1,956 research outputs found
Theory of the oscillatory photoconductivity of a 2D electron gas
We develop a theory of magnetooscillations in the photoconductivity of a
two-dimensional electron gas observed in recent experiments. The effect is
governed by a change of the electron distribution function induced by the
microwave radiation. We analyze a nonlinearity with respect to both the dc
field and the microwave power, as well as the temperature dependence determined
by the inelastic relaxation rate.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure
Nanofibers fabricated using triaxial electrospinning as zero order drug delivery systems
A new strategy for creating functional trilayer nanofibers through triaxial electrospinning is demonstrated. Ethyl cellulose (EC) was used as the filament-forming matrix in the outer, middle, and inner working solutions and was combined with varied contents of the model active ingredient ketoprofen (KET) in the three fluids. Triaxial electrospinning was successfully carried out to generate medicated nanofibers. The resultant nanofibers had diameters of 0.74 ± 0.06 μm, linear morphologies, smooth surfaces, and clear trilayer nanostructures. The KET concentration in each layer gradually increased from the outer to the inner layer. In vitro dissolution tests demonstrated that the nanofibers could provide linear release of KET over 20 h. The protocol reported in this study thus provides a facile approach to creating functional nanofibers with sophisticated structural features
Targeting lentiviral vectors to antigen-specific immunoglobulins
Gene transfer into B cells by lentivectors can provide an alternative approach to managing B lymphocyte malignancies and autoreactive B cell-mediated autoimmune diseases. These pathogenic B cell Populations can be distinguished by their surface expression of monospecific immunoglobulin. Development of a novel vector system to deliver genes to these specific B cells could improve the safety and efficacy of gene therapy. We have developed an efficient rnethod to target lentivectors to monospecific immunoglobulin-expressing cells in vitro and hi vivo. We were able to incorporate a model antigen CD20 and a fusogenic protein derived from the Sindbis virus as two distinct molecules into the lentiviral Surface. This engineered vector could specifically bind to cells expressing Surface immunoglobulin recognizing CD20 (αCD20), resulting in efficient transduction of target cells in a cognate antigen-dependent manner in vitro, and in vivo in a xenografted tumor model. Tumor suppression was observed in vivo, using the engineered lentivector to deliver a suicide gene to a xenografted tumor expressing αCD20. These results show the feasibility of engineering lentivectors to target immunoglobulin-specific cells to deliver a therapeutic effect. Such targeting lentivectors also Could potentially be used to genetically mark antigen-specific B cells in vivo to study their B cell biology
Combined heat and power from the intermediate pyrolysis of biomass materials:performance, economics and environmental impact
Combined heat and power from the intermediate pyrolysis of biomass materials offers flexible, on-demand renewable energy with some significant advantages over other renewable routes. To maximise the deployment of this technology an understanding of the dynamics and sensitivities of such a system is required. In the present work the system performance, economics and life-cycle environmental impact is analysed with the aid of the process simulation software Aspen Plus. Under the base conditions for the UK, such schemes are not currently economically competitive with energy and char products produced from conventional means. However, under certain scenarios as modelled using a sensitivity analysis this technology can compete and can therefore potentially contribute to the energy and resource sustainability of the economy, particularly in on-site applications with low-value waste feedstocks. The major areas for potential performance improvement are in reactor cost reductions, the reliable use of waste feedstocks and a high value end use for the char by-product from pyrolysis
Observations of the post shock break-out emission of SN 2011dh with XMM-Newton
After the occurrence of the type cIIb SN 2011dh in the nearby spiral galaxy M
51 numerous observations were performed with different telescopes in various
bands ranging from radio to gamma-rays. We analysed the XMM-Newton and Swift
observations taken 3 to 30 days after the SN explosion to study the X-ray
spectrum of SN 2011dh. We extracted spectra from the XMM-Newton observations,
which took place ~7 and 11 days after the SN. In addition, we created
integrated Swift/XRT spectra of 3 to 10 days and 11 to 30 days. The spectra are
well fitted with a power-law spectrum absorbed with Galactic foreground
absorption. In addition, we find a harder spectral component in the first
XMM-Newton spectrum taken at t ~ 7 d. This component is also detected in the
first Swift spectrum of t = 3 - 10 d. While the persistent power-law component
can be explained as inverse Compton emission from radio synchrotron emitting
electrons, the harder component is most likely bremsstrahlung emission from the
shocked stellar wind. Therefore, the harder X-ray emission that fades away
after t ~ 10 d can be interpreted as emission from the shocked circumstellar
wind of SN 2011dh.Comment: Accepted for publication as a Research Note in Astronomy and
Astrophysic
Block bond-order potential as a convergent moments-based method
The theory of a novel bond-order potential, which is based on the block
Lanczos algorithm, is presented within an orthogonal tight-binding
representation. The block scheme handles automatically the very different
character of sigma and pi bonds by introducing block elements, which produces
rapid convergence of the energies and forces within insulators, semiconductors,
metals, and molecules. The method gives the first convergent results for
vacancies in semiconductors using a moments-based method with a low number of
moments. Our use of the Lanczos basis simplifies the calculations of the band
energy and forces, which allows the application of the method to the molecular
dynamics simulations of large systems. As an illustration of this convergent
O(N) method we apply the block bond-order potential to the large scale
simulation of the deformation of a carbon nanotube.Comment: revtex, 43 pages, 11 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev.
Deformed Oscillator Algebras and Higher-Spin Gauge Interactions of Matter Fields in 2+1 Dimensions
We formulate a non-linear system of equations which describe higher-spin
gauge interactions of massive matter fields in 2+1 dimensional space-time and
explain some properties of the deformed oscillator algebra which underlies this
formulation. In particular we show that the parameter of mass of matter
fields is related to the deformation parameter in this algebra.Comment: LaTex, 12 pages, no figures; Invited talk at the International
Seminar Supersymmetry and Quantum Field Theory dedicated to the memory of
Dmitrij V. Volkov; Kharkov, January 1997; to appear in the proceeding
Quantum-Hall Quantum-Bits
Bilayer quantum Hall systems can form collective states in which electrons
exhibit spontaneous interlayer phase coherence. We discuss the possibility of
using bilayer quantum dot many-electron states with this property to create
two-level systems that have potential advantages as quantum bits.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures included, version to appear in Phys. Rev. B (Rapid
Communications
A first-principles study of MgB2 (0001) surfaces
We report self-consistent {\it ab initio} calculations of structural and
electronic properties for the B- and Mg-terminated MgB (0001) surfaces.
We employ ultra-soft pseudopotentials and plane wave basis sets within the
generalized gradient approximation. The surface relaxations are found to be
small for both B- and Mg-terminated surfaces. For the B-terminated surface,
both B and surface bands appear, while only one B
surface band exists near the Fermi level for the Mg-terminated surface. The
superconductivity of the MgB surfaces is discussed. The work function is
predicted to be 5.95 and 4.25 eV for the B- and Mg-terminated surfaces
respectively. The simulated scanning tunneling microscopy images of the
surfaces are not sensitive to the sign and value of the bias voltages, but
depend strongly on the tip-sample distance. An image reversal is predicted for
the Mg-terminated surface.Comment: 3 pages, 4 figures, Revte
Testing quantum correlations in a confined atomic cloud by scattering fast atoms
We suggest measuring one-particle density matrix of a trapped ultracold
atomic cloud by scattering fast atoms in a pure momentum state off the cloud.
The lowest-order probability of the inelastic process, resulting in a pair of
outcoming fast atoms for each incoming one, turns out to be given by a Fourier
transform of the density matrix. Accordingly, important information about
quantum correlations can be deduced directly from the differential scattering
cross-section. A possible design of the atomic detector is also discussed.Comment: 5 RevTex pages, no figures, submitted to PR
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