Study of ultrathin Pt/Co/Pt trilayers modified by nanosecond XUV pulses from laser-driven plasma source

We have studied the structural mechanisms responsible for the magnetic reorientation between in-plane and out-of-plane magnetization in the (25 nm Pt)/(3 and 10 nm Co)/(3 nm Pt) trilayer systems irradiated with nanosecond XUV pulses generated with laser-driven gas-puff target plasma source of a narrow continuous spectrum peaked at wavelength of 11 nm. The thickness of individual layers, their density, chemical composition and irradiation-induced lateral strain were deduced from symmetric and asymmetric X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns, grazing-incidence X-ray reflectometry (GIXR), grazing incidence X-ray fluorescence (GIXRF), extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) measurements. In the as grown samples we found, that the Pt buffer layers are relaxed and that the layer interfaces are sharp. As a result of a quasi-uniform irradiation of the samples, the XRD, EXAFS, GIXR and GIXRF data reveal the formation of two distinct layers composed of Pt1-xCox alloys with different Co concentrations, dependent on the thickness of the as grown magnetic Co film but with similar ∼1% lateral tensile residual strain. For smaller exposure dose (lower number of accumulated pulses) only partial interdiffusion at the interfaces takes place with the formation of a tri-layer composed of Co-Pt alloy sandwiched between thinned Pt layers, as revealed by TEM. The structural modifications are accompanied by magnetization changes, evidenced by means of magneto-optical microscopy. The difference in magnetic properties of the irradiated samples can be related to their modification in Pt1-xCox alloy composition, as the other parameters (lateral strain and alloy thickness) remain almost unchanged. The out-of-plane magnetization observed for the sample with initially 3 nm Co layer can be due to a significant reduction of demagnetization factor resulting from a lower Co concentration

Comparison of Population-Based Association Study Methods Correcting for Population Stratification

Population stratification can cause spurious associations in population–based association studies. Several statistical methods have been proposed to reduce the impact of population stratification on population–based association studies. We simulated a set of stratified populations based on the real haplotype data from the HapMap ENCODE project, and compared the relative power, type I error rates, accuracy and positive prediction value of four prevailing population–based association study methods: traditional case-control tests, structured association (SA), genomic control (GC) and principal components analysis (PCA) under various population stratification levels. Additionally, we evaluated the effects of sample sizes and frequencies of disease susceptible allele on the performance of the four analytical methods in the presence of population stratification. We found that the performance of PCA was very stable under various scenarios. Our comparison results suggest that SA and PCA have comparable performance, if sufficient ancestral informative markers are used in SA analysis. GC appeared to be strongly conservative in significantly stratified populations. It may be better to apply GC in the stratified populations with low stratification level. Our study intends to provide a practical guideline for researchers to select proper study methods and make appropriate inference of the results in population-based association studies

Intrinsic Capability of Budding Yeast Cofilin to Promote Turnover of Tropomyosin-Bound Actin Filaments

The ability of actin filaments to function in cell morphogenesis and motility is closely coupled to their dynamic properties. Yeast cells contain two prominent actin structures, cables and patches, both of which are rapidly assembled and disassembled. Although genetic studies have shown that rapid actin turnover in patches and cables depends on cofilin, how cofilin might control cable disassembly remains unclear, because tropomyosin, a component of actin cables, is thought to protect actin filaments against the depolymerizing activity of ADF/cofilin. We have identified cofilin as a yeast tropomyosin (Tpm1) binding protein through Tpm1 affinity column and mass spectrometry. Using a variety of assays, we show that yeast cofilin can efficiently depolymerize and sever yeast actin filaments decorated with either Tpm1 or mouse tropomyosins TM1 and TM4. Our results suggest that yeast cofilin has the intrinsic ability to promote actin cable turnover, and that the severing activity may rely on its ability to bind Tpm1

Neural networks for modeling gene-gene interactions in association studies

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Our aim is to investigate the ability of neural networks to model different two-locus disease models. We conduct a simulation study to compare neural networks with two standard methods, namely logistic regression models and multifactor dimensionality reduction. One hundred data sets are generated for each of six two-locus disease models, which are considered in a low and in a high risk scenario. Two models represent independence, one is a multiplicative model, and three models are epistatic. For each data set, six neural networks (with up to five hidden neurons) and five logistic regression models (the null model, three main effect models, and the full model) with two different codings for the genotype information are fitted. Additionally, the multifactor dimensionality reduction approach is applied.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The results show that neural networks are more successful in modeling the structure of the underlying disease model than logistic regression models in most of the investigated situations. In our simulation study, neither logistic regression nor multifactor dimensionality reduction are able to correctly identify biological interaction.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Neural networks are a promising tool to handle complex data situations. However, further research is necessary concerning the interpretation of their parameters.</p

Growth of nanostructures by cluster deposition : a review

This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of simple models useful to analyze the growth of nanostructures obtained by cluster deposition. After detailing the potential interest of nanostructures, I extensively study the first stages of growth (the submonolayer regime) by kinetic Monte-Carlo simulations. These simulations are performed in a wide variety of experimental situations : complete condensation, growth with reevaporation, nucleation on defects, total or null cluster-cluster coalescence... The main scope of the paper is to help experimentalists analyzing their data to deduce which of those processes are important and to quantify them. A software including all these simulation programs is available at no cost on request to the author. I carefully discuss experiments of growth from cluster beams and show how the mobility of the clusters on the surface can be measured : surprisingly high values are found. An important issue for future technological applications of cluster deposition is the relation between the size of the incident clusters and the size of the islands obtained on the substrate. An approximate formula which gives the ratio of the two sizes as a function of the melting temperature of the material deposited is given. Finally, I study the atomic mechanisms which can explain the diffusion of the clusters on a substrate and the result of their mutual interaction (simple juxtaposition, partial or total coalescence...)Comment: To be published Rev Mod Phys, Oct 99, RevTeX, 37 figure

Effect of Tempering Temperature on the Mechanical Properties of Cast L35HM Steel

A possibility to control the strength, hardness and ductility of the L35HM low-alloy structural cast steel by the applied tempering temperature is discussed in the paper. Tests were carried out on samples taken from the two randomly selected industrial melts. Heat treatment of the cast samples included quenching at 900°C, cooling in an aqueous solution of polymer, and tempering at 600 and 650°C. The obtained results showed that the difference in the tempering temperature equal to 50°C can cause the difference of 121 MPa in the values of UTS and of 153 MPa in the values of 0.2%YS. For both melts tempered at 600 °C, the average values of UTS and 0.2%YS were equal to 995 MPa and 933 MPa, respectively. The values of EL and RA did not show any significant differences. Attention was drawn to large differences in strength and hardness observed between the melts tempered at 600 and 650°C. Despite differences in the mechanical properties of the examined cast steel, the obtained results were superior to those specified by the standard

Estimation of the influence of wood debris barrier on the flow condition during floods of in the stream Wieprzowka

Intensywne wezbrania powodziowe w powiecie wadowickim w ciągu ostatnich lat spowodowały znaczne straty materialne. Do powstałych szkód należy zaliczyć zniszczenia obiektów mostowych, spowodowane w większości przypadków poprzez zatory z rumoszu drzewnego. W wyniku badań terenowych i analiz określono warunki przepływu wód wezbraniowych w potoku Wieprzówka. Badaniami objęto górną część zlewni o powierzchni 5,33 km2, zamkniętą przekrojem mostowym. Obliczono przepływy o określonym prawdopodobieństwie przewyższenia metodą Punzeta i tzw. formuły opadowej. Przepływ miarodajny Q1% posłużył obliczeniu przepustowości mostu w dwóch wariantach: przy braku zatoru i dla zatoru z rumoszu drzewnego. Powstające zatory powodują zmniejszenia czynnego pola przekroju, wpływając niekorzystnie na warunki przepływu wód wezbraniowych. Rozwiązanie konstrukcyjne mostu w km 27+500 potoku Wieprzówka, jak również jego sytuowanie umożliwia przepuszczenie całości przepływu miarodajnego, wynoszącego 32,31 m3·s-1, pomimo spiętrzenia równego 0,97 m. W przypadku utworzenia się zatoru zamykającego ponad 50% powierzchni przekroju poprzecznego mostu nastąpi szybki wzrost spiętrzenia, doprowadzając do zatopienia belki przęsła mostu, wystąpienia wody z koryta i ewentualnego rozmycia dna potoku. Przeprowadzona analiza wskazuje na konieczność prowadzenia systematycznych prac konserwacyjnych strefy przybrzeżnej koryt.Intensive flood freshets occurred in the district of Wadowice during the last couple of years causing serious material damages. These damages include destruction of bridges caused in majority of cases by barriers of wooden debris formed in the light of bridges. In consequence of investigations in situ and calculations conditions of flow of freshet waters in the stream Wieprzówka were assessed. The upper part of the basin closed witch a bridge section was subjected to investigations. Its area was 5.33 km2. Flows of determined probability of overtopping were assessed by Punzet’s and precipitation formula. The calculated flow Q1% served for calculation of the bridge flow capacity in two variants: no barrier and barrier of wood debris in the light of the bridge. The barriers cause diminishing of the active field of the section influencing negatively conditions of treshet water flow. The structured solution of the bridge at the 27+500 km of the stream Wieprzówka as well as its location permits the whole flow equaling 32.31 m3·s-1 to damming in its light in spite of water head being 0.97 m. In case a barriers is formed closing over 50% of the cross section surface of the bridge a quick increase in the flow damming up will occur leading to submergence of the beam of the bridge span, overtopping the river bed by water and possible washout of the ground beyond the abutments. The analysis carried out shows necessity of systematic conservation works of the area close to the river beds

Divalent cation-, nucleotide-, and polymerization-dependent changes in the conformation of subdomain 2 of actin.

Conformational changes in subdomain 2 of actin were investigated using fluorescence probes dansyl cadaverine (DC) or dansyl ethylenediamine (DED) covalently attached to Gln41. Examination of changes in the fluorescence emission spectra as a function of time during Ca2+/Mg2+ and ATP/ADP exchange at the high-affinity site for divalent cation-nucleotide complex in G-actin confirmed a profound influence of the type of nucleotide but failed to detect a significant cation-dependent difference in the environment of Gln41. No significant difference between Ca- and Mg-actin was also seen in the magnitude of the fluorescence changes resulting from the polymerization of these two actin forms. Evidence is presented that earlier reported cation-dependent differences in the conformation of the loop 38-52 may be related to time-dependent changes in the conformation of subdomain 2 in DED- or DC-labeled G-actin, accelerated by substitution of Mg2+ for Ca2+ in CaATP-G-actin and, in particular, by conversion of MgATP- into MgADP-G-actin. These spontaneous changes are associated with a denaturation-driven release of the bound nucleotide that is promoted by two effects of DED or DC labeling: lowered affinity of actin for nucleotide and acceleration of ATP hydrolysis on MgATP-G-actin that converts it into a less stable MgADP form. Evidence is presented that the changes in the environment of Gln41 accompanying actin polymerization result in part from the release of Pi after the hydrolysis of ATP on the polymer. A similarity of this change to that accompanying replacement of the bound ATP with ADP in G-actin is discussed