A role for SUMO modification in transcriptional repression and activation

Since the discovery of the SUMO (small ubiquitin-like modifier) family of proteins just over a decade ago, a plethora of substrates have been uncovered including many regulators of transcription. Conjugation of SUMO to target proteins has generally been considered as a repressive modification. However, there are now a growing number of examples where sumoylation has been shown to activate transcription. Here we discuss whether there is something intrinsically repressive about sumoylation, or if the outcome of this modification in the context of transcription will prove to be largely substrate-dependent. We highlight some of the technical challenges that will be faced by attempting to answer this question

Distorted wave impulse approximation analysis for spin observables in nucleon quasi-elastic scattering and enhancement of the spin-longitudinal response

We present a formalism of distorted wave impulse approximation (DWIA) for analyzing spin observables in nucleon inelastic and charge exchange reactions leading to the continuum. It utilizes response functions calculated by the continuum random phase approximation (RPA), which include the effective mass, the spreading widths and the \Delta degrees of freedom. The Fermi motion is treated by the optimal factorization, and the non-locality of the nucleon-nucleon t-matrix by an averaged reaction plane approximation. By using the formalism we calculated the spin-longitudinal and the spin-transverse cross sections, ID_q and ID_p, of 12C, 40Ca (\vec{p},\vec{n}) at 494 and 346 MeV. The calculation reasonably reproduced the observed ID_q, which is consistent with the predicted enhancement of the spin-longitudinal response function R_L. However, the observed ID_p is much larger than the calculated one, which was consistent with neither the predicted quenching nor the spin-transverse response function R_T obtained by the (e,e') scattering. The Landau-Migdal parameter g'_N\Delta for the N\Delta transition interaction and the effective mass at the nuclear center m^*(r=0) are treated as adjustable parameters. The present analysis indicates that the smaller g'_{N\Delta}(\approx 0.3) and m^*(0) \approx 0.7 m are preferable. We also investigate the validity of the plane wave impulse approximation (PWIA) with the effective nucleon number approximation for the absorption, by means of which R_L and R_T have conventionally been extracted.Comment: RevTex 3, 29 pages, 2 tables, 8 figure

Flute instability and the associated radial transport in the tandem mirror with a divertor mirror cell

The flute instability and the associated radial transport are investigated in the tandem mirror with a divertor mirror cell (the GAMMA10 A-divertor) with help of computer simulation, where GAMMA10 is introduced [ Inutake et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 55, 939 (1985) ]. The basic equations used in the simulation were derived on the assumption of an axisymmetric magnetic field. So the high plasma pressure in a nonaxisymmetric minimum-B anchor mirror cell, which is important for the flute mode stability, is taken into account by redefining the specific volume of a magnetic field line. It is found that the flute modes are stabilized by the minimum-B magnetic field even with a divertor mirror although its stabilizing effects are weaker than that without the divertor mirror. The flute instability enhances the radial transport by intermittently repeating the growing up and down of the Fourier amplitude of the flute instability in time

Ground State Correlations in 16O and 40Ca

We study the ground state properties of doubly closed shell nuclei $^{16}$O and $^{40}$Ca in the framework of Correlated Basis Function theory using state dependent correlations, with central and tensor components. The realistic Argonne $v_{14}$ and $v'_{8}$ two-nucleon potentials and three-nucleon potentials of the Urbana class have been adopted. By means of the Fermi Hypernetted Chain integral equations, in conjunction with the Single Operator Chain approximation, we evaluate the ground state energy, one- and two-body densities and electromagnetic and spin static responses for both nuclei. In $^{16}$O we compare our results with the available Monte Carlo and Coupled Cluster ones and find a satisfying agreement. As in the nuclear matter case with similar interactions and wave functions, the nuclei result under-bound by 2--3 MeV/A.Comment: 33 RevTeX pages + 8 figures, to appear in Phys.Rev.

Strangelets: Who is Looking, and How?

It has been over 30 years since the first suggestion that the true ground state of cold hadronic matter might be not nuclear matter but rather strange quark matter (SQM). Ever since, searches for stable SQM have been proceeding in various forms and have observed a handful of interesting events but have neither been able to find compelling evidence for stable strangelets nor to rule out their existence. I will survey the current status and near future of such searches with particular emphasis on the idea of SQM from strange star collisions as part of the cosmic ray flux.Comment: Talk given at International Conference on Strangeness in Quark Matter, 2006. 8 pages. 1 figur

Effect of interchain separation on the photoinduced absorption spectra of polycarbazolyldiacetylenes

The photoinduced absorption spectra of a novel polycarbazolyldiacetylene with long aliphatic chains on the carbazolyl side groups are measured and compared with those of the unsubstituted polyDCHD. The two polymers in the blue form exhibit very similar electronic absorption spectra and Raman frequencies. This fact indicates that the conjugation length of the polydiacetylene backbone is not too affected by the long substituents. In contrast, the near steady-state photoinduced absorption spectra show that different photogeneration mechanisms are involved in the two polymers. This result can be ascribed to the role played by the interchain distance in the dynamics of the relaxation processes in polydiacetylenes

Flute mode fluctuations in the divertor mirror cell

The computer code by reduced magnetohydrodynamic equations were made which can simulate the flute interchange modes (similar to the Rayleigh–Taylor instability) and the instability associated with the presence of nonuniform plasma flows (similar to the Kelvin–Helmholtz instability). This code is applied to a model divertor and the GAMMA10 [ M. Inutake et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 55, 939 (1985) ] with divertor in order to investigate the flute modes in these divertor cells. The linear growth rate of the flute instability determined by the nonlocal linear analysis agrees with that in the linear phase of the simulations. There is a stable nonlinear steady state in both divertor cells, but the nonlinear steady state is different between the model divertor and the GAMMA10 with divertor

A compact ultra-clean system for deploying radioactive sources inside the KamLAND detector

We describe a compact, ultra-clean device used to deploy radioactive sources along the vertical axis of the KamLAND liquid-scintillator neutrino detector for purposes of calibration. The device worked by paying out and reeling in precise lengths of a hanging, small-gauge wire rope (cable); an assortment of interchangeable radioactive sources could be attached to a weight at the end of the cable. All components exposed to the radiopure liquid scintillator were made of chemically compatible UHV-cleaned materials, primarily stainless steel, in order to avoid contaminating or degrading the scintillator. To prevent radon intrusion, the apparatus was enclosed in a hermetically sealed housing inside a glove box, and both volumes were regularly flushed with purified nitrogen gas. An infrared camera attached to the side of the housing permitted real-time visual monitoring of the cable's motion, and the system was controlled via a graphical user interface.Comment: Revised author affiliations, corrected typos, made minor improvements to text, and revised reference

Search for extraterrestrial antineutrino sources with the KamLAND detector

We present the results of a search for extraterrestrial electron antineutrinos ($\bar{\nu}_{e}$'s) in the energy range $8.3 MeV < E_{\bar{\nu}_{e}} < 31.8 MeV$ using the KamLAND detector. In an exposure of 4.53 kton-year, we identify 25 candidate events. All of the candidate events can be attributed to background, most importantly neutral current atmospheric neutrino interactions, setting an upper limit on the probability of $^{8}$B solar $\nu_{e}$'s converting into $\bar{\nu}_{e}$'s at $5.3 \times 10^{-5}$ (90% C.L.), if we assume an undistorted $\bar{\nu}_{e}$ shape. This limit corresponds to a solar $\bar{\nu}_{e}$ flux of $93 cm^{-2} s^{-1}$ or an event rate of $1.6 events (kton-year)^{-1}$ above the energy threshold $(E_{\bar{\nu}_{e}} > 8.3 MeV)$. The present data also allows us to set more stringent limits on the diffuse supernova neutrino flux and on the annihilation rates for light dark matter particles.Comment: 22 pages, 6 figure