62 research outputs found
Measurement of the mechanical loss of a cooled reflective coating for gravitational wave detection
We have measured the mechanical loss of a dielectric multilayer reflective
coating (ion-beam sputtered SiO and TaO) in cooled mirrors. The
loss was nearly independent of the temperature (4 K 300 K), frequency,
optical loss, and stress caused by the coating, and the details of the
manufacturing processes. The loss angle was . The
temperature independence of this loss implies that the amplitude of the coating
thermal noise, which is a severe limit in any precise measurement, is
proportional to the square root of the temperature. Sapphire mirrors at 20 K
satisfy the requirement concerning the thermal noise of even future
interferometric gravitational wave detector projects on the ground, for
example, LCGT.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figures, 3 tables : accepted version (by Physical Review
D
Progress in Neutron Scattering Studies of Spin Excitations in High-Tc Cuprates
Neutron scattering experiments continue to improve our knowledge of spin
fluctuations in layered cuprates, excitations that are symptomatic of the
electronic correlations underlying high-temperature superconductivity.
Time-of-flight spectrometers, together with new and varied single crystal
samples, have provided a more complete characterization of the magnetic energy
spectrum and its variation with carrier concentration. While the spin
excitations appear anomalous in comparison with simple model systems, there is
clear consistency among a variety of cuprate families. Focusing initially on
hole-doped systems, we review the nature of the magnetic spectrum, and
variations in magnetic spectral weight with doping. We consider connections
with the phenomena of charge and spin stripe order, and the potential
generality of such correlations as suggested by studies of magnetic-field and
impurity induced order. We contrast the behavior of the hole-doped systems with
the trends found in the electron-doped superconductors. Returning to hole-doped
cuprates, studies of translation-symmetry-preserving magnetic order are
discussed, along with efforts to explore new systems. We conclude with a
discussion of future challenges.Comment: revised version, to be published in JPSJ, 20 pages, 21 figure
Characterization of a caspase-3-substrate kinome using an N- and C-terminally tagged protein kinase library produced by a cell-free system
Caspase-3 (CASP3) cleaves many proteins including protein kinases (PKs). Understanding the relationship(s) between CASP3 and its PK substrates is necessary to delineate the apoptosis signaling cascades that are controlled by CASP3 activity. We report herein the characterization of a CASP3-substrate kinome using a simple cell-free system to synthesize a library that contained 304 PKs tagged at their N- and C-termini (NCtagged PKs) and a luminescence assay to report CASP3 cleavage events. Forty-three PKs, including 30 newly identified PKs, were found to be CASP3 substrates, and 28 cleavage sites in 23 PKs were determined. Interestingly, 16 out of the 23 PKs have cleavage sites within 60 residues of their N- or C-termini. Furthermore, 29 of the PKs were cleaved in apoptotic cells, including five that were cleaved near their termini in vitro. In total, approximately 14% of the PKs tested were CASP3 substrates, suggesting that CASP3 cleavage of PKs may be a signature event in apoptotic-signaling cascades. This proteolytic assay method would identify other protease substrates
Characterization of a caspase-3-substrate kinome using an N- and C-terminally tagged protein kinase library produced by a cell-free system
Caspase-3 (CASP3) cleaves many proteins including protein kinases (PKs). Understanding the relationship(s) between CASP3 and its PK substrates is necessary to delineate the apoptosis signaling cascades that are controlled by CASP3 activity. We report herein the characterization of a CASP3-substrate kinome using a simple cell-free system to synthesize a library that contained 304 PKs tagged at their N- and C-termini (NCtagged PKs) and a luminescence assay to report CASP3 cleavage events. Forty-three PKs, including 30 newly identified PKs, were found to be CASP3 substrates, and 28 cleavage sites in 23 PKs were determined. Interestingly, 16 out of the 23 PKs have cleavage sites within 60 residues of their N- or C-termini. Furthermore, 29 of the PKs were cleaved in apoptotic cells, including five that were cleaved near their termini in vitro. In total, approximately 14% of the PKs tested were CASP3 substrates, suggesting that CASP3 cleavage of PKs may be a signature event in apoptotic-signaling cascades. This proteolytic assay method would identify other protease substrates
Steroids in the Treatment of IgA Nephropathy to the Improvement of Renal Survival: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Studies have shown that steroids can improve kidney survival and decrease the risk of proteinuria in patients with Immunoglobulin A nephropathy, but the overall benefit of steroids in the treatment of Immunoglobulin A nephropathy remains controversial. The aim of this study was to evaluate the benefits and risks of steroids for renal survival in adults with Immunoglobulin A nephropathy.We searched the Cochrane Renal Group Specialized Register, Cochrane Controlled Trial Registry, MEDLINE and EMBASE databases. All eligible studies were measuring at least one of the following outcomes: end-stage renal failure, doubling of serum creatinine and urinary protein excretion. Fifteen relevant trials (nâ=â1542) that met our inclusion criteria were identified. In a pooled analysis, steroid therapy was associated with statistically significant reduction of the risk in end-stage renal failure (RR: 0.46, 95% CI: 0.27 to 0.79), doubling of serum creatinine (RRâ=â0.34, 95%CIâ=â0.15 to 0.77) and reduced urinary protein excretion (MDâ=ââ0.47g/day, 95%CIâ=ââ0.64 to â0.31).We identified that steroid therapy was associated with a decrease of proteinuria and with a statistically significant reduction of the risk in end-stage renal failure. Moreover, subgroup analysis also suggested that long-term steroid therapy had a higher efficiency than standard and short term therapy
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