Mechanistic insight into how gonadotropin hormone receptor complexes direct signaling†

Abstract Gonadotropin hormones and their receptors play a central role in the control of male and female reproduction. In recent years, there has been growing evidence surrounding the complexity of gonadotropin hormone/receptor signaling, with it increasingly apparent that the Gαs/cAMP/PKA pathway is not the sole signaling pathway that confers their biological actions. Here we review recent literature on the different receptor–receptor, receptor–scaffold, and receptor–signaling molecule complexes formed and how these modulate and direct gonadotropin hormone-dependent intracellular signal activation. We will touch upon the more controversial issue of extragonadal expression of FSHR and the differential signal pathways activated in these tissues, and lastly, highlight the open questions surrounding the role these gonadotropin hormone receptor complexes and how this will shape future research directions.

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Reducibility and Solvability of Some Classes of Kryuchkov Binary Tree Pairs

The Electronic Journal of Combinatorics ◽

10.37236/2028 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 18 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Maria Madonia ◽

Giuseppe Scollo

Keyword(s):

Induction Hypothesis ◽

Binary Tree ◽

Binary Trees ◽

Equal Size ◽

Future Research ◽

Theoretic Approach ◽

Research Directions ◽

Open Questions ◽

Future Research Directions

This paper addresses the problem of characterizing classes of pairs of binary trees of equal size for which a signed reassociation sequence, in the Eliahou-Kryuchkov sense, can be shown to exist, either with a size induction hypothesis (reducible pairs), or without it (solvable pairs). A few concepts proposed by Cooper, Rowland and Zeilberger, in the context of a language-theoretic approach to the problem, are here reformulated in terms of signed reassociation sequences, and some of their results are recasted and proven in this framework. A few strategies, tactics and combinations thereof for signed reassociation are introduced, which prove useful to extend the results obtained by the aforementioned authors to new classes of binary tree pairs. In particular, with reference to path trees, i.e. binary trees that have a leaf at every level, we show the reducibility of pairs where (at least) one of the two path trees has a triplication at the first turn below the top level, and we characterize a class of weakly mutually crooked path tree pairs that are neither reducible nor solvable by any previously known result, but prove solvable by appropriate reassociation strategies. This class also includes a subclass of mutually crooked path tree pairs. A summary evaluation of the achieved results, followed by an outline of open questions and future research directions conclude the paper.

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Nurturing Grandchildren With Down Syndrome: A Qualitative Study on Grandparents’ Needs Using Digital Tools†

Frontiers in Psychology ◽

10.3389/fpsyg.2021.661205 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

María C. Sánchez Gómez ◽

Rocío Martín-Sevillano ◽

María V. Martín-Cilleros ◽

J. J. Mena Marcos ◽

Francisco J. García-Peñalvo

Keyword(s):

Down Syndrome ◽

General Purpose ◽

Future Research ◽

Personal Perspective ◽

Social Emotional ◽

Individual Interviews ◽

Open Questions ◽

Future Research Directions ◽

Qualitative Phenomenological ◽

Negative Feelings

Grandparents who have grandchildren with disabilities are an underrepresented group in existing research related to the field. This qualitative phenomenological study’s general purpose is to analyze, from a personal perspective, the situations and needs of grandparents who have grandchildren with Down syndrome. The participants’ ages range from 65 to 85, and the ages of their grandchildren with Down syndrome range from 3 to 21 years. All participants had one grandchild with a disability, except for two, who each had two. A sociodemographic questionnaire was administered, and individual interviews were conducted, using open questions, through phone and/or video calls. An analysis of the participants’ speech was carried out, which implied the development of a system of meta-categories and categories. This analysis was developed manually, given the COVID-19 environment. The results indicate a substantial change from negative feelings caused by the knowledge of the diagnosis to feelings related to positive experiences expressed currently. The participants see themselves as a fundamental source of support (informal, instrumental, practical, social, emotional, and economic) for their families and, mainly, for their grandchildren with Down syndrome. A need for information and training was observed when the grandparents talked about first being informed of the diagnosis and their concerns about the future of these grandchildren and their siblings. They made social demands, such as greater government involvement or more significant opportunities to access resources and rights for their grandchildren. The results are discussed, as are possible future research directions.

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3D quantum Hall effects and nonlinear Hall effect

npj Quantum Materials ◽

10.1038/s41535-021-00399-2 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Shuai Li ◽

C. M. Wang ◽

Z. Z. Du ◽

Fang Qin ◽

Hai-Zhou Lu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Hall Effect ◽

Condensed Matter ◽

Quantum Hall ◽

Future Research ◽

Research Directions ◽

New Members ◽

Quantum Hall Effects ◽

Open Questions ◽

Hall Effects ◽

Future Research Directions

AbstractThe classical and quantum Hall effects are important subjects in condensed matter physics. The emergent 3D quantum Hall effects and nonlinear Hall effect have attracted considerable interest recently, with the former elevating the quantum Hall effect to a higher dimension and the latter extending the Hall effect to higher-order responses. In this perspective, we briefly introduce these two new members of the Hall family and discuss the open questions and future research directions.

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The Market, the Firm, and Behavioral Antitrust

The Oxford Handbook of Behavioral Economics and the Law ◽

10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199945474.013.0021 ◽

2014 ◽

pp. 538-567

Author(s):

Avishalom Tor

Keyword(s):

Empirical Evidence ◽

Law And Economics ◽

Individual Behavior ◽

Future Research ◽

Antitrust Law ◽

Research Directions ◽

Enforcement Policy ◽

Open Questions ◽

Future Research Directions ◽

Behavioral Evidence

This Handbook chapter examines the main distinct concerns facing the application of empirical behavioral evidence to antitrust law and economics—also known as “behavioral antitrust.” More than many (though not all) other legal fields, antitrust law is primarily concerned with the conduct of firms in markets rather than in individual behavior per se. Yet much of the empirical evidence that behavioral antitrust draws on concerns individual behavior outside the firm, often in nonmarket settings. Hence besides adducing additional, direct empirical evidence on behavioral phenomena within firms and markets, there is a need to determine when and how the behavioral evidence on human judgment and decision behavior more generally is informative for antitrust. To this end, the chapter considers the ways in which markets and firms shape behavior. Direct evidence and theoretical analysis both reveal these institutions variously to facilitate rationality and deviations from it. After illustrating the implications of the complex interaction among markets, firms, and the rationality of antitrust actors across different areas of the law and enforcement policy, the chapter concludes by sketching some important open questions and future research directions in behavioral antitrust.

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On the properties of spectral effect algebras

Quantum ◽

10.22331/q-2019-06-03-148 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 ◽

pp. 148 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Anna Jenčová ◽

Martin Plávala

Keyword(s):

Effect Algebra ◽

Future Research ◽

Effect Algebras ◽

Direct Products ◽

Research Directions ◽

State Spaces ◽

Spectral Decompositions ◽

Spectral Effect ◽

Open Questions ◽

Future Research Directions

The aim of this paper is to show that there can be either only one or uncountably many contexts in any spectral effect algebra, answering a question posed in [S. Gudder, Convex and Sequential Effect Algebras, (2018), arXiv:1802.01265]. We also provide some results on the structure of spectral effect algebras and their state spaces and investigate the direct products and direct convex sums of spectral effect algebras. In the case of spectral effect algebras with sharply determining state space, stronger properties can be proved: the spectral decompositions are essentially unique, the algebra is sharply dominating and the set of its sharp elements is an orthomodular lattice. The article also contains a list of open questions that might provide interesting future research directions.

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Experiments on and Numerical Modeling of the Capture and Concentration of Transcription-Translation Machinery inside Vesicles

Artificial Life ◽

10.1162/artl_a_00187 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 21 (4) ◽

pp. 445-463 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Fabio Mavelli ◽

Pasquale Stano

Keyword(s):

Lipid Vesicles ◽

Future Research ◽

Partition Functions ◽

Research Directions ◽

Open Questions ◽

Synthetic Cells ◽

Measurable Rate ◽

Future Research Directions ◽

Minimal Cells ◽

Fundamental Physical

Synthetic or semi-synthetic minimal cells are those cell-like artificial compartments that are based on the encapsulation of molecules inside lipid vesicles (liposomes). Synthetic cells are currently used as primitive cell models and are very promising tools for future biotechnology. Despite the recent experimental advancements and sophistication reached in this field, the complete elucidation of many fundamental physical aspects still poses experimental and theoretical challenges. The interplay between solute capture and vesicle formation is one of the most intriguing ones. In a series of studies, we have reported that when vesicles spontaneously form in a dilute solution of proteins, ribosomes, or ribo-peptidic complexes, then, contrary to statistical predictions, it is possible to find a small fraction of liposomes (<1%) that contain a very large number of solutes, so that their local (intravesicular) concentrations largely exceed the expected value. More recently, we have demonstrated that this effect (spontaneous crowding) operates also on multimolecular mixtures, and can drive the synthesis of proteins inside vesicles, whereas the same reaction does not proceed at a measurable rate in the external bulk phase. Here we firstly introduce and discuss these already published observations. Then, we present a computational investigation of the encapsulation of transcription-translation (TX-TL) machinery inside vesicles, based on a minimal protein synthesis model and on different solute partition functions. Results show that experimental data are compatible with an entrapment model that follows a power law rather than a Gaussian distribution. The results are discussed from the viewpoint of origin of life, highlighting open questions and possible future research directions.

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Mechanisms Regulating Oocyte Meiotic Resumption: Roles of Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase

Molecular Endocrinology ◽

10.1210/me.2006-0408 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 21 (9) ◽

pp. 2037-2055 ◽

Cited By ~ 103

Author(s):

Cheng-Guang Liang ◽

You-Qiang Su ◽

Heng-Yu Fan ◽

Heide Schatten ◽

Qing-Yuan Sun

Keyword(s):

Cell Cycle Progression ◽

Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase ◽

Future Research ◽

Signal Pathways ◽

Species Survival ◽

New Findings ◽

Lower Vertebrates ◽

Mitogen Activated Protein ◽

Future Research Directions ◽

Oocyte Meiotic Maturation

Abstract Oocyte meiotic maturation is one of the important physiological requirements for species survival. However, little is known about the detailed events occurring during this process. A number of studies have demonstrated that MAPK plays a pivotal role in the regulation of meiotic cell cycle progression in oocytes, but controversial findings have been reported in both lower vertebrates and mammals. In this review, we summarized the roles of MAPK cascade and related signal pathways in oocyte meiotic reinitiation in both lower vertebrates and mammals. We also tried to reconcile the paradoxical results and highlight the new findings concerning the function of MAPK in both oocytes and the surrounding follicular somatic cells. The unresolved questions and future research directions regarding the role of MAPK in meiotic resumption are addressed.

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On Consensus-Based Distributed Blind Calibration of Sensor Networks

Sensors ◽

10.3390/s18114027 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 18 (11) ◽

pp. 4027 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Miloš Stanković ◽

Srdjan Stanković ◽

Karl Johansson ◽

Marko Beko ◽

Luis Camarinha-Matos

Keyword(s):

Sensor Networks ◽

A Priori ◽

Future Research ◽

Mean Square ◽

Basic Algorithm ◽

Open Questions ◽

Future Research Directions ◽

The Mean ◽

Blind Calibration ◽

Calibration Parameters

This paper deals with recently proposed algorithms for real-time distributed blind macro-calibration of sensor networks based on consensus (synchronization). The algorithms are completely decentralized and do not require a fusion center. The goal is to consolidate all of the existing results on the subject, present them in a unified way, and provide additional important analysis of theoretical and practical issues that one can encounter when designing and applying the methodology. We first present the basic algorithm which estimates local calibration parameters by enforcing asymptotic consensus, in the mean-square sense and with probability one (w.p.1), on calibrated sensor gains and calibrated sensor offsets. For the more realistic case in which additive measurement noise, communication dropouts and additive communication noise are present, two algorithm modifications are discussed: one that uses a simple compensation term, and a more robust one based on an instrumental variable. The modified algorithms also achieve asymptotic agreement for calibrated sensor gains and offsets, in the mean-square sense and w.p.1. The convergence rate can be determined in terms of an upper bound on the mean-square error. The case when the communications between nodes is completely asynchronous, which is of substantial importance for real-world applications, is also presented. Suggestions for design of a priori adjustable weights are given. We also present the results for the case in which the underlying sensor network has a subset of (precalibrated) reference sensors with fixed calibration parameters. Wide applicability and efficacy of these algorithms are illustrated on several simulation examples. Finally, important open questions and future research directions are discussed.

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Targeting the NLRP3 Inflammasome via BTK

Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology ◽

10.3389/fcell.2021.630479 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 ◽

Author(s):

Alexander N. R. Weber

Keyword(s):

Nlrp3 Inflammasome ◽

Therapeutic Potential ◽

Future Research ◽

Research Directions ◽

Open Questions ◽

Human Disorders ◽

Future Research Directions ◽

Mechanistic Basis ◽

Btk Inhibitors

The NLRP3 inflammasome represents a critical inflammatory machinery driving pathology in many acute (e. g., myocardial infarction or stroke) and chronic (Alzheimer's disease, atherosclerosis) human disorders linked to the activity of IL-1 cytokines. Although the therapeutic potential of NLRP3 is undisputed, currently no clinically approved therapies exist to target the NLRP3 inflammasome directly. The recent discovery of BTK as a direct and positive regulator of the NLRP3 inflammasome has, however, raised the intriguing possibility of targeting the NLRP3 inflammasome via existing or future BTK inhibitors. Here, I review the mechanistic basis for this notion and discuss the molecular and cellular role of BTK in the inflammasome process. Specific attention will be given to cell-type dependent characteristics and differences that may be relevant for targeting approaches. Furthermore, I review recent (pre-)clinical evidence for effects of BTK inhibitors on NLRP3 activity and highlight and discuss open questions and future research directions. Collectively, the concept of targeting BTK to target NLRP3-dependent inflammation will be explored comprehensively at the molecular, cellular and therapeutic levels.

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Radical Complexity

Entropy ◽

10.3390/e23121676 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 23 (12) ◽

pp. 1676

Author(s):

Jean-Philippe Bouchaud

Keyword(s):

Linear Dependence ◽

High Frequency ◽

Matrix Theory ◽

Future Research ◽

Research Directions ◽

Quantitative Finance ◽

Agent Based ◽

Open Questions ◽

Future Research Directions ◽

Linear Correlations

This is an informal and sketchy review of five topical, somewhat unrelated subjects in quantitative finance and econophysics: (i) models of price changes; (ii) linear correlations and random matrix theory; (iii) non-linear dependence copulas; (iv) high-frequency trading and market stability; and finally—but perhaps most importantly—(v) “radical complexity” that prompts a scenario-based approach to macroeconomics heavily relying on Agent-Based Models. Some open questions and future research directions are outlined.

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