7,597 research outputs found
The ducky^{2J} Mutation in Cacna2d2 Results in Reduced Spontaneous Purkinje Cell Activity and Altered Gene Expression
The mouse mutant ducky and its allele ducky^{2J} represent a model for absence epilepsy characterized by spike-wave seizures and cerebellar ataxia. These mice have mutations in Cacna2d2, which encodes the α₂δ-2 calcium channel subunit. Of relevance to the ataxic phenotype, α₂δ-2 mRNA is strongly expressed in cerebellar Purkinje cells (PCs). The Cacna2d2du2J mutation results in a 2 bp deletion in the coding region and a complete loss of α₂δ-2 protein. Here we show that du^{2J}/du^{2J} mice have a 30% reduction in somatic calcium current and a marked fall in the spontaneous PC firing rate at 22°C, accompanied by a decrease in firing regularity, which is not affected by blocking synaptic input to PCs. At 34°C, du^{2J}/du^{2J} PCs show no spontaneous intrinsic activity. DU^{2J}/du^{2J} mice also have alterations in the cerebellar expression of several genes related to PC function. At postnatal day 21, there is an elevation of tyrosine hydroxylase mRNA and a reduction in tenascin-C gene expression. Although du^{2J}/+ mice have a marked reduction in α₂δ-2 protein, they show no fall in PC somatic calcium currents or increase in cerebellar tryrosine hydroxylase gene expression. However, du^{2J}/+ PCs do exhibit a significant reduction in firing rate, correlating with the reduction in α₂δ-2. A hypothesis for future study is that effects on gene expression occur as a result of a reduction in somatic calcium currents, whereas effects on PC firing occur as a long-term result of loss of α₂δ-2 and/or a reduction in calcium currents and calcium-dependent processes in regions other than the soma
Applied neutron tomography in modern archaeology
The use of neutron tomography for archaeometric purposes is quite a new technique. The property of neutron to transmit easily large, dense samples is of great importance in modern archaeology. The three-dimensional visualisation of the inner structure of samples of archaeological interest helps to make suggestions about the technological process of manufacturing or reveals information about the origins of
delivering of noble materials used in ancient masterpieces. Another application field in modern archaeology is the
non-destructive inspection of the quality of specimen
conservation where the neutron tomography allows visualization of impregnation solutions in wood or metal matrices. The high sensibility of neutrons to hydrogen
makes it possible to detect organic remains in fossils. All of these advantages make the neutron tomography a unique technique for non-destructive investigation in
archaeological sciences
Group selection models in prebiotic evolution
The evolution of enzyme production is studied analytically using ideas of the
group selection theory for the evolution of altruistic behavior. In particular,
we argue that the mathematical formulation of Wilson's structured deme model
({\it The Evolution of Populations and Communities}, Benjamin/Cumings, Menlo
Park, 1980) is a mean-field approach in which the actual environment that a
particular individual experiences is replaced by an {\it average} environment.
That formalism is further developed so as to avoid the mean-field approximation
and then applied to the problem of enzyme production in the prebiotic context,
where the enzyme producer molecules play the altruists role while the molecules
that benefit from the catalyst without paying its production cost play the
non-altruists role. The effects of synergism (i.e., division of labor) as well
as of mutations are also considered and the results of the equilibrium analysis
are summarized in phase diagrams showing the regions of the space of parameters
where the altruistic, non-altruistic and the coexistence regimes are stable. In
general, those regions are delimitated by discontinuous transition lines which
end at critical points.Comment: 22 pages, 10 figure
Gravitomagnetism in the Kerr-Newman-Taub-NUT spacetime
We study the motion of test particles and electromagnetic waves in the
Kerr-Newman-Taub-NUT spacetime in order to elucidate some of the effects
associated with the gravitomagnetic monopole moment of the source. In
particular, we determine in the linear approximation the contribution of this
monopole to the gravitational time delay and the rotation of the plane of the
polarization of electromagnetic waves. Moreover, we consider "spherical" orbits
of uncharged test particles in the Kerr-Taub-NUT spacetime and discuss the
modification of the Wilkins orbits due to the presence of the gravitomagnetic
monopole.Comment: 12 pages LaTeX iopart style, uses PicTex for 1 Figur
Kerr metric, static observers and Fermi coordinates
The coordinate transformation which maps the Kerr metric written in standard
Boyer-Lindquist coordinates to its corresponding form adapted to the natural
local coordinates of an observer at rest at a fixed position in the equatorial
plane, i.e., Fermi coordinates for the neighborhood of a static observer world
line, is derived and discussed in a way which extends to any uniformly
circularly orbiting observer there.Comment: 15 page latex iopart class documen
Spinning test particles and clock effect in Schwarzschild spacetime
We study the behaviour of spinning test particles in the Schwarzschild
spacetime. Using Mathisson-Papapetrou equations of motion we confine our
attention to spatially circular orbits and search for observable effects which
could eventually discriminate among the standard supplementary conditions
namely the Corinaldesi-Papapetrou, Pirani and Tulczyjew. We find that if the
world line chosen for the multipole reduction and whose unit tangent we denote
as is a circular orbit then also the generalized momentum of the
spinning test particle is tangent to a circular orbit even though and
are not parallel four-vectors. These orbits are shown to exist because the spin
induced tidal forces provide the required acceleration no matter what
supplementary condition we select. Of course, in the limit of a small spin the
particle's orbit is close of being a circular geodesic and the (small)
deviation of the angular velocities from the geodesic values can be of an
arbitrary sign, corresponding to the possible spin-up and spin-down alignment
to the z-axis. When two spinning particles orbit around a gravitating source in
opposite directions, they make one loop with respect to a given static observer
with different arrival times. This difference is termed clock effect. We find
that a nonzero gravitomagnetic clock effect appears for oppositely orbiting
both spin-up or spin-down particles even in the Schwarzschild spacetime. This
allows us to establish a formal analogy with the case of (spin-less) geodesics
on the equatorial plane of the Kerr spacetime. This result can be verified
experimentally.Comment: IOP macros, eps figures n. 2, to appear on Classical and Quantum
gravity, 200
Obscuration and Origin of Nuclear X-ray emission in FR I Radio Galaxies
We present X-ray observations of the nuclear region of 25 Fanaroff-Riley I
radio galaxies from the 3CRR and B2 catalogs, using data from the Chandra and
XMM archives. We find the presence of a X-ray Central Compact Core (CCCX) in
13/25 sources, in 3/25 sources the detection of a CCCX is uncertain, while in
the remaining 9/25 sources no CCCX is found. All the sources are embedded in a
diffuse soft X-ray component, generally on kpc-scales, which is in agreement
with the halo of the host galaxy and/or with the intracluster medium. The X-ray
spectra of the cores are described by a power law with photon indices Gamma=1.1
- 2.6. In 8 sources excess absorption over the Galactic value is detected, with
rest-frame column densities N_H^z ~ 10^20 - 10^21 cm^-2; thus, we confirm the
previous claim based on optical data that most FRI radio galaxies lack a
standard optically-thick torus. We find significant correlations between the
X-ray core luminosity and the radio and optical luminosities, suggesting that
at least a fraction of the X-ray emission originates in a jet; however, the
origin of the X-rays remains ambiguous. If the X-ray emission is entirely
attributed to an isotropic, accretion-related component, we find very small
Eddington ratios, L_bol/L_Edd ~ 10^-3 - 10^-8, and we calculate the radiative
efficiency to be eta ~ 10^-2 - 10^-6, based on the Bondi accretion rates from
the spatial analysis. This suggests that radiatively inefficient accretion
flows are present in the cores of low-power radio galaxies.Comment: 20 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication in The Astrophysical
Journa
Gurevich-Zybin system
We present three different linearizable extensions of the Gurevich-Zybin
system. Their general solutions are found by reciprocal transformations. In
this paper we rewrite the Gurevich-Zybin system as a Monge-Ampere equation. By
application of reciprocal transformation this equation is linearized.
Infinitely many local Hamiltonian structures, local Lagrangian representations,
local conservation laws and local commuting flows are found. Moreover, all
commuting flows can be written as Monge-Ampere equations similar to the
Gurevich-Zybin system. The Gurevich-Zybin system describes the formation of a
large scale structures in the Universe. The second harmonic wave generation is
known in nonlinear optics. In this paper we prove that the Gurevich-Zybin
system is equivalent to a degenerate case of the second harmonic generation.
Thus, the Gurevich-Zybin system is recognized as a degenerate first negative
flow of two-component Harry Dym hierarchy up to two Miura type transformations.
A reciprocal transformation between the Gurevich-Zybin system and degenerate
case of the second harmonic generation system is found. A new solution for the
second harmonic generation is presented in implicit form.Comment: Corrected typos and misprint
Structural properties of crumpled cream layers
The cream layer is a complex heterogeneous material of biological origin
which forms spontaneously at the air-milk interface. Here, it is studied the
crumpling of a single cream layer packing under its own weight at room
temperature in three-dimensional space. The structure obtained in these
circumstances has low volume fraction and anomalous fractal dimensions. Direct
means and noninvasive NMR imaging technique are used to investigate the
internal and external structure of these systems.Comment: 9 pages, 4 figures, accepted in J. Phys. D: Appl. Phy
A new limit on the CP violating decay KS -> 3pi0 with the KLOE experiment
We have carried out a new direct search for the CP violating decay KS -> 3pi0
with 1.7 fb^-1 of e+e- collisions collected by the KLOE detector at the
phi-factory DAFNE. We have searched for this decay in a sample of about 5.9 x
10^8 KS KL events tagging the KS by means of the KL interaction in the
calorimeter and requiring six prompt photons. With respect to our previous
search, the analysis has been improved by increasing of a factor four the
tagged sample and by a more effective background rejection of fake KS tags and
spurious clusters. We find no candidates in data and simulated background
samples, while we expect 0.12 standard model events. Normalizing to the number
of KS -> 2pi0 events in the same sample, we set the upper limit on BR(KS ->
3pi0 < 2.6 x 10^-8 at 90% C.L., five times lower than the previous limit. We
also set the upper limit on the eta_000 parameter, |eta_000 | < 0.0088 at 90%
C.L., improving by a factor two the latest direct measurement.Comment: Accepted for publication in Physics Letters B (15 pages, 13 figures
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