642 research outputs found
The agrin gene codes for a family of basal lamina proteins that differ in function and distribution
We isolated two cDNAs that encode isoforms of agrin, the basal lamina protein that mediates the motor neuron-induced aggregation of acetylcholine receptors on muscle fibers at the neuromuscular junction. Both proteins are the result of alternative splicing of the product of the agrin gene, but, unlike agrin, they are inactive in standard acetylcholine receptor aggregation assays. They lack one (agrin-related protein 1) or two (agrin-related protein 2) regions in agrin that are required for its activity. Expression studies provide evidence that both proteins are present in the nervous system and muscle and that, in muscle, myofibers and Schwann cells synthesize the agrin-related proteins while the axon terminals of motor neurons are the sole source of agrin
Correlated decay of triplet excitations in the Shastry-Sutherland compound SrCu(BO)
The temperature dependence of the gapped triplet excitations (triplons) in
the 2D Shastry-Sutherland quantum magnet SrCu(BO) is studied by
means of inelastic neutron scattering. The excitation amplitude rapidly
decreases as a function of temperature while the integrated spectral weight can
be explained by an isolated dimer model up to 10~K. Analyzing this anomalous
spectral line-shape in terms of damped harmonic oscillators shows that the
observed damping is due to a two-component process: one component remains sharp
and resolution limited while the second broadens. We explain the underlying
mechanism through a simple yet quantitatively accurate model of correlated
decay of triplons: an excited triplon is long-lived if no thermally populated
triplons are near-by but decays quickly if there are. The phenomenon is a
direct consequence of frustration induced triplon localization in the
Shastry--Sutherland lattice.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure
Bound states and field-polarized Haldane modes in a quantum spin ladder
The challenge of one-dimensional systems is to understand their physics
beyond the level of known elementary excitations. By high-resolution neutron
spectroscopy in a quantum spin ladder material, we probe the leading
multiparticle excitation by characterizing the two-magnon bound state at zero
field. By applying high magnetic fields, we create and select the singlet
(longitudinal) and triplet (transverse) excitations of the fully spin-polarized
ladder, which have not been observed previously and are close analogs of the
modes anticipated in a polarized Haldane chain. Theoretical modelling of the
dynamical response demonstrates our complete quantitative understanding of
these states.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures plus supplementary material 7 pages 5 figure
Characterisation of alpha-dystrobrevin in muscle
Dystrophin-related and associated proteins are important for the formation and maintenance of the mammalian neuromuscular junction. Initial studies in the electric organ of Torpedo californica showed that the dystrophin-related protein dystrobrevin (87K) co-purifies with the acetylcholine receptors and other postsynaptic proteins. Dystrobrevin is also a major phosphotyrosine-containing protein in the postsynaptic membrane. Since inhibitors of tyrosine protein phosphorylation block acetylcholine receptor clustering in cultured muscle cells, we examined the role of alpha-dystrobrevin during synapse formation and in response to agrin. Using specific antibodies, we show that C2 myoblasts and early myotubes only produce alpha-dystrobrevin-1, the mammalian orthologue of Torpedo dystrobrevin, whereas mature skeletal muscle expresses three distinct alpha-dystrobrevin isoforms. In myotubes, alpha-dystrobrevin-1 is found on the cell surface and also in acetylcholine receptor-rich domains. Following agrin stimulation, alpha-dystrobrevin-1 becomes re-localised beneath the cell surface into macroclusters that contain acetylcholine receptors and another dystrophin-related protein, utrophin. This redistribution is not associated with tyrosine phosphorylation of alpha-dystrobrevin-1 by agrin. Furthermore, we show that alpha-dystrobrevin-1 is associated with both utrophin in C2 cells and dystrophin in mature skeletal muscle. Thus alpha-dystrobrevin-1 is a component of two protein complexes in muscle, one with utrophin at the neuromuscular junction and the other with dystrophin at the sarcolemma. These results indicate that alpha-dystrobrevin-1 is not involved in the phosphorylation-dependent, early stages of receptor clustering, but rather in the stabilisation and maturation of clusters, possibly via an interaction with utrophin
Diverging thermal expansion of the spin-ladder system (CHN)CuBr
We present high-resolution measurements of the -axis thermal
expansion and magnetostriction of piperidinium copper bromide \hp. The
experimental data at low temperatures is well accounted for by a two-leg
spin-ladder Hamiltonian. The thermal expansion shows a complex behaviour with
various sign changes and approaches a divergence at the critical
fields. All low-temperature features are semi-quantitatively explained within a
free fermion model; full quantitative agreement is obtained with Quantum Monte
Carlo simulations.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figures; version 2 is slightly shortened and typos are
correcte
Academic freedom in Europe: reviewing UNESCOâs recommendation
This paper examines the compliance of universities in the European Union with the UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of HigherâEducation Teaching Personnel, which deals primarily with protection for academic freedom. The paper briefly surveys the European genesis of the modern research university and academic freedom, before evaluating compliance with the UNESCO recommendation on institutional autonomy, academic freedom, university governance and tenure. Following from this, the paper examines the reasons for the generally low level of compliance with the UNESCO Recommendation within the EU states, and considers how such compliance could be improved
BRST analysis of topologically massive gauge theory: novel observations
A dynamical non-Abelian 2-form gauge theory (with B \wedge F term) is endowed
with the "scalar" and "vector" gauge symmetry transformations. In our present
endeavor, we exploit the latter gauge symmetry transformations and perform the
Becchi-Rouet-Stora-Tyutin (BRST) analysis of the four (3 + 1)-dimensional (4D)
topologically massive non-Abelian 2-form gauge theory. We demonstrate the
existence of some novel features that have, hitherto, not been observed in the
context of BRST approach to 4D (non-)Abelian 1-form as well as Abelian 2-form
and 3-form gauge theories. We comment on the differences between the novel
features that emerge in the BRST analysis of the "scalar" and "vector" gauge
symmetries of the theory.Comment: LaTeX file, 14 pages, an appendix added, references expanded, version
to appear in EPJ
Multi-graviton theory, a latticized dimension, and the cosmological constant
Beginning with the Pauli-Fierz theory, we construct a model for
multi-graviton theory. Couplings between gravitons belonging to
nearest-neighbor ``theory spaces'' lead to a discrete mass spectrum. Our model
coincides with the Kaluza-Klein theory whose fifth dimension is latticized.
We evaluate one-loop vacuum energy in models with a circular latticized extra
dimension as well as with compact continuous dimensions. We find that the
vacuum energy can take a positive value, if the dimension of the continuous
space time is . Moreover, since the amount of the vacuum energy can
be an arbitrary small value according to the choice of parameters in the model,
our models is useful to explain the small positive dark energy in the present
universe.Comment: 10 pages, No figure. Needs REVTeX4. citations are corrected and minor
correction
Electromagnon dispersion probed by inelastic X-ray scattering in LiCrO2
Inelastic X-ray scattering with meV energy resolution (IXS) is an ideal tool to measure collective excitations in solids and liquids. In non-resonant scattering condition, the cross-section is strongly dominated by lattice vibrations (phonons). However, it is possible to probe additional degrees of freedom such as magnetic fluctuations that are strongly coupled to the phonons. The IXS spectrum of the coupled system contains not only the phonon dispersion but also the so far undetected magnetic correlation function. Here we report the observation of strong magnon-phonon coupling in LiCrO2 that enables the measurement of magnetic correlations throughout the Brillouin zone via IXS. We find electromagnon excitations and electric dipole active two-magnon excitations in the magnetically ordered phase and heavily damped electromagnons in the paramagnetic phase of LiCrO2. We predict that several (frustrated) magnets with dominant direct exchange and non-collinear magnetism show surprisingly large IXS cross-section for magnons and multi-magnon processes
Field-induced anisotropy in the quasi-two-dimensional weakly anisotropic antiferromagnet [CuCl(pyz)2]BF4
We measured NMR and magnetic susceptibility for the quasi-two-dimensional, weakly XY-like, spin-1/2 square-lattice Heisenberg antiferromagnet [CuCl(pyz)(2)]BF4 (pyz = pyrazine = N2C4H4) near the critical temperature. The Neel temperature T-N and the order-parameter critical exponent beta were obtained from the NMR line broadening as a function of temperature. As the applied field strength (H parallel to c) was increased, T-N increased and beta decreased. This behavior indicates that the field effectively enhanced XY anisotropy. The susceptibility as a function of temperature did not show a clear feature for T_N, but showed field-dependent minima below T_N for both H parallel to c and H parallel to ab, where minimum features disappeared for ÎŒH_0 > 2T
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