Topographic Changes in SARS Coronavirus–infected Cells at Late Stages of Infection

Scanning electron and atomic force microscopy was used for the first time to view the maturation of SARS-CoV at the cell surface

Integrin activation - the importance of a positive feedback

Integrins mediate cell adhesion and are essential receptors for the development and functioning of multicellular organisms. Integrin activation is known to require both ligand and talin binding and to correlate with cluster formation but the activation mechanism and precise roles of these processes are not yet resolved. Here mathematical modeling, with known experimental parameters, is used to show that the binding of a stabilizing factor, such as talin, is alone insufficient to enable ligand-dependent integrin activation for all observed conditions; an additional positive feedback is required.Comment: in press in Bulletin of Mathematical Biolog

Quantum algebra in the mixed light pseudoscalar meson states

In this paper, we investigate the entanglement degrees of pseudoscalar meson states via quantum algebra Y(su(3)). By making use of transition effect of generators J of Y(su(3)), we construct various transition operators in terms of J of Y(su(3)), and act them on eta-pion-eta mixing meson state. The entanglement degrees of both the initial state and final state are calculated with the help of entropy theory. The diagrams of entanglement degrees are presented. Our result shows that a state with desired entanglement degree can be achieved by acting proper chosen transition operator on an initial state. This sheds new light on the connect among quantum information, particle physics and Yangian algebra.Comment: 9 pages, 3 figure

Atypical SARS in Geriatric Patient

We describe an atypical presentation of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in a geriatric patient with multiple coexisting conditions. Interpretation of radiographic changes was confounded by cardiac failure, with resolution of fever causing delayed diagnosis and a cluster of cases. SARS should be considered even if a contact history is unavailable, during an ongoing outbreak

Sequential design of computer experiments for the estimation of a probability of failure

This paper deals with the problem of estimating the volume of the excursion set of a function $f:\mathbb{R}^d \to \mathbb{R}$ above a given threshold, under a probability measure on $\mathbb{R}^d$ that is assumed to be known. In the industrial world, this corresponds to the problem of estimating a probability of failure of a system. When only an expensive-to-simulate model of the system is available, the budget for simulations is usually severely limited and therefore classical Monte Carlo methods ought to be avoided. One of the main contributions of this article is to derive SUR (stepwise uncertainty reduction) strategies from a Bayesian-theoretic formulation of the problem of estimating a probability of failure. These sequential strategies use a Gaussian process model of $f$ and aim at performing evaluations of $f$ as efficiently as possible to infer the value of the probability of failure. We compare these strategies to other strategies also based on a Gaussian process model for estimating a probability of failure.Comment: This is an author-generated postprint version. The published version is available at http://www.springerlink.co

Genome-resolved metagenomics reveals role of iron metabolism in drought-induced rhizosphere microbiome dynamics

Recent studies have demonstrated that drought leads to dramatic, highly conserved shifts in the root microbiome. At present, the molecular mechanisms underlying these responses remain largely uncharacterized. Here we employ genome-resolved metagenomics and comparative genomics to demonstrate that carbohydrate and secondary metabolite transport functionalities are overrepresented within drought-enriched taxa. These data also reveal that bacterial iron transport and metabolism functionality is highly correlated with drought enrichment. Using time-series root RNA-Seq data, we demonstrate that iron homeostasis within the root is impacted by drought stress, and that loss of a plant phytosiderophore iron transporter impacts microbial community composition, leading to significant increases in the drought-enriched lineage, Actinobacteria. Finally, we show that exogenous application of iron disrupts the drought-induced enrichment of Actinobacteria, as well as their improvement in host phenotype during drought stress. Collectively, our findings implicate iron metabolism in the root microbiome’s response to drought and may inform efforts to improve plant drought tolerance to increase food security

Modelling spectral and timing properties of accreting black holes: the hybrid hot flow paradigm

The general picture that emerged by the end of 1990s from a large set of optical and X-ray, spectral and timing data was that the X-rays are produced in the innermost hot part of the accretion flow, while the optical/infrared (OIR) emission is mainly produced by the irradiated outer thin accretion disc. Recent multiwavelength observations of Galactic black hole transients show that the situation is not so simple. Fast variability in the OIR band, OIR excesses above the thermal emission and a complicated interplay between the X-ray and the OIR light curves imply that the OIR emitting region is much more compact. One of the popular hypotheses is that the jet contributes to the OIR emission and even is responsible for the bulk of the X-rays. However, this scenario is largely ad hoc and is in contradiction with many previously established facts. Alternatively, the hot accretion flow, known to be consistent with the X-ray spectral and timing data, is also a viable candidate to produce the OIR radiation. The hot-flow scenario naturally explains the power-law like OIR spectra, fast OIR variability and its complex relation to the X-rays if the hot flow contains non-thermal electrons (even in energetically negligible quantities), which are required by the presence of the MeV tail in Cyg X-1. The presence of non-thermal electrons also lowers the equilibrium electron temperature in the hot flow model to <100 keV, making it more consistent with observations. Here we argue that any viable model should simultaneously explain a large set of spectral and timing data and show that the hybrid (thermal/non-thermal) hot flow model satisfies most of the constraints.Comment: 26 pages, 13 figures. To be published in the Space Science Reviews and as hard cover in the Space Sciences Series of ISSI - The Physics of Accretion on to Black Holes (Springer Publisher

Study of the B^0 Semileptonic Decay Spectrum at the Upsilon(4S) Resonance

We have made a first measurement of the lepton momentum spectrum in a sample of events enriched in neutral B's through a partial reconstruction of B0 --> D*- l+ nu. This spectrum, measured with 2.38 fb**-1 of data collected at the Upsilon(4S) resonance by the CLEO II detector, is compared directly to the inclusive lepton spectrum from all Upsilon(4S) events in the same data set. These two spectra are consistent with having the same shape above 1.5 GeV/c. From the two spectra and two other CLEO measurements, we obtain the B0 and B+ semileptonic branching fractions, b0 and b+, their ratio, and the production ratio f+-/f00 of B+ and B0 pairs at the Upsilon(4S). We report b+/b0=0.950 (+0.117-0.080) +- 0.091, b0 = (10.78 +- 0.60 +- 0.69)%, and b+ = (10.25 +- 0.57 +- 0.65)%. b+/b0 is equivalent to the ratio of charged to neutral B lifetimes, tau+/tau0.Comment: 14 page, postscript file also available at http://w4.lns.cornell.edu/public/CLN

Corrosion behaviour of Mg–Zn–Y–Mischmetal alloys in phosphate buffer saline solution

The influence of the processing route and chemical composition in the corrosion behaviour of two Mg-Zn-Y-Mischmetal alloys has been evaluated in phosphate buffer saline solution. The corrosion resistance of the alloy processed by conventional techniques was substantially higher than that found for the same alloy processed from atomised powders. Fine homogeneous distribution of the second-phase particles promoted severe attack due to the enhanced number of galvanic microcells. A higher concentration of zinc and a lower content of rare earth additions improved the corrosion resistance of the alloys due to the lower volume fraction of second-phase particles. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd.Peer Reviewe