6,394 research outputs found
Local Eigenvalue Density for General MANOVA Matrices
We consider random n\times n matrices of the form
(XX*+YY*)^{-1/2}YY*(XX*+YY*)^{-1/2}, where X and Y have independent entries
with zero mean and variance one. These matrices are the natural generalization
of the Gaussian case, which are known as MANOVA matrices and which have joint
eigenvalue density given by the third classical ensemble, the Jacobi ensemble.
We show that, away from the spectral edge, the eigenvalue density converges to
the limiting density of the Jacobi ensemble even on the shortest possible
scales of order 1/n (up to \log n factors). This result is the analogue of the
local Wigner semicircle law and the local Marchenko-Pastur law for general
MANOVA matrices.Comment: Several small changes made to the tex
Enhancement of the ferromagnetic order of graphite after sulphuric acid treatment
We have studied the changes in the ferromagnetic behavior of graphite powder
and graphite flakes after treatment with diluted sulphuric acid. We show that
this kind of acid treatment enhances substantially the ferromagnetic
magnetization of virgin graphite micrometer size powder as well as in graphite
flakes. The anisotropic magnetoresistance (AMR) amplitude at 300 K measured in
a micrometer size thin graphite flake after acid treatment reaches values
comparable to polycrystalline cobalt.Comment: 3.2 pages, 4 figure
Viral-immune cell interactions at the maternal-fetal interface in human pregnancy
The human decidua and placenta form a distinct environment distinguished for its promotion of immunotolerance to infiltrating semiallogeneic trophoblast cells to enable successful pregnancy. The maternal-fetal interface also successfully precludes transmission of most pathogens. This barrier function occurs in conjunction with a diverse influx of decidual immune cells including natural killer cells, macrophages and T cells. However, several viruses, among other microorganisms, manage to escape destruction by the host adaptive and innate immune system, leading to congenital infection and adverse pregnancy outcomes. In this review, we describe mechanisms of pathogenicity of two such viral pathogens, Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) and Zika virus (ZIKV) at the maternal-fetal interface. Host decidual immune cell responses to these specific pathogens will be considered, along with their interactions with other cell types and the ways in which these immune cells may both facilitate and limit infection at different stages of pregnancy. Neither HCMV nor ZIKV naturally infect commonly used animal models [e.g., mice] which makes it challenging to understand disease pathogenesis. Here, we will highlight new approaches using placenta-on-a-chip and organoids models that are providing functional and physiologically relevant ways to study viral-host interaction at the maternal-fetal interface
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Endothelial diaphragmed fenestrae: in vitro modulation by phorbol myristate acetate
Cultured microvascular endothelial cells isolated from fenestrated capillaries have been shown to express many properties of their in vivo differentiated phenotype, yet they contain very few diaphragmed fenestrae. We show here that treatment of capillary endothelial cells with the tumor promoter, 4 beta-phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate, induces more than a fivefold increase in the frequency of fenestrae per micron 2 of cell surface, as determined from a quantitative evaluation on freeze-fracture replicas. In quick-frozen, deep-etched preparations, the endothelial fenestrae appeared to be bridged by a diaphragm composed of radial fibers interweaving in a central mesh, as previously observed in vivo. These results indicate that diaphragmed fenestrae are inducible structures, and provide an opportunity to study them in vitro
Inaccessible Singularities in Toral Cosmology
The familiar Bang/Crunch singularities of classical cosmology have recently
been augmented by new varieties: rips, sudden singularities, and so on. These
tend to be associated with final states. Here we consider an alternative
possibility for the initial state: a singularity which has the novel property
of being inaccessible to physically well-defined probes. These singularities
arise naturally in cosmologies with toral spatial sections.Comment: 10 pages, version to appear in Classical and Quantum Gravit
Parity, Breastfeeding, and the Subsequent Risk of Maternal Type 2 Diabetes
OBJECTIVE - To examine the effect of childbearing and maternal breastfeeding on a woman's subsequent risk of developing type 2 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS- Using information on parity, breastfeeding, and diabetes collected from 52,731 women recruited into a cohort study, we estimated the risk of type 2 diabetes using multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS- A total of 3,160 (6.0%) women were classified as having type 2 diabetes. Overall, nulliparous and parous women had a similar risk of diabetes. Among parous women, there was a 14% (95% CI 10-18%, P < 0.001) reduced likelihood of diabetes per year of breastfeeding. Compared to nulliparous women, parous women who did not breastfeed had a greater risk of diabetes (odds ratio 1.48, 95% CI 1.26-1.73, P < 0.001), whereas for women breastfeeding, the risk was not significantly increased. CONCLUSIONS- Compared with nulliparous women, childbearing women who do not breastfeed have about a 50% increased risk of type 2 diabetes in later life. Breastfeeding substantially reduces this excess risk
Lattice model for cold and warm swelling of polymers in water
We define a lattice model for the interaction of a polymer with water. We
solve the model in a suitable approximation. In the case of a non-polar
homopolymer, for reasonable values of the parameters, the polymer is found in a
non-compact conformation at low temperature; as the temperature grows, there is
a sharp transition towards a compact state, then, at higher temperatures, the
polymer swells again. This behaviour closely reminds that of proteins, that are
unfolded at both low and high temperatures.Comment: REVTeX, 5 pages, 2 EPS figure
Brownian Motions on Metric Graphs
Brownian motions on a metric graph are defined. Their generators are
characterized as Laplace operators subject to Wentzell boundary at every
vertex. Conversely, given a set of Wentzell boundary conditions at the vertices
of a metric graph, a Brownian motion is constructed pathwise on this graph so
that its generator satisfies the given boundary conditions.Comment: 43 pages, 7 figures. 2nd revision of our article 1102.4937: The
introduction has been modified, several references were added. This article
will appear in the special issue of Journal of Mathematical Physics
celebrating Elliott Lieb's 80th birthda
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