Lion Gate, Hattusa

The Lion Gate in the south-west of Hattusa. At Hattuša, the capital city of Hittites (today in the Çorum Province, Turkey) from their beginning in the 17th century BC until the collapse of the empire in early 12th century BC. By the 12th century the city came to cover an area of 182 hectars, surrounded by a 3.3 km long defensive wall. The Aslanlı Kapı (Lion Gate) with two stone lions were believed to protect the city from evil spirits. The Lion Gate was one of the six defensive walls of the city. Besides natural outcrops that were turned out to the part of the walls, massive ramparts were made to create artificial fortresses.Black & white photograph

DEMETER observations of the ionospheric trough over HAARP in relation to HF heating experiments

Plasma density variations observed aboard the DEMETER satellite in the topside ionospheric F layer are analyzed in relation to high-frequency transmitter operations. The main interest is the high-latitude region. One hundred cases with operating and nonoperating High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program HF transmitter during day and night are examined. It is found that most large-scale variations can be attributed to the presence of the main ionospheric trough and that such natural variations complicate the detection of HF transmitter effects on a case-by-case basis. From statistics, no correlation between the HF transmissions and the presence of the irregularities has been established. A comparison of our observations with two recent works on electron density ducts created by HF transmitters and detected by DEMETER shows that in those works the main ionospheric trough is the major factor in density variations, and it is not clear how to distinguish density variations created by the HF heater from natural variations in such cases. Finally, possible experimental techniques for duct formation by HF heaters are discussed

Hydrogen gas sensing using palladium-coated microdisk microresonators

An SU-8 polymer microdisk resonator coated with a palladium (Pd) layer and coupled to a single-mode optical waveguide is used to as a hydrogen (H-2) gas sensor. In the presence of H2 a red shift is observed in the spectral positions of the microdisk whispering gallery modes (WGMs) due to the expansion in the Pd lattice. H-2 concentrations below the flammable limit (4%) down to 0.3% could be detected in nitrogen atmosphere at room temperature. For H-2 concentrations between 0.3 1%, WGM spectral positions shifted linearly with H-2 concentration at a rate of 32 pm/%H-2. Average response time of the devices was measured to be 50 s for 1% H-2. The proposed device concept can also be used to detect different chemical gases by using appropriate sensing layers

Microsphere based resonant cavity silicon photodetector

Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) are among the new and emerging technologies of the future and have many applications in different disciplines. This study presents the dynamic characterization methods that we use to identify the modal parameters of a MEMS device and also the techniques that can be implemented to change the modal parameters. A micro scanner mirror was chosen as the case study to demonstrate the developed methodologies. Initially, the micro mirror was dynamically characterized using experimental modal analysis techniques to identify the modal parameters such as resonance frequencies and mode shapes. Then, it was introduced in a velocity feedback control loop to alter the effective damping of the structure. This method proves to be a very efficient method to alter the modal damping of a micro structure, especially when high quality factors are required for MEMS applications

CCRXP: exploring clusters of conserved residues in protein structures

Conserved residues forming tightly packed clusters have been shown to be energy hot spots in both protein-protein and protein-DNA complexes. A number of analyses on these clusters of conserved residues (CCRs) have been reported, all pointing to a crucial role that these clusters play in protein function, especially protein-protein and protein-DNA interactions. However, currently there is no publicly available tool to automatically detect such clusters. Here, we present a web server that takes a coordinate file in PDB format as input and automatically executes all the steps to identify CCRs in protein structures. In addition, it calculates the structural properties of each residue and of the CCRs. We also present statistics to show that CCRs, determined by these procedures, are significantly enriched in 'hot spots' in protein-protein and protein-RNA complexes, which supplements our more detailed similar results on protein-DNA complexes. We expect that CCRXP web server will be useful in studies of protein structures and their interactions and selecting mutagenesis targets

Quantum correlations and coherence in spin-1 Heisenberg chains

We explore quantum and classical correlations along with coherence in the ground states of spin-1 Heisenberg chains, namely the one-dimensional XXZ model and the one-dimensional bilinear biquadratic model, with the techniques of density matrix renormalization group theory. Exploiting the tools of quantum information theory, that is, by studying quantum discord, quantum mutual information, and three recently introduced coherence measures in the reduced density matrix of two nearest neighbor spins in the bulk, we investigate the quantum phase transitions and special symmetry points in these models. We point out the relative strengths and weaknesses of correlation and coherence measures as figures of merit to witness the quantum phase transitions and symmetry points in the considered spin-1 Heisenberg chains. In particular, we demonstrate that, as none of the studied measures can detect the infinite-order Kosterlitz-Thouless transition in the XXZ model, they appear to be able to signal the existence of the same type of transition in the biliear biquadratic model. However, we argue that what is actually detected by the measures here is the SU(3) symmetry point of the model rather than the infinite-order quantum phase transition. Moreover, we show in the XXZ model that examining even single site coherence can be sufficient to spotlight the second-order phase transition and the SU(2) symmetry point

Activated leukocyte cell adhesion molecule regulates the interaction between pancreatic cancer cells and stellate cells

Activated leukocyte cell adhesion molecule (ALCAM/CD166) is a transmembrane glycoprotein that is involved in tumor progression and metastasis. In the present study, the expression and functional role of ALCAM in pancreatic cancer cells and pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs) was investigated. Tissue specimens were obtained from patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (n=56) or chronic pancreatitis (CP; n=10), who underwent pancreatic resection, and from normal pancreatic tissue samples (n=10). Immunohistochemistry was used to analyze the localization and expression of ALCAM in pancreatic tissues. Subsequently, reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction and immunoblotting were applied to assess the expression of ALCAM in pancreatic cancer Panc-1 and T3M4 cells, as well as in PSCs. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to measure ALCAM levels in cell culture medium stimulated by hypoxia, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)- and transforming growth factor-. Silencing of ALCAM was performed using ALCAM small interfering (si)RNA and immunocytochemistry was used to analyze the inhibition efficiency. An invasion assay and a cell interaction assay were performed to assess the invasive ability and co-cultured adhesive potential of Panc-1 and T3M4 cells, as well as PSCs. Histologically, ALCAM expression was generally weak or absent in pancreatic cancer cells, but was markedly upregulated in PSCs in pancreatic cancer tissues. ALCAM was highly expressed in PSCs from CP tissues and PSCs surrounding pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasias, as well as in pancreatic cancer cells. ALCAM mRNA was highly expressed in PSCs, with a low to moderate expression in T3M4 and Panc-1 cells. Similar to the mRNA expression, immunoblotting demonstrated that ALCAM protein levels were high in PSCs and T3M4 cells, but low in Panc-1 cells. The expression of TNF- increased, while hypoxia decreased the secretion of ALCAM in pancreatic cancer Panc-1 and T3M4 cells, and also in PSCs. Silencing of ALCAM by siRNA revealed no significant alteration in the invasion of pancreatic cancer cells, however, it inhibited the invasive ability of PSCs, and decreased the interaction between Panc-1 cells and PSCs. In conclusion, ALCAM is upregulated in PSCs of pancreatic cancer tissues, suggesting a potential role of ALCAM in regulating pancreatic cancer cell-PSC interactions

Association between gene polymorphisms in TIM1, TSLP, IL18R1 and childhood asthma in Turkish population

Many immunologic and inflammatory mechanisms play a role in asthma etiology. The aim of this study was to investigate the susceptibility of asthma patients in the Turkish population with demonstrating genes for polymorphisms in TIM1, TSLP and IL18R1. All of the genomic DNA samples were isolated from blood samples according to a standard salting-out protocol. DNA samples were stored at -20 degrees C until the genotype analysis was performed. rs3806933 (TSLP -847 C > T) and TIM1 -416G > C were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). The rs3806933 (TSLP -847 C > T) was genotyped by PCR using our new primers and HphI restriction enzyme digestion. rs2287033 (IL18R1 c. 1270+150 A > G), rs3213733 (IL18R1 c. 626-196 G > T), and rs3771166 (IL18R1-c. 302+1694 C > T) were genotyped using SYBR green dye based real time PCR assay. Results: The allele frequencies of 5 SNPs in TSLP, TIM-1, and IL18R1 genes were determined in 139 asthmatic patients and 126 healthy controls of in Turkish population. The investigated SNPs are as follows; rs3806933 (TSLP -847 C > T), TIM1 -416G > C, rs2287033 (IL18R1 c. 1270+150 A > G), rs3213733 (IL18R1 c. 626-196 G > T), and rs3771166 (IL18R1-c. 302+1694 C > T). Results suggest that IL18R1 c. 626-196 G > T (rs3213733) and TIM1 -416G > C are significantly associated with asthma in patients in Turkish population. Patients with AA genotypes of rs2287033 (IL18R1 c. 1270+150 A > G), have significantly less total serum IgE levels when compared with patients having GG or GA genotypes (p < 0.012; 381.77 +/- 239.46 vs 557.52 +/- 549.96, respectively). Conclusion: This study showed that IL18R1 c. 626 -196 G > T (rs3213733) and TIM1 -416G > C are significantly associated with asthma patients in Turkish population

Blume-Emery-Griffiths spin glass and inverted tricritical points

The Blume-Emery-Griffiths spin glass is studied by renormalization-group theory in d=3. The boundary between the ferromagnetic and paramagnetic phases has first-order and two types of second-order segments. This topology includes an inverted tricritical point, first-order transitions replacing second-order transitions as temperature is lowered. The phase diagrams show disconnected spin-glass regions, spin-glass and paramagnetic reentrances, and complete reentrance, where the spin-glass phase replaces the ferromagnet as temperature is lowered for all chemical potentials