9,947 research outputs found
A rapid method for isolation of total nucleic acids from Aspergillus nidulans
With the development of molecular biology techniques and their application to the analysis of cellular events, the isolation of total nucleic acids in Aspergillus nidulans for Southern and Northern hybridization has become routine
Formation of hydrogen impurity states in silicon and insulators at low implantation energies
The formation of hydrogen-like muonium (Mu) has been studied as a function of
implantation energy in intrinsic Si, thin films of condensed van der Waals
gases (N2, Ne, Ar, Xe), fused and crystalline quartz and sapphire. By varying
the initial energy of positive muons (mu+) between 1 and 30 keV the number of
electron-hole pairs generated in the ionization track of the mu+ can be tuned
between a few and several thousand. The results show the strong suppression of
the formation of those Mu states that depend on the availability of excess
electrons. This indicates, that the role of H-impurity states in determining
electric properties of semiconductors and insulators depends on the way how
atomic H is introduced into the material.Comment: 4 pages, 4 enscapulated postscript figures, uses revtex4 twocolumn
style to be published in Physical Review Letter
Threshold effects in excited charmed baryon decays
Motivated by recent results on charmed baryons from CLEO and FOCUS, we
reexamine the couplings of the orbitally excited charmed baryons. Due to its
proximity to the [Sigma_c pi] threshold, the strong decays of the
Lambda_c(2593) are sensitive to finite width effects. This distorts the shape
of the invariant mass spectrum in Lambda_{c1}-> Lambda_c pi^+pi^- from a simple
Breit-Wigner resonance, which has implications for the experimental extraction
of the Lambda_c(2593) mass and couplings. We perform a fit to unpublished CLEO
data which gives M(Lambda_c(2593)) - M(Lambda_c) = 305.6 +- 0.3 MeV and h2^2 =
0.24^{+0.23}_{-0.11}, with h2 the Lambda_{c1}-> Sigma_c pi strong coupling in
the chiral Lagrangian. We also comment on the new orbitally excited states
recently observed by CLEO.Comment: 9 pages, 3 figure
1/N_c Expansion of the Heavy Baryon Isgur-Wise Functions
The 1/N_c expansion of the heavy baryon Isgur-Wise functions is discussed.
Because of the contracted SU(2N_f) light quark spin-flavor symmetry, the
universality relations among the Isgur-Wise functions of \Lambda_b to \Lambda_c
and \Sigma_b^{(*)} to \Sigma_c^{(*)} are valid up to the order of 1/N_c^2.Comment: 7 pages, latex, no figures, to appear in Phys. Rev.
Disrupted working memory circuitry and psychotic symptoms in 22q11.2 deletion syndrome
22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11DS) is a recurrent genetic mutation that is highly penetrant for psychosis. Behavioral research suggests that 22q11DS patients exhibit a characteristic neurocognitive phenotype that includes differential impairment in spatial working memory (WM). Notably, spatial WM has also been proposed as an endophenotype for idiopathic psychotic disorder, yet little is known about the neurobiological substrates of WM in 22q11DS. In order to investigate the neural systems engaged during spatial WM in 22q11DS patients, we collected functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data while 41 participants (16 22q11DS patients, 25 demographically matched controls) performed a spatial capacity WM task that included manipulations of delay length and load level. Relative to controls, 22q11DS patients showed reduced neural activation during task performance in the intraparietal sulcus (IPS) and superior frontal sulcus (SFS). In addition, the typical increases in neural activity within spatial WM-relevant regions with greater memory load were not observed in 22q11DS. We further investigated whether neural dysfunction during WM was associated with behavioral WM performance, assessed via the University of Maryland letter-number sequencing (LNS) task, and positive psychotic symptoms, assessed via the Structured Interview for Prodromal Syndromes (SIPS), in 22q11DS patients. WM load activity within IPS and SFS was positively correlated with LNS task performance; moreover, WM load activity within IPS was inversely correlated with the severity of unusual thought content and delusional ideas, indicating that decreased recruitment of working memory-associated neural circuitry is associated with more severe positive symptoms. These results suggest that 22q11DS patients show reduced neural recruitment of brain regions critical for spatial WM function, which may be related to characteristic behavioral manifestations of the disorder
Finite-temperature phase transitions in quasi-one-dimensional molecular conductors
Phase transitions in 1/4-filled quasi-one-dimensional molecular conductors
are studied theoretically on the basis of extended Hubbard chains including
electron-lattice interactions coupled by interchain Coulomb repulsion. We apply
the numerical quantum transfer-matrix method to an effective one-dimensional
model, treating the interchain term within mean-field approximation.
Finite-temperature properties are investigated for the charge ordering, the
"dimer Mott" transition (bond dimerization), and the spin-Peierls transition
(bond tetramerization). A coexistent state of charge order and bond
dimerization exhibiting dielectricity is predicted in a certain parameter
range, even when intrinsic dimerization is absent.Comment: to be published in J. Phys. Soc. Jpn., Vol. 76 (2007) No. 1 (5 pages,
4 figures); typo correcte
Finite-Temperature Charge-Ordering Transition and Fluctuation Effects in Quasi-One-Dimensional Electron Systems at Quarter Filling
Finite-temperature charge-ordering phase transition in quasi one-dimensional
(1D) molecular conductors is investigated theoretically, based on a quasi 1D
extended Hubbard model at quarter filling with interchain Coulomb repulsion
. The interchain term is treated within mean-field approximation
whereas the 1D fluctuations in the chains are fully taken into account by the
bosonization theory. Three regions are found depending on how the charge
ordered state appears at finite temperature when is introduced:
(i) weak-coupling region where the system transforms from a metal to a charge
ordered insulator with finite transition temperature at a finite critical value
of ,
(ii) an intermediate region where this transition occurs by infinitesimal
due to the stability of inherent 1D fluctuation, and
(iii) strong-coupling region where the charge ordered state is realized
already in the purely 1D case, of which the transition temperature becomes
finite with infinitesimal . Analytical formula for the
dependence of the transition temperature is derived for each region.Comment: 4 pages, submitted to J. Phys. Soc. Jp
On the Expansion Rate, Age, and Distance of the Supernova Remnant G266.2-1.2 (Vela Jr.)
An analysis of Chandra ACIS data for two relatively bright and narrow
portions of the northwestern rim of G266.2-1.2 (a.k.a. RX J0852.0-4622 or Vela
Jr.) reveal evidence of a radial displacement of 2.40 +/- 0.56 arcsec between
2003 and 2008. The corresponding expansion rate (0.42 +/- 0.10 arcsec/yr or
13.6 +/- 4.2%/kyr) is about half the rate reported for an analysis of
XMM-Newton data from a similar, but not identical, portion of the rim over a
similar, but not identical, time interval (0.84 +/- 0.23 arcsec/yr, Katsuda et
al. 2008a). If the Chandra rate is representative of the remnant as a whole,
then the results of a hydrodynamic analysis suggest that G266.2-1.2 is between
2.4 and 5.1 kyr old if it is expanding into a uniform ambient medium (whether
or not it was produced by a Type Ia or Type II event). If the remnant is
expanding into the material shed by a steady stellar wind, then the age could
be as much as 50% higher. The Chandra expansion rate and a requirement that the
shock speed be greater than or equal to 1000 km/s yields a lower limit on the
distance of 0.5 kpc. An analysis of previously-published distance estimates and
constraints suggests G266.2-1.2 is no further than 1.0 kpc. This range of
distances is consistent with the distance to the nearer of two groups of
material in the Vela Molecular Ridge (0.7 +/- 0.2 kpc, Liseau et al. 1992) and
to the Vel OB1 association (0.8 kpc, Eggen 1982).Comment: 30 pages, 7 figure
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Lifetime Risk of Lower-Extremity Peripheral Artery Disease Defined by Ankle-Brachial Index in the United States.
Background There are no available lifetime risk estimates of lower-extremity peripheral artery disease (PAD). Methods and Results Using data from 6 US community-based cohorts and the vital statistics, we estimated the prevalence and incidence of PAD, defined as an ankle-brachial index < 0.90, at each year of age from birth to 80 years for white, black, and Hispanic men and women. Then, we used Markov Monte Carlo simulations in a simulated cohort of 100 000 individuals to estimate lifetime risk of PAD. On the basis of odds ratios of PAD for traditional atherosclerotic risk factors (eg, diabetes mellitus and smoking), we developed a calculator providing residual lifetime risk of PAD. In an 80-year horizon, lifetime risks of PAD were 30.0% in black men and 27.6% in black women, but ≈19% in white men and women and ≈22% in Hispanic men and women. From another perspective, 9% of blacks were estimated to develop PAD by 60 years of age, while the same proportion was seen at ≈70 years for whites and Hispanics. The residual lifetime risk within the same race/ethnicity varied by 3.5- to 5-fold according to risk factors (eg, residual lifetime risk in 45-year-old black men was 19.9% when current smoking, diabetes mellitus, and history of cardiovascular disease were absent versus 70.4% when all were present). Conclusions In the United States, ≈30% of blacks are estimated to develop PAD during their lifetime, whereas the corresponding estimate is ≈20% for whites and Hispanics. The residual lifetime risk within the same race/ethnicity substantially varies according to traditional risk factors
Effect of C∕Si ratio on deep levels in epitaxial 4H–SiC
Changing the ratio of carbon to silicon during the epitaxial 4H–SiC growth is expected to alter the dominant deep level trap, which has been attributed to a native defect. The C∕Si ratio was changed from one to six during epitaxialgrowth of SiC. Diodes fabricated on the epitaxial layer were then characterized using current-voltage and deep level transient spectroscopy. The single peak at 340K (Z1/Z2 peak), was deconvolved into two traps, closely spaced in energy. The concentration of one of the Z1/Z2 traps decreased with increasing C∕Si ratio. This result opposes theoretical predictions of carboninterstitial components, and supports assignment to a silicon antisite or carbonvacancy relationship. The concentration of the second component of the peak at 340K did not depend on the C∕Si ratio, which would indicate an impurity in an interstitial site
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