4,633 research outputs found
Phase transformations in 40-60-GPa shocked gneisses from the Haughton Crater (Canada): An Analytical Transmission Electron Microscopy (ATEM) study
In order to better understand phase transformations, chemical migration, and isotopic disequilibrium in highly shocked rocks, we have performed a microprobe and an ATEM study on gneisses shocked up to 60 GPa from the Haughton Crater. This study reveals the following chemical and structural characteristics: (1) SiO2 dominant areas are formed by a mixture of pure SiO2 polycrystalline quartz identified by electron diffraction pattern and chemical analysis and a silica-rich amorphous phase containing minor amounts of aluminium, potassium, and iron; (2) Areas with biotitelike composition are formed by less than 200-nm grains of iron-rich spinels embedded in a silica-rich amorphous phase that is very similar to the one described above; (3) Layers with feldsparlike composition are constituted by 100-200-nm-sized alumina-rich grains (the indexation of the crystalline structure is under progress) and the silica-rich amorphous phase; (4) Zones characterized by the unusual Al/Si ratio close to 1 are formed by spinel grains (200-nm-sized) embedded in the same silica-rich amorphous phase; and (5) The fracturated sillimanites contain domains with a lamellar structure, defined by the intercalation of 100-nm-wide lamellae of mullite crystals and of a silica-rich amorphous phase. These mullite crystals preserved the crystallographical orientation of the preshock sillimanite. All compositional domains, identified at the microprobe scale, can thus be explained by a mixture in different proportion between the following phases: (1) a silica-rich amorphous phase, with minor Al and K; (2) quartz crystals; (3) spinel crystals and alumina-rich crystals; (4) sillimanite; and (5) mullite. Such mixtures of amorphous phases and crystals in different proportions explain disturbed isotope systems in these rocks and chemical heterogeneities observed on the microprobe
A level-set method for the evolution of cells and tissue during curvature-controlled growth
Most biological tissues grow by the synthesis of new material close to the
tissue's interface, where spatial interactions can exert strong geometric
influences on the local rate of growth. These geometric influences may be
mechanistic, or cell behavioural in nature. The control of geometry on tissue
growth has been evidenced in many in-vivo and in-vitro experiments, including
bone remodelling, wound healing, and tissue engineering scaffolds. In this
paper, we propose a generalisation of a mathematical model that captures the
mechanistic influence of curvature on the joint evolution of cell density and
tissue shape during tissue growth. This generalisation allows us to simulate
abrupt topological changes such as tissue fragmentation and tissue fusion, as
well as three dimensional cases, through a level-set-based method. The
level-set method developed introduces another Eulerian field than the level-set
function. This additional field represents the surface density of tissue
synthesising cells, anticipated at future locations of the interface. Numerical
tests performed with this level-set-based method show that numerical
conservation of cells is a good indicator of simulation accuracy, particularly
when cusps develop in the tissue's interface. We apply this new model to
several situations of curvature-controlled tissue evolutions that include
fragmentation and fusion.Comment: 15 pages, 10 figures, 3 supplementary figure
Melting and metallization of silica in the cores of gas giants, ice giants and super Earths
The physical state and properties of silicates at conditions encountered in
the cores of gas giants, ice giants and of Earth like exoplanets now discovered
with masses up to several times the mass of the Earth remains mostly unknown.
Here, we report on theoretical predictions of the properties of silica,
SiO, up to 4 TPa and about 20,000K using first principle molecular dynamics
simulations based on density functional theory. For conditions found in the
Super-Earths and in ice giants, we show that silica remains a poor electrical
conductor up to 10 Mbar due to an increase in the Si-O coordination with
pressure. For Jupiter and Saturn cores, we find that MgSiO silicate has not
only dissociated into MgO and SiO, as shown in previous studies, but that
these two phases have likely differentiated to lead to a core made of liquid
SiO and solid (Mg,Fe)O.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure
Ultrafast resonant optical scattering from single gold nanorods: Large nonlinearities and plasmon saturation
We measure nonlinear optical scattering from individual Au nanorods excited
by ultrafast laser pulses on resonance with their longitudinal plasmon mode.
Isolating single rods removes inhomogeneous broadening and allows the
measurement of a large nonlinearity, much greater than that of nanorod
ensembles. Surprisingly, the ultrafast nonlinearity can be attributed entirely
to heating of conduction electrons and does not exhibit any response associated
with coherent plasmon oscillation. This indicates a previously unobserved
damping of strongly driven plasmons.Comment: Revised tex
Inhibition of the anaerobic acetate degradation by formate
Granular sludge from an UASB reactor fed with VFA showed a very low affinity for formate which provide little support to the theory of interspecies formate transfer. It is shown that formate can inhibit acetate degradation by anaerobic sludge. (Résumé d'auteur
Iron and zinc sulphide mineralizations in Alvinella Pompejana Tubes: specific mineralogical markers of bacterial activity at hydrothermal vents?
Coupling curvature-dependent and shear stress-stimulated neotissue growth in dynamic bioreactor cultures: a 3D computational model of a complete scaffold.
The main challenge in tissue engineering consists in understanding and controlling the growth process of in vitro cultured neotissues toward obtaining functional tissues. Computational models can provide crucial information on appropriate bioreactor and scaffold design but also on the bioprocess environment and culture conditions. In this study, the development of a 3D model using the level set method to capture the growth of a microporous neotissue domain in a dynamic culture environment (perfusion bioreactor) was pursued. In our model, neotissue growth velocity was influenced by scaffold geometry as well as by flow- induced shear stresses. The neotissue was modeled as a homogenous porous medium with a given permeability, and the Brinkman equation was used to calculate the flow profile in both neotissue and void space. Neotissue growth was modeled until the scaffold void volume was filled, thus capturing already established experimental observations, in particular the differences between scaffold filling under different flow regimes. This tool is envisaged as a scaffold shape and bioprocess optimization tool with predictive capacities. It will allow controlling fluid flow during long-term culture, whereby neotissue growth alters flow patterns, in order to provide shear stress profiles and magnitudes across the whole scaffold volume influencing, in turn, the neotissue growth
Spi-1, Fli-1 and Fli-3 (miR-17-92) Oncogenes Contribute to a Single Oncogenic Network Controlling Cell Proliferation in Friend Erythroleukemia
Clonal erythroleukemia developing in susceptible mice infected by Friend virus complex are associated with highly recurrent proviral insertions at one of three loci called Spi-1, Fli-1 or Fli-3, leading to deregulated expression of oncogenic Spi-1 or Fli-1 transcription factors or miR-17-92 miRNA cluster, respectively. Deregulated expression of each of these three oncogenes has been independently shown to contribute to cell proliferation of erythroleukemic clones. Previous studies showed a close relationship between Spi-1 and Fli-1, which belong to the same ETS family, Spi-1 activating fli-1 gene, and both Spi-1 and Fli-1 activating multiple common target genes involved in ribosome biogenesis. In this study, we demonstrated that Spi-1 and Fli-1 are also involved in direct miR-17-92 transcriptional activation through their binding to a conserved ETS binding site in its promoter. Moreover, we demonstrated that physiological re-expression of exogenous miR-17 and miR-20a are able to partially rescue the proliferation loss induced by Fli-1 knock-down and identified HBP1 as a target of these miRNA in erythroleukemic cells. These results establish that three of the most recurrently activated oncogenes in Friend erythroleukemia are actually involved in a same oncogenic network controlling cell proliferation. The putative contribution of a similar ETS-miR-17-92 network module in other normal or pathological proliferative contexts is discussed
Decaying shock studies of phase transitions in MgOSiO2 systems: implications for the Super-Earths interiors
We report an experimental study of the phase diagrams of periclase (MgO),
enstatite (MgSiO3) and forsterite (Mg2SiO4) at high pressures. We investigated
with laser driven decaying shocks the pressure/temperature curves of MgO,
MgSiO3 and Mg2SiO4 between 0.2-1.2 TPa, 0.12-0.5 TPa and 0.2-0.85 TPa
respectively. A melting signature has been observed in MgO at 0.47 TPa and 9860
K, while no phase changes were observed neither in MgSiO3 nor in Mg2SiO4. An
increasing of reflectivity of MgO, MgSiO3 and Mg2SiO4 liquids have been
detected at 0.55 TPa -12 760 K, 0.15 TPa - 7540 K, 0.2 TPa - 5800 K,
respectively. In contrast to SiO2, melting and metallization of these compounds
do not coincide implying the presence of poor electrically conducting liquids
close to the melting lines. This has important implications for the generation
of dynamos in Super-earths mantles
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