance of a resident community of microorganisms in health was first hypothesized by Pasteur over a century ago (Sears, 2005), the multiplicity of physiological changes induced by commensal bacteria has only recently been recognized (Hooper et al., 2001). The term 'ecological development' was recently coined to support the idea that development of the GI tract is a product of the genetics of the host and the host's interactions with resident microbes (Hooper, 2004). The search for new therapeutic targets and disease biomarkers has escalated the need to understand the identities and functions of the microorganisms inhabiting the gut. Recent studies have revealed new insights into the membership of the gut microbial community, interactions within that community, as well as mechanisms of interaction with the host. This chapter focuses on the microbial ecology of the gut, with an emphasis on information gleaned from recent molecular studies.

  9. Gut microbiota, immunity and disease: a complex relationship

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michele M Kosiewicz

    2011-09-01

    Full Text Available Our immune system has evolved to recognize and eradicate pathogenic microbes. However, we have a symbiotic relationship with multiple species of bacteria that occupy the gut and comprise the natural commensal flora or microbiota. The microbiota is critically important for the breakdown of nutrients, and also assists in preventing colonization by potentially pathogenic bacteria. In addition, the gut commensal bacteria appears to be critical for the development of an optimally functioning immune system. Various studies have shown that individual species of the microbiota can induce very different types of immune cells (e.g., Th17 cells, Foxp3+ regulatory T cells and responses, suggesting that the composition of the microbiota can have an important influence on the immune response. Although the microbiota resides in the gut, it appears to have a significant impact on the systemic immune response. Indeed, specific gut commensal bacteria have been shown to affect disease development in organs other than the gut, and depending on the species, have been found to have a wide range of effects on diseases from induction and exacerbation to inhibition and protection. In this review, we will focus on the role that the gut microbiota plays in the development and progression of inflammatory/autoimmune disease, and we will also touch upon its role in allergy and cancer.

  10. The role of gut microbiota in health and disease: In vitro modeling of host-microbe interactions at the aerobe-anaerobe interphase of the human gut.

    Science.gov (United States)

    von Martels, Julius Z H; Sadaghian Sadabad, Mehdi; Bourgonje, Arno R; Blokzijl, Tjasso; Dijkstra, Gerard; Faber, Klaas Nico; Harmsen, Hermie J M

    2017-04-01

    The microbiota of the gut has many crucial functions in human health. Dysbiosis of the microbiota has been correlated to a large and still increasing number of diseases. Recent studies have mostly focused on analyzing the associations between disease and an aberrant microbiota composition. Functional studies using (in vitro) gut models are required to investigate the precise interactions that occur between specific bacteria (or bacterial mixtures) and gut epithelial cells. As most gut bacteria are obligate or facultative anaerobes, studying their effect on oxygen-requiring human gut epithelial cells is technically challenging. Still, several (anaerobic) bacterial-epithelial co-culture systems have recently been developed that mimic host-microbe interactions occurring in the human gut, including 1) the Transwell "apical anaerobic model of the intestinal epithelial barrier", 2) the Host-Microbiota Interaction (HMI) module, 3) the "Human oxygen-Bacteria anaerobic" (HoxBan) system, 4) the human gut-on-a-chip and 5) the HuMiX model. This review discusses the role of gut microbiota in health and disease and gives an overview of the characteristics and applications of these novel host-microbe co-culture systems. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. GUT scale and superpartner masses from anomaly mediated supersymmetry breaking

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chacko, Z.; Luty, Markus A.; Ponton, Eduardo; Shadmi, Yael; Shirman, Yuri

    2001-01-01

    We consider models of anomaly-mediated supersymmetry breaking (AMSB) in which the grand unification (GUT) scale is determined by the vacuum expectation value of a chiral superfield. If the anomaly-mediated contributions to the potential are balanced by gravitational-strength interactions, a GUT scale of M Planck /(16π 2 ) can be generated. The GUT threshold also affects superpartner masses, and can easily give rise to realistic predictions if the GUT gauge group is asymptotically free. We give an explicit example of a model with these features, in which the doublet-triplet splitting problem is solved. The resulting superpartner spectrum is very different from that of previously considered AMSB models, with gaugino masses typically unifying at the GUT scale

  12. The gut microbiota and metabolic disease

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Arora, T; Bäckhed, Gert Fredrik

    2016-01-01

    The human gut microbiota has been studied for more than a century. However, of nonculture-based techniques exploiting next-generation sequencing for analysing the microbiota, development has renewed research within the field during the past decade. The observation that the gut microbiota......, as an environmental factor, contributes to adiposity has further increased interest in the field. The human microbiota is affected by the diet, and macronutrients serve as substrates for many microbially produced metabolites, such as short-chain fatty acids and bile acids, that may modulate host metabolism. Obesity......-producing bacteria might be causally linked to type 2 diabetes. Bariatric surgery, which promotes long-term weight loss and diabetes remission, alters the gut microbiota in both mice and humans. Furthermore, by transferring the microbiota from postbariatric surgery patients to mice, it has been demonstrated...

  13. Microbiota-stimulated immune mechanisms to maintain gut homeostasis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chung, Hachung; Kasper, Dennis Lee

    2010-08-01

    In recent years there has been an explosion of interest to identify microbial inhabitants of human and understand their beneficial role in health. In the gut, a symbiotic host-microbial interaction has coevolved as bacteria make essential contributions to human metabolism and bacteria in turn benefits from the nutrient-rich niche in the intestine. To maintain host-microbe coexistence, the host must protect itself against microbial invasion, injury, and overreactions to foreign food antigens, and gut microbes need protection against competing microbes and the host immune system. Perturbation of this homeostatic coexistence has been strongly associated with human disease. This review discusses how gut bacteria regulate host innate and adaptive immunity, with emphasis on how this regulation contributes to host-microbe homeostasis in the gut. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Emotion at Work: A Contribution to Third-Generation Cultural-Historical Activity Theory

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roth, Wolff-Michael

    2007-01-01

    Second-generation cultural-historical activity theory, which drew its inspiration from Leont'ev's work, constituted an advance over Vygotsky's first-generation theory by explicitly articulating the dialectical relation between individual and collective. As part of an effort to develop third-generation-historical activity theory, I propose in this…

  15. [Research advances in the relationship between childhood malnutrition and gut microbiota].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Hui-Hui; Wen, Fei-Qiu; Wei, Ju-Rong

    2016-11-01

    Childhood malnutrition is an important disease threatening healthy growth of children worldwide. Gut microbiota has close links to food digestion, absorption and intestinal function. Current research considers that alterations in gut microbiota have been strongly implicated in childhood malnutrition. This review article addresses the latest understanding and evidence of interrelationship between gut microbiota and individual nutrition status, the changes of gut microbiota in different types of malnutrition, and the attribution of gut microbiota in the treatment and prognosis of malnutrition. It provides in depth understanding of childhood malnutrition from the perspective of microbiome.

  16. Leaky Gut As a Danger Signal for Autoimmune Diseases

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Qinghui Mu

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available The intestinal epithelial lining, together with factors secreted from it, forms a barrier that separates the host from the environment. In pathologic conditions, the permeability of the epithelial lining may be compromised allowing the passage of toxins, antigens, and bacteria in the lumen to enter the blood stream creating a “leaky gut.” In individuals with a genetic predisposition, a leaky gut may allow environmental factors to enter the body and trigger the initiation and development of autoimmune disease. Growing evidence shows that the gut microbiota is important in supporting the epithelial barrier and therefore plays a key role in the regulation of environmental factors that enter the body. Several recent reports have shown that probiotics can reverse the leaky gut by enhancing the production of tight junction proteins; however, additional and longer term studies are still required. Conversely, pathogenic bacteria that can facilitate a leaky gut and induce autoimmune symptoms can be ameliorated with the use of antibiotic treatment. Therefore, it is hypothesized that modulating the gut microbiota can serve as a potential method for regulating intestinal permeability and may help to alter the course of autoimmune diseases in susceptible individuals.

  17. The Role of the Gut Microbiota in Childhood Obesity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pihl, Andreas Friis; Fonvig, Cilius Esmann; Stjernholm, Theresa; Hansen, Torben; Pedersen, Oluf; Holm, Jens-Christian

    2016-08-01

    Childhood and adolescent obesity has reached epidemic proportions worldwide. The pathogenesis of obesity is complex and multifactorial, in which genetic and environmental contributions seem important. The gut microbiota is increasingly documented to be involved in the dysmetabolism associated with obesity. We conducted a systematic search for literature available before October 2015 in the PubMed and Scopus databases, focusing on the interplay between the gut microbiota, childhood obesity, and metabolism. The review discusses the potential role of the bacterial component of the human gut microbiota in childhood and adolescent-onset obesity, with a special focus on the factors involved in the early development of the gut bacterial ecosystem, and how modulation of this microbial community might serve as a basis for new therapeutic strategies in combating childhood obesity. A vast number of variables are influencing the gut microbial ecology (e.g., the host genetics, delivery method, diet, age, environment, and the use of pre-, pro-, and antibiotics); but the exact physiological processes behind these relationships need to be clarified. Exploring the role of the gut microbiota in the development of childhood obesity may potentially reveal new strategies for obesity prevention and treatment.

  18. Insights into the human gut microbiome and cardiovascular diseases

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Soumalya Sarkar

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available The microbiome comprises all of the genetic materials within a microbiota. This can also be referred to as the metagenome of the microbiota. Dysbiosis, a change in the composition of the gut microbiota, has been associated with pathology, including cardiovascular diseases (CVDs. The recently discovered contribution of gut microbiota-derived molecules in the development of heart disease and its risk factors has significantly increased attention toward the connection between our gut and heart. The gut microbiome is virtually an endocrine organ, capable of contributing to and reacting to circulating signaling molecules within the host. Gut microbiota-host interactions occur through many pathways, including trimethylamine-N-oxide and short-chain fatty acids. These molecules and others have been linked to chronic kidney disease, atherosclerosis, and hypertension. Dysbiosis has been implicated in CVD as well as many aspects of obesity, hypertension, chronic kidney disease, and diabetes.

  19. On SUSY inspired minimal lepton number violation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chkareuli, J.L.; Gogoladze, I.G.; Green, M.G.; Hutchroft, D.E.; Kobakhidze, A.B.

    2000-03-01

    A minimal lepton number violation (LNV) is proposed which could naturally appear in SUSY theories, if Yukawa and LNV couplings had a common origin. According to this idea properly implemented into MSSM with an additional abelian flavor symmetry the prototype LNV appears due to a mixing of leptons with superheavy Higgs doublet mediating Yukawa couplings. As a result, all significant physical manifestations of LNV reduce to those of the effective trilinear couplings LLE-bar and LQD-bar aligned, by magnitude and orientation in a flavor space, with the down fermion (charged lepton and down quark) effective Yukawa couplings, while the effective bilinear terms appear generically suppressed relative to an ordinary μ-term of MSSM. Detailed phenomenology of the model related to the flavor-changing processes both in quark and lepton sectors, radiatively induced neutrino masses and decays of the LSP is presented. Remarkably, the model can straightforwardly be extended to a Grand Unified framework and an explicit example with SU(7) GUT is thoroughly discussed. (author)

  20. Is Inspiring Group Members an Effective Predictor of Social Dominance in Early Adolescence? Direct and Moderated Effects of Behavioral Strategies, Social Skills, and Gender on Resource Control and Popularity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vermande, Marjolijn M; Gilholm, Patricia A; Reijntjes, Albert H A; Hessen, Dave J; Sterck, Elisabeth H M; Overduin-de Vries, Anne M

    2018-03-13

    Dominance in the peer group is important for adolescents. Resource Control Theory posits that both coercive and prosocial (positively assertive) strategies are associated with dominance. Combining Resource Control Theory with Socioanalytic Theory on personality, we hypothesized that inspiring group members would be an additional effective strategy. This study examined whether the three behavioral strategies and two types of social skills (social competence and manipulation) predicted dominance (resource control and popularity). Participants were 619 Dutch adolescents (M age  = 13.1; 47% female) in the first grade of secondary school. They completed peer reports (behavioral strategies and dominance) and self-reports (social skills). Only inspirational and coercive strategies substantially predicted dominance. Main effects of social skills emerged. Moderation between strategies and social skills was only observed for girls (e.g., coercive strategy use was associated with more popularity for girls with higher levels of social manipulation skills). This study furthered our understanding of the predictors of dominance in adolescence by including inspirational behavior and examining prosocial and antisocial skills.

  1. A review of metabolic potential of human gut microbiome in human nutrition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yadav, Monika; Verma, Manoj Kumar; Chauhan, Nar Singh

    2018-03-01

    The human gut contains a plethora of microbes, providing a platform for metabolic interaction between the host and microbiota. Metabolites produced by the gut microbiota act as a link between gut microbiota and its host. These metabolites act as messengers having the capacity to alter the gut microbiota. Recent advances in the characterization of the gut microbiota and its symbiotic relationship with the host have provided a platform to decode metabolic interactions. The human gut microbiota, a crucial component for dietary metabolism, is shaped by the genetic, epigenetic and dietary factors. The metabolic potential of gut microbiota explains its significance in host health and diseases. The knowledge of interactions between microbiota and host metabolism, as well as modification of microbial ecology, is really beneficial to have effective therapeutic treatments for many diet-related diseases in near future. This review cumulates the information to map the role of human gut microbiota in dietary component metabolism, the role of gut microbes derived metabolites in human health and host-microbe metabolic interactions in health and diseases.

  2. Supersymmetry Searches in GUT Models with Non-Universal Scalar Masses

    CERN Document Server

    Cannoni, M.; Gómez, M.E.; Lola, S.; Ruiz de Austri, R.

    2016-03-22

    We study SO(10), SU(5) and flipped SU(5) GUT models with non-universal soft supersymmetry-breaking scalar masses, exploring how they are constrained by LHC supersymmetry searches and cold dark matter experiments, and how they can be probed and distinguished in future experiments. We find characteristic differences between the various GUT scenarios, particularly in the coannihilation region, which is very sensitive to changes of parameters. For example, the flipped SU(5) GUT predict the possibility of $\\tilde{t}_1-\\chi$ coannihilation, which is absent in the regions of the SO(10) and SU(5) GUT parameter spaces that we study. We use the relic density predictions in different models to determine upper bounds for the neutralino masses, and we find large differences between different GUT models in the sparticle spectra for the same LSP mass, leading to direct connections of distinctive possible experimental measurements with the structure of the GUT group. We find that future LHC searches for generic missing $E_T$...

  3. Gut inflammation in chronic fatigue syndrome

    OpenAIRE

    Lakhan, Shaheen E; Kirchgessner, Annette

    2010-01-01

    Abstract Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a debilitating disease characterized by unexplained disabling fatigue and a combination of accompanying symptoms the pathology of which is incompletely understood. Many CFS patients complain of gut dysfunction. In fact, patients with CFS are more likely to report a previous diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a common functional disorder of the gut, and experience IBS-related symptoms. Recently, evidence for interactions between the intestin...

  4. An Information Theory-Inspired Strategy for Design of Re-programmable Encrypted Graphene-based Coding Metasurfaces at Terahertz Frequencies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Momeni, Ali; Rouhi, Kasra; Rajabalipanah, Hamid; Abdolali, Ali

    2018-04-18

    Inspired by the information theory, a new concept of re-programmable encrypted graphene-based coding metasurfaces was investigated at terahertz frequencies. A channel-coding function was proposed to convolutionally record an arbitrary information message onto unrecognizable but recoverable parity beams generated by a phase-encrypted coding metasurface. A single graphene-based reflective cell with dual-mode biasing voltages was designed to act as "0" and "1" meta-atoms, providing broadband opposite reflection phases. By exploiting graphene tunability, the proposed scheme enabled an unprecedented degree of freedom in the real-time mapping of information messages onto multiple parity beams which could not be damaged, altered, and reverse-engineered. Various encryption types such as mirroring, anomalous reflection, multi-beam generation, and scattering diffusion can be dynamically attained via our multifunctional metasurface. Besides, contrary to conventional time-consuming and optimization-based methods, this paper convincingly offers a fast, straightforward, and efficient design of diffusion metasurfaces of arbitrarily large size. Rigorous full-wave simulations corroborated the results where the phase-encrypted metasurfaces exhibited a polarization-insensitive reflectivity less than -10 dB over a broadband frequency range from 1 THz to 1.7 THz. This work reveals new opportunities for the extension of re-programmable THz-coding metasurfaces and may be of interest for reflection-type security systems, computational imaging, and camouflage technology.

  5. Gut microbiota: the next-gen frontier in preventive and therapeutic medicine?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ravinder eNagpal

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available Our gut harbors an extremely diverse collection of trillions of microbes that, besides degrading the complex dietary constituents, execute numerous activities vital for our metabolism and immune health. Although the importance of gut microbiota in maintaining digestive health has long been believed, its close correlation with numerous chronic ailments has recently been exposed, thanks to the innovative mechanistic studies on the compositional and functional aspects of gut microbial communities using germ-free or humanized animal models. Since a myriad of mysteries about the precise structures and functions of gut microbial communities in specific health situations still remains to be explicated, the emerging field of gut microbiota remains a foremost objective of research for microbiologists, computational biologists, clinicians, nutritionalists etc. Nevertheless, it is only after a comprehensive understanding of the structure, density and function of the gut microbiota that the new therapeutic targets could be captured and utilized for a healthier gut as well as overall wellbeing.

  6. Kids Inspire Kids for STEAM

    OpenAIRE

    Fenyvesi, Kristof; Houghton, Tony; Diego-Mantecón, José Manuel; Crilly, Elizabeth; Oldknow, Adrian; Lavicza, Zsolt; Blanco, Teresa F.

    2017-01-01

    Abstract The goal of the Kids Inspiring Kids in STEAM (KIKS) project was to raise students' awareness towards the multi- and transdisciplinary connections between the STEAM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts & Mathematics), and make the learning about topics and phenomena from these fields more enjoyable. In order to achieve these goals, KIKS project has popularized the STEAM-concept by projects based on the students inspiring other students-approach and by utilizing new tec...

  7. GUT FERMENTATION SYNDROME

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    boaz

    individuals who became intoxicated after consuming carbohydrates, which became fermented in the gastrointestinal tract. These claims of intoxication without drinking alcohol, and the findings on endogenous alcohol fermentation are now called Gut. Fermentation Syndrome. This review will concentrate on understanding ...

  8. An analysis of the transformational leadership theory | Moradi ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    An analysis of the transformational leadership theory. ... at all levels of the organization also feel the need to cooperate with others to achieve the desired results. ... intellectual stimulation; inspirational motivation; personal considerations ...

  9. Gut microbiota may have influence on glucose and lipid metabolism

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mikkelsen, Kristian Hallundbæk; Nielsen, Morten Frost; Tvede, Michael

    2013-01-01

    and that prebiotics, antibiotics or faecal transplantation can alter glucose and lipid metabolism. This paper summarizes the latest research regarding the association between gut microbiota, diabetes and obesity and some of the mechanisms by which gut bacteria may influence host metabolism.......New gene sequencing-based techniques and the large worldwide sequencing capacity have introduced a new era within the field of gut microbiota. Animal and human studies have shown that obesity and type 2 diabetes are associated with changes in the composition of the gut microbiota...

  10. Gut microbiota may have influence on glucose and lipid metabolism

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mikkelsen, Kristian Hallundbæk; Nielsen, Morten Frost; Tvede, Michael

    2013-01-01

    New gene sequencing-based techniques and the large worldwide sequencing capacity have introduced a new era within the field of gut microbiota. Animal and human studies have shown that obesity and type 2 diabetes are associated with changes in the composition of the gut microbiota...... and that prebiotics, antibiotics or faecal transplantation can alter glucose and lipid metabolism. This paper summarizes the latest research regarding the association between gut microbiota, diabetes and obesity and some of the mechanisms by which gut bacteria may influence host metabolism....

  11. Microbes vs. chemistry in the origin of the anaerobic gut lumen.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Friedman, Elliot S; Bittinger, Kyle; Esipova, Tatiana V; Hou, Likai; Chau, Lillian; Jiang, Jack; Mesaros, Clementina; Lund, Peder J; Liang, Xue; FitzGerald, Garret A; Goulian, Mark; Lee, Daeyeon; Garcia, Benjamin A; Blair, Ian A; Vinogradov, Sergei A; Wu, Gary D

    2018-04-17

    The succession from aerobic and facultative anaerobic bacteria to obligate anaerobes in the infant gut along with the differences between the compositions of the mucosally adherent vs. luminal microbiota suggests that the gut microbes consume oxygen, which diffuses into the lumen from the intestinal tissue, maintaining the lumen in a deeply anaerobic state. Remarkably, measurements of luminal oxygen levels show nearly identical pO 2 (partial pressure of oxygen) profiles in conventional and germ-free mice, pointing to the existence of oxygen consumption mechanisms other than microbial respiration. In vitro experiments confirmed that the luminal contents of germ-free mice are able to chemically consume oxygen (e.g., via lipid oxidation reactions), although at rates significantly lower than those observed in the case of conventionally housed mice. For conventional mice, we also show that the taxonomic composition of the gut microbiota adherent to the gut mucosa and in the lumen throughout the length of the gut correlates with oxygen levels. At the same time, an increase in the biomass of the gut microbiota provides an explanation for the reduction of luminal oxygen in the distal vs. proximal gut. These results demonstrate how oxygen from the mammalian host is used by the gut microbiota, while both the microbes and the oxidative chemical reactions regulate luminal oxygen levels, shaping the composition of the microbial community throughout different regions of the gut.

  12. Higgs, Top, and Bottom Mass Predictions in Finite Unified Theories

    CERN Document Server

    Heinemeyer, Sven; Zoupanos, George

    2014-01-01

    All-loop Finite Unified Theories (FUTs) are N = 1 supersymmetric Grand Unified Theories (GUTs) based on the principle of reduction of couplings, which have a remarkable predictive power. The reduction of couplings implies the existence of renormalization group invariant relations among them, which guarantee the vanishing of the beta functions at all orders in perturbation theory in particular N = 1 GUTs. In the soft breaking sector these relations imply the existence of a sum rule among the soft scalar masses. The confrontation of the predictions of a SU(5) FUT model with the top and bottom quark masses and other low-energy experimental constraints leads to a prediction of the light Higgs-boson mass in the rangeMh ∼ 121−126 GeV, in remarkable agreement with the discovery of the Higgs boson with a mass around ∼ 125.7 GeV. Also a relatively heavy spectrum with coloured supersymmetric particles above ∼ 1.5 TeV is predicted, consistent with the non-observation of those particles at the LHC.

  13. Changes in human gut flora with age: an Indian familial study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marathe, Nachiket; Shetty, Sudarshan; Lanjekar, Vikram; Ranade, Dilip; Shouche, Yogesh

    2012-09-26

    The gut micro flora plays vital role in health status of the host. The majority of microbes residing in the gut have a profound influence on human physiology and nutrition. Different human ethnic groups vary in genetic makeup as well as the environmental conditions they live in. The gut flora changes with genetic makeup and environmental factors and hence it is necessary to understand the composition of gut flora of different ethnic groups. Indian population is different in physiology from western population (YY paradox) and thus the gut flora in Indian population is likely to differ from the extensively studied gut flora in western population. In this study we have investigated the gut flora of two Indian families, each with three individuals belonging to successive generations and living under the same roof. Denaturation gradient gel electrophoresis analysis showed age-dependant variation in gut microflora amongst the individuals within a family. Different bacterial genera were dominant in the individual of varying age in clone library analysis. Obligate anaerobes isolated from individuals within a family showed age related differences in isolation pattern, with 27% (6 out of 22) of the isolates being potential novel species based on 16S rRNA gene sequence. In qPCR a consistent decrease in Firmicutes number and increase in Bacteroidetes number with increasing age was observed in our subjects, this pattern of change in Firmicutes / Bacteroidetes ratio with age is different than previously reported in European population. There is change in gut flora with age amongst the individuals within a family. The isolation of high percent of novel bacterial species and the pattern of change in Firmicutes /Bacteroidetes ratio with age suggests that the composition of gut flora in Indian individuals may be different than the western population. Thus, further extensive study is needed to define the gut flora in Indian population.

  14. Gut microbiota modulation of chemotherapy efficacy and toxicity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alexander, James L; Wilson, Ian D; Teare, Julian; Marchesi, Julian R; Nicholson, Jeremy K; Kinross, James M

    2017-06-01

    Evidence is growing that the gut microbiota modulates the host response to chemotherapeutic drugs, with three main clinical outcomes: facilitation of drug efficacy; abrogation and compromise of anticancer effects; and mediation of toxicity. The implication is that gut microbiota are critical to the development of personalized cancer treatment strategies and, therefore, a greater insight into prokaryotic co-metabolism of chemotherapeutic drugs is now required. This thinking is based on evidence from human, animal and in vitro studies that gut bacteria are intimately linked to the pharmacological effects of chemotherapies (5-fluorouracil, cyclophosphamide, irinotecan, oxaliplatin, gemcitabine, methotrexate) and novel targeted immunotherapies such as anti-PD-L1 and anti-CLTA-4 therapies. The gut microbiota modulate these agents through key mechanisms, structured as the 'TIMER' mechanistic framework: Translocation, Immunomodulation, Metabolism, Enzymatic degradation, and Reduced diversity and ecological variation. The gut microbiota can now, therefore, be targeted to improve efficacy and reduce the toxicity of current chemotherapy agents. In this Review, we outline the implications of pharmacomicrobiomics in cancer therapeutics and define how the microbiota might be modified in clinical practice to improve efficacy and reduce the toxic burden of these compounds.

  15. Prebiotics and gut microbiota in chickens.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pourabedin, Mohsen; Zhao, Xin

    2015-08-01

    Prebiotics are non-digestible feed ingredients that are metabolized by specific members of intestinal microbiota and provide health benefits for the host. Fermentable oligosaccharides are best known prebiotics that have received increasing attention in poultry production. They act through diverse mechanisms, such as providing nutrients, preventing pathogen adhesion to host cells, interacting with host immune systems and affecting gut morphological structure, all presumably through modulation of intestinal microbiota. Currently, fructooligosaccharides, inulin and mannanoligosaccharides have shown promising results while other prebiotic candidates such as xylooligosaccharides are still at an early development stage. Despite a growing body of evidence reporting health benefits of prebiotics in chickens, very limited studies have been conducted to directly link health improvements to prebiotic-dependent changes in the gut microbiota. This article visits the current knowledge of the chicken gastrointestinal microbiota and reviews most recent publications related to the roles played by prebiotics in modulation of the gut microbiota and immune functions. Progress in this field will help us better understand how the gut microbiota contributes to poultry health and productivity, and support the development of new prebiotic products as an alternative to in-feed antibiotics. © FEMS 2015. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  16. Superstring inspired phenomenology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Binetruy, P.

    1988-01-01

    Recent progress in superstring model building is reviewed with an emphasis on the general features of the models obtained. The problems associated with supersymmetry breaking and intermediate gauge symmetry breaking (M W I GUT ) are described. Finally, the phenomenology of these models is summarized, with a discussion of the role that new experimental results could play to help clearing up the above difficulties

  17. The microbiome-gut-brain axis in health and disease

    OpenAIRE

    Dinan, Timothy G.; Cryan, John F.

    2017-01-01

    Gut microbes are capable of producing most neurotransmitters found in the human brain. While these neurotransmitters primarily act locally in the gut, modulating the enteric nervous system, evidence is now accumulating to support the view that gut microbes through multiple mechanisms can influence central neurochemistry and behavior. This has been described as a fundamental paradigm shift in neuroscience. Bifidobacteria for example can produce and increase plasma levels of the serotonin precu...

  18. Control of lupus nephritis by changes of gut microbiota.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mu, Qinghui; Zhang, Husen; Liao, Xiaofeng; Lin, Kaisen; Liu, Hualan; Edwards, Michael R; Ahmed, S Ansar; Yuan, Ruoxi; Li, Liwu; Cecere, Thomas E; Branson, David B; Kirby, Jay L; Goswami, Poorna; Leeth, Caroline M; Read, Kaitlin A; Oestreich, Kenneth J; Vieson, Miranda D; Reilly, Christopher M; Luo, Xin M

    2017-07-11

    Systemic lupus erythematosus, characterized by persistent inflammation, is a complex autoimmune disorder with no known cure. Immunosuppressants used in treatment put patients at a higher risk of infections. New knowledge of disease modulators, such as symbiotic bacteria, can enable fine-tuning of parts of the immune system, rather than suppressing it altogether. Dysbiosis of gut microbiota promotes autoimmune disorders that damage extraintestinal organs. Here we report a role of gut microbiota in the pathogenesis of renal dysfunction in lupus. Using a classical model of lupus nephritis, MRL/lpr, we found a marked depletion of Lactobacillales in the gut microbiota. Increasing Lactobacillales in the gut improved renal function of these mice and prolonged their survival. We used a mixture of 5 Lactobacillus strains (Lactobacillus oris, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Lactobacillus reuteri, Lactobacillus johnsonii, and Lactobacillus gasseri), but L. reuteri and an uncultured Lactobacillus sp. accounted for most of the observed effects. Further studies revealed that MRL/lpr mice possessed a "leaky" gut, which was reversed by increased Lactobacillus colonization. Lactobacillus treatment contributed to an anti-inflammatory environment by decreasing IL-6 and increasing IL-10 production in the gut. In the circulation, Lactobacillus treatment increased IL-10 and decreased IgG2a that is considered to be a major immune deposit in the kidney of MRL/lpr mice. Inside the kidney, Lactobacillus treatment also skewed the Treg-Th17 balance towards a Treg phenotype. These beneficial effects were present in female and castrated male mice, but not in intact males, suggesting that the gut microbiota controls lupus nephritis in a sex hormone-dependent manner. This work demonstrates essential mechanisms on how changes of the gut microbiota regulate lupus-associated immune responses in mice. Future studies are warranted to determine if these results can be replicated in human subjects.

  19. INSPIRE: A new scientific information system for HEP

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ivanov, R; Raae, L

    2010-01-01

    The status of high-energy physics (HEP) information systems has been jointly analyzed by the libraries of CERN, DESY, Fermilab and SLAC. As a result, the four laboratories have started the INSPIRE project - a new platform built by moving the successful SPIRES features and content, curated at DESY, Fermilab and SLAC, into the open-source CDS Invenio digital library software that was developed at CERN. INSPIRE will integrate current acquisition workflows and databases to host the entire body of the HEP literature (about one million records), aiming to become the reference HEP scientific information platform worldwide. It will provide users with fast access to full text journal articles and preprints, but also material such as conference slides and multimedia. INSPIRE will empower scientists with new tools to discover and access the results most relevant to their research, enable novel text- and data-mining applications, and deploy new metrics to assess the impact of articles and authors. In addition, it will introduce the 'Web 2.0' paradigm of user-enriched content in the domain of sciences, with community-based approaches to scientific publishing. INSPIRE represents a natural evolution of scholarly communication built on successful community-based information systems, and it provides a vision for information management in other fields of science. Inspired by the needs of HEP, we hope that the INSPIRE project will be inspiring for other communities.

  20. Lactobacillus casei Shirota Supplementation Does Not Restore Gut Microbiota Composition and Gut Barrier in Metabolic Syndrome: A Randomized Pilot Study.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vanessa Stadlbauer

    Full Text Available Metabolic syndrome is associated with disturbances in gut microbiota composition. We aimed to investigate the effect of Lactobacillus casei Shirota (LcS on gut microbiota composition, gut barrier integrity, intestinal inflammation and serum bile acid profile in metabolic syndrome. In a single-centre, prospective, randomised controlled pilot study, 28 subjects with metabolic syndrome received either LcS for 12 weeks (n = 13 or no LcS (n = 15. Data were compared to healthy controls (n = 16. Gut microbiota composition was characterised from stool using 454 pyrosequencing of 16S rRNA genes. Serum bile acids were quantified by tandem mass spectrometry. Zonulin and calprotectin were measured in serum and stool by ELISA. Bacteroidetes/Firmicutes ratio was significantly higher in healthy controls compared to metabolic syndrome but was not influenced by LcS. LcS supplementation led to enrichment of Parabacteroides. Zonulin and calprotectin were increased in metabolic syndrome stool samples but not influenced by LcS supplementation. Serum bile acids were similar to controls and not influenced by LcS supplementation. Metabolic syndrome is associated with a higher Bacteroidetes/Firmicutes ratio and gut barrier dysfunction but LcS was not able to change this. LcS administration was associated with subtle microbiota changes at genus level.ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01182844.

  1. Ships - inspiring objects in architecture

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marczak, Elzbieta

    2017-10-01

    Sea-going vessels have for centuries fascinated people, not only those who happen to work at sea, but first and foremost, those who have never set foot aboard a ship. The environment in which ships operate is reminiscent of freedom and countless adventures, but also of hard and interesting maritime working life. The famous words of Pompey: “Navigare necesseest, vivere non estnecesse” (sailing is necessary, living - is not necessary), which he pronounced on a stormy sea voyage, arouse curiosity and excitement, inviting one to test the truth of this saying personally. It is often the case, however, that sea-faring remains within the realm of dreams, while the fascination with ships demonstrates itself through a transposition of naval features onto land constructions. In such cases, ship-inspired motifs bring alive dreams and yearnings as well as reflect tastes. Tourism is one of the indicators of people’s standard of living and a measure of a society’s civilisation. Maritime tourism has been developing rapidly in recent decades. A sea cruise offers an insight into life at sea. Still, most people derive their knowledge of passenger vessels and their furnishings from the mass media. Passenger vessels, also known as “floating cities,” are described as majestic and grand, while their on-board facilities as luxurious, comfortable, exclusive and inaccessible to common people on land. Freight vessels, on the other hand, are described as enormous objects which dwarf the human being into insignificance. This article presents the results of research intended to answer the following questions: what makes ships a source of inspiration for land architecture? To what extent and by what means do architects draw on ships in their design work? In what places can we find structures inspired by ships? What ships inspire architects? This article presents examples of buildings, whose design was inspired by the architecture and structural details of sea vessels. An analysis of

  2. Patterns of Early-Life Gut Microbial Colonization during Human Immune Development: An Ecological Perspective

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Isabelle Laforest-Lapointe

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Alterations in gut microbial colonization during early life have been reported in infants that later developed asthma, allergies, type 1 diabetes, as well as in inflammatory bowel disease patients, previous to disease flares. Mechanistic studies in animal models have established that microbial alterations influence disease pathogenesis via changes in immune system maturation. Strong evidence points to the presence of a window of opportunity in early life, during which changes in gut microbial colonization can result in immune dysregulation that predisposes susceptible hosts to disease. Although the ecological patterns of microbial succession in the first year of life have been partly defined in specific human cohorts, the taxonomic and functional features, and diversity thresholds that characterize these microbial alterations are, for the most part, unknown. In this review, we summarize the most important links between the temporal mosaics of gut microbial colonization and the age-dependent immune functions that rely on them. We also highlight the importance of applying ecology theory to design studies that explore the interactions between this complex ecosystem and the host immune system. Focusing research efforts on understanding the importance of temporally structured patterns of diversity, keystone groups, and inter-kingdom microbial interactions for ecosystem functions has great potential to enable the development of biologically sound interventions aimed at maintaining and/or improving immune system development and preventing disease.

  3. The Super-GUT CMSSM Revisited

    CERN Document Server

    Ellis, John

    2016-01-01

    We revisit minimal supersymmetric SU(5) grand unification (GUT) models in which the soft supersymmetry-breaking parameters of the minimal supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM) are universal at some input scale, $M_{in}$, above the supersymmetric gauge coupling unification scale, $M_{GUT}$. As in the constrained MSSM (CMSSM), we assume that the scalar masses and gaugino masses have common values, $m_0$ and $m_{1/2}$ respectively, at $M_{in}$, as do the trilinear soft supersymmetry-breaking parameters $A_0$. Going beyond previous studies of such a super-GUT CMSSM scenario, we explore the constraints imposed by the lower limit on the proton lifetime and the LHC measurement of the Higgs mass, $m_h$. We find regions of $m_0$, $m_{1/2}$, $A_0$ and the parameters of the SU(5) superpotential that are compatible with these and other phenomenological constraints such as the density of cold dark matter, which we assume to be provided by the lightest neutralino. Typically, these allowed regions appear for $m_0$ and $m_{1/...

  4. Maintenance of Gastrointestinal Glucose Homeostasis by the Gut-Brain Axis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Xiyue; Eslamfam, Shabnam; Fang, Luoyun; Qiao, Shiyan; Ma, Xi

    2017-01-01

    Gastrointestinal homeostasis is a dynamic balance under the interaction between the host, GI tract, nutrition and energy metabolism. Glucose is the main energy source in living cells. Thus, glucose metabolic disorders can impair normal cellular function and endanger organisms' health. Diseases that are associated with glucose metabolic disorders such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and other metabolic syndromes are in fact life threatening. Digestive system is responsible for food digestion and nutrient absorption. It is also involved in neuronal, immune, and endocrine pathways. In addition, the gut microbiota plays an essential role in initiating signal transduction, and communication between the enteric and central nervous system. Gut-brain axis is composed of enteric neural system, central neural system, and all the efferent and afferent neurons that are involved in signal transduction between the brain and gut-brain. Gut-brain axis is influenced by the gut-microbiota as well as numerous neurotransmitters. Properly regulated gut-brain axis ensures normal digestion, absorption, energy production, and subsequently maintenance of glucose homeostasis. Understanding the underlying regulatory mechanisms of gut-brain axis involved in gluose homeostasis would enable us develop more efficient means of prevention and management of metabolic disease such as diabetic, obesity, and hypertension. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

  5. Supersymmetry searches in GUT models with non-universal scalar masses

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cannoni, M.; Gómez, M.E. [Departamento de Física Aplicada, Facultad de Ciencias Experimentales, Universidad de Huelva, 21071 Huelva (Spain); Ellis, J. [Theoretical Particle Physics and Cosmology Group, Physics Department, King' s College London, London WC2R 2LS (United Kingdom); Lola, S. [Department of Physics, University of Patras, 26500 Patras (Greece); De Austri, R. Ruiz, E-mail: mirco.cannoni@dfa.uhu.es, E-mail: John.Ellis@cern.ch, E-mail: mario.gomez@dfa.uhu.es, E-mail: magda@physics.upatras.gr, E-mail: rruiz@ific.uv.es [Instituto de Física Corpuscular, IFIC-UV/CSIC, Valencia (Spain)

    2016-03-01

    We study SO(10), SU(5) and flipped SU(5) GUT models with non-universal soft supersymmetry-breaking scalar masses, exploring how they are constrained by LHC supersymmetry searches and cold dark matter experiments, and how they can be probed and distinguished in future experiments. We find characteristic differences between the various GUT scenarios, particularly in the coannihilation region, which is very sensitive to changes of parameters. For example, the flipped SU(5) GUT predicts the possibility of ∼t{sub 1}−χ coannihilation, which is absent in the regions of the SO(10) and SU(5) GUT parameter spaces that we study. We use the relic density predictions in different models to determine upper bounds for the neutralino masses, and we find large differences between different GUT models in the sparticle spectra for the same LSP mass, leading to direct connections of distinctive possible experimental measurements with the structure of the GUT group. We find that future LHC searches for generic missing E{sub T}, charginos and stops will be able to constrain the different GUT models in complementary ways, as will the Xenon 1 ton and Darwin dark matter scattering experiments and future FERMI or CTA γ-ray searches.

  6. Development of the intrinsic and extrinsic innervation of the gut.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Uesaka, Toshihiro; Young, Heather M; Pachnis, Vassilis; Enomoto, Hideki

    2016-09-15

    The gastrointestinal (GI) tract is innervated by intrinsic enteric neurons and by extrinsic efferent and afferent nerves. The enteric (intrinsic) nervous system (ENS) in most regions of the gut consists of two main ganglionated layers; myenteric and submucosal ganglia, containing numerous types of enteric neurons and glial cells. Axons arising from the ENS and from extrinsic neurons innervate most layers of the gut wall and regulate many gut functions. The majority of ENS cells are derived from vagal neural crest cells (NCCs), which proliferate, colonize the entire gut, and first populate the myenteric region. After gut colonization by vagal NCCs, the extrinsic nerve fibers reach the GI tract, and Schwann cell precursors (SCPs) enter the gut along the extrinsic nerves. Furthermore, a subpopulation of cells in myenteric ganglia undergoes a radial (inward) migration to form the submucosal plexus, and the intrinsic and extrinsic innervation to the mucosal region develops. Here, we focus on recent progress in understanding the developmental processes that occur after the gut is colonized by vagal ENS precursors, and provide an up-to-date overview of molecular mechanisms regulating the development of the intrinsic and extrinsic innervation of the GI tract. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. High-Altitude-Induced alterations in Gut-Immune Axis: A review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khanna, Kunjan; Mishra, K P; Ganju, Lilly; Kumar, Bhuvnesh; Singh, Shashi Bala

    2018-03-04

    High-altitude sojourn above 8000 ft is increasing day by day either for pilgrimage, mountaineering, holidaying or for strategic reasons. In India, soldiers are deployed to these high mountains for their duty or pilgrims visit to the holy places, which are located at very high altitude. A large population also resides permanently in high altitude regions. Every year thousands of pilgrims visit Holy cave of Shri Amarnath ji, which is above 15 000 ft. The poor acclimatization to high altitude may cause alteration in immunity. The low oxygen partial pressure may cause alterations in gut microbiota, which may cause changes in gut immunity. Effect of high altitude on gut-associated mucosal system is new area of research. Many studies have been carried out to understand the physiology and immunology behind the high-altitude-induced gut problems. Few interventions have also been discovered to circumvent the problems caused due to high-altitude conditions. In this review, we have discussed the effects of high-altitude-induced changes in gut immunity particularly peyer's patches, NK cells and inflammatory cytokines, secretary immunoglobulins and gut microbiota. The published articles from PubMed and Google scholar from year 1975 to 2017 on high-altitude hypoxia and gut immunity are cited in this review.

  8. Leaky gut and autoimmune diseases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fasano, Alessio

    2012-02-01

    Autoimmune diseases are characterized by tissue damage and loss of function due to an immune response that is directed against specific organs. This review is focused on the role of impaired intestinal barrier function on autoimmune pathogenesis. Together with the gut-associated lymphoid tissue and the neuroendocrine network, the intestinal epithelial barrier, with its intercellular tight junctions, controls the equilibrium between tolerance and immunity to non-self antigens. Zonulin is the only physiologic modulator of intercellular tight junctions described so far that is involved in trafficking of macromolecules and, therefore, in tolerance/immune response balance. When the zonulin pathway is deregulated in genetically susceptible individuals, autoimmune disorders can occur. This new paradigm subverts traditional theories underlying the development of these diseases and suggests that these processes can be arrested if the interplay between genes and environmental triggers is prevented by re-establishing the zonulin-dependent intestinal barrier function. Both animal models and recent clinical evidence support this new paradigm and provide the rationale for innovative approaches to prevent and treat autoimmune diseases.

  9. Comparative metagenomic analysis of plasmid encoded functions in the human gut microbiome

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marchesi Julian R

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Little is known regarding the pool of mobile genetic elements associated with the human gut microbiome. In this study we employed the culture independent TRACA system to isolate novel plasmids from the human gut microbiota, and a comparative metagenomic analysis to investigate the distribution and relative abundance of functions encoded by these plasmids in the human gut microbiome. Results Novel plasmids were acquired from the human gut microbiome, and homologous nucleotide sequences with high identity (>90% to two plasmids (pTRACA10 and pTRACA22 were identified in the multiple human gut microbiomes analysed here. However, no homologous nucleotide sequences to these plasmids were identified in the murine gut or environmental metagenomes. Functions encoded by the plasmids pTRACA10 and pTRACA22 were found to be more prevalent in the human gut microbiome when compared to microbial communities from other environments. Among the most prevalent functions identified was a putative RelBE toxin-antitoxin (TA addiction module, and subsequent analysis revealed that this was most closely related to putative TA modules from gut associated bacteria belonging to the Firmicutes. A broad phylogenetic distribution of RelE toxin genes was observed in gut associated bacterial species (Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria, but no RelE homologues were identified in gut associated archaeal species. We also provide indirect evidence for the horizontal transfer of these genes between bacterial species belonging to disparate phylogenetic divisions, namely Gram negative Proteobacteria and Gram positive species from the Firmicutes division. Conclusions The application of a culture independent system to capture novel plasmids from the human gut mobile metagenome, coupled with subsequent comparative metagenomic analysis, highlighted the unexpected prevalence of plasmid encoded functions in the gut microbial ecosystem. In

  10. Control of the gut microbiome by fecal microRNA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shirong Liu

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Since their discovery in the early 90s, microRNAs (miRNAs, small non-coding RNAs, have mainly been associated with posttranscriptional regulation of gene expression on a cell-autonomous level. Recent evidence has extended this role by adding inter-species communication to the manifold functional range. In our latest study [Liu S, et al., 2016, Cell Host & Microbe], we identified miRNAs in gut lumen and feces of both mice and humans. We found that intestinal epithelial cells (IEC and Hopx+ cells were the two main sources of fecal miRNA. Deficiency of IEC-miRNA resulted in gut dysbiosis and WT fecal miRNA transplantation restored the gut microbiota. We investigated potential mechanisms for this effect and found that miRNAs were able to regulate the gut microbiome. By culturing bacteria with miRNAs, we found that host miRNAs were able to enter bacteria, specifically regulate bacterial gene transcripts and affect bacterial growth. Oral administration of synthetic miRNA mimics affected specific bacteria in the gut. Our findings describe a previously unknown pathway by which the gut microbiome is regulated by the host and raises the possibility that miRNAs may be used therapeutically to manipulate the microbiome for the treatment of disease.

  11. Faecalibacterium Gut Colonization Is Accelerated by Presence of Older Siblings

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Laursen, Martin Frederik; Laursen, Rikke Pilmann; Larnkjær, Anni

    2017-01-01

    Faecalibacterium prausnitzii is a highly abundant human gut microbe in healthy individuals, but it is present at reduced levels in individuals with gastrointestinal inflammatory diseases. It has therefore been suggested to constitute a marker of a healthy gut and is associated with anti......-inflammatory properties. However, factors affecting the colonization of F. prausnitzii in the human gut during early life are very poorly understood. By analysis of 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing data from three separate infant study populations, we determined the colonization dynamics of Faecalibacterium and factors...... affecting its establishment in the gut. We found that in particular, the presence of older siblings was consistently associated with Faecalibacterium gut colonization during late infancy and conclude that acquisition of Faecalibacterium is very likely to be accelerated through transfer between siblings...

  12. Job demands-resources theory: Taking stock and looking forward.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bakker, Arnold B; Demerouti, Evangelia

    2017-07-01

    The job demands-resources (JD-R) model was introduced in the international literature 15 years ago (Demerouti, Bakker, Nachreiner, & Schaufeli, 2001). The model has been applied in thousands of organizations and has inspired hundreds of empirical articles, including 1 of the most downloaded articles of the Journal of Occupational Health Psychology (Bakker, Demerouti, & Euwema, 2005). This article provides evidence for the buffering role of various job resources on the impact of various job demands on burnout. In the present article, we look back on the first 10 years of the JD-R model (2001-2010), and discuss how the model matured into JD-R theory (2011-2016). Moreover, we look at the future of the theory and outline which new issues in JD-R theory are worthwhile of investigation. We also discuss practical applications. It is our hope that JD-R theory will continue to inspire researchers and practitioners who want to promote employee well-being and effective organizational functioning. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

  13. Theories of practice - new inspiration for ecological economic studies on consumption

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Røpke, Inge

    2009-01-01

    The dynamics behind ever-increasing consumption have long been a core issue of ecological economics. Studies on this topic have traditionally drawn not only on insights from economics, but also from such disciplines as sociology, anthropology and psychology. In recent years, a practice theory...... approach has emerged in sociological consumption studies, as part of a general wave of renewed interest in practice theory emanating from a desire to move beyond such dominant dualisms as the structure-actor opposition in sociology. The purpose of this paper is to introduce the practice theory approach...... in relation to studies of everyday life, domestic practices and consumption, and to argue that this approach can be fruitful for ecological economics and other fields interested in the environmental aspects of consumption. The paper emphasizes the immense challenge involved in promoting sustainable...

  14. Impact of the gut microbiota on inflammation, obesity, and metabolic disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boulangé, Claire L; Neves, Ana Luisa; Chilloux, Julien; Nicholson, Jeremy K; Dumas, Marc-Emmanuel

    2016-04-20

    The human gut harbors more than 100 trillion microbial cells, which have an essential role in human metabolic regulation via their symbiotic interactions with the host. Altered gut microbial ecosystems have been associated with increased metabolic and immune disorders in animals and humans. Molecular interactions linking the gut microbiota with host energy metabolism, lipid accumulation, and immunity have also been identified. However, the exact mechanisms that link specific variations in the composition of the gut microbiota with the development of obesity and metabolic diseases in humans remain obscure owing to the complex etiology of these pathologies. In this review, we discuss current knowledge about the mechanistic interactions between the gut microbiota, host energy metabolism, and the host immune system in the context of obesity and metabolic disease, with a focus on the importance of the axis that links gut microbes and host metabolic inflammation. Finally, we discuss therapeutic approaches aimed at reshaping the gut microbial ecosystem to regulate obesity and related pathologies, as well as the challenges that remain in this area.

  15. Does Entrepreneurship Education in the First Year of Higher Education Develop Entrepreneurial Intentions? The Role of Learning and Inspiration

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nabi, Ghulam; Walmsley, Andreas; Liñán, Francisco; Akhtar, Imran; Neame, Charles

    2018-01-01

    Drawing on entrepreneurship education (EE) theory, this article examines the role of learning and inspiration in developing students' entrepreneurial intentions in the First Year in Higher Education. This addresses the paucity of research on early university experiences of EE and their influence on entrepreneurial intentions. Using a longitudinal…

  16. Biologically Inspired Technology Using Electroactive Polymers (EAP)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bar-Cohen, Yoseph

    2006-01-01

    Evolution allowed nature to introduce highly effective biological mechanisms that are incredible inspiration for innovation. Humans have always made efforts to imitate nature's inventions and we are increasingly making advances that it becomes significantly easier to imitate, copy, and adapt biological methods, processes and systems. This brought us to the ability to create technology that is far beyond the simple mimicking of nature. Having better tools to understand and to implement nature's principles we are now equipped like never before to be inspired by nature and to employ our tools in far superior ways. Effectively, by bio-inspiration we can have a better view and value of nature capability while studying its models to learn what can be extracted, copied or adapted. Using electroactive polymers (EAP) as artificial muscles is adding an important element to the development of biologically inspired technologies.

  17. General structure of democratic mass matrix of quark sector in E{sub 6} model

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ciftci, R., E-mail: rciftci@cern.ch [Ankara (Turkey); Çiftci, A. K., E-mail: abbas.kenan.ciftci@cern.ch [Ankara University, Ankara (Turkey)

    2016-03-25

    An extension of the Standard Model (SM) fermion sector, which is inspired by the E{sub 6} Grand Unified Theory (GUT) model, might be a good candidate to explain a number of unanswered questions in SM. Existence of the isosinglet quarks might explain great mass difference of bottom and top quarks. Also, democracy on mass matrix elements is a natural approach in SM. In this study, we have given general structure of Democratic Mass Matrix (DMM) of quark sector in E6 model.

  18. Links between Dietary Protein Sources, the Gut Microbiota, and Obesity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Madsen, Lise; Myrmel, Lene S; Fjære, Even; Liaset, Bjørn; Kristiansen, Karsten

    2017-01-01

    The association between the gut microbiota and obesity is well documented in both humans and in animal models. It is also demonstrated that dietary factors can change the gut microbiota composition and obesity development. However, knowledge of how diet, metabolism and gut microbiota mutually interact and modulate energy metabolism and obesity development is still limited. Epidemiological studies indicate an association between intake of certain dietary protein sources and obesity. Animal studies confirm that different protein sources vary in their ability to either prevent or induce obesity. Different sources of protein such as beans, vegetables, dairy, seafood, and meat differ in amino acid composition. Further, the type and level of other factors, such as fatty acids and persistent organic pollutants (POPs) vary between dietary protein sources. All these factors can modulate the composition of the gut microbiota and may thereby influence their obesogenic properties. This review summarizes evidence of how different protein sources affect energy efficiency, obesity development, and the gut microbiota, linking protein-dependent changes in the gut microbiota with obesity.

  19. Early-life gut microbiome composition and milk allergy resolution

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bunyavanich, Supinda; Shen, Nan; Grishin, Alexander; Wood, Robert; Burks, Wesley; Dawson, Peter; Jones, Stacie M.; Leung, Donald; Sampson, Hugh; Sicherer, Scott; Clemente, Jose C.

    2016-01-01

    Background Gut microbiota may play a role in the natural history of cow’s milk allergy Objective To examine the association between early life gut microbiota and the resolution of cow’s milk allergy Methods We studied 226 children with milk allergy who were enrolled at infancy in the Consortium of Food Allergy (CoFAR) observational study of food allergy. Fecal samples were collected at age 3–16 months, and the children were followed longitudinally with clinical evaluation, milk-specific IgE levels, and milk skin prick test performed at enrollment, 6 months, 12 months, and yearly thereafter up until age 8 years. Gut microbiome was profiled by 16s rRNA sequencing and microbiome analyses performed using QIIME (Quantitative Insights into Microbial Ecology), PICRUSt (Phylogenetic Investigation of Communities by Reconstruction of Unobserved States), and STAMP (Statistical Analysis of Metagenomic Profiles). Results Milk allergy resolved by age 8 years in 128 (56.6%) of the 226 children. Gut microbiome composition at age 3–6 months was associated with milk allergy resolution by age 8 years (PERMANOVA P = 0.047), with enrichment of Clostridia and Firmicutes in the infant gut microbiome of subjects whose milk allergy resolved. Metagenome functional prediction supported decreased fatty acid metabolism in the gut microbiome of subjects whose milk allergy resolved (η2 = 0.43, ANOVA P = 0.034). Conclusions Early infancy is a window during which gut microbiota may shape food allergy outcomes in childhood. Bacterial taxa within Clostridia and Firmicutes could be studied as probiotic candidates for milk allergy therapy. PMID:27292825

  20. The pig gut microbial diversity: Understanding the pig gut microbial ecology through the next generation high throughput sequencing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Hyeun Bum; Isaacson, Richard E

    2015-06-12

    The importance of the gut microbiota of animals is widely acknowledged because of its pivotal roles in the health and well being of animals. The genetic diversity of the gut microbiota contributes to the overall development and metabolic needs of the animal, and provides the host with many beneficial functions including production of volatile fatty acids, re-cycling of bile salts, production of vitamin K, cellulose digestion, and development of immune system. Thus the intestinal microbiota of animals has been the subject of study for many decades. Although most of the older studies have used culture dependent methods, the recent advent of high throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA genes has facilitated in depth studies exploring microbial populations and their dynamics in the animal gut. These culture independent DNA based studies generate large amounts of data and as a result contribute to a more detailed understanding of the microbiota dynamics in the gut and the ecology of the microbial populations. Of equal importance, is being able to identify and quantify microbes that are difficult to grow or that have not been grown in the laboratory. Interpreting the data obtained from this type of study requires using basic principles of microbial diversity to understand importance of the composition of microbial populations. In this review, we summarize the literature on culture independent studies of the pig gut microbiota with an emphasis on its succession and alterations caused by diverse factors. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Immune response of chicken gut to natural colonization by gut microflora and to Salmonella enterica serovar enteritidis infection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crhanova, Magdalena; Hradecka, Helena; Faldynova, Marcela; Matulova, Marta; Havlickova, Hana; Sisak, Frantisek; Rychlik, Ivan

    2011-07-01

    In commercial poultry production, there is a lack of natural flora providers since chickens are hatched in the clean environment of a hatchery. Events occurring soon after hatching are therefore of particular importance, and that is why we were interested in the development of the gut microbial community, the immune response to natural microbial colonization, and the response to Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis infection as a function of chicken age. The complexity of chicken gut microbiota gradually increased from day 1 to day 19 of life and consisted of Proteobacteria and Firmicutes. For the first 3 days of life, chicken cecum was protected by increased expression of chicken β-defensins (i.e., gallinacins 1, 2, 4, and 6), expression of which dropped from day 4 of life. On the other hand, a transient increase in interleukin-8 (IL-8) and IL-17 expression could be observed in chicken cecum on day 4 of life, indicating physiological inflammation and maturation of the gut immune system. In agreement, the response of chickens infected with S. Enteritidis on days 1, 4, and 16 of life shifted from Th1 (characterized mainly by induction of gamma interferon [IFN-γ] and inducible nitric oxide synthase [iNOS]), observed in younger chickens, to Th17, observed in 16-day-old chickens (characterized mainly by IL-17 induction). Active modification of chicken gut microbiota in the future may accelerate or potentiate the maturation of the gut immune system and increase its resistance to infection with different pathogens.

  2. Comparison of the distal gut microbiota from people and animals in Africa.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ellis, Richard J; Bruce, Kenneth D; Jenkins, Claire; Stothard, J Russell; Ajarova, Lilly; Mugisha, Lawrence; Viney, Mark E

    2013-01-01

    The gut microbiota plays a key role in the maintenance of healthy gut function as well as many other aspects of health. High-throughput sequence analyses have revealed the composition of the gut microbiota, showing that there is a core signature to the human gut microbiota, as well as variation in its composition between people. The gut microbiota of animals is also being investigated. We are interested in the relationship between bacterial taxa of the human gut microbiota and those in the gut microbiota of domestic and semi-wild animals. While it is clear that some human gut bacterial pathogens come from animals (showing that human--animal transmission occurs), the extent to which the usually non-pathogenic commensal taxa are shared between humans and animals has not been explored. To investigate this we compared the distal gut microbiota of humans, cattle and semi-captive chimpanzees in communities that are geographically sympatric in Uganda. The gut microbiotas of these three host species could be distinguished by the different proportions of bacterial taxa present. We defined multiple operational taxonomic units (OTUs) by sequence similarity and found evidence that some OTUs were common between human, cattle and chimpanzees, with the largest number of shared OTUs occurring between chimpanzees and humans, as might be expected with their close physiological similarity. These results show the potential for the sharing of usually commensal bacterial taxa between humans and other animals. This suggests that further investigation of this phenomenon is needed to fully understand how it drives the composition of human and animal gut microbiotas.

  3. Altered gut microbiome in a mouse model of Gulf War Illness causes neuroinflammation and intestinal injury via leaky gut and TLR4 activation.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Firas Alhasson

    Full Text Available Many of the symptoms of Gulf War Illness (GWI that include neurological abnormalities, neuroinflammation, chronic fatigue and gastrointestinal disturbances have been traced to Gulf War chemical exposure. Though the association and subsequent evidences are strong, the mechanisms that connect exposure to intestinal and neurological abnormalities remain unclear. Using an established rodent model of Gulf War Illness, we show that chemical exposure caused significant dysbiosis in the gut that included increased abundance of phylum Firmicutes and Tenericutes, and decreased abundance of Bacteroidetes. Several gram negative bacterial genera were enriched in the GWI-model that included Allobaculum sp. Altered microbiome caused significant decrease in tight junction protein Occludin with a concomitant increase in Claudin-2, a signature of a leaky gut. Resultant leaching of gut caused portal endotoxemia that led to upregulation of toll like receptor 4 (TLR4 activation in the small intestine and the brain. TLR4 knock out mice and mice that had gut decontamination showed significant decrease in tyrosine nitration and inflammatory mediators IL1β and MCP-1 in both the small intestine and frontal cortex. These events signified that gut dysbiosis with simultaneous leaky gut and systemic endotoxemia-induced TLR4 activation contributes to GW chemical-induced neuroinflammation and gastrointestinal disturbances.

  4. Structure and function of the healthy pre-adolescent pediatric gut microbiome

    Science.gov (United States)

    The gut microbiome influences myriad host functions, including nutrient acquisition, immune modulation, brain development, and behavior. Although human gut microbiota are recognized to change as we age, information regarding the structure and function of the gut microbiome during childhood is limite...

  5. "Sport Guts" in Japanese Girl Anime

    OpenAIRE

    Miho Tsukamoto

    2015-01-01

    "Sport Guts" in Japanese anime developed not only to strengthen mentality but also to challenge for objectives. This paper helps to understand the development of Japanese girl anime, and its philosophical concepts of Japanese amine. This paper focuses on girls' sport anime "Sport Guts,", which is the major philosophy of Japanese girl anime and centers on a girl who is enthusiastic about volleyball and makes an effort to compete in the World Series by focusing on girl anime b...

  6. Gut microbiota, low-grade inflammation, and metabolic syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chassaing, Benoit; Gewirtz, Andrew T

    2014-01-01

    The intestinal tract is inhabited by a large diverse community of bacteria collectively referred to as the gut microbiota. Alterations in gut microbiota composition are associated with a variety of disease states including obesity, diabetes, and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Transplant of microbiota from diseased persons (or mice) to germfree mice transfers some aspects of disease phenotype, indicating that altered microbiota plays a role in disease establishment and manifestation. There are myriad potential mechanisms by which alterations in gut microbiota might promote disease, including increasing energy harvest, production of toxic metabolites, and molecular mimicry of host proteins. However, our research indicates that an overarching mechanism by which an aberrant microbiota negatively impacts health is by driving chronic inflammation. More specifically, we hypothesize that the histopathologically evident gut inflammation that defines IBD is a severe but relatively rare outcome of an altered host-microbiota relationship, while a much more common consequence of such disturbances is "low-grade" inflammation characterized by elevated proinflammatory gene expression that associates with, and may promote, metabolic syndrome. In this context, a variety of chronic inflammatory diseases may stem from inability of the mucosal immune system to properly manage a stable healthy relationship with the gut microbiota. While one's ability to manage their gut microbiota is dictated in part by genetics, it can be markedly influenced by the composition of the microbiota one inherits from their early environment. Moreover, the host-microbiota relationship can be perturbed by instigator bacteria or dietary components, which may prove to play a role in promoting chronic inflammatory disease states.

  7. Nutrition, the Gut and the Microbiome

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kjølbæk, Louise

    , but an optimal diet to improve the success of weight loss maintenance has not reached consensus among worldwide expects. During the last decade, it has been observed that the gut microbiota composition is associated with obesity and obesity-associated diseases. However, a deeper understanding of how the host...... the gut and the microbiome in relation to obesity and obesity-associated diseases. The objective was investigated by the conduct of three studies (KIFU, PROKA, MNG). In KIFU, the effect of habitual calcium intake on faecal fat and energy excretions was investigated by an observational study. The 189...... (PUFA) intakes on the gut microbiota composition was investigated by a randomised cross-over study with two 4-week diets periods and a 4-week washout period. Faecal samples and metabolic markers were collected from 30 subjects before and after each diet period. Results showed that habitual dietary...

  8. Are the Gut Bacteria Telling Us to Eat or Not to Eat? Reviewing the Role of Gut Microbiota in the Etiology, Disease Progression and Treatment of Eating Disorders.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lam, Yan Y; Maguire, Sarah; Palacios, Talia; Caterson, Ian D

    2017-06-14

    Traditionally recognized as mental illnesses, eating disorders are increasingly appreciated to be biologically-driven. There is a growing body of literature that implicates a role of the gut microbiota in the etiology and progression of these conditions. Gut bacteria may act on the gut-brain axis to alter appetite control and brain function as part of the genesis of eating disorders. As the illnesses progress, extreme feeding patterns and psychological stress potentially feed back to the gut ecosystem that can further compromise physiological, cognitive, and social functioning. Given the established causality between dysbiosis and metabolic diseases, an altered gut microbial profile is likely to play a role in the co-morbidities of eating disorders with altered immune function, short-chain fatty acid production, and the gut barrier being the key mechanistic links. Understanding the role of the gut ecosystem in the pathophysiology of eating disorders will provide critical insights into improving current treatments and developing novel microbiome-based interventions that will benefit patients with eating disorders.

  9. Gut Microbiota and Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: Insights on Mechanisms and Therapy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Junli Ma

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available The gut microbiota plays critical roles in development of obese-related metabolic diseases such as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD, type 2 diabetes(T2D, and insulin resistance(IR, highlighting the potential of gut microbiota-targeted therapies in these diseases. There are various ways that gut microbiota can be manipulated, including through use of probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, antibiotics, and some active components from herbal medicines. In this review, we review the main roles of gut microbiota in mediating the development of NAFLD, and the advances in gut microbiota-targeted therapies for NAFLD in both the experimental and clinical studies, as well as the conclusions on the prospect of gut microbiota-targeted therapies in the future.

  10. Human gut microbiome viewed across age and geography

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gut microbial communities represent one source of human genetic and metabolic diversity. To examine how gut microbiomes differ among human populations, we characterized bacterial species in fecal samples from 531 individuals, plus the gene content of 110 of them. The cohort encompassed healthy child...

  11. CD4+ lymphocytes control gut epithelial apoptosis and mediate survival in sepsis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stromberg, Paul E; Woolsey, Cheryl A; Clark, Andrew T; Clark, Jessica A; Turnbull, Isaiah R; McConnell, Kevin W; Chang, Katherine C; Chung, Chun-Shiang; Ayala, Alfred; Buchman, Timothy G; Hotchkiss, Richard S; Coopersmith, Craig M

    2009-06-01

    Lymphocytes help determine whether gut epithelial cells proliferate or differentiate but are not known to affect whether they live or die. Here, we report that lymphocytes play a controlling role in mediating gut epithelial apoptosis in sepsis but not under basal conditions. Gut epithelial apoptosis is similar in unmanipulated Rag-1(-/-) and wild-type (WT) mice. However, Rag-1(-/-) animals have a 5-fold augmentation in gut epithelial apoptosis following cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) compared to septic WT mice. Reconstitution of lymphocytes in Rag-1(-/-) mice via adoptive transfer decreases intestinal apoptosis to levels seen in WT animals. Subset analysis indicates that CD4(+) but not CD8(+), gammadelta, or B cells are responsible for the antiapoptotic effect of lymphocytes on the gut epithelium. Gut-specific overexpression of Bcl-2 in transgenic mice decreases mortality following CLP. This survival benefit is lymphocyte dependent since gut-specific overexpression of Bcl-2 fails to alter survival when the transgene is overexpressed in Rag-1(-/-) mice. Further, adoptively transferring lymphocytes to Rag-1(-/-) mice that simultaneously overexpress gut-specific Bcl-2 results in improved mortality following sepsis. Thus, sepsis unmasks CD4(+) lymphocyte control of gut apoptosis that is not present under homeostatic conditions, which acts as a key determinant of both cellular survival and host mortality.

  12. Learning from nature: Nature-inspired algorithms

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Albeanu, Grigore; Madsen, Henrik; Popentiu-Vladicescu, Florin

    2016-01-01

    .), genetic and evolutionary strategies, artificial immune systems etc. Well-known examples of applications include: aircraft wing design, wind turbine design, bionic car, bullet train, optimal decisions related to traffic, appropriate strategies to survive under a well-adapted immune system etc. Based......During last decade, the nature has inspired researchers to develop new algorithms. The largest collection of nature-inspired algorithms is biology-inspired: swarm intelligence (particle swarm optimization, ant colony optimization, cuckoo search, bees' algorithm, bat algorithm, firefly algorithm etc...... on collective social behaviour of organisms, researchers have developed optimization strategies taking into account not only the individuals, but also groups and environment. However, learning from nature, new classes of approaches can be identified, tested and compared against already available algorithms...

  13. Gastric emptying, glucose metabolism and gut hormones

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vermeulen, Mechteld A R; Richir, Milan C; Garretsen, Martijn K

    2011-01-01

    To study the gastric-emptying rate and gut hormonal response of two carbohydrate-rich beverages. A specifically designed carbohydrate-rich beverage is currently used to support the surgical patient metabolically. Fruit-based beverages may also promote recovery, due to natural antioxidant and carb......To study the gastric-emptying rate and gut hormonal response of two carbohydrate-rich beverages. A specifically designed carbohydrate-rich beverage is currently used to support the surgical patient metabolically. Fruit-based beverages may also promote recovery, due to natural antioxidant...... and carbohydrate content. However, gastric emptying of fluids is influenced by its nutrient composition; hence, safety of preoperative carbohydrate loading should be confirmed. Because gut hormones link carbohydrate metabolism and gastric emptying, hormonal responses were studied....

  14. Homeostasis between gut-associated microorganisms and the immune system in Drosophila.

    Science.gov (United States)

    You, Hyejin; Lee, Won Jun; Lee, Won-Jae

    2014-10-01

    The metabolic activities of a given gut bacterium or gut commensal community fluctuate in a manner largely depending on the physicochemical parameters within the gut niche. Recognition of the bacterial metabolic status in situ, by a sensing of the gut metabolites as a signature of a specific bacterial metabolic activity, has been suggested to be a highly beneficial means for the host to maintain gut-microbe homeostasis. Recently, analysis of Drosophila gut immunity revealed that bacterial-derived uracil and uracil-modulated intestinal reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation play a pivotal role in diverse aspects of host-microbe interactions, such as pathogen clearance, commensal protection, intestinal cell regeneration, colitogenesis, and possibly also interorgan immunological communication. A deeper understanding of the role of uracil in Drosophila immunity will provide additional insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying host-microbe symbiosis and dysbiosis. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Strings - Links between conformal field theory, gauge theory and gravity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Troost, J.

    2009-05-01

    String theory is a candidate framework for unifying the gauge theories of interacting elementary particles with a quantum theory of gravity. The last years we have made considerable progress in understanding non-perturbative aspects of string theory, and in bringing string theory closer to experiment, via the search for the Standard Model within string theory, but also via phenomenological models inspired by the physics of strings. Despite these advances, many deep problems remain, amongst which a non-perturbative definition of string theory, a better understanding of holography, and the cosmological constant problem. My research has concentrated on various theoretical aspects of quantum theories of gravity, including holography, black holes physics and cosmology. In this Habilitation thesis I have laid bare many more links between conformal field theory, gauge theory and gravity. Most contributions were motivated by string theory, like the analysis of supersymmetry preserving states in compactified gauge theories and their relation to affine algebras, time-dependent aspects of the holographic map between quantum gravity in anti-de-Sitter space and conformal field theories in the bulk, the direct quantization of strings on black hole backgrounds, the embedding of the no-boundary proposal for a wave-function of the universe in string theory, a non-rational Verlinde formula and the construction of non-geometric solutions to supergravity

  16. Generalization of trinification to theories with 3N SU(3) gauge groups

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Carone, Christopher D.

    2005-01-01

    We consider a natural generalization of trinification to theories with 3N SU(3) gauge groups. These theories have a simple moose representation and a gauge boson spectrum that can be interpreted via the deconstruction of a 5D theory with unified symmetry broken on a boundary. Although the matter and Higgs sectors of the theory have no simple extra-dimensional analog, gauge unification retains features characteristic of the 5D theory. We determine possible assignments of the matter and Higgs fields to unified multiplets and present theories that are viable alternatives to minimal trinified GUTs

  17. Seasonal, spatial, and maternal effects on gut microbiome in wild red squirrels.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ren, Tiantian; Boutin, Stan; Humphries, Murray M; Dantzer, Ben; Gorrell, Jamieson C; Coltman, David W; McAdam, Andrew G; Wu, Martin

    2017-12-21

    Our understanding of gut microbiota has been limited primarily to findings from human and laboratory animals, but what shapes the gut microbiota in nature remains largely unknown. To fill this gap, we conducted a comprehensive study of gut microbiota of a well-studied North American red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) population. Red squirrels are territorial, solitary, and live in a highly seasonal environment and therefore represent a very attractive system to study factors that drive the temporal and spatial dynamics of gut microbiota. For the first time, this study revealed significant spatial patterns of gut microbiota within a host population, suggesting limited dispersal could play a role in shaping and maintaining the structure of gut microbial communities. We also found a remarkable seasonal rhythm in red squirrel's gut microbial composition manifested by a tradeoff between relative abundance of two genera Oscillospira and Corpococcus and clearly associated with seasonal variation in diet availability. Our results show that in nature, environmental factors exert a much stronger influence on gut microbiota than host-associated factors including age and sex. Despite strong environmental effects, we found clear evidence of individuality and maternal effects, but host genetics did not seem to be a significant driver of the gut microbial communities in red squirrels. Taken together, the results of this study emphasize the importance of external ecological factors rather than host attributes in driving temporal and spatial patterns of gut microbiota in natural environment.

  18. Factors influencing the grass carp gut microbiome and its effect on metabolism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ni, Jiajia; Yan, Qingyun; Yu, Yuhe; Zhang, Tanglin

    2014-03-01

    Gut microbiota have attracted extensive attention recently because of their important role in host metabolism, immunity and health maintenance. The present study focused on factors affecting the gut microbiome of grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) and further explored the potential effect of the gut microbiome on metabolism. Totally, 43.39 Gb of screened metagenomic sequences obtained from 24 gut samples were fully analysed. We detected 1228 phylotypes (116 Archaea and 1112 Bacteria), most of which belonged to the phyla Firmicutes, Proteobacteria and Fusobacteria. Totally, 41335 of the detected open reading frames (ORFs) were matched to Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways, and carbohydrate and amino acid metabolism was the main matched pathway deduced from the annotated ORFs. Redundancy analysis based on the phylogenetic composition and gene composition of the gut microbiome indicated that gut fullness and feeding (i.e. ryegrass vs. commercial feed, and pond-cultured vs. wild) were significantly related to the gut microbiome. Moreover, many biosynthesis and metabolism pathways of carbohydrates, amino acids and lipids were significantly enhanced by the gut microbiome in ryegrass-fed grass carp. These findings suggest that the metabolic role played by the gut microbiome in grass carp can be affected by feeding. These findings contribute to the field of fish gut microbial ecology and also provide a basis for follow-up functional studies. © 2013 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Human Gut Microbiota Predicts Susceptibility to Vibrio cholerae Infection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Midani, Firas S; Weil, Ana A; Chowdhury, Fahima; Begum, Yasmin A; Khan, Ashraful I; Debela, Meti D; Durand, Heather K; Reese, Aspen T; Nimmagadda, Sai N; Silverman, Justin D; Ellis, Crystal N; Ryan, Edward T; Calderwood, Stephen B; Harris, Jason B; Qadri, Firdausi; David, Lawrence A; LaRocque, Regina C

    2018-04-12

    Cholera is a public health problem worldwide and the risk factors for infection are only partially understood. We prospectively studied household contacts of cholera patients to compare those who were infected with those who were not. We constructed predictive machine learning models of susceptibility using baseline gut microbiota data. We identified bacterial taxa associated with susceptibility to Vibrio cholerae infection and tested these taxa for interactions with V. cholerae in vitro. We found that machine learning models based on gut microbiota predicted V. cholerae infection as well as models based on known clinical and epidemiological risk factors. A 'predictive gut microbiota' of roughly 100 bacterial taxa discriminated between contacts who developed infection and those who did not. Susceptibility to cholera was associated with depleted levels of microbes from the phylum Bacteroidetes. By contrast, a microbe associated with cholera by our modeling framework, Paracoccus aminovorans, promoted the in vitro growth of V. cholerae. Gut microbiota structure, clinical outcome, and age were also linked. These findings support the hypothesis that abnormal gut microbial communities are a host factor related to V. cholerae susceptibility.

  20. Overweight and the feline gut microbiome - a pilot study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kieler, I N; Mølbak, L; Hansen, L L; Hermann-Bank, M L; Bjornvad, C R

    2016-06-01

    Compared with lean humans, the gut microbiota is altered in the obese. Whether these changes are due to an obesogenic diet, and whether the microbiota contributes to adiposity is currently discussed. In the cat population, where obesity is also prevalent, gut microbiome changes associated with obesity have not been studied. Consequently, the aim of this study was to compare the gut microbiota of lean cats, with that of overweight and obese cats. Seventy-seven rescue-shelter cats housed for ≥3 consecutive days were included in the study. Faecal samples were obtained by rectal swab and, when available, by a paired litter box sample. Body condition was assessed using a 9-point scoring system. DNA was extracted, and the 16S rRNA gene was amplified with a high-throughput quantitative real-time PCR chip. Overweight and obese cats had a significantly different gut microbiota compared to lean cats (p gut microbiome as compared to lean cats. Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition © 2015 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

  1. Mammalian Gut Immunity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chassaing, Benoit; Kumar, Manish; Baker, Mark T.; Singh, Vishal; Vijay-Kumar, Matam

    2016-01-01

    The mammalian intestinal tract is the largest immune organ in the body and comprises cells from non-hemopoietic (epithelia, Paneth cells, goblet cells) and hemopoietic (macrophages, dendritic cells, T-cells) origin, and is also a dwelling for trillions of microbes collectively known as the microbiota. The homeostasis of this large microbial biomass is prerequisite to maintain host health by maximizing beneficial symbiotic relationships and minimizing the risks of living in such close proximity. Both microbiota and host immune system communicate with each other to mutually maintain homeostasis in what could be called a “love–hate relationship.” Further, the host innate and adaptive immune arms of the immune system cooperate and compensate each other to maintain the equilibrium of a highly complex gut ecosystem in a stable and stringent fashion. Any imbalance due to innate or adaptive immune deficiency or aberrant immune response may lead to dysbiosis and low-grade to robust gut inflammation, finally resulting in metabolic diseases. PMID:25163502

  2. Structure and function of the healthy pre-adolescent pediatric gut microbiome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hollister, Emily B; Riehle, Kevin; Luna, Ruth Ann; Weidler, Erica M; Rubio-Gonzales, Michelle; Mistretta, Toni-Ann; Raza, Sabeen; Doddapaneni, Harsha V; Metcalf, Ginger A; Muzny, Donna M; Gibbs, Richard A; Petrosino, Joseph F; Shulman, Robert J; Versalovic, James

    2015-08-26

    The gut microbiome influences myriad host functions, including nutrient acquisition, immune modulation, brain development, and behavior. Although human gut microbiota are recognized to change as we age, information regarding the structure and function of the gut microbiome during childhood is limited. Using 16S rRNA gene and shotgun metagenomic sequencing, we characterized the structure, function, and variation of the healthy pediatric gut microbiome in a cohort of school-aged, pre-adolescent children (ages 7-12 years). We compared the healthy pediatric gut microbiome with that of healthy adults previously recruited from the same region (Houston, TX, USA). Although healthy children and adults harbored similar numbers of taxa and functional genes, their composition and functional potential differed significantly. Children were enriched in Bifidobacterium spp., Faecalibacterium spp., and members of the Lachnospiraceae, while adults harbored greater abundances of Bacteroides spp. From a functional perspective, significant differences were detected with respect to the relative abundances of genes involved in vitamin synthesis, amino acid degradation, oxidative phosphorylation, and triggering mucosal inflammation. Children's gut communities were enriched in functions which may support ongoing development, while adult communities were enriched in functions associated with inflammation, obesity, and increased risk of adiposity. Previous studies suggest that the human gut microbiome is relatively stable and adult-like after the first 1 to 3 years of life. Our results suggest that the healthy pediatric gut microbiome harbors compositional and functional qualities that differ from those of healthy adults and that the gut microbiome may undergo a more prolonged development than previously suspected.

  3. Theories of Practice in Tourism

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    themes and fields which are usually addressed separately within tourism research: consumption and production; travel and the everyday; governance and policy; technology and the social. The book critically engages with practices as a fruitful approach to tourism research as well as how the particularities......Tourism research that is inspired by theories of practice is currently gaining in prominence. This book provides a much-needed introduction to the potential applications of theories of practice in tourism studies. It brings together a variety of approaches exploring how theories of practice bridge...... of tourism might inform our understanding of practice theories. This book contributes to conceptual and methodological debates providing insights from authors who have engaged with practice theory as an entry point to researching tourism. It offers a solid starting point for researchers and students alike...

  4. big bang gene modulates gut immune tolerance in Drosophila.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bonnay, François; Cohen-Berros, Eva; Hoffmann, Martine; Kim, Sabrina Y; Boulianne, Gabrielle L; Hoffmann, Jules A; Matt, Nicolas; Reichhart, Jean-Marc

    2013-02-19

    Chronic inflammation of the intestine is detrimental to mammals. Similarly, constant activation of the immune response in the gut by the endogenous flora is suspected to be harmful to Drosophila. Therefore, the innate immune response in the gut of Drosophila melanogaster is tightly balanced to simultaneously prevent infections by pathogenic microorganisms and tolerate the endogenous flora. Here we describe the role of the big bang (bbg) gene, encoding multiple membrane-associated PDZ (PSD-95, Discs-large, ZO-1) domain-containing protein isoforms, in the modulation of the gut immune response. We show that in the adult Drosophila midgut, BBG is present at the level of the septate junctions, on the apical side of the enterocytes. In the absence of BBG, these junctions become loose, enabling the intestinal flora to trigger a constitutive activation of the anterior midgut immune response. This chronic epithelial inflammation leads to a reduced lifespan of bbg mutant flies. Clearing the commensal flora by antibiotics prevents the abnormal activation of the gut immune response and restores a normal lifespan. We now provide genetic evidence that Drosophila septate junctions are part of the gut immune barrier, a function that is evolutionarily conserved in mammals. Collectively, our data suggest that septate junctions are required to maintain the subtle balance between immune tolerance and immune response in the Drosophila gut, which represents a powerful model to study inflammatory bowel diseases.

  5. Gut microbiota modulates alcohol withdrawal-induced anxiety in mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xiao, Hui-Wen; Ge, Chang; Feng, Guo-Xing; Li, Yuan; Luo, Dan; Dong, Jia-Li; Li, Hang; Wang, Haichao; Cui, Ming; Fan, Sai-Jun

    2018-05-01

    Excessive alcohol consumption remains a major public health problem that affects millions of people worldwide. Accumulative experimental evidence has suggested an important involvement of gut microbiota in the modulation of host's immunological and neurological functions. However, it is previously unknown whether enteric microbiota is implicated in the formation of alcohol withdrawal-induced anxiety. Using a murine model of chronic alcoholism and withdrawal, we examined the impact of alcohol consumption on the possible alterations of gut microbiota as well as alcohol withdrawal-induced anxiety and behavior changes. The 16S rRNA sequencing revealed that alcohol consumption did not alter the abundance of bacteria, but markedly changed the composition of gut microbiota. Moreover, the transplantation of enteric microbes from alcohol-fed mice to normal healthy controls remarkably shaped the composition of gut bacteria, and elicited behavioral signs of alcohol withdrawal-induced anxiety. Using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, we further confirmed that the expression of genes implicated in alcohol addiction, BDNF, CRHR1 and OPRM1, was also altered by transplantation of gut microbes from alcohol-exposed donors. Collectively, our findings suggested a possibility that the alterations of gut microbiota composition might contribute to the development of alcohol withdrawal-induced anxiety, and reveal potentially new etiologies for treating alcohol addiction. Copyright © 2018 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. The obese gut microbiome across the epidemiologic transition

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lara R. Dugas

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract The obesity epidemic has emerged over the past few decades and is thought to be a result of both genetic and environmental factors. A newly identified factor, the gut microbiota, which is a bacterial ecosystem residing within the gastrointestinal tract of humans, has now been implicated in the obesity epidemic. Importantly, this bacterial community is impacted by external environmental factors through a variety of undefined mechanisms. We focus this review on how the external environment may impact the gut microbiota by considering, the host’s geographic location ‘human geography’, and behavioral factors (diet and physical activity. Moreover, we explore the relationship between the gut microbiota and obesity with these external factors. And finally, we highlight here how an epidemiologic model can be utilized to elucidate causal relationships between the gut microbiota and external environment independently and collectively, and how this will help further define this important new factor in the obesity epidemic.

  7. Gastroenterology issues in schizophrenia: why the gut matters.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Severance, Emily G; Prandovszky, Emese; Castiglione, James; Yolken, Robert H

    2015-05-01

    Genetic and environmental studies implicate immune pathologies in schizophrenia. The body's largest immune organ is the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Historical associations of GI conditions with mental illnesses predate the introduction of antipsychotics. Current studies of antipsychotic-naïve patients support that gut dysfunction may be inherent to the schizophrenia disease process. Risk factors for schizophrenia (inflammation, food intolerances, Toxoplasma gondii exposure, cellular barrier defects) are part of biological pathways that intersect those operant in the gut. Central to GI function is a homeostatic microbial community, and early reports show that it is disrupted in schizophrenia. Bioactive and toxic products derived from digestion and microbial dysbiosis activate adaptive and innate immunity. Complement C1q, a brain-active systemic immune component, interacts with gut-related schizophrenia risk factors in clinical and experimental animal models. With accumulating evidence supporting newly discovered gut-brain physiological pathways, treatments to ameliorate brain symptoms of schizophrenia should be supplemented with therapies to correct GI dysfunction.

  8. Deoxynivalenol, gut microbiota and immunotoxicity: A potential approach?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liao, Yuxiao; Peng, Zhao; Chen, Liangkai; Nüssler, Andreas K; Liu, Liegang; Yang, Wei

    2018-02-01

    Deoxynivalenol (DON, vomitoxin) is the most frequent mycotoxin in grains and grain products. DON contamination in fodder and food is a serious threat for health, since it impairs the immune and gastrointestinal systems of both human and animals. Gut microbiota seems to play a more and more important part in human and animals' health according to related researches. Previous studies implied some associations among gut microbiota, DON and immune system. For example, DON affects immune system as well as the composition and abundance of gut microbiota, and the latter influences immune system as well. In the present short review, we not only provide the available information about the toxic consequences of DON-induced immunotoxicity on different animals and cell lines and discuss its main possible molecule mechanisms, but also summarize research results concerning the role of gut microbiota in DON-induced immunotoxicity and gender differences, with the aim to find some potential therapeutic strategies to tackle DON-induced immunotoxicity. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Gut Microbiota and Lifestyle Interventions in NAFLD

    Science.gov (United States)

    Houghton, David; Stewart, Christopher J.; Day, Christopher P.; Trenell, Michael

    2016-01-01

    The human digestive system harbors a diverse and complex community of microorganisms that work in a symbiotic fashion with the host, contributing to metabolism, immune response and intestinal architecture. However, disruption of a stable and diverse community, termed “dysbiosis”, has been shown to have a profound impact upon health and disease. Emerging data demonstrate dysbiosis of the gut microbiota to be linked with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Although the exact mechanism(s) remain unknown, inflammation, damage to the intestinal membrane, and translocation of bacteria have all been suggested. Lifestyle intervention is undoubtedly effective at improving NAFLD, however, not all patients respond to these in the same manner. Furthermore, studies investigating the effects of lifestyle interventions on the gut microbiota in NAFLD patients are lacking. A deeper understanding of how different aspects of lifestyle (diet/nutrition/exercise) affect the host–microbiome interaction may allow for a more tailored approach to lifestyle intervention. With gut microbiota representing a key element of personalized medicine and nutrition, we review the effects of lifestyle interventions (diet and physical activity/exercise) on gut microbiota and how this impacts upon NAFLD prognosis. PMID:27023533

  10. Early-life gut microbiome composition and milk allergy resolution.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bunyavanich, Supinda; Shen, Nan; Grishin, Alexander; Wood, Robert; Burks, Wesley; Dawson, Peter; Jones, Stacie M; Leung, Donald Y M; Sampson, Hugh; Sicherer, Scott; Clemente, Jose C

    2016-10-01

    Gut microbiota may play a role in the natural history of cow's milk allergy. We sought to examine the association between early-life gut microbiota and the resolution of cow's milk allergy. We studied 226 children with milk allergy who were enrolled at infancy in the Consortium of Food Allergy observational study of food allergy. Fecal samples were collected at age 3 to 16 months, and the children were followed longitudinally with clinical evaluation, milk-specific IgE levels, and milk skin prick test performed at enrollment, 6 months, 12 months, and yearly thereafter up until age 8 years. Gut microbiome was profiled by 16s rRNA sequencing and microbiome analyses performed using Quantitative Insights into Microbial Ecology (QIIME), Phylogenetic Investigation of Communities by Reconstruction of Unobserved States (PICRUSt), and Statistical Analysis of Metagenomic Profiles (STAMP). Milk allergy resolved by age 8 years in 128 (56.6%) of the 226 children. Gut microbiome composition at age 3 to 6 months was associated with milk allergy resolution by age 8 years (PERMANOVA P = .047), with enrichment of Clostridia and Firmicutes in the infant gut microbiome of subjects whose milk allergy resolved. Metagenome functional prediction supported decreased fatty acid metabolism in the gut microbiome of subjects whose milk allergy resolved (η 2  = 0.43; ANOVA P = .034). Early infancy is a window during which gut microbiota may shape food allergy outcomes in childhood. Bacterial taxa within Clostridia and Firmicutes could be studied as probiotic candidates for milk allergy therapy. Copyright © 2016 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. The Reciprocal Interactions between Polyphenols and Gut Microbiota and Effects on Bioaccessibility

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ozdal, Tugba; Sela, David A.; Xiao, Jianbo; Boyacioglu, Dilek; Chen, Fang; Capanoglu, Esra

    2016-01-01

    As of late, polyphenols have increasingly interested the scientific community due to their proposed health benefits. Much of this attention has focused on their bioavailability. Polyphenol–gut microbiota interactions should be considered to understand their biological functions. The dichotomy between the biotransformation of polyphenols into their metabolites by gut microbiota and the modulation of gut microbiota composition by polyphenols contributes to positive health outcomes. Although there are many studies on the in vivo bioavailability of polyphenols, the mutual relationship between polyphenols and gut microbiota is not fully understood. This review focuses on the biotransformation of polyphenols by gut microbiota, modulation of gut microbiota by polyphenols, and the effects of these two-way mutual interactions on polyphenol bioavailability, and ultimately, human health. PMID:26861391

  12. How informative is the mouse for human gut microbiota research?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nguyen, Thi Loan Anh; Vieira-Silva, Sara; Liston, Adrian; Raes, Jeroen

    2015-01-01

    The microbiota of the human gut is gaining broad attention owing to its association with a wide range of diseases, ranging from metabolic disorders (e.g. obesity and type 2 diabetes) to autoimmune diseases (such as inflammatory bowel disease and type 1 diabetes), cancer and even neurodevelopmental disorders (e.g. autism). Having been increasingly used in biomedical research, mice have become the model of choice for most studies in this emerging field. Mouse models allow perturbations in gut microbiota to be studied in a controlled experimental setup, and thus help in assessing causality of the complex host-microbiota interactions and in developing mechanistic hypotheses. However, pitfalls should be considered when translating gut microbiome research results from mouse models to humans. In this Special Article, we discuss the intrinsic similarities and differences that exist between the two systems, and compare the human and murine core gut microbiota based on a meta-analysis of currently available datasets. Finally, we discuss the external factors that influence the capability of mouse models to recapitulate the gut microbiota shifts associated with human diseases, and investigate which alternative model systems exist for gut microbiota research. © 2015. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

  13. Feeding the microbiota-gut-brain axis: diet, microbiome, and neuropsychiatry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sandhu, Kiran V; Sherwin, Eoin; Schellekens, Harriët; Stanton, Catherine; Dinan, Timothy G; Cryan, John F

    2017-01-01

    The microbial population residing within the human gut represents one of the most densely populated microbial niche in the human body with growing evidence showing it playing a key role in the regulation of behavior and brain function. The bidirectional communication between the gut microbiota and the brain, the microbiota-gut-brain axis, occurs through various pathways including the vagus nerve, the immune system, neuroendocrine pathways, and bacteria-derived metabolites. This axis has been shown to influence neurotransmission and the behavior that are often associated with neuropsychiatric conditions. Therefore, research targeting the modulation of this gut microbiota as a novel therapy for the treatment of various neuropsychiatric conditions is gaining interest. Numerous factors have been highlighted to influence gut microbiota composition, including genetics, health status, mode of birth, and environment. However, it is diet composition and nutritional status that has repeatedly been shown to be one of the most critical modifiable factors regulating the gut microbiota at different time points across the lifespan and under various health conditions. Thus the microbiota is poised to play a key role in nutritional interventions for maintaining brain health. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. The role of gut microbiota in human metabolism

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Vrieze, A.

    2013-01-01

    This thesis supports the hypothesis that gut microbiota can be viewed as an ‘exteriorised organ’ that contributes to energy metabolism and the modulation of our immune system. Following Koch’s postulates, it has now been shown that gut microbiota are associated with metabolic disease and that these

  15. Bacteria from diverse habitats colonize and compete in the mouse gut.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seedorf, Henning; Griffin, Nicholas W; Ridaura, Vanessa K; Reyes, Alejandro; Cheng, Jiye; Rey, Federico E; Smith, Michelle I; Simon, Gabriel M; Scheffrahn, Rudolf H; Woebken, Dagmar; Spormann, Alfred M; Van Treuren, William; Ursell, Luke K; Pirrung, Megan; Robbins-Pianka, Adam; Cantarel, Brandi L; Lombard, Vincent; Henrissat, Bernard; Knight, Rob; Gordon, Jeffrey I

    2014-10-09

    To study how microbes establish themselves in a mammalian gut environment, we colonized germ-free mice with microbial communities from human, zebrafish, and termite guts, human skin and tongue, soil, and estuarine microbial mats. Bacteria from these foreign environments colonized and persisted in the mouse gut; their capacity to metabolize dietary and host carbohydrates and bile acids correlated with colonization success. Cohousing mice harboring these xenomicrobiota or a mouse cecal microbiota, along with germ-free "bystanders," revealed the success of particular bacterial taxa in invading guts with established communities and empty gut habitats. Unanticipated patterns of ecological succession were observed; for example, a soil-derived bacterium dominated even in the presence of bacteria from other gut communities (zebrafish and termite), and human-derived bacteria colonized germ-free bystander mice before mouse-derived organisms. This approach can be generalized to address a variety of mechanistic questions about succession, including succession in the context of microbiota-directed therapeutics. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. MicroRNA-orchestrated pathophysiologic control in gut homeostasis and inflammation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Juneyoung; Park, Eun Jeong; Kiyono, Hiroshi

    2016-05-01

    The intestine represents the largest and most elaborate immune system organ, in which dynamic and reciprocal interplay among numerous immune and epithelial cells, commensal microbiota, and external antigens contributes to establishing both homeostatic and pathologic conditions. The mechanisms that sustain gut homeostasis are pivotal in maintaining gut health in the harsh environment of the gut lumen. Intestinal epithelial cells are critical players in creating the mucosal platform for interplay between host immune cells and luminal stress inducers. Thus, knowledge of the epithelial interface between immune cells and the luminal environment is a prerequisite for a better understanding of gut homeostasis and pathophysiologies such as inflammation. In this review, we explore the importance of the epithelium in limiting or promoting gut inflammation (e.g., inflammatory bowel disease). We also introduce recent findings on how small RNAs such as microRNAs orchestrate pathophysiologic gene regulation. [BMB Reports 2016; 49(5): 263-269].

  17. Characterization of the gut microbiota in leptin deficient obese mice

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ellekilde, Merete; Krych, Lukasz; Hansen, Camilla Hartmann Friis

    2014-01-01

    Gut microbiota have been implicated as a relevant factor in the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and its diversity might be a cause of variation in animal models of T2DM. In this study, we aimed to characterise the gut microbiota of a T2DM mouse model with a long term vision of being...... able to target the gut microbiota to reduce the number of animals used in experiments. Male B6.V-Lep(ob)/J mice were characterized according to a number of characteristics related to T2DM, inflammation and gut microbiota. All findings were thereafter correlated to one another in a linear regression...... model. The total gut microbiota profile correlated to glycated haemoglobin, and high proportions of Prevotellaceae and Lachnospiraceae correlated to impaired or improved glucose intolerance, respectively. In addition, Akkermansia muciniphila disappeared with age as glucose intolerance worsened. A high...

  18. The role of the gut microbiota in childhood obesity

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Friis Pihl, Andreas; Esmann Fonvig, Cilius; Stjernholm, Theresa

    2016-01-01

    Background: Childhood and adolescent obesity has reached epidemic proportions worldwide. The pathogenesis of obesity is complex and multifactorial, in which genetic and environmental contributions seem important. The gut microbiota is increasingly documented to be involved in the dysmetabolism...... associated with obesity. Methods: We conducted a systematic search for literature available before October 2015 in the PubMed and Scopus databases, focusing on the interplay between the gut microbiota, childhood obesity, and metabolism. Results: The review discusses the potential role of the bacterial...... component of the human gut microbiota in childhood and adolescent-onset obesity, with a special focus on the factors involved in the early development of the gut bacterial ecosystem, and how modulation of this microbial community might serve as a basis for new therapeutic strategies in combating childhood...

  19. Behind every great ant, there is a great gut

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Poulsen, Michael; Sapountzis, Panagiotis

    2012-01-01

    on the potential contribution of the ants’ gut symbionts. This issue of Molecular Ecology contains a study by Anderson et al. (2012), who take a comparative approach to explore the link between trophic levels and ant microbiomes, specifically, to address three main questions: (i) Do closely related herbivorous...... conserved gut microbiomes, suggesting symbiont functions that directly relate to dietary preference of the ant host. These findings suggest an ecological role of gut symbionts in ants, for example, in metabolism and/or protection, and the comparative approach taken supports a model of co-evolution between...... ant species and specific core symbiont microbiomes. This study, thereby, highlights the omnipresence and importance of gut symbioses—also in the Hymenoptera—and suggests that these hitherto overlooked microbes likely have contributed to the ecological success of the ants....

  20. Gut Microbial Glycerol Metabolism as an Endogenous Acrolein Source

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jianbo Zhang

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Acrolein is a highly reactive electrophile causing toxic effects, such as DNA and protein adduction, oxidative stress, endoplasmic reticulum stress, immune dysfunction, and membrane damage. This Opinion/Hypothesis provides an overview of endogenous and exogenous acrolein sources, acrolein’s mode of action, and its metabolic fate. Recent reports underpin the finding that gut microbial glycerol metabolism leading to the formation of reuterin is an additional source of endogenous acrolein. Reuterin is an antimicrobial multicomponent system consisting of 3-hydroxypropionaldehyde, its dimer and hydrate, and also acrolein. The major conclusion is that gut microbes can metabolize glycerol to reuterin and that this transformation occurs in vivo. Given the known toxicity of acrolein, the observation that acrolein is formed in the gut necessitates further investigations on functional relevance for gut microbiota and the host.

  1. Gut microbiomes and their metabolites shape human and animal health.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Woojun

    2018-03-01

    The host genetic background, complex surrounding environments, and gut microbiome are very closely linked to human and animal health and disease. Although significant correlations between gut microbiota and human and animal health have been revealed, the specific roles of each gut bacterium in shaping human and animal health and disease remain unclear. However, recent omics-based studies using experimental animals and surveys of gut microbiota from unhealthy humans have provided insights into the relationships among microbial community, their metabolites, and human and animal health. This editorial introduces six review papers that provide new discoveries of disease-associated microbiomes and suggest possible microbiome-based therapeutic approaches to human disease.

  2. Role of intestinal microbiota and metabolites on gut homeostasis and human diseases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Lan; Zhang, Jianqiong

    2017-01-06

    A vast diversity of microbes colonizes in the human gastrointestinal tract, referred to intestinal microbiota. Microbiota and products thereof are indispensable for shaping the development and function of host innate immune system, thereby exerting multifaceted impacts in gut health. This paper reviews the effects on immunity of gut microbe-derived nucleic acids, and gut microbial metabolites, as well as the involvement of commensals in the gut homeostasis. We focus on the recent findings with an intention to illuminate the mechanisms by which the microbiota and products thereof are interacting with host immunity, as well as to scrutinize imbalanced gut microbiota (dysbiosis) which lead to autoimmune disorders including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), Type 1 diabetes (T1D) and systemic immune syndromes such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In addition to their well-recognized benefits in the gut such as occupation of ecological niches and competition with pathogens, commensal bacteria have been shown to strengthen the gut barrier and to exert immunomodulatory actions within the gut and beyond. It has been realized that impaired intestinal microbiota not only contribute to gut diseases but also are inextricably linked to metabolic disorders and even brain dysfunction. A better understanding of the mutual interactions of the microbiota and host immune system, would shed light on our endeavors of disease prevention and broaden the path to our discovery of immune intervention targets for disease treatment.

  3. The human gut microbiome and its dysfunctions through the meta-omics prism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mondot, Stanislas; Lepage, Patricia

    2016-05-01

    The microorganisms inhabiting the human gut are abundant (10(14) cells) and diverse (approximately 500 species per individual). It is now acknowledged that the microbiota has coevolved with its host to achieve a symbiotic relationship, leading to physiological homeostasis. The gut microbiota ensures vital functions, such as food digestibility, maturation of the host immune system, and protection against pathogens. Over the last few decades, the gut microbiota has also been associated with numerous diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, obesity, and metabolic diseases. In most of these pathologies, a microbial dysbiosis has been found, indicating shifts in the taxonomic composition of the gut microbiota and changes in its functionality. Our understanding of the influence of the gut microbiota on human health is still growing. Working with microorganisms residing in the gut is challenging since most of them are anaerobic and a vast majority (approximately 75%) are uncultivable to date. Recently, a wide range of new approaches (meta-omics) has been developed to bypass the uncultivability and reveal the intricate mechanisms that sustain gut microbial homeostasis. After a brief description of these approaches (metagenomics, metatranscriptomics, metaproteomics, and metabolomics), this review will discuss the importance of considering the gut microbiome as a structured ecosystem and the use of meta-omics to decipher dysfunctions of the gut microbiome in diseases. © 2016 New York Academy of Sciences.

  4. Hydrogen-antihydrogen oscillations: Signature of intermediate mass scales in GUTs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Uptal Sarkar

    1983-01-01

    Full Text Available Hydrogen-antihydrogen oscillations and the double nucleon decay (pp, np and nn into two antileptons are discussed in the context of SO(10, E(6 and SU(16 GUTs. It is shown that the intermediate mass scales of the GUTs concerned govern the amplitude of these processes which are found to compete with the other baryon nonconserving processes in SU(16 GUT.

  5. Axion inflation in F-theory

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Grimm, Thomas W.

    2014-12-12

    We study the dynamics of axion-like fields in F-theory and suggest that they can serve as inflatons in models of natural inflation. The axions arise from harmonic three-forms on the F-theory compactification space and parameterize a complex torus that varies over the geometric moduli space. In particular, this implies that the axion decay constants depend on the complex structure moduli that can be fixed by background fluxes. This might allow tuning them to be super-Planckian in a controlled way and allow for interesting single field inflationary models. We argue that this requires a localization of the three-forms near regions of strong string coupling, analogously to the reasoning that GUT physics requires the use of F-theory. These models can admit a tensor to scalar ratio r>0.1.

  6. An integrated catalog of reference genes in the human gut microbiome

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Li, Junhua; Jia, Huijue; Cai, Xianghang

    2014-01-01

    Many analyses of the human gut microbiome depend on a catalog of reference genes. Existing catalogs for the human gut microbiome are based on samples from single cohorts or on reference genomes or protein sequences, which limits coverage of global microbiome diversity. Here we combined 249 newly...... signatures. This expanded catalog should facilitate quantitative characterization of metagenomic, metatranscriptomic and metaproteomic data from the gut microbiome to understand its variation across populations in human health and disease.......) comprising 9,879,896 genes. The catalog includes close-to-complete sets of genes for most gut microbes, which are also of considerably higher quality than in previous catalogs. Analyses of a group of samples from Chinese and Danish individuals using the catalog revealed country-specific gut microbial...

  7. Gut microbiota and sirtuins in obesity-related inflammation and bowel dysfunction

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lakhan Shaheen E

    2011-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Obesity is a chronic disease characterized by persistent low-grade inflammation with alterations in gut motility. Motor abnormalities suggest that obesity has effects on the enteric nervous system (ENS, which controls virtually all gut functions. Recent studies have revealed that the gut microbiota can affect obesity and increase inflammatory tone by modulating mucosal barrier function. Furthermore, the observation that inflammatory conditions influence the excitability of enteric neurons may add to the gut dysfunction in obesity. In this article, we discuss recent advances in understanding the role of gut microbiota and inflammation in the pathogenesis of obesity and obesity-related gastrointestinal dysfunction. The potential contribution of sirtuins in protecting or regulating the circuitry of the ENS under inflamed states is also considered.

  8. Evidence that independent gut-to-brain and brain-to-gut pathways operate in the irritable bowel syndrome and functional dyspepsia: a 1-year population-based prospective study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koloski, N A; Jones, M; Talley, N J

    2016-09-01

    Traditionally, functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) are conceptualised as originating in the brain via stress pathways (brain-to-gut). It is uncertain how many with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and functional dyspepsia (FD) have a gut origin of symptoms (gut-to-brain pathway). To determine if there is a distinct brain-to-gut FGID (where psychological symptoms begin first) and separately a distinct gut-to-brain FGID (where gut symptoms start first). A prospective random population sample from Newcastle, Australia who responded to a validated survey in 2012 and completed a 1-year follow-up survey (n = 1900). The surveys contained questions on Rome III IBS and FD and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. We found that higher levels of anxiety and depression at baseline were significant predictors of developing IBS (OR = 1.31; 95% CI 1.06-1.61, P = 0.01; OR = 1.54; 95% CI 1.29-1.83, P intestinal features in many cases. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  9. Complexity and variability of gut commensal microbiota in polyphagous lepidopteran larvae.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiaoshu Tang

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: The gut of most insects harbours nonpathogenic microorganisms. Recent work suggests that gut microbiota not only provide nutrients, but also involve in the development and maintenance of the host immune system. However, the complexity, dynamics and types of interactions between the insect hosts and their gut microbiota are far from being well understood. METHODS/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: To determine the composition of the gut microbiota of two lepidopteran pests, Spodoptera littoralis and Helicoverpa armigera, we applied cultivation-independent techniques based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing and microarray. The two insect species were very similar regarding high abundant bacterial families. Different bacteria colonize different niches within the gut. A core community, consisting of Enterococci, Lactobacilli, Clostridia, etc. was revealed in the insect larvae. These bacteria are constantly present in the digestion tract at relatively high frequency despite that developmental stage and diet had a great impact on shaping the bacterial communities. Some low-abundant species might become dominant upon loading external disturbances; the core community, however, did not change significantly. Clearly the insect gut selects for particular bacterial phylotypes. CONCLUSIONS: Because of their importance as agricultural pests, phytophagous Lepidopterans are widely used as experimental models in ecological and physiological studies. Our results demonstrated that a core microbial community exists in the insect gut, which may contribute to the host physiology. Host physiology and food, nevertheless, significantly influence some fringe bacterial species in the gut. The gut microbiota might also serve as a reservoir of microorganisms for ever-changing environments. Understanding these interactions might pave the way for developing novel pest control strategies.

  10. String theory and quantum gravity '92

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Harvey, J.; Iengo, R.; Narain, K.S.; Randjbar Daemi, S.; Verlinde, H.

    1993-01-01

    These proceedings of the 1992 Trieste Spring School and Workshop on String Theory and Quantum Gravity contains introductions and overviews of recent work on the use of two-dimensional string inspired models in the study of black holes, a lecture on gravitational scattering at planckian energies, another on the physical properties of higher-dimensional black holes and black strings in string theory, a discussion on N=2 superconformal field theories, a lecture about the application of matrix model techniques to the study of string theory in two dimensions, and an overview of the current status and developments in string field theory. Connections with models in statistical mechanics are also discussed. These proceedings contain seven lectures and ten contributions. Refs and figs

  11. Correlating the Gut Microbiome to Health and Disease

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Marques, T.M.; Holster, S.; Wall, R.; König, J.; Brummer, R.J.; Vos, de Willem

    2016-01-01

    The gut microbiota is a complex ecosystem consisting of a diverse population of prokaryotes that has a symbiotic relationship with its host; thus it plays a vital role for the host's health. Our understanding of the effect of the gut microbiome in health and disease has grown substantially over

  12. Food Design to Feed the Human Gut Microbiota

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ercolini, Danilo; Fogliano, Vincenzo

    2018-01-01

    The gut microbiome has an enormous impact on the life of the host, and the diet plays a fundamental role in shaping microbiome composition and function. The way food is processed is a key factor determining the amount and type of material reaching the gut bacteria and influencing their growth and

  13. Immune Response of Chicken Gut to Natural Colonization by Gut Microflora and to Salmonella enterica Serovar Enteritidis Infection ▿

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crhanova, Magdalena; Hradecka, Helena; Faldynova, Marcela; Matulova, Marta; Havlickova, Hana; Sisak, Frantisek; Rychlik, Ivan

    2011-01-01

    In commercial poultry production, there is a lack of natural flora providers since chickens are hatched in the clean environment of a hatchery. Events occurring soon after hatching are therefore of particular importance, and that is why we were interested in the development of the gut microbial community, the immune response to natural microbial colonization, and the response to Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis infection as a function of chicken age. The complexity of chicken gut microbiota gradually increased from day 1 to day 19 of life and consisted of Proteobacteria and Firmicutes. For the first 3 days of life, chicken cecum was protected by increased expression of chicken β-defensins (i.e., gallinacins 1, 2, 4, and 6), expression of which dropped from day 4 of life. On the other hand, a transient increase in interleukin-8 (IL-8) and IL-17 expression could be observed in chicken cecum on day 4 of life, indicating physiological inflammation and maturation of the gut immune system. In agreement, the response of chickens infected with S. Enteritidis on days 1, 4, and 16 of life shifted from Th1 (characterized mainly by induction of gamma interferon [IFN-γ] and inducible nitric oxide synthase [iNOS]), observed in younger chickens, to Th17, observed in 16-day-old chickens (characterized mainly by IL-17 induction). Active modification of chicken gut microbiota in the future may accelerate or potentiate the maturation of the gut immune system and increase its resistance to infection with different pathogens. PMID:21555397

  14. Gut microbiome development along the colorectal adenoma-carcinoma sequence

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Feng, Qiang; Liang, Suisha; Jia, Huijue

    2015-01-01

    factors indicates that high intake of red meat relative to fruits and vegetables appears to associate with outgrowth of bacteria that might contribute to a more hostile gut environment. These findings suggest that faecal microbiome-based strategies may be useful for early diagnosis and treatment......Colorectal cancer, a commonly diagnosed cancer in the elderly, often develops slowly from benign polyps called adenoma. The gut microbiota is believed to be directly involved in colorectal carcinogenesis. The identity and functional capacity of the adenoma- or carcinoma-related gut microbe...

  15. Richness of human gut microbiome correlates with metabolic markers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Le Chatelier, Emmanuelle; Nielsen, Trine; Qin, Junjie

    2013-01-01

    We are facing a global metabolic health crisis provoked by an obesity epidemic. Here we report the human gut microbial composition in a population sample of 123 non-obese and 169 obese Danish individuals. We find two groups of individuals that differ by the number of gut microbial genes and thus ...... and obese participants. Our classifications based on variation in the gut microbiome identify subsets of individuals in the general white adult population who may be at increased risk of progressing to adiposity-associated co-morbidities....

  16. Functional variation in the gut microbiome of wild Drosophila populations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bost, Alyssa; Martinson, Vincent G; Franzenburg, Soeren; Adair, Karen L; Albasi, Alice; Wells, Martin T; Douglas, Angela E

    2018-05-26

    Most of the evidence that the gut microbiome of animals is functionally variable, with consequences for the health and fitness of the animal host, is based on laboratory studies, often using inbred animals under tightly controlled conditions. It is largely unknown whether these microbiome effects would be evident in outbred animal populations under natural conditions. In this study, we quantified the functional traits of the gut microbiota (metagenome) and host (gut transcriptome) and the taxonomic composition of the gut microorganisms (16S rRNA gene sequence) in natural populations of three mycophagous Drosophila species. Variation in microbiome function and composition was driven principally by the period of sample collection, while host function varied mostly with Drosophila species, indicating that variation in microbiome traits is determined largely by environmental factors, and not host taxonomy. Despite this, significant correlations between microbiome and host functional traits were obtained. In particular, microbiome functions dominated by metabolism were positively associated with host functions relating to gut epithelial turnover. Much of the functional variation in the microbiome could be attributed to variation in abundance of Bacteroidetes, rather than the two other abundant groups, the γ-Proteobacteria or Lactobacillales. We conclude that functional variation in the interactions between animals and their gut microbiome can be detectable in natural populations and, in mycophagous Drosophila, this variation relates primarily to metabolism and homeostasis of the gut epithelium. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

  17. Gut microbiota in patients with Parkinson's disease in southern China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Aiqun; Zheng, Wenxia; He, Yan; Tang, Wenli; Wei, Xiaobo; He, Rongni; Huang, Wei; Su, Yuying; Huang, Yaowei; Zhou, Hongwei; Xie, Huifang

    2018-05-16

    Accumulating evidence has revealed alterations in the communication between the gut and brain in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), and previous studies have confirmed that alterations in the gut microbiome play an important role in the pathogenesis of numerous diseases, including PD. The aim of this study was to determine whether the faecal microbiome of PD patients in southern China differs from that of control subjects and whether the gut microbiome composition alters among different PD motor phenotypes. We compared the gut microbiota composition of 75 patients with PD and 45 age-matched controls using 16S rRNA next-generation-sequencing. We observed significant increases in the abundance of four bacterial families and significant decreases in the abundance of seventeen bacterial families in patients with PD compared to those of the controls. In particular, the abundance of Lachnospiraceae was reduced by 42.9% in patients with PD, whereas Bifidobacteriaceae was enriched in patients with PD. We did not identify a significant difference in the overall microbial composition among different PD motor phenotypes, but we identified the association between specific taxas and different PD motor phenotypes. PD is accompanied by alterations in the abundance of specific gut microbes. The abundance of certain gut microbes was altered depending on clinical motor phenotypes. Based on our findings, the gut microbiome may be a potential PD biomarker. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Ethics, Morality, and Game Theory

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mark Alfano

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Ethics is a field in which the gap between words and actions looms large. Game theory and the empirical methods it inspires look at behavior instead of the lip service people sometimes pay to norms. We believe that this special issue comprises several illustrations of the fruitful application of this approach to ethics.

  19. Philosophy with Guts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sherman, Robert R.

    2014-01-01

    Western philosophy, from Plato on, has had the tendency to separate feeling and thought, affect and cognition. This article argues that a strong philosophy (metaphorically, with "guts") utilizes both in its work. In fact, a "complete act of thought" also will include action. Feeling motivates thought, which formulates ideas,…

  20. Practices of Waldorf-Inspired Schools. Research Brief

    Science.gov (United States)

    Friedlaender, Diane; Beckham, Kyle; Zheng, Xinhua; Darling-Hammond, Linda

    2015-01-01

    "Growing a Waldorf-Inspired Approach in a Public School District" documents the practices and outcomes of Alice Birney, a Waldorf-Inspired School in Sacramento City Unified School District (SCUSD). This study highlights how such a school addresses students' academic, social, emotional, physical, and creative development. The study also…

  1. Xenobiotics and the Human Gut Microbiome: Metatranscriptomics Reveal the Active Players

    OpenAIRE

    Ursell, Luke K.; Knight, Rob

    2013-01-01

    The human gut microbiome plays an important role in the metabolism of xenobiotics. In a recent issue of Cell, Maurice et al. identify the active members of the gut microbiome and show how gene expression profiles change within the gut microbial community in response to antibiotics and host-targeted xenobiotics.

  2. Pathophysiology of the Gut and the Microbiome in the Host Response.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lyons, John D; Coopersmith, Craig M

    2017-03-01

    To describe and summarize the data supporting the gut as the motor driving critical illness and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome presented at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development MODS Workshop (March 26-27, 2015). Summary of workshop keynote presentation. Not applicable. Presented by an expert in the field, the data assessing the role of gastrointestinal dysfunction driving critical illness were described with a focus on identifying knowledge gaps and research priorities. Summary of presentation and discussion supported and supplemented by relevant literature. The understanding of gut dysfunction in critical illness has evolved greatly over time, and the gut is now often considered as the "motor" of critical illness. The association of the gut with critical illness is supported by both animal models and clinical studies. Initially, the association between gut dysfunction and critical illness focused primarily on bacterial translocation into the bloodstream. However, that work has evolved to include other gut-derived products causing distant injury via other routes (e.g., lymphatics). Additionally, alterations in the gut epithelium may be associated with critical illness and influence outcomes. Gut epithelial apoptosis, intestinal hyperpermeability, and perturbations in the intestinal mucus layer have all been associated with critical illness. Finally, there is growing evidence that the intestinal microbiome plays a crucial role in mediating pathology in critical illness. Further research is needed to better understand the role of each of these mechanisms and their contribution to multiple organ dysfunction syndrome in children.

  3. Gancao-Gansui combination impacts gut microbiota diversity and related metabolic functions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Jingao; Guo, Jianming; Tao, Weiwei; Liu, Pei; Shang, Erxin; Zhu, Zhenhua; Fan, Xiuhe; Shen, Juan; Hua, Yongqing; Zhu, Kevin Yue; Tang, Yuping; Duan, Jin-Ao

    2018-03-25

    The theory of "eighteen incompatible medicaments" (EIM) in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is the most representative case of herbal-herbal interactions. Gancao and Gansui are one of the incompatible herbal pairs in EIM. Gancao, also known as "licorice", is the most frequently used Chinese herb or food additive. Gansui, the root of Euphorbia kansui T.P. Wang, is another famous Chinese herb usually used to treat edema, ascites and asthma but could induce gastrointestinal (GI) tract irritation. Although Gancao and Gansui are incompatible herbal pairs, they are still used in combination in the famous "Gansui-Banxia" decoction. This study was conducted to investigate if Gancao-Gansui combination could exacerbate Gansui induced GI tract injury. Moreover, the impact of Gancao-Gansui combination to gut microbiota and related metabolism pathways were evaluated. Normal mice were divided into different groups and treated with Gancao extracts, Gansui extracts, and Gancao-Gansui combination extracts for 7 days. Serum biomarkers (diamine oxidase activity, lipopolysaccharide, motilin, IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α) were determined to reflect GI tract damage. Gut microbiota diversity was studied by 16S rDNA sequencing and metagenomes analysis were also conducted to reflect functional genes expression alteration. Fecal hydrogen sulfide concentrations were measured by spectrophotometry to confirm the alteration of Desulfovibrio genus. Fecal lipid metabolomics study was conducted by GC-MS analysis to confirm the change of metagenomes and Mycoplasma abundance. Gancao-Gansui combination did not exacerbate GI tract tissue or functional damage but caused gut microbiota dysbiosis and increased some rare genus's abundance including Desulfovibrio and Mycoplasma. Desulfovibrio genus proliferation was confirmed by the disturbance of fecal hydrogen sulfide homeostasis. Gancao-Gansui combination also dys-regulated the metabolic genes in metagenomes. Mycoplasma genus proliferation and the metagenomes

  4. Alternation of Gut Microbiota in Patients with Pulmonary Tuberculosis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mei Luo

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available One-third of the world's population has been infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis, a primary pathogen of the mammalian respiratory system, while about 10% of latent infections progress to active tuberculosis (TB, indicating that host and environmental factors may determine the outcomes such as infection clearance/persistence and treatment prognosis. The gut microbiota is essential for development of host immunity, defense, nutrition and metabolic homeostasis. Thus, the pattern of gut microbiota may contribute to M. tuberculosis infection and prognosis. In current study we characterized the differences in gut bacterial communities in new tuberculosis patients (NTB, recurrent tuberculosis patients (RTB, and healthy control. The abundance-based coverage estimator (ACE showed the diversity index of the gut microbiota in the patients with recurrent tuberculosis was increased significantly compared with healthy controls (p < 0.05. At the phyla level, Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria, which contain many pathogenic species, were significantly enriched in the feces RTB patients. Conversely, phylum Bacteroidetes, containing a variety of beneficial commensal organisms, was reduced in the patients with the recurrent tuberculosis compared to healthy controls. The Gram-negative genus Prevotella of oral origin from phylum of Bacteroidetes and genus Lachnospira from phylum of Firmicutes were significantly decreased in both the new and recurrent TB patient groups, compared with the healthy control group (p < 0.05. We also found that there was a positive correlation between the gut microbiota and peripheral CD4+ T cell counts in the patients. This study, for the first time, showed associations between gut microbiota with tuberculosis and its clinical outcomes. Maintaining eubiosis, namely homeostasis of gut microbiota, may be beneficial for host recovery and prevention of recurrence of M. tuberculosis infection.

  5. A psychology of the human brain-gut-microbiome axis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Allen, Andrew P; Dinan, Timothy G; Clarke, Gerard; Cryan, John F

    2017-04-01

    In recent years, we have seen increasing research within neuroscience and biopsychology on the interactions between the brain, the gastrointestinal tract, the bacteria within the gastrointestinal tract, and the bidirectional relationship between these systems: the brain-gut-microbiome axis. Although research has demonstrated that the gut microbiota can impact upon cognition and a variety of stress-related behaviours, including those relevant to anxiety and depression, we still do not know how this occurs. A deeper understanding of how psychological development as well as social and cultural factors impact upon the brain-gut-microbiome axis will contextualise the role of the axis in humans and inform psychological interventions that improve health within the brain-gut-microbiome axis. Interventions ostensibly aimed at ameliorating disorders in one part of the brain-gut-microbiome axis (e.g., psychotherapy for depression) may nonetheless impact upon other parts of the axis (e.g., microbiome composition and function), and functional gastrointestinal disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome represent a disorder of the axis, rather than an isolated problem either of psychology or of gastrointestinal function. The discipline of psychology needs to be cognisant of these interactions and can help to inform the future research agenda in this emerging field of research. In this review, we outline the role psychology has to play in understanding the brain-gut-microbiome axis, with a focus on human psychology and the use of research in laboratory animals to model human psychology.

  6. Gut microbiota modifications and weight gain in early life

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Emmanouil Angelakis

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Childhood and adolescent obesity is a significant public health concern and has been associated with cardiovascular disease and related metabolic sequelae later in life. In recent years, several studies have postulated an imbalance in the composition of the early life gut microbiota results in pediatric obesity and its associated diseases. The early life gut microbiota is influenced by several factors including the mode of delivery, prematurity, breastfeeding, and the use of antibiotics and probiotics. It has been proposed that, when given early in life, antibiotics and probiotics disrupt the gut microbiota and consequently its metabolic activity, promoting weight gain. Probiotics have increasingly been administrated to children and studies on the perinatal use of probiotics on low birth weight and healthy infants revealed significantly increased body length and weight later in life in comparison with infants who did not receive probiotic supplements. Similarly, exposure to antibiotics is very high perinatally and in the early periods of life and there is evidence that antibiotic treatment decreases the biodiversity of the early life gut microbiota. In addition, studies have revealed that antibiotic treatment during the first months of life is associated with being overweight later in life. In this paper we review the effects of the administration of probiotics and antibiotics in early life on the gut microbiota and discuss their effects on weight gain. Keywords: Gut microbiota, Obesity, Newborn, Antibiotics, Probiotics

  7. Links between Dietary Protein Sources, the Gut Microbiota, and Obesity

    OpenAIRE

    Lise Madsen; Lise Madsen; Lise Madsen; Lene S. Myrmel; Even Fjære; Bjørn Liaset; Karsten Kristiansen; Karsten Kristiansen

    2017-01-01

    The association between the gut microbiota and obesity is well documented in both humans and in animal models. It is also demonstrated that dietary factors can change the gut microbiota composition and obesity development. However, knowledge of how diet, metabolism and gut microbiota mutually interact and modulate energy metabolism and obesity development is still limited. Epidemiological studies indicate an association between intake of certain dietary protein sources and obesity. Animal stu...

  8. Links between dietary protein sources, the gut microbiota, and obesity

    OpenAIRE

    Madsen, Lise; Myrmel, Lene S.; Fjære, Even; Liaset, Bjørn; Kristiansen, Karsten

    2017-01-01

    The association between the gut microbiota and obesity is well documented in both humans and in animal models. It is also demonstrated that dietary factors can change the gut microbiota composition and obesity development. However, knowledge of how diet, metabolism and gut microbiota mutually interact and modulate energy metabolism and obesity development is still limited. Epidemiological studies indicate an association between intake of certain dietary protein sources and obesity. Animal stu...

  9. Alterations in Gut Microbiota and Immunity by Dietary Fat.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Bo Gie; Hur, Kyu Yeon; Lee, Myung Shik

    2017-11-01

    Gut microbiota play critical physiological roles in energy extraction from the intestine and in the control of systemic immunity, as well as local intestinal immunity. Disturbance of gut microbiota leads to the development of several diseases, such as colitis, inflammatory bowel diseases, metabolic disorders, cancer, etc. From a metabolic point of view, the gut is a large metabolic organ and one of the first to come into contact with dietary fats. Interestingly, excessive dietary fat has been incriminated as a primary culprit of metabolic syndrome and obesity. After intake of high-fat diet or Western diet, extensive changes in gut microbiota have been observed, which may be an underlying cause of alterations in whole body metabolism and nutrient homeostasis. Here, we summarize recent data on changes in the gut microbiota and immunity associated with dietary fat, as well as their relationships with the pathogenesis of metabolic syndrome. These findings may provide insight into the understanding of the complex pathophysiology related to the development of metabolic diseases and offer an opportunity to develop novel candidates for therapeutic agents. © Copyright: Yonsei University College of Medicine 2017.

  10. Metabolic Interaction of Helicobacter pylori Infection and Gut Microbiota

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yao-Jong Yang

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available As a barrier, gut commensal microbiota can protect against potential pathogenic microbes in the gastrointestinal tract. Crosstalk between gut microbes and immune cells promotes human intestinal homeostasis. Dysbiosis of gut microbiota has been implicated in the development of many human metabolic disorders like obesity, hepatic steatohepatitis, and insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes (T2D. Certain microbes, such as butyrate-producing bacteria, are lower in T2D patients. The transfer of intestinal microbiota from lean donors increases insulin sensitivity in individuals with metabolic syndrome, but the exact pathogenesis remains unclear. H. pylori in the human stomach cause chronic gastritis, peptic ulcers, and gastric cancers. H. pylori infection also induces insulin resistance and has been defined as a predisposing factor to T2D development. Gastric and fecal microbiota may have been changed in H. pylori-infected persons and mice to promote gastric inflammation and specific diseases. However, the interaction of H. pylori and gut microbiota in regulating host metabolism also remains unknown. Further studies aim to identify the H. pylori-microbiota-host metabolism axis and to test if H. pylori eradication or modification of gut microbiota can improve the control of human metabolic disorders.

  11. Luminous bacteria cultured from fish guts in the Gulf of Oman.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Makemson, J C; Hermosa, G V

    1999-01-01

    The incidence of culturable luminous bacteria in Omani market fish guts was correlated to habitat type amongst 109 species of fish. Isolated representative luminous bacteria were compared to known species using the Biolog system (95 traits/isolate) and cluster analysis, which showed that the main taxa present in fish guts were clades related to Vibrio harveyi and Photobacterium species with sporadic incidence of P. phosphoreum. The luminous isolates from gut of the slip-mouth (barred pony fish), Leiognathus fasciatus, were mainly a type related to Photobacterium but phenotypically different from known species. These luminous gut bacteria were identical with the bacteria in the light organ, indicating that the light organ supplies a significant quantity of luminous bacteria to the gut. In many of the fish that lack light organs, luminous bacteria were also the dominant bacterial type in the gut, while in some others luminous bacteria were encountered sporadically and at low densities, reflecting the incidence of culturable luminous bacteria in seawater. Pelagic fish contained the highest incidence of culturable luminous bacteria and reef-associated fish the lowest. No correlation was found between the incidence of culturable luminous bacteria and the degree to which fish produce a melanin-covered gut. Copyright 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  12. Beyond gut microbiota: understanding obesity and type 2 diabetes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lau, Eva; Carvalho, Davide; Pina-Vaz, Cidália; Barbosa, José-Adelino; Freitas, Paula

    2015-01-01

    Obesity and type 2 diabetes are metabolic diseases that have reached epidemic proportions worldwide. Although their etiology is complex, both result from interplay between behaviour, environment and genetic factors. Within ambient determinants, human overall gut bacteria have been identified as a crucial mediator of obesity and its consequences. Gut microbiota plays a crucial role in gastro-intestinal mucosa permeability and regulates the fermentation and absorption of dietary polyssacharides, which may explain its importance in the regulation of fat accumulation and the resultant development of obesity-related diseases. The main objective of this review is to address the pathogenic association between gut microbiota and obesity and to explore related innovative therapeutic targets. New insights into the role of the small bowel and gut microbiota in diabetes and obesity may make possible the development of integrated strategies to prevent and treat these metabolic disorders.

  13. Business Inspiration: Small Business Leadership in Recovery?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rae, David; Price, Liz; Bosworth, Gary; Parkinson, Paul

    2012-01-01

    Business Inspiration was a short, action-centred leadership and innovation development programme designed for owners and managers of smaller firms to address business survival and repositioning needs arising from the UK's economic downturn. The article examines the design and delivery of Business Inspiration and the impact of the programme on…

  14. The role of gut bacteria in Schmallenberg virus transmission by Culicoides biting midges

    Science.gov (United States)

    When an arbo-virus enters a vector it will first enter the gut system of this insect before entering cells of the insect body. Once in the gut-system, arbo-viruses and gut microbiota can interact with each other. We wondered if different gut bacterial communities could influence virus infection of b...

  15. Irritable bowel syndrome, the microbiota and the gut-brain axis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Raskov, Hans; Burcharth, Jakob; Pommergaard, Hans-Christian

    2016-01-01

    Irritable bowel syndrome is a common functional gastrointestinal disorder and it is now evident that irritable bowel syndrome is a multi-factorial complex of changes in microbiota and immunology. The bidirectional neurohumoral integrated communication between the microbiota and the autonomous...... nervous system is called the gut-brain-axis, which integrates brain and GI functions, such as gut motility, appetite and weight. The gut-brain-axis has a central function in the perpetuation of irritable bowel syndrome and the microbiota plays a critical role. The purpose of this article is to review...... recent research concerning the epidemiology of irritable bowel syndrome, influence of microbiota, probiota, gut-brain-axis, and possible treatment modalities on irritable bowel syndrome....

  16. The gut microbiota, environment and diseases of modern society.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kelsen, Judith R; Wu, Gary D

    2012-01-01

    The human gut microbiota is a complex community that provides important metabolic functions to the host. Consequently, alterations in the gut microbiota have been associated with the pathogenesis of several human diseases associated with a disturbance in metabolism, particularly those that have been increasing in incidence over the last several decades including obesity, diabetes and atherosclerosis. In this review, we explore how advances in deep DNA sequencing technology have provided us a greater understanding of the factors that influence that composition of the gut microbiota and its possible links to the pathogenesis of these diseases.

  17. Differentiating Immune Cell Targets in Gut-Associated Lymphoid Tissue for HIV Cure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khan, Shahzada; Telwatte, Sushama; Trapecar, Martin; Yukl, Steven; Sanjabi, Shomyseh

    2017-11-01

    The single greatest challenge to an HIV cure is the persistence of latently infected cells containing inducible, replication-competent proviral genomes, which constitute only a small fraction of total or infected cells in the body. Although resting CD4 + T cells in the blood are a well-known source of viral rebound, more than 90% of the body's lymphocytes reside elsewhere. Many are in gut tissue, where HIV DNA levels per million CD4 + T cells are considerably higher than in the blood. Despite the significant contribution of gut tissue to viral replication and persistence, little is known about the cell types that support persistence of HIV in the gut; importantly, T cells in the gut have phenotypic, functional, and survival properties that are distinct from T cells in other tissues. The mechanisms by which latency is established and maintained will likely depend on the location and cytokine milieu surrounding the latently infected cells in each compartment. Therefore, successful HIV cure strategies require identification and characterization of the exact cell types that support viral persistence, particularly in the gut. In this review, we describe the seeding of the latent HIV reservoir in the gut mucosa; highlight the evidence for compartmentalization and depletion of T cells; summarize the immunologic consequences of HIV infection within the gut milieu; propose how the damaged gut environment may promote the latent HIV reservoir; and explore several immune cell targets in the gut and their place on the path toward HIV cure.

  18. Gut microbiota trajectory in patients with severe burn: A time series study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Xinying; Yang, Jianbo; Tian, Feng; Zhang, Li; Lei, Qiucheng; Jiang, Tingting; Zhou, Jihong; Yuan, Siming; Wang, Jun; Feng, Zhijian; Li, Jieshou

    2017-12-01

    This time series experiments aimed to investigate the dynamic change of gut microbiomes after severe burn and its association with enteral nutrition (EN). Seven severely burned patients who suffered from a severe metal dust explosion injury were recruited in this study. The dynamic changes of gut microbiome of fecal samples at six time points (1-3days, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6weeks after severe burn) were detected using 16S ribosomal RNA pyrosequencing technology. Following the post-burn temporal order, gut microbiota dysbiosis was detected in the gut microbiome after severe burn, then it was gradually resolved. The bio-diversity of gut bacteria was initially decreased, and then returned to normal level. In addition, at the early stage (from 2 to 4weeks), the majority of those patients' gut microbiome were opportunistic pathogen genus, Enterococcus and Escherichia; while at the end of this study, the majority was a beneficial genus, Bacteroides. EN can promote the recovery of gut microbiota, especially in EN well-tolerated patients. Severe burn injury can cause a dramatic dysbiosis of gut microbiota. A trend of enriched beneficial bacteria and diminished opportunistic pathogen bacteria may serve as prognosis microbiome biomarkers of severe burn patients. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. The organophosphate malathion disturbs gut microbiome development and the quorum-Sensing system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Bei; Chi, Liang; Tu, Pengcheng; Bian, Xiaoming; Thomas, Jesse; Ru, Hongyu; Lu, Kun

    2018-02-01

    The gut microbiome has tremendous potential to impact health and disease. Various environmental toxicants, including insecticides, have been shown to alter gut microbiome community structures. However, the mechanism that compositionally and functionally regulates gut microbiota remains unclear. Quorum sensing is known to modulate intra- and interspecies gene expression and coordinate population responses. It is unknown whether quorum sensing is disrupted when environmental toxicants cause perturbations in the gut microbiome community structure. To reveal the response of the quorum-sensing system to environmental exposure, we use a combination of Illumina-based 16S rRNA gene amplicon and shotgun metagenome sequencing to examine the impacts of a widely used organophosphate insecticide, malathion, on the gut microbiome trajectory, quorum sensing system and behaviors related to quorum sensing, such as motility and pathogenicity. Our results demonstrated that malathion perturbed the gut microbiome development, quorum sensing and quorum sensing related behaviors. These findings may provide a novel mechanistic understanding of the role of quorum-sensing in the gut microbiome toxicity of malathion. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  20. The role of the adaptive immune system in regulation of gut microbiota.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kato, Lucia M; Kawamoto, Shimpei; Maruya, Mikako; Fagarasan, Sidonia

    2014-07-01

    The gut nourishes rich bacterial communities that affect profoundly the functions of the immune system. The relationship between gut microbiota and the immune system is one of reciprocity. The microbiota contributes to nutrient processing and the development, maturation, and function of the immune system. Conversely, the immune system, particularly the adaptive immune system, plays a key role in shaping the repertoire of gut microbiota. The fitness of host immune system is reflected in the gut microbiota, and deficiencies in either innate or adaptive immunity impact on diversity and structures of bacterial communities in the gut. Here, we discuss the mechanisms that underlie this reciprocity and emphasize how the adaptive immune system via immunoglobulins (i.e. IgA) contributes to diversification and balance of gut microbiota required for immune homeostasis. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.