11,722 research outputs found
PHYCOERYTHROCYANINS FROM Westiellopsis prolifica AND Nostoc rivulare: CHARACTERIZATION OF THE PHYCOVIOLOBILIN CHROMOPHORE IN BOTH STATES
Phycoerythrocyanin or fractions enriched in it have been isolated from the filamentous cyanobacteria, Westiellopsis prolifica ARM 365 and Nostoc rivulare ARM 212. Both show the photoreversible photochromism (difference maxima at 503 and 570 nm) characteristic of this pigment, which is related to the phycoviolobilin chromophore on the α-subunit. Native phycoerythrocyanin and its β-subunit show little if any reversible photochemistry in the 600–620 nm region, where the phycocyanobilin chromophores absorb maximally. Instead the phycocyanobilin chromophores are bleached irreversibly. At the same time, the data show that reversible photochemistry is a useful analytical tool to detect phycoerythrocyanin in cyanobacterial extracts. Fluorescence measurements indicate that: (i) the 510 nm absorbing isomer of the violobilin chromophore has only little fluorescence; and (ii) the energy transfer from the violobilin chromophores to the cyanin chromophores is efficient only in the 570 nm form
Differential systems associated with tableaux over Lie algebras
We give an account of the construction of exterior differential systems based
on the notion of tableaux over Lie algebras as developed in [Comm. Anal. Geom
14 (2006), 475-496; math.DG/0412169]. The definition of a tableau over a Lie
algebra is revisited and extended in the light of the formalism of the Spencer
cohomology; the question of involutiveness for the associated systems and their
prolongations is addressed; examples are discussed.Comment: 16 pages; to appear in: "Symmetries and Overdetermined Systems of
Partial Differential Equations" (M. Eastwood and W. Miller, Jr., eds.), IMA
Volumes in Mathematics and Its Applications, Springer-Verlag, New Yor
Generating Extended Resolution Proofs with a BDD-Based SAT Solver
In 2006, Biere, Jussila, and Sinz made the key observation that the
underlying logic behind algorithms for constructing Reduced, Ordered Binary
Decision Diagrams (BDDs) can be encoded as steps in a proof in the extended
resolution logical framework. Through this, a BDD-based Boolean satisfiability
(SAT) solver can generate a checkable proof of unsatisfiability for a set of
clauses. Such a proof indicates that the formula is truly unsatisfiable without
requiring the user to trust the BDD package or the SAT solver built on top of
it.
We extend their work to enable arbitrary existential quantification of the
formula variables, a critical capability for BDD-based SAT solvers. We
demonstrate the utility of this approach by applying a prototype solver to
several problems that are very challenging for search-based SAT solvers,
obtaining polynomially sized proofs on benchmarks for parity formulas, as well
as the Urquhart, mutilated chessboard, and pigeonhole problems.Comment: Extended version of paper published at TACAS 202
Modified Debye-Huckel Electron Shielding and Penetration Factor
Screened potential, modified by non standard electron cloud distributions
responsible for the shielding effect on fusion of reacting nuclei in
astrophysical plasmas, is derived. The case of clouds with depleted tails in
space coordinates is discussed. The modified screened potential is obtained
both from statistical mechanics arguments based on fluctuations of the inverse
of the Debye-Huckel radius and from the solution of a Bernoulli equation used
in generalized statistical mechanics. Plots and tables useful in evaluating
penetration probability at any energy are provided.Comment: 9 pages, 3 figures, 3 table
Two universal results for Wilson loops at strong coupling
We present results for Wilson loops in strongly coupled gauge theories. The
loops may be taken around an arbitrarily shaped contour and in any field theory
with a dual IIB geometry of the form M x S^5. No assumptions about
supersymmetry are made. The first result uses D5 branes to show how the loop in
any antisymmetric representation is computed in terms of the loop in the
fundamental representation. The second result uses D3 branes to observe that
each loop defines a rich sequence of operators associated with minimal surfaces
in S^5. The action of these configurations are all computable. Both results
have features suggesting a connection with integrability.Comment: 1+12 pages. LaTeX. No figure
PubChem3D: Shape compatibility filtering using molecular shape quadrupoles
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>PubChem provides a 3-D neighboring relationship, which involves finding the maximal shape overlap between two static compound 3-D conformations, a computationally intensive step. It is highly desirable to avoid this overlap computation, especially if it can be determined with certainty that a conformer pair cannot meet the criteria to be a 3-D neighbor. As such, PubChem employs a series of pre-filters, based on the concept of volume, to remove approximately 65% of all conformer neighbor pairs prior to shape overlap optimization. Given that molecular volume, a somewhat vague concept, is rather effective, it leads one to wonder: can the existing PubChem 3-D neighboring relationship, which consists of billions of shape similar conformer pairs from tens of millions of unique small molecules, be used to identify additional shape descriptor relationships? Or, put more specifically, can one place an upper bound on shape similarity using other "fuzzy" shape-like concepts like length, width, and height?</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Using a basis set of 4.18 billion 3-D neighbor pairs identified from single conformer per compound neighboring of 17.1 million molecules, shape descriptors were computed for all conformers. These steric shape descriptors included several forms of molecular volume and shape quadrupoles, which essentially embody the length, width, and height of a conformer. For a given 3-D neighbor conformer pair, the volume and each quadrupole component (Q<sub>x</sub>, Q<sub>y</sub>, and Q<sub>z</sub>) were binned and their frequency of occurrence was examined. Per molecular volume type, this effectively produced three different maps, one per quadrupole component (Q<sub>x</sub>, Q<sub>y</sub>, and Q<sub>z</sub>), of allowed values for the similarity metric, shape Tanimoto (ST) ≥ 0.8.</p> <p>The efficiency of these relationships (in terms of true positive, true negative, false positive and false negative) as a function of ST threshold was determined in a test run of 13.2 billion conformer pairs not previously considered by the 3-D neighbor set. At an ST ≥ 0.8, a filtering efficiency of 40.4% of true negatives was achieved with only 32 false negatives out of 24 million true positives, when applying the separate Q<sub>x</sub>, Q<sub>y</sub>, and Q<sub>z </sub>maps in a series (Q<sub>xyz</sub>). This efficiency increased linearly as a function of ST threshold in the range 0.8-0.99. The Q<sub>x </sub>filter was consistently the most efficient followed by Q<sub>y </sub>and then by Q<sub>z</sub>. Use of a monopole volume showed the best overall performance, followed by the self-overlap volume and then by the analytic volume.</p> <p>Application of the monopole-based Q<sub>xyz </sub>filter in a "real world" test of 3-D neighboring of 4,218 chemicals of biomedical interest against 26.1 million molecules in PubChem reduced the total CPU cost of neighboring by between 24-38% and, if used as the initial filter, removed from consideration 48.3% of all conformer pairs at almost negligible computational overhead.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Basic shape descriptors, such as those embodied by size, length, width, and height, can be highly effective in identifying shape incompatible compound conformer pairs. When performing a 3-D search using a shape similarity cut-off, computation can be avoided by identifying conformer pairs that cannot meet the result criteria. Applying this methodology as a filter for PubChem 3-D neighboring computation, an improvement of 31% was realized, increasing the average conformer pair throughput from 154,000 to 202,000 per second per CPU core.</p
Techniques utilized in the simulated altitude testing of a 2D-CD vectoring and reversing nozzle
Simulated altitude testing of a two-dimensional, convergent-divergent, thrust vectoring and reversing exhaust nozzle was accomplished. An important objective of this test was to develop test hardware and techniques to properly operate a vectoring and reversing nozzle within the confines of an altitude test facility. This report presents detailed information on the major test support systems utilized, the operational performance of the systems and the problems encountered, and test equipment improvements recommended for future tests. The most challenging support systems included the multi-axis thrust measurement system, vectored and reverse exhaust gas collection systems, and infrared temperature measurement systems used to evaluate and monitor the nozzle. The feasibility of testing a vectoring and reversing nozzle of this type in an altitude chamber was successfully demonstrated. Supporting systems performed as required. During reverser operation, engine exhaust gases were successfully captured and turned downstream. However, a small amount of exhaust gas spilled out the collector ducts' inlet openings when the reverser was opened more than 60 percent. The spillage did not affect engine or nozzle performance. The three infrared systems which viewed the nozzle through the exhaust collection system worked remarkably well considering the harsh environment
TWO DIFFERENT TYPES OF PHOTOCHEMISTRY IN PHYCOERYTHROCYANIN α-SUBUNIT
The photochemical activities of phycoerythrocyanin α-subunits from Mastigocladus laminosus separated by isoelectric focusing were tested by irradiating at 500, 550, 577 and 600 nm. Two types of photoreversible photochromic responses have been characterized by absorption and absorption difference spectroscopy. Type I is the well-known absorption shift from 571 to 506 nm. Type II is a new response characterized by a line-broadening of the 570 nm absorption
Cyclic cycle systems of the complete multipartite graph
In this paper, we study the existence problem for cyclic -cycle
decompositions of the graph , the complete multipartite graph with
parts of size , and give necessary and sufficient conditions for their
existence in the case that
A 0.5 MW/10 Hz option of the spallation source AUSTRON
In 1993-94 a feasibility study for AUSTRON, a neutron spallation source, was made on behalf of the Austrian Ministry of Science and Research. At that time, the machine was synchrotron cycling at 25 Hz and delivering an average beam power of 205 kW at 1.6 GeV. An option to double the power by doubling the frequency was foreseen. Now a more ambitious development of the original concept is proposed that aims at 0.5 MW at 1.6 GeV, pulsed at either 50 Hz or 10 Hz. The slow repetition rate is achieved by the addition of a storage ring holding four consecutive (single bunch) pulses from the 50 Hz synchrotron until a fifth pulse is accelerated and transferred to the target with the four stored ones. In this way, an energy per pulse of 50 kJ (one half of the pulse energy of the 5 MW ESS) is obtained, yielding about 3.5*10/sup 16/ thermal neutrons/(s cm/sup 2/). This peak flux matches well a number of innovative instruments and allows unprecedented resolution for some more conventional ones. On August 20, 1998, the Austrian Government has unanimously decided to contribute one third of the total cost of the facility and invites international partners to participate. (13 refs)
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