262 research outputs found
Seizure-Related Gene 6 (Sez-6) in Amacrine Cells of the Rodent Retina and the Consequence of Gene Deletion
Background: Seizure-related gene 6 (Sez-6) is expressed in neurons of the mouse brain, retina and spinal cord. In the cortex, Sez-6 plays a role in specifying dendritic branching patterns and excitatory synapse numbers during development. Methodology/Principal Findings: The distribution pattern of Sez-6 in the retina was studied using a polyclonal antibody that detects the multiple isoforms of Sez-6. Prominent immunostaining was detected in GABAergic, but not in All glycinergic, amacrine cell subpopulations of the rat and mouse retina. Amacrine cell somata displayed a distinct staining pattern with the Sez-6 antibody: a discrete, often roughly triangular-shaped bright spot positioned between the nucleus and the apical dendrite superimposed over weaker general cytoplasmic staining. Displaced amacrines in the ganglion cell layer were also positive for Sez-6 and weaker staining was occasionally observed in neurons with the morphology of alpha ganglion cells. Two distinct Sez-6 positive strata were present in the inner plexiform layer in addition to generalized punctate staining. Certain inner nuclear layer cells, including bipolar cells, stained more weakly and diffusely than amacrine cells, although some bipolar cells exhibited a perinuclear "bright spot" similar to amacrine cells. In order to assess the role of Sez-6 in the retina, we analyzed the morphology of the Sez-6 knockout mouse retina with immunohistochemical markers and compared ganglion cell dendritic arbor patterning in Sez-6 null retinae with controls. The functional importance of Sez-6 was assessed by dark-adapted paired-flash electroretinography (ERG). Conclusions: In summary, we have reported the detailed expression pattern of a novel retinal marker with broad cell specificity, useful for retinal characterization in rodent experimental models. Retinal morphology, ganglion cell dendritic branching and ERG waveforms appeared normal in the Sez-6 knockout mouse suggesting that, in spite of widespread expression of Sez-6, retinal function in the absence of Sez-6 is not affected
Magnetic moment of the pentaquark with light-cone QCD sum rules
In this article, we study the magnetic moment of the pentaquark state as diquark-diquark-antiquark () state in the
framework of the light-cone QCD sum rules approach. The numerical results
indicate the magnetic moment of the pentaquark state is about
.Comment: 10 pages, 1 figure. The main contents of this article is included in
hep-ph/0503007, this article will not be submitted to a journal for
publicatio
Evidence for the Appearance of Atmospheric Tau Neutrinos in Super-Kamiokande
Super-Kamiokande atmospheric neutrino data were fit with an unbinned maximum
likelihood method to search for the appearance of tau leptons resulting from
the interactions of oscillation-generated tau neutrinos in the detector.
Relative to the expectation of unity, the tau normalization is found to be
1.42 \pm 0.35 \ (stat) {\}^{+0.14}_{-0.12}\ (syst) excluding the
no-tau-appearance hypothesis, for which the normalization would be zero, at the
3.8 level. We estimate that 180.1 \pm 44.3\ (stat)
{\}^{+17.8}_{-15.2}\ (syst) tau leptons were produced in the 22.5 kton
fiducial volume of the detector by tau neutrinos during the 2806 day running
period. In future analyses, this large sample of selected tau events will allow
the study of charged current tau neutrino interaction physics with oscillation
produced tau neutrinos.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures. This is the version as published in Physical
Review Letters including the supplemental figure. A typographical error in
the description of figure 3 is also correcte
Search for Differences in Oscillation Parameters for Atmospheric Neutrinos and Antineutrinos at Super-Kamiokande
We present a search for differences in the oscillations of antineutrinos and
neutrinos in the Super-Kamiokande -I, -II, and -III atmospheric neutrino
sample. Under a two-flavor disappearance model with separate mixing parameters
between neutrinos and antineutrinos, we find no evidence for a difference in
oscillation parameters. Best fit antineutrino mixing is found to be at (dm2bar,
sin2 2 thetabar) = (2.0x10^-3 eV^2, 1.0) and is consistent with the overall
Super-K measurement.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures. Figure update
An Indirect Search for WIMPs in the Sun using 3109.6 days of upward-going muons in Super-Kamiokande
We present the result of an indirect search for high energy neutrinos from
WIMP annihilation in the Sun using upward-going muon (upmu) events at
Super-Kamiokande. Datasets from SKI-SKIII (3109.6 days) were used for the
analysis. We looked for an excess of neutrino signal from the Sun as compared
with the expected atmospheric neutrino background in three upmu categories:
stopping, non-showering, and showering. No significant excess was observed. The
90% C.L. upper limits of upward-going muon flux induced by WIMPs of 100
GeV/c were 6.4 cm sec and 4.0
cm sec for the soft and hard annihilation channels, respectively.
These limits correspond to upper limits of 4.5 cm and
2.7 cm for spin-dependent WIMP-nucleon scattering cross
sections in the soft and hard annihilation channels, respectively.Comment: Add journal reference. Also fixed typo and cosmetic things in the old
draf
Atmospheric neutrino oscillation analysis with sub-leading effects in Super-Kamiokande I, II, and III
We present a search for non-zero theta_{13} and deviations of sin^2
theta_{23} from 0.5 in the oscillations of atmospheric neutrino data from
Super-Kamiokande -I, -II, and -III. No distortions of the neutrino flux
consistent with non-zero theta_{13} are found and both neutrino mass hierarchy
hypotheses are in agreement with the data. The data are best fit at Delta m^2 =
2.1 x 10^-3 eV^2, sin^2 theta_{13} = 0.0, and sin^2 theta_{23} =0.5. In the
normal (inverted) hierarchy theta_{13} and Delta m^2 are constrained at the
one-dimensional 90% C.L. to sin^2 theta_{13} < 0.04 (0.09) and 1.9 (1.7) x
10^-3 < Delta m^2 < 2.6 (2.7) x 10^-3 eV^2. The atmospheric mixing angle is
within 0.407 <= sin^2 theta_{23} <= 0.583 at 90% C.L.Comment: 17 Pages, 14 figures. To be submitted to Phys. Rev. D Minor update to
text after referee comments. Figures modified for better grayscale printing
Solar neutrino results in Super-Kamiokande-III
The results of the third phase of the Super-Kamiokande solar neutrino
measurement are presented and compared to the first and second phase results.
With improved detector calibrations, a full detector simulation, and improved
analysis methods, the systematic uncertainty on the total neutrino flux is
estimated to be ?2.1%, which is about two thirds of the systematic uncertainty
for the first phase of Super-Kamiokande. The observed 8B solar flux in the 5.0
to 20 MeV total electron energy region is 2.32+/-0.04 (stat.)+/-0.05 (sys.)
*10^6 cm^-2sec^-1, in agreement with previous measurements. A combined
oscillation analysis is carried out using SK-I, II, and III data, and the
results are also combined with the results of other solar neutrino experiments.
The best-fit oscillation parameters are obtained to be sin^2 {\theta}12 =
0.30+0.02-0.01(tan^2 {\theta}12 = 0.42+0.04 -0.02) and {\Delta}m2_21 =
6.2+1.1-1.9 *10^-5eV^2. Combined with KamLAND results, the best-fit oscillation
parameters are found to be sin^2 {\theta}12 = 0.31+/-0.01(tan^2 {\theta}12 =
0.44+/-0.03) and {\Delta}m2_21 = 7.6?0.2*10^-5eV^2 . The 8B neutrino flux
obtained from global solar neutrino experiments is
5.3+/-0.2(stat.+sys.)*10^6cm^-2s^-1, while the 8B flux becomes
5.1+/-0.1(stat.+sys.)*10^6cm^-2s^-1 by adding KamLAND result. In a three-flavor
analysis combining all solar neutrino experiments, the upper limit of sin^2
{\theta}13 is 0.060 at 95% C.L.. After combination with KamLAND results, the
upper limit of sin^2 {\theta}13 is found to be 0.059 at 95% C.L..Comment: 19 pages, 33 figures in the main text. The appendix section on errata
is added in v
Knowledge-based energy functions for computational studies of proteins
This chapter discusses theoretical framework and methods for developing
knowledge-based potential functions essential for protein structure prediction,
protein-protein interaction, and protein sequence design. We discuss in some
details about the Miyazawa-Jernigan contact statistical potential,
distance-dependent statistical potentials, as well as geometric statistical
potentials. We also describe a geometric model for developing both linear and
non-linear potential functions by optimization. Applications of knowledge-based
potential functions in protein-decoy discrimination, in protein-protein
interactions, and in protein design are then described. Several issues of
knowledge-based potential functions are finally discussed.Comment: 57 pages, 6 figures. To be published in a book by Springe
Ground state and finite temperature behavior of 1/4-filled band zigzag ladders
We consider the simplest example of lattice frustration in the 1/4-filled
band, a one-dimensional chain with next-nearest neighbor interactions. For this
zigzag ladder with electron-electron as well as electron-phonon interactions we
present numerical results for ground state as well as thermodynamic properties.
In this system the ground state bond distortion pattern is independent of
electron-electron interaction strength. The spin gap in the ground state of the
zigzag ladder increases with the degree of frustration. Unlike in
one-dimension, where the spin-gap and charge ordering transitions can be
distinct, we show that in the ladder they occur simultaneously. We discuss spin
gap and charge ordering transitions in 1/4-filled materials with one, two, or
three dimensional crystal structures. We show empirically that regardless of
dimensionality the occurrence of simultaneous or distinct charge and magnetic
transitions can be correlated with the ground state bond distortion pattern.Comment: 12 pages, 8 eps figure
- …