Rationality of Euler-Chow series and finite generation of Cox rings

In this paper we work with a series whose coefficients are the Euler characteristic of Chow varieties of a given projective variety. For varieties where the Cox ring is defined, it is easy to see that in this case the ring associated to the series is the Cox ring. If this ring is noetherian then the series is rational. It is an open question whether the converse holds. In this paper we give an example showing the converse fails. However we conjecture that it holds when the variety is rationally connected. As an evidence of this conjecture, It is proved that the series is not rational, and in a sense defined, not algebraic, in the case of the blowup of the projective plane at nine or more points in general position. Furthermore, we also treat some other examples of varieties with infinitely generated Cox ring, studied by Mukai and Hassett-Tschinkel. These are the first examples known where the series is not rational. We also compute the series for Del Pezzo surfaces.Comment: 26 pages. In this last version we correct many typos and add a cite of a work of Artebani and Laface in Theorem 1.6 which was brought to our attention. More typo correction

Subnatural-linewidth biphotons from a Doppler-broadened hot atomic vapor cell

We report the efficient generation of subnatural-linewidth (< 6 MHz, for Rb D1/D2 lines) biphotons from a Doppler-broadened (530 MHz) hot atomic vapor cell. We use on-resonance spontaneous four-wave mixing in a hot paraffin-coated 87Rb vapor cell at 63 C to produce time-frequency entangled photon pairs with controllable bandwidth (1.9 - 3.2 MHz) and coherence time (47 - 94 ns). Our backward phase-matching scheme with optical pumping is the key to minimize the generation of uncorrelated photons from resonance fluorescence. The result paves the way toward miniature narrowband biphoton source based on atomic cell

The Value of Transportation for Improving the Quality of Life of the Rural Elderly

When an elderly individual living in a rural community is no longer able to drive, issues that come with living in an isolated area (i.e. limited access to health and personal services, distance between home and town centers) are exaggerated and the individual may experience a decrease in their quality of life. Public transportation that supports elderly individuals may be an important issue for rural communities to consider in creating an aging-friendly community and maintaining quality of life for residents who are no longer able to drive. The purpose of this research is to obtain an understanding of opinions about public transportation for the elderly held by rural county residents and their WTP for transportation options through an additional vehicle registration fee. To achieve this objective, a survey with choice experiments was distributed to residents in Atascosa and Polk County, Texas in September 2011. Researchers employed a conditional logit model to analyze the choice survey data and examine county residents’ WTP for various transportation options. The results of this study provide public transportation managers insights into the attributes taxpayers expect in transportation routes and programs.Elderly Transportation, Rural Transportation, Rural Elderly, Rural Quality of Life, Community/Rural/Urban Development,

Analysis of two pheromone-responsive conjugative multiresistance plasmids carrying the novel mobile optrA locus from Enterococcus faecalis

Background: The acquired optrA gene, which encodes a ribosomal protection protein of the ABC-F family, can confer cross-resistance to linezolid and florfenicol, posing a serious therapeutic challenge to both human and veterinary medicine. Purpose: The objective of this study was to investigate the two Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis) plasmids for their fine structure, their transferability and the presence of mobile antimicrobial resistance loci. Methods: To elucidate their fine structure, the two plasmids were completely sequenced and the sequences analysed. Besides conjugation experiments, inverse PCR assays were conducted to see whether minicircles are produced from the mobile antimicrobial resistance loci. Results: Two pheromone-responsive conjugative optrA-carrying plasmids from E. faecalis, pE211 and pE508 were identified, which can transfer with frequencies of 2.6 ×10−2 and 3.7 ×10−2 (transconjugant per donor), respectively. In both plasmids, optrA was located on the novel mobile optrA locus with different sizes (12,834 bp in pE211 and 7,561 bp in pE508, respectively), flanked by two copies of IS1216 genes in the same orientation. Inverse PCR revealed that circular forms can be generated, consisting of optrA and one copy of IS1216, indicating they are all active. The 77,562 bp plasmid pE211 also carried Tn558 and a mobile bcrABDR locus, and the 84,468 bp plasmid pE508 also harbored the genes fexA, tet(L), tet(O/W/32/O) and a mobile aac(A)-aph(D) locus. Conclusion: The presence of mobile genetic elements in these plasmids renders them flexible and these elements will aid to the persistence and dissemination of these plasmids among enterococci and potentially also other gram-positive bacteria

Production of Glycopeptide Derivatives for Exploring Substrate Specificity of Human OGA Toward Sugar Moiety.

O-GlcNAcase (OGA) is the only enzyme responsible for removing N-acetyl glucosamine (GlcNAc) attached to serine and threonine residues on proteins. This enzyme plays a key role in O-GlcNAc metabolism. However, the structural features of the sugar moiety recognized by human OGA (hOGA) remain unclear. In this study, a set of glycopeptides with modifications on the GlcNAc residue, were prepared in a recombinant full-length human OGT-catalyzed reaction, using chemoenzymatically synthesized UDP-GlcNAc derivatives. The resulting glycopeptides were used to evaluate the substrate specificity of hOGA toward the sugar moiety. This study will provide insights into the exploration of probes for O-GlcNAc modification, as well as a better understanding of the roles of O-GlcNAc in cellular physiology

Systematic Chemoenzymatic Synthesis of O-Sulfated Sialyl Lewis x Antigens.

O-Sulfated sialyl Lewis x antigens play important roles in nature. However, due to their structural complexity, they are not readily accessible by either chemical or enzymatic synthetic processes. Taking advantage of a bacterial sialyltransferase mutant that can catalyze the transfer of different sialic acid forms from the corresponding sugar nucleotide donors to Lewis x antigens which are fucosylated glycans as well as an efficient one-pot multienzyme (OPME) sialylation system, O-sulfated sialyl Lewis x antigens containing different sialic acid forms and O-sulfation at different locations were systematically synthesized by chemoenzymatic methods

Transmission of H7N9 influenza virus in mice by different infective routes.

BackgroundOn 19 February 2013, the first patient infected with a novel influenza A H7N9 virus from an avian source showed symptoms of sickness. More than 349 laboratory-confirmed cases and 109 deaths have been reported in mainland China since then. Laboratory-confirmed, human-to-human H7N9 virus transmission has not been documented between individuals having close contact; however, this transmission route could not be excluded for three families. To control the spread of the avian influenza H7N9 virus, we must better understand its pathogenesis, transmissibility, and transmission routes in mammals. Studies have shown that this particular virus is transmitted by aerosols among ferrets.MethodsTo study potential transmission routes in animals with direct or close contact to other animals, we investigated these factors in a murine model.ResultsViable H7N9 avian influenza virus was detected in the upper and lower respiratory tracts, intestine, and brain of model mice. The virus was transmissible between mice in close contact, with a higher concentration of virus found in pharyngeal and ocular secretions, and feces. All these biological materials were contagious for naïve mice.ConclusionsOur results suggest that the possible transmission routes for the H7N9 influenza virus were through mucosal secretions and feces

Prognostic value of MRI-derived masticator space involvement in IMRT-treated nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients

OBJECTIVES: This retrospective study reassessed nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients treated with intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), to determine the significance how magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-derived masticator space involvement (MSI) affected patients’ prognosis. METHODS: One thousand one hundred ninety seven NPC patients who had complete set of MRI and medical records were enrolled. Basing on their MRI findings, the T-categories of tumors were identified according to the seventh edition of American Joint Committee on Cancer staging system, which considers MSI a prognostic indicator for NPCs. Rates of overall survival (OS), local relapse-free survival (LRFS), regional relapse-free survival (RRFS) and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) were analyzed by the Kaplan-Meier method, and the Log-Rank test compared their differences. Cox regression analysis was employed to evaluate various prognostic factors systematically. Statistical analyses were conducted with SPSS 18.0 software, P value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Medial pterygoid muscle (MPM) was involved in 283 (23.64 %) cases, of which lateral pterygoid muscle (LPM) was concurrently affected in 181 (15.12 %) and infratemporal fossa (ITF) in 19 (1.59 %). Generally, MSI correlated with an OS, LRFS, and DMFS consistent with a T4-stage diagnosis (P > 0.05). Although different degrees of MSI presented a similar OS and DMFS (P > 0.1), tumors involving LPM had a relatively poorer LRFS than those affected the MPM only (P = 0.027), even for subgroup of patients composed of T3 and T4 classifications (P = 0.035). A tumor involving MPM brought an LRFS consistent with a T2 or T3-stage disease (P > 0.1). If the tumor affected LPM or ITF concurrently, the survival outcomes were more consistent with a T4-stage disease (P > 0.1). Nevertheless, compared to tumor infiltrating MPM, those invading LPM or ITF more frequently spread into other concurrent sites that earned higher T-staging categories. Moreover, multivariate analyses indicated the degree of MSI was a significant prognostic factor for the OS of NPCs (P = 0.036). CONCLUSIONS: Degree of MSI is a significant prognosticator for the OS of IMRT-treated NPCs, and the prognosis of patients with lateral MSI extension (LPM and ITF) were shown to be significantly worse than those affected only MPM or the T3-stage disease. Thus, it is highly recommended that lateral MSI extension be a higher T-staging category