856 research outputs found

    Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy (4th edition)

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    In 2008, we published the first set of guidelines for standardizing research in autophagy. Since then, this topic has received increasing attention, and many scientists have entered the field. Our knowledge base and relevant new technologies have also been expanding. Thus, it is important to formulate on a regular basis updated guidelines for monitoring autophagy in different organisms. Despite numerous reviews, there continues to be confusion regarding acceptable methods to evaluate autophagy, especially in multicellular eukaryotes. Here, we present a set of guidelines for investigators to select and interpret methods to examine autophagy and related processes, and for reviewers to provide realistic and reasonable critiques of reports that are focused on these processes. These guidelines are not meant to be a dogmatic set of rules, because the appropriateness of any assay largely depends on the question being asked and the system being used. Moreover, no individual assay is perfect for every situation, calling for the use of multiple techniques to properly monitor autophagy in each experimental setting. Finally, several core components of the autophagy machinery have been implicated in distinct autophagic processes (canonical and noncanonical autophagy), implying that genetic approaches to block autophagy should rely on targeting two or more autophagy-related genes that ideally participate in distinct steps of the pathway. Along similar lines, because multiple proteins involved in autophagy also regulate other cellular pathways including apoptosis, not all of them can be used as a specific marker for bona fide autophagic responses. Here, we critically discuss current methods of assessing autophagy and the information they can, or cannot, provide. Our ultimate goal is to encourage intellectual and technical innovation in the field

    Investigation of the effect of initial states of medium-Mn steel on deformation behaviour under hot stamping conditions

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    Medium-Mn (MMn) steels have received much research attention recently because their low austenitisation temperature enables low-temperature hot stamping (LTHS). However, the effect of the initial state of the material on the hot stamping performance is still unknown. In this study, the effect of different initial states on the deformation behaviour of a typical MMn steel during uniaxial tensile testing under LTHS conditions (deformation at 500–600 °C under strain rates of 0.01–1 s−1) are investigated using a Gleeble 3800 materials simulator; the final mechanical properties after austenitising and quenching are also examined. The microstructure of each material state before and after the LTHS heating cycle is characterised using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD). Of the three states investigated the hot rolled and annealed (HRA) state shows the best hot deformation performance represented by larger strain hardening exponent and higher total elongation, followed by the cold-rolled (CR) state, with the cold-rolled and annealed (CRA) state exhibiting the worst performance. The final mechanical properties, however, are very similar among the three states. In addition, the yield point phenomenon is found during hot deformation in both the CR and CRA states, and absent in the HRA state. The hot deformation behaviour has been discussed in terms of differences in microstructural properties, namely the grain size and its degree of heterogeneity

    Plasmoid ejection and secondary current sheet generation from magnetic reconnection in laser-plasma interaction

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    Reconnection of the self-generated magnetic fields in laser-plasma interaction was first investigated experimentally by Nilson {\it et al.} [Phys. Rev. Lett. 97, 255001 (2006)] by shining two laser pulses a distance apart on a solid target layer. An elongated current sheet (CS) was observed in the plasma between the two laser spots. In order to more closely model magnetotail reconnection, here two side-by-side thin target layers, instead of a single one, are used. It is found that at one end of the elongated CS a fan-like electron outflow region including three well-collimated electron jets appears. The (>1>1 MeV) tail of the jet energy distribution exhibits a power-law scaling. The enhanced electron acceleration is attributed to the intense inductive electric field in the narrow electron dominated reconnection region, as well as additional acceleration as they are trapped inside the rapidly moving plasmoid formed in and ejected from the CS. The ejection also induces a secondary CS

    Study of the P-wave charmonium state \chi_{cJ} in \psi(2S) decays

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    The processes ψ(2S)â†’ÎłÏ€+π−\psi(2S)\to \gamma \pi^+ \pi^-, ÎłK+K−\gamma K^+ K^- and Îłppˉ\gamma p \bar{p} have been studied using a sample of 3.7×1063.7 \times 10^6 produced ψ(2S)\psi(2S) decays. We determine the total width of the χc0\chi_{c0} to be Γχc0tot=14.3±2.0±3.0\Gamma^{tot}_{\chi_{c0}} = 14.3\pm 2.0\pm 3.0 MeV. We present the first measurement of the branching fraction B(χc0→ppˉ)=(16.3±4.4±5.4)×10−5B(\chi_{c0} \to p \bar{p}) = (16.3 \pm 4.4 \pm 5.4)\times 10^{-5}, where the first error is statistical and the second one systematic. Branching fractions of χc0,2→π+π−\chi_{c0,2} \to \pi^+ \pi^- and K+K−K^+ K^- are also reported.Comment: 10 pages, revtex, 3 figures, 2 table

    Measurement of the Total Cross Section for Hadronic Production by e+e- Annihilation at Energies between 2.6-5 Gev

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    Using the upgraded Beijing Spectrometer (BESII), we have measured the total cross section for e+e−e^+e^- annihilation into hadronic final states at center-of-mass energies of 2.6, 3.2, 3.4, 3.55, 4.6 and 5.0 GeV. Values of RR, σ(e+e−→hadrons)/σ(e+e−→Ό+Ό−)\sigma(e^+e^-\to {hadrons})/\sigma(e^+e^-\to\mu^+\mu^-), are determined.Comment: Submitted to Phys. Rev. Let

    Measurement of ψ(2S)\psi(2S) decays to baryon pairs

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    A sample of 3.95M ψ(2S)\psi(2S) decays registered in the BES detector are used to study final states containing pairs of octet and decuplet baryons. We report branching fractions for ψ(2S)→ppˉ\psi(2S)\to p\bar{p}, ΛΛˉ\Lambda\bar{\Lambda}, ÎŁ0Σˉ0\Sigma^0\bar{\Sigma}{}^0, Ξ−Ξˉ+\Xi^-\bar{\Xi}{}^+, Δ++Δˉ−−\Delta^{++}\bar{\Delta}{}^{--}, ÎŁ+(1385)Σˉ−(1385)\Sigma^+(1385)\bar{\Sigma}{}^-(1385), Ξ0(1530)Ξˉ0(1530)\Xi^0(1530)\bar{\Xi}{}^0(1530), and Ω−Ωˉ+\Omega^-\bar{\Omega}{}^+. These results are compared to expectations based on the SU(3)-flavor symmetry, factorization, and perturbative QCD.Comment: 22 pages, 21 figures, 4 table

    Measurement of the Inclusive Charm Cross Section at 4.03 GeV and 4.14 GeV

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    The cross section for charmed meson production at s=4.03\sqrt{s} = 4.03 and 4.14 GeV has been measured with the Beijing Spectrometer. The measurement was made using 22.3 pb−1pb^{-1} of e+e−e^+e^- data collected at 4.03 GeV and 1.5 pb−1pb^{-1} of e+e−e^+e^- data collected at 4.14 GeV. Inclusive observed cross sections for the production of charged and neutral D mesons and momentum spectra are presented. Observed cross sections were radiatively corrected to obtain tree level cross sections. Measurements of the total hadronic cross section are obtained from the charmed meson cross section and an extrapolation of results from below the charm threshold.Comment: 11 pages, 13 figures. The top level tex file is paper.tex. It builds the paper from other tex files in this .tar and the .eps file

    A Unified Approach to the Classical Statistical Analysis of Small Signals

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    We give a classical confidence belt construction which unifies the treatment of upper confidence limits for null results and two-sided confidence intervals for non-null results. The unified treatment solves a problem (apparently not previously recognized) that the choice of upper limit or two-sided intervals leads to intervals which are not confidence intervals if the choice is based on the data. We apply the construction to two related problems which have recently been a battle-ground between classical and Bayesian statistics: Poisson processes with background, and Gaussian errors with a bounded physical region. In contrast with the usual classical construction for upper limits, our construction avoids unphysical confidence intervals. In contrast with some popular Bayesian intervals, our intervals eliminate conservatism (frequentist coverage greater than the stated confidence) in the Gaussian case and reduce it to a level dictated by discreteness in the Poisson case. We generalize the method in order to apply it to analysis of experiments searching for neutrino oscillations. We show that this technique both gives correct coverage and is powerful, while other classical techniques that have been used by neutrino oscillation search experiments fail one or both of these criteria.Comment: 40 pages, 15 figures. Changes 15-Dec-99 to agree more closely with published version. A few small changes, plus the two substantive changes we made in proof back in 1998: 1) The definition of "sensitivity" in Sec. V(C). It was inconsistent with our actual definition in Sec. VI. 2) "Note added in proof" at end of the Conclusio

    Measurements of the Cross Section for e+e- -> hadrons at Center-of-Mass Energies from 2 to 5 GeV

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    We report values of R=σ(e+e−→hadrons)/σ(e+e−→Ό+Ό−)R = \sigma(e^+e^-\to {hadrons})/\sigma(e^+e^-\to\mu^+\mu^-) for 85 center-of-mass energies between 2 and 5 GeV measured with the upgraded Beijing Spectrometer at the Beijing Electron-Positron Collider.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure

    Measurement of \psip Radiative Decays

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    Using 14 million psi(2S) events accumulated at the BESII detector, we report first measurements of branching fractions or upper limits for psi(2S) decays into gamma ppbar, gamma 2(pi^+pi^-), gamma K_s K^-pi^++c.c., gamma K^+ K^- pi^+pi^-, gamma K^{*0} K^- pi^+ +c.c., gamma K^{*0}\bar K^{*0}, gamma pi^+pi^- p pbar, gamma 2(K^+K^-), gamma 3(pi^+pi^-), and gamma 2(pi^+pi^-)K^+K^- with the invariant mass of hadrons below 2.9GeV/c^2. We also report branching fractions of psi(2S) decays into 2(pi^+pi^-) pi^0, omega pi^+pi^-, omega f_2(1270), b_1^\pm pi^\mp, and pi^0 2(pi^+pi^-) K^+K^-.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure
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