Networks and chain coverings in partial orders and their products

For an arbitrary poset P, subposets {P _i : 1ik} form a transitive basis of P if P is the transitive closure of their union. Let u be the minimum size of a covering of P by chains within posets of the basis, s the maximum size of a family of elements with no pair comparable in any basis poset, and a the maximum size of an antichain in P. Define a dense covering to be a collection D of chains within basis posets such that each element belongs to a chain in D within each basis poset and is the top of at least k-1 chains and the bottom of at least k-1 chains in D. Dense coverings generalize ordinary chain coverings of poset. Let d=min {|D|–(k–1)|P|}. For an arbitrary poset and transitive basis, a convenient network model for dense coverings yields the following: Theorem 1: da, with equality iff P has a minimum chain decomposition in which every pair of consecutive elements on each chain are comparable in some basis poset. Theorem 2: usda. Theorem 3: s=d iff s=a. The most interesting special case is where the transitive basis expresses P as the product of two posets, in which case u and s measure the minimum and maximum sizes of unichain coverings and semiantichains.     

Self-injection length in La0.7Ca0.3MnO3-YBa2Cu3O7-δ ferromagnet-superconductor multilayer thin films

We have carried out extensive studies on the self-injection problem in barrierless heterojunctions between La_0.7Ca_0.3MnO₃ (LCMO) and YBa₂Cu₃O_7-δ (YBCO) thin films. The heterojunctions were formed in situ by sequentially growing LCMO and YBCO films on 〈100〉 LaAlO₃ (LAO) substrate using a pulsed laser deposition (PLD) system. YBCO micro-bridges with 64 μm width were patterned both on the LAO (control) and LCMO side of the substrate. Critical current, I _c, was measured at 77 K on both the control side as well as the LCMO side for different YBCO film thickness. It was observed that while the control side showed a J _c of ∼ 2 × 10⁶ A/cm², the LCMO side showed about half the value for the same thickness (1800 ?). The difference in J _c indicates that a certain thickness of YBCO has become ‘effectively’ normal due to self-injection. From the measurement of J _c at two different thicknesses (1800 ? and 1500 ?) of YBCO films both on the LAO as well as the LCMO side, the value of self-injection length (at 77 K) was estimated to be ∼ 900 ?. To the authors’ best knowledge, this is the first time that self-injection length has been quantified. A control experiment carried out with LaNiO₃ deposited by PLD on YBCO did not show any evidence of self-injection.     

2-Position base-modified analogues of adenophostin A as high-affinity agonists of the D-myo-inositol trisphosphate receptor: in vitro evaluation and molecular modeling

Adenophostin A (AdA) is a potent agonist of the d-myo-inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor (Ins(1,4,5)P3R). Various 2-aminopurine analogues of AdA were synthesized, all of which (guanophostin 5, 2,6-diaminopurinophostin 6, 2-aminopurinophostin 7, and chlorophostin 8) are more potent than 2-methoxy-N6-methyl AdA, the only benchmark of this class. The 2-amino-6-chloropurine nucleoside 11, from Vorbrüggen condensation of 2-amino-6-chloropurine with appropriately protected disaccharide, served as the advanced common precursor for all the analogues. Alcoholysis provided the precursor for 5, ammonolysis at high temperature the precursor for 6, and ammonolysis under mild conditions the precursor for synthesis of 7 and 8. For 8, the debenzylation of precursor leaving the chlorine untouched was achieved by judicious use of BCl3. The reduced potency of chlorophostin 8 and higher potency of guanophostin 5 in assays of Ca2+ release via recombinant Ins(1,4,5)P3R are in agreement with our model suggesting a cation-pi interaction between AdA and Ins(1,4,5)P3R. The similar potencies of 2,6-diaminopurinophostin (6) and 2-aminopurinophostin (7) concur with previous reports that the 6-NH2 moiety contributes negligibly to the potency of AdA. Molecular modeling of the 2-amino derivatives suggests an interaction between the carboxylate side chain of Glu505 of the receptor and the 2-NH2 of the ligand, but for 2-methoxy-N6-methyl AdA the carboxylate group of Glu505 is deflected away from the methoxy group. A helix-dipole interaction between the 1-phosphate of Ins(1,4,5)P3 and the 2'-phosphate of AdA with alpha-helix 6 of Ins(1,4,5)P3R is postulated. The results support a proposed model for high-affinity binding of AdA to Ins(1,4,5)P3R.     

Synthesis of 4,8-anhydro-d-glycero-d-ido-nonanitol 1,6,7-trisphosphate as a novel IP3 receptor ligand using a stereoselective radical cyclization reaction based on a conformational restriction strategy

4,8-Anhydro-d-glycero-d-ido-nonanitol 1,6,7-trisphosphate (9), designed as a novel IP₃ receptor ligand having an α-C-glycosidic structure, was synthesized via a radical cyclization reaction with a temporary connecting allylsilyl group as the key-step. Phenyl 2-O-allyldimethylsilyl-3,4-bis-O-TBS-1-seleno-β-d-glucopyranoside (10a), conformationally restricted in the unusual ¹C₄-conformation, was treated with Bu₃SnH/AIBN to form the desired α-cyclization product 16a almost quantitatively. On the other hand, when a conformationally unrestricted O-benzyl-protected 2-O-allyldimethylsilyl -1-selenoglucoside 15 was used as the substrate, the radical reaction was not stereoselective and gave a mixture of the α-and β-products. From 16a, the target C-glucoside trisphosphate 9 was synthesized via phosphorylation of the hydroxyls by the phosphoramidite method. During the synthetic study, an efficient procedure for the oxidative C-Si bond cleavage, via a nucleophilic substitution at the silicon with p-MeOPhLi followed by Fleming oxidation, was developed. The C-glycoside 9 was found to be a full agonist for Ca²⁺ mobilization, although its activity was weaker than that of the natural ligand IP₃. Thus, the α-C-glucosidic structure was shown to be a useful mimic of the myo-inositol backbone of IP₃.     

The CASPAR recoil discrimination detector for WIMP searches with calcium and fluorine

We present the results of development work on the CASPAR (‘Cocktail with Alkali-halide Scintillating PARticles’) WIMP Dark Matter detector. The results of Monte Carlo simulations and neutron-scattering tests indicate that even a modest sized detector should provide improved spin-dependent WIMP sensitivity.     

Affirmative action algorithms

Affirmative action is a new variety of selection rule which employs historical information to favor the choice of elements that have not been selected in the past. We categorize three implementations of this principle and discuss their application to the simplex method, to Bard-type schemes for the linear complementarity problem, and to augmenting path methods for network flow problems. We present analytical and computational results, and some open questions.Research supported by the Georgia Institute of Technology.Research supported by the New Faculty Research Development Program of the Georgia Institute of Technology. Reproduction in whole or in part is permitted for any purpose of the U.S. Government.     

Background and signal estimation for a low mass Higgs boson at the LHC

The discovery of the Higgs boson(s) is the major goal of the LHC which will start taking data in 2008. In this work a data driven extraction of the background and statistical signal significance in the H→ZZ→4ℓ decay channel is presented. The background for Higgs masses as low as 130 GeV can be extracted with an error of 20%, using a sideband measurement from a single 30 fb^-1 experiment. The predicted background distribution is best described by a double asymmetric Gaussian. An analytic formula is introduced which provides an accurate p-value that a Higgs discovery claim is consistent with a background fluctuation. The formula can be used in a single real measurement at LHC using as input the measured background and the profile likelihood asymmetric errors of this measurement. The method presented here can be applied to the general case of extrapolating from a signal-free data region to a candidate signal region. This is the case of supersymmetry searches at the LHC. PACS  14.80.Bn; 06.20.Dk     

Evidence for double dissociation in K-p interactions at 14.3 GeV/c

We have studied the reaction K^-p → K^-π⁺π^-π⁺π^-p at 14.3 GeV/c to search for evidence of the double dissociation process $\text{K}{}^{\mathrm{-}}\text{p}\text{→}\text{QN}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>1</mtext><mtext>2</mtext>}}{}^1$. In the channel $\text{K}{}^{\mathrm{-}}\text{p}\text{→}\text{K}{}^{10}\text{(890)}$π₁^-π₂^-Δ⁺⁺ (1236) there is evidence for simultaneous production of low-mass enhancements in the $\text{K}{}^{10}\text{π}{}_1{}^{\mathrm{-}}$ and Δ⁺⁺(1236)π₂^- subsystems which correspond to the $\text{Q}\text{→}\text{K}{}^1\text{(890)π}$ and $\text{N}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>1</mtext><mtext>2</mtext>}}{}^1\text{→ Δπ}$ decay modes. In this particular final state the double fragmentation system is produced with a cross section of the order of a few microbarns. Our data are consistent with the factorizable pomeron exchange model of double diffractive dissociation.