Strangelet spectra from type II supernovae

We study in this work the fate of strangelets injected as a contamination in the tail of a "strange matter-driven" supernova shock. A simple model for the fragmentation and braking of the strangelets when they pass through the expanding oxygen shell is presented and solved to understand the reprocessing of this component. We find that the escaping spectrum is a scaled-down version of the one injected at the base of the oxygen shell. The supernova source is likely to produce low-energy particles of $A \sim 100-1000$ quite independently of the initial conditions. However, it is difficult that ultrarrelativistic strangelets (such as the hypothetical Centauro primaries) can have an origin in those explosive events.Comment: RevTex file, 5 pp., no figure

Stability and Representation Dependence of the Quantum Skyrmion

A constructive realization of Skyrme's conjecture that an effective pion mass ``may arise as a self consistent quantal effect'' based on an ab initio quantum treatment of the Skyrme model is presented. In this quantum mechanical Skyrme model the spectrum of states with $I=J$, which appears in the collective quantization, terminates without any infinite tower of unphysical states. The termination point depends on the model parameters and the dimension of the SU(2) representation. Representations, in which the nucleon and $\Delta_{33}$ resonance are the only stable states, exist. The model is developed for both irreducible and reducible representations of general dimension. States with spin larger than 1/2 are shown to be deformed. The representation dependence of the baryon observables is illustrated numerically.Comment: 19 pages, Late

Transport of Proteins into Mitochondria

The mitochondrial ADP/ATP carrier is an integral transmembrane protein of the inner membrane. It is synthesized on cytoplasmic ribosomes. Kinetic data suggested that this protein is transferred into mitochondria in a posttranslational manner. The following results provide further evidence for such a mechanism and provide information on its details. 1. In homologous and heterologous translation systems the newly synthesized ADP/ATP carrier protein is present in the postribosomal supernatant. 2. Analysis by density gradient centrifugation and gel filtration shows, that the ADP/ATP carrier molecules in the postribosomal fraction are present as soluble complexes with apparent molecular weights of about 120000 and 500000 or larger. The carrier binds detergents such as Triton X-100 and deoxycholate forming mixed micelles with molecular weights of about 200000–400000. 3. Incubation of a postribosomal supernatant of a reticulocyte lysate containing newly synthesized ADP/ATP carrier with mitochondria isolated from Neurospora spheroplasts results in efficient transfer of the carrier into mitochondria. About 20–30% of the transferred carrier are resistant to proteinase in whole mitochondria. The authentic mature protein is also largely resistant to proteinase in whole mitochondria and sensitive after lysis of mitochondria with detergent. Integrity of mitochondria is a prerequisite for translocation into proteinase resistant position. 4. The transfer in vitro into a proteinase-resistant form is inhibited by the uncoupler carbonyl-cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone but not the proteinase-sensitive binding. These observations suggest that the posttranslational transfer of ADP/ATP carrier occurs via the cytosolic space through a soluble oligomeric precursor form. This precursor is taken up by intact mitochondria into an integral position in the membrane. These findings are considered to be of general importance for the intracellular transfer of insoluble membrane proteins. They support the view that such proteins can exist in a water-soluble form its precursors and upon integration into the membrane undergo a conformational change. Uptake into the membrane may involve the cleavage of an additional sequence in some proteins, but this appears not to be a prerequisite as demonstrated by the ADP/ATP carrier protein

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Microsatellite markers for the grapevine pathogen, Eutypa lata

Abstract We isolated and characterized nine polymorphic microsatellite markers for Eutypa lata, a fungal pathogen responsible for Eutypa dieback of grapevine, in populations from two California vineyards (24 isolates per vineyard). Allele frequency ranged from two to 11 alleles per locus and haploid gene diversity ranged from 0.33 to 0.83. All samples comprised unique haplotypes. Our results suggest that there is sufficient allelic polymorphism to estimate fine-scale spatial structure, and to identify possible sources of inoculum from habitats outside of vineyards. Keywords: Ascomycota, Diatrypaceae, Eutypa dieback, Eutypa lata, plant pathogen, Vitis vinifera Received 19 May 2008; revision accepted 10 June 2008 The means of spread of Eutypa dieback from vine-to-vine within vineyards is likely due to dispersal of Eutypa lata sexual spores (ascospores), and not asexual spores (conidia), based on evidence of distributions of vegetative compatibility groups, reproductive structures (perithecia), and symptomatic grapevines Genomic DNA was extracted from an isolate of E. lata from Switzerland [isolate 208.87; Centraalbureau voor Schimmelcultures, Utrecht, the Netherlands], purified (GENECLEAN III Kit, MP Biomedicals), digested with Taq αI (New England BioLabs), and enriched for both a trinucleotide, CAC 10 , and a tetranucleotide mixture (AAAC 6 , AAAG 6 , AAAT 8 , AGAT 8 ; Integrated DNA Technologies). Digested DNA was ligated to linker oligonucleotides 20B (5′-GCGGTTCCCGGTCGAGTTGG-3′) and 22B (5′-pCGCCAACTCGACCGGGAACCGC-3′

Determination of the pion-nucleon coupling constant and scattering lengths

We critically evaluate the isovector GMO sum rule for forward pion-nucleon scattering using the recent precision measurements of negatively charged pion-proton and pion-deuteron scattering lengths from pionic atoms. We deduce the charged-pion-nucleon coupling constant, with careful attention to systematic and statistical uncertainties. This determination gives, directly from data a pseudoscalar coupling constant of 14.11+-0.05(statistical)+-0.19(systematic) or a pseudovector one of 0.0783(11). This value is intermediate between that of indirect methods and the direct determination from backward neutron-proton differential scattering cross sections. We also use the pionic atom data to deduce the coherent symmetric and antisymmetric sums of the negatively charged pion-proton and pion-neutron scattering lengths with high precision. The symmetric sum gives 0.0012+-0.0002(statistical)+-0.0008 (systematic) and the antisymmetric one 0.0895+-0.0003(statistical)+-0.0013(systematic), both in units of inverse charged pion-mass. For the need of the present analysis, we improve the theoretical description of the pion-deuteron scattering length.Comment: 27 pages, 5 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev. C, few modifications and clarifications, no change in substance of the pape

Critical droplets in Metastable States of Probabilistic Cellular Automata

We consider the problem of metastability in a probabilistic cellular automaton (PCA) with a parallel updating rule which is reversible with respect to a Gibbs measure. The dynamical rules contain two parameters $\beta$ and $h$ which resemble, but are not identical to, the inverse temperature and external magnetic field in a ferromagnetic Ising model; in particular, the phase diagram of the system has two stable phases when $\beta$ is large enough and $h$ is zero, and a unique phase when $h$ is nonzero. When the system evolves, at small positive values of $h$, from an initial state with all spins down, the PCA dynamics give rise to a transition from a metastable to a stable phase when a droplet of the favored $+$ phase inside the metastable $-$ phase reaches a critical size. We give heuristic arguments to estimate the critical size in the limit of zero ``temperature'' ($\beta\to\infty$), as well as estimates of the time required for the formation of such a droplet in a finite system. Monte Carlo simulations give results in good agreement with the theoretical predictions.Comment: 5 LaTeX picture

Genome-wide linkage scan in affected sibling pairs identifies novel susceptibility region for venous thromboembolism: Genetics In Familial Thrombosis study

To cite this article: de Visser MCH, van Minkelen R, van Marion V, den Heijer M, Eikenboom J, Vos HL, Slagboom PE, Houwing-Duistermaat JJ, Rosendaal FR, Bertina RM. Genome-wide linkage scan in affected sibling pairs identifies novel susceptibility region for venous thromboembolism: Genetics in Familial Thrombosis study. J Thromb Haemost 2013; 11: 1474-84. Summary. Background: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a multicausal disorder involving environmental and genetic risk factors. In many thrombophilic families the clustering of thrombotic events cannot be explained by known genetic risk factors, indicating that some remain to be discovered. Objectives: We aimed to identify novel thrombosis susceptibility alleles in a large panel of small thrombophilic families: the Genetics In Familial Thrombosis (GIFT) study. Patients/Methods: In the GIFT study, 201 families were recruited consisting of 438 siblings with an objectively confirmed VTE at a young age. Multipoint linkage analysis (402 SSR markers) and fine mapping were performed, followed by genotyping of tagging SNPs in positional candidate genes. Results: Established genetic risk factors such as factor V Leiden, ABO blood group non-O, prothrombin 20210A, fibrinogen gamma 10034T and deficiencies of antithrombin, protein C and protein S were more frequent in GIFT patients than in unselected VTE patients. Linkage supported the presence of novel thrombosis susceptibility loci on 7p21.3-22.2 (LOD score = 3.23) and Xq24-27.3 (LOD score = 1.95). Simulation analysis showed that the chr7 signal was genome-wide statistically significant (P = 0.022). Tagging SNPs (n = 157) in eight positional candidate genes (LOD drop 1.5 regions) were genotyped in GIFT patients and 332 healthy controls. Five chr7 SNPs associated with VTE. SNP THSD7A rs2074597 was responsible for part of the chr7 signal. Conclusions: The GIFT panel is rich in established genetic risk factors for VTE, but genetic factors remain unidentified in many families. Genome-wide linkage failed to identify the previously established genetic risk factors for VTE, but identified a novel VTE susceptibility locus on chr7

Two-Dimensional Quantum Spin Systems with Ladder and Plaquette Structure

We investigate low-energy properties of two-dimensional quantum spin systems with the ladder and plaquette structures, which are described by a generalized antiferromagnetic Heisenberg model with both of the bond and spin alternations. By exploiting a non-linear $\sigma$ model technique and a modified spin wave approach, we evaluate the spin gap and the spontaneous magnetization to discuss the quantum phase transition between the ordered and disordered states. We argue how the spin-gapped phase is driven to the antiferromagnetic phase in the phase diagram.Comment: 8 pages (9 figures), accepted by JPS

Shell Model Monte Carlo studies of neutron-rich nuclei in the 1s-0d-1p-0f shells

We demonstrate the feasibility of realistic Shell-Model Monte Carlo (SMMC) calculations spanning multiple major shells, using a realistic interaction whose bad saturation and shell properties have been corrected by a newly developed general prescription. Particular attention is paid to the approximate restoration of translational invariance. The model space consists of the full sd-pf shells. We include in the study some well-known T=0 nuclei and several unstable neutron-rich ones around N=20,28. The results indicate that SMMC can reproduce binding energies, B(E2) transitions, and other observables with an interaction that is practically parameter free. Some interesting insight is gained on the nature of deep correlations. The validity of previous studies is confirmed.Comment: 22 pages + 7 postscript figure