Reply to “Comment on ‘Optical determination of flexoelectric coefficients and surface polarization in a hybrid aligned nematic cell’ ”

A. Mazzulla, F. Ciuchi, and J. Roy Sambles, Physical Review E, Vol. 68, article 023702 (2003). "Copyright © 2003 by the American Physical Society."In their Comment [G. Barbero and L. R. Evangelista, Phys. Rev. E 68, 023701] on our paper [A. Mazzulla, F. Ciuchi, and J. R. Sambles, Phys. Rev. E 64, 021708 (2001)], Barbero and Evangelista conclude that the procedure followed by us to fit the reflectivity data from the half leaky guided mode technique is questionable. In the absence of a model that is able to reproduce the experimentally obtained tilt angle profiles, their argument is unsubstantiated. To further refute their arguments, we also illustrate and discuss additional experimental data (that were not shown in our paper) that strongly support our conclusions

Optimizing the Model of the Viking-400 UAS

This project intends to update and redesign imperfections in the scanned 3D CAD model of the Viking 400 aircraft. This aircraft, similar to the Sierra-B UAS, will carry payloads of scientific instruments for research purposes. The goals of this project are to modify the current scanned model such that it better represents the physical qualities of the aircraft, as well as creating the features that are missing from the model. As the model was imported from a different software, many of the critical surfaces did not accurately reflect the actual aircraft. Those parts of the model were redesigned entirely so that they can be edited for future use, as well as correctly representing the aircraft as it is now. Additionally, parts of the aircraft that did not appear in the scanned model were designed and added to the new model. In order to prioritize ease of use for future missions, the model has been reorganized in a logical fashion that enables modification of specific parts of the aircraft. The organization of this model imitates the drawing tree of the Sierra-B, with the intention of maintaining a functional system of redesign, analysis, and implementation. Ultimately, this project will be a catalyst for making Viking 400 into a functional aircraft and increasing scientific research in airborne vehicles

A Face Versus Non-Face Context Influences Amygdala Responses to Masked Fearful Eye Whites

The structure of the mask stimulus is crucial in backward masking studies and we recently demonstrated such an effect when masking faces. Specifically, we showed that activity of the amygdala is increased to fearful facial expressions masked with neutral faces and decreased to fearful expressions masked with a pattern mask—but critically both masked conditions discriminated fearful expressions from happy expressions. Given this finding, we sought to test whether masked fearful eye whites would produce a similar profile of amygdala response in a face vs non-face context. During functional magnetic resonance imaging scanning sessions, 30 participants viewed fearful or happy eye whites masked with either neutral faces or pattern images. Results indicated amygdala activity was increased to fearful vs happy eye whites in the face mask condition, but decreased to fearful vs happy eye whites in the pattern mask condition—effectively replicating and expanding our previous report. Our data support the idea that the amygdala is responsive to fearful eye whites, but that the nature of this activity observed in a backward masking design depends on the mask stimulus

Histone demethylase KDM4B regulates otic vesicle invagination via epigenetic control of Dlx3 expression

In vertebrates, the inner ear arises from the otic placode, a thickened swathe of ectoderm that invaginates to form the otic vesicle. We report that histone demethylase KDM4B is dynamically expressed during early stages of chick inner ear formation. A loss of KDM4B results in defective invagination and striking morphological changes in the otic epithelium, characterized by abnormal localization of adhesion and cytoskeletal molecules and reduced expression of several inner ear markers, including Dlx3. In vivo chromatin immunoprecipitation reveals direct and dynamic occupancy of KDM4B and its target, H3K9me3, at regulatory regions of the Dlx3 locus. Accordingly, coelectroporations of DLX3 or KDM4B encoding constructs, but not a catalytically dead mutant of KDM4B, rescue the ear invagination phenotype caused by KDM4B knockdown. Moreover, a loss of DLX3 phenocopies a loss of KDM4B. Collectively, our findings suggest that KDM4B play a critical role during inner ear invagination via modulating histone methylation of the direct target Dlx3

Optical determination of flexoelectric coefficients and surface polarization in a hybrid aligned nematic cell

A. Mazzulla, F. Ciuchi, and J. Roy Sambles, Physical Review E, Vol. 64, article 021708 (2001). "Copyright © 2001 by the American Physical Society."We present an optical study of the influence of both the flexoelectric effect and surface polarization on a hybrid-aligned nematic cell using the half-leaky guided mode technique. Tilt angle profiles, obtained from fits of experimental data (reflectivity curves) taken under applied voltages, are compared with the ones derived by a complete theoretical model. Measurements with an applied alternating voltage allow the evaluation of the anchoring energy by solving the torque balance equation at the planar surface. From measurements with static fields, the sum of flexoelectric coefficients and the surface polarization are determined by numerical solution of Euler-Lagrange equations

Fractal aggregates evolution of methyl red in liquid crystal

The spontaneous formation of dendritic aggregates is observed in a two-dimensional confined layered system consisting of a film composed of liquid crystal, dye and solvent cast above a polymer substrate. The observed aggregates are promoted by phase separation processes induced by dye diffusion and solvent evaporation. The growth properties of the aggregates are studied through the temporal evolution of their topological properties (surface, perimeter, fractal dimension). The fractal dimension of the completely formed structures, when they are coexistent with different types of structures, is consistent with theoretical and experimental values obtained for Diffusion-Limited Aggregates. Under different experimental conditions (temperature and local dye concentration) the structure forms without interactions with other kinds of structures, and its equilibrium fractal dimension is smaller. The fractal dimension is thus not a universal property of the observed structures, but rather depends on the experimental conditions

Effect of the catechin in the mechanism of production/degradation of ROS and RNS in hypothernia on HUVEC

The polyphenols derived from red wine, as the catechin, possess highly antihypertensive properties so the possibility of their use in vitro is studied since they prevent oxidative stress-induced endothelial dysfunctio