567 research outputs found
Ballistic matter waves with angular momentum: Exact solutions and applications
An alternative description of quantum scattering processes rests on
inhomogeneous terms amended to the Schroedinger equation. We detail the
structure of sources that give rise to multipole scattering waves of definite
angular momentum, and introduce pointlike multipole sources as their limiting
case. Partial wave theory is recovered for freely propagating particles. We
obtain novel results for ballistic scattering in an external uniform force
field, where we provide analytical solutions for both the scattering waves and
the integrated particle flux. Our theory directly applies to p-wave
photodetachment in an electric field. Furthermore, illustrating the effects of
extended sources, we predict some properties of vortex-bearing atom laser beams
outcoupled from a rotating Bose-Einstein condensate under the influence of
gravity.Comment: 42 pages, 8 figures, extended version including photodetachment and
semiclassical theor
ProCOC: The prostate cancer outcomes cohort study
BACKGROUND: Despite intensive research over the last several decades on prostate cancer, many questions particularly those concerning early diagnosis and the choice of optimal treatment for each individual patient, still remain unanswered. The goal of treating patients with localized prostate cancer is a curative one and includes minimizing adverse effects to preserve an adequate quality of life. Better understanding on how the quality of life is affected depending on the treatment modality would assist patients in deciding which treatment to choose; furthermore, the development of prognostic biomarkers that indicate the future course of the illness is a promising approach with potential and the focus of much attention. These questions can be addressed in the context of a cohort study. METHODS/DESIGN: This is a prospective, multi-center cohort study within the canton of Zurich, Switzerland. We will include patients with newly diagnosed localized prostate cancer independently of treatment finally chosen. We will acquire clinical data including quality of life and lifestyle, prostate tissue specimen as well as further biological samples (blood and urine) before, during and after treatment for setup of a bio-bank. Assessment of these data and samples in the follow up will be done during routine controls. Study duration will be at least ten years. Influence of treatment on morbidity and mortality, including changes in quality of life, will be identified and an evaluation of biomarkers will be performed. Further we intend to set up a bio-bank containing blood and urine samples providing research of various natures around prostate cancer in the future. DISCUSSION: We presume that this study will provide answers to pertinent questions concerning prognosis and outcomes of men with localised prostate cancer
Stringent Constraints on Cosmological Neutrino-Antineutrino Asymmetries from Synchronized Flavor Transformation
We assess a mechanism which can transform neutrino-antineutrino asymmetries
between flavors in the early universe, and confirm that such transformation is
unavoidable in the near bi-maximal framework emerging for the neutrino mixing
matrix. We show that the process is a standard Mikheyev-Smirnov-Wolfenstein
flavor transformation dictated by a synchronization of momentum states. We also
show that flavor ``equilibration'' is a special feature of maximal mixing, and
carefully examine new constraints placed on neutrino asymmetries. In
particular, the big bang nucleosynthesis limit on electron neutrino degeneracy
xi_e < 0.04 does not apply directly to all flavors, yet confirmation of the
large-mixing-angle solution to the solar neutrino problem will eliminate the
possibility of degenerate big bang nucleosynthesis.Comment: 11 pages, 6 figures; minor changes to match PRD versio
High throughput mutagenesis for identification of residues regulating human prostacyclin (hIP) receptor
The human prostacyclin receptor (hIP receptor) is a seven-transmembrane G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) that plays a critical role in vascular smooth muscle relaxation and platelet aggregation. hIP receptor dysfunction has been implicated in numerous cardiovascular abnormalities, including myocardial infarction, hypertension, thrombosis and atherosclerosis. Genomic sequencing has discovered several genetic variations in the PTGIR gene coding for hIP receptor, however, its structure-function relationship has not been sufficiently explored. Here we set out to investigate the applicability of high throughput random mutagenesis to study the structure-function relationship of hIP receptor. While chemical mutagenesis was not suitable to generate a mutagenesis library with sufficient coverage, our data demonstrate error-prone PCR (epPCR) mediated mutagenesis as a valuable method for the unbiased screening of residues regulating hIP receptor function and expression. Here we describe the generation and functional characterization of an epPCR derived mutagenesis library compromising >4000 mutants of the hIP receptor. We introduce next generation sequencing as a useful tool to validate the quality of mutagenesis libraries by providing information about the coverage, mutation rate and mutational bias. We identified 18 mutants of the hIP receptor that were expressed at the cell surface, but demonstrated impaired receptor function. A total of 38 non-synonymous mutations were identified within the coding region of the hIP receptor, mapping to 36 distinct residues, including several mutations previously reported to affect the signaling of the hIP receptor. Thus, our data demonstrates epPCR mediated random mutagenesis as a valuable and practical method to study the structurefunction relationship of GPCRs. © 2014 Bill et al
Small RNA changes en route to distinct cellular states of induced pluripotency
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are critical to somatic cell reprogramming into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), however, exactly how miRNA expression changes support the transition to pluripotency requires further investigation. Here we use a murine secondary reprogramming system to sample cellular trajectories towards iPSCs or a novel pluripotent ‘F-class’ state and perform small RNA sequencing. We detect sweeping changes in an early and a late wave, revealing that distinct miRNA milieus characterize alternate states of pluripotency. miRNA isoform expression is common but surprisingly varies little between cell states. Referencing other omic data sets generated in parallel, we find that miRNA expression is changed through transcriptional and post-transcriptional mechanisms. miRNA transcription is commonly regulated by dynamic histone modification, while DNA methylation/demethylation consolidates these changes at multiple loci. Importantly, our results suggest that a novel subset of distinctly expressed miRNAs supports pluripotency in the F-class state, substituting for miRNAs that serve such roles in iPSCs
Functional Crosstalk between Type I and II Interferon through the Regulated Expression of STAT1
Small "priming" quantities of type I interferon enhance cellular responses to type II interferon by maintaining basal levels of STAT1, explaining the observed crosstalk between these two cytokines
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An IL1RL1 genetic variant lowers soluble ST2 levels and the risk effects of APOE-ε4 in female patients with Alzheimer’s disease
Changes in the levels of circulating proteins are associated with Alzheimer’s disease (AD), whereas their pathogenic roles in AD are unclear. Here, we identified soluble ST2 (sST2), a decoy receptor of interleukin-33–ST2 signaling, as a new disease-causing factor in AD. Increased circulating sST2 level is associated with more severe pathological changes in female individuals with AD. Genome-wide association analysis and CRISPR–Cas9 genome editing identified rs1921622, a genetic variant in an enhancer element of IL1RL1, which downregulates gene and protein levels of sST2. Mendelian randomization analysis using genetic variants, including rs1921622, demonstrated that decreased sST2 levels lower AD risk and related endophenotypes in females carrying the Apolipoprotein E (APOE)-ε4 genotype; the association is stronger in Chinese than in European-descent populations. Human and mouse transcriptome and immunohistochemical studies showed that rs1921622/sST2 regulates amyloid-beta (Aβ) pathology through the modulation of microglial activation and Aβ clearance. These findings demonstrate how sST2 level is modulated by a genetic variation and plays a disease-causing role in females with AD
Hypermethylation of Tumor Suppressor Genes Involved in Critical Regulatory Pathways for Developing a Blood-Based Test in Breast Cancer
Aberrant DNA methylation patterns might be used as a biomarker for diagnosis and management of cancer patients
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