228 research outputs found
Diffusion and Interdiffusion in Binary Metallic Melts
We discuss the dependence of self- and interdiffusion coefficients on
temperature and composition for two prototypical binary metallic melts, Al-Ni
and Zr-Ni, in molecular-dynamics (MD) computer simulations and the
mode-coupling theory of the glass transition (MCT). Dynamical processes that
are mainly entropic in origin slow down mass transport (as expressed through
self diffusion) in the mixture as compared to the ideal-mixing contribution.
Interdiffusion of chemical species is a competition of slow kinetic modes with
a strong thermodynamic driving force that is caused by non-entropic
interactions. The combination of both dynamic and thermodynamic effects causes
qualitative differences in the concentration dependence of self-diffusion and
interdiffusion coefficients. At high temperatures, the thermodynamic
enhancement of interdiffusion prevails, while at low temperatures, kinetic
effects dominate the concentration dependence, rationalized within MCT as the
approach to its ideal-glass transition temperature . The Darken equation
relating self- and interdiffusion qualitatively reproduces the
concentration-dependence in both Zr-Ni and Al-Ni, but quantitatively, the
kinetic contributions to interdiffusion can be slower than the lower bound
suggested by the Darken equation. As temperature is decreased, the agreement
with Darken's equation improves, due to a strong coupling of all kinetic modes
that is a generic feature predicted by MCT.Comment: 16 pages, 12 figure
Secure Vehicular Communication Systems: Implementation, Performance, and Research Challenges
Vehicular Communication (VC) systems are on the verge of practical
deployment. Nonetheless, their security and privacy protection is one of the
problems that have been addressed only recently. In order to show the
feasibility of secure VC, certain implementations are required. In [1] we
discuss the design of a VC security system that has emerged as a result of the
European SeVeCom project. In this second paper, we discuss various issues
related to the implementation and deployment aspects of secure VC systems.
Moreover, we provide an outlook on open security research issues that will
arise as VC systems develop from today's simple prototypes to full-fledged
systems
The G protein-coupled receptor-associated protein 1 (GASP-1) regulates rimonabant-induced downregulation of GPR55
Emerging role of non-coding RNAs in regulation of t-lymphocyte function
T-lymphocytes (T cells) play a major role in adaptive immunity and current immune checkpoint inhibitor-based cancer treatments. The regulation of their function is complex, and in addition to cytokines, receptors and transcription factors, several non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) have been shown to affect differentiation and function of T cells. Among these non-coding RNAs, certain small microRNAs (miRNAs) including miR-15a/16-1, miR-125b-5p, miR-99a-5p, miR-128-3p, let-7 family, miR-210, miR-182-5p, miR-181, miR-155 and miR-10a have been well recognized. Meanwhile, IFNG-AS1, lnc-ITSN1-2, lncRNA-CD160, NEAT1, MEG3, GAS5, NKILA, lnc-EGFR and PVT1 are among long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) that efficiently influence the function of T cells. Recent studies have underscored the effects of a number of circular RNAs, namely circ_0001806, hsa_circ_0045272, hsa_circ_0012919, hsa_circ_0005519 and circHIPK3 in the modulation of T-cell apoptosis, differentiation and secretion of cytokines. This review summarizes the latest news and regulatory roles of these ncRNAs on the function of T cells, with widespread implications on the pathophysiology of autoimmune disorders and cancer
Computer modelling of a penetrator thermal sensor
The Philae lander is part of the Rosetta mission to investigate comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. It will use a harpoon like device to anchor itself onto the surface. The anchor will perhaps reach depths of 1–2 m. In the anchor is a temperature sensor that will measure the boundary temperature as part of the MUPUS experiment. As the anchor attains thermal equilibrium with the comet ice it may be possible to extract the thermal properties of the surrounding ice, such as the thermal diffusivity, by using the temperature sensor data. The anchor is not an optimal shape for a thermal probe and application of analytical solutions to the heat equation is inappropriate. We prepare a numerical model to fit temperature sensor data and extract the thermal diffusivity. Penetrator probes mechanically compact the material immediately surrounding them as they enter the target. If the thermal properties, composition and dimensions of the penetrator are known, then the thermal properties of this pristine material may be recovered although this will be a challenging measurement. We report on investigations, using a numerical thermal model, to simulate a variety of scenarios that the anchor may encounter and how they will affect the measurement
An ultraviolet simulator for the incident Martian surface radiation and its applications
Ultraviolet (UV) radiation can act on putative organic/biological matter at the Martian surface in several ways. Only absorbed, but not transmitted or reflected, radiation energy can be photo-chemically effective. The most important biological UV effects are due to photochemical reactions in nucleic acids, DNA or RNA, which constitute the genetic material of all cellular organisms and viruses. Protein or lipid effects generally play a minor role, but they are also relevant in some cases. UV radiation can induce wavelengths-specific types of DNA damage. At the same time it can also induce the photo-reversion reaction of a UV induced DNA photoproduct of nucleic acid bases, the pyrimidine dimers. Intense UVB and UVC radiation, experienced on early Earth and present-day Mars, has been revealed to be harmful to all organisms, including extremophile bacteria and spores. Moreover, the formation of oxidants, catalytically produced in the Martian environment through UV irradiation, may be responsible for the destruction of organic matter on Mars. Following this, more laboratory simulations are vital in order to investigate and understand UV effects on organic matter in the case of Mars. We have designed a radiation apparatus that simulates the anticipated Martian UV surface spectrum between 200 and 400 nm (UVC-UVA). The system comprises a UV enhanced xenon arc lamp, special filter-sets and mirrors to simulate the effects of the Martian atmospheric column and dust loading. We describe the technical setup and performance of the system and discuss its uses for different applications. The design is focused on portability, therefore, the Mars-UV simulator represents a device for several different Mars simulation facilities with specific emphasis on Mars research topics
New insights in dermatophyte research
Dermatophyte research has renewed interest because of changing human floras with changing socioeconomic conditions, and because of severe chronic infections in patients with congenital immune disorders. Main taxonomic traits at the generic level have changed considerably, and now fine-tuning at the species level with state-of-the-art technology has become urgent. Research on virulence factors focuses on secreted proteases now has support in genome data. It is speculated that most protease families are used for degrading hard keratin during nitrogen recycling in the environment, while others, such as Sub6 may have emerged as a result of ancestral gene duplication, and are likely to have specific roles during infection. Virulence may differ between mating partners of the same species and concepts of zoo- and anthropophily may require revision in some recently redefined species. Many of these questions benefit from international cooperation and exchange of materials. The aim of the ISHAM Working Group Dermatophytes aims to stimulate and coordinate international networking on these fungi
PGC - 1α Overexpression Improves Angiogenic Signaling Potential of Skeletal Muscle - derived Extracellular Vesicles
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Efficient Passive ICS Device Discovery and Identification by MAC Address Correlation
Owing to a growing number of attacks, the assessment of Industrial Control
Systems (ICSs) has gained in importance. An integral part of an assessment is
the creation of a detailed inventory of all connected devices, enabling
vulnerability evaluations. For this purpose, scans of networks are crucial.
Active scanning, which generates irregular traffic, is a method to get an
overview of connected and active devices. Since such additional traffic may
lead to an unexpected behavior of devices, active scanning methods should be
avoided in critical infrastructure networks. In such cases, passive network
monitoring offers an alternative, which is often used in conjunction with
complex deep-packet inspection techniques. There are very few publications on
lightweight passive scanning methodologies for industrial networks. In this
paper, we propose a lightweight passive network monitoring technique using an
efficient Media Access Control (MAC) address-based identification of industrial
devices. Based on an incomplete set of known MAC address to device
associations, the presented method can guess correct device and vendor
information. Proving the feasibility of the method, an implementation is also
introduced and evaluated regarding its efficiency. The feasibility of
predicting a specific device/vendor combination is demonstrated by having
similar devices in the database. In our ICS testbed, we reached a host
discovery rate of 100% at an identification rate of more than 66%,
outperforming the results of existing tools.Comment: http://dx.doi.org/10.14236/ewic/ICS2018.
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