@misc{5387, abstract = {We consider Markov Decision Processes (MDPs) with mean-payoff parity and energy parity objectives. In system design, the parity objective is used to encode ω-regular specifications, and the mean-payoff and energy objectives can be used to model quantitative resource constraints. The energy condition re- quires that the resource level never drops below 0, and the mean-payoff condi- tion requires that the limit-average value of the resource consumption is within a threshold. While these two (energy and mean-payoff) classical conditions are equivalent for two-player games, we show that they differ for MDPs. We show that the problem of deciding whether a state is almost-sure winning (i.e., winning with probability 1) in energy parity MDPs is in NP ∩ coNP, while for mean- payoff parity MDPs, the problem is solvable in polynomial time, improving a recent PSPACE bound.}, author = {Chatterjee, Krishnendu and Doyen, Laurent}, issn = {2664-1690}, pages = {20}, publisher = {IST Austria}, title = {{Energy and mean-payoff parity Markov decision processes}}, doi = {10.15479/AT:IST-2011-0001}, year = {2011}, } @article{580, author = {Onur Hosten}, journal = {Nature}, number = {7350}, pages = {170 -- 171}, publisher = {Nature Publishing Group}, title = {{Quantum physics: How to catch a wave}}, doi = {10.1038/474170a}, volume = {474}, year = {2011}, } @inproceedings{585, abstract = {We present two independent schemes for the precise focusing of orthogonal polarizations of light at arbitrary relative locations. The first scheme uses a polarization Sagnac interferometer, the second a set of three birefringent elements. }, author = {Schmid, David and Hazrat, Shiraz and Rangarajan, Radhika and Onur Hosten and Quint, Stephan and Kwiat, Paul G}, publisher = {OSA}, title = {{Methods towards achieving precise birefringent focusing}}, doi = {10.1364/CLEO_AT.2011.JThB130}, year = {2011}, } @article{586, abstract = {We demonstrate a Raman laser using cold Rb87 atoms as the gain medium in a high-finesse optical cavity. We observe robust continuous wave lasing in the atypical regime where single atoms can considerably affect the cavity field. Consequently, we discover unusual lasing threshold behavior in the system causing jumps in lasing power, and propose a model to explain the effect. We also measure the intermode laser linewidth, and observe values as low as 80Hz. The tunable gain properties of this laser suggest multiple directions for future research.}, author = {Vrijsen, Geert and Onur Hosten and Lee, Jongmin and Bernon, Simon and Kasevich, Mark A}, journal = {Physical Review Letters}, number = {6}, publisher = {American Physical Society}, title = {{Raman lasing with a cold atom gain medium in a high-finesse optical cavity}}, doi = {10.1103/PhysRevLett.107.063904}, volume = {107}, year = {2011}, } @article{597, abstract = {The macromolecular assembly required to initiate transcription of protein-coding genes, known as the Pre-Initiation Complex (PIC), consists of multiple protein complexes and is approximately 3.5 MDa in size. At the heart of this assembly is the Mediator complex, which helps regulate PIC activity and interacts with the RNA polymerase II (pol II) enzyme. The structure of the human Mediator-pol II interface is not well-characterized, whereas attempts to structurally define the Mediator-pol II interaction in yeast have relied on incomplete assemblies of Mediator and/or pol II and have yielded inconsistent interpretations. We have assembled the complete, 1.9 MDa human Mediator-pol II-TFIIF complex from purified components and have characterized its structural organization using cryo-electron microscopy and single-particle reconstruction techniques. The orientation of pol II within this assembly was determined by crystal structure docking and further validated with projection matching experiments, allowing the structural organization of the entire human PIC to be envisioned. Significantly, pol II orientation within the Mediator-pol II-TFIIF assembly can be reconciled with past studies that determined the location of other PIC components relative to pol II itself. Pol II surfaces required for interacting with TFIIB, TFIIE, and promoter DNA (i.e., the pol II cleft) are exposed within the Mediator-pol II-TFIIF structure; RNA exit is unhindered along the RPB4/7 subunits; upstream and downstream DNA is accessible for binding additional factors; and no major structural re-organization is necessary to accommodate the large, multi-subunit TFIIH or TFIID complexes. The data also reveal how pol II binding excludes Mediator-CDK8 subcomplex interactions and provide a structural basis for Mediator-dependent control of PIC assembly and function. Finally, parallel structural analysis of Mediator-pol II complexes lacking TFIIF reveal that TFIIF plays a key role in stabilizing pol II orientation within the assembly.}, author = {Bernecky, Carrie A and Grob, Patricia and Ebmeier, Christopher and Nogales, Eva and Taatjes, Dylan}, journal = {PLoS Biology}, number = {3}, publisher = {Public Library of Science}, title = {{Molecular architecture of the human Mediator-RNA polymerase II-TFIIF assembly}}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pbio.1000603}, volume = {9}, year = {2011}, } @article{6137, abstract = {Variation in food quality and abundance requires animals to decide whether to stay on a poor food patch or leave in search of better food. An important question in behavioral ecology asks when is it optimal for an animal to leave a food patch it is depleting. Although optimal foraging is central to evolutionary success, the neural and molecular mechanisms underlying it are poorly understood. Here we investigate the neuronal basis for adaptive food-leaving behavior in response to resource depletion in Caenorhabditis elegans, and identify several of the signaling pathways involved. The ASE neurons, previously implicated in salt chemoattraction, promote food-leaving behavior via a cGMP pathway as food becomes limited. High ambient O2 promotes food-leaving via the O2-sensing neurons AQR, PQR, and URX. Ectopic activation of these neurons using channelrhodopsin is sufficient to induce high food-leaving behavior. In contrast, the neuropeptide receptor NPR-1, which regulates social behavior on food, acts in the ASE neurons, the nociceptive ASH neurons, and in the RMG interneuron to repress food-leaving. Finally, we show that neuroendocrine signaling by TGF-β/DAF-7 and neuronal insulin signaling are necessary for adaptive food-leaving behavior. We suggest that animals integrate information about their nutritional state with ambient oxygen and gustatory stimuli to formulate optimal foraging strategies.}, author = {Milward, K. and Busch, K. E. and Murphy, R. J. and de Bono, Mario and Olofsson, B.}, issn = {0027-8424}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences}, number = {51}, pages = {20672--20677}, publisher = {National Academy of Sciences}, title = {{Neuronal and molecular substrates for optimal foraging in Caenorhabditis elegans}}, doi = {10.1073/pnas.1106134109}, volume = {108}, year = {2011}, } @article{6138, author = {Bretscher, Andrew Jonathan and Kodama-Namba, Eiji and Busch, Karl Emanuel and Murphy, Robin Joseph and Soltesz, Zoltan and Laurent, Patrick and de Bono, Mario}, issn = {0896-6273}, journal = {Neuron}, number = {6}, pages = {1099--1113}, publisher = {Elsevier BV}, title = {{Temperature, oxygen, and salt-sensing neurons in C. elegans are carbon dioxide sensors that control avoidance behavior}}, doi = {10.1016/j.neuron.2011.02.023}, volume = {69}, year = {2011}, } @article{6140, abstract = {Genome sequence comparisons have highlighted many novel gene families that are conserved across animal phyla but whose biological function is unknown. Here, we functionally characterize a member of one such family, the macoilins. Macoilins are characterized by several highly conserved predicted transmembrane domains towards the N-terminus and by coiled-coil regions C-terminally. They are found throughout Eumetazoa but not in other organisms. Mutants for the single Caenorhabditis elegans macoilin, maco-1, exhibit a constellation of behavioral phenotypes, including defects in aggregation, O2 responses, and swimming. MACO-1 protein is expressed broadly and specifically in the nervous system and localizes to the rough endoplasmic reticulum; it is excluded from dendrites and axons. Apart from subtle synapse defects, nervous system development appears wild-type in maco-1 mutants. However, maco-1 animals are resistant to the cholinesterase inhibitor aldicarb and sensitive to levamisole, suggesting pre-synaptic defects. Using in vivo imaging, we show that macoilin is required to evoke Ca2+ transients, at least in some neurons: in maco-1 mutants the O2-sensing neuron PQR is unable to generate a Ca2+ response to a rise in O2. By genetically disrupting neurotransmission, we show that pre-synaptic input is not necessary for PQR to respond to O2, indicating that the response is mediated by cell-intrinsic sensory transduction and amplification. Disrupting the sodium leak channels NCA-1/NCA-2, or the N-,P/Q,R-type voltage-gated Ca2+ channels, also fails to disrupt Ca2+ responses in the PQR cell body to O2 stimuli. By contrast, mutations in egl-19, which encodes the only Caenorhabditis elegans L-type voltage-gated Ca2+ channel α1 subunit, recapitulate the Ca2+ response defect we see in maco-1 mutants, although we do not see defects in localization of EGL-19. Together, our data suggest that macoilin acts in the ER to regulate assembly or traffic of ion channels or ion channel regulators.}, author = {Arellano-Carbajal, Fausto and Briseño-Roa, Luis and Couto, Africa and Cheung, Benny H. H. and Labouesse, Michel and de Bono, Mario}, issn = {1553-7404}, journal = {PLoS Genetics}, number = {3}, publisher = {Public Library of Science}, title = {{Macoilin, a conserved nervous system–specific ER membrane protein that regulates neuronal excitability}}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pgen.1001341}, volume = {7}, year = {2011}, } @article{6298, abstract = {Tumor necrosis factor-stimulated gene-6 (TSG-6) is a hyalu-ronan (HA)-binding protein that plays important roles ininflammation and ovulation. TSG-6-mediated cross-linking ofHA has been proposed as a functional mechanism (e.g.for regu-lating leukocyte adhesion), but direct evidence for cross-linkingis lacking, and we know very little about its impact on HA ultra-structure. Here we used films of polymeric and oligomeric HAchains, end-grafted to a solid support, and a combination ofsurface-sensitive biophysical techniques to quantify the bindingof TSG-6 into HA films and to correlate binding to morpholog-ical changes. We find that full-length TSG-6 binds with pro-nounced positive cooperativity and demonstrate that it cancross-link HA at physiologically relevant concentrations. Ourdata indicate that cooperative binding of full-length TSG-6arises from HA-induced protein oligomerization and that theTSG-6 oligomers act as cross-linkers. In contrast, the HA-bind-ing domain of TSG-6 (the Link module) alone binds withoutpositive cooperativity and weaker than the full-length protein.Both the Link module and full-length TSG-6 condensed andrigidified HA films, and the degree of condensation scaled withthe affinity between the TSG-6 constructs and HA. We proposethat condensation is the result of protein-mediated HA cross-linking. Our findings firmly establish that TSG-6 is a potent HAcross-linking agent and might hence have important implica-tions for the mechanistic understanding of the biological func-tion of TSG-6 (e.g.in inflammation).}, author = {Baranova, Natalia and Nilebäck, Erik and Haller, F. Michael and Briggs, David C. and Svedhem, Sofia and Day, Anthony J. and Richter, Ralf P.}, issn = {0021-9258}, journal = {Journal of Biological Chemistry}, number = {29}, pages = {25675--25686}, publisher = {American Society for Biochemistry & Molecular Biology}, title = {{The inflammation-associated protein TSG-6 cross-links hyaluronan via hyaluronan-induced TSG-6 oligomers}}, doi = {10.1074/jbc.m111.247395}, volume = {286}, year = {2011}, } @article{6496, abstract = {We report the switching behavior of the full bacterial flagellum system that includes the filament and the motor in wild-type Escherichia coli cells. In sorting the motor behavior by the clockwise bias, we find that the distributions of the clockwise (CW) and counterclockwise (CCW) intervals are either exponential or nonexponential with long tails. At low bias, CW intervals are exponentially distributed and CCW intervals exhibit long tails. At intermediate CW bias (0.5) both CW and CCW intervals are mainly exponentially distributed. A simple model suggests that these two distinct switching behaviors are governed by the presence of signaling noise within the chemotaxis network. Low noise yields exponentially distributed intervals, whereas large noise yields nonexponential behavior with long tails. These drastically different motor statistics may play a role in optimizing bacterial behavior for a wide range of environmental conditions.}, author = {Park, Heungwon and Oikonomou, Panos and Guet, Calin C and Cluzel, Philippe}, issn = {0006-3495}, journal = {Biophysical Journal}, number = {10}, pages = {2336--2340}, publisher = {Elsevier}, title = {{Noise underlies switching behavior of the bacterial flagellum}}, doi = {10.1016/j.bpj.2011.09.040}, volume = {101}, year = {2011}, } @article{6749, abstract = {This article refers to algorithms based on finite difference schemes for computing mean and affine curvature evolutions of digital images, introduced by Alvarez and Morel [L. Alvarez, J.M. Morel, “Formalization and computational aspects of image analysis”, Acta Numerica, pp. 159, 1994]. We discuss consistency, stability and convergence. Our analysis focuses on some possible choices of the parameters, choices that generate multiple variants in the implementations. Meaningful visual examples on how the algorithms actually work are provided.}, author = {Mondelli, Marco and Ciomaga, Adina}, issn = {2105-1232}, journal = {Image Processing On Line}, pages = {127--177}, publisher = {IPOL Image Processing On Line}, title = {{Finite difference schemes for MCM and AMSS}}, doi = {10.5201/ipol.2011.cm_fds}, volume = {1}, year = {2011}, } @inproceedings{6767, abstract = {In the present paper we give a thorough analysis of two finite difference schemes for the Mean Curvature Motion and its affine variant, the Affine Morphological Scale Space, schemes introduced in the Image Processing framework. This analysis brings in a series of parameters that allow us to compute an accurate discrete evolution of curvature motions. The choice of these parameters is based on intrinsic geometric properties of the evolution equations for linear, radial and elliptical functions. In the last part we present several examples, underlining the main advantages of the algorithms (the removal of pixelization effects and JPEG artifacts) as well as their major drawbacks (absence of contrast invariance and grid dependence). A detailed explanatory report, the ANSI C implementations and an on-line demo can be found at http://www.ipol.im/.}, author = {Mondelli, Marco and Ciomaga, Adina}, booktitle = {Proceedings of the International Student Conference on Pure and Applied Mathematics}, isbn = {978-973-703-602-5}, location = {Iasi, Romania}, pages = {137--156}, publisher = {Editura Universitãtii „Alexandru Ioan Cuza” Iasi}, title = {{On finite difference schemes for curvature motions}}, doi = {10.13140/2.1.1862.4646}, year = {2011}, } @article{10389, abstract = {We perform numerical simulations to study self-assembly of nanoparticles mediated by an elastic planar surface. We show how the nontrivial elastic response to deformations of these surfaces leads to anisotropic interactions between the particles resulting in aggregates having different geometrical features. The morphology of the patterns can be controlled by the mechanical properties of the surface and the strength of the particle adhesion. We use simple scaling arguments to understand the formation of the different structures, and we show how the adhering particles can cause the underlying elastic substrate to wrinkle if two of its opposite edges are clamped. Finally, we discuss the implications of our results and suggest how elastic surfaces could be used in nanofabrication.}, author = {Šarić, Anđela and Cacciuto, Angelo}, issn = {1744-6848}, journal = {Soft Matter}, keywords = {condensed matter physics, general chemistry}, number = {18}, publisher = {Royal Society of Chemistry}, title = {{Soft elastic surfaces as a platform for particle self-assembly}}, doi = {10.1039/c1sm05773a}, volume = {7}, year = {2011}, } @article{1048, abstract = {We produce an ultracold and dense sample of rovibronic ground state Cs 2 molecules close to the regime of quantum degeneracy, in a single hyperfine level, in the presence of an optical lattice. The molecules are individually trapped, in the motional ground state of an optical lattice well, with a lifetime of 8 s. For preparation, we start with a zero-temperature atomic Mott-insulator state with optimized double-site occupancy and efficiently associate weakly-bound dimer molecules on a Feshbach resonance. Despite extremely weak Franck-Condon wavefunction overlap, the molecules are subsequently transferred with >50% efficiency to the rovibronic ground state by a stimulated four-photon process. Our results present a crucial step towards the generation of Bose-Einstein condensates of ground-state molecules and, when suitably generalized to polar heteronuclear molecules such as RbCs, the realization of dipolar many-body quantum-gas phases in periodic potentials.}, author = {Nägerl, Hanns and Mark, Manfred and Haller, Elmar and Gustavsson, Mattias and Hart, Russell and Danzl, Johann G}, journal = {Journal of Physics: Conference Series}, number = {1}, publisher = {IOP Publishing Ltd.}, title = {{Ultracold and dense samples of ground-state molecules in lattice potentials}}, doi = {10.1088/1742-6596/264/1/012015}, volume = {264}, year = {2011}, } @article{1050, abstract = {We present experimentally derived potential curves 1?and spin-orbit interaction functions for the strongly perturbed AΣu+ 3?and bΠu states of the cesium dimer. The results are based on data from several sources. Laser-induced fluorescence Fourier transform spectroscopy (LIF FTS) was used some time ago in the Laboratoire Aimé Cotton primarily to study the XΣg+ state. More recent work at Tsinghua University provides information from moderate 3?resolution spectroscopy on the lowest levels of the bΠ0u± state as well as additional high-resolution data. From Innsbruck University, we have precision data obtained with cold Cs2 molecules. Recent data from Temple University was obtained using the optical-optical double resonance polarization spectroscopy technique, and finally, a group at the University of Latvia has added additional LIF FTS data. In the Hamiltonian matrix, we have used analytic potentials (the expanded Morse oscillator form) with both finite-difference (FD) coupled-channel and discrete variable representation (DVR) calculations of the term values. Fitted diagonal and off-diagonal spin-orbit functions are obtained and compared with ab initio results from Temple and Moscow State universities.}, author = {Bai, Jianmei and Ahmed, Ergin and Beser, Bediha and Guan, Yafei and Kotochigova, Svetlana and Lyyra, Marjatta and Ashman, Seth and Wolfe, Christopher and Huennekens, John and Xie, Feng and Li, Dan and Li, Li and Tamanis, Maris and Ferber, Ruvin and Drozdova, Anastasia and Pazyuk, Elena and Stolyarov, Andrey and Danzl, Johann G and Nägerl, Hanns and Bouloufa, Nadia and Dulieu, Olivier and Amiot, Claude and Salami, Houssam and Bergeman, Thomas}, journal = { Physical Review A - Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics}, number = {3}, publisher = {American Physical Society}, title = {{Global analysis of data on the spin-orbit-coupled A 1Σu+ and b 3Πu inf states of Cs2}}, doi = {10.1103/PhysRevA.83.032514}, volume = {83}, year = {2011}, } @article{1051, abstract = {We demonstrate the temporal Talbot effect for trapped matter waves using ultracold atoms in an optical lattice. We investigate the phase evolution of an array of essentially non-interacting matter waves and observe matter-wave collapse and revival in the form of a Talbot interference pattern. By using long expansion times, we image momentum space with sub-recoil resolution, allowing us to observe fractional Talbot fringes up to tenth order.}, author = {Mark, Manfred and Haller, Elmar and Danzl, Johann G and Lauber, Katharina and Gustavsson, Mattias and Nägerl, Hanns}, journal = {New Journal of Physics}, publisher = {IOP Publishing Ltd.}, title = {{Demonstration of the temporal matter-wave Talbot effect for trapped matter waves}}, doi = {10.1088/1367-2630/13/8/085008}, volume = {13}, year = {2011}, } @article{1052, abstract = {The present paper aims at finding optimal parameters for trapping of Cs 2 molecules in optical lattices, with the perspective of creating a quantum degenerate gas of ground-state molecules. We have calculated dynamic polarizabilities of Cs 2 molecules subject to an oscillating electric field, using accurate potential curves and electronic transition dipole moments. We show that for some particular wavelengths of the optical lattice, called "magic wavelengths", the polarizability of the ground-state molecules is equal to the one of a Feshbach molecule. As the creation of the sample of ground-state molecules relies on an adiabatic population transfer from weakly-bound molecules created on a Feshbach resonance, such a coincidence ensures that both the initial and final states are favorably trapped by the lattice light, allowing optimized transfer in agreement with the experimental observation.}, author = {Vexiau, Romain and Bouloufa, Nadia and Aymar, Mireille and Danzl, Johann G and Mark, Manfred and Nägerl, Hanns and Dulieu, Olivier}, journal = {European Physical Journal D}, number = {1-2}, pages = {243 -- 250}, publisher = {Springer}, title = {{Optimal trapping wavelengths of Cs 2 molecules in an optical lattice}}, doi = {10.1140/epjd/e2011-20085-4}, volume = {65}, year = {2011}, } @article{1053, abstract = {We perform precision measurements on a Mott-insulator quantum state of ultracold atoms with tunable interactions. We probe the dependence of the superfluid-to-Mott-insulator transition on the interaction strength and explore the limits of the standard Bose-Hubbard model description. By tuning the on-site interaction energies to values comparable to the interband separation, we are able to quantitatively measure number-dependent shifts in the excitation spectrum caused by effective multibody interactions.}, author = {Mark, Manfred and Haller, Elmar and Lauber, Katharina and Danzl, Johann G and Daley, Andrew and Nägerl, Hanns}, journal = {Physical Review Letters}, number = {17}, publisher = {American Physical Society}, title = {{Precision measurements on a tunable Mott insulator of ultracold atoms}}, doi = {10.1103/PhysRevLett.107.175301}, volume = {107}, year = {2011}, } @article{1054, abstract = {We investigate local three-body correlations for bosonic particles in three dimensions and one dimension as a function of the interaction strength. The three-body correlation function g(3) is determined by measuring the three-body recombination rate in an ultracold gas of Cs atoms. In three dimensions, we measure the dependence of g(3) on the gas parameter in a BEC, finding good agreement with the theoretical prediction accounting for beyond-mean-field effects. In one dimension, we observe a reduction of g( 3) by several orders of magnitude upon increasing interactions from the weakly interacting BEC to the strongly interacting Tonks-Girardeau regime, in good agreement with predictions from the Lieb-Liniger model for all strengths of interaction.}, author = {Haller, Elmar and Rabie, Mahmoud and Mark, Manfred and Danzl, Johann G and Hart, Russell and Lauber, Katharina and Pupillo, Guido and Nägerl, Hanns}, journal = {Physical Review Letters}, number = {23}, publisher = {American Physical Society}, title = {{Three-body correlation functions and recombination rates for bosons in three dimensions and one dimension}}, doi = {10.1103/PhysRevLett.107.230404}, volume = {107}, year = {2011}, } @article{9483, abstract = {Imprinted genes are expressed primarily or exclusively from either the maternal or paternal allele, a phenomenon that occurs in flowering plants and mammals. Flowering plant imprinted gene expression has been described primarily in endosperm, a terminal nutritive tissue consumed by the embryo during seed development or after germination. Imprinted expression in Arabidopsis thaliana endosperm is orchestrated by differences in cytosine DNA methylation between the paternal and maternal genomes as well as by Polycomb group proteins. Currently, only 11 imprinted A. thaliana genes are known. Here, we use extensive sequencing of cDNA libraries to identify 9 paternally expressed and 34 maternally expressed imprinted genes in A. thaliana endosperm that are regulated by the DNA-demethylating glycosylase DEMETER, the DNA methyltransferase MET1, and/or the core Polycomb group protein FIE. These genes encode transcription factors, proteins involved in hormone signaling, components of the ubiquitin protein degradation pathway, regulators of histone and DNA methylation, and small RNA pathway proteins. We also identify maternally expressed genes that may be regulated by unknown mechanisms or deposited from maternal tissues. We did not detect any imprinted genes in the embryo. Our results show that imprinted gene expression is an extensive mechanistically complex phenomenon that likely affects multiple aspects of seed development.}, author = {Hsieh, Tzung-Fu and Shin, Juhyun and Uzawa, Rie and Silva, Pedro and Cohen, Stephanie and Bauer, Matthew J. and Hashimoto, Meryl and Kirkbride, Ryan C. and Harada, John J. and Zilberman, Daniel and Fischer, Robert L.}, issn = {1091-6490}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences}, number = {5}, pages = {1755--1762}, publisher = {National Academy of Sciences}, title = {{Regulation of imprinted gene expression in Arabidopsis endosperm}}, doi = {10.1073/pnas.1019273108}, volume = {108}, year = {2011}, }