Genotyping of Bulgarian Vitis vinifera L. cultivars by microsatellite analysis

A characterization of the Bulgarian grapevine genepool (Vitis vinifera L. cultivars) was initiated through microsatellite analysis. Seventy four wine and table grapevine varieties from the National List of Cultivars, were analyzed at 9 microsatellite loci: VVS2, ssrVvUCH11, ssrVvUCH 29, ssrVrZAG21, ssrVrZAG47, ssrVrZAG62, ssrVrZAG64, ssrVrZAG79 and ssrVrZAG83. The high genetic diversity (78 %) allowed accurate identification and discrimination of the cultivars. The low PI value (1.201 x 10-8) reflects the high discriminative power of the chosen set of markers for the investigated population. Based on the microsatellite allele data, two pairs of old native varieties, Misket Cherven and Misket Vrachanski; Tamyanka and Tamyanka tvarda, were considered distinct cultivars. The synonymy ofTamyanka, Italian Moscato Bianco and Greek Moschato Kerkyras andPamid and Greek Pamidi was verified, while the putative synonymy of Mavrud and Greek Mavroudi Arachovis was rejected.Further utilization of microsatellite profiling in the management of the Bulgarian grapevine genepool is discussed.

Prospects for the discovery of the next new element: Influence of projectiles with Z > 20

The possibility of forming new superheavy elements with projectiles having Z > 20 is discussed. Current research has focused on the fusion of 48Ca with actinides targets, but these reactions cannot be used for new element discoveries in the future due to a lack of available target material. The influence on reaction cross sections of projectiles with Z > 20 have been studied in so-called analog reactions, which utilize lanthanide targets carefully chosen to create compound nuclei with energetics similar to those found in superheavy element production. The reactions 48Ca, 45Sc, 50Ti, 54Cr + 159Tb, 162Dy have been studied at the Cyclotron Institute at Texas A&M University using the Momentum Achromat Recoil Spectrometer. The results of these experimental studies are discussed in terms of the influence of collective enhancements to level density for compound nuclei near closed shells, and the implications for the production of superheavy elements. We have observed no evidence to contradict theoretical predictions that the maximum cross section for the 249Cf(50Ti, 4n)295120 and 248Cm(54Cr, 4n)298120 reactions should be in the range of 10-100 fb.Comment: An invited talk given by Charles M. Folden III at the 11th International Conference on Nucleus-Nucleus Collisions (NN2012), San Antonio, Texas, USA, May 27-June 1, 2012. Also contains information presented by Dmitriy A. Mayorov and Tyler A. Werke in separate contributions to the conference. This contribution will appear in the NN2012 Proceedings in Journal of Physics: Conference Series (JPCS

Projectile fragmentation reactions and production of nuclei near the neutron drip-line

The reaction mechanism of projectile fragmentation at intermediate energies has been investigated observing the target dependence of the production cross sections of very neutron-rich nuclei. Measurement of longitudinal momentum distributions of projectile-like fragments within a wide range of fragment mass and its charge was performed using a hundred-MeV/n $^{40}$Ar beam incident on Be and Ta targets. By measurement of fragment momentum distribution, a parabolic mass dependence of momentum peak shift was observed in the results of both targets, and a phenomenon of light-fragment acceleration was found only in the Be-target data. The analysis of production cross sections revealed an obvious enhancement of the target dependence except target size effect when the neutron excess is increased. This result implies the breakdown of factorization (BOF) of production cross sections for very neutron-rich nuclei near the drip line.Comment: 16 pages, 18 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev.

On the reliability of negative heat capacity measurements

A global protocol for the thermostatistical analysis of hot nuclear sources is discussed. Within our method of minimization of variances we show that the abnormal kinetic energy fluctuation signal recently reported in different experimental data (M.D'Agostino et al.-Phys. Lett. B 473 (2000) 219, N. Le Neindre et al.- contr. to the XXXVIII Bormio Winter Meeting on Nucl. Phys. (2001) 404) is a genuine signal of a first order phase transition in a finite system.Comment: 15 Postscript figures, submitted to NUCL. Phys. A on 24-apr-200

The actin-myosin regulatory MRCK kinases: regulation, biological functions and associations with human cancer

The contractile actin-myosin cytoskeleton provides much of the force required for numerous cellular activities such as motility, adhesion, cytokinesis and changes in morphology. Key elements that respond to various signal pathways are the myosin II regulatory light chains (MLC), which participate in actin-myosin contraction by modulating the ATPase activity and consequent contractile force generation mediated by myosin heavy chain heads. Considerable effort has focussed on the role of MLC kinases, and yet the contributions of the myotonic dystrophy-related Cdc42-binding kinases (MRCK) proteins in MLC phosphorylation and cytoskeleton regulation have not been well characterized. In contrast to the closely related ROCK1 and ROCK2 kinases that are regulated by the RhoA and RhoC GTPases, there is relatively little information about the CDC42-regulated MRCKα, MRCKβ and MRCKγ members of the AGC (PKA, PKG and PKC) kinase family. As well as differences in upstream activation pathways, MRCK and ROCK kinases apparently differ in the way that they spatially regulate MLC phosphorylation, which ultimately affects their influence on the organization and dynamics of the actin-myosin cytoskeleton. In this review, we will summarize the MRCK protein structures, expression patterns, small molecule inhibitors, biological functions and associations with human diseases such as cancer

Nucleon-induced reactions at intermediate energies: New data at 96 MeV and theoretical status

Double-differential cross sections for light charged particle production (up to A=4) were measured in 96 MeV neutron-induced reactions, at TSL laboratory cyclotron in Uppsala (Sweden). Measurements for three targets, Fe, Pb, and U, were performed using two independent devices, SCANDAL and MEDLEY. The data were recorded with low energy thresholds and for a wide angular range (20-160 degrees). The normalization procedure used to extract the cross sections is based on the np elastic scattering reaction that we measured and for which we present experimental results. A good control of the systematic uncertainties affecting the results is achieved. Calculations using the exciton model are reported. Two different theoretical approches proposed to improve its predictive power regarding the complex particle emission are tested. The capabilities of each approach is illustrated by comparison with the 96 MeV data that we measured, and with other experimental results available in the literature.Comment: 21 pages, 28 figure

An Improved Neutron Electric Dipole Moment Experiment

A new measurement of the neutron EDM, using Ramsey's method of separated oscillatory fields, is in preparation at the new high intensity source of ultra-cold neutrons (UCN) at the Paul Scherrer Institute, Villigen, Switzerland (PSI). The existence of a non-zero nEDM would violate both parity and time reversal symmetry and, given the CPT theorem, might lead to a discovery of new CP violating mechanisms. Already the current upper limit for the nEDM (|d_n|<2.9E-26 e.cm) constrains some extensions of the Standard Model. The new experiment aims at a two orders of magnitude reduction of the experimental uncertainty, to be achieved mainly by (1) the higher UCN flux provided by the new PSI source, (2) better magnetic field control with improved magnetometry and (3) a double chamber configuration with opposite electric field directions. The first stage of the experiment will use an upgrade of the RAL/Sussex/ILL group's apparatus (which has produced the current best result) moved from Institut Laue-Langevin to PSI. The final accuracy will be achieved in a further step with a new spectrometer, presently in the design phase.Comment: Flavor Physics & CP Violation Conference, Taipei, 200

Nonsupervised Ranking of Different Segmentation Approaches: Application to the Estimation of the Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction From Cardiac Cine MRI Sequences

International audienceA statistical methodology is proposed to rank several estimation methods of a relevant clinical parameter when no gold standard is available. Based on a regression without truth method, the proposed approach was applied to rank eightmethods without using any a priori information regarding the reliability of each method and its degree of automation. It was only based on a prior concerning the statistical distribution of the parameter of interest in the database. The ranking of the methods relies on figures of merit derived from the regression and computed using a bootstrap process. The methodology was applied to the estimation of the left ventricular ejection fraction derived from cardiac magnetic resonance images segmented using eight approaches with different degrees of automation: three segmentations were entirely manually performed and the others were variously automated. The ranking of methods was consistent with the expected performance of the estimation methods: the most accurate estimates of the ejection fraction were obtained using manual segmentations. The robustness of the ranking was demonstrated when at least three methods were compared. These results suggest that the proposed statistical approach might be helpful to assess the performance of estimation methods on clinical data for which no gold standard is available

Testing isotropy of the universe using the Ramsey resonance technique on ultracold neutron spins

Physics at the Planck scale could be revealed by looking for tiny violations of fundamental symmetries in low energy experiments. In 2008, a sensitive test of the isotropy of the Universe using has been performed with stored ultracold neutrons (UCN), this is the first clock-comparison experiment performed with free neutrons. During several days we monitored the Larmor frequency of neutron spins in a weak magnetic field using the Ramsey resonance technique. An non-zero cosmic axial field, violating rotational symmetry, would induce a daily variation of the precession frequency. Our null result constitutes one of the most stringent tests of Lorentz invariance to date.Comment: proceedings of the PNCMI2010 conferenc

Notch signaling during human T cell development

Notch signaling is critical during multiple stages of T cell development in both mouse and human. Evidence has emerged in recent years that this pathway might regulate T-lineage differentiation differently between both species. Here, we review our current understanding of how Notch signaling is activated and used during human T cell development. First, we set the stage by describing the developmental steps that make up human T cell development before describing the expression profiles of Notch receptors, ligands, and target genes during this process. To delineate stage-specific roles for Notch signaling during human T cell development, we subsequently try to interpret the functional Notch studies that have been performed in light of these expression profiles and compare this to its suggested role in the mouse