640 research outputs found
Projective Ring Line Encompassing Two-Qubits
The projective line over the (non-commutative) ring of two-by-two matrices
with coefficients in GF(2) is found to fully accommodate the algebra of 15
operators - generalized Pauli matrices - characterizing two-qubit systems. The
relevant sub-configuration consists of 15 points each of which is either
simultaneously distant or simultaneously neighbor to (any) two given distant
points of the line. The operators can be identified with the points in such a
one-to-one manner that their commutation relations are exactly reproduced by
the underlying geometry of the points, with the ring geometrical notions of
neighbor/distant answering, respectively, to the operational ones of
commuting/non-commuting. This remarkable configuration can be viewed in two
principally different ways accounting, respectively, for the basic 9+6 and 10+5
factorizations of the algebra of the observables. First, as a disjoint union of
the projective line over GF(2) x GF(2) (the "Mermin" part) and two lines over
GF(4) passing through the two selected points, the latter omitted. Second, as
the generalized quadrangle of order two, with its ovoids and/or spreads
standing for (maximum) sets of five mutually non-commuting operators and/or
groups of five maximally commuting subsets of three operators each. These
findings open up rather unexpected vistas for an algebraic geometrical
modelling of finite-dimensional quantum systems and give their numerous
applications a wholly new perspective.Comment: 8 pages, three tables; Version 2 - a few typos and one discrepancy
corrected; Version 3: substantial extension of the paper - two-qubits are
generalized quadrangles of order two; Version 4: self-dual picture completed;
Version 5: intriguing triality found -- three kinds of geometric hyperplanes
within GQ and three distinguished subsets of Pauli operator
Relative Cost-effectiveness Of Using An Extensively Hydrolyzed Casein Formula In Managing Infants With Cow’s Milk Allergy In Brazil
To estimate the cost-effectiveness of three alternative dietetic strategies for cow’s milk allergy in Brazil: 1) using an extensively hydrolyzed casein formula (eHCF; Nutramigen) as a first-line formula, but switching to an amino acid formula (AAF) if infants remain symptomatic; 2) using an AAF as a first-line formula and then switching to an eHCF after 4 weeks once infants are symptom-free, but switching back to an AAF if infants become symptomatic; and 3) using an AAF as a first-line formula and keeping all infants on that formula. The analysis was conducted from the perspective of the Brazilian public health care system, Sistema Único de Saude. Methods: Decision modeling was used to estimate the probability of immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated and non-IgE-mediated allergic infants developing tolerance to cow’s milk by 12 months from starting a formula. The models also estimated the Sistema Único de Saude cost (at 2013/2014 prices) of managing infants over 12 months after starting a formula, as well as the relative cost-effectiveness of each of the dietetic strategies. Results: The probability of developing tolerance to cow’s milk by 12 months from starting a formula was higher among infants with either IgE-mediated or non-IgE-mediated allergy who were initially fed with an eHCF, compared with those who were initially fed with an AAF. The total health care cost of initially feeding an eHCF to cow’s milk allergic infants was less than that of initially feeding both IgE-mediated and non-IgE-mediated infants with an AAF. Conclusion: Within the study’s limitations, using an eHCF instead of an AAF for the first-line management of newly-diagnosed infants with cow’s milk allergy affords a cost-effective use of publicly funded resources, since it improves the outcome for less cost. © 2016 Guest et al.862963
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Fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) to demonstrate the nuclear binding of flavanols and (--epigallocatechin gallate
The use of light microscopy and DMACA staining strongly suggested that plant and animal cell nuclei act as sinks for flavanols [1, 2]. Detailed uv-vis spectroscopic titration experiments indicated that histone proteins are the likely binding sites in the nucleus [2]. Here we report the development of a multi-photon excitation microscopy technique combined with fluorescent lifetime measurements of flavanols. Using this technique, (+) catechin, (-) epicatechin and (-) epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) showed strikingly different excited state lifetimes in solution. Interaction of histone proteins with flavanols was indicated by the appearance of a significant Ď„2-component of 1.7 to 4.0ns. Tryptophan interference could be circumvented in the in vivo fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) experiments with 2-photon excitation at 630nm. This enabled visualisation and semi-quantitative measurements that demonstrated unequivocally the absorption of (+)catechin, (-)epicatechin and EGCG by nuclei of onion cells. 3D FLIM revealed for the first time that externally added EGCG penetrated the whole nucleus in onion cells. The relative proportions of EGCG in cytoplasm: nucleus: nucleoli were ca. 1:10:100. FLIM experiments may therefore facilitate probing the health effects of EGCG, which is the major constituent of green tea
Stac Proteins Suppress Ca2+-Dependent Inactivation of Neuronal L-type Ca2+ Channels
Stac protein (named for its SH3-and cysteine-rich domains) was first identified in brain 20 years ago and is currently known to have three isoforms. Stac2, Stac1, and Stac3 transcripts are found at high, modest, and very low levels, respectively, in the cerebellum and forebrain, but their neuronal functions have been little investigated. Here, we tested the effects of Stac proteins on neuronal, high-voltage-activated Ca2+ channels. Overexpression of the three Stac isoforms eliminated Ca2+-dependent inactivation (CDI) ofL-type current in rat neonatal hippocampal neurons (sex unknown), but not CDI of non-L-type current. Using heterologous expression in tsA201 cells (together with β and α2-δ1 auxiliary subunits), we found that CDI for CaV1.2 and CaV1.3 (the predominant, neuronalL-type Ca2+ channels) was suppressed by all three Stac isoforms, whereas CDI for the P/Q channel, CaV2.1, was not. For CaV1.2, the inhibition of CDI by the Stac proteins appeared to involve their direct interaction with the channel’s C terminus. Within the Stac proteins, a weakly conserved segment containing ~100 residues and linking the structurally conserved PKC C1 and SH3_1 domains was sufficient to fully suppress CDI. The presence of CDI forL-type current in control neonatal neurons raised the possibility that endogenous Stac levels are low in these neurons and Western blotting indicated that the expression of Stac2 was substantially increased in adult forebrain and cerebellum compared with neonate. Together, our results indicate that one likely function of neuronal Stac proteins is to tune Ca2+ entry via neuronal L-type channels. © 2018 the authors
Time-dependent spectral-feature variations of stars displaying the B[e] phenomenon; I. V2028 Cyg
We present results of nearly six years of spectroscopic observations of the
B[e] star V2028 Cyg. The presence of the cold-type absorption lines combined
with a hot-type spectrum indicate the binarity of this object. Since B[e] stars
are embedded in an extended envelope, the usage of common stellar atmosphere
models for the analysis is quite inappropriate. Therefore, we focus on the
analysis of the long-term spectral line variations in order to determine the
nature of this object. We present the time dependences of the equivalent width
and radial velocities of the H alpha line, [O I] 6300 A, Fe II 6427, 6433, and
6456 A lines. The bisector variations and line intensities are shown for the H
alpha line. The radial velocities are also measured for the absorption lines of
the K component. No periodic variation is found. The observed data show
correlations between the measured quantities, which can be used in future
modelling
Constraining Antimatter Domains in the Early Universe with Big Bang Nucleosynthesis
We consider the effect of a small-scale matter-antimatter domain structure on
big bang nucleosynthesis and place upper limits on the amount of antimatter in
the early universe. For small domains, which annihilate before nucleosynthesis,
this limit comes from underproduction of He-4. For larger domains, the limit
comes from He-3 overproduction. Most of the He-3 from antiproton-helium
annihilation is annihilated also. The main source of He-3 is
photodisintegration of He-4 by the electromagnetic cascades initiated by the
annihilation.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, revtex, (slightly shortened
Investigation of Mitochondrial Dysfunction by Sequential Microplate-Based Respiration Measurements from Intact and Permeabilized Neurons
Mitochondrial dysfunction is a component of many neurodegenerative conditions. Measurement of oxygen consumption from intact neurons enables evaluation of mitochondrial bioenergetics under conditions that are more physiologically realistic compared to isolated mitochondria. However, mechanistic analysis of mitochondrial function in cells is complicated by changing energy demands and lack of substrate control. Here we describe a technique for sequentially measuring respiration from intact and saponin-permeabilized cortical neurons on single microplates. This technique allows control of substrates to individual electron transport chain complexes following permeabilization, as well as side-by-side comparisons to intact cells. To illustrate the utility of the technique, we demonstrate that inhibition of respiration by the drug KB-R7943 in intact neurons is relieved by delivery of the complex II substrate succinate, but not by complex I substrates, via acute saponin permeabilization. In contrast, methyl succinate, a putative cell permeable complex II substrate, failed to rescue respiration in intact neurons and was a poor complex II substrate in permeabilized cells. Sequential measurements of intact and permeabilized cell respiration should be particularly useful for evaluating indirect mitochondrial toxicity due to drugs or cellular signaling events which cannot be readily studied using isolated mitochondria
Black Hole Entropy and Finite Geometry
It is shown that the symmetric entropy formula describing black
holes and black strings in D=5 is intimately tied to the geometry of the
generalized quadrangle GQ with automorphism group the Weyl group
. The 27 charges correspond to the points and the 45 terms in the
entropy formula to the lines of GQ. Different truncations with
and 9 charges are represented by three distinguished subconfigurations of
GQ, well-known to finite geometers; these are the "doily" (i. e.
GQ) with 15, the "perp-set" of a point with 11, and the "grid" (i. e.
GQ) with 9 points, respectively. In order to obtain the correct signs
for the terms in the entropy formula, we use a non- commutative labelling for
the points of GQ. For the 40 different possible truncations with 9
charges this labelling yields 120 Mermin squares -- objects well-known from
studies concerning Bell-Kochen-Specker-like theorems. These results are
connected to our previous ones obtained for the symmetric entropy
formula in D=4 by observing that the structure of GQ is linked to a
particular kind of geometric hyperplane of the split Cayley hexagon of order
two, featuring 27 points located on 9 pairwise disjoint lines (a
distance-3-spread). We conjecture that the different possibilities of
describing the D=5 entropy formula using Jordan algebras, qubits and/or qutrits
correspond to employing different coordinates for an underlying non-commutative
geometric structure based on GQ.Comment: 17 pages, 3 figures, v2 a new paragraph added, typos correcte
Isospin Physics in Heavy-Ion Collisions at Intermediate Energies
In nuclear collisions induced by stable or radioactive neutron-rich nuclei a
transient state of nuclear matter with an appreciable isospin asymmetry as well
as thermal and compressional excitation can be created. This offers the
possibility to study the properties of nuclear matter in the region between
symmetric nuclear matter and pure neutron matter. In this review, we discuss
recent theoretical studies of the equation of state of isospin-asymmetric
nuclear matter and its relations to the properties of neutron stars and
radioactive nuclei. Chemical and mechanical instabilities as well as the
liquid-gas phase transition in asymmetric nuclear matter are investigated. The
in-medium nucleon-nucleon cross sections at different isospin states are
reviewed as they affect significantly the dynamics of heavy ion collisions
induced by radioactive beams. We then discuss an isospin-dependent transport
model, which includes different mean-field potentials and cross sections for
the proton and neutron, and its application to these reactions. Furthermore, we
review the comparisons between theoretical predictions and available
experimental data. In particular, we discuss the study of nuclear stopping in
terms of isospin equilibration, the dependence of nuclear collective flow and
balance energy on the isospin-dependent nuclear equation of state and cross
sections, the isospin dependence of total nuclear reaction cross sections, and
the role of isospin in preequilibrium nucleon emissions and subthreshold pion
production.Comment: 101 pages with embedded epsf figures, review article for
"International Journal of Modern Physics E: Nuclear Physics". Send request
for a hard copy to 1/author
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