1,050 research outputs found
Blockwise SVD with error in the operator and application to blind deconvolution
We consider linear inverse problems in a nonparametric statistical framework.
Both the signal and the operator are unknown and subject to error measurements.
We establish minimax rates of convergence under squared error loss when the
operator admits a blockwise singular value decomposition (blockwise SVD) and
the smoothness of the signal is measured in a Sobolev sense. We construct a
nonlinear procedure adapting simultaneously to the unknown smoothness of both
the signal and the operator and achieving the optimal rate of convergence to
within logarithmic terms. When the noise level in the operator is dominant, by
taking full advantage of the blockwise SVD property, we demonstrate that the
block SVD procedure overperforms classical methods based on Galerkin projection
or nonlinear wavelet thresholding. We subsequently apply our abstract framework
to the specific case of blind deconvolution on the torus and on the sphere
Interactions between landscape changes and host communities can regulate echinococcus multilocularis transmission
An area close to the Qinghai-Tibet plateau region and subject to intensive deforestation contains a large focus of human alveolar echinococcosis while sporadic human cases occur in the Doubs region of eastern France. The current review analyses and compares epidemiological and ecological results obtained in both regions. Analysis of rodent species assemblages within quantified rural landscapes in central China and eastern France shows a significant association between host species for the pathogenic helminth Echinococcus multilocularis, with prevalences of human alveolar echinococcosis and with land area under shrubland or grassland. This suggests that at the regional scale landscape can affect human disease distribution through interaction with small mammal communities and their population dynamics. Lidicker's ROMPA hypothesis helps to explain this association and provides a novel explanation of how landscape changes may result in increased risk of a rodent-borne zoonotic disease
Inhibiting the reproduction of SARS-CoV-2 through perturbations in human lung cell metabolic network
Viruses rely on their host for reproduction. Here, we made use of genomic and structural information to create a biomass function capturing the amino and nucleic acid requirements of SARS-CoV-2. Incorporating this biomass function into a stoichiometric metabolic model of the human lung cell and applying metabolic flux balance analysis, we identified host-based metabolic perturbations inhibiting SARS-CoV-2 reproduction. Our results highlight reactions in the central metabolism, as well as amino acid and nucleotide biosynthesis pathways. By incorporating host cellular maintenance into the model based on available protein expression data from human lung cells, we find that only few of these metabolic perturbations are able to selectively inhibit virus reproduction. Some of the catalysing enzymes of such reactions have demonstrated interactions with existing drugs, which can be used for experimental testing of the presented predictions using gene knockouts and RNA interference techniques. In summary, the developed computational approach offers a platform for rapid, experimentally testable generation of drug predictions against existing and emerging viruses based on their biomass requirements
inv(X)(p11.4p11.22) BCOR/CCNB3 in bone sarcoma
Review on inv(X)(p11.4p11.22) BCOR/CCNB3 in bone sarcoma, with data on clinics, and the genes involved
Quadratic optimal functional quantization of stochastic processes and numerical applications
In this paper, we present an overview of the recent developments of
functional quantization of stochastic processes, with an emphasis on the
quadratic case. Functional quantization is a way to approximate a process,
viewed as a Hilbert-valued random variable, using a nearest neighbour
projection on a finite codebook. A special emphasis is made on the
computational aspects and the numerical applications, in particular the pricing
of some path-dependent European options.Comment: 41 page
The CAST Time Projection Chamber
One of the three X-ray detectors of the CAST experiment searching for solar
axions is a Time Projection Chamber (TPC) with a multi-wire proportional
counter (MWPC) as a readout structure. Its design has been optimized to provide
high sensitivity to the detection of the low intensity X-ray signal expected in
the CAST experiment. A low hardware threshold of 0.8 keV is safely set during
normal data taking periods, and the overall efficiency for the detection of
photons coming from conversion of solar axions is 62 %. Shielding has been
installed around the detector, lowering the background level to 4.10 x 10^-5
counts/cm^2/s/keV between 1 and 10 keV. During phase I of the CAST experiment
the TPC has provided robust and stable operation, thus contributing with a
competitive result to the overall CAST limit on axion-photon coupling and mass.Comment: 19 pages, 11 figures and images, submitted to New Journal of Physic
Noisy Kondo impurities
The anti-ferromagnetic coupling of a magnetic impurity carrying a spin with
the conduction electrons spins of a host metal is the basic mechanism
responsible for the increase of the resistance of an alloy such as
CuFe at low temperature, as originally suggested by
Kondo . This coupling has emerged as a very generic property of localized
electronic states coupled to a continuum . The possibility to design artificial
controllable magnetic impurities in nanoscopic conductors has opened a path to
study this many body phenomenon in unusual situations as compared to the
initial one and, in particular, in out of equilibrium situations. So far,
measurements have focused on the average current. Here, we report on
\textit{current fluctuations} (noise) measurements in artificial Kondo
impurities made in carbon nanotube devices. We find a striking enhancement of
the current noise within the Kondo resonance, in contradiction with simple
non-interacting theories. Our findings provide a test bench for one of the most
important many-body theories of condensed matter in out of equilibrium
situations and shed light on the noise properties of highly conductive
molecular devices.Comment: minor differences with published versio
Thioflavin T indicates mitochondrial membrane potential in mammalian cells
The fluorescent benzothiazole dye thioflavin T (ThT) is widely used as a marker for protein aggregates, most commonly in the context of neurodegenerative disease research and diagnosis. Recently, this same dye was shown to indicate membrane potential in bacteria due to its cationic nature. This finding prompted a question whether ThT fluorescence is linked to the membrane potential in mammalian cells, which would be important for appropriate utilization of ThT in research and diagnosis. Here, we show that ThT localizes into the mitochondria of HeLa cells in a membrane-potential-dependent manner. Specifically, ThT colocalized in cells with the mitochondrial membrane potential indicator tetramethylrhodamine methyl ester (TMRM) and gave similar temporal responses as TMRM to treatment with a protonophore, carbonyl cyanide-4-(trifluoromethoxy) phenylhydrazone (FCCP). Additionally, we found that presence of ThT together with exposure to blue light (λ = 405 nm), but neither factor alone, caused depolarization of mitochondrial membrane potential. This additive effect of the concentration and blue light was recapitulated by a mathematical model implementing the potential-dependent distribution of ThT and its effect on mitochondrial membrane potential through photosensitization. These results show that ThT can act as a mitochondrial membrane potential indicator in mammalian cells, when used at low concentrations and with low blue light exposure. However, it causes dissipation of the mitochondrial membrane potential depending additively on its concentrations and blue light exposure. This conclusion motivates a re-evaluation of ThTâs use at micromolar range in live-cell analyses and indicates that this dye can enable future studies on the potential connections between mitochondrial membrane potential dynamics and protein aggregation
Functional significance may underlie the taxonomic utility of single amino acid substitutions in conserved proteins
We hypothesized that some amino acid substitutions in conserved proteins that are strongly fixed by critical functional roles would show lineage-specific distributions. As an example of an archetypal conserved eukaryotic protein we considered the active site of Ă-tubulin. Our analysis identified one amino acid substitutionâĂ-tubulin F224âwhich was highly lineage specific. Investigation of Ă-tubulin for other phylogenetically restricted amino acids identified several with apparent specificity for well-defined phylogenetic groups. Intriguingly, none showed specificity for âsupergroupsâ other than the unikonts. To understand why, we analysed the Ă-tubulin Neighbor-Net and demonstrated a fundamental division between core Ă-tubulins (plant-like) and divergent Ă-tubulins (animal and fungal). F224 was almost completely restricted to the core Ă-tubulins, while divergent Ă-tubulins possessed Y224. Thus, our specific example offers insight into the restrictions associated with the co-evolution of Ă-tubulin during the radiation of eukaryotes, underlining a fundamental dichotomy between F-type, core Ă-tubulins and Y-type, divergent Ă-tubulins. More broadly our study provides proof of principle for the taxonomic utility of critical amino acids in the active sites of conserved proteins
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