4D visualization of embryonic, structural crystallization by single-pulse microscopy

In many physical and biological systems the transition from an amorphous to ordered native structure involves complex energy landscapes, and understanding such transformations requires not only their thermodynamics but also the structural dynamics during the process. Here, we extend our 4D visualization method with electron imaging to include the study of irreversible processes with a single pulse in the same ultrafast electron microscope (UEM) as used before in the single-electron mode for the study of reversible processes. With this augmentation, we report on the transformation of amorphous to crystalline structure with silicon as an example. A single heating pulse was used to initiate crystallization from the amorphous phase while a single packet of electrons imaged selectively in space the transformation as the structure continuously changes with time. From the evolution of crystallinity in real time and the changes in morphology, for nanosecond and femtosecond pulse heating, we describe two types of processes, one that occurs at early time and involves a nondiffusive motion and another that takes place on a longer time scale. Similar mechanisms of two distinct time scales may perhaps be important in biomolecular folding

Pb and Bi L-Subshell Ionization Cross-Section Ratios Versus Proton Bombarding Energy from 0.5 to 4 MeV

Experimental ratios of L-subshell cross sections are given for ionization of lead and bismuth by 0.5-4-MeV-proton bombardment. The ratio of the LII to LI cross sections exhibits a maximum near 1.75 MeV. Individual subshell cross sections are obtained from the experimental ratios and previous total-cross-section data. These subshell ratios and cross sections are compared with the theoretical predictions of the plane-wave Born approximation using nonrelativistic hydrogenic wave functions, of the binary-encounter approximation scaled from Mg K-shell cross sections, and of the binary-encounter approximation scaled from cross sections obtained using L-shell velocity distributions. It was found that both approximations predict the trend of the data for the LII and LIII subshells, but that only the plane-wave Born approximation gave the proper behavior for the LI subshell

A toy model of fractal glioma development under RF electric field treatment

A toy model for glioma treatment by a radio frequency electric field is suggested. This low-intensity, intermediate-frequency alternating electric field is known as the tumor-treating-field (TTF). In the framework of this model the efficiency of this TTF is estimated, and the interplay between the TTF and the migration-proliferation dichotomy of cancer cells is considered. The model is based on a modification of a comb model for cancer cells, where the migration-proliferation dichotomy becomes naturally apparent. Considering glioma cancer as a fractal dielectric composite of cancer cells and normal tissue cells, a new effective mechanism of glioma treatment is suggested in the form of a giant enhancement of the TTF. This leads to the irreversible electroporation that may be an effective non-invasive method of treating brain cancer.Comment: Submitted for publication in European Physical Journal

MED12 regulates a transcriptional network of calcium-handling genes in the heart

The Mediator complex regulates gene transcription by linking basal transcriptional machinery with DNA-bound transcription factors. The activity of the Mediator complex is mainly controlled by a kinase submodule that is composed of 4 proteins, including MED12. Although ubiquitously expressed, Mediator subunits can differentially regulate gene expression in a tissue-specific manner. Here, we report that MED12 is required for normal cardiac function, such that mice with conditional cardiac-specific deletion of MED12 display progressive dilated cardiomyopathy. Loss of MED12 perturbs expression of calcium-handling genes in the heart, consequently altering calcium cycling in cardiomyocytes and disrupting cardiac electrical activity. We identified transcription factors that regulate expression of calcium-handling genes that are downregulated in the heart in the absence of MED12, and we found that MED12 localizes to transcription factor consensus sequences within calcium-handling genes. We showed that MED12 interacts with one such transcription factor, MEF2, in cardiomyocytes and that MED12 and MEF2 co-occupy promoters of calcium-handling genes. Furthermore, we demonstrated that MED12 enhances MEF2 transcriptional activity and that overexpression of both increases expression of calcium-handling genes in cardiomyocytes. Our data support a role for MED12 as a coordinator of transcription through MEF2 and other transcription factors. We conclude that MED12 is a regulator of a network of calcium-handling genes, consequently mediating contractility in the mammalian heart

Excitonic effects on the two-color coherent control of interband transitions in bulk semiconductors

Quantum interference between one- and two-photon absorption pathways allows coherent control of interband transitions in unbiased bulk semiconductors; carrier population, carrier spin polarization, photocurrent injection, and spin current injection may all be controlled. We extend the theory of these processes to include the electron-hole interaction. Our focus is on photon energies that excite carriers above the band edge, but close enough to it so that transition amplitudes based on low order expansions in $\mathbf{k}$ are applicable; both allowed-allowed and allowed-forbidden two-photon transition amplitudes are included. Analytic solutions are obtained using the effective mass theory of Wannier excitons; degenerate bands are accounted for, but envelope-hole coupling is neglected. We find a Coulomb enhancement of two-color coherent control process, and relate it to the Coulomb enhancements of one- and two-photon absorption. In addition, we find a frequency dependent phase shift in the dependence of photocurrent and spin current on the optical phases. The phase shift decreases monotonically from $\pi /2$ at the band edge to 0 over an energy range governed by the exciton binding energy. It is the difference between the partial wave phase shifts of the electron-hole envelope function reached by one- and two-photon pathways.Comment: 31 pages, 4 figures, to be published in Phys. Rev.

Short--range impurity in the vicinity of a saddle point and the levitation of the 2D delocalized states in a magnetic field

The effect of a short--range impurity on the transmission through a saddle--point potential for an electron, moving in a strong magnetic field, is studied. It is demonstrated that for a random position of an impurity and random sign of its potential the impurity--induced mixing of the Landau levels diminishes {\em on average} the transmission coefficient. This results in an upward shift (levitation) of the energy position of the delocalized state in a smooth potential. The magnitude of the shift is estimated. It increases with decreasing magnetic field $B$ as $B^{-4}$.Comment: LaTeX, 20 page

Resonant scattering in a strong magnetic field: exact density of states

We study the structure of 2D electronic states in a strong magnetic field in the presence of a large number of resonant scatterers. For an electron in the lowest Landau level, we derive the exact density of states by mapping the problem onto a zero-dimensional field-theoretical model. We demonstrate that the interplay between resonant and non-resonant scattering leads to a non-analytic energy dependence of the electron Green function. In particular, for strong resonant scattering the density of states develops a gap in a finite energy interval. The shape of the Landau level is shown to be very sensitive to the distribution of resonant scatterers.Comment: 12 pages + 3 fig

Free particle scattering off two oscillating disks

We investigate the two-dimensional classical dynamics of the scattering of point particles by two periodically oscillating disks. The dynamics exhibits regular and chaotic scattering properties, as a function of the initial conditions and parameter values of the system. The energy is not conserved since the particles can gain and loose energy from the collisions with the disks. We find that for incident particles whose velocity is on the order of the oscillating disk velocity, the energy of the exiting particles displays non-monotonic gaps of allowed energies, and the distribution of exiting particle velocities shows significant fluctuations in the low energy regime. We also considered the case when the initial velocity distribution is Gaussian, and found that for high energies the exit velocity distribution is Gaussian with the same mean and variance. When the initial particle velocities are in the irregular regime the exit velocity distribution is Gaussian but with a smaller mean and variance. The latter result can be understood as an example of stochastic cooling. In the intermediate regime the exit velocity distribution differs significantly from Gaussian. A comparison of the results presented in this paper to previous chaotic static scattering problems is also discussed.Comment: 9 doble sided pages 13 Postscript figures, REVTEX style. To appear in Phys. Rev.