Elliptic flow in Au+Au collisions at sqrt(s_NN) = 130 GeV

Elliptic flow from nuclear collisions is a hadronic observable sensitive to the early stages of system evolution. We report first results on elliptic flow of charged particles at midrapidity in Au+Au collisions at sqrt(s_NN)=130 GeV using the STAR TPC at RHIC. The elliptic flow signal, v_2, averaged over transverse momentum, reaches values of about 6% for relatively peripheral collisions and decreases for the more central collisions. This can be interpreted as the observation of a higher degree of thermalization than at lower collision energies. Pseudorapidity and transverse momentum dependence of elliptic flow are also presented

Melatonin synthesis in the human pineal gland

Poster presentation: The mammalian pineal organ is a peripheral oscillator, depending on afferent information from the so-called master clock in the suprachiasmatic nuclei of the hypothalamus. One of the best studied outputs of the pineal gland is the small and hydrophobic molecule melatonin. In all vertebrates, melatonin is synthesized rhythmically with high levels at night, signalling the body the duration of the dark period. Changes or disruptions of melatonin rhythms in humans are related to a number of pathophysiological disorders, like Alzheimer's disease, seasonal affective disorder or the Smith-Magenis-Syndrome. To use melatonin in preventive or curative interferences with the human circadian system, a complete understanding of the generation of the rhythmic melatonin signal in the human pineal gland is essential. Melatonin biosynthesis is best studied in the rodent pineal gland, where the activity of the penultimate and rate-limiting enzyme, the arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase (AA-NAT), is regulated on the transcriptional level, whereas the regulatory role of the ultimate enzymatic step, achieved by the hydroxyindole O-methyltransferase (HIOMT), is still under debate. In rodents, Aa-nat mRNA is about 100-fold elevated during the night in response to adrenergic stimulation of the cAMP-signalling pathway, with AA-NAT protein levels closely following this dynamics. In contrast, in all ungulates studied so far (cow, sheep), a post-transcriptional regulation of the AA-NAT is central to determine rhythmic melatonin synthesis. AA-NAT mRNA levels are constantly elevated, and lead to a constitutive up-regulation of AA-NAT protein, which is, however, rapidly degraded via proteasomal proteolysis during the day. AA-NAT proteolysis is only terminated upon the nocturnal increase in cAMP levels. Similar to ungulates, a post-transcriptional control of this enzyme seems evident in the pineal gland of the primate Macaca mulatta. Studies on the molecular basis of melatonin synthesis in the human being are sparse and almost exclusively based on phenomenological data, derived from non-invasive investigations. Yet the molecular mechanisms underlying the generation of the hormonal message of darkness can currently only be deciphered using autoptic material. We therefore analyzed in human post-mortem pineal tissue Aa-nat and Hiomt mRNA levels, AA-NAT and HIOMT enzyme activity, and melatonin levels for the first time simultaneously within tissue samples of the same specimen. Here presented data show the feasibility of this approach. Our results depict a clear diurnal rhythm in AA-NAT activity and melatonin content, despite constant values for Aa-nat and Hiomt mRNA, and for HIOMT activity. Notably, the here elevated AA-NAT activity during the dusk period does not correspond to a simultaneous elevation in melatonin content. It is currently unclear whether this finding may suggest a more important role of the ultimate enzyme in melatonin synthesis, the HIOMT, for rate-limiting the melatonin rhythm, as reported recently for the rodent pineal gland. Thus, our data support for the first time experimentally that post-transcriptional mechanisms are responsible for the generation of rhythmic melatonin synthesis in the human pineal gland

H2 molecule in strong magnetic fields

The Pauli-Hamiltonian of a molecule with fixed nuclei in a strong constant magnetic field is asymptotic, in norm-resolvent sense, to an effective Hamiltonian which has the form of a multi-particle Schr\"odinger operator with interactions given by one-dimensional \delta-potentials. We study this effective Hamiltonian in the case of the H2 -molecule and establish existence of the ground state. We also show that the inter-nuclear equilibrium distance tends to 0 as the field-strength tends to infinity

Dispersion processes

We study a synchronous dispersion process in which $M$ particles are initially placed at a distinguished origin vertex of a graph $G$. At each time step, at each vertex $v$ occupied by more than one particle at the beginning of this step, each of these particles moves to a neighbour of $v$ chosen independently and uniformly at random. The dispersion process ends once the particles have all stopped moving, i.e. at the first step at which each vertex is occupied by at most one particle. For the complete graph $K_n$ and star graph $S_n$, we show that for any constant $\delta>1$, with high probability, if $M \le n/2(1-\delta)$, then the process finishes in $O(\log n)$ steps, whereas if $M \ge n/2(1+\delta)$, then the process needs $e^{\Omega(n)}$ steps to complete (if ever). We also show that an analogous lazy variant of the process exhibits the same behaviour but for higher thresholds, allowing faster dispersion of more particles. For paths, trees, grids, hypercubes and Cayley graphs of large enough sizes (in terms of $M$) we give bounds on the time to finish and the maximum distance traveled from the origin as a function of the number of particles $M$

On Existence and Properties of Approximate Pure Nash Equilibria in Bandwidth Allocation Games

In \emph{bandwidth allocation games} (BAGs), the strategy of a player consists of various demands on different resources. The player's utility is at most the sum of these demands, provided they are fully satisfied. Every resource has a limited capacity and if it is exceeded by the total demand, it has to be split between the players. Since these games generally do not have pure Nash equilibria, we consider approximate pure Nash equilibria, in which no player can improve her utility by more than some fixed factor $\alpha$ through unilateral strategy changes. There is a threshold $\alpha_\delta$ (where $\delta$ is a parameter that limits the demand of each player on a specific resource) such that $\alpha$-approximate pure Nash equilibria always exist for $\alpha \geq \alpha_\delta$, but not for $\alpha < \alpha_\delta$. We give both upper and lower bounds on this threshold $\alpha_\delta$ and show that the corresponding decision problem is ${\sf NP}$-hard. We also show that the $\alpha$-approximate price of anarchy for BAGs is $\alpha+1$. For a restricted version of the game, where demands of players only differ slightly from each other (e.g. symmetric games), we show that approximate Nash equilibria can be reached (and thus also be computed) in polynomial time using the best-response dynamic. Finally, we show that a broader class of utility-maximization games (which includes BAGs) converges quickly towards states whose social welfare is close to the optimum

3d metallaelectrocatalysis for resource economical syntheses

This review summarizes key developments in 3d metallaelectrocatalysis in the context of resource economy in molecular syntheses

Experimental thermodynamics of the helix-random coil transition. II. Calorimetric measurement of transition enthalpies of poly A in acid aqueous solution

Klump H, Ackermann T, Neumann E. Experimental thermodynamics of the helix-random coil transition. II. Calorimetric measurement of transition enthalpies of poly A in acid aqueous solution. Biopolymers. 1969;7(3):423-431.The enthalpy change accompanying the double helix-coil transition of polyriboadenylic acid (poly A) in aqueous solution has been measured optically and calorimetrically in the pH range 5.7-4.5. The course of this cooperative transition was followed optically by measuring changes in ultraviolet absorption as a function of temperature at different pH values, and calorimetrically by determining the heat capacity of the solution through the transition region. From the latter measurements, the enthalpy of transition was calculated. It is shown, that H is dependent on pH as it is expected from the influence of protonation of the double helix of poly A

Keemei: cloud-based validation of tabular bioinformatics file formats in Google Sheets.

BackgroundBioinformatics software often requires human-generated tabular text files as input and has specific requirements for how those data are formatted. Users frequently manage these data in spreadsheet programs, which is convenient for researchers who are compiling the requisite information because the spreadsheet programs can easily be used on different platforms including laptops and tablets, and because they provide a familiar interface. It is increasingly common for many different researchers to be involved in compiling these data, including study coordinators, clinicians, lab technicians and bioinformaticians. As a result, many research groups are shifting toward using cloud-based spreadsheet programs, such as Google Sheets, which support the concurrent editing of a single spreadsheet by different users working on different platforms. Most of the researchers who enter data are not familiar with the formatting requirements of the bioinformatics programs that will be used, so validating and correcting file formats is often a bottleneck prior to beginning bioinformatics analysis.Main textWe present Keemei, a Google Sheets Add-on, for validating tabular files used in bioinformatics analyses. Keemei is available free of charge from Google's Chrome Web Store. Keemei can be installed and run on any web browser supported by Google Sheets. Keemei currently supports the validation of two widely used tabular bioinformatics formats, the Quantitative Insights into Microbial Ecology (QIIME) sample metadata mapping file format and the Spatially Referenced Genetic Data (SRGD) format, but is designed to easily support the addition of others.ConclusionsKeemei will save researchers time and frustration by providing a convenient interface for tabular bioinformatics file format validation. By allowing everyone involved with data entry for a project to easily validate their data, it will reduce the validation and formatting bottlenecks that are commonly encountered when human-generated data files are first used with a bioinformatics system. Simplifying the validation of essential tabular data files, such as sample metadata, will reduce common errors and thereby improve the quality and reliability of research outcomes

Patellofemoral Cartilage Repair

Purpose of Review This review provides an overview of well-established and newly developed cartilage repair techniques for cartilage defects in the patellofemoral joint (PFJ). An algorithm will be presented for approaching cartilage defects considering the distinct anatomy of both the patellar and trochlear articular surfaces. Recent Findings Recent studies on cartilage repair in the PFJ have demonstrated improved outcomes in an attempt to delay or obviate the need for arthroplasty, and improve symptoms in young patients. While autologous chondrocyte implantation shows good and excellent outcomes for chondral lesions, osteochondral defects are adequately addressed with osteochondral allograft transplantation. In case of patellar malalignment, concomitant tibial tubercle osteotomy can significantly improve outcomes. Particulated cartilage and bone marrow aspirate concentrate are potential new alternative treatments for cartilage repair, currently in early clinical studies. Summary Due to the frequency of concomitant anatomic abnormalities in the PFJ, a thorough clinical examination combined with careful indication for each procedure in each individual patient combined with meticulous surgical technique is central to achieve satisfying outcomes. Additional comparative studies of cartilage repair procedures, as well as investigation of newer techniques, are needed.Brigham & Womens Hosp, Harvard Med Sch, Dept Orthopaed Surg, Cartilage Repair Ctr, 850 Boylston St,Suite 120, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467 USAUniv Fed Sao Paulo, Paulista Sch Med, Sao Paulo, BrazilUniv Fed Sao Paulo, Paulista Sch Med, Sao Paulo, BrazilWeb of Scienc

Constitutional comparativism in South Africa

Recourse to comparative constitutional and public law by national courts has increased steadily since the SecondWorldWar. Though less dramatic, such a trend is also visible in private law as it moves away from a purely or very predominantly historical approach to a normative one, and as constitutional law and values exert ever greater influence on private law. Comparative law is especially important in constitutional and public law. It assists in the correct framing of the questions under investigation, it exposes fallacies or dangers in solutions and remedies, and, perhaps most importantly of all, it assists judicial problem solvers in their attempts to rigorously falsify provisionally formed hypotheses