45,014 research outputs found

    Superforms in six-dimensional superspace

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    Indexación: Web of ScienceWe investigate the complex of differential forms in curved, six-dimensional, N = (1, 0) superspace. The superconformal group acts on this complex by super-Weyl transformations. An ambi-twistor-like representation of a second conformal group arises on a pure spinor subspace of the cotangent space. The p-forms are defined by super-Weylcovariant tensor fields on this pure spinor subspace. The on-shell dynamics of such fields is superconformal. We construct the superspace de Rham complex by successively obstructing the closure of forms. We then extend the analysis to composite forms obtained by wedging together forms of lower degree. Finally, we comment on applications to integration in curved superspace and propose a superspace formulation of the abelian limit of the non-abelian tensor hierarchy of N = (1, 0) superconformal models.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2FJHEP05%282016%29016#aboutarticl

    Identification of a synaptic vesicle-specific membrane protein with a wide distribution in neuronal and neurosecretory tissue.

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    Two different monoclonal antibodies, characterized initially as binding synaptic terminal regions of rat brain, bind a 65,000-dalton protein, which is exposed on the outer surface of brain synaptic vesicles. Immunocytochemical experiments at the electron microscope level demonstrate that these antibodies bind the vesicles in many different types of nerve terminals. The antibodies have been used successfully to purify synaptic vesicles from crude brain homogenates by immunoprecipitation onto the surface of polyacrylamide beads. The profiles of the structures precipitated by these beads are almost exclusively vesicular, confirming the vesicle-specificity of the antibodies. In SDS gels, the antibodies bind a single protein of 65,000 daltons. The two antibodies are not identical, but compete for binding sites on this protein. Immune competition experiments also demonstrate that the antigenic components on the 65,000-dalton protein are widely distributed in neuronal and neural secretory tissues. Detectable antigen is not found in uninnervated tissue--blood cells and extrajunctional muscle. Low levels are found in nonneural secretory tissues; it is not certain whether this reflects the presence of low amounts of the antigen on all the exocytotic vesicles in these tissues or whether the antigen is found only in neuronal fibers within these tissues. The molecular weight and at least two antigenic determinants of the 65,000-dalton protein are highly conserved throughout vertebrate phylogeny. The two antibodies recognize a 65,000-dalton protein present in shark, amphibia, birds, and mammals. The highly conserved nature of the determinants on this protein and their specific localization on secretory vesicles of many different types suggest that this protein may be essential for the normal function of neuronal secretory vesicles

    Long-term results in pancreatic transplantation with special emphasis on the use of prolamine

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    Our pancreatic transplantation programme was initiated in 1979. Since then a total of 102 pancreas transplantations have been performed, blocking exocrine secretion using the duct occlusion technique with prolamine. Early non-immunological complications are frequent. The long-term results (9 years) in combined pancreas and kidney transplanted patients are satisfying: the survival rate for pancreas is 38% and 54% for kidney. Patient survival rate in this period is 85%. Beyond the first year post-transplant the exocrine activity disappears whereas the endocrine function remains well preserved

    Subventricular zone stem cells are heterogeneous with respect to their embryonic origins and neurogenic fates in the adult olfactory bulb

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    Wedetermined the embryonic origins of adult forebrain subventricular zone (SVZ) stem cells by Cre-lox fate mapping in transgenic mice. We found that all parts of the telencephalic neuroepithelium, including the medial ganglionic eminence and lateral ganglionic eminence (LGE) and the cerebral cortex, contribute multipotent, self-renewing stem cells to the adult SVZ. Descendants of the embryonic LGE and cortex settle in ventral and dorsal aspects of the dorsolateral SVZ, respectively. Both populations contribute new (5-bromo-2(')-deoxyuridine- labeled) tyrosine hydroxylase- and calretinin-positive interneurons to the adult olfactory bulb. However, calbindin-positive interneurons in the olfactory glomeruli were generated exclusively by LGE- derived stem cells. Thus, different SVZ stem cells have different embryonic origins, colonize different parts of the SVZ, and generate different neuronal progeny, suggesting that some aspects of embryonic patterning are preserved in the adult SVZ. This could have important implications for the design of endogenous stem cell-based therapies in the future

    Treatment of Ligament Constructs with Exercise-conditioned Serum: A Translational Tissue Engineering Model.

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    In vitro experiments are essential to understand biological mechanisms; however, the gap between monolayer tissue culture and human physiology is large, and translation of findings is often poor. Thus, there is ample opportunity for alternative experimental approaches. Here we present an approach in which human cells are isolated from human anterior cruciate ligament tissue remnants, expanded in culture, and used to form engineered ligaments. Exercise alters the biochemical milieu in the blood such that the function of many tissues, organs and bodily processes are improved. In this experiment, ligament construct culture media was supplemented with experimental human serum that has been 'conditioned' by exercise. Thus the intervention is more biologically relevant since an experimental tissue is exposed to the full endogenous biochemical milieu, including binding proteins and adjunct compounds that may be altered in tandem with the activity of an unknown agent of interest. After treatment, engineered ligaments can be analyzed for mechanical function, collagen content, morphology, and cellular biochemistry. Overall, there are four major advantages versus traditional monolayer culture and animal models, of the physiological model of ligament tissue that is presented here. First, ligament constructs are three-dimensional, allowing for mechanical properties (i.e., function) such as ultimate tensile stress, maximal tensile load, and modulus, to be quantified. Second, the enthesis, the interface between boney and sinew elements, can be examined in detail and within functional context. Third, preparing media with post-exercise serum allows for the effects of the exercise-induced biochemical milieu, which is responsible for the wide range of health benefits of exercise, to be investigated in an unbiased manner. Finally, this experimental model advances scientific research in a humane and ethical manner by replacing the use of animals, a core mandate of the National Institutes of Health, the Center for Disease Control, and the Food and Drug Administration

    Assessment of Eddy Current Probe Interactions with Defect Geometry and Operating Parameter Variations

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    Many current generation aerospace designs are based on the application of linear elastic fracture mechanics to establish critical flaw sizes and inspection intervals based on the expected service loads and life cycles. These fracture critical designs require the application of highly reliable nondestructive inspection procedures during production and maintenance to detect defects which would result in system failure if allowed to enter or remain in service

    On the combinatorics of sparsification

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    Background: We study the sparsification of dynamic programming folding algorithms of RNA structures. Sparsification applies to the mfe-folding of RNA structures and can lead to a significant reduction of time complexity. Results: We analyze the sparsification of a particular decomposition rule, Λ∗\Lambda^*, that splits an interval for RNA secondary and pseudoknot structures of fixed topological genus. Essential for quantifying the sparsification is the size of its so called candidate set. We present a combinatorial framework which allows by means of probabilities of irreducible substructures to obtain the expected size of the set of Λ∗\Lambda^*-candidates. We compute these expectations for arc-based energy models via energy-filtered generating functions (GF) for RNA secondary structures as well as RNA pseudoknot structures. For RNA secondary structures we also consider a simplified loop-energy model. This combinatorial analysis is then compared to the expected number of Λ∗\Lambda^*-candidates obtained from folding mfe-structures. In case of the mfe-folding of RNA secondary structures with a simplified loop energy model our results imply that sparsification provides a reduction of time complexity by a constant factor of 91% (theory) versus a 96% reduction (experiment). For the "full" loop-energy model there is a reduction of 98% (experiment).Comment: 27 pages, 12 figure
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