642 research outputs found
Cluster algebras from surfaces and extended affine Weyl groups
We characterize mutation-finite cluster algebras of rank at least 3 using positive semi-definite quadratic forms. In particular, we associate with every unpunctured bordered surface a positive semi-definite quadratic space V , and with every triangulation a basis in V , such that any mutation of a cluster (i.e., a flip of a triangulation) transforms the corresponding bases into each other by partial reflections. Furthermore, every triangulation gives rise to an extended affine Weyl group of type A, which is invariant under flips. The construction is also extended to exceptional skew-symmetric mutation-finite cluster algebras of types
Primary pulmonary cytotoxic T lymphocytes induced by immunization with a vaccinia virus recombinant expressing influenza A virus nucleoprotein peptide do not protect mice against challenge
The nucleoprotein (NP) of influenza A virus is the dominant antigen recognized by influenza virus-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs), and adoptive transfer of NP-specific CTLs protects mice from influenza A virus infection. BALB/c mouse cells (H-2d) recognize a single Kd-restricted CTL epitope of NP consisting of amino acids 147 to 155. In the present study, mice were immunized with various vaccinia virus recombinant viruses to examine the effect of the induction of primary pulmonary CTLs on resistance to challenge with influenza A/Puerto Rico/8/34 virus. The minigene ESNP(147-155)-VAC construct, composed of a signal sequence from the adenovirus E3/19K glycoprotein (designated ES) and expressing the 9-amino-acid NP natural determinant (amino acids 147 to 155) preceded by an alanine residue, a similar minigene NP(Met 147-155)-VAC lacking ES, and a full-length NP-VAC recombinant of influenza virus were analyzed. The two minigene NP-VAC recombinants induced a greater primary pulmonary CTL response than the full-length NP-VAC recombinant. However, NP-specific CTLs induced by immunization with ESNP(147-155)-VAC did not decrease peak virus titer or accelerate clearance of virus in the lungs of mice challenged intranasally with A/PR/8/34. Furthermore, NP-specific CTLs induced by immunization did not protect mice challenged intranasally with a lethal dose of A/PR/8/34. Sequence analysis of the NP CTL epitope of A/PR/8/34 challenge virus obtained from lungs after 8 days of replication in ESNP(147-155)-VAC-immunized mice showed identity with that of the input virus, demonstrating that an escape mutant had not emerged during replication in vivo. Thus, in contrast to adoptively transferred CTLs, pulmonary NP-specific CTLs induced by recombinant vaccinia virus immunization do not have protective in vivo antiviral activity against influenza virus infection
CsI(Tl) for WIMP dark matter searches
We report a study of CsI(Tl) scintillator to assess its applicability in
experiments to search for dark matter particles. Measurements of the mean
scintillation pulse shapes due to nuclear and electron recoils have been
performed. We find that, as with NaI(Tl), pulse shape analysis can be used to
discriminate between electron and nuclear recoils down to 4 keV. However, the
discrimination factor is typically (10-15)% better than in NaI(Tl) above 4 keV.
The quenching factor for caesium and iodine recoils was measured and found to
increase from 11% to ~17% with decreasing recoil energy from 60 to 12 keV.
Based on these results, the potential sensitivity of CsI(Tl) to dark matter
particles in the form of neutralinos was calculated. We find an improvement
over NaI(Tl) for the spin independent WIMP-nucleon interactions up to a factor
of 5 assuming comparable electron background levels in the two scintillators.Comment: 16 pages, 8 figures, to be published in Nucl. Instrum. and Meth. in
Phys. Res.
Reservoir Computing Approach to Robust Computation using Unreliable Nanoscale Networks
As we approach the physical limits of CMOS technology, advances in materials
science and nanotechnology are making available a variety of unconventional
computing substrates that can potentially replace top-down-designed
silicon-based computing devices. Inherent stochasticity in the fabrication
process and nanometer scale of these substrates inevitably lead to design
variations, defects, faults, and noise in the resulting devices. A key
challenge is how to harness such devices to perform robust computation. We
propose reservoir computing as a solution. In reservoir computing, computation
takes place by translating the dynamics of an excited medium, called a
reservoir, into a desired output. This approach eliminates the need for
external control and redundancy, and the programming is done using a
closed-form regression problem on the output, which also allows concurrent
programming using a single device. Using a theoretical model, we show that both
regular and irregular reservoirs are intrinsically robust to structural noise
as they perform computation
Semigroup Closures of Finite Rank Symmetric Inverse Semigroups
We introduce the notion of semigroup with a tight ideal series and
investigate their closures in semitopological semigroups, particularly inverse
semigroups with continuous inversion. As a corollary we show that the symmetric
inverse semigroup of finite transformations of the rank
is algebraically closed in the class of (semi)topological inverse
semigroups with continuous inversion. We also derive related results about the
nonexistence of (partial) compactifications of classes of semigroups that we
consider.Comment: With the participation of the new coauthor - Jimmie Lawson - the
manuscript has been substantially revised and expanded. Accordingly, we have
also changed the manuscript titl
Equivariant geometric K-homology for compact Lie group actions
Let G be a compact Lie-group, X a compact G-CW-complex. We define equivariant
geometric K-homology groups K^G_*(X), using an obvious equivariant version of
the (M,E,f)-picture of Baum-Douglas for K-homology. We define explicit natural
transformations to and from equivariant K-homology defined via KK-theory (the
"official" equivariant K-homology groups) and show that these are isomorphism.Comment: 25 pages. v2: some mistakes corrected, more detail added, Michael
Walter as author added. To appear in Abhandlungen aus dem Mathematischen
Seminar der Universit\"at Hambur
Protecting habitats in low-intensity tropical farmland using carbon-based payments for ecosystem services
Tropical land-use change for agricultural expansion is the primary driver of global biodiversity decline. Efforts to stem this decline often focus on protecting pristine habitats or returning farmland to forest, yet such approaches fail to protect vulnerable taxa reliant on habitats within low-intensity farmland. We assess the economic viability of carbon-based payments for ecosystem services (PES) to protect farmland trees and fallowing in Ghana, which provide vital wintering sites for imperiled Afro-palearctic migrant birds and enhance landscape-level carbon storage. We estimate the carbon breakeven prices (BEPs) associated with alternative agricultural management scenarios that protect existing farmland trees. BEPs associated with tree protection on existing farmland were very low, ranging from US6.45 tâ1 CO2. Extending and reintroducing fallow periods also carried competitive BEPs, US15.45 tâ1 CO2, when combined with the protection of 50 trees per hectare. Accounting for leakage and economic uncertainty increased BEPs considerably, but scenarios protecting farmland trees and extending fallow periods remained below EU Emissions Trading Scheme prices. Protecting low-intensity farmland habitats and associated biodiversity is cost-effective under carbon-based PES. Implementation should be combined with efforts to close yield gaps, providing greater local food security and resilience
Comparison of three wet-alkaline methods of digestion of biogenic silica in water
Methods for determination of low levels of biogenic silica (0.2â0.4 mg SiO 2 ) in aqueous samples after digestion with three wetalkaline extraction procedures compared favourably in both precision of replicates and recovery of silica utilized by diatoms in budgeted cultures. Leaching samples with 0.2 M NaOH for 10â15 min at 100°C was the least time consuming procedure. Also interference from silicate minerals was lower for this method than leaching with either 0.5 or 5% Na 2 CO 3 for 2 h at 85°C. The use of filters to concentrate samples enables detection of low levels of biogenic silica with colorimetric procedures. Polycarbonate filters are recommended in preference to cellulose acetate or polyvinyl chloride filters for sample collection. Time-course experiments are recommended for establishing digestion times and determining the presence of mineral silicate interference. Wet-alkaline digestion methods are recommended for routine analysis of biogenic silica in suspended matter in preference to infra-red analysis, alkaline fusion and hydrofluoric acid/nitric acid methods.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/74725/1/j.1365-2427.1983.tb00658.x.pd
- âŠ