297 research outputs found
ø-threshold and ø-tolerance chain graphs
AbstractIn this paper we introduce a class of graphs called ø-threshold graphs which generalize threshold graphs. These graphs are studied for various functions ø that include “max” and “min” as special cases. The graphs are then shown to fit into the more general setting of ø-tolerance intersection graphs previously introduced by Jacobson, McMorris, and Mulder. Finally, ø-tolerance chain graphs are studied for the same functions ø mentioned above
The Irreducible Spine(s) of Undirected Networks
Using closure concepts, we show that within every undirected network, or
graph, there is a unique irreducible subgraph which we call its "spine". The
chordless cycles which comprise this irreducible core effectively characterize
the connectivity structure of the network as a whole. In particular, it is
shown that the center of the network, whether defined by distance or
betweenness centrality, is effectively contained in this spine. By counting the
number of cycles of length 3 <= k <= max_length, we can also create a kind of
signature that can be used to identify the network. Performance is analyzed,
and the concepts we develop are illurstrated by means of a relatively small
running sample network of about 400 nodes.Comment: Submitted to WISE 201
Super-resolution imaging of C-type lectin spatial rearrangement within the dendritic cell plasma membrane at fungal microbe contact sites
Dendritic cells express DC-SIGN and CD206, C-type lectins (CTLs) that bind a variety of pathogens and may facilitate pathogen uptake for subsequent antigen presentation. Both proteins form punctate membrane nanodomains (~80 nm) on naïve cells. We analyzed the spatiotemporal distribution of CTLs following host-fungal particle contact using confocal microscopy and three distinct methods of cluster identification and measurement of receptor clusters in super-resolution datasets: DBSCAN, Pair Correlation and a custom implementation of the Getis spatial statistic. Quantitative analysis of confocal and super-resolution images demonstrated that CTL nanodomains become concentrated in the contact site relative to non-contact membrane after the first hour of exposure and established that this recruitment is sustained out to 4 h. DC-SIGN nanodomains in fungal contact sites exhibit a 70% area increase and a 38% decrease in interdomain separation. Contact site CD206 nanodomains possess 90% greater area and 42% lower interdomain separation relative to non-contact regions. Contact site CTL clusters appear as disk-shaped domains of approximately 150–175 nm in diameter. The increase in length scale of CTL nanostructure in contact sites suggests that the smaller nanodomains on resting membranes may merge during fungal recognition, or that they become packed closely enough to achieve sub-resolution inter-domain edge separations of <30 nm. This study provides evidence of local receptor spatial rearrangements on the nanoscale that occur in the plasma membrane upon pathogen binding and may direct important signaling interactions required to recognize and respond to the presence of a relatively large pathogen
Feasibility and Acceptability of Maternal Choline Supplementation in Heavy Drinking Pregnant Women: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial
Background: Choline, an essential nutrient, serves as a methyl-group donor for DNA methylation and is a constituent of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine and a precursor to major components of cell membranes. Findings from animal studies suggest that choline supplementation during pregnancy can mitigate adverse effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on growth and neurocognitive function. We conducted a randomized, double-blind exploratory trial to examine feasibility and acceptability of a choline supplementation intervention during pregnancy. Methods: Seventy heavy drinkers, recruited in mid-pregnancy, were randomly assigned to receive a daily oral dose of 2 g of choline or a placebo from time of enrollment until delivery. Each dose consisted of an individually wrapped packet of powder that, when mixed with water, produced a sweet tasting grape-flavored drink. Adherence was assessed by collecting used and unused drink packets on a monthly basis and tabulating the number used. Side effects were assessed in monthly interviews. Blood samples obtained at enrollment and at 4 and 12 weeks after randomization were assayed for plasma choline concentration. Results: Adherence was good-to-excellent (median doses taken = 74.0%; interquartile range = 53.9 to 88.7%) and was not related to a range of sociodemographic characteristics or to alcohol consumption ascertained using a timeline follow-back interview. By 4 weeks, plasma choline concentrations were significantly higher in the choline supplementation than the placebo arm, and this group difference continued to be evident at 12 weeks. The only side effect was a small increase in nausea/dyspepsia. No effects were seen for diarrhea, vomiting, muscle stiffness, blood pressure, or body odor changes. Conclusions: This study demonstrated that a choline supplementation program with very heavy drinkers during pregnancy is feasible even among highly disadvantaged, poorly educated women. The broad acceptability of this intervention is indicated by our finding that adherence was not related to maternal education, intellectual function, depression, nutritional status, or alcohol use
Influence of the coorbital resonance on the rotation of the Trojan satellites of Saturn
The Cassini spacecraft collects high resolution images of the saturnian
satellites and reveals the surface of these new worlds. The shape and rotation
of the satellites can be determined from the Cassini Imaging Science Subsystem
data, employing limb coordinates and stereogrammetric control points. This is
the case for Epimetheus (Tiscareno et al. 2009) that opens elaboration of new
rotational models (Tiscareno et al. 2009; Noyelles 2010; Robutel et al. 2011).
Especially, Epimetheus is characterized by its horseshoe shape orbit and the
presence of the swap is essential to introduce explicitly into rotational
models. During its journey in the saturnian system, Cassini spacecraft
accumulates the observational data of the other satellites and it will be
possible to determine the rotational parameters of several of them. To prepare
these future observations, we built rotational models of the coorbital (also
called Trojan) satellites Telesto, Calypso, Helene, and Polydeuces, in addition
to Janus and Epimetheus. Indeed, Telesto and Calypso orbit around the L_4 and
L_5 Lagrange points of Saturn-Tethys while Helene and Polydeuces are coorbital
of Dione. The goal of this study is to understand how the departure from the
Keplerian motion induced by the perturbations of the coorbital body, influences
the rotation of these satellites. To this aim, we introduce explicitly the
perturbation in the rotational equations by using the formalism developed by
Erdi (1977) to represent the coorbital motions, and so we describe the
rotational motion of the coorbitals, Janus and Epimetheus included, in compact
form
Overview of the SME: Implications and Phenomenology of Lorentz Violation
The Standard Model Extension (SME) provides the most general
observer-independent field theoretical framework for investigations of Lorentz
violation. The SME lagrangian by definition contains all Lorentz-violating
interaction terms that can be written as observer scalars and that involve
particle fields in the Standard Model and gravitational fields in a generalized
theory of gravity. This includes all possible terms that could arise from a
process of spontaneous Lorentz violation in the context of a more fundamental
theory, as well as terms that explicitly break Lorentz symmetry. An overview of
the SME is presented, including its motivations and construction. Some of the
theoretical issues arising in the case of spontaneous Lorentz violation are
discussed, including the question of what happens to the Nambu-Goldstone modes
when Lorentz symmetry is spontaneously violated and whether a Higgs mechanism
can occur. A minimal version of the SME in flat Minkowski spacetime that
maintains gauge invariance and power-counting renormalizability is used to
search for leading-order signals of Lorentz violation. Recent Lorentz tests in
QED systems are examined, including experiments with photons, particle and
atomic experiments, proposed experiments in space and experiments with a
spin-polarized torsion pendulum.Comment: 40 pages, Talk presented at Special Relativity: Will it Survive the
Next 100 Years? Potsdam, Germany, February, 200
Quantum Correlation in One-dimensional Extend Quantum Compass Model
We study the correlations in the one-dimensional extended quantum compass
model in a transverse magnetic field. By exactly solving the Hamiltonian, we
find that the quantum correlation of the ground state of one-dimensional
quantum compass model is vanishing. We show that quantum discord can not only
locate the quantum critical points, but also discern the orders of phase
transitions. Furthermore, entanglement quantified by concurrence is also
compared.Comment: 8 pages, 14 figures, to appear in Eur. Phys. J.
Threshold analyses and Lorentz violation
In the context of threshold investigations of Lorentz violation, we discuss
the fundamental principle of coordinate invariance, the role of an effective
dynamical framework, and the conditions of positivity and causality. Our
analysis excludes a variety of previously considered Lorentz-breaking
parameters and opens an avenue for viable dispersion-relation investigations of
Lorentz violation.Comment: 9 page
Probing Lorentz and CPT violation with space-based experiments
Space-based experiments offer sensitivity to numerous unmeasured effects
involving Lorentz and CPT violation. We provide a classification of clock
sensitivities and present explicit expressions for time variations arising in
such experiments from nonzero coefficients in the Lorentz- and CPT-violating
Standard-Model Extension.Comment: 15 page
Lorentz and CPT Violation in Neutrinos
A general formalism is presented for violations of Lorentz and CPT symmetry
in the neutrino sector. The effective hamiltonian for neutrino propagation in
the presence of Lorentz and CPT violation is derived, and its properties are
studied. Possible definitive signals in existing and future
neutrino-oscillation experiments are discussed. Among the predictions are
direction-dependent effects, including neutrino-antineutrino mixing, sidereal
and annual variations, and compass asymmetries. Other consequences of Lorentz
and CPT violation involve unconventional energy dependences in oscillation
lengths and mixing angles. A variety of simple models both with and without
neutrino masses are developed to illustrate key physical effects. The
attainable sensitivities to coefficients for Lorentz violation in the
Standard-Model Extension are estimated for various types of experiments. Many
experiments have potential sensitivity to Planck-suppressed effects, comparable
to the best tests in other sectors. The lack of existing experimental
constraints, the wide range of available coefficient space, and the variety of
novel effects imply that some or perhaps even all of the existing data on
neutrino oscillations might be due to Lorentz and CPT violation.Comment: 25 pages REVTe
- …