Molecular and functional characterization of gap junctions in the avian inner ear.

To analyze the fundamental role of gap junctions in the vertebrate inner ear, we examined molecular and functional characteristics of gap junctional communication (GJC) in the auditory and vestibular system of the chicken. By screening inner ear tissues for connexin isoforms using degenerate reverse transcription-PCR, we identified, in addition to chicken Cx43 (cCx43) and the inner-ear-specific cCx30, an as yet uncharacterized connexin predicted to be the ortholog of the mammalian Cx26. In situ hybridization indicated that cCx30 and cCx26 transcripts were both widely expressed in the cochlear duct and utricle in an overlapping pattern, suggesting coexpression of these isoforms similar to that in the mammalian inner ear. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated that cCx43 was present in gap junctions connecting supporting cells of the basilar papilla, in which its immunofluorescence colocalized with that of cCx30. However, cCx43 was absent from supporting cell gap junctions of the utricular macula. This variation in the molecular composition of gap junction plaques coincided with differences in the functional properties of GJC between the auditory and vestibular sensory epithelia. Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching, adapted to examine the diffusion of calcein in inner ear explants, revealed asymmetric communication pathways among supporting cells in the basilar papilla but not in the utricular macula. This study supports the hypothesis that the coexpression of Cx26/Cx30 is unique to gap junctions in the vertebrate inner ear. Furthermore, it demonstrates asymmetric GJC within the supporting cell population of the auditory sensory epithelium, which might mediate potassium cycling and/or intercellular signaling

Population ageing and public pension reforms in a small open economy

This paper aims to address the issue of public pension reforms under demographic ageing that is likely to occur in Europe over the next 50 years. Three possible scenarios are analysed in a Blanchard OLG framework. These include: i) a decrease both in public pensions and the lump sum labour income tax, ii) a decrease both in public pensions and the distortionary corporate tax, iii) an increase in the retirement age. The analysis focuses on the effects of these fiscal policies on key economic variables such as consumption, private and public debt, output and wages. Quantitative experiments assess the impact of different fiscal policies in terms of public debt sustainability but most importantly suggest policies that smooth the transition of the economy to the new equilibrium. The main results suggest that the adverse effects of pension reforms on consumption are moderated when they are accompanied by appropriate taxation policies. In particular, when the tax response is rapid most of the adverse movement in consumption is avoided while public and national debt reach lower equilibrium levels

Quark spectral properties above Tc from Dyson-Schwinger equations

We report on an analysis of the quark spectral representation at finite temperatures based on the quark propagator determined from its Dyson-Schwinger equation in Landau gauge. In Euclidean space we achieve nice agreement with recent results from quenched lattice QCD. We find different analytical properties of the quark propagator below and above the deconfinement transition. Using a variety of ansaetze for the spectral function we then analyze the possible quasiparticle spectrum, in particular its quark mass and momentum dependence in the high temperature phase. This analysis is completed by an application of the Maximum Entropy Method, in principle allowing for any positive semi-definite spectral function. Our results motivate a more direct determination of the spectral function in the framework of Dyson-Schwinger equations

Residual Stresses in Layered Manufacturing

Layered Manufacturing processes accumulate residual stresses during materialbuildup. These stresses may cause part warping and layer delamination. This paper presents work done on investigating residual stress accumulation andp(i,rt distortion of Layered Manufactured artifacts. A simple analyticaLmodel was developed and used to determine how the number of layers and the layer thickness influences part warping. Resllits show that thin layers produce lower part deflection as compared with depositing fewer and thicker layers. In addition to the analytical work, a finite element model wasdeveloped and used to illvestigate the deposition pattern's influence on. the part deflection. Finite element model and corresponding experimental analysis showed that the geometry of the deposition pattern significantly affects the resulting part distortion. This finite element model was also used to investigate an inter-layer surface defect,. known as the Christmas Thee Step, that is associated with Shape Deposition Manufacturing. Results indicate that the features of this defect are influenced only by the material deposited close. to the part·surface and the particular material deposited. The step is not affected by the deposition pattern.Mechanical Engineerin

On the non-abelian Brumer-Stark conjecture and the equivariant Iwasawa main conjecture

We show that for an odd prime p, the p-primary parts of refinements of the (imprimitive) non-abelian Brumer and Brumer-Stark conjectures are implied by the equivariant Iwasawa main conjecture (EIMC) for totally real fields. Crucially, this result does not depend on the vanishing of the relevant Iwasawa mu-invariant. In combination with the authors' previous work on the EIMC, this leads to unconditional proofs of the non-abelian Brumer and Brumer-Stark conjectures in many new cases.Comment: 33 pages; to appear in Mathematische Zeitschrift; v3 many minor updates including new title; v2 some cohomological arguments simplified; v1 is a revised version of the second half of arXiv:1408.4934v

How many phases meet at the chiral critical point?

We explore the phase diagram of NJL-type models near the chiral critical point allowing for phases with spatially inhomogeneous chiral condensates. In the chiral limit it turns out that the region in the mean-field phase diagram where those phases are energetically preferred very generically reaches out to the chiral critical point. The preferred inhomogeneous ground state in this vicinity possibly resembles a lattice of domain wall solitons. This raises the question of their relevance for the phase diagram of QCD.Comment: 7 pages, 1 figure; v2: minor corrections, as published in PR

Demographic history and genetic differentiation in apes

SummaryComparisons of genetic variation between humans and great apes are hampered by the fact that we still know little about the demographics and evolutionary history of the latter species [1–4]. In addition, characterizing ape genetic variation is important because they are threatened with extinction, and knowledge about genetic differentiation among groups may guide conservation efforts [5]. We sequenced multiple intergenic autosomal regions totaling 22,400 base pairs (bp) in ten individuals each from western, central, and eastern chimpanzee groups and in nine bonobos, and 16,000 bp in ten Bornean and six Sumatran orangutans. These regions are analyzed together with homologous information from three human populations and gorillas. We find that whereas orangutans have the highest diversity, western chimpanzees have the lowest, and that the demographic histories of most groups differ drastically. Special attention should therefore be paid to sampling strategies and the statistics chosen when comparing levels of variation within and among groups. Finally, we find that the extent of genetic differentiation among “subspecies” of chimpanzees and orangutans is comparable to that seen among human populations, calling the validity of the “subspecies” concept in apes into question

High order Fuchsian equations for the square lattice Ising model: χ(6)\chi^{(6)}

This paper deals with $\tilde{\chi}^{(6)}$, the six-particle contribution to the magnetic susceptibility of the square lattice Ising model. We have generated, modulo a prime, series coefficients for $\tilde{\chi}^{(6)}$. The length of the series is sufficient to produce the corresponding Fuchsian linear differential equation (modulo a prime). We obtain the Fuchsian linear differential equation that annihilates the "depleted" series $\Phi^{(6)}=\tilde{\chi}^{(6)} - {2 \over 3} \tilde{\chi}^{(4)} + {2 \over 45} \tilde{\chi}^{(2)}$. The factorization of the corresponding differential operator is performed using a method of factorization modulo a prime introduced in a previous paper. The "depleted" differential operator is shown to have a structure similar to the corresponding operator for $\tilde{\chi}^{(5)}$. It splits into factors of smaller orders, with the left-most factor of order six being equivalent to the symmetric fifth power of the linear differential operator corresponding to the elliptic integral $E$. The right-most factor has a direct sum structure, and using series calculated modulo several primes, all the factors in the direct sum have been reconstructed in exact arithmetics.Comment: 23 page

Extended Scaling for the high dimension and square lattice Ising Ferromagnets

In the high dimension (mean field) limit the susceptibility and the second moment correlation length of the Ising ferromagnet depend on temperature as chi(T)=tau^{-1} and xi(T)=T^{-1/2}tau^{-1/2} exactly over the entire temperature range above the critical temperature T_c, with the scaling variable tau=(T-T_c)/T. For finite dimension ferromagnets temperature dependent effective exponents can be defined over all T using the same expressions. For the canonical two dimensional square lattice Ising ferromagnet it is shown that compact "extended scaling" expressions analogous to the high dimensional limit forms give accurate approximations to the true temperature dependencies, again over the entire temperature range from T_c to infinity. Within this approach there is no cross-over temperature in finite dimensions above which mean-field-like behavior sets in.Comment: 6 pages, 6 figure