1,966 research outputs found
Genomic homogeneity in fibrolamellar carcinomas
Background-Fibrolamellar carcinoma (FLC) is a variant of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with distinctive clinical and histological features. To date there have been few studies on the genotypic aspects of FLC and no previous attempts have been made to use the arbitrarily primed-polymerase chain reaction (AF-FCR) technique to detect genetic alterations in this disease.Aim-The aim of this study was to assess the degree of genomic heterogeneity of FEC using the AP-PCR technique. Methods-A fetal of 50 tissue samples of primary and metastatic FLCs from seven patients were microdissected. AP-PCR amplification of each genomic DNA sample was carried out using two arbitrary primers.Results-DNA fingerprints of the primary FLCs and all their metastatic lesions (both synchronous and metachronous disease) were identical in an individual patient. The fingerprints were different between tumours of different patients. No evidence of intratumour heterogeneity was observed.Conclusions-Such genomic homogeneity in FLCs may explain their indolent growth. The absence of clonal evolution, which is present in other tumours (particularly HCCs), may explain the distinct behaviour in this tumour. The tumorigenic pathway and degree of somatic genomic changes in this disease may be less complex than in HCC
Field-induced axion emission via process in plasma
The annihilation into axion is investigated in a plasma and
an external magnetic field. This process via a plasmon intermediate state has a
resonant character at a particular energy of the emitted axion. The emissivity
by is compared with the axion cyclotron emissivity.Comment: 8 pages, latex, 4 PS figure
UHE nuclei propagation and the interpretation of the ankle in the cosmic-ray spectrum
We consider the stochastic propagation of high-energy protons and nuclei in
the cosmological microwave and infrared backgrounds, using revised photonuclear
cross-sections and following primary and secondary nuclei in the full 2D
nuclear chart. We confirm earlier results showing that the high-energy data can
be fit with a pure proton extragalactic cosmic ray (EGCR) component if the
source spectrum is \propto E^{-2.6}. In this case the ankle in the CR spectrum
may be interpreted as a pair-production dip associated with the propagation. We
show that when heavier nuclei are included in the source with a composition
similar to that of Galactic cosmic-rays (GCRs), the pair-production dip is not
present unless the proton fraction is higher than 85%. In the mixed composition
case, the ankle recovers the past interpretation as the transition from GCRs to
EGCRs and the highest energy data can be explained by a harder source spectrum
\propto E^{-2.2} - E^{-2.3}, reminiscent of relativistic shock acceleration
predictions, and in good agreement with the GCR data at low-energy and holistic
scenarios.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, submitted to A&A Letters (minor changes, two
figures replaced, two references added
Optimisation of conditions for detection of activated oncogenes by transfection of NIH 3T3 cells.
Optimisation of conditions for detection of activated oncogenes by transfection of NIH 3T3 cells
The Interstellar Rubidium Isotope Ratio toward Rho Ophiuchi A
The isotope ratio, 85Rb/87Rb, places constraints on models of the
nucleosynthesis of heavy elements, but there is no precise determination of the
ratio for material beyond the Solar System. We report the first measurement of
the interstellar Rb isotope ratio. Our measurement of the Rb I line at 7800 A
for the diffuse gas toward rho Oph A yields a value of 1.21 +/- 0.30 (1-sigma)
that differs significantly from the meteoritic value of 2.59. The Rb/K
elemental abundance ratio for the cloud also is lower than that seen in
meteorites. Comparison of the 85Rb/K and 87Rb/K ratios with meteoritic values
indicates that the interstellar 85Rb abundance in this direction is lower than
the Solar System abundance. We attribute the lower abundance to a reduced
contribution from the r-process. Interstellar abundances for Kr, Cd, and Sn are
consistent with much less r-process synthesis for the solar neighborhood
compared to the amount inferred for the Solar System.Comment: 12 pages with 2 figures and 1 table; will appear in ApJ Letter
Potentials and limitations of NFIs and remote sensing in the assessment of harvest rates: a reply to Breidenbach et al.
AbstractThe timely and accurate monitoring of forest resources is becoming of increasing importance in light of the multi-functionality of these ecosystems and their increasing vulnerability to climate change. Remote sensing observations of tree cover and systematic ground observations from National Forest Inventories (NFIs) represent the two major sources of information to assess forest area and use. The specificity of two methods is calling for an in-depth analysis of their strengths and weaknesses and for the design of novel methods emerging from the integration of satellite and surface data. On this specific debate, a recent paper by Breidenbach et al. published in this journal suggests that the detection of a recent increase in EU forest harvest rateāas reported in Nature by Ceccherini et al.āis largely due to technical limitations of satellite-based mapping. The article centers on the difficulty of the approaches to estimate wood harvest based on remote sensing. However, it does not discuss issues with the robustness of validation approaches solely based on NFIs. Here we discuss the use of plot data as a validation set for remote sensing products, discussing potentials and limitations of both NFIs and remote sensing, and how they can be used synergistically. Finally, we highlight the need to collect in situ data that is both relevant and compatible with remote sensing products within the European Union
On Signatures of Short Distance Physics in the Cosmic Microwave Background
Following a self-contained review of the basics of the theory of cosmological
perturbations, we discuss why the conclusions reached in the recent paper by
Kaloper et al are too pessimistic estimates of the amplitude of possible
imprints of trans-Planckian (string) physics on the spectrum of cosmic
microwave anisotropies in an inflationary Universe. It is shown that the likely
origin of large trans-Planckian effects on late time cosmological fluctuations
comes from nonadiabatic evolution of the state of fluctuations while the
wavelength is smaller than the Planck (string) scale, resulting in an excited
state at the time that the wavelength crosses the Hubble radius during
inflation.Comment: 11 pages, 4 figure
The optical depth of the Universe to ultrahigh energy cosmic ray scattering in the magnetized large scale structure
This paper provides an analytical description of the transport of ultrahigh
energy cosmic rays in an inhomogeneously magnetized intergalactic medium. This
latter is modeled as a collection of magnetized scattering centers such as
radio cocoons, magnetized galactic winds, clusters or magnetized filaments of
large scale structure, with negligible magnetic fields in between. Magnetic
deflection is no longer a continuous process, it is rather dominated by
scattering events. We study the interaction between high energy cosmic rays and
the scattering agents. We then compute the optical depth of the Universe to
cosmic ray scattering and discuss the phenomological consequences for various
source scenarios. For typical parameters of the scattering centers, the optical
depth is greater than unity at 5x10^{19}eV, but the total angular deflection is
smaller than unity. One important consequence of this scenario is the
possibility that the last scattering center encountered by a cosmic ray be
mistaken with the source of this cosmic ray. In particular, we suggest that
part of the correlation recently reported by the Pierre Auger Observatory may
be affected by such delusion: this experiment may be observing in part the last
scattering surface of ultrahigh energy cosmic rays rather than their source
population. Since the optical depth falls rapidly with increasing energy, one
should probe the arrival directions of the highest energy events beyond
10^{20}eV on an event by event basis to circumvent this effect.Comment: version to appear in PRD; substantial improvements: extended
introduction, sections added on angular images and on direction dependent
effects with sky maps of optical depth, enlarged discussion of Auger results
(conclusions unchanged); 27 pages, 9 figure
A time frequency analysis of wave packet fractional revivals
We show that the time frequency analysis of the autocorrelation function is,
in many ways, a more appropriate tool to resolve fractional revivals of a wave
packet than the usual time domain analysis. This advantage is crucial in
reconstructing the initial state of the wave packet when its coherent structure
is short-lived and decays before it is fully revived. Our calculations are
based on the model example of fractional revivals in a Rydberg wave packet of
circular states. We end by providing an analytical investigation which fully
agrees with our numerical observations on the utility of time-frequency
analysis in the study of wave packet fractional revivals.Comment: 9 pages, 4 figure
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