1,143 research outputs found
Noncommutative generalizations of theorems of Cohen and Kaplansky
This paper investigates situations where a property of a ring can be tested
on a set of "prime right ideals." Generalizing theorems of Cohen and Kaplansky,
we show that every right ideal of a ring is finitely generated (resp.
principal) iff every "prime right ideal" is finitely generated (resp.
principal), where the phrase "prime right ideal" can be interpreted in one of
many different ways. We also use our methods to show that other properties can
be tested on special sets of right ideals, such as the right artinian property
and various homological properties. Applying these methods, we prove the
following noncommutative generalization of a result of Kaplansky: a (left and
right) noetherian ring is a principal right ideal ring iff all of its maximal
right ideals are principal. A counterexample shows that the left noetherian
hypothesis cannot be dropped. Finally, we compare our results to earlier
generalizations of Cohen's and Kaplansky's theorems in the literature.Comment: 41 pages. To appear in Algebras and Representation Theory. Minor
changes were made to the numbering system, in order to remain consistent with
the published versio
Phenotypic Variation and Bistable Switching in Bacteria
Microbial research generally focuses on clonal populations. However, bacterial cells with identical genotypes frequently display different phenotypes under identical conditions. This microbial cell individuality is receiving increasing attention in the literature because of its impact on cellular differentiation, survival under selective conditions, and the interaction of pathogens with their hosts. It is becoming clear that stochasticity in gene expression in conjunction with the architecture of the gene network that underlies the cellular processes can generate phenotypic variation. An important regulatory mechanism is the so-called positive feedback, in which a system reinforces its own response, for instance by stimulating the production of an activator. Bistability is an interesting and relevant phenomenon, in which two distinct subpopulations of cells showing discrete levels of gene expression coexist in a single culture. In this chapter, we address techniques and approaches used to establish phenotypic variation, and relate three well-characterized examples of bistability to the molecular mechanisms that govern these processes, with a focus on positive feedback.
Grifonin-1: A Small HIV-1 Entry Inhibitor Derived from the Algal Lectin, Griffithsin
Background:
Griffithsin, a 121-residue protein isolated from a red algal Griffithsia sp., binds high mannose N-linked glycans of virus surface glycoproteins with extremely high affinity, a property that allows it to prevent the entry of primary isolates and laboratory strains of T- and M-tropic HIV-1. We used the sequence of a portion of griffithsin's sequence as a design template to create smaller peptides with antiviral and carbohydrate-binding properties.
Methodology/Results:
The new peptides derived from a trio of homologous β-sheet repeats that comprise the motifs responsible for its biological activity. Our most active antiviral peptide, grifonin-1 (GRFN-1), had an EC50 of 190.8±11.0 nM in in vitro TZM-bl assays and an EC50 of 546.6±66.1 nM in p24gag antigen release assays. GRFN-1 showed considerable structural plasticity, assuming different conformations in solvents that differed in polarity and hydrophobicity. Higher concentrations of GRFN-1 formed oligomers, based on intermolecular β-sheet interactions. Like its parent protein, GRFN-1 bound viral glycoproteins gp41 and gp120 via the N-linked glycans on their surface.
Conclusion:
Its substantial antiviral activity and low toxicity in vitro suggest that GRFN-1 and/or its derivatives may have therapeutic potential as topical and/or systemic agents directed against HIV-1
The Cosmological Constant
This is a review of the physics and cosmology of the cosmological constant.
Focusing on recent developments, I present a pedagogical overview of cosmology
in the presence of a cosmological constant, observational constraints on its
magnitude, and the physics of a small (and potentially nonzero) vacuum energy.Comment: 50 pages. Submitted to Living Reviews in Relativity
(http://www.livingreviews.org/), December 199
Search for time-dependent B0s - B0s-bar oscillations using a vertex charge dipole technique
We report a search for B0s - B0s-bar oscillations using a sample of 400,000
hadronic Z0 decays collected by the SLD experiment. The analysis takes
advantage of the electron beam polarization as well as information from the
hemisphere opposite that of the reconstructed B decay to tag the B production
flavor. The excellent resolution provided by the pixel CCD vertex detector is
exploited to cleanly reconstruct both B and cascade D decay vertices, and tag
the B decay flavor from the charge difference between them. We exclude the
following values of the B0s - B0s-bar oscillation frequency: Delta m_s < 4.9
ps-1 and 7.9 < Delta m_s < 10.3 ps-1 at the 95% confidence level.Comment: 18 pages, 3 figures, replaced by version accepted for publication in
Phys.Rev.D; results differ slightly from first versio
Titanium dioxide particle – induced goblet cell hyperplasia : association with mast cells and IL-13
BACKGROUND: Inhalation of particles aggravates respiratory symptoms including mucus hypersecretion in patients with chronic airway disease and induces goblet cell hyperplasia (GCH) in experimental animal models. However, the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. METHODS: To understand this, the numbers of goblet cells, Muc5ac (+) expressing epithelial cells and IL-13 expressing mast cells were measured in the trachea of sham or TiO(2 )particles – treated rats using periodic acid-Schiff, toluidine blue and immunohistochemical staining. RT-PCR for Muc-1, 2 and 5ac gene transcripts was done using RNA extracted from the trachea. Differential cell count and IL-13 levels were measured in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid. In pretreatment groups, cyclophosphamide (CPA) or dexamethasone (DEX) was given before instillation of TiO(2). TiO(2 )treatment markedly increased Muc5ac mRNA expression, and Muc5ac (+) or PAS (+) epithelial cells 48 h following treatment. RESULTS: The concentration of IL-13 in BAL fluids was higher in TiO(2 )treated – rats when compared to those in sham rats (p < 0.05). Pretreatment with cyclophosphamide (CPA) decreased the number of neutrophils and eosinophils in BAL fluid of TiO(2 )treated – rats (p < 0.05), but affected neither the percentage of PAS (+) cells, nor IL-13 levels in the BAL fluids (p > 0.05). In contrast, pretreatment with dexamethasone (DEX) diminished the percentage of PAS (+) cells and the levels of IL-13 (p < 0.05). TiO(2 )treatment increased the IL-13 (+) mast cells (p < 0.05) in the trachea, which was suppressed by DEX (p < 0.05), but not by CPA pretreatment (p > 0.05). In addition there were significant correlations of IL-13 (+) rate of mast cells in the trachea with IL-13 concentration in BAL fluid (p < 0.01) and with the percentage of Muc5ac (+) cells in the sham and TiO(2 )treated rats (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: In conclusion, TiO(2 )instillation induces GCH and Muc5ac expression, and this process may be associated with increased production of IL-13 by mast cells
The impact of preoperative anxiety and education level on long-term mortality after cardiac surgery
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Psychosocial factors have shown independent predictive value in the development of cardiovascular diseases. Although there is strong evidence to support the role of psychosocial factors in cardiovascular mortality, there is a scarcity of knowledge about how these factors are related. Therefore, we investigated the relationship between depression, anxiety, education, social isolation and mortality 7.5 years after cardiac surgery.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>After informed consent, 180 patients undergoing cardiac surgery between July 2000 and May 2001 were prospectively enrolled and followed for ten years. During the follow-up period, the patients were contacted annually by mail. Anxiety (Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, STAI-S/STAI-T), depression (Beck Depression Inventory, BDI) and the number and reason for rehospitalizations were assessed each year. Those patients who did not respond were contacted by telephone, and national registries were searched for deaths.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>During a median follow-up of 7.6 years (25<sup>th</sup> to 75<sup>th</sup> percentile, 7.4 to 8.1 years), the mortality rate was 23.6% (95% confidence interval [CI] 17.3-29.9; 42 deaths). In a Cox regression model, the risk factors associated with an increased risk of mortality were a higher EUROSCORE (points; Adjusted Hazard Ratio (AHR):1.30, 95%CI:1.07-1.58)), a higher preoperative STAI-T score (points; AHR:1.06, 95%CI 1.02-1.09), lower education level (school years; AHR:0.86, 95%CI:0.74-0.98), and the occurrence of major adverse cardiac and cerebral events during follow up (AHR:7.24, 95%CI:2.65-19.7). In the postdischarge model, the same risk factors remained.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our results suggest that the assessment of psychosocial factors, particularly anxiety and education may help identify patients at an increased risk for long-term mortality after cardiac surgery.</p
A Study of B0 -> J/psi K(*)0 pi+ pi- Decays with the Collider Detector at Fermilab
We report a study of the decays B0 -> J/psi K(*)0 pi+ pi-, which involve the
creation of a u u-bar or d d-bar quark pair in addition to a b-bar -> c-bar(c
s-bar) decay. The data sample consists of 110 1/pb of p p-bar collisions at
sqrt{s} = 1.8 TeV collected by the CDF detector at the Fermilab Tevatron
collider during 1992-1995. We measure the branching ratios to be BR(B0 -> J/psi
K*0 pi+ pi-) = (8.0 +- 2.2 +- 1.5) * 10^{-4} and BR(B0 -> J/psi K0 pi+ pi-) =
(1.1 +- 0.4 +- 0.2) * 10^{-3}. Contributions to these decays are seen from
psi(2S) K(*)0, J/psi K0 rho0, J/psi K*+ pi-, and J/psi K1(1270)
Diffractive Dijet Production at sqrt(s)=630 and 1800 GeV at the Fermilab Tevatron
We report a measurement of the diffractive structure function of
the antiproton obtained from a study of dijet events produced in association
with a leading antiproton in collisions at GeV at the
Fermilab Tevatron. The ratio of at GeV to
obtained from a similar measurement at GeV is compared with
expectations from QCD factorization and with theoretical predictions. We also
report a measurement of the (-Pomeron) and ( of parton in
Pomeron) dependence of at GeV. In the region
, GeV and , is
found to be of the form , which obeys
- factorization.Comment: LaTeX, 9 pages, Submitted to Phys. Rev. Letter
Measurement of the branching fraction and CP content for the decay B(0) -> D(*+)D(*-)
This is the pre-print version of the Article. The official published version can be accessed from the links below. Copyright @ 2002 APS.We report a measurement of the branching fraction of the decay B0→D*+D*- and of the CP-odd component of its final state using the BABAR detector. With data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 20.4 fb-1 collected at the Υ(4S) resonance during 1999–2000, we have reconstructed 38 candidate signal events in the mode B0→D*+D*- with an estimated background of 6.2±0.5 events. From these events, we determine the branching fraction to be B(B0→D*+D*-)=[8.3±1.6(stat)±1.2(syst)]×10-4. The measured CP-odd fraction of the final state is 0.22±0.18(stat)±0.03(syst).This work is supported by DOE and NSF (USA), NSERC (Canada), IHEP (China), CEA and CNRS-IN2P3 (France), BMBF (Germany), INFN (Italy), NFR (Norway), MIST (Russia), and PPARC (United Kingdom). Individuals have received support from the A.P. Sloan Foundation, Research Corporation, and Alexander von Humboldt Foundation
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