2,033 research outputs found
Spherical orbit closures in simple projective spaces and their normalizations
Let G be a simply connected semisimple algebraic group over an algebraically
closed field k of characteristic 0 and let V be a rational simple G-module of
finite dimension. If G/H \subset P(V) is a spherical orbit and if X is its
closure, then we describe the orbits of X and those of its normalization. If
moreover the wonderful completion of G/H is strict, then we give necessary and
sufficient combinatorial conditions so that the normalization morphism is a
homeomorphism. Such conditions are trivially fulfilled if G is simply laced or
if H is a symmetric subgroup.Comment: 24 pages, LaTeX. v4: Final version, to appear in Transformation
Groups. Simplified some proofs and corrected minor mistakes, added
references. v3: major changes due to a mistake in previous version
A combinatorial smoothness criterion for spherical varieties
We suggest a combinatorial criterion for the smoothness of an arbitrary
spherical variety using the classification of multiplicity-free spaces,
generalizing an earlier result of Camus for spherical varieties of type .Comment: 14 pages, 2 table
The Rise Times of High and Low Redshift Type Ia Supernovae are Consistent
We present a self-consistent comparison of the rise times for low- and
high-redshift Type Ia supernovae. Following previous studies, the early light
curve is modeled using a t-squared law, which is then mated with a modified
Leibundgut template light curve. The best-fit t-squared law is determined for
ensemble samples of low- and high-redshift supernovae by fitting simultaneously
for all light curve parameters for all supernovae in each sample. Our method
fully accounts for the non-negligible covariance amongst the light curve
fitting parameters, which previous analyses have neglected. Contrary to Riess
et al. (1999), we find fair to good agreement between the rise times of the
low- and high-redshift Type Ia supernovae. The uncertainty in the rise time of
the high-redshift Type Ia supernovae is presently quite large (roughly +/- 1.2
days statistical), making any search for evidence of evolution based on a
comparison of rise times premature. Furthermore, systematic effects on rise
time determinations from the high-redshift observations, due to the form of the
late-time light curve and the manner in which the light curves of these
supernovae were sampled, can bias the high-redshift rise time determinations by
up to +3.6/-1.9 days under extreme situations. The peak brightnesses - used for
cosmology - do not suffer any significant bias, nor any significant increase in
uncertainty.Comment: 18 pages, 4 figures, Accepted for publication in the Astronomical
Journal. Also available at http://www.lbl.gov/~nugent/papers.html Typos were
corrected and a few sentences were added for improved clarit
Model-based aberration corrected microscopy inside a glass tube
Microscope objectives achieve near diffraction-limited performance only when
used under the conditions they are designed for. In non-standard geometries,
such as thick cover slips or curved surfaces, severe aberrations arise,
inevitably impairing high-resolution imaging. Correcting such large aberrations
using standard adaptive optics can be challenging: existing solutions are
either not suited for strong aberrations, or require extensive feedback
measurements, consequently taking a significant portion of the photon budget.
We demonstrate that it is possible to pre-compute the corrections needed for
high-resolution imaging inside a glass tube based on a priori information only.
Our ray-tracing based method achieved over an order of magnitude increase in
image contrast without the need for a feedback signal.Comment: 9 pages, 3 figures, 1 table. Submitted to Optics Expres
ESCRT machinery mediates selective microautophagy of endoplasmic reticulum in yeast
ER-phagy, the selective autophagy of endoplasmic reticulum (ER), safeguards organelle homeostasis by eliminating misfolded proteins and regulating ER size. ER-phagy can occur by macroautophagic and microautophagic mechanisms. While dedicated machinery for macro-ER-phagy has been discovered, the molecules and mechanisms mediating micro-ER-phagy remain unknown. Here, we first show that micro-ER-phagy in yeast involves the conversion of stacked cisternal ER into multilamellar ER whorls during microautophagic uptake into lysosomes. Second, we identify the conserved Nem1-Spo7 phosphatase complex and the ESCRT machinery as key components for micro-ER-phagy. Third, we demonstrate that macro- and micro-ER-phagy are parallel pathways with distinct molecular requirements. Finally, we provide evidence that the ESCRT machinery directly functions in scission of the lysosomal membrane to complete the microautophagic uptake of ER. These findings establish a framework for a mechanistic understanding of micro-ER-phagy and, thus, a comprehensive appreciation of the role of autophagy in ER homeostasis
Quantitative adsorbate structure determination under catalytic reaction conditions
Current methods allow quantitative local structure determination of adsorbate geometries on surfaces in ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) but are incompatible with the higher pressures required for a steady-state catalytic reactions. Here we show that photoelectron diffraction can be used to determine the structure of the methoxy and formate reaction intermediates during the steady-state oxidation of methanol over Cu(110) by taking advantage of recent instrumental developments to allow near-ambient pressure x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The local methoxy site differs from that under static UHV conditions, attributed to the increased surface mobility and dynamic nature of the surface under reaction conditions
In situ surface coverage analysis of RuO<sub>2</sub>-catalysed HCl oxidation reveals the entropic origin of compensation in heterogeneous catalysis
In heterogeneous catalysis, rates with Arrhenius-like temperature dependence are ubiquitous. Compensation phenomena, which arise from the linear correlation between the apparent activation energy and the logarithm of the apparent pre-exponential factor, are also common. Here, we study the origin of compensation and find a similar dependence on the rate-limiting surface coverage term for each Arrhenius parameter. This result is derived from an experimental determination of the surface coverage of oxygen and chlorine species using temporal analysis of products and prompt gamma activation analysis during HCl oxidation to Cl2 on a RuO2 catalyst. It is also substantiated by theory. We find that compensation phenomena appear when the effect on the apparent activation energy caused by changes in surface coverage is balanced out by the entropic configuration contributions of the surface. This result sets a new paradigm in understanding the interplay of compensation effects with the kinetics of heterogeneously catalysed processes
Nanopore direct RNA sequencing maps the complexity of Arabidopsis mRNA processing and m6A modification
Understanding genome organization and gene regulation requires insight into RNA transcription, processing and modification. We adapted nanopore direct RNA sequencing to examine RNA from a wild-type accession of the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana and a mutant defective in mRNA methylation (m6A). Here we show that m6A can be mapped in full-length mRNAs transcriptome-wide and reveal the combinatorial diversity of cap-associated transcription start sites, splicing events, poly(A) site choice and poly(A) tail length. Loss of m6A from 3’ untranslated regions is associated with decreased relative transcript abundance and defective RNA 30 end formation. A functional consequence of disrupted m6A is a lengthening of the circadian period. We conclude that nanopore direct RNA sequencing can reveal the complexity of mRNA processing and modification in full-length single molecule reads. These findings can refine Arabidopsis genome annotation. Further, applying this approach to less well-studied species could transform our understanding of what their genomes encode
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