163 research outputs found
Solution to the Henckell--Rhodes problem: finite -inverse covers do exist
For a finite connected graph with set of edges , a finite
-generated group is constructed such that the set of relations
satisfied by (with a word over ) is closed under deletion
of generators (i.e.~edges). As a consequence, every element admits a
unique minimal set of edges (the \emph{content} of ) needed
to represent as a word over . The
crucial property of the group is that connectivity in the graph
is encoded in in the following sense: if a word forms a
path in then there exists a -equivalent
word which also forms a path and uses only edges from
their content; in particular, the content of the corresponding group element
spans a connected subgraph of containing the
vertices and . As an application it is shown that every finite inverse
monoid admits a finite -inverse cover. This solves a long-standing problem
of Henckell and Rhodes.Comment: 46 pages, 14 figures, new result Cor. 2.7 included, several
inaccuracies removed, more details include
Electronic structure and nesting-driven enhancement of the RKKY interaction at the magnetic ordering propagation vector in Gd2PdSi3 and Tb2PdSi3
We present first-time measurements of the Fermi surface and low-energy
electronic structure of intermetallic compounds Gd2PdSi3 and Tb2PdSi3 by means
of angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy (ARPES). Both materials possess a
flower-like Fermi surface consisting of an electron barrel at the G point
surrounded by spindle-shaped electron pockets originating from the same band.
The band bottom of both features lies at 0.5 eV below the Fermi level. From the
experimentally measured band structure, we estimate the momentum-dependent RKKY
coupling strength and demonstrate that it is peaked at the 1/2 GK wave vector.
Comparison with neutron diffraction data from the same crystals shows perfect
agreement of this vector with the propagation vector of the low-temperature
in-plane magnetic order, thereby demonstrating the decisive role of the Fermi
surface geometry in explaining the complex magnetically ordered ground state of
ternary rare earth silicides.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure
Modelling the probability of microhabitat formation on trees using cross-sectional data
The rate of TreM formation per unit diameter growth was modelled as a function of tree diameter at breast height (DBH), and the model was calibrated considering cross-sectional observations TreMs on trees of different sizes. The model predicted realistic TreM formation rates at the tree and stand levels in forests dominated by Abies alba and Fagus sylvatica. This approach opens new perspectives to the analysis of forest biodiversity conservation strategies
EFEITO DA ÁRVORE MARGINAL NOS ESTIMADORES POPULACIONAIS OBTIDOS POR MÉTODOS DE AMOSTRAGEM DE ÁREA VARIÁVEL
Enhanced oxidative stress by alcohol use in HIV+ patients: possible involvement of cytochrome P450 2E1 and antioxidant enzymes
Ameliorated ConA-Induced Hepatitis in the Absence of PKC-theta
Severe liver injury that occurs when immune cells mistakenly attack an individual's own liver cells leads to autoimmune hepatitis. In mice, acute hepatitis can be induced by concanavalin A (ConA) treatment, which causes rapid activation of CD1d-positive natural killer (NK) T cells. These activated NKT cells produce large amounts of cytokines, which induce strong inflammation that damages liver tissues. Here we show that PKC-θ−/− mice were resistant to ConA-induced hepatitis due to essential function of PKC-θ in NKT cell development and activation. A dosage of ConA (25 mg/kg) that was lethal to wild-type (WT) mice failed to induce death resulting from liver injury in PKC-θ−/− mice. Correspondingly, ConA-induced production of cytokines such as IFNγ, IL-6, and TNFα, which mediate the inflammation responsible for liver injury, were significantly lower in PKC-θ−/− mice. Peripheral NKT cells had developmental defects at early stages in the thymus in PKC-θ−/− mice, and as a result their frequency and number were greatly reduced. Furthermore, PKC-θ−/− bone marrow adoptively transferred to WT mice displayed similar defects in NKT cell development, suggesting an intrinsic requirement for PKC-θ in NKT cell development. In addition, upon stimulation with NKT cell-specific lipid ligand, peripheral PKC-θ−/− NKT cells produced lower levels of inflammatory cytokines than that of WT NKT cells, suggesting that activation of NKT cells also requires PKC-θ. Our results suggest PKC-θ is an essential molecule required for activation of NKT cell to induce hepatitis, and thus, is a potential drug target for prevention of autoimmune hepatitis
Terrestrial laser scanning for plot-scale forest measurement
Plot-scale measurements have been the foundation
for forest surveys and reporting for over 200 years. Through
recent integration with airborne and satellite remote sensing, manual measurements of vegetation structure at the plot scale are now the basis for landscape, continental and international mapping of our forest resources. The use of terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) for plot-scale measurement was first demonstrated over a decade ago, with the intimation that these instruments could replace manual measurement methods. This has not yet been the case, despite the unparalleled structural information that TLS can capture. For TLS to reach its full potential, these instruments cannot be viewed as a logical progression of existing plot-based measurement. TLS must be viewed as a disruptive technology that requires a rethink of vegetation surveys and their application across a wide range
of disciplines. We review the development of TLS as a plotscale measurement tool, including the evolution of both instrument hardware and key data processing methodologies.
We highlight two broad data modelling approaches of gap
probability and geometrical modelling and the basic theory
that underpins these. Finally, we discuss the future prospects for increasing the utilisation of TLS for plot-scale forest assessment and forest monitoring
Species-specific, pan-European diameter increment models based on data of 2.3 million trees
ResearchBackground: Over the last decades, many forest simulators have been developed for the forests of individual
European countries. The underlying growth models are usually based on national datasets of varying size, obtained
from National Forest Inventories or from long-term research plots. Many of these models include country- and
location-specific predictors, such as site quality indices that may aggregate climate, soil properties and topography
effects. Consequently, it is not sensible to compare such models among countries, and it is often impossible to
apply models outside the region or country they were developed for. However, there is a clear need for more
generically applicable but still locally accurate and climate sensitive simulators at the European scale, which requires
the development of models that are applicable across the European continent. The purpose of this study is to
develop tree diameter increment models that are applicable at the European scale, but still locally accurate. We
compiled and used a dataset of diameter increment observations of over 2.3 million trees from 10 National Forest
Inventories in Europe and a set of 99 potential explanatory variables covering forest structure, weather, climate, soil
and nutrient deposition.
Results: Diameter increment models are presented for 20 species/species groups. Selection of explanatory variables
was done using a combination of forward and backward selection methods. The explained variance ranged from
10% to 53% depending on the species. Variables related to forest structure (basal area of the stand and relative size
of the tree) contributed most to the explained variance, but environmental variables were important to account for
spatial patterns. The type of environmental variables included differed greatly among species.
Conclusions: The presented diameter increment models are the first of their kind that are applicable at the
European scale. This is an important step towards the development of a new generation of forest development
simulators that can be applied at the European scale, but that are sensitive to variations in growing conditions and
applicable to a wider range of management systems than before. This allows European scale but detailed analyses
concerning topics like CO2 sequestration, wood mobilisation, long term impact of management, etcinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Do herbivorous minnows have “plug-flow reactor” guts? Evidence from digestive enzyme activities, gastrointestinal fermentation, and luminal nutrient concentrations
Few investigations have empirically analyzed fish gut function in the context of chemical reactor models. In this study, digestive enzyme activities, levels of gastrointestinal fermentation products [short chain fatty acids (SCFA)], luminal nutrient concentrations, and the mass of gut contents were measured along the digestive tract in herbivorous and carnivorous minnows to ascertain whether their guts function as “plug-flow reactors” (PFRs). Four of the species, Campostoma anomalum, C. ornatum, C. oligolepis, and C. pauciradii, are members of a monophyletic herbivorous clade, whereas the fifth species, Nocomis micropogon, is a carnivore from an adjacent carnivorous clade. In the context of a PFR model, the activities of amylase, trypsin and lipase, and the concentrations of glucose, protein, and lipid were predicted to decrease moving from the proximal to the distal intestine. I found support for this as these enzyme activities and nutrient concentrations generally decreased moving distally along the intestine of the four Campostoma species. Furthermore, gut content mass and the low SCFA concentrations did not change (increase or decrease) along the gut of any species. Combined with a previous investigation suggesting that species of Campostoma have rapid gut throughput rates, the data presented here generally support Campostoma as having guts that function as PFRs. The carnivorous N. micropogon showed some differences in the measured parameters, which were interpreted in the contexts of intake and retention time to suggest that PFR function breaks down in this carnivorous species
HIV Protein Sequence Hotspots for Crosstalk with Host Hub Proteins
HIV proteins target host hub proteins for transient binding interactions. The presence of viral proteins in the infected cell results in out-competition of host proteins in their interaction with hub proteins, drastically affecting cell physiology. Functional genomics and interactome datasets can be used to quantify the sequence hotspots on the HIV proteome mediating interactions with host hub proteins. In this study, we used the HIV and human interactome databases to identify HIV targeted host hub proteins and their host binding partners (H2). We developed a high throughput computational procedure utilizing motif discovery algorithms on sets of protein sequences, including sequences of HIV and H2 proteins. We identified as HIV sequence hotspots those linear motifs that are highly conserved on HIV sequences and at the same time have a statistically enriched presence on the sequences of H2 proteins. The HIV protein motifs discovered in this study are expressed by subsets of H2 host proteins potentially outcompeted by HIV proteins. A large subset of these motifs is involved in cleavage, nuclear localization, phosphorylation, and transcription factor binding events. Many such motifs are clustered on an HIV sequence in the form of hotspots. The sequential positions of these hotspots are consistent with the curated literature on phenotype altering residue mutations, as well as with existing binding site data. The hotspot map produced in this study is the first global portrayal of HIV motifs involved in altering the host protein network at highly connected hub nodes
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