1,549 research outputs found
Specific staining of human chromosomes in Chinese hamster x man hybrid cell lines demonstrates interphase chromosome territories
In spite of Carl Rabl's (1885) and Theodor Boveri's (1909) early hypothesis that chromosomes occupy discrete territories or domains within the interphase nucleus, evidence in favor pf this hypothesis has been limited and indirect so far in higher plants and animals. The alternative possibility that the chromatin fiber of single chromosomes might be extended throughout the major part of even the whole interphase nucleus has been considered for many years. In the latter case, chromosomes would only exist as discrete chromatin bodies during mitosis but not during interphase. Both possibilities are compatible with Boveri's well established paradigm of chromosome individuality. Here we show that an active human X chromosome contained as the only human chromosome in a Chinese hamster x man hybrid cell line can be visualized both in metaphse plates and in interphase nuclei after in situ hybridization with either 3H- or biotin-labeled human genomic DNA. We demonstrate that this chromosome is organized as a distinct chromatin body throughout interphase. In addition, evidence for the territorial organization of human chromosomes is also presented for another hybrid cell line containing several autosomes and the human X chromosome. These findings are discussed in the context of our present knowledge of the organization and topography of interphase chromosomes. General applications of a strategy aimed at specific staining of individual chromosomes in experimental and clinical cytogenetics are briefly considered
The evolution of rotating stars
First, we review the main physical effects to be considered in the building
of evolutionary models of rotating stars on the Upper Main-Sequence (MS). The
internal rotation law evolves as a result of contraction and expansion,
meridional circulation, diffusion processes and mass loss. In turn,
differential rotation and mixing exert a feedback on circulation and diffusion,
so that a consistent treatment is necessary.
We review recent results on the evolution of internal rotation and the
surface rotational velocities for stars on the Upper MS, for red giants,
supergiants and W-R stars. A fast rotation is enhancing the mass loss by
stellar winds and reciprocally high mass loss is removing a lot of angular
momentum. The problem of the ``break-up'' or -limit is critically
examined in connection with the origin of Be and LBV stars. The effects of
rotation on the tracks in the HR diagram, the lifetimes, the isochrones, the
blue to red supergiant ratios, the formation of W-R stars, the chemical
abundances in massive stars as well as in red giants and AGB stars, are
reviewed in relation to recent observations for stars in the Galaxy and
Magellanic Clouds. The effects of rotation on the final stages and on the
chemical yields are examined, as well as the constraints placed by the periods
of pulsars. On the whole, this review points out that stellar evolution is not
only a function of mass M and metallicity Z, but of angular velocity
as well.Comment: 78 pages, 7 figures, review for Annual Review of Astronomy and
Astrophysics, vol. 38 (2000
Delineation of individual human chromosomes in metaphase and interphase cells by in situ suppression hybridization using recombinant DNA libraries
A method of in situ hybridization for visualizing individual human chromosomes from pter to qter, both in metaphase spreads and interphase nuclei, is reported. DNA inserts from a single chromosomal library are labeled with biotin and partially preannealed with a titrated amount of total human genomic DNA prior to hybridization with cellular or chromosomal preparations. The cross-hybridization of repetitive sequences to nontargeted chromosomes can be markedly suppressed under appropriate preannealing conditions. The remaining single-stranded DNA is hybridized to specimens of interest and detected with fluorescent or enzymelabeled avidin conjugates following post-hybridization washes. DNA inserts from recombinant libraries for chromosomes 1, 4, 7, 8, 13, 14, 18, 20, 21, 22, and X were assessed for their ability to decorate specifically their cognate chromosome; most libraries proved to be highly specific. Quantitative densitometric analyses indicated that the ratio of specific to nonspecific hybridization signal under optimal preannealing conditions was at least 8:1. Interphase nuclei showed a cohesive territorial organization of chromosomal domains, and laserscanning confocal fluorescence microscopy was used to aid the 3-D visualization of these domains. This method should be useful for both karyotypic studies and for the analysis of chromosome topography in interphase cells
Open Problems on Central Simple Algebras
We provide a survey of past research and a list of open problems regarding
central simple algebras and the Brauer group over a field, intended both for
experts and for beginners.Comment: v2 has some small revisions to the text. Some items are re-numbered,
compared to v
Phase I study of TP300 in patients with advanced solid tumors with pharmacokinetic, pharmacogenetic and pharmacodynamic analyses
Background: A Phase I dose escalation first in man study assessed maximum tolerated dose (MTD), dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) and recommended Phase II dose of TP300, a water soluble prodrug of the Topo-1 inhibitor TP3076, and active metabolite, TP3011.
<p/>Methods: Eligible patients with refractory advanced solid tumors, adequate performance status, haematologic, renal, and hepatic function. TP300 was given as a 1-hour i.v. infusion 3-weekly and pharmacokinetic (PK) profiles of TP300, TP3076 and TP3011 were analysed. Polymorphisms in CYP2D6, AOX1 and UGT1A1 were studied and DNA strand-breaks measured in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs).
<p/>Results: 32 patients received TP300 at 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 mg/m2. MTD was 10 mg/m2; DLTs at 12 (2/4 patients) and 10 mg/m2 (3/12) included thrombocytopenia and febrile neutropenia; diarrhea was uncommon. Six patients (five had received irinotecan), had stable disease for 1.5-5 months. TP3076 showed dose proportionality in AUC and Cmax from 1--10 mg/m2. Genetic polymorphisms had no apparent influence on exposure. DNA strand-breaks were detected after TP300 infusion.
<p/>Conclusions: TP300 had predictable hematologic toxicity, and diarrhea was uncommon. AUC at MTD is substantially greater than for SN38. TP3076 and TP3011 are equi-potent with SN38, suggesting a PK advantage
Superfluid behaviour of a two-dimensional Bose gas
Two-dimensional (2D) systems play a special role in many-body physics.
Because of thermal fluctuations, they cannot undergo a conventional phase
transition associated to the breaking of a continuous symmetry. Nevertheless
they may exhibit a phase transition to a state with quasi-long range order via
the Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless (BKT) mechanism. A paradigm example is the
2D Bose fluid, such as a liquid helium film, which cannot Bose-condense at
non-zero temperature although it becomes superfluid above a critical phase
space density. Ultracold atomic gases constitute versatile systems in which the
2D quasi-long range coherence and the microscopic nature of the BKT transition
were recently explored. However, a direct observation of superfluidity in terms
of frictionless flow is still missing for these systems. Here we probe the
superfluidity of a 2D trapped Bose gas with a moving obstacle formed by a
micron-sized laser beam. We find a dramatic variation of the response of the
fluid, depending on its degree of degeneracy at the obstacle location. In
particular we do not observe any significant heating in the central, highly
degenerate region if the velocity of the obstacle is below a critical value.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure
Stellar winds from Massive Stars
We review the various techniques through which wind properties of massive
stars - O stars, AB supergiants, Luminous Blue Variables (LBVs), Wolf-Rayet
(WR) stars and cool supergiants - are derived. The wind momentum-luminosity
relation (e.g. Kudritzki et al. 1999) provides a method of predicting mass-loss
rates of O stars and blue supergiants which is superior to previous
parameterizations. Assuming the theoretical sqrt(Z) metallicity dependence,
Magellanic Cloud O star mass-loss rates are typically matched to within a
factor of two for various calibrations. Stellar winds from LBVs are typically
denser and slower than equivalent B supergiants, with exceptional mass-loss
rates during giant eruptions Mdot=10^-3 .. 10^-1 Mo/yr (Drissen et al. 2001).
Recent mass-loss rates for Galactic WR stars indicate a downward revision of
2-4 relative to previous calibrations due to clumping (e.g. Schmutz 1997),
although evidence for a metallicity dependence remains inconclusive (Crowther
2000). Mass-loss properties of luminous (> 10^5 Lo) yellow and red supergiants
from alternative techniques remain highly contradictory. Recent Galactic and
LMC results for RSG reveal a large scatter such that typical mass-loss rates
lie in the range 10^-6 .. 10^-4 Mo/yr, with a few cases exhibiting 10^-3 Mo/yr.Comment: 16 pages, 2 figures, Review paper to appear in Proc `The influence of
binaries on stellar population studies', Brussels, Aug 2000 (D. Vanbeveren
ed.), Kluwe
Entangled Mechanical Oscillators
Hallmarks of quantum mechanics include superposition and entanglement. In the
context of large complex systems, these features should lead to situations like
Schrodinger's cat, which exists in a superposition of alive and dead states
entangled with a radioactive nucleus. Such situations are not observed in
nature. This may simply be due to our inability to sufficiently isolate the
system of interest from the surrounding environment -- a technical limitation.
Another possibility is some as-of-yet undiscovered mechanism that prevents the
formation of macroscopic entangled states. Such a limitation might depend on
the number of elementary constituents in the system or on the types of degrees
of freedom that are entangled. One system ubiquitous to nature where
entanglement has not been previously demonstrated is distinct mechanical
oscillators. Here we demonstrate deterministic entanglement of separated
mechanical oscillators, consisting of the vibrational states of two pairs of
atomic ions held in different locations. We also demonstrate entanglement of
the internal states of an atomic ion with a distant mechanical oscillator.Comment: 7 pages, 2 figure
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