The agrin gene codes for a family of basal lamina proteins that differ in function and distribution

We isolated two cDNAs that encode isoforms of agrin, the basal lamina protein that mediates the motor neuron-induced aggregation of acetylcholine receptors on muscle fibers at the neuromuscular junction. Both proteins are the result of alternative splicing of the product of the agrin gene, but, unlike agrin, they are inactive in standard acetylcholine receptor aggregation assays. They lack one (agrin-related protein 1) or two (agrin-related protein 2) regions in agrin that are required for its activity. Expression studies provide evidence that both proteins are present in the nervous system and muscle and that, in muscle, myofibers and Schwann cells synthesize the agrin-related proteins while the axon terminals of motor neurons are the sole source of agrin

Design and characterisation of the CLICTD pixelated monolithic sensor chip

A novel monolithic pixelated sensor and readout chip, the CLIC Tracker Detector (CLICTD) chip, is presented. The CLICTD chip was designed targeting the requirements of the silicon tracker development for the experiment at the Compact Linear Collider (CLIC), and has been fabricated in a modified 180 nm CMOS imaging process with charge collection on a high-resistivity p-type epitaxial layer. The chip features a matrix of 16×128 elongated channels, each measuring 300×30 μm2. Each channel contains 8 equidistant collection electrodes and analog readout circuits to ensure prompt signal formation. A simultaneous 8-bit Time-of-Arrival (with 10 ns time bins) and 5-bit Time-over-Threshold measurement is performed on the combined digital output of the 8 sub-pixels in every channel. The chip has been fabricated in two process variants and characterised in laboratory measurements using electrical test pulses and radiation sources. Results show a minimum threshold between 135 and 180 e‾ and a noise of about 14 e‾ RMS. The design aspects and characterisation results of the CLICTD chip are presented

The Fractal Geometry of Critical Systems

We investigate the geometry of a critical system undergoing a second order thermal phase transition. Using a local description for the dynamics characterizing the system at the critical point T=Tc, we reveal the formation of clusters with fractal geometry, where the term cluster is used to describe regions with a nonvanishing value of the order parameter. We show that, treating the cluster as an open subsystem of the entire system, new instanton-like configurations dominate the statistical mechanics of the cluster. We study the dependence of the resulting fractal dimension on the embedding dimension and the scaling properties (isothermal critical exponent) of the system. Taking into account the finite size effects we are able to calculate the size of the critical cluster in terms of the total size of the system, the critical temperature and the effective coupling of the long wavelength interaction at the critical point. We also show that the size of the cluster has to be identified with the correlation length at criticality. Finally, within the framework of the mean field approximation, we extend our local considerations to obtain a global description of the system.Comment: 1 LaTeX file, 4 figures in ps-files. Accepted for publication in Physical Review

Variational Calculation of the Effective Action

An indication of spontaneous symmetry breaking is found in the two-dimensional $\lambda\phi^4$ model, where attention is paid to the functional form of an effective action. An effective energy, which is an effective action for a static field, is obtained as a functional of the classical field from the ground state of the hamiltonian $H[J]$ interacting with a constant external field. The energy and wavefunction of the ground state are calculated in terms of DLCQ (Discretized Light-Cone Quantization) under antiperiodic boundary conditions. A field configuration that is physically meaningful is found as a solution of the quantum mechanical Euler-Lagrange equation in the $J\to 0$ limit. It is shown that there exists a nonzero field configuration in the broken phase of $Z_2$ symmetry because of a boundary effect.Comment: 26 pages, REVTeX, 7 postscript figures, typos corrected and two references adde

A role for diatom-like silicon transporters in calcifying coccolithophores

Biomineralization by marine phytoplankton, such as the silicifying diatoms and calcifying coccolithophores, plays an important role in carbon and nutrient cycling in the oceans. Silicification and calcification are distinct cellular processes with no known common mechanisms. It is thought that coccolithophores are able to outcompete diatoms in Si-depleted waters, which can contribute to the formation of coccolithophore blooms. Here we show that an expanded family of diatom-like silicon transporters (SITs) are present in both silicifying and calcifying haptophyte phytoplankton, including some globally important coccolithophores. Si is required for calcification in these coccolithophores, indicating that Si uptake contributes to the very different forms of biomineralization in diatoms and coccolithophores. Significantly, SITs and the requirement for Si are absent from highly abundant bloom-forming coccolithophores, such as Emiliania huxleyi. These very different requirements for Si in coccolithophores are likely to have major influence on their competitive interactions with diatoms and other siliceous phytoplankton

Spontaneous symmetry breaking of (1+1)-dimensional ϕ4\phi^4 theory in light-front field theory (II)

We discuss spontaneous symmetry breaking of (1+1)-dimensional $\phi^4$ theory in light-front field theory using a Tamm-Dancoff truncation. We show that, even though light-front field theory has a simple vacuum state which is an eigenstate of the full Hamiltonian, the field can develop a nonzero vacuum expectation value. This occurs because the zero mode of the field must satisfy an operator valued constraint equation. In the context of (1+1)-dimensional $\phi^4$ theory we present solutions to the constraint equation using a Tamm-Dancoff truncation to a finite number of particles and modes. We study the behavior of the zero mode as a function of coupling and Fock space truncation. The zero mode introduces new interactions into the Hamiltonian which breaks the $Z_2$ symmetry of the theory when the coupling is stronger than the critical coupling.Comment: 25 page

Cationic Amino Acids Specific Biomimetic Silicification in Ionic Liquid: A Quest to Understand the Formation of 3-D Structures in Diatoms

The intricate, hierarchical, highly reproducible, and exquisite biosilica structures formed by diatoms have generated great interest to understand biosilicification processes in nature. This curiosity is driven by the quest of researchers to understand nature's complexity, which might enable reproducing these elegant natural diatomaceous structures in our laboratories via biomimetics, which is currently beyond the capabilities of material scientists. To this end, significant understanding of the biomolecules involved in biosilicification has been gained, wherein cationic peptides and proteins are found to play a key role in the formation of these exquisite structures. Although biochemical factors responsible for silica formation in diatoms have been studied for decades, the challenge to mimic biosilica structures similar to those synthesized by diatoms in their natural habitats has not hitherto been successful. This has led to an increasingly interesting debate that physico-chemical environment surrounding diatoms might play an additional critical role towards the control of diatom morphologies. The current study demonstrates this proof of concept by using cationic amino acids as catalyst/template/scaffold towards attaining diatom-like silica morphologies under biomimetic conditions in ionic liquids

Factors Affecting European Farmers’Participation in Biodiversity Policies

This article reports the major findings from an interdisciplinary research project that synthesises key insights into farmers’ willingness and ability to co-operate with biodiversity policies. The results of the study are based on an assessment of about 160 publications and research reports from six EU member states and from international comparative research.We developed a conceptual framework to systematically review the existent literature relevant for our purposes. This framework provides a common structure for analysing farmers’ perspectives regarding the introduction into farming practices of measures relevant to biodiversity. The analysis is coupled and contrasted with a survey of experts. The results presented above suggest that it is important to view support for practices oriented towards biodiversity protection not in a static sense – as a situation determined by one or several influencing factors – but rather as a process marked by interaction. Financial compensation and incentives function as a necessary, though clearly not sufficient condition in this process