Graduate Recital Program Notes

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Courant-like brackets and loop spaces

We study the algebra of local functionals equipped with a Poisson bracket. We discuss the underlying algebraic structures related to a version of the Courant-Dorfman algebra. As a main illustration, we consider the functionals over the cotangent bundle of the superloop space over a smooth manifold. We present a number of examples of the Courant-like brackets arising from this analysis.Comment: 20 pages, the version published in JHE

The hypertoric intersection cohomology ring

We present a functorial computation of the equivariant intersection cohomology of a hypertoric variety, and endow it with a natural ring structure. When the hyperplane arrangement associated with the hypertoric variety is unimodular, we show that this ring structure is induced by a ring structure on the equivariant intersection cohomology sheaf in the equivariant derived category. The computation is given in terms of a localization functor which takes equivariant sheaves on a sufficiently nice stratified space to sheaves on a poset.Comment: Significant revisions in Section 5, with several corrected proof

Formal Hecke algebras and algebraic oriented cohomology theories

In the present paper we generalize the construction of the nil Hecke ring of Kostant-Kumar to the context of an arbitrary algebraic oriented cohomology theory of Levine-Morel and Panin-Smirnov, e.g. to Chow groups, Grothendieck's K_0, connective K-theory, elliptic cohomology, and algebraic cobordism. The resulting object, which we call a formal (affine) Demazure algebra, is parameterized by a one-dimensional commutative formal group law and has the following important property: specialization to the additive and multiplicative periodic formal group laws yields completions of the nil Hecke and the 0-Hecke rings respectively. We also introduce a deformed version of the formal (affine) Demazure algebra, which we call a formal (affine) Hecke algebra. We show that the specialization of the formal (affine) Hecke algebra to the additive and multiplicative periodic formal group laws gives completions of the degenerate (affine) Hecke algebra and the usual (affine) Hecke algebra respectively. We show that all formal affine Demazure algebras (and all formal affine Hecke algebras) become isomorphic over certain coefficient rings, proving an analogue of a result of Lusztig.Comment: 28 pages. v2: Some results strengthened and references added. v3: Minor corrections, section numbering changed to match published version. v4: Sign errors in Proposition 6.8(d) corrected. This version incorporates an erratum to the published versio

Towards a large-area RPWELL detector: design optimization and performance

We present a new design and assembly procedure of a large-area gas-avalanche Resistive-Plate WELL (RPWELL) detector. A $50\times50 ~\mathrm{cm^2}$ prototype was tested in $\mathrm{80 ~GeV/c}$ muon beam at CERN-SPS, presenting improved performances compared to previous ones: MIP detection efficiency over 96\% with 3\% uniformity across the entire detector area, a charge gain of $\mathrm{\approx{7.5 \times 10^3}}$ with a uniformity of 22\%, and discharge probability below $\mathrm{10^{-6}}$ with a few single hotspots attributed to production imperfections. These results pave the way towards further up-scaling detectors of this kind

The real catecholamine content of secretory vesicles in the CNS revealed by electrochemical cytometry

Resolution of synaptic vesicle neurotransmitter content has mostly been limited to the study of stimulated release in cultured cell systems, and it has been controversial as to whether synaptic vesicle transmitter levels are saturated in vivo. We use electrochemical cytometry to count dopamine molecules in individual synaptic vesicles in populations directly sampled from brain tissue. Vesicles from the striatum yield an average of 33,000 dopamine molecules per vesicle, an amount considerably greater than typically measured during quantal release at cultured neurons. Vesicular content was markedly increased by L-DOPA or decreased by reserpine in a time-dependent manner in response to in vivo administration of drugs known to alter dopamine release. We investigated the effects of the psychostimulant amphetamine on vesicle content, finding that vesicular transmitter is rapidly depleted by 50% following in vivo administration, supporting the "weak base hypothesis'' that amphetamine reduces synaptic vesicle transmitter and quantal size

Genomic analysis of the chromosome 15q11-q13 Prader-Willi syndrome region and characterization of transcripts for GOLGA8E and WHCD1L1 from the proximal breakpoint region

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a neurobehavioral disorder characterized by neonatal hypotonia, childhood obesity, dysmorphic features, hypogonadism, mental retardation, and behavioral problems. Although PWS is most often caused by a paternal interstitial deletion of a 6-Mb region of chromosome 15q11-q13, the identity of the exact protein coding or noncoding RNAs whose deficiency produces the PWS phenotype is uncertain. There are also reports describing a PWS-like phenotype in a subset of patients with full mutations in the <it>FMR1 </it>(fragile X mental retardation 1) gene. Taking advantage of the human genome sequence, we have performed extensive sequence analysis and molecular studies for the PWS candidate region.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We have characterized transcripts for the first time for two UCSC Genome Browser predicted protein-coding genes, <it>GOLGA8E </it>(golgin subfamily a, 8E) and <it>WHDC1L1 </it>(WAS protein homology region containing 1-like 1) and have further characterized two previously reported genes, <it>CYF1P1 </it>and <it>NIPA2</it>; all four genes are in the region close to the proximal/centromeric deletion breakpoint (BP1). <it>GOLGA8E</it> belongs to the golgin subfamily of coiled-coil proteins associated with the Golgi apparatus. Six out of 16 golgin subfamily proteins in the human genome have been mapped in the chromosome 15q11-q13 and 15q24-q26 regions. We have also identified more than 38 copies of <it>GOLGA8E</it>-like sequence in the 15q11-q14 and 15q23-q26 regions which supports the presence of a <it>GOLGA8E</it>-associated low copy repeat (LCR). Analysis of the 15q11-q13 region by PFGE also revealed a polymorphic region between BP1 and BP2. <it>WHDC1L1 </it>is a novel gene with similarity to mouse <it>Whdc1 </it>(WAS protein homology region 2 domain containing 1) and human JMY protein (junction-mediating and regulatory protein). Expression analysis of cultured human cells and brain tissues from PWS patients indicates that <it>CYFIP1 </it>and <it>NIPA2</it> are biallelically expressed. However, we were not able to determine the allele-specific expression pattern for <it>GOLGA8E </it>and <it>WHDC1L1 </it>because these two genes have highly related sequences that might also be expressed.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>We have presented an updated version of a sequence-based physical map for a complex chromosomal region, and we raise the possibility of polymorphism in the genomic orientation of the BP1 to BP2 region. The identification of two new proteins <it>GOLGA8E</it> and <it>WHDC1L1</it> encoded by genes in the 15q11-q13 region may extend our understanding of the molecular basis of PWS. In terms of copy number variation and gene organization, this is one of the most polymorphic regions of the human genome, and perhaps the single most polymorphic region of this type.</p

From modular to centralized organization of synchronization in functional areas of the cat cerebral cortex

Recent studies have pointed out the importance of transient synchronization between widely distributed neural assemblies to understand conscious perception. These neural assemblies form intricate networks of neurons and synapses whose detailed map for mammals is still unknown and far from our experimental capabilities. Only in a few cases, for example the C. elegans, we know the complete mapping of the neuronal tissue or its mesoscopic level of description provided by cortical areas. Here we study the process of transient and global synchronization using a simple model of phase-coupled oscillators assigned to cortical areas in the cerebral cat cortex. Our results highlight the impact of the topological connectivity in the developing of synchronization, revealing a transition in the synchronization organization that goes from a modular decentralized coherence to a centralized synchronized regime controlled by a few cortical areas forming a Rich-Club connectivity pattern.Comment: 24 pages, 8 figures. Final version published in PLoS On