Chk1 requirement for high global rates of replication fork progression during normal vertebrate S phase

Chk1 protein kinase maintains replication fork stability in metazoan cells in response to DNA damage and DNA replication inhibitors. Here, we have employed DNA fiber labeling to quantify, for the first time, the extent to which Chk1 maintains global replication fork rates during normal vertebrate S phase. We report that replication fork rates in Chk1¿/¿ chicken DT40 cells are on average half of those observed with wild-type cells. Similar results were observed if Chk1 was inhibited or depleted in wild-type DT40 cells or HeLa cells by incubation with Chk1 inhibitor or small interfering RNA. In addition, reduced rates of fork extension were observed with permeabilized Chk1¿/¿ cells in vitro. The requirement for Chk1 for high fork rates during normal S phase was not to suppress promiscuous homologous recombination at replication forks, because inhibition of Chk1 similarly slowed fork progression in XRCC3¿/¿ DT40 cells. Rather, we observed an increased number of replication fibers in Chk1¿/¿ cells in which the nascent strand is single-stranded, supporting the idea that slow global fork rates in unperturbed Chk1¿/¿ cells are associated with the accumulation of aberrant replication fork structure

Forest management intensity affects aquatic communities in artificial tree holes

Forest management could potentially affect organisms in all forest habitats. However, aquatic communities in water-filled tree-holes may be especially sensitive because of small population sizes, the risk of drought and potential dispersal limitation. We set up artificial tree holes in forest stands subject to different management intensities in two regions in Germany and assessed the influence of local environmental properties (tree-hole opening type, tree diameter, water volume and water temperature) as well as regional drivers (forest management intensity, tree-hole density) on tree-hole insect communities (not considering other organisms such as nematodes or rotifers), detritus content, oxygen and nutrient concentrations. In addition, we compared data from artificial tree holes with data from natural tree holes in the same area to evaluate the methodological approach of using tree-hole analogues. We found that forest management had strong effects on communities in artificial tree holes in both regions and across the season. Abundance and species richness declined, community composition shifted and detritus content declined with increasing forest management intensity. Environmental variables, such as tree-hole density and tree diameter partly explained these changes. However, dispersal limitation, indicated by effects of tree-hole density, generally showed rather weak impacts on communities. Artificial tree holes had higher water temperatures (on average 2° C higher) and oxygen concentrations (on average 25% higher) than natural tree holes. The abundance of organisms was higher but species richness was lower in artificial tree holes. Community composition differed between artificial and natural tree holes. Negative management effects were detectable in both tree-hole systems, despite their abiotic and biotic differences. Our results indicate that forest management has substantial and pervasive effects on tree-hole communities and may alter their structure and functioning. We furthermore conclude that artificial tree-hole analogues represent a useful experimental alternative to test effects of changes in forest management on natural communities.Fil: Petermann, Jana S.. University of Salzburg; Austria. Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research; AlemaniaFil: Rohland, Anja. Friedrich Schiller University; AlemaniaFil: Sichardt, Nora. Friedrich Schiller University; AlemaniaFil: Lade, Peggy. Friedrich Schiller University; AlemaniaFil: Guidetti, Brenda Yamile. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Friedrich Schiller University; AlemaniaFil: Weisser, Wolfgang W.. Friedrich Schiller University; Alemania. Technische Universität München; AlemaniaFil: Gossner, Martin M.. Friedrich Schiller University; Alemania. Technische Universität München; Alemani

Field quantization for chaotic resonators with overlapping modes

Feshbach's projector technique is employed to quantize the electromagnetic field in optical resonators with an arbitray number of escape channels. We find spectrally overlapping resonator modes coupled due to the damping and noise inflicted by the external radiation field. For wave chaotic resonators the mode dynamics is determined by a non--Hermitean random matrix. Upon including an amplifying medium, our dynamics of open-resonator modes may serve as a starting point for a quantum theory of random lasing.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figur

R-process nucleosynthesis calculations with complete nuclear physics input

The r-process constitutes one of the major challenges in nuclear astrophysics. Its astrophysical site has not yet been identified but there is observational evidence suggesting that at least two possible sites should contribute to the solar system abundance of r-process elements and that the r-process responsible for the production of elements heavier than Z=56 operates quite robustly producing always the same relative abundances. From the nuclear-physics point of view the r-process requires the knowledge of a large number of reaction rates involving exotic nuclei. These include neutron capture rates, beta-decays and fission rates, the latter for the heavier nuclei produced in the r-process. We have developed for the first time a complete database of reaction rates that in addition to neutron-capture rates and beta-decay half-lives includes all possible reactions that can induce fission (neutron-capture, beta-decay and spontaneous fission) and the corresponding fission yields. In addition, we have implemented these reaction rates in a fully implicit reaction network. We have performed r-process calculations for the neutrino-driven wind scenario to explore whether or not fission can contribute to provide a robust r-process pattern

Foundations for Relativistic Quantum Theory I: Feynman's Operator Calculus and the Dyson Conjectures

In this paper, we provide a representation theory for the Feynman operator calculus. This allows us to solve the general initial-value problem and construct the Dyson series. We show that the series is asymptotic, thus proving Dyson's second conjecture for QED. In addition, we show that the expansion may be considered exact to any finite order by producing the remainder term. This implies that every nonperturbative solution has a perturbative expansion. Using a physical analysis of information from experiment versus that implied by our models, we reformulate our theory as a sum over paths. This allows us to relate our theory to Feynman's path integral, and to prove Dyson's first conjecture that the divergences are in part due to a violation of Heisenberg's uncertainly relations

Improved α4\alpha^4 Term of the Electron Anomalous Magnetic Moment

We report a new value of electron $g-2$, or $a_e$, from 891 Feynman diagrams of order $\alpha^4$. The FORTRAN codes of 373 diagrams containing closed electron loops have been verified by at least two independent formulations. For the remaining 518 diagrams, which have no closed lepton loop, verification by a second formulation is not yet attempted because of the enormous amount of additional work required. However, these integrals have structures that allow extensive cross-checking as well as detailed comparison with lower-order diagrams through the renormalization procedure. No algebraic error has been uncovered for them. The numerical evaluation of the entire $\alpha^4$ term by the integration routine VEGAS gives $-1.7283 (35) (\alpha/\pi)^4$, where the uncertainty is obtained by careful examination of error estimates by VEGAS. This leads to $a_e = 1 159 652 175.86 (0.10) (0.26) (8.48) \times 10^{-12}$, where the uncertainties come from the $\alpha^4$ term, the estimated uncertainty of $\alpha^5$ term, and the inverse fine structure constant, $\alpha^{-1} = 137.036 000 3 (10)$, measured by atom interferometry combined with a frequency comb technique, respectively. The inverse fine structure constant $\alpha^{-1} (a_e)$ derived from the theory and the Seattle measurement of $a_e$ is $137.035 998 83 (51)$.Comment: 64 pages and 10 figures. Eq.(16) is corrected. Comments are added after Eq.(40

Diskriminierung aufgrund homosexueller Orientierungen: Exploration der Fremdwahrnehmung im Jugendalter

"Heterosexismus und dessen Folgen werden im wissenschaftlichen Diskurs bislang primär mit Blick auf die Selbstwahrnehmung nicht ausschließlich heterosexueller Menschen untersucht. In Erweiterung hierzu soll in der vorliegenden quantitativen Studie die Fremdwahrnehmung Jugendlicher (n=766) zur Diskriminierung homosexueller Altersgenossen in den für diese relevanten Umwelten (Schule, Peers, Ausbildung, Sport) exploriert werden; als zentrale kovariierende Merkmale wurden die Homonegativität der Probanden und die erlebte Homonegativität im Elternhaus erfasst. Die Ergebnisse verweisen bereichsübergreifend auf geringe bis moderate Ausprägungen von erlebtem Heterosexismus in der Fremdwahrnehmung Jugendlicher, lediglich die Peer-Group wird in höherem Maße als Setting von Heterosexismus wahrgenommen. Innerhalb der Stichprobe zeichnen sich Jugendliche mit eigener hoch ausgeprägter Homonegativität durch signifikant stärker erlebten Heterosexismus aus, die Homonegativität korrelierte zudem signifikant (positiv) mit dem im Elternhaus erlebten Ausmaß. Implikationen dieser explorativen Befunde werden abschließend mit Blick auf weiterführende Fragestellungen diskutiert." (Autorenreferat)"Heterosexism and related consequences are mainly objects of research with emphasis on the consequences for victims, i.e. not solely heterosexual individuals. The present empirical study therefore explores the perceptions of relevant others - teenagers and adolescents (n=766) - regarding discrimination of gay contemporaries in selected settings (school, peers, apprenticeship, Sport). Homonegativity of subjects as well as perceived parental homonegativity were assessed as relevant correlates. Results reveal a low to moderate level of perceived heterosexism across all settings. Specifically, referring to the peer-group higher levels of perceived heterosexism are reported. The subjects' homonegativity showed significant (positive) correlations with perceived parental homonegativity and with perceived heterosexism. Implications of explorative findings for future research are being discussed." (author's abstract