199 research outputs found
Linear Amplifier Breakdown and Concentration Properties of a Gaussian Field Given that its -Norm is Large
In the context of linear amplification for systems driven by the square of a
Gaussian noise, we investigate the realizations of a Gaussian field in the
limit where its -norm is large. Concentration onto the eigenspace
associated with the largest eigenvalue of the covariance of the field is
proved. When the covariance is trace class, the concentration is in probability
for the -norm. A stronger concentration, in mean for the sup-norm, is
proved for a smaller class of Gaussian fields, and an example of a field
belonging to that class is given. A possible connection with Bose-Einstein
condensation is briefly discussed.Comment: REVTeX file, 11 pages, 1 added paragraph in the introduction, 2 added
references, minor modifications in the text and abstract, submitted to J.
Stat. Phy
Shigella applies molecular mimicry to subvert vinculin and invade host cells
Shigella flexneri, the causative agent of bacillary dysentery, injects invasin proteins through a type III secretion apparatus upon contacting the host cell, which triggers pathogen internalization. The invasin IpaA is essential for S. flexneri pathogenesis and binds to the cytoskeletal protein vinculin to facilitate host cell entry. We report that IpaA harbors two vinculin-binding sites (VBSs) within its C-terminal domain that bind to and activate vinculin in a mutually exclusive fashion. Only the highest affinity C-terminal IpaA VBS is necessary for efficient entry and cell–cell spread of S. flexneri, whereas the lower affinity VBS appears to contribute to vinculin recruitment at entry foci of the pathogen. Finally, the crystal structures of vinculin in complex with the VBSs of IpaA reveal the mechanism by which IpaA subverts vinculin's functions, where S. flexneri utilizes a remarkable level of molecular mimicry of the talin–vinculin interaction to activate vinculin. Mimicry of vinculin's interactions may therefore be a general mechanism applied by pathogens to infect the host cell
Vibrational signature of broken chemical order in a GeS2 glass: a molecular dynamics simulation
Using density functional molecular dynamics simulations, we analyze the
broken chemical order in a GeS glass and its impact on the dynamical
properties of the glass through the in-depth study of the vibrational
eigenvectors. We find homopolar bonds and the frequencies of the corresponding
modes are in agreement with experimental data. Localized S-S modes and 3-fold
coordinated sulfur atoms are found to be at the origin of specific Raman peaks
whose origin was not previously clear. Through the ring size statistics we
find, during the glass formation, a conversion of 3-membered rings into larger
units but also into 2-membered rings whose vibrational signature is in
agreement with experiments.Comment: 11 pages, 8 figures; to appear in Phys. Rev.
The effects of an experimental programme to support students’ autonomy on the overt behaviours of physical education teachers
Although the benefits of autonomy supportive behaviours are now well established in the literature, very few studies have attempted to train teachers to offer a greater autonomy support to their students. In fact, none of these studies has been carried out in physical education (PE). The purpose of this study is to test the effects of an autonomy-supportive training on overt behaviours of teaching among PE teachers. The experimental group included two PE teachers who were first educated on the benefits of an autonomy supportive style and then followed an individualised guidance programme during the 8 lessons of a teaching cycle. Their behaviours were observed and rated along 3 categories (i.e., autonomy supportive, neutral and controlling) and were subsequently compared to those of three teachers who formed the control condition. The results showed that teachers in the experimental group used more autonomy supportive and neutral behaviours than those in the control group, but no difference emerged in relation to controlling behaviours. We discuss the implications for schools of our findings
FOXO1a acts as a selective tumor suppressor in alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma
Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS), the most common pediatric soft-tissue sarcoma, has two major histological subtypes: embryonal RMS (ERMS), which has a favorable prognosis, and alveolar RMS (ARMS), which has a poor outcome. Although both forms of RMS express muscle cell–specific markers, only ARMS cells express PAX3-FOXO1a or PAX7-FOXO1a chimeric proteins. In mice, Pax3 and Pax7 play key roles in muscle cell development and differentiation, and FoxO1a regulates myoblast differentiation and fusion; thus, the aberrant regulation of these proteins may contribute to the development of ARMS. In this paper, we report that FOXO1a is not expressed in primary ARMS tumors or ARMS-derived tumor cell lines and that restoration of FOXO1a expression in ARMS cells is sufficient to induce cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Strikingly, the effects of FOXO1a are selective, as enforced expression of FOXO1a in ERMS-derived tumor cell lines had no effect. Furthermore, FOXO1a induced apoptosis in ARMS by directly activating the transcription of caspase-3. We conclude that FOXO1a is a potent and specific tumor suppressor in ARMS, suggesting that agents that restore or augment FOXO1a activity may be effective as ARMS therapeutics
An algebraic/numerical formalism for one-loop multi-leg amplitudes
We present a formalism for the calculation of multi-particle one-loop
amplitudes, valid for an arbitrary number N of external legs, and for massive
as well as massless particles. A new method for the tensor reduction is
suggested which naturally isolates infrared divergences by construction. We
prove that for N>4, higher dimensional integrals can be avoided. We derive many
useful relations which allow for algebraic simplifications of one-loop
amplitudes. We introduce a form factor representation of tensor integrals which
contains no inverse Gram determinants by choosing a convenient set of basis
integrals. For the evaluation of these basis integrals we propose two methods:
An evaluation based on the analytical representation, which is fast and
accurate away from exceptional kinematical configurations, and a robust
numerical one, based on multi-dimensional contour deformation. The formalism
can be implemented straightforwardly into a computer program to calculate
next-to-leading order corrections to multi-particle processes in a largely
automated way.Comment: 71 pages, 7 figures, formulas for rank 6 pentagons added in Appendix
Nonlinear hyperbolic systems: Non-degenerate flux, inner speed variation, and graph solutions
We study the Cauchy problem for general, nonlinear, strictly hyperbolic
systems of partial differential equations in one space variable. First, we
re-visit the construction of the solution to the Riemann problem and introduce
the notion of a nondegenerate (ND) system. This is the optimal condition
guaranteeing, as we show it, that the Riemann problem can be solved with
finitely many waves, only; we establish that the ND condition is generic in the
sense of Baire (for the Whitney topology), so that any system can be approached
by a ND system. Second, we introduce the concept of inner speed variation and
we derive new interaction estimates on wave speeds. Third, we design a wave
front tracking scheme and establish its strong convergence to the entropy
solution of the Cauchy problem; this provides a new existence proof as well as
an approximation algorithm. As an application, we investigate the
time-regularity of the graph solutions introduced by the second author,
and propose a geometric version of our scheme; in turn, the spatial component
of a graph solution can be chosen to be continuous in both time and space,
while its component is continuous in space and has bounded variation in
time.Comment: 74 page
Searching for Gravitational Waves from the Inspiral of Precessing Binary Systems: Astrophysical Expectations and Detection Efficiency of "Spiky'' Templates
Relativistic spin-orbit and spin-spin couplings has been shown to modify the
gravitational waveforms expected from inspiraling binaries with a black hole
and a neutron star. As a result inspiral signals may be missed due to
significant losses in signal-to-noise ratio, if precession effects are ignored
in gravitational-wave searches. We examine the sensitivity of the anticipated
loss of signal-to-noise ratio on two factors: the accuracy of the precessing
waveforms adopted as the true signals and the expected distributions of
spin-orbit tilt angles, given the current understanding of their physical
origin. We find that the results obtained using signals generated by
approximate techniques are in good agreement with the ones obtained by
integrating the 2PN equations. This shows that a complete account of all
high-order post-Newtonian effects is usually not necessary for the
determination of detection efficiencies. Based on our current astrophysical
expectations, large tilt angles are not favored and as a result the decrease in
detection rate varies rather slowly with respect to the black hole spin
magnitude and is within 20--30% of the maximum possible values.Comment: 7 fig., accepted by Phys. Rev. D Minor modification
Substructures in lens galaxies: PG1115+080 and B1555+375, two fold configurations
We study the anomalous flux ratio which is observed in some four-image lens
systems, where the source lies close to a fold caustic. In this case two of the
images are close to the critical curve and their flux ratio should be equal to
unity, instead in several cases the observed value differs significantly. The
most plausible solution is to invoke the presence of substructures, as for
instance predicted by the Cold Dark Matter scenario, located near the two
images. In particular, we analyze the two fold lens systems PG1115+080 and
B1555+375, for which there are not yet satisfactory models which explain the
observed anomalous flux ratios. We add to a smooth lens model, which reproduces
well the positions of the images but not the anomalous fluxes, one or two
substructures described as singular isothermal spheres. For PG1115+080 we
consider a smooth model with the influence of the group of galaxies described
by a SIS and a substructure with mass as well as a
smooth model with an external shear and one substructure with mass . For B1555+375 either a strong external shear or two substructures
with mass reproduce the data quite well.Comment: 26 pages, updated bibliography, Accepted for publication in
Astrophysics & Space Scienc
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