282 research outputs found
Association between prenatal alcohol exposure and children's facial shape:a prospective population-based cohort study
ac-Field-Controlled Anderson Localization in Disordered Semiconductor Superlattices
An ac field, tuned exactly to resonance with the Stark ladder in an ideal
tight binding lattice under strong dc bias, counteracts Wannier-Stark
localization and leads to the emergence of extended Floquet states. If there is
random disorder, these states localize. The localization lengths depend
non-monotonically on the ac field amplitude and become essentially zero at
certain parameters. This effect is of possible relevance for characterizing the
quality of superlattice samples, and for performing experiments on Anderson
localization in systems with well-defined disorder.Comment: 10 pages, Latex; figures available on request from [email protected]
Two lectures on color superconductivity
The first lecture provides an introduction to the physics of color
superconductivity in cold dense quark matter. The main color superconducting
phases are briefly described and their properties are listed. The second
lecture covers recent developments in studies of color superconducting phases
in neutral and beta-equilibrated matter. The properties of gapless color
superconducting phases are discussed.Comment: 56 pages, 9 figures. Minor corrections and references added. Lectures
delivered at the IARD 2004 conference, Saas Fee, Switzerland, June 12 - 19,
2004, and at the Helmholtz International Summer School and Workshop on Hot
points in Astrophysics and Cosmology, JINR, Dubna, Russia, August 2 - 13,
200
Subependymal giant cell astrocytomas are characterized by mTORC1 hyperactivation, a very low somatic mutation rate, and a unique gene expression profile
Subependymal giant-cell astrocytomas (SEGAs) are slow-growing brain tumors that are a hallmark feature seen in 5â10% of patients with Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC). Though histologically benign, they can cause serious neurologic symptoms, leading to death if untreated. SEGAs consistently show biallelic loss of TSC1 or TSC2. Herein, we aimed to define other somatic events beyond TSC1/TSC2 loss and identify potential transcriptional drivers that contribute to SEGA formation. Paired tumor-normal whole-exome sequencing was performed on 21 resected SEGAs from 20 TSC patients. Pathogenic variants in TSC1/TSC2 were identified in 19/21 (90%) SEGAs. Copy neutral loss of heterozygosity (size range: 2.2â46 Mb) was seen in 76% (16/21) of SEGAs (44% chr9q and 56% chr16p). An average of 1.4 other somatic variants (range 0â7) per tumor were identified, unlikely of pathogenic significance. Whole transcriptome RNA-sequencing analyses revealed 190 common differentially expressed genes in SEGA (n = 16, 13 from a prior study) in pairwise comparison to each of: low grade diffuse gliomas (n = 530) and glioblastoma (n = 171) from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) consortium, ganglioglioma (n = 10), TSC cortical tubers (n = 15), and multiple normal tissues. Among these, homeobox transcription factors (TFs) HMX3, HMX2, VAX1, SIX3; and TFs IRF6 and EOMES were all expressed >12-fold higher in SEGAs (FDR/q-value < 0.05). Immunohistochemistry supported the specificity of IRF6, VAX1, SIX3 for SEGAs in comparison to other tumor entities and normal brain. We conclude that SEGAs have an extremely low somatic mutation rate, suggesting that TSC1/TSC2 loss is sufficient to drive tumor growth. The unique and highly expressed SEGA-specific TFs likely reflect the neuroepithelial cell of origin, and may also contribute to the transcriptional and epigenetic state that enables SEGA growth following two-hit loss of TSC1 or TSC2 and mTORC1 activation
Magnetic Catalysis: A Review
We give an overview of the magnetic catalysis phenomenon. In the framework of
quantum field theory, magnetic catalysis is broadly defined as an enhancement
of dynamical symmetry breaking by an external magnetic field. We start from a
brief discussion of spontaneous symmetry breaking and the role of a magnetic
field in its a dynamics. This is followed by a detailed presentation of the
essential features of the phenomenon. In particular, we emphasize that the
dimensional reduction plays a profound role in the pairing dynamics in a
magnetic field. Using the general nature of underlying physics and its
robustness with respect to interaction types and model content, we argue that
magnetic catalysis is a universal and model-independent phenomenon. In support
of this claim, we show how magnetic catalysis is realized in various models
with short-range and long-range interactions. We argue that the general nature
of the phenomenon implies a wide range of potential applications: from certain
types of solid state systems to models in cosmology, particle and nuclear
physics. We finish the review with general remarks about magnetic catalysis and
an outlook for future research.Comment: 37 pages, to appear in Lect. Notes Phys. "Strongly interacting matter
in magnetic fields" (Springer), edited by D. Kharzeev, K. Landsteiner, A.
Schmitt, H.-U. Yee. Version 2: references adde
GWAS analysis of handgrip and lower body strength in older adults in the CHARGE consortium
Decline in muscle strength with aging is an important predictor of health trajectory in the elderly. Several factors, including genetics, are proposed contributors to variability in muscle strength. To identify genetic contributors to muscle strength, a meta-analysis of genomewide association studies of handgrip was conducted. Grip strength was measured using a handheld dynamometer in 27 581 individuals of European descent over 65 years of age from 14 cohort studies. Genomewide association analysis was conducted on ~2.7 million imputed and genotyped variants (SNPs). Replication of the most significant findings was conducted using data from 6393 individuals from three cohorts. GWAS of lower body strength was also characterized in a subset of cohorts. Two genomewide significant (P-value< 5 Ă 10â8) and 39 suggestive (P-value< 5 Ă 10â5) associations were observed from meta-analysis of the discovery cohorts. After meta-analysis with replication cohorts, genomewide significant association was observed for rs752045 on chromosome 8 (ÎČ = 0.47, SE = 0.08, P-value = 5.20 Ă 10â10). This SNP is mapped to an intergenic region and is located within an accessible chromatin region (DNase hypersensitivity site) in skeletal muscle myotubes differentiated from the human skeletal muscle myoblasts cell line. This locus alters a binding motif of the CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein-ÎČ (CEBPB) that is implicated in muscle repair mechanisms. GWAS of lower body strength did not yield significant results. A common genetic variant in a chromosomal region that regulates myotube differentiation and muscle repair may contribute to variability in grip strength in the elderly. Further studies are needed to uncover the mechanisms that link this genetic variant with muscle strength
Caracterização preliminar de amostras do vĂrus da DiarrĂ©ia Viral Bovina (BVDV) isoladas no Brasil
The Theory of Brown Dwarfs and Extrasolar Giant Planets
Straddling the traditional realms of the planets and the stars, objects below
the edge of the main sequence have such unique properties, and are being
discovered in such quantities, that one can rightly claim that a new field at
the interface of planetary science and and astronomy is being born. In this
review, we explore the essential elements of the theory of brown dwarfs and
giant planets, as well as of the new spectroscopic classes L and T. To this
end, we describe their evolution, spectra, atmospheric compositions, chemistry,
physics, and nuclear phases and explain the basic systematics of
substellar-mass objects across three orders of magnitude in both mass and age
and a factor of 30 in effective temperature. Moreover, we discuss the
distinctive features of those extrasolar giant planets that are irradiated by a
central primary, in particular their reflection spectra, albedos, and transits.
Aspects of the latest theory of Jupiter and Saturn are also presented.
Throughout, we highlight the effects of condensates, clouds, molecular
abundances, and molecular/atomic opacities in brown dwarf and giant planet
atmospheres and summarize the resulting spectral diagnostics. Where possible,
the theory is put in its current observational context.Comment: 67 pages (including 36 figures), RMP RevTeX LaTeX, accepted for
publication in the Reviews of Modern Physics. 30 figures are color. Most of
the figures are in GIF format to reduce the overall size. The full version
with figures can also be found at:
http://jupiter.as.arizona.edu/~burrows/papers/rm
Customer emotions in service failure and recovery encounters
Emotions play a significant role in the workplace, and considerable attention has been given to the study of employee emotions. Customers also play a central function in organizations, but much less is known about customer emotions. This chapter reviews the growing literature on customer emotions in employeeâcustomer interfaces with a focus on service failure and recovery encounters, where emotions are heightened. It highlights emerging themes and key findings, addresses the measurement, modeling, and management of customer emotions, and identifies future research streams. Attention is given to emotional contagion, relationships between affective and cognitive processes, customer anger, customer rage, and individual differences
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