1,255 research outputs found
Speech Communication
Contains reports on two research projects.National Science Foundation (Grant GK-31353)National Institutes of Health (Grant 5 RO1 NS04332-10)U. S. Navy - Office of Naval Research (Contract N00014-67-A-0204-0069
Characterization of fluids involved in the Gneiss-Charnockite transformation in Southern Kerala (India)
The characterization of fluids involved in the gneiss-charnockite transformation in southern Kerala are discussed. Using a variety of techniques, including microthermometry, Raman laser probe analysis, and mass spectrometry, it was concluded that the CO2-rich, N2-bearing metamorphic fluids in these rocks were internally-derived rather than having been introduced by CO2-streaming
Appearance of the Single Gyroid Network Phase in Nuclear Pasta Matter
Nuclear matter under the conditions of a supernova explosion unfolds into a
rich variety of spatially structured phases, called nuclear pasta. We
investigate the role of periodic network-like structures with negatively curved
interfaces in nuclear pasta structures, by static and dynamic Hartree-Fock
simulations in periodic lattices. As the most prominent result, we identify for
the first time the {\it single gyroid} network structure of cubic chiral
symmetry, a well known configuration in nanostructured soft-matter
systems, both as a dynamical state and as a cooled static solution. Single
gyroid structures form spontaneously in the course of the dynamical
simulations. Most of them are isomeric states. The very small energy
differences to the ground state indicate its relevance for structures in
nuclear pasta.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figure
P04.35. Sustained effects of a mindfulness-based classroom intervention on behavior in urban, underserved children
Speech Communication
Contains reports on three research projects.U. S. Air Force Cambridge Research Laboratories under Contract F19628-69-C-0044National Institutes of Health (Grant 5 RO1 NS04332-09)M.I.T. Lincoln Laboratory Purchase Order CC-57
Low-temperature statistical mechanics of the QuanTizer problem: fast quenching and equilibrium cooling of the three-dimensional Voronoi Liquid
The Quantizer problem is a tessellation optimisation problem where point
configurations are identified such that the Voronoi cells minimise the second
moment of the volume distribution. While the ground state (optimal state) in 3D
is almost certainly the body-centered cubic lattice, disordered and effectively
hyperuniform states with energies very close to the ground state exist that
result as stable states in an evolution through the geometric Lloyd's algorithm
[Klatt et al. Nat. Commun., 10, 811 (2019)]. When considered as a statistical
mechanics problem at finite temperature, the same system has been termed the
'Voronoi Liquid' by [Ruscher et al. EPL 112, 66003 (2015)]. Here we investigate
the cooling behaviour of the Voronoi liquid with a particular view to the
stability of the effectively hyperuniform disordered state. As a confirmation
of the results by Ruscher et al., we observe, by both molecular dynamics and
Monte Carlo simulations, that upon slow quasi-static equilibrium cooling, the
Voronoi liquid crystallises from a disordered configuration into the
body-centered cubic configuration. By contrast, upon sufficiently fast
non-equilibrium cooling (and not just in the limit of a maximally fast quench)
the Voronoi liquid adopts similar states as the effectively hyperuniform
inherent structures identified by Klatt et al. and prevents the ordering
transition into a BCC ordered structure. This result is in line with the
geometric intuition that the geometric Lloyd's algorithm corresponds to a type
of fast quench.Comment: 11 pages, 6 figure
The Unseen World: Environmental Microbial Sequencing and Identification Methods for Ecologists
Microorganisms inhabit almost every environment, comprise the majority of diversity on Earth, are important in biogeochemical cycling, and may be vital to ecosystem responses to large-scale climatic change. In recent years, ecologists have begun to use rapidly advancing molecular techniques to address questions about microbial diversity, biogeography, and responses to environmental change. Studies of microbes in the environment generally focus on three broad objectives: determining which organisms are present, what their functional capabilities are, and which are active at any given time. However, comprehending the range of methodologies currently in use can be daunting. To provide an overview of environmental microbial sequence data collection and analysis approaches, we include case studies of microbiomes ranging from the human mouth to geothermal springs. We also suggest contexts in which each technique can be applied and highlight insights that result from their use
Gneiss-charnockite transformation at Kottavattam, Southern Kerala (India)
At Kottavattam, leucocratic granitic garnet-biotite gneisses (age less than 2 Ga) were partially transformed to coarse-grained charnockite along a system of conjugate fractures (N70E and N20W) and the foliation planes (N60 to 80W; dip 80 to 90 SW) about 550 m.y. ago. To examine and quantify changes in fabric, mineralogy, pore fluids and chemical composition associated with this process, large rock specimens showing gneiss-charnockite transition were studied in detail. The results of the present study corroborate the concept that charnockite formation at Kottavattam is an internally-generated phenomenon and was not triggered by the influx of carbonic fluids from a deep-seated source. It is suggested that charnockitization was caused by the following mechanism: (1) near-isothermal decompression during uplift of the gneiss complex led to an increase of the pore fluid pressure (P sub fluid greater than P sub lith) which - in a regime of anisotropic stress - triggered or at least promoted the development of conjugate fractures; (2) the simultaneous release of pore fluids from bursting fluid inclusions and their escape into the developing fracture system resulted in a drop of fluid pressure; and (3) the internal generation and buffering of the fluids and their, probably, limited migration in an entirely granitic rock system explains the absence of any significant metasomatic mass transfer
Differential Transgene Silencing of Myeloid-Specific Promoters in the AAVS1 Safe Harbor Locus of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Myeloid Cells
Targeted integration into a genomic safe harbor, such as the AAVS1 locus on chromosome 19, promises predictable transgene expression and reduces the risk of insertional mutagenesis in the host genome. The application of gamma-retroviral LTR-driven vectors, which semi-randomly integrate into the genome, has previously caused severe adverse events in some clinical studies due to transactivation of neighboring proto-oncogenes. Consequently, the site-specific integration of a therapeutic transgene into a genomic safe harbor locus would allow stable genetic correction with a reduced risk of insertional mutagenesis. However, recent studies revealed that transgene silencing, especially in case of weaker cell type-specific promoters, can occur in the AAVS1 locus of human pluripotent stem cells (PSC) and can impede transgene expression during differentiation. In this study, we aimed to correct p47phox-deficiency, which is the second most common cause of chronic granulomatous disease, by insertion of a therapeutic p47phox transgene into the AAVS1 locus of human induced PSC (iPSC) using CRISPR-Cas9. We analyzed transgene expression and functional correction from three different myeloid-specific promoters (miR223, CatG/cFes and MRP8). Upon myeloid differentiation of corrected iPSC clones, we observed that the miR223 and CatG/cFes promoter achieved therapeutic-relevant levels of p47phox expression and NADPH oxidase activity, whereas the MRP8 promoter was less efficient. Analysis of the different promoters revealed high CpG methylation of the MRP8 promoter in differentiated cells, which correlated with the transgene expression data. In summary, we identified the miR223 and CatG/cFes promoters as cell type-specific promoters that allow stable transgene expression in the AAVS1 locus of iPSC-derived myeloid cells. Our findings further indicate that promoter silencing can occur in the AAVS1 safe harbor locus in differentiated hematopoietic cells and that a comparison of different promoters is necessary to achieve optimal transgene expression for therapeutic application of iPSC-derived cells
Splenic pooling and loss of VCAM-1 causes an engraftment defect in patients with myelofibrosis after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation
Myelofibrosis is a myeloproliferative neoplasm that results in cytopenia, bone marrow fibrosis and extramedullary hematopoiesis. Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is the only curative treatment but is associated with a risk of delayed engraftment and graft failure. In this study, patients with myelofibrosis (n=31) and acute myeloid leukemia (n=31) were analyzed for time to engraftment, graft failure and engraftment-related factors. Early and late neutrophil engraftment and late thrombocyte engraftment were significantly delayed in patients with myelofibrosis as compared to acute myeloid leukemia, and graft failure only occurred in myelofibrosis (6%). Only spleen size had a significant influence on engraftment efficiency in myelofibrosis patients. To analyze the cause for the engraftment defect, clearance of hematopoietic stem cells from peripheral blood was measured and immunohistological staining of bone marrow sections was performed. Numbers of circulating CD34+ were significantly reduced at early time points in myelofibrosis patients, whereas CD34+CD38- and colony-forming cells showed no significant difference in clearance. Staining of bone marrow sections for homing proteins revealed a loss of VCAM-1 in myelofibrosis with a corresponding significant increase in the level of soluble VCAM-1 within the peripheral blood. In conclusion, our data suggest that reduced engraftment and graft failure in myelofibrosis patients is caused by an early pooling of CD34+ hematopoietic stem cells in the spleen and a bone marrow homing defect caused by the loss of VCAM-1. Improved engraftment in myelofibrosis might be achieved by approaches that reduce spleen size and cleavage of VCAM-1 in these patients prior to hematopoietic stem cell transplantation
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