259 research outputs found
Heavy Fermion Stabilization of Solitons in 1+1 Dimensions
We find static solitons stabilized by quantum corrections in a
(1+1)-dimensional model with a scalar field chirally coupled to fermions. This
model does not support classical solitons. We compute the renormalized energy
functional including one-loop quantum corrections. We carry out a variational
search for a configuration that minimizes the energy functional. We find a
nontrivial configuration with fermion number whose energy is lower than the
same number of free fermions quantized about the translationally invariant
vacuum. In order to compute the quantum corrections for a given background
field we use a phase-shift parameterization of the Casimir energy. We identify
orders of the Born series for the phase shift with perturbative Feynman
diagrams in order to renormalize the Casimir energy using perturbatively
determined counterterms. Generalizing dimensional regularization, we
demonstrate that this procedure yields a finite and unambiguous energy
functional.Comment: 27 papes Latex, equation labels corrected, version to be published in
Nucl. Phys.
Aloiampelos tenuior var. ernstii, a new orange-flowered variety of rambling aloe (Asphodelaceae subfam. Alooideae)
A red- and several yellow-flowered variants of Aloiampelos tenuior (Asphodelaceae subfam. Alooideae), a species of
scrambling aloe, are well known, including in cultivation, and apart from the autonymic variety, at least four others have
been given taxonomic recognition at that rank. The yellow-flowered varieties of A. tenuior are predominantly, but not
exclusively, based on vegetative characters, while the red-flowered variety is distinguished by its flower colour, as well as
vegetative characters. The orange-flowered form of A. tenuior, which is much less common in cultivation than A. tenuior
var. tenuior or A. tenuior var. rubriflora, is here described as A. tenuior var. ernstii.https://www.mapress.com/ptdm2022Plant Production and Soil Scienc
Surface Biology & Geology Pathfinder Data Analysis Pipeline
NASA's future global orbital mission, currently in development as the Surface Biology and Geology (SBG) Designated Observable study, will acquire relatively high resolution solar-reflected spectroscopy and thermal infrared observations. Innovative processes must be utilized for handling the high volume of data anticipated to be collected, which is anticipated to exceed 100 terabytes/day, greater than NASA's total extant airborne hyperspectral data collection. Collecting, processing/re-processing, disseminating, and exploiting this volume of data presents new challenges. To begin addressing them, NASA is drawing upon the expertise developed from its astrophysics programs to address Earth science and applications. Specifically, NASA is adapting the science processing operations technology developed for the Kepler and TESS planet-hunting missions for imaging spectroscopy data processing. This technology development has been the foundation for the remarkable scientific successes of Kepler and TESS. The Kepler/TESS data processing technology provides a scalable architecture for robust, repeatable, and replicable science and application products while enabling the Earth science community to develop, test, and implement new algorithms. Our effort to leverage this existing capability has begun by ingesting data and applying workflows from the EO-1/Hyperion 17-year mission archive that provides globally sampled visible through shortwave infrared spectra that are representative of SBG data types and volumes. This pathfinding data processing system will help define the solutions to processing SBG data volumes and will enable the scientific community to interact with the data and processing pipeline to create new science products
Evaluation of ultravioletβC and sprayβdrying processes as two independent inactivation steps on enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli K88 and K99 strains inoculated in fresh unconcentrated porcine plasma
The objectives of this study were to assess the effectiveness of an ultraviolet (UVβC, 254 nm) irradiation system and the sprayβdrying method as two independent safety steps on inactivation of Escherichia coli K88 and K99 spiked in porcine plasma at 6Β·46 Β± 0Β·04 log10 mlβ1 and 6Β·78 Β± 0Β·67 log10 mlβ1 respectively for UVβC method, and at 7Β·31 Β± 0Β·39 log10 mlβ1 and 7Β·66 Β± 0Β·11 log10 mlβ1, respectively for the sprayβdrying method. The UVβC method was performed at different UV light doses (from 750 to 9000 J lβ1) using a pilot plant UVβC device working under turbulent flow. Sprayβdrying treatment was done at inlet temperature 220 Β± 1Β°C and two different outlet temperatures, 80 Β± 1Β°C or 70 Β± 1Β°C. Results indicated that UVβC treatment induced a 4 log10 viability reduction for both E. coli at 3000 J lβ1. Full inactivation of both E. coli strains was achieved in all sprayβdried samples dehydrated at both outlet temperatures. The special UVβC system design for turbid liquid porcine plasma is a novel treatment that can provide an additional redundant biosafety feature that can be incorporated into the manufacturing process for sprayβdried animal plasma.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Traffic Equations and Granular Convection
We investigate both numerically and analytically the convective instability
of granular materials by two dimensional traffic equations. In the absence of
vibrations the traffic equations assume two distinctive classes of fixed bed
solutions with either a spatially uniform or nonuniform density profile. The
former one exists only when the function V(\rho) that monitors the relaxation
of grains assumes a cut off at the closed packed density, \rho_c, with
V(\rho_c)=0, while the latter one exists for any form of V. Since there is
little difference between the uniform and nonuniform solution deep inside the
bed, the convective instability of the bulk may be studied by focusing on the
stability of the uniform solution. In the presence of vibrations, we find that
the uniform solution bifurcates into a bouncing solution, which then undergoes
a supercritical bifurcation to the convective instability. We determine the
onset of convection as a function of control parameters and confirm this
picture by solving the traffic equations numerically, which reveals bouncing
solutions, two convective rolls, and four convective rolls. Further, convective
patterns change as the aspect ratio changes: in a vertically long container,
the rolls move toward the surface, and in a horizontally long container, the
rolls move toward the walls. We compare these results with those reported
previously with a different continuum model by Hayakawa, Yue and Hong[Phys.
Rev. Lett. 75,2328, 1995]. Finally, we also present a derivation of the traffic
equations from Enskoq equation.Comment: 34 pages, 10 figure
A comparative study of anxiety and depression in patients with bronchial asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and tuberculosis in a general hospital of chest diseases
Metal A and Metal B Sites of Nuclear RNA Polymerases Pol IV and Pol V Are Required for siRNA-Dependent DNA Methylation and Gene Silencing
Plants are unique among eukaryotes in having five multi-subunit nuclear RNA polymerases: the ubiquitous RNA polymerases I, II and III plus two plant-specific activities, nuclear RNA polymerases IV and V (previously known as Polymerases IVa and IVb). Pol IV and Pol V are not required for viability but play non-redundant roles in small interfering RNA (siRNA)-mediated pathways, including a pathway that silences retrotransposons and endogenous repeats via siRNA-directed DNA methylation. RNA polymerase activity has not been demonstrated for Polymerases IV or V in vitro, making it unclear whether they are catalytically active enzymes. Their largest and second-largest subunit sequences have diverged considerably from Pol I, II and III in the vicinity of the catalytic center, yet retain the invariant Metal A and Metal B amino acid motifs that bind magnesium ions essential for RNA polymerization. By using site-directed mutagenesis in conjunction with in vivo functional assays, we show that the Metal A and Metal B motifs of Polymerases IV and V are essential for siRNA production, siRNA-directed DNA methylation, retrotransposon silencing, and the punctate nuclear localization patterns typical of both polymerases. Collectively, these data show that the minimal core sequences of polymerase active sites, the Metal A and B sites, are essential for Pol IV and Pol V biological functions, implying that both are catalytically active
Evaluating the effectiveness of agricultural adaptation to climate change in preindustrial society
The effectiveness of agricultural adaptation determines the vulnerability of this sector to climate change, particularly during the preindustrial era. However, this effectiveness has rarely been quantitatively evaluated, specifically at a large spatial and long-term scale. The present study covers this case of preindustrial society in AD 1500β1800. Given the absence of technological innovations in this time frame, agricultural production was chiefly augmented by cultivating more land (land input) and increasing labor input per land unit (labor input). Accordingly, these two methods are quantitatively examined. Statistical results show that within the study scale, land input is a more effective approach of mitigating climatic impact than labor input. Nonetheless, these observations collectively improve Boserup's theory from the perspective of a large spatial and long-term scale.postprin
Three SRA-Domain Methylcytosine-Binding Proteins Cooperate to Maintain Global CpG Methylation and Epigenetic Silencing in Arabidopsis
Methylcytosine-binding proteins decipher the epigenetic information encoded by DNA methylation and provide a link between DNA methylation, modification of chromatin structure, and gene silencing. VARIANT IN METHYLATION 1 (VIM1) encodes an SRA (SET- and RING-associated) domain methylcytosine-binding protein in Arabidopsis thaliana, and loss of VIM1 function causes centromere DNA hypomethylation and centromeric heterochromatin decondensation in interphase. In the Arabidopsis genome, there are five VIM genes that share very high sequence similarity and encode proteins containing a PHD domain, two RING domains, and an SRA domain. To gain further insight into the function and potential redundancy among the VIM proteins, we investigated strains combining different vim mutations and transgenic vim knock-down lines that down-regulate multiple VIM family genes. The vim1 vim3 double mutant and the transgenic vim knock-down lines showed decreased DNA methylation primarily at CpG sites in genic regions, as well as repeated sequences in heterochromatic regions. In addition, transcriptional silencing was released in these plants at most heterochromatin regions examined. Interestingly, the vim1 vim3 mutant and vim knock-down lines gained ectopic CpHpH methylation in the 5S rRNA genes against a background of CpG hypomethylation. The vim1 vim2 vim3 triple mutant displayed abnormal morphological phenotypes including late flowering, which is associated with DNA hypomethylation of the 5β² region of FWA and release of FWA gene silencing. Our findings demonstrate that VIM1, VIM2, and VIM3 have overlapping functions in maintenance of global CpG methylation and epigenetic transcriptional silencing
CD(8+ )T lymphocytes in lung tissue from patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
BACKGROUND: Several studies have implicated a role of inflammation in the pathogenesis of lung damage in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Parenchymal lung damage leads to defects in mechanics and gas exchange and clinically manifests with exertional dyspnea. Investigations of inflammatory cells in IPF have shown that eosinophils, neutrophils and CD(8+ )TLs may be associated with worse prognosis. We wished to investigate by quantitative immunohistochemistry infiltrating macrophages, neutrophils and T lymphocytes (TLs) subpopulations (CD(3+), CD(4+ )and CD(8+)) in lung tissue of patients with IPF and their correlation with lung function indices and grade of dyspnoea. METHODS: Surgical biopsies of 12 patients with IPF were immunohistochemically stained with mouse monoclonal antibodies (anti-CD(68 )for macrophages, anti-elastase for neutrophils, and anti-CD(3), anti-CD(4), anti-CD(8 )for CD(3+)TLs, CD(4+)TLs, and CD(8+)TLs respectively). The number of positively stained cells was determined by observer-interactive computerized image analysis (SAMBA microscopic image processor). Cell numbers were expressed in percentage of immunopositive nuclear surface in relation to the total nuclear surface of infiltrative cells within the tissue (labeling Index). Correlations were performed between cell numbers and physiological indices [FEV(1), FVC, TLC, DLCO, PaO(2), PaCO(2 )and P(A-a)O(2))] as well as dyspnoea scores assessed by the Medical Research Council (MRC) scale. RESULTS: Elastase positive cells accounted for the 7.04% Β± 1.1 of total cells, CD(68+ )cells for the 16.6% Β± 2, CD(3+ )TLs for the 28.8% Β± 7, CD(4+ )TLs for the 14.5 Β± 4 and CD(8+ )TLs for the 13.8 Β± 4. CD(8+)TLs correlated inversely with FVC % predicted (r(s )= -0.67, p = 0.01), TLC % predicted (r(s )= -0.68, p = 0.01), DLCO % predicted (r(s )= -0.61, p = 0.04), and PaO(2 )(r(s )= -0.60, p = 0.04). Positive correlations were found between CD(8+)TLs and P(A-a)O(2 )(r(s )= 0.65, p = 0.02) and CD(8+)TLs and MRC score (r(s )= 0.63, p = 0.02). Additionally, CD(68+ )cells presented negative correlations with both FVC % predicted (r(s )= -0.80, p = 0.002) and FEV(1 )% predicted (r(s )= -0.68, p = 0.01). CONCLUSION: In UIP/IPF tissue infiltrating mononuclear cells and especially CD(8+ )TLs are associated with the grade of dyspnoea and functional parameters of disease severity implicating that they might play a role in its pathogenesis
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