2,422 research outputs found
Negative-coupling resonances in pump-coupled lasers
We consider coupled lasers, where the intensity deviations from the steady
state, modulate the pump of the other lasers. Most of our results are for two
lasers where the coupling constants are of opposite sign. This leads to a Hopf
bifurcation to periodic output for weak coupling. As the magnitude of the
coupling constants is increased (negatively) we observe novel amplitude effects
such as a weak coupling resonance peak and, strong coupling subharmonic
resonances and chaos. In the weak coupling regime the output is predicted by a
set of slow evolution amplitude equations. Pulsating solutions in the strong
coupling limit are described by discrete map derived from the original model.Comment: 29 pages with 8 figures Physica D, in pres
Phase II prospective randomized trial of weight loss prior to radical prostatectomy.
BACKGROUND:Obesity is associated with poorly differentiated and advanced prostate cancer and increased mortality. In preclinical models, caloric restriction delays prostate cancer progression and prolongs survival. We sought to determine if weight loss (WL) in men with prostate cancer prior to radical prostatectomy affects tumor apoptosis and proliferation, and if WL effects other metabolic biomarkers. METHODS:In this Phase II prospective trial, overweight and obese men scheduled for radical prostatectomy were randomized to a 5-8 week WL program consisting of standard structured energy-restricted meal plans (1200-1500 Kcal/day) and physical activity or to a control group. The primary endpoint was apoptotic index in the radical prostatectomy malignant epithelium. Secondary endpoints were proliferation (Ki67) in the radical prostatectomy tissue, body weight, body mass index (BMI), waist to hip ratio, body composition, and serum PSA, insulin, triglyceride, cholesterol, testosterone, estradiol, leptin, adiponectin, interleukin 6, interleukin 8, insulin-like growth factor 1, and IGF binding protein 1. RESULTS:In total 23 patients were randomized to the WL intervention and 21 patients to the control group. Subjects in the intervention group had significantly more weight loss (WL:-3.7 ± 0.5 kg; Control:-1.6 ± 0.5 kg; p = 0.007) than the control group and total fat mass was significantly reduced (WL:-2.1 ± 0.4; Control: 0.1 ± 0.3; p = 0.015). There was no significant difference in apoptotic or proliferation index between the groups. Among the other biomarkers, triglyceride, and insulin levels were significantly decreased in the WL compared with the control group. CONCLUSIONS:In summary, this short-term WL program prior to radical prostatectomy resulted in significantly more WL in the intervention vs. the control group and was accompanied by significant reductions in body fat mass, circulating triglycerides, and insulin. However, no significant changes were observed in malignant epithelium apoptosis or proliferation. Future studies should consider a longer term or more intensive weight loss intervention
Determination of the magnetic structure of Yb3Pt4: a k=0 local-moment antiferromagnet
We have used neutron diffraction measurements to study the zero-field
magnetic structure of the intermetallic compound Yb3Pt4, which was earlier
found to order antiferromagnetically at the Neel temperature TN=2.4 K, and
displays a field-driven quantum critical point at 1.6 T. In Yb3Pt4, the Yb
moments sit on a single low-symmetry site in the rhombohedral lattice with
space group R-3. The Yb ions form octahedra with edges that are twisted with
respect to the hexagonal unit cell, a twisting that results in every Yb ion
having exactly one Yb nearest neighbor. Below TN, we found new diffracted
intensity due to a k=0 magnetic structure. This magnetic structure was compared
to all symmetry-allowed magnetic structures, and was subsequently refined. The
best fitting magnetic structure model is antiferromagnetic, and involves pairs
of Yb nearest neighbors on which the moments point almost exactly towards each
other. This structure has moment components within the ab-plane as well as
parallel to the c-axis, although the easy magnetization direction lies in the
ab-plane. Our magnetization results suggest that besides the crystal-electric
field anisotropy, anisotropic exchange favoring alignment along the c-axis is
responsible for the overall direction of the ordered moments. The magnitude of
the ordered Yb moments in Yb3Pt4 is 0.81 uB/Yb at 1.4 K. The analysis of the
bulk properties, the size of the ordered moment, and the observation of
well-defined crystal-field levels argue that the Yb moments are spatially
localized in zero field.Comment: 11 pages, 12 figure, submitted to Phys. Rev.
Changes in expression and activity of the secretory pathway Ca2+ATPase 1 (SPCA1) in A7r5 vascular smooth muscle cells cultured at different glucose concentrations
Diabetes mellitus-related vascular disease is often associated with both a dysregulation of Ca homoeostasis and enhanced secretory activity in VSMCs (vascular smooth muscle cells). Here, we employ a commonly used rat cell line for VSMCs (A7r5 cells) to investigate the effects of glucose on the expression and activity of the SPCA1 (secretory pathway Ca-ATPase 1; also known as ATP2C1), which is a P-type Ca pump located in the Golgi apparatus that plays a key role in the secretory pathway. Our results show that mRNA expression levels of SPCA1 are significantly increased in A7r5 cells cultured in high glucose (25.0 mM)-supplemented medium compared with normal glucose (5.55 mM)-supplemented medium. SPCA1 protein expression levels and thapsigargin-insensitive Ca-dependent ATPase activity were also consistent with a higher than normal expression level of SPCA1 in high-glucose-cultured A7r5 cells. Analysis of AVP (arginine-vasopressin)-induced cytosolic Ca transients in A7r5 cells (after pre-treatment with thapsigargin) showed faster rise and decay phases in cells grown in high glucose medium compared with cells grown in normal glucose medium, supporting the observation of increased SPCA expression/activity. The significant levels of both Ca-ATPase activity and AVP-induced Ca transients, in the presence of thapsigargin, indicate that SPCA must play a significant role in Ca uptake within VSMCs. We therefore propose that, if such increases in SPCA expression and activity also occur in primary VSMCs, this may play a substantial role in the aetiology of diabetes mellitus-associated vascular disease, due to alterations in Ca homoeostasis within the Golgi apparatus
Polyoxometalate-intercalated layered double hydroxides as efficient and recyclable bi-functional catalysts for cascade reactions
The polyoxometalate (POM) intercalated-layered double hydroxides (LDHs) have been widely used as heterogeneous catalysts. However, the application of POM-LDHs as bi-functional catalysts for cascade reaction has seldom been studied comparing with the noble metal-based catalysts. Herein, a series of POM-LDHs catalysts of Tris-LDH-X4(PW9)2 (X = Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu and Zn) has been prepared; The efficacy of Tris-LDH-Zn4(PW9)2 as efficient bi-functional catalyst has been demonstrated for cascade reactions involving oxidation of benzyl alcohol to benzaldehyde followed by Knoevenagel condensation with ethyl cyanoacetate to produce benzylidene ethyl cyanoacetate. The combination of POM's redox/acidic sites and LDHs's basic sites led to a composite catalyst with excellent activity (99%) and selectivity (≥ 99%) under mild and soluble-base-free conditions. This work offer a new design strategy for the fabrication of efficient bi-functional catalysts for the promotion of one-pot cascade reactions
Cutaneous and renal glomerular vasculopathy as a cause of acute kidney injury in dogs in the UK
To describe the signalment, clinicopathological findings and outcome in dogs presenting with acute kidney injury (AKI) and skin lesions between November 2012 and March 2014, in whom cutaneous and renal glomerular vasculopathy (CRGV) was suspected and renal thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA) was histopathologically confirmed. The medical records of dogs with skin lesions and AKI, with histopathologically confirmed renal TMA, were retrospectively reviewed. Thirty dogs from across the UK were identified with clinicopathological findings compatible with CRGV. These findings included the following: skin lesions, predominantly affecting the distal extremities; AKI; and variably, anaemia, thrombocytopaenia and hyperbilirubinaemia. Known causes of AKI were excluded. The major renal histopathogical finding was TMA. All thirty dogs died or were euthanised. Shiga toxin was not identified in the kidneys of affected dogs. Escherichia coli genes encoding shiga toxin were not identified in faeces from affected dogs. CRGV has previously been reported in greyhounds in the USA, a greyhound in the UK, without renal involvement, and a Great Dane in Germany. This is the first report of a series of non-greyhound dogs with CRGV and AKI in the UK. CRGV is a disease of unknown aetiology carrying a poor prognosis when azotaemia develops
Estimating the Distribution of Selection Coefficients from Phylogenetic Data Using Sitewise Mutation-Selection Models
Estimation of the distribution of selection coefficients of mutations is a long-standing issue in molecular evolution. In addition to population-based methods, the distribution can be estimated from DNA sequence data by phylogenetic-based models. Previous models have generally found unimodal distributions where the probability mass is concentrated between mildly deleterious and nearly neutral mutations. Here we use a sitewise mutation–selection phylogenetic model to estimate the distribution of selection coefficients among novel and fixed mutations (substitutions) in a data set of 244 mammalian mitochondrial genomes and a set of 401 PB2 proteins from influenza. We find a bimodal distribution of selection coefficients for novel mutations in both the mitochondrial data set and for the influenza protein evolving in its natural reservoir, birds. Most of the mutations are strongly deleterious with the rest of the probability mass concentrated around mildly deleterious to neutral mutations. The distribution of the coefficients among substitutions is unimodal and symmetrical around nearly neutral substitutions for both data sets at adaptive equilibrium. About 0.5% of the nonsynonymous mutations and 14% of the nonsynonymous substitutions in the mitochondrial proteins are advantageous, with 0.5% and 24% observed for the influenza protein. Following a host shift of influenza from birds to humans, however, we find among novel mutations in PB2 a trimodal distribution with a small mode of advantageous mutations
Random attractors for a class of stochastic partial differential equations driven by general additive noise
The existence of random attractors for a large class of stochastic partial
differential equations (SPDE) driven by general additive noise is established.
The main results are applied to various types of SPDE, as e.g. stochastic
reaction-diffusion equations, the stochastic -Laplace equation and
stochastic porous media equations. Besides classical Brownian motion, we also
include space-time fractional Brownian Motion and space-time L\'evy noise as
admissible random perturbations. Moreover, cases where the attractor consists
of a single point are considered and bounds for the speed of attraction are
obtained.Comment: 30 page
Special fast diffusion with slow asymptotics. Entropy method and flow on a Riemannian manifold
We consider the asymptotic behaviour of positive solutions of the
fast diffusion equation
posed for x\in\RR^d, , with a precise value for the exponent
. The space dimension is so that , and even
for . This case had been left open in the general study \cite{BBDGV} since
it requires quite different functional analytic methods, due in particular to
the absence of a spectral gap for the operator generating the linearized
evolution.
The linearization of this flow is interpreted here as the heat flow of the
Laplace-Beltrami operator of a suitable Riemannian Manifold (\RR^d,{\bf g}),
with a metric which is conformal to the standard \RR^d metric.
Studying the pointwise heat kernel behaviour allows to prove {suitable
Gagliardo-Nirenberg} inequalities associated to the generator. Such
inequalities in turn allow to study the nonlinear evolution as well, and to
determine its asymptotics, which is identical to the one satisfied by the
linearization. In terms of the rescaled representation, which is a nonlinear
Fokker--Planck equation, the convergence rate turns out to be polynomial in
time. This result is in contrast with the known exponential decay of such
representation for all other values of .Comment: 37 page
Sharp two-sided heat kernel estimates for critical Schr\"odinger operators on bounded domains
On a smooth bounded domain \Omega \subset R^N we consider the Schr\"odinger
operators -\Delta -V, with V being either the critical borderline potential
V(x)=(N-2)^2/4 |x|^{-2} or V(x)=(1/4) dist (x,\partial\Omega)^{-2}, under
Dirichlet boundary conditions. In this work we obtain sharp two-sided estimates
on the corresponding heat kernels. To this end we transform the Scr\"odinger
operators into suitable degenerate operators, for which we prove a new
parabolic Harnack inequality up to the boundary. To derive the Harnack
inequality we have established a serier of new inequalities such as improved
Hardy, logarithmic Hardy Sobolev, Hardy-Moser and weighted Poincar\'e. As a
byproduct of our technique we are able to answer positively to a conjecture of
E.B.Davies.Comment: 40 page
- …