8,987 research outputs found
3-D unrestricted TDHF fusion calculations using the full Skyrme interaction
We present a study of fusion cross sections using a new generation
Time-Dependent Hartree-Fock (TDHF) code which contains no approximations
regarding collision geometry and uses the full Skyrme interaction, including
all of the time-odd terms. In addition, the code uses the Basis-Spline
collocation method for improved numerical accuracy. A comparative study of
fusion cross sections for is made with the older TDHF
results and experiments. We present results using the modern Skyrme forces and
discuss the influence of the new terms present in the interaction.Comment: 7 pages, 10 figure
The Casimir Energy for a Hyperboloid Facing a Plate in the Optical Approximation
We study the Casimir energy of a massless scalar field that obeys Dirichlet
boundary conditions on a hyperboloid facing a plate. We use the optical
approximation including the first six reflections and compare the results with
the predictions of the proximity force approximation and the semi-classical
method. We also consider finite size effects by contrasting the infinite with a
finite plate. We find sizable and qualitative differences between the new
optical method and the more traditional approaches.Comment: v2: 14 pages, 11 eps figures; typo in eq. (21) removed, clarification
added, fig. 10 improved; version published in Phys. Rev.
Spectral, mineralogical, and geochemical variations across Home Plate, Gusev Crater, Mars indicate high and low temperature alteration
Over the last ~ 3 years in Gusev Crater, Mars, the Spirit rover observed coherent variations in color, mineralogy, and geochemistry across Home Plate, an ~ 80 m-diameter outcrop of basaltic tephra. Observations of Home Plate from orbit and from the summit of Husband Hill reveal clear differences in visible/near-infrared (VNIR) colors between its eastern and western regions that are consistent with mineralogical compositions indicated by Mössbauer spectrometer (MB) and by Miniature Thermal Emission Spectrometer (Mini-TES). Pyroxene and magnetite dominate the east side, while olivine, nanophase Fe oxide (npOx) and glass are more abundant on the western side. Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS) observations reveal that eastern Home Plate has higher Si/Mg, Al, Zn, Ni, and K, while Cl and Br are higher in the west. We propose that these variations are the result of two distinct alteration regimes that may or may not be temporally related: a localized, higher temperature recrystallization and alteration of the east side of Home Plate and lower temperature alteration of the western side that produced npOx
Vaccinia virus protein A46R targets multiple Toll-like-interleukin-1 receptor adaptors and contributes to virulence
Viral immune evasion strategies target key aspects of the host antiviral response. Recently, it has been recognized that Toll-like receptors (TLRs) have a role in innate defense against viruses. Here, we define the function of the vaccinia virus (VV) protein A46R and show it inhibits intracellular signalling by a range of TLRs. TLR signalling is triggered by homotypic interactions between the Toll-like-interleukin-1 resistance (TIR) domains of the receptors and adaptor molecules. A46R contains a TIR domain and is the only viral TIR domain-containing protein identified to date. We demonstrate that A46R targets the host TIR adaptors myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88), MyD88 adaptor-like, TIR domain-containing adaptor inducing IFN-beta (TRIF), and the TRIF-related adaptor molecule and thereby interferes with downstream activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases and nuclear factor kappaB. TRIF mediates activation of interferon (IFN) regulatory factor 3 (IRF3) and induction of IFN-beta by TLR3 and TLR4 and suppresses VV replication in macrophages. Here, A46R disrupted TRIF-induced IRF3 activation and induction of the TRIF-dependent gene regulated on activation, normal T cell expressed and secreted. Furthermore, we show that A46R is functionally distinct from another described VV TLR inhibitor, A52R. Importantly, VV lacking the A46R gene was attenuated in a murine intranasal model, demonstrating the importance of A46R for VV virulence
On the Microscopic Origin of Cholesteric Pitch
We present a microscopic analysis of the instability of the nematic phase to
chirality when molecular chirality is introduced perturbatively. We show that
previously neglected short-range biaxial correlations play a crucial role in
determining the cholesteric pitch. We propose an order parameter which
quantifies the chirality of a molecule.Comment: RevTeX 3.0, 4 pages, one included eps figure. Published versio
Multisystem proteinopathy due to a homozygous p.Arg159His VCP mutation : a tale of the unexpected
ObjectiveTo assess the clinical, radiologic, myopathologic, and proteomic findings in a patient manifesting a multisystem proteinopathy due to a homozygous valosin-containing protein gene (VCP) mutation previously reported to be pathogenic in the heterozygous state.MethodsWe studied a 36-year-old male index patient and his father, both presenting with progressive limb-girdle weakness. Muscle involvement was assessed by MRI and muscle biopsies. We performed whole-exome sequencing and Sanger sequencing for segregation analysis of the identified p.Arg159His VCP mutation. To dissect biological disease signatures, we applied state-of-the-art quantitative proteomics on muscle tissue of the index case, his father, 3 additional patients with VCP-related myopathy, and 3 control individuals.ResultsThe index patient, homozygous for the known p.Arg159His mutation in VCP, manifested a typical VCP-related myopathy phenotype, although with a markedly high creatine kinase value and a relatively early disease onset, and Paget disease of bone. The father exhibited a myopathy phenotype and discrete parkinsonism, and multiple deceased family members on the maternal side of the pedigree displayed a dementia, parkinsonism, or myopathy phenotype. Bioinformatic analysis of quantitative proteomic data revealed the degenerative nature of the disease, with evidence suggesting selective failure of muscle regeneration and stress granule dyshomeostasis.ConclusionWe report a patient showing a multisystem proteinopathy due to a homozygous VCP mutation. The patient manifests a severe phenotype, yet fundamental disease characteristics are preserved. Proteomic findings provide further insights into VCP-related pathomechanisms
Presymplectic current and the inverse problem of the calculus of variations
The inverse problem of the calculus of variations asks whether a given system
of partial differential equations (PDEs) admits a variational formulation. We
show that the existence of a presymplectic form in the variational bicomplex,
when horizontally closed on solutions, allows us to construct a variational
formulation for a subsystem of the given PDE. No constraints on the
differential order or number of dependent or independent variables are assumed.
The proof follows a recent observation of Bridges, Hydon and Lawson and
generalizes an older result of Henneaux from ordinary differential equations
(ODEs) to PDEs. Uniqueness of the variational formulation is also discussed.Comment: v2: 17 pages, no figures, BibTeX; minor corrections, close to
published versio
What is in a pebble shape?
We propose to characterize the shapes of flat pebbles in terms of the
statistical distribution of curvatures measured along the pebble contour. This
is demonstrated for the erosion of clay pebbles in a controlled laboratory
apparatus. Photographs at various stages of erosion are analyzed, and compared
with two models. We find that the curvature distribution complements the usual
measurement of aspect ratio, and connects naturally to erosion processes that
are typically faster at protruding regions of high curvature.Comment: Phys. Rev. Lett. (to appear
Dielectronic Recombination of Ground-State and Metastable Li+ Ions
Dielectronic recombination has been investigated for Delta-n = 1 resonances
of ground-state Li+(1s^2) and for Delta-n = 0 resonances of metastable Li+(1s2s
^3S). The ground-state spectrum shows three prominent transitions between 53
and 64 eV, while the metastable spectrum exhibits many transitions with
energies < 3.2 eV. Reasonably good agreement of R-matrix, LS coupling
calculations with the measured recombination rate coefficient is obtained. The
time dependence of the recombination rate yields a radiative lifetime of 52.2
+- 5.0 s for the 2 ^3S level of Li+.Comment: Submitted to Phys. Rev. A; REVTeX, 4 pages, 3 figure
Isospin relaxation time in heavy-ion collisions at intermediate energies
Using an isospin-dependent transport model, we have studied the isospin and
momentum relaxation times in the heavy residues formed in heavy-ion collisions
at intermediate energies. It is found that only at incident energies below the
Fermi energy, chemical or thermal equilibrium can be reached before dynamical
instability is developed in the heavy residues. Also, the isospin relaxation
time is shorter (longer) than that for momentum at beam energies lower (higher)
than the Fermi energy.Comment: 8 pages Latex + 2 ps Figs.; Phys. Rev. C in pres
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