3,731 research outputs found
Pion and Kaon Polarizabilities and Radiative Transitions
CERN COMPASS plans measurements of gamma-pi and gamma-K interactions using
50-280 GeV pion (kaon) beams and a virtual photon target. Pion (kaon)
polarizabilities and radiative transitions will be measured via Primakoff
effect reactions such as pi+gamma->pi'+gamma and pi+gamma->meson. The former
can test a precise prediction of chiral symmetry; the latter for
pi+gamma->a1(1260) is important for understanding the polarizability. The
radiative transition of a pion to a low mass two-pion system, pi+gamma->pi+pi0,
can also be studied to measure the chiral anomaly amplitude F(3pi)
(characterizing gamma->3pi), arising from the effective Chiral Lagrangian. We
review here the motivation for the above physics program. We describe the beam,
target, detector, and trigger requirements for these experiments. We also
describe FNAL SELEX attempts to study related physics via the interaction of
600 GeV pions with target electrons. Data analysis in progress aims to identify
the reactions pi+e->pi'+e'+pi0 related to the chiral anomaly, and
pi+e->pi'+e'+gamma related to pion polarizabilities.Comment: 16 pages, 6 figures, Latex Springer-Verlag style Tel Aviv U. Preprint
TAUP-2469-97, Contribution to the Workshop on Chiral Dynamics Theory and
Experiment, U. of Mainz, Sept. 1-5, 1997, to be published in Springer-Verlag,
Eds. A. Bernstein, Th. Walcher, 199
Machine learning applied to enzyme turnover numbers reveals protein structural correlates and improves metabolic models.
Knowing the catalytic turnover numbers of enzymes is essential for understanding the growth rate, proteome composition, and physiology of organisms, but experimental data on enzyme turnover numbers is sparse and noisy. Here, we demonstrate that machine learning can successfully predict catalytic turnover numbers in Escherichia coli based on integrated data on enzyme biochemistry, protein structure, and network context. We identify a diverse set of features that are consistently predictive for both in vivo and in vitro enzyme turnover rates, revealing novel protein structural correlates of catalytic turnover. We use our predictions to parameterize two mechanistic genome-scale modelling frameworks for proteome-limited metabolism, leading to significantly higher accuracy in the prediction of quantitative proteome data than previous approaches. The presented machine learning models thus provide a valuable tool for understanding metabolism and the proteome at the genome scale, and elucidate structural, biochemical, and network properties that underlie enzyme kinetics
Water-soluble material on aerosols collected within volcanic eruption clouds
In February and March of 1978, filter samplers mounted on an aircraft were used to collect the aerosol fraction of the eruption clouds from three active Guatemalan volcanoes (Fuego, Pacaya, and Santiaguito). The samples were collected on Teflon (Fluoropore) filters with a nominal pore diameter of 0.5μm. The mass of air sampled by the filters ranged from 0.15 to 6.6 kg. The particulate material collected consisted of fragments of angular silicate ash and droplets of what is interpreted as dilute H2SO4 and HCl. After collection of the samples, each filter was rinsed with 60 ml of distilled-deionized water. Splits of each extract were centrifuged to remove particles greater than or equal to 0.1 μm in diameter, acidified, and analyzed for B, Ba, Be, Ca, Cd, Co, Cu, Fe, Li, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Pb, Si, Sr, V, and Zn by inductively coupled plasma—optical emission spectroscopy. Separate splits were analyzed for F and Cl by specific-ion-electrode methods and for U by a fission track technique. The elements dissolved in the aqueous extracts represent components of water-soluble material either formed directly in the eruption cloud or derived from interaction of ash particles and aerosol components of the plume. Calculations of enrichment factors, based upon concentration ratios, showed the elements most enriched in the extracts relative to bulk ash composition were Cd, Cu, V, F, Cl, Zn, and Pb. These elements represent a subset (with the addition of Cl and F) of elements previously reported enriched in atmospheric aerosols in remote regions as well as in volcanic areas. This suggests that some of the enriched elements were widely dispersed as volatile halides emitted from a volcanic source
Brain activation during anticipation of sound sequences
Music consists of sound sequences that require integration over time. As we become familiar with music, associations between notes, melodies, and entire symphonic movements become stronger and more complex. These associations can become so tight that, for example, hearing the end of one album track can elicit a robust image of the upcoming track while anticipating it in total silence. Here, we study this predictive “anticipatory imagery” at various stages throughout learning and investigate activity changes in corresponding neural structures using functional magnetic resonance imaging. Anticipatory imagery (in silence) for highly familiar naturalistic music was accompanied by pronounced activity in rostral prefrontal cortex (PFC) and premotor areas. Examining changes in the neural bases of anticipatory imagery during two stages of learning conditional associations between simple melodies, however, demonstrates the importance of fronto-striatal connections, consistent with a role of the basal ganglia in “training” frontal cortex (Pasupathy and Miller, 2005). Another striking change in neural resources during learning was a shift between caudal PFC earlier to rostral PFC later in learning. Our findings regarding musical anticipation and sound sequence learning are highly compatible with studies of motor sequence learning, suggesting common predictive mechanisms in both domains
Microencapsulated Bovine Chromaffin Cells In Vitro: Effect of Density and Coseeding with a NGF-Releasing Cell Line
Immobilization of discrete cell clusters
within a partially crosslinked matrix prevents
reaggregation of primary tissues and may
provide a means for long-term maintenance of
encapsulated cells. Dissociated bovine adrenal
chromaffin (BAC) cells were suspended
throughout crosslinked polyanionic microspheres
previously shown to be selectively
permeable. Microcapsules approximately 500
µm in diameter were seeded with: 1) three
different densities of BAC cells; and 2) BAC
cells suspended in Matrigel®
or coseeded with a
genetically modified nerve growth factor (NGF)-
releasing fibroblast cell line. Each group was
analyzed in vitro at 1, 4 and 8 weeks for
spontaneous and potassium-evoked release of
catecholamines, and maintained in vitro for up
to 12 weeks for morphological observations.
Over time, release of norepinephrine (NE) and
epinephrine (EPI) diminished, while dopamine
(DA) remained constant from the monoseeded
capsules. In the coseeded group, an increase in
potassium-evoked release of DA was observed
from 1 to 4 weeks, and remained at that level up
to 8 weeks. Encapsulated chromaffin cells
retained a rounded morphology typical of
undifferentiated cells. Intact chromaffin cells
with well preserved and abundant secretory granules were observed ultrastructurally after 4
weeks in vitro. Small neurites from the chromaffin
cells in the coseeded group were observed at 4
weeks with light microscopy, and up to 12 weeks
with electron microscopy. Under static incubation
conditions, 1 mM D-amphetamine resulted
in a significant increase in the output of NE and
DA from the coseeded capsules 8 weeks postimplantation,
as compared to microcapsules
loaded with chromaffin cells alone. Encapsulation
within an immobilization matrix allows
manipulation of the internal environment,
thereby providing the ability to pre-treat cells
with various factors in a non-invasive manner,
which may enhance long-term cellular viability
Pion and Sigma Polarizabilities and Radiative Transitions
Fermilab E781 plans measurements of gamma-Sigma and -pion
interactions using a 600 GeV beam of Sigmas and pions, and a virtual photon
target. Pion polarizabilities and radiative transitions will be measured in
this experiment. The former can test a precise prediction of chiral symmetry;
the latter for a_1(1260) ----> pi + gamma is important for understanding the
polarizability. The experiment also measures polarizabilities and radiative
transitions for Sigma hyperons. The polarizabilities can test predictions of
baryon chiral perturbation theory. The radiative transitions to the
Sigma*(1385) provide a measure of the magnetic moment of the s-quark. Previous
experimental and theoretical results for gamma-pi and gamma-Sigma interactions
are given. The E781 experiment is described.Comment: 13 pages text (tex), Tel Aviv U. Preprint TAUP 2204-94, uses
Springer-Verlag TEX macro package lecproc.cmm (appended at end of tex file,
following \byebye), which requires extracting lecproc.cmm and putting this
file in your directory in addition to the tex file (mmcd.tex) before tex
processing. lecproc.cmm should be used following instructions and guidelines
available from Springer-Verlag. Submitted to the Proceedings of Workshop on
Chiral Dynamics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, July 1994, Eds. A.
Bernstein, B. Holstein. Replaced Oct. 4 to add TAUP preprint number. Replaced
Oct. 12 to correct Pb target thickness from 1.3% interaction to 0.3
Marine bubble detection using optical-flow techniques
Bubble detection and quantification is of high relevance for the observation of gas and fluid seeps within the marine environment. The presented work suggests and successfully investigates the application of an image processing strategy based on the optical flow concept followed by a customised thresholding and a new segmentation approach. Both are applicable for laboratory conditions and in situ video sequences, as shown for a deep-sea methane vent
Determination of the eta'-proton scattering length in free space
Taking advantage of both the high mass resolution of the COSY-11 detector and
the high energy resolution of the low-emittance proton-beam of the Cooler
Synchrotron COSY we determine the excitation function for the pp --> pp eta'
reaction close-to-threshold. Combining these data with previous results we
extract the scattering length for the eta'-proton potential in free space to be
Re(a_{p eta'}) = 0+-0.43 fm and Im(a_{p eta'}) = 0.37(+0.40)(-0.16) fm.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. Let
Search for the 3He-eta bound state at COSY-11
We have measured excitation function for dp -> ppp_pi- reaction near the eta
production threshold. We observe an enhancement of the counting rate above the
threshold which can originate from the production of the eta meson in the
reaction dp -> 3He eta and its subsequent absorption on neutron in the 3He
nucleus leading to creation of the p_pi- pair.Comment: Presented at 10th International Workshop on Meson Production,
Properties and Interaction (MESON 2008), Cracow, Poland, 6 - 10 June 2008, 4
pages, 4 figures,references adde
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