Study of finite temperature QCD with 2+1 flavors via Taylor expansion and imaginary chemical potential

We study QCD with 2+1 flavors at nonzero temperature and nonzero chemical potential. We present preliminary results obtained from lattice calculations performed with an improved staggered fermions action (p4-action) on lattice with temporal extent N_t = 4 on a line of constant physics with the strange quark mass adjusted to its physical value and a pion mass of about 220 MeV. We compute at imaginary chemical potential and compare with Taylor expansion results. We focus our study on a range of temperatures 0.94 < T/T_c < 1.08.Comment: 7 pages, 12 figures, talk presented at the XXVIII International Symposium on Lattice Field Theory (Lattice 2010), June 14-19, 2010, Villasimius, Sardinia, Ital

Flux tubes in the SU(3) vacuum

We analyze the distribution of the chromoelectric field generated by a static quark-antiquark pair in the SU(3) vacuum. We find that the transverse profile of the flux tube resembles the dual version of the Abrikosov vortex field distribution and give an estimate of the London penetration length in the confined vacuum.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures, poster contribution to the XXIX International Symposium on Lattice Field Theory, LATTICE 201

Monkeys Monitor Human Goals in a Nonmatch-to-Goal Interactive Task

We designed a new task, called nonmatch-to-goal, to study the ability of macaque monkeys to interact with humans in a rule-guided paradigm. In this task the monkeys were required to choose one of two targets, from a list of three. For each choice, they were required to switch from their choice on the previous trial to a different one. In a subset of trials the monkeys observed a human partner performing the task. When the human concluded his turn, the monkeys were required to switch to a new goal discarding the human's previous goal. We found that monkeys were very skillful in monitoring goals, not only of their own choice by also those of their human partner. They showed also a surprising ability to coordinate their actions, taking turns with the human partner, starting and stopping their own turn following the decision of the human partner in the task

Technical studies for operations with real-time communications in robotic missions

Robotic telepresence operations between earth and space are of high research value for science as they enable operators on ground to perform physical tasks in space without the need of human presence. Real-Time telepresence with haptic-feedback and stereoscopic imaging, however, poses new requirements to physical parameters of the communication channel like loss, delay and jitter as well as to the protocols spoken between the participants. To meet the new requirements, past robotic missions like ROKVISS chose to use specialized and dedicated communication channels while bypassing the established ground station network infrastructure. However, performing robotic and standard TM/TC operations in parallel was impossible because the Space Link could only be locked by either of the communication chains. For future missions, we present a setup that multiplexes robotic science data and standard TM/TC into one physical channel. Real-time requirements are met because the setup makes use of several FPGAs that forward UDP packets in synchronization with a common master clock. We present test results and test measurements of this technology and compare the proposed setup to a software based solution. Furthermore we present general approaches, tools and techniques for real-time related tasks. Finally we discuss the use of Space Link and Space Link Extension protocols in the communication chain and their impact on the real-time requirements. Operational aspects of the new setup and protocols are discussed as well

Vicarious Learning from Human Models in Monkeys

We examined whether monkeys can learn by observing a human model, through vicarious learning. Two monkeys observed a human model demonstrating an object–reward association and consuming food found underneath an object. The monkeys observed human models as they solved more than 30 learning problems. For each problem, the human models made a choice between two objects, one of which concealed a piece of apple. In the test phase afterwards, the monkeys made a choice of their own. Learning was apparent from the first trial of the test phase, confirming the ability of monkeys to learn by vicarious observation of human models

SEMA6A/RhoA/YAP axis mediates tumor-stroma interactions and prevents response to dual BRAF/MEK inhibition in BRAF-mutant melanoma

Background: Despite the promise of dual BRAF/MEK inhibition as a therapy for BRAF-mutant (BRAF-mut) melanoma, heterogeneous responses have been observed in patients, thus predictors of benefit from therapy are needed. We have previously identified semaphorin 6A (SEMA6A) as a BRAF-mut-associated protein involved in actin cytoskeleton remodeling. The purpose of the present study is to dissect the role of SEMA6A in the biology of BRAF-mut melanoma, and to explore its predictive potential towards dual BRAF/MEK inhibition. Methods: SEMA6A expression was assessed by immunohistochemistry in melanoma cohort RECI1 (N = 112) and its prognostic potential was investigated in BRAF-mut melanoma patients from DFCI and TCGA datasets (N = 258). The molecular mechanisms regulated by SEMA6A to sustain tumor aggressiveness and targeted therapy resistance were investigated in vitro by using BRAF-mut and BRAF-wt melanoma cell lines, an inducible SEMA6A silencing cell model and a microenvironment-mimicking fibroblasts-coculturing model. Finally, SEMA6A prediction of benefit from dual BRAF/MEK inhibition was investigated in melanoma cohort RECI2 (N = 14). Results: Our results indicate higher protein expression of SEMA6A in BRAF-mut compared with BRAF-wt melanoma patients and show that SEMA6A is a prognostic indicator in BRAF-mut melanoma from TCGA and DFCI patients cohorts. In BRAF-mut melanoma cells, SEMA6A coordinates actin cytoskeleton remodeling by the RhoA-dependent activation of YAP and dual BRAF/MEK inhibition by dabrafenib+trametinib induces SEMA6A/RhoA/YAP axis. In microenvironment-mimicking co-culture condition, fibroblasts confer to melanoma cells a proliferative stimulus and protect them from targeted therapies, whereas SEMA6A depletion rescues the efficacy of dual BRAF/MEK inhibition. Finally, in BRAF-mut melanoma patients treated with dabrafenib+trametinib, high SEMA6A predicts shorter recurrence-free interval. Conclusions: Overall, our results indicate that SEMA6A contributes to microenvironment-coordinated evasion of melanoma cells from dual BRAF/MEK inhibition and it might be a good candidate predictor of short-term benefit from dual BRAF/MEK inhibition

Search for anomalies in the {\nu}e appearance from a {\nu}{\mu} beam

We report an updated result from the ICARUS experiment on the search for {\nu}{\mu} ->{\nu}e anomalies with the CNGS beam, produced at CERN with an average energy of 20 GeV and travelling 730 km to the Gran Sasso Laboratory. The present analysis is based on a total sample of 1995 events of CNGS neutrino interactions, which corresponds to an almost doubled sample with respect to the previously published result. Four clear {\nu}e events have been visually identified over the full sample, compared with an expectation of 6.4 +- 0.9 events from conventional sources. The result is compatible with the absence of additional anomalous contributions. At 90% and 99% confidence levels the limits to possible oscillated events are 3.7 and 8.3 respectively. The corresponding limit to oscillation probability becomes consequently 3.4 x 10-3 and 7.6 x 10-3 respectively. The present result confirms, with an improved sensitivity, the early result already published by the ICARUS collaboration