5,555 research outputs found
Four-photon interference: a realizable experiment to demonstrate violation of EPR postulates for perfect correlations
Bell's theorem reveals contradictions between the predictions of quantum
mechanics and the EPR postulates for a pair of particles only in situations
involving imperfect statistical correlations. However, with three or more
particles, contradictions emerge even for perfect correlations. We describe an
experiment which can be realized in the laboratory, using four-photon entangled
states generated by parametric down-conversion, to demonstrate this
contradiction at the level of perfect correlations.Comment: publishe
Intracellular zinc depletion induces caspase activation and p21Waf1/Cip1 cleavage in human epithelial cell lines
To better understand the mechanisms by which zinc deficiency induces epithelial cell death, studies were done of the effects of intracellular zinc depletion induced by the zinc chelator TPEN on apoptosis-related events in human malignant epithelial cell lines LIM1215 (colonic), NCI-H292 (bronchial), and A549 (alveolar type II). In TPEN-treated cells, depletion of zinc was followed by activation of caspase-3 (as demonstrated by enzymatic assay and Western blotting), DNA fragmentation, and morphologic changes. Increase in caspase-3 activity began 1â2 h after addition of TPEN, suggesting that zinc may suppress a step just before the activation of this caspase. Caspase-6, a mediator of caspase-3 processing, also increased, but later than caspase-3. Effects of TPEN on apoptosis were completely prevented by exogenous ZnSO4 and partially prevented by peptide caspase inhibitors. A critical substrate of caspase-3 may be the cell cycle regulator p21Waf1/Cip1, which was rapidly cleaved in TPEN-treated cells to a 15-kDa fragment before further degradation.F. Chai, A. Q. Truong-Tran, A. Evdokiou, G. P. Young and P. D. Zalewsk
Structure of the Shroom-Rho Kinase Complex Reveals a Binding Interface with Monomeric Shroom That Regulates Cell Morphology and Stimulates Kinase Activity
Shroom-mediated remodeling of the actomyosin cytoskeleton is a critical driver of cellular shape and tissue morphology that underlies the development of many tissues including the neural tube, eye, intestines, and vasculature. Shroom uses a conserved SD2 domain to direct the subcellular localization of Rho-associated kinase (Rock), which in turn drives changes in the cytoskeleton and cellular morphology through its ability to phosphorylate and activate non-muscle myosin II. Here, we present the structure of the human Shroom-Rock binding module, revealing an unexpected stoichiometry for Shroom in which two Shroom SD2 domains bind independent surfaces on Rock. Mutation of interfacial residues impaired Shroom-Rock binding in vitro and resulted in altered remodeling of the cytoskeleton and loss of Shroom-mediated changes in cellular morphology. Additionally, we provide the first direct evidence that Shroom can function as a Rock activator. These data provide molecular insight into the Shroom-Rock interface and demonstrate that Shroom directly participates in regulating cytoskeletal dynamics, adding to its known role in Rock localization
Influence of Impact Parameter on Thermal Description of Relativistic Heavy Ion Collisions at GSI/SIS
Attention is drawn to the role played by the size of the system in the
thermodynamic analysis of particle yields in relativistic heavy ion collisions
at SIS energies. This manifests itself in the non-linear dependence of K+ and
K- yields in collisions at 1 -- 2 A.GeV on the number of participants. It
is shown that this dependence can be quantitatively well described in terms of
a thermal model with a canonical strangeness conservation. The measured
particle multiplicity ratios (pi+/p, pi-/pi+, d/p, K+/pi+ and K+/K- but not
eta/pi0) in central Au-Au and Ni-Ni collisions at 0.8 -- 2.0 A.GeV are also
explained in the context of a thermal model with a common freeze-out
temperature and chemical potential. Including the concept of collective flow a
consistent picture of particle energy distributions is derived with the flow
velocity being strongly impact-parameter dependent.Comment: revtex, 20 figure
The Gravitino-Stau Scenario after Catalyzed BBN
We consider the impact of Catalyzed Big Bang Nucleosynthesis on theories with
a gravitino LSP and a charged slepton NLSP. In models where the gravitino to
gaugino mass ratio is bounded from below, such as gaugino-mediated SUSY
breaking, we derive a lower bound on the gaugino mass parameter m_1/2. As a
concrete example, we determine the parameter space of gaugino mediation that is
compatible with all cosmological constraints.Comment: 1+14 pages, 6 figures; v2: minor clarifications, 1 reference added,
matches version to appear in JCA
Global nuclear structure aspects of tensor interaction
A direct fit of the isoscalar spin-orbit and both isoscalar and isovector
tensor coupling constants to the f5/2-f7/2 SO splittings in 40Ca, 56Ni, and
48Ca requires: (i) a significant reduction of the standard isoscalar spin-orbit
strength and (ii) strong attractive tensor coupling constants. The aim of this
paper is to address the consequences of these strong attractive tensor and weak
spin-orbit fields on total binding energies, two-neutron separation energies
and nuclear deformability.Comment: invited talk presented by W. Satula at the XV Nuclear Physics
Workshop, Sept. 24-28, 2008, Kazimierz Dolny, Polan
Pulsations and Long-Term Light Variability of Three Candidates to Protoplanetary Nebulae
We present new photometric data and analysis of the long-duration UBV
photoelectric observations for three candidates to protoplanetary objects -
F-supergiants with IR-excesses located at large galactic latitudes, IRAS
18095+2704, IRAS 19386+0155, and IRAS 19500-1709. All three stars have revealed
quasiperiodic low-amplitude variabilities caused by pulsations observed against
the long-term trends of brightnesses. For IRAS 18095+2704=V887 Her we have
found a pulsation period of 109 days and a linear trend of brightness under the
constant colours if being averaged over the year timescale. The light curve of
IRAS 19386+0155=V1648 Aql over 2000-2008 can be approximated by a wave with a
main period of 102 days which is modulated by close frequency, with a period of
98 days, that results in brightness oscillations with a variable amplitude.
V1648 Aql has also shown synchronous reddening together with a persistent rise
of brightness in the V-band. IRAS 19500-1709=V5112 Sgr experiences irregular
pulsations with the periods of 39 and 47 days. The long-term component of the
variability of V5112 Sgr may be related to the binary character of this star.Comment: 11 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in Pis'ma Astron. Z
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Limitations to recording larger mammalian predators in savannah using camera traps and spoor
Traditionally, spoor (tracks, pug marks) have been used as a cost effective tool to assess the presence of larger mammals. Automated camera traps are now increasingly utilized to monitor wildlife, primarily as the cost has greatly declined and statistical approaches to data analysis have improved. While camera traps have become ubiquitous, we have little understanding of their effectiveness when compared to traditional approaches using spoor in the field. Here, we a) test the success of camera traps in recording a range of carnivore species against spoor; b) ask if simple measures of spoor size taken by amateur volunteers is likely to allow individual identification of leopards and c) for a trained tracker, ask if this approach may allow individual leopards to be followed with confidence in savannah habitat. We found that camera traps significantly under-recorded mammalian top and meso-carnivores, with camera traps more likely under-record the presence of smaller carnivores (civet 64%; genet 46%, Mellerâs mongoose 45%) than larger (jackal sp. 30%, brown hyena 22%), while leopard was more likely to be recorded by camera trap (all recorded by camera trap only). We found that amateur trackers could be beneficial in regards to collecting presence data; however the large variance in measurements of spoor taken in the field by volunteers suggests that this approach is unlikely to add further data. Nevertheless, the use of simple spoor measurements in the field by a trained field researcher increases their ability to reliably follow a leopard trail in difficult terrain. This allows researchers to glean further data on leopard behaviour and habitat utilisation without the need for complex analysis
Study of Leading Hadrons in Gluon and Quark Fragmentation
The study of quark jets in e+e- reactions at LEP has demonstrated that the
hadronisation process is reproduced well by the Lund string model. However, our
understanding of gluon fragmentation is less complete. In this study enriched
quark and gluon jet samples of different purities are selected in three-jet
events from hadronic decays of the Z collected by the DELPHI experiment in the
LEP runs during 1994 and 1995. The leading systems of the two kinds of jets are
defined by requiring a rapidity gap and their sum of charges is studied. An
excess of leading systems with total charge zero is found for gluon jets in all
cases, when compared to Monte Carlo Simulations with JETSET (with and without
Bose-Einstein correlations included) and ARIADNE. The corresponding leading
systems of quark jets do not exhibit such an excess. The influence of the gap
size and of the gluon purity on the effect is studied and a concentration of
the excess of neutral leading systems at low invariant masses (<~ 2 GeV/c^2) is
observed, indicating that gluon jets might have an additional hitherto
undetected fragmentation mode via a two-gluon system. This could be an
indication of a possible production of gluonic states as predicted by QCD.Comment: 19 pages, 6 figures, Accepted by Phys. Lett.
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