Comparison of short-range-order in liquid- and rotator-phase states of a simple molecular liquid: A reverse Monte Carlo and molecular dynamics analysis of neutron diffraction data

6 págs.; 6 figs.; 1 tab. ; PACS number s : 61.25.Em, 61.20. p, 61.43. j, 61.12. qThe short-range order (SRO) correlations in liquid- and rotator-phase states of carbon tetrachloride are revisited here. The correlation of some angular magnitudes is used to evaluate the positional and orientational correlations in the liquid as well as in the rotator phase. The results show significant similitudes in the relative position of the molecules surrounding a central one but striking differences in their relative orientations, which could explain the changes in SRO between the two phases and the puzzling behavior of the local density in the liquid and rotator phases. © 2007 The American Physical Society.We would also like to acknowledge “Generalitat de Catalunya” Project No. 2005SGR- 00535 and MEC Project No. FIS2005-00975 for partial support of this work.Peer Reviewe

The editorial board

Introduction to the Symposium on Pig Biodiversity, which was held in the Spanish city of Córdoba during 7-9th November 2002

Numerical Analysis of Sub-critical Crack Growth in Particulate Ceramic Composites

AbstractThe strength of glass or ceramic containing materials can be affected by the environment (“stress corrosion”). Under applied stress, crack-like defects may grow (sub-critically) for stress intensity factors, KI, below the fracture toughness of the material, KIc. The aim of the present work was to develop a two-dimensional finite element model to analyze the subcritical crack growth behavior of ceramic-based particulate composites. The maximum tangential stress criterion (MTS) was used to predict the direction of the crack propagation, in the framework of linear elastic fracture mechanics. The modeled material was a Low Temperature Co-fired Ceramic (LTCC), containing alumina particles embedded in a glass matrix. The experimentally determined SCCG material behavior (i.e. v-KI data) was implemented in the numerical model. The effect of the elastic modulus of the particles on the subcritical crack propagation was investigated. The conclusions of this paper can contribute to a better understanding of the subcritical propagation of cracks in particulate composites

Structure and relaxations in liquid and amorphous Selenium

We report a molecular dynamics simulation of selenium, described by a three-body interaction. The temperatures T_g and T_c and the structural properties are in agreement with experiment. The mean nearest neighbor coordination number is 2.1. A small pre-peak at about 1 AA^-1 can be explained in terms of void correlations. In the intermediate self-scattering function, i.e. the density fluctuation correlation, classical behavior, alpha- and beta-regimes, is found. We also observe the plateau in the beta-regime below T_g. In a second step, we investigated the heterogeneous and/or homogeneous behavior of the relaxations. At both short and long times the relaxations are homogeneous (or weakly heterogeneous). In the intermediate time scale, lowering the temperature increases the heterogeneity. We connect these different domains to the vibrational (ballistic), beta- and alpha-regimes. We have also shown that the increase in heterogeneity can be understood in terms of relaxations

SKI-1 and Furin Generate Multiple RGMa Fragments that Regulate Axonal Growth

SummaryThe nervous system is enormously complex, yet the number of cues that control axonal growth is surprisingly meager. Posttranslational modifications amplify diversity, but the degree to which they are employed is unclear. Here, we show that Furin and SKI-1 combine with autocatalytic cleavage and a disulfide bridge to generate four membrane-bound and three soluble forms of the repulsive guidance molecule (RGMa). We provide in vivo evidence that these proprotein convertases are involved in axonal growth and that RGMa cleavage is essential for Neogenin-mediated outgrowth inhibition. Surprisingly, despite no sequence homology, N- and C-RGMa fragments bound the same Fibronectin-like domains in Neogenin and blocked outgrowth. This represents an example in which unrelated fragments from one molecule inhibit outgrowth through a single receptor domain. RGMa is a tethered membrane-bound molecule, and proteolytic processing amplifies RGMa diversity by creating soluble versions with long-range effects as well

Distâncias genéticas em equinos (Equus caballus) por meio de marcadores microssatélites.

A raça Marajoara é bastante difundida e utilizada nas fazendas da ilha de Marajó e está sendo mantida em conservação no Banco de Germoplasma Animal da Amazônia Oriental ? BAGAM, da Embrapa Amazônia Oriental, sendo altamente adaptada às condições climáticas e ao relevo que caracterizam essa região. Foram utilizadas amostras da raça Marajoara (54), Puruca (47),Mangalarga (30), Puro Sangue Inglês (47), Árabe (25), Pantaneiro (63) coletados no Brasil e Lusitano (93), Árabe (48), Asturcon (39), Pura Raça Espanhola (60), Puro Sangue Inglês (46), Losino(59), Mallorquina (30), Menorquina (69) e Potoka (27) coletados na Espanha. Foram utilizados 22iniciadores (HTG4, AHT4, HMS7, ASB2, ASB17, HMS6, ASB23, HTG10, HMS3, LEX33, T287, T294,T297, T301, T312, T321, T325, T333, T341, T394, T343 e T344) amplificados pelo método de Reação em Cadeia da Polimerase (PCR). Os produtos da PCR foram separados em gel desnaturante de poliacrilamida 6%. Foram detectados 236 alelos, com média igual a 7,5 alelos/locus, variando entre 16 e 6 alelos. As médias de Conteúdo de Informação Polimórfica (PIC) e as heterozigosidades observadas (Ho) e esperadas (He), conforme as raças estudadas, foram respectivamente, 0,7610, 0,7873 e 0,7413. A estimativa da estatística F de Wright (1978) mostrou que a variação entre as raças foi maior (Fst 8,1%) do que dentro delas (Fis 0,78%), demonstrando que a diferenciação genética neste estudo foi maior entre as raças do que dentro de cada uma delas. Foram observados poucos desvios em relação ao equilíbrio de Hardy ? Weinberg. A menor distância genética observada foi entre a raça Marajoara e a Puruca seguida da Mangalarga. Os resultados sugerem que a raça Marajoara representa um grupo genético claramente distinto deoutras raças excetuando-se a Puruca que pode ser utilizada como reservatório de genes para esta, com razoável variabilidade genética. Medidas de conservação e manejo devem ser intensificadas nesse importante recurso genético brasileiro a fim de evitar a sua descaracterização e perda de identidade genética

Magnesium in Kidney Function and Disease—Implications for Aging and Sex—A Narrative Review

Magnesium (Mg) has a vital role in the human body, and the kidney is a key organ in the metabolism and excretion of this cation. The objective of this work is to compile the available evidence regarding the role that Mg plays in health and disease, with a special focus on the elderly population with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and the eventual sex differences. A narrative review was carried out by executing an exhaustive search in the PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane databases. Ten studies were found in which the role of Mg and sex was evaluated in elderly patients with CKD in the last 10 years (2012–2022). The progression of CKD leads to alterations in mineral metabolism, which worsen as the disease progresses. Mg can be used as a coadjuvant in the treatment of CKD patients to improve glomerular filtration, but its use in clinical applications needs to be further characterized. In conclusion, there’s a need for well-designed prospective clinical trials to advise and standardize Mg supplementation in daily clinical practice, taking age and sex into consideration

Low-temperature specific heat and thermal conductivity of glycerol

We have measured the thermal conductivity of glassy glycerol between 1.5 K and 100 K, as well as the specific heat of both glassy and crystalline phases of glycerol between 0.5 K and 25 K. We discuss both low-temperature properties of this typical molecular glass in terms of the soft-potential model. Our finding of an excellent agreement between its predictions and experimental data for these two independent measurements constitutes a robust proof of the capabilities of the soft-potential model to account for the low-temperature properties of glasses in a wide temperature range.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures. To be published in Phys. Rev. B (2002