158 research outputs found
Atomic Quantum Simulation of U(N) and SU(N) Non-Abelian Lattice Gauge Theories
Using ultracold alkaline-earth atoms in optical lattices, we construct a
quantum simulator for U(N) and SU(N) lattice gauge theories with fermionic
matter based on quantum link models. These systems share qualitative features
with QCD, including chiral symmetry breaking and restoration at non-zero
temperature or baryon density. Unlike classical simulations, a quantum
simulator does not suffer from sign problems and can address the corresponding
chiral dynamics in real time.Comment: 12 pages, 5 figures. Main text plus one basic introduction to the
topic and one supplementary material on implementation. Final versio
SO(3) "Nuclear Physics" with ultracold Gases
An ab initio calculation of nuclear physics from Quantum Chromodynamics
(QCD), the fundamental SU(3) gauge theory of the strong interaction, remains an
outstanding challenge. Here, we discuss the emergence of key elements of
nuclear physics using an SO(3) lattice gauge theory as a toy model for QCD. We
show that this model is accessible to state-of-the-art quantum simulation
experiments with ultracold atoms in an optical lattice. First, we demonstrate
that our model shares characteristic many-body features with QCD, such as the
spontaneous breakdown of chiral symmetry, its restoration at finite baryon
density, as well as the existence of few-body bound states. Then we show that
in the one-dimensional case, the dynamics in the gauge invariant sector can be
encoded as a spin S=3/2 Heisenberg model, i.e., as quantum magnetism, which has
a natural realization with bosonic mixtures in optical lattices, and thus sheds
light on the connection between non-Abelian gauge theories and quantum
magnetism.Comment: 34 pages, 9 figure
Control of dead end localization and activity - implications for the function of the protein in antagonizing miRNA function.
Atomic Quantum Simulation of Dynamical Gauge Fields coupled to Fermionic Matter: From String Breaking to Evolution after a Quench
Using a Fermi-Bose mixture of ultra-cold atoms in an optical lattice, we
construct a quantum simulator for a U(1) gauge theory coupled to fermionic
matter. The construction is based on quantum links which realize continuous
gauge symmetry with discrete quantum variables. At low energies, quantum link
models with staggered fermions emerge from a Hubbard-type model which can be
quantum simulated. This allows us to investigate string breaking as well as the
real-time evolution after a quench in gauge theories, which are inaccessible to
classical simulation methods.Comment: 14 pages, 5 figures. Main text plus one general supplementary
material and one basic introduction to the topic. Published versio
Control over the morphology and segregation of Zebrafish germ cell granules during embryonic development
Constraint Effective Potential of the Magnetization in the Quantum XY Model
Using an improved estimator in the loop-cluster algorithm, we investigate the
constraint effective potential of the magnetization in the spin
quantum XY model. The numerical results are in excellent agreement with the
predictions of the corresponding low-energy effective field theory. After its
low-energy parameters have been determined with better than permille precision,
the effective theory makes accurate predictions for the constraint effective
potential which are in excellent agreement with the Monte Carlo data. This
shows that the effective theory indeed describes the physics in the low-energy
regime quantitatively correctly.Comment: 21 pages, 7 figure
Q-dependence of the inelastic neutron scattering cross section for molecular spin clusters with high molecular symmetry
For powder samples of polynuclear metal complexes the dependence of the
inelastic neutron scattering intensity on the momentum transfer Q is known to
be described by a combination of so called interference terms. They reflect the
interplay between the geometrical structure of the compound and the spatial
properties of the wave functions involved in the transition. In this work, it
is shown that the Q-dependence is strongly interrelated with the molecular
symmetry of molecular nanomagnets, and, if the molecular symmetry is high
enough, is actually completely determined by it. A general formalism connecting
spatial symmetry and interference terms is developed. The arguments are
detailed for cyclic spin clusters, as experimentally realized by e.g. the
octanuclear molecular wheel Cr8, and the star like tetranuclear cluster Fe4.Comment: 8 pages, 1 figures, REVTEX
The Mechanism for Primordial Germ-Cell Migration Is Conserved between Japanese Eel and Zebrafish
Primordial germ cells (PGCs) are segregated and specified from somatic cells during early development. These cells arise elsewhere and have to migrate across the embryo to reach developing gonadal precursors. Several molecules associated with PGC migration (i.e. dead-end, nanos1, and cxcr4) are highly conserved across phylum boundaries. However, since cell migration is a complicated process that is regulated spatially and temporally by multiple adaptors and signal effectors, the process is unlikely to be explained by these known genes only. Indeed, it has been shown that there are variations in PGC migration pattern during development among teleost species. However, it is still unclear whether the actual mechanism of PGC migration is conserved among species. In this study, we studied the migration of PGCs in Japanese eel (Anguilla japonica) embryos and tested the migration mechanism between Japanese eel and zebrafish (Danio rerio) for conservation, by transplanting eel PGCs into zebrafish embryos. The experiments showed that eel PGCs can migrate toward the gonadal region of zebrafish embryos along with endogenous PGCs, even though the migration patterns, behaviors, and settlements of PGCs are somewhat different between these species. Our results demonstrate that the migration mechanism of PGCs during embryonic development is highly conserved between these two distantly related species (belonging to different teleost orders)
An Evolutionarily Conserved Arginine Is Essential for Tre1 G Protein-Coupled Receptor Function During Germ Cell Migration in Drosophila melanogaster
BACKGROUND: G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) play central roles in mediating cellular responses to environmental signals leading to changes in cell physiology and behaviors, including cell migration. Numerous clinical pathologies including metastasis, an invasive form of cell migration, have been linked to abnormal GPCR signaling. While the structures of some GPCRs have been defined, the in vivo roles of conserved amino acid residues and their relationships to receptor function are not fully understood. Trapped in endoderm 1 (Tre1) is an orphan receptor of the rhodopsin class that is necessary for primordial germ cell migration in Drosophila melanogaster embryos. In this study, we employ molecular genetic approaches to identify residues in Tre1 that are critical to its functions in germ cell migration. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: First, we show that the previously reported scattershot mutation is an allele of tre1. The scattershot allele results in an in-frame deletion of 8 amino acids at the junction of the third transmembrane domain and the second intracellular loop of Tre1 that dramatically impairs the function of this GPCR in germ cell migration. To further refine the molecular basis for this phenotype, we assayed the effects of single amino acid substitutions in transgenic animals and determined that the arginine within the evolutionarily conserved E/N/DRY motif is critical for receptor function in mediating germ cell migration within an intact developing embryo. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: These structure-function studies of GPCR signaling in native contexts will inform future studies into the basic biology of this large and clinically important family of receptors
Hypoxia Impairs Primordial Germ Cell Migration in Zebrafish (Danio rerio) Embryos
Background: As a global environmental concern, hypoxia is known to be associated with many biological and physiological impairments in aquatic ecosystems. Previous studies have mainly focused on the effect of hypoxia in adult animals. However, the effect of hypoxia and the underlying mechanism of how hypoxia affects embryonic development of aquatic animals remain unclear. Methodology/Principal Findings: In the current study, the effect of hypoxia on primordial germ cell (PGC) migration in zebrafish embryos was investigated. Hypoxic embryos showed PGC migration defect as indicated by the presence of mis-migrated ectopic PGCs. Insulin-like growth factor (IGF) signaling is required for embryonic germ line development. Using real-time PCR, we found that the mRNA expression levels of insulin-like growth factor binding protein (IGFBP-1), an inhibitor of IGF bioactivity, were significantly increased in hypoxic embryos. Morpholino knockdown of IGFBP-1 rescued the PGC migration defect phenotype in hypoxic embryos, suggesting the role of IGFBP-1 in inducing PGC mis-migration. Conclusions/Significance: This study provides novel evidence that hypoxia disrupts PGC migration during embryonic development in fish. IGF signaling is shown to be one of the possible mechanisms for the causal link between hypoxia and PGC migration. We propose that hypoxia causes PGC migration defect by inhibiting IGF signaling through the induction of IGFBP-1
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