QCD-Electroweak First-Order Phase Transition in a Supercooled Universe.

If the electroweak sector of the standard model is described by classically conformal dynamics, the early Universe evolution can be substantially altered. It is already known that-contrarily to the standard model case-a first-order electroweak phase transition may occur. Here we show that, depending on the model parameters, a dramatically different scenario may happen: A first-order, six massless quark QCD phase transition occurs first, which then triggers the electroweak symmetry breaking.

Kinetochore assembly and function through the cell cycle.

The kinetochore is an essential structure for the chromosome segregation machinery in eukaryotes; it serves as a bridge between the spindle microtubules and chromosomes. The kinetochore consists of multiple interconnecting components on the centromere; therefore, understanding its formation, molecular function, and regulation has remained an ongoing challenge. Recent studies have provided new insights into centromere identity, kinetochore assembly, and function.

Biochemical and Structural Analysis of Kinetochore Histone-Fold Complexes.

The kinetochore connects chromosomes to microtubules during mitosis and therefore plays an essential role in faithful chromosome segregation. It is built at the centromeric region of the chromosome and is comprised of many protein complexes. CENP-S, -T, -W, and -X are kinetochore components with histone-folds.

Robust Clustering Method in the Presence of Scattered Observations.

Contamination of scattered observations, which are either featureless or unlike the other observations, frequently degrades the performance of standard methods such as K-means and model-based clustering. In this letter, we propose a robust clustering method in the presence of scattered observations called Gamma-clust. Gamma-clust is based on a robust estimation for cluster centers using gamma-divergence.

Chromatin binding of RCC1 during mitosis is important for its nuclear localization in interphase.

RCC1, a guanine nucleotide exchange factor of the small GTPase Ran, plays various roles throughout the cell cycle. However, the functions of RCC1 in biological processes in vivo are still unclear. In particular, although RCC1 has multifunctional domains, the biological significance of each domain is unclear.

Dynamic changes in CCAN organization through CENP-C during cell-cycle progression.

The kinetochore is a crucial structure for faithful chromosome segregation during mitosis and is formed in the centromeric region of each chromosome. The 16-subunit protein complex known as the constitutive centromere-associated network (CCAN) forms the foundation for kinetochore assembly on the centromeric chromatin. Although the CCAN can be divided into several subcomplexes, it remains unclear how CCAN proteins are organized to form the functional kinetochore.

HJURP is involved in the expansion of centromeric chromatin.

The CENP-A-specific chaperone HJURP mediates CENP-A deposition at centromeres. The N-terminal region of HJURP is responsible for binding to soluble CENP-A. However, it is unclear whether other regions of HJURP have additional functions for centromere formation and maintenance.

Chromosomes Progress to Metaphase in Multiple Discrete Steps via Global Compaction/Expansion Cycles.

Mammalian mitotic chromosome morphogenesis was analyzed by 4D live-cell and snapshot deconvolution fluorescence imaging. Prophase chromosomes, whose organization was previously unknown, are revealed to comprise co-oriented sister linear loop arrays displayed along a single, peripheral, regularly kinked topoisomerase II/cohesin/condensin II axis. Thereafter, rather than smooth, progressive compaction as generally envisioned, progression to metaphase is a discontinuous process involving chromosome expansion as well as compaction.

The centromere: chromatin foundation for the kinetochore machinery.

Since discovery of the centromere-specific histone H3 variant CENP-A, centromeres have come to be defined as chromatin structures that establish the assembly site for the complex kinetochore machinery. In most organisms, centromere activity is defined epigenetically, rather than by specific DNA sequences. In this review, we describe selected classic work and recent progress in studies of centromeric chromatin with a focus on vertebrates.

Establishment of the vertebrate kinetochores.

The centromere is essential for accurate chromosome segregation during mitosis and meiosis to achieve transmission of genetic information to daughter cells. To facilitate accurate chromosome segregation, the centromere serves several specific functions, including microtubule binding, spindle-checkpoint control, and sister chromatid cohesion. The kinetochore is formed on the centromere to achieve these functions.

Photoabsorption cross section of C70 thin films from visible to vacuum ultraviolet.

Absolute photoabsorption cross sections of C(70) thin films were determined for hv values from 1.3 to 42 eV using photon attenuation. The spectrum showed a prominent peak of 1320 Mb at 21.

Relative partial cross sections for single, double, and triple photoionization of C60 and C70.

Partial cross sections for the photoion formation from C(60) and C(70) were determined from the yields of singly, doubly, and triply charged ions which were measured by mass spectrometry combined with tunable synchrotron radiation at hnu = 25-120 eV. The dependence of the detection efficiencies on the mass-to-charge ratio was evaluated by using the formula proposed by Twerenbold et al. Corrections of the detection efficiency were found to be critical for obtaining accurate partial cross sections for photoionization of fullerenes.

Morphological and spectroscopic properties of thin films of self-assembling amphiphilic porphyrins on a hydrophilic surface as revealed by scanning near-field optical microscopy.

We fabricated porphyrin thin films on mica surfaces from acidic aqueous solutions of the preorganized H-aggregates of amphiphilic porphyrins by the simple spin-coating method. The morphological and spectroscopic properties of the film were investigated by scanning near-field optical microscopy. The results obtained in this study demonstrate that the preorganized structure in solution can be transferred as a thin film with a thickness of the monolayer level without losing their substantial structure and photophysical properties.

The neural mechanisms of perceptual filling-in.

Filling-in is a perceptual phenomenon in which a visual attribute such as colour, brightness, texture or motion is perceived in a region of the visual field even though such an attribute exists only in the surround. Filling-in dramatically reveals the dissociation between the retinal input and the percept, and raises fundamental questions about how these two relate to each other. Filling-in is observed in various situations, and is an essential part of our normal surface perception.

Development of GABAergic neurons from the ventricular zone in the superior colliculus of the mouse.

The superior colliculus (SC) is a layered structure in the midbrain and is particularly rich in gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). The present investigation aimed to determine whether the development of GABAergic neurons in the SC is common to that of the neocortex in which they are produced in a distinct area called the ganglionic eminence and are transported by tangential migration. A green fluorescent protein (GFP) knock-in mouse was used in which a GFP gene was introduced into the gene for glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) 67 and all GABAergic neurons were fluorescent.

Cycloisomerization of 1,6-enynes: asymmetric multistep preparation of a hydrindane framework in water with polymeric catalysts.

[Reaction: see text] Cycloisomerization of 1,6-enynes proceeded smoothly in water under heterogeneous conditions in the presence of a palladium complex supported on polystyrene-poly(ethylene glycol) copolymer resin to give the corresponding cyclopentanes with a high level of chemical greenness. Multistep asymmetric synthesis of a hydrindane framework was achieved via palladium-catalyzed asymmetric pi-allylic alkylation, propargylation, and cycloisomerization of 1,6-enynes, where all three steps were performed in water with recyclable polymeric catalysts.

Enhancement of excitatory postsynaptic potentials by preceding application of acetylcholine in mesencephalic dopamine neurons.

Previously, we reported that Ca(2+) influx through nicotinic acetylcholine (ACh) receptors (nAChRs) activates a fulfenamic acid (FFA)-sensitive inward current, presumably a Ca(2+)-activated nonselective cation current (I(CAN)), in mesencephalic dopamine (DA) neurons. This current exhibited a negative slope conductance in the voltage range between -80 and -40mV and its activation led to a dramatic change in the responses to a transient application of glutamate, from single spikes to burst discharges. In this study, to examine the effect of activation of the FFA-sensitive current on EPSPs, we applied ACh (1mM) by transient air pressure shortly before electrical stimulation to evoke EPSPs in DA neurons.

Ca2+-dependent inward current induced by nicotinic receptor activation depends on Ca2+/calmodulin-CaMKII pathway in dopamine neurons.

It is well known that midbrain dopamine (DA) neurons receive massive projection from cholinergic neurons in the brainstem. In our preceding report, we showed that Ca(2+)-influx through nicotinic acetylcholine (ACh) receptors in the DA neurons subsequently activated an inward current that was sensitive to fulfenamic acid (FFA) and phenytoin, presumably a Ca(2+)-activated non-selective cation current. The FFA-sensitive current exhibited a negative slope conductance and predominantly enhanced the depolarizing responses of DA neurons.

Fulfenamic acid sensitive, Ca(2+)-dependent inward current induced by nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in dopamine neurons.

Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) exhibit high Ca(2+) permeabilities and the Ca(2+)-influx through the nAChRs may be involved in regulation of a variety of signal processing in the postsynaptic neurons. The mesencephalic dopamine (DA) neurons receive cholinergic inputs from the brainstem and express abundant nAChRs. Here we report that the Ca(2+)-influx induced by a transient pressure application of ACh activates an inward current mediated by nAChRs and subsequently an inward current component that is sensitive to fulfenamic acid (FFA) and phenytoin, presumably a Ca(2+)-activated nonselective cation current in the DA neurons in the midbrain slices of the rat.

Drosophila FACT contributes to Hox gene expression through physical and functional interactions with GAGA factor.

Chromatin structure plays a critical role in the regulation of transcription. Drosophila GAGA factor directs chromatin remodeling to its binding sites. We show here that Drosophila FACT (facilitates chromatin transcription), a heterodimer of dSPT16 and dSSRP1, is associated with GAGA factor through its dSSRP1 subunit, binds to a nucleosome, and facilitates GAGA factor-directed chromatin remodeling.

Robust blind source separation by beta divergence.

Blind source separation is aimed at recovering original independent signals when their linear mixtures are observed. Various methods for estimating a recovering matrix have been proposed and applied to data in many fields, such as biological signal processing, communication engineering, and financial market data analysis. One problem these methods have is that they are often too sensitive to outliers, and the existence of a few outliers might change the estimate drastically.

Fully state-resolved differential cross sections for the inelastic scattering of the open-shell NO molecule by Ar.

State-resolved differential cross sections (DCSs) for the inelastic scattering of NO(j" = 0.5, Omega" = 1/2) + Ar --> NO(j', Omega' = 1/2, 3/2) + Ar were obtained at a collision energy of 516 cm(-1), both experimentally and theoretically. A crossed molecular beam ion-imaging apparatus was used to measure DCSs for 20 final (j', Omega') states, including spin-orbit conserving (DeltaOmega = 0) and changing (DeltaOmega = 1) transitions.

Creation and characterization of temperature-sensitive CENP-C mutants in vertebrate cells.

CENP-C is an evolutionarily conserved centromere protein that is thought to be an important component in kinetochore assembly in vertebrate cells. However, the functional role of CENP-C in cell cycle progression remains unclear. To further understand CENP-C function, we developed a method incorporating the hyper-recombinogenic chicken B lymphocyte cell line DT40 to create several temperature-sensitive CENP-C mutants in DT40 cells.

CENP-H, a constitutive centromere component, is required for centromere targeting of CENP-C in vertebrate cells.

CENP-H has recently been discovered as a constitutive component of the centromere that co-localizes with CENP-A and CENP-C throughout the cell cycle. The precise function, however, remains poorly understood. We examined the role of CENP-H in centromere function and assembly by generating a conditional loss-of-function mutant in the chicken DT40 cell line.