362 research outputs found
Expansion of neopterin and beta2-microglobulin in cerebrospinal fluid reaches maximum levels early and late in the course of human immunodeficiency virus infection
Inhaltsverzeichnis fehlt
Endothelin-1 Immunoreactivity in plasma is elvated in HIV-1 infected patients with Retinal Microangiopathic syndrome
Electronic States of Graphene Grain Boundaries
We introduce a model for amorphous grain boundaries in graphene, and find
that stable structures can exist along the boundary that are responsible for
local density of states enhancements both at zero and finite (~0.5 eV)
energies. Such zero energy peaks in particular were identified in STS
measurements [J. \v{C}ervenka, M. I. Katsnelson, and C. F. J. Flipse, Nature
Physics 5, 840 (2009)], but are not present in the simplest pentagon-heptagon
dislocation array model [O. V. Yazyev and S. G. Louie, Physical Review B 81,
195420 (2010)]. We consider the low energy continuum theory of arrays of
dislocations in graphene and show that it predicts localized zero energy
states. Since the continuum theory is based on an idealized lattice scale
physics it is a priori not literally applicable. However, we identify stable
dislocation cores, different from the pentagon-heptagon pairs, that do carry
zero energy states. These might be responsible for the enhanced magnetism seen
experimentally at graphite grain boundaries.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figures, submitted to Physical Review
Recommended from our members
Alterations in Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor in the Mouse Hippocampus Following Acute but Not Repeated Benzodiazepine Treatment
Benzodiazepines (BZs) are safe drugs for treating anxiety, sleep, and seizure disorders, but their use also results in unwanted effects including memory impairment, abuse, and dependence. The present study aimed to reveal the molecular mechanisms that may contribute to the effects of BZs in the hippocampus (HIP), an area involved in drug-related plasticity, by investigating the regulation of immediate early genes following BZ administration. Previous studies have demonstrated that both brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and c-Fos contribute to memory- and abuse-related processes that occur within the HIP, and their expression is altered in response to BZ exposure. In the current study, mice received acute or repeated administration of BZs and HIP tissue was analyzed for alterations in BDNF and c-Fos expression. Although no significant changes in BDNF or c-Fos were observed in response to twice-daily intraperitoneal (i.p.) injections of diazepam (10 mg/kg + 5 mg/kg) or zolpidem (ZP; 2.5 mg/kg + 2.5 mg/kg), acute i.p. administration of both triazolam (0.03 mg/kg) and ZP (1.0 mg/kg) decreased BDNF protein levels within the HIP relative to vehicle, without any effect on c-Fos. ZP specifically reduced exon IV-containing BDNF transcripts with a concomitant increase in the association of methyl-CpG binding protein 2 (MeCP2) with BDNF promoter IV, suggesting that MeCP2 activity at this promoter may represent a ZP-specific mechanism for reducing BDNF expression. ZP also increased the association of phosphorylated cAMP response element binding protein (pCREB) with BDNF promoter I. Future work should examine the interaction between ZP and DNA as the cause for altered gene expression in the HIP, given that BZs can enter the nucleus and intercalate into DNA directly
Squashed Giants: Bound States of Giant Gravitons
We consider giant gravitons in the maximally supersymmetric type IIB
plane-wave, in the presence of a constant NSNS B-field background. We show that
in response to the background B-field the giant graviton would take the shape
of a deformed three-sphere, the size and shape of which depend on the B-field,
and that the giant becomes classically unstable once the B-field is larger than
a critical value B_{cr}. In particular, for the B-field which is
(anti-)self-dual under the SO(4) isometry of the original giant S^3, the closed
string metric is that of a round S^3, while the open string metric is a
squashed three-sphere. The squashed giant can be interpreted as a bound state
of a spherical three-brane and circular D-strings. We work out the spectrum of
geometric fluctuations of the squashed giant and study its stability. We also
comment on the gauge theory which lives on the brane (which is generically a
noncommutative theory) and a possible dual gauge theory description of the
deformed giant.Comment: Latex file, 32 pages, 6 .eps figures; v3: typos correcte
Collagen Type XIX Regulates Cardiac Extracellular Matrix Structure and Ventricular Function
The cardiac extracellular matrix plays essential roles in homeostasis and injury responses. Although the role of fibrillar collagens have been thoroughly documented, the functions of non-fibrillar collagen members remain underexplored. These include a distinct group of non-fibrillar collagens, termed, fibril-associated collagens with interrupted triple helices (FACITs). Recent reports of collagen type XIX (encoded by Col19a1) expression in adult heart and evidence of its enhanced expression in cardiac ischemia suggest important functions for this FACIT in cardiac ECM structure and function. Here, we examined the cellular source of collagen XIX in the adult murine heart and evaluated its involvement in ECM structure and ventricular function. Immunodetection of collagen XIX in fractionated cardiovascular cell lineages revealed fibroblasts and smooth muscle cells as the primary sources of collagen XIX in the heart. Based on echocardiographic and histologic analyses, Col19a1 null (Col19a1(N/N)) mice exhibited reduced systolic function, thinning of left ventricular walls, and increased cardiomyocyte cross-sectional areas—without gross changes in myocardial collagen content or basement membrane morphology. Col19a1(N/N) cardiac fibroblasts had augmented expression of several enzymes involved in the synthesis and stability of fibrillar collagens, including PLOD1 and LOX. Furthermore, second harmonic generation-imaged ECM derived from Col19a1(N/N) cardiac fibroblasts, and transmission electron micrographs of decellularized hearts from Col19a1(N/N) null animals, showed marked reductions in fibrillar collagen structural organization. Col19a1(N/N) mice also displayed enhanced phosphorylation of focal adhesion kinase (FAK), signifying de-repression of the FAK pathway—a critical mediator of cardiomyocyte hypertrophy. Collectively, we show that collagen XIX, which had a heretofore unknown role in the mammalian heart, participates in the regulation of cardiac structure and function—potentially through modulation of ECM fibrillar collagen structural organization. Further, these data suggest that this FACIT may modify ECM superstructure via acting at the level of the fibroblast to regulate their expression of collagen synthetic and stabilization enzymes
Integrable Spin Chains on the Conformal Moose
We consider N=1, D=4 superconformal U(N)^{pq} Yang-Mills theories dual to
AdS_5xS^5/Z_pxZ_q orbifolds. We construct the dilatation operator of this
superconformal gauge theory at one-loop planar level. We demonstrate that a
specific sector of this dilatation operator can be thought of as the transfer
matrix for a two-dimensional statistical mechanical system, related to an
integrable SU(3) anti-ferromagnetic spin chain system, which in turn is
equivalent to a 2+1-dimensional string theory where the spatial slices are
discretized on a triangular lattice. This is an extension of the SO(6) spin
chain picture of N=4 super Yang-Mills theory. We comment on the integrability
of this N=1 gauge theory and hence the corresponding three-dimensional
statistical mechanical system, its connection to three-dimensional lattice
gauge theories, extensions to six-dimensional string theories, AdS/CFT type
dualities and finally their construction via orbifolds and brane-box models. In
the process we discover a new class of almost-BPS BMN type operators with large
engineering dimensions but controllably small anomalous corrections.Comment: 53 pages, 14 eps figures; Added reference
Integrable Open Spin Chain in Super Yang-Mills and the Plane-wave/SYM duality
We investigate the integrable structures in an N=2 superconfomal Sp(N)
Yang-Mills theory with matter, which is dual to an open+closed string system.
We restrict ourselves to the BMN operators that correspond to free string
states. In the closed string sector, an integrable structure is inherited from
its parent theory, N=4 SYM. For the open string sector, the planar one-loop
mixing matrix for gauge invariant holomorphic operators is identified with the
Hamiltonian of an integrable SU(3) open spin chain. Using the K-matrix
formalism we identify the integrable open-chain boundary conditions that
correspond to string boundary conditions. The solutions to the algebraic Bethe
ansatz equations (ABAE) with a few impurities are shown to recover the
anomalous dimensions that exactly match the spectrum of free open string in the
plane-wave background. We also discuss the properties of the solutions of ABAE
beyond the BMN regime.Comment: 18 pages, one eps figure, v3: typos corrected, clarifying footnotes
added, treatment of complex roots revise
All supersymmetric solutions of minimal supergravity in six dimensions
A general form for all supersymmetric solutions of minimal supergravity in
six dimensions is obtained. Examples of new supersymmetric solutions are
presented. It is proven that the only maximally supersymmetric solutions are
flat space, AdS_3 x S^3 and a plane wave. As an application of the general
solution, it is shown that any supersymmetric solution with a compact horizon
must have near-horizon geometry R^{1,1} x T^4, R^{1,1} x K3 or identified AdS_3
x S^3.Comment: 40 pages. v2: two references adde
- …