A synaptic nidogen: developmental regulation and role of nidogen-2 at the neuromuscular junction

Background: The skeletal neuromuscular junction is a useful model for elucidating mechanisms that regulate synaptogenesis. Developmentally important intercellular interactions at the neuromuscular junction are mediated by the synaptic portion of a basal lamina that completely ensheaths each muscle fiber. Basal laminas in general are composed of four main types of glycosylated proteins: laminins, collagens IV, heparan sulfate proteoglycans and nidogens (entactins). The portion of the muscle fiber basal lamina that passes between the motor nerve terminal and postsynaptic membrane has been shown to bear distinct isoforms of the first three of these. For laminins and collagens IV, the proteins are deposited by the muscle; a synaptic proteoglycan, z-agrin, is deposited by the nerve. In each case, the synaptic isoform plays key roles in organizing the neuromuscular junction. Here, we analyze the fourth family, composed of nidogen-1 and -2.Results: In adult muscle, nidogen-1 is present throughout muscle fiber basal lamina, while nidogen- 2 is concentrated at synapses. Nidogen-2 is initially present throughout muscle basal lamina, but is lost from extrasynaptic regions during the first three postnatal weeks. Neuromuscular junctions in mutant mice lacking nidogen-2 appear normal at birth, but become topologically abnormal as they mature. Synaptic laminins, collagens IV and heparan sulfate proteoglycans persist in the absence of nidogen-2, suggesting the phenotype is not secondary to a general defect in the integrity of synaptic basal lamina. Further genetic studies suggest that synaptic localization of each of the four families of synaptic basal lamina components is independent of the other three.Conclusion: All four core components of the basal lamina have synaptically enriched isoforms. Together, they form a highly specialized synaptic cleft material. Individually, they play distinct roles in the formation, maturation and maintenance of the neuromuscular junction

Oscillation of the tunnel splitting in nanospin systems within the particle mapping formalism

The oscillation of tunnel splitting in the biaxial spin system within magnetic field along the anisotropy axis is analyzed within the particle mapping approach, rather than in the (\theta-\phi) spin coherent-state representation. In our mapping procedure, the spin system is transformed into a particle moving in the restricted $S^1$ geometry whose wave function subjects to the boundary condition involving additional phase shift. We obtain the new topological phase that plays the same role as the Wess-Zumino action in spin coherent-state representation. Considering the interference of two possible trajectories, instanton and anti-instanton, we get the identical condition for the field at which tunneling is quenched, with the previous result within spin coherent-state representation.Comment: 11 pages, 1 figure; Some typographical errors have been correcte

Resonances in the three-neutron system

A study of 3-body resonances has been performed in the framework of configuration space Faddeev equations. The importance of keeping a sufficient number of terms in the asymptotic expansion of the resonance wave function is pointed out. We investigated three neutrons interacting in selected force components taken from realistic nn forces.Comment: 38 pages, 11 tables, 4 figure

Matrix dynamics of fuzzy spheres

We study the dynamics of fuzzy two-spheres in a matrix model which represents string theory in the presence of RR flux. We analyze the stability of known static solutions of such a theory which contain commuting matrices and SU(2) representations. We find that irreducible as well as reducible representations are stable. Since the latter are of higher energy, this stability poses a puzzle. We resolve this puzzle by noting that reducible representations have marginal directions corresponding to non-spherical deformations. We obtain new static solutions by turning on these marginal deformations. These solutions now have instability or tachyonic directions. We discuss condensation of these tachyons which correspond to classical trajectories interpolating from multiple, small fuzzy spheres to a single, large sphere. We briefly discuss spatially independent configurations of a D3/D5 system described by the same matrix model which now possesses a supergravity dual.Comment: 26 pages, 3 figures, uses JHEP.cls; (v2) references adde

On the Entropy of a Quantum Field in the Rotating Black Holes

By using the brick wall method we calculate the free energy and the entropy of the scalar field in the rotating black holes. As one approaches the stationary limit surface rather than the event horizon in comoving frame, those become divergent. Only when the field is comoving with the black hole (i.e. $\Omega_0 = \Omega_H$) those become divergent at the event horizon. In the Hartle-Hawking state the leading terms of the entropy are $A \frac{1}{h} + B \ln(h) + finite$, where $h$ is the cut-off in the radial coordnate near the horizon. In term of the proper distance cut-off $\epsilon$ it is written as $S = N A_H/\epsilon^2$. The origin of the divergence is that the density of state on the stationary surface and beyond it diverges.Comment: Latex, 23 pages, 7 eps figure

Remarks on 't Hooft's Brick Wall Model

A semi-classical reasoning leads to the non-commutativity of the space and time coordinates near the horizon of Schwarzschild black hole. This non-commutativity in turn provides a mechanism to interpret the brick wall thickness hypothesis in 't Hooft's brick wall model as well as the boundary condition imposed for the field considered. For concreteness, we consider a noncommutative scalar field model near the horizon and derive the effective metric via the equation of motion of noncommutative scalar field. This metric displays a new horizon in addition to the original one associated with the Schwarzschild black hole. The infinite red-shifting of the scalar field on the new horizon determines the range of the noncommutativ space and explains the relevant boundary condition for the field. This range enables us to calculate the entropy of black hole as proportional to the area of its original horizon along the same line as in 't Hooft's model, and the thickness of the brick wall is found to be proportional to the thermal average of the noncommutative space-time range. The Hawking temperature has been derived in this formalism. The study here represents an attempt to reveal some physics beyond the brick wall model.Comment: RevTeX, 5 pages, no figure

Higher order WKB corrections to black hole entropy in brick wall formalism

We calculate the statistical entropy of a quantum field with an arbitrary spin propagating on the spherical symmetric black hole background by using the brick wall formalism at higher orders in the WKB approximation. For general spins, we find that the correction to the standard Bekenstein-Hawking entropy depends logarithmically on the area of the horizon. Furthermore, we apply this analysis to the Schwarzschild and Schwarzschild-AdS black holes and discuss our results.Comment: 21 pages, published versio

Proximity effect at superconducting Sn-Bi2Se3 interface

We have investigated the conductance spectra of Sn-Bi2Se3 interface junctions down to 250 mK and in different magnetic fields. A number of conductance anomalies were observed below the superconducting transition temperature of Sn, including a small gap different from that of Sn, and a zero-bias conductance peak growing up at lower temperatures. We discussed the possible origins of the smaller gap and the zero-bias conductance peak. These phenomena support that a proximity-effect-induced chiral superconducting phase is formed at the interface between the superconducting Sn and the strong spin-orbit coupling material Bi2Se3.Comment: 7 pages, 8 figure

Centrality Dependence of the High p_T Charged Hadron Suppression in Au+Au collisions at sqrt(s_NN) = 130 GeV

PHENIX has measured the centrality dependence of charged hadron p_T spectra from central Au+Au collisions at sqrt(s_NN)=130 GeV. The truncated mean p_T decreases with centrality for p_T > 2 GeV/c, indicating an apparent reduction of the contribution from hard scattering to high p_T hadron production. For central collisions the yield at high p_T is shown to be suppressed compared to binary nucleon-nucleon collision scaling of p+p data. This suppression is monotonically increasing with centrality, but most of the change occurs below 30% centrality, i.e. for collisions with less than about 140 participating nucleons. The observed p_T and centrality dependence is consistent with the particle production predicted by models including hard scattering and subsequent energy loss of the scattered partons in the dense matter created in the collisions.Comment: 7 pages text, LaTeX, 6 figures, 2 tables, 307 authors, resubmitted to Phys. Lett. B. Revised to address referee concerns. Plain text data tables for the points plotted in figures for this and previous PHENIX publications are publicly available at http://www.phenix.bnl.gov/phenix/WWW/run/phenix/papers.htm

Knowledge Sharing Idiosyncrasies of University Students in Ghana

Part 6: Decision Making and Knowledge ManagementInternational audienceThis study explored the factors affecting knowledge sharing behaviour of students in a higher institution of learning. Using a model derived from the Social Cognitive Theory and the Theory of Reason Action, six hypotheses were tested from a cross-sectional data collected from 371 undergraduate students on a 4-year degree programme in the University of Ghana. Five out of the six hypotheses were supported. The results showed that the knowledge sharing behaviour (KSB) of the students was significantly related to five of the human and environmental factors (F=639.9, df=5, 290, p<0.05) with a co-efficient of variation of R2=0.917 (91.7%). The knowledge sharing behavior of the students was, however, not significantly dependent on their personal characteristics. The study makes a case for increased attention in understanding the human and environmental factors of knowledge sharing since knowledge sharing is largely a people activity shaped by culture