238 research outputs found
Vertex-Facet Incidences of Unbounded Polyhedra
How much of the combinatorial structure of a pointed polyhedron is contained
in its vertex-facet incidences? Not too much, in general, as we demonstrate by
examples. However, one can tell from the incidence data whether the polyhedron
is bounded. In the case of a polyhedron that is simple and "simplicial," i.e.,
a d-dimensional polyhedron that has d facets through each vertex and d vertices
on each facet, we derive from the structure of the vertex-facet incidence
matrix that the polyhedron is necessarily bounded. In particular, this yields a
characterization of those polyhedra that have circulants as vertex-facet
incidence matrices.Comment: LaTeX2e, 14 pages with 4 figure
Sistema de alerta para procesos torrenciales a escala regional combinando mapas de susceptibilidad y datos del radar meteorológico
Los procesos torrenciales como las corrientes de derrubios o flujos hiperconcentrados causan frecuentemente daños importantes e incluso muertos en zonas montañosas. Para afrontar este peligro, los sistemas de alerta son una herramienta muy útil en la mitigación de los impactos de estos procesos hidro-morfológicos. El presente estudio ha desarrollado, implementado y validado un sistema de alerta a escala regional que determina en tiempo real el nivel de alerta en cada subcuenca de una zona seleccionada. Los principales datos de entrada son un mapa de susceptibilidad y la situación meteorológica que se obtiene mediante el radar. Mediante la aplicación de la técnica de lógica difusa y funciones de pertenencia, el mapa de susceptibilidad y el campo de lluvia se determina en cada subcuenca una de tres posibles clases, y finalmente con una matriz de alerta se calcula uno de los tres niveles de alerta (baja, media o alta). Los resultados del sistema de alerta y su validación han sido muy positivos y demuestran la gran utilidad de estas herramientas.Postprint (published version
Photoluminescence properties of rare earth (Nd, Yb, Sm, Pr)-doped CeO2 pellets prepared by solid-state reaction
Several structural and optical properties of ceria (band gap, refractive index and lattice parameter) make this material very promising for applications in optoelectronics and photovoltaics. In this paper, we show that CeO2 can be efficiently functionalized by doping with trivalent rare earth ions to give rise to photon management properties. The trivalent ions can be successfully inserted by solid-state reaction of the elementary oxide powders. By combining the information obtained from the absorbance spectra with that of the PL excitation spectra, we demonstrate the presence of the trivalent ions in CeO2 and provide insight in the electronic level structure and transfer mechanism. In particular, we prove that both the complex absorption spectra and the energy transfer mechanisms cannot be fully explained without considering the presence of isolated Ce3+ ions in CeO2
SLC25A51 is a mammalian mitochondrial NAD+ transporter
Mitochondria require nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) to carry out the fundamental processes that fuel respiration and mediate cellular energy transduction. Mitochondrial NAD+ transporters have been identified in yeast and plants1,2, but their existence in mammals remains controversial3,4,5. Here we demonstrate that mammalian mitochondria can take up intact NAD+, and identify SLC25A51 (also known as MCART1)—an essential6,7 mitochondrial protein of previously unknown function—as a mammalian mitochondrial NAD+ transporter. Loss of SLC25A51 decreases mitochondrial—but not whole-cell—NAD+ content, impairs mitochondrial respiration, and blocks the uptake of NAD+ into isolated mitochondria. Conversely, overexpression of SLC25A51 or SLC25A52 (a nearly identical paralogue of SLC25A51) increases mitochondrial NAD+ levels and restores NAD+ uptake into yeast mitochondria lacking endogenous NAD+ transporters. Together, these findings identify SLC25A51 as a mammalian transporter capable of importing NAD+ into mitochondria.acceptedVersio
Monocytes regulate the mechanism of T-cell death by inducing Fas-mediated apoptosis during bacterial infection.
Monocytes and T-cells are critical to the host response to acute bacterial infection but monocytes are primarily viewed as amplifying the inflammatory signal. The mechanisms of cell death regulating T-cell numbers at sites of infection are incompletely characterized. T-cell death in cultures of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) showed 'classic' features of apoptosis following exposure to pneumococci. Conversely, purified CD3(+) T-cells cultured with pneumococci demonstrated necrosis with membrane permeabilization. The death of purified CD3(+) T-cells was not inhibited by necrostatin, but required the bacterial toxin pneumolysin. Apoptosis of CD3(+) T-cells in PBMC cultures required 'classical' CD14(+) monocytes, which enhanced T-cell activation. CD3(+) T-cell death was enhanced in HIV-seropositive individuals. Monocyte-mediated CD3(+) T-cell apoptotic death was Fas-dependent both in vitro and in vivo. In the early stages of the T-cell dependent host response to pneumococci reduced Fas ligand mediated T-cell apoptosis was associated with decreased bacterial clearance in the lung and increased bacteremia. In summary monocytes converted pathogen-associated necrosis into Fas-dependent apoptosis and regulated levels of activated T-cells at sites of acute bacterial infection. These changes were associated with enhanced bacterial clearance in the lung and reduced levels of invasive pneumococcal disease
Study of Z Boson Pair Production in e+e- Collisions at LEP at \sqrt{s}=189 GeV
The pair production of Z bosons is studied using the data collected by the L3
detector at LEP in 1998 in e+e- collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 189
GeV. All the visible final states are considered and the cross section of this
process is measured to be 0.74 +0.15 -0.14 (stat.) +/- 0.04 (syst.) pb. Final
states containing b quarks are enhanced by a dedicated selection and their
production cross section is found to be 0.18 +0.09 -0.07 (stat.) +/- 0.02
(syst.) pb. Both results are in agreement with the Standard Model predictions.
Limits on anomalous couplings between neutral gauge bosons are derived from
these measurements
Formation of the in Two-Photon Collisions at LEP
The two-photon width of the meson has been
measured with the L3 detector at LEP. The is studied in the decay
modes , KK, KK,
KK, , , and
using an integrated luminosity of 140 pb at GeV and
of 52 pb at GeV. The result is
(BR) keV. The dependence of the cross section is studied for
GeV. It is found to be better described by a Vector Meson
Dominance model form factor with a J-pole than with a -pole. In addition,
a signal of events is observed at the mass. Upper limits
for the two-photon widths of the , , and are also
given
Luminescence of free-standing versus matrix-embedded oxide-passivated silicon nanocrystals: The role of matrix-induced strain:
We collect a large number of experimental data from various sources to demonstrate that free-standing (FS) oxide-passivated silicon nanocrystals (SiNCs) exhibit considerably blueshifted emission, by 200 meV on average, compared to those prepared as matrix-embedded (ME) ones of the same size. This is suggested to arise from compressive strain, exerted on the nanocrystals by their matrix, which plays an important role in the light-emission process; this strain has been neglected up to now as opposed to the impact of quantum confinement or surface passivation. Our conclusion is also supported by the comparison of low-temperature behavior of photoluminescence of matrix-embedded and free-standing silicon nanocrystals
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