1,759 research outputs found
Study of the performance of the NA62 Small-Angle Calorimeter at the DANE Linac
The measurement of with 10% precision by the
NA62 experiment requires extreme background suppression. The Small Angle
Calorimeter aims to provide an efficient veto for photons flying at angles down
to zero with respect to the kaon flight direction. The initial prototype was
upgraded and tested at the Beam Test Facility of the DANE Linac at
Frascati. The energy resolution and the efficiency were measured and are
presented.Comment: 5 pages, 7 figure
ochratoxin a as possible factor trigging autism and its male prevalence via epigenetic mechanism
The role of dysbiosis causing leaky gut with xenobiotic production and absorption is increasingly demonstrated in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) pathogenesis. Among xenobiotics, we focused on ochratoxin A (one of the major food contaminating mycotoxin), that in vitro and in vivo exerts a male-specific neurotoxicity probably via microRNA modulation of a specific target gene. Among possible targets, we focused on neuroligin4X. Interestingly, this gene carries some single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) already correlated with the disease and with illegitimate microRNA binding sites and, being located on X-chromosome, could explain the male prevalence. In conclusion, we propose a possible gene–environment interaction triggering ASD explaining the epigenetic neurotoxic mechanism activated by ochratoxin A in genetically predisposed children. This mechanism offers a clue for male prevalence of the disease and may have an important impact on prevention and cure of ASD
Evidence that muscle cells do not express the histidine-rich glycoprotein associated with AMP deaminase but can internalise the plasma protein
Histidine-rich glycoprotein (HRG) is synthesized by liver and is present at relatively high concentration in the plasma of vertebrates. We have previously described the association of a HRG-like molecule to purified rabbit skeletal muscle AMP deaminase (AMPD). We also provided the first evidence for the presence of a HRG-like protein in human skeletal muscle where a positive correlation between HRG content and total determined AMPD activity has been shown. In the present paper we investigate the origin of skeletal muscle HRG. The screening of a human skeletal muscle cDNA expression library using an anti-HRG antibody failed to reveal any positive clone. The RT-PCR analysis, performed on human skeletal muscle RNA as well as on RNA from the rhabdomyosarcoma (RD) cell line, failed to show any mRNA specific for the plasma HRG or for the putative muscle variant. When the RD cells were incubated with human plasma HRG, a time-dependent increase of the HRG immunoreactivity was detected both at the plasma membrane level and intracellularly. The internalisation of HRG was inhibited by the addition of heparin. The above data strongly suggest that skeletal muscle cells do not synthesize the muscle variant of HRG but instead can actively internalise it from plasma
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Considerations in Representation Selection for Problem Solving: A Review
Choosing how to represent knowledge effectively is a long-standing open problem. Cognitive science has shed light on the taxonomisation of representational systems from the perspective of cognitive processes, but a similar analysis is absent from the perspective of problem solving, where the representations are employed. In this paper we review how representation choices are made for solving problems in the context of theorem proving from three perspectives: cognition, heterogeneity, and computational demands. We contrast the different factors that are most important for each perspective in the context of problem solving to produce a list of considerations for developers of problem solving tools regarding representations that are appropriate for particular users and effective for specific problem domains
Regulation of skeletal-muscle AMP deaminase: involvement of histidine residues in the pH-dependent inhibition of the rabbit enzyme by ATP
A prototype large-angle photon veto detector for the P326 experiment at CERN
The P326 experiment at the CERN SPS has been proposed with the purpose of
measuring the branching ratio for the decay K^+ \to \pi^+ \nu \bar{\nu} to
within 10%. The photon veto system must provide a rejection factor of 10^8 for
\pi^0 decays. We have explored two designs for the large-angle veto detectors,
one based on scintillating tiles and the other using scintillating fibers. We
have constructed a prototype module based on the fiber solution and evaluated
its performance using low-energy electron beams from the Frascati Beam-Test
Facility. For comparison, we have also tested a tile prototype constructed for
the CKM experiment, as well as lead-glass modules from the OPAL electromagnetic
barrel calorimeter. We present results on the linearity, energy resolution, and
time resolution obtained with the fiber prototype, and compare the detection
efficiency for electrons obtained with all three instruments.Comment: 8 pages, 9 figures, 2 tables. Presented at the 2007 IEEE Nuclear
Science Symposium, Honolulu HI, USA, 28 October - 3 November 200
Correspondence-based analogies for choosing problem representations
Mathematics and computing students learn new concepts and fortify their expertise by solving problems. The representation of a problem, be it through algebra, diagrams, or code, is key to understanding and solving it. Multiple-representation interactive environments are a promising approach, but the task of choosing an appropriate representation is largely placed on the user. We propose a new method to recommend representations based on correspondences: conceptual links between domains. Correspondences can be used to analyse, identify, and construct analogies even when the analogical target is unknown. This paper explains how correspondences build on probability theory and Gentner's structure-mapping framework; proposes rules for semi-automated correspondence discovery; and describes how correspondences can explain and construct analogies
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