527 research outputs found
Collective synchronization in populations of globally coupled phase oscillators with drifting frequencies
We generalize the Kuramoto model for coupled phase oscillators by allowing
the frequencies to drift in time according to Ornstein-Uhlenbeck dynamics. Such
drifting frequencies were recently measured in cellular populations of
circadian oscillator and inspired our work. Linear stability analysis of the
Fokker-Planck equation for an infinite population is amenable to exact solution
and we show that the incoherent state is unstable passed a critical coupling
strength K_c(\ga, \sigf), where \ga is the inverse characteristic drifting
time and \sigf the asymptotic frequency dispersion. Expectedly agrees
with the noisy Kuramoto model in the large \ga (Schmolukowski) limit but
increases slower as \ga decreases. Asymptotic expansion of the solution for
\ga\to 0 shows that the noiseless Kuramoto model with Gaussian frequency
distribution is recovered in that limit. Thus varying a single parameter allows
to interpolate smoothly between two regimes: one dominated by the frequency
dispersion and the other by phase diffusion.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figures, accepted in Phys. Rev.
A Complete Perturbative Expansion for Constrained Quantum Dynamics
A complete perturbative expansion for the Hamiltonian describing the motion
of a quantomechanical system constrained to move on an arbitrary submanifold of
its configuration space is obtained.Comment: 18 pages, LaTe
Doping Dependence of the Electronic Structure of Ba_{1-x}K_{x}BiO_{3} Studied by X-Ray Absorption Spectroscopy
We have performed x-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and x-ray photoemission
spectroscopy (XPS) studies of single crystal Ba_{1-x}K_{x}BiO_{3} (BKBO)
covering the whole composition range . Several features in
the oxygen 1\textit{s} core XAS spectra show systematic changes with .
Spectral weight around the absorption threshold increases with hole doping and
shows a finite jump between and 0.40, which signals the
metal-insulator transition. We have compared the obtained results with
band-structure calculations. Comparison with the XAS results of
BaPb_{1-x}Bi_{x}O_{3} has revealed quite different doping dependences between
BKBO and BPBO. We have also observed systematic core-level shifts in the XPS
spectra as well as in the XAS threshold as functions of , which can be
attributed to a chemical potential shift accompanying the hole doping. The
observed chemical potential shift is found to be slower than that predicted by
the rigid band model based on the band-structure calculations.Comment: 8 pages, 8 figures include
Measurement of the Xi-p Scattering Cross Sections at Low Energy
In this paper we report cross-section measurements for elastic and
inelastic scatterings at low energy using a scintillating fiber active target.
Upper limit on the total cross-section for the elastic scattering was found to
be 24 mb at 90% confidence level, and the total cross section for the
reaction was found to be mb. We
compare the results with currently competing theoretical estimates.Comment: 9 page
Enteric Neurospheres Are Not Specific to Neural Crest Cultures: Implications for Neural Stem Cell Therapies
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly credited
Human Epidermal Neural Crest Stem Cells (hEPI-NCSC)—Characterization and Directed Differentiation into Osteocytes and Melanocytes
Here we describe the isolation, characterisation and ex-vivo expansion of human epidermal neural crest stem cells (hEPI-NCSC) and we provide protocols for their directed differentiation into osteocytes and melanocytes. hEPI-NCSC are neural crest-derived multipotent stem cells that persist into adulthood in the bulge of hair follicles. Multipotency and self-renewal were determined by in vitro clonal analyses. hEPI-NCSC generate all major neural crest derivatives, including bone/cartilage cells, neurons, Schwann cells, myofibroblasts and melanocytes. Furthermore, hEPI-NCSC express additional neural crest stem cell markers and global stem cell genes. To variable degrees and in a donor-dependent manner, hEPI-NCSC express the six essential pluripotency genes C-MYC, KLF4, SOX2, LIN28, OCT-4/POU5F1 and NANOG. hEPI-NCSC can be expanded ex vivo into millions of stem cells that remain mulitpotent and continue to express stem cell genes. The novelty of hEPI-NCSC lies in the combination of their highly desirable traits. hEPI-NCSC are embryonic remnants in a postnatal location, the bulge of hair follicles. Therefore they are readily accessible in the hairy skin by minimal invasive procedure. hEPI-NCSC are multipotent somatic stem cells that can be isolated reproducibly and with high yield. By taking advantage of their migratory ability, hEPI-NCSC can be isolated as a highly pure population of stem cells. hEPI-NCSC can undergo robust ex vivo expansion and directed differentiation. As somatic stem cells, hEPI-NCSC are conducive to autologous transplantation, which avoids graft rejection. Together, these traits make hEPI-NCSC novel and attractive candidates for future cell-based therapies and regenerative medicine
Incidence and risk factors of postoperative neurologic decline after complex adult spinal deformity surgery:results of the Scoli-RISK-1 study
Genetic studies of fall armyworm indicate a new introduction into Africa and identify limits to its migratory behavior
Open Access Journal; Published online: 04 Feb 2022The fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) is native to the Americas and a major pest of corn and several other crops of economic importance. The species has characteristics that make it of particular concern as an invasive pest, including broad host range, long-distance migration behavior, and a propensity for field-evolved pesticide resistance. The discovery of fall armyworm in western Africa in 2016 was followed by what was apparently a remarkably rapid spread throughout sub-Saharan Africa by 2018, causing economic damage estimated in the tens of billions USD and threatening the food security of the continent. Understanding the history of the fall armyworm invasion of Africa and the genetic composition of the African populations is critical to assessing the risk posed to different crop types, the development of effective mitigation strategies, and to make Africa less vulnerable to future invasions of migratory moth pests. This paper tested and expanded on previous studies by combining data from 22 sub-Saharan nations during the period from 2016 to 2019. The results support initial descriptions of the fall armyworm invasion, including the near absence of the strain that prefers rice, millet, and pasture grasses, while providing additional evidence that the magnitude and extent of FAW natural migration on the continent is more limited than expected. The results also show that a second entry of fall armyworm likely occurred in western Africa from a source different than that of the original introduction. These findings indicate that western Africa continues to be at high risk of future introductions of FAW, which could complicate mitigation efforts
Racial and Ethnic Differences in Individuals with Sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease in the United States of America
BACKGROUND: Little is known about racial and ethnic differences in individuals with sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (sCJD). The authors sought to examine potential clinical, diagnostic, genetic, and neuropathological differences in sCJD patients of different races/ethnicities. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: A retrospective study of 116 definite and probable sCJD cases from Johns Hopkins and the Department of Veterans Affairs Healthcare Systems was conducted that examined differences in demographic, clinical, diagnostic, genetic, and neuropathological characteristics among racial/ethnic groups. Age at disease onset differed among racial/ethnic groups. Non-Hispanic Whites had a significantly older age at disease onset compared to the other groups (65 vs. 60, p = 0.036). Non-Whites were accurately diagnosed more rapidly than Whites (p = 0.008) and non-Hispanic Whites were more likely to have normal appearing basal ganglia on brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) compared to minorities (p = 0.02). Whites were also more likely to undergo post-mortem evaluation compared to non-Whites (p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Racial/ethnic groups affected by sCJD demonstrated differences in age at disease onset, time to correct diagnosis, clinical presentation, and diagnostic test results. Whites were more likely to undergo autopsy compared to non-Whites. These results have implications in regards to case ascertainment, diagnosis, and surveillance of sCJD and possibly other human prion diseases
Coupling of a Core Post-Translational Pacemaker to a Slave Transcription/Translation Feedback Loop in a Circadian System
Analysis of the cyanobacterial circadian biological clock reveals a complex interdependence between a transcription/translation feedback loop and a biochemical oscillator
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