964 research outputs found
Plasma deposition of constrained layer damping coatings
Plasma techniques are used to generate constrained layer damping (CLD) coatings on metallic substrates. The process involves the deposition of relatively thick, hard ceramic layers on to soft polymeric damping materials while maintaining the integrity of both layers. Reactive plasma sputter-deposition from an aluminium alloy target is used to deposit alumina layers, with Young's modulus in the range 77-220GPa and thickness up to 335 μ, on top of a silicone film. This methodology is also used to deposit a 40 μ alumina layer on a conventional viscoelastic damping film to produce an integral damping coating. Plasma CLD systems are shown to give at least 50 per cent more damping than equivalent metal-foil-based treatments. Numerical methods for rapid prediction of the performance of such coatings are discussed and validated by comparison with experimental results
When Models Interact with their Subjects: The Dynamics of Model Aware Systems
A scientific model need not be a passive and static descriptor of its
subject. If the subject is affected by the model, the model must be updated to
explain its affected subject. In this study, two models regarding the dynamics
of model aware systems are presented. The first explores the behavior of
"prediction seeking" (PSP) and "prediction avoiding" (PAP) populations under
the influence of a model that describes them. The second explores the
publishing behavior of a group of experimentalists coupled to a model by means
of confirmation bias. It is found that model aware systems can exhibit
convergent random or oscillatory behavior and display universal 1/f noise. A
numerical simulation of the physical experimentalists is compared with actual
publications of neutron life time and {\Lambda} mass measurements and is in
good quantitative agreement.Comment: Accepted for publication in PLoS-ON
Performance of the Two Aerogel Cherenkov Detectors of the JLab Hall A Hadron Spectrometer
We report on the design and commissioning of two silica aerogel Cherenkov
detectors with different refractive indices. In particular, extraordinary
performance in terms of the number of detected photoelectrons was achieved
through an appropriate choice of PMT type and reflector, along with some design
considerations. After four years of operation, the number of detected
photoelectrons was found to be noticeably reduced in both detectors as a result
of contamination, yellowing, of the aerogel material. Along with the details of
the set-up, we illustrate the characteristics of the detectors during different
time periods and the probable causes of the contamination. In particular we
show that the replacement of the contaminated aerogel and parts of the
reflecting material has almost restored the initial performance of the
detectors.Comment: 18 pages, 9 Figures, 4 Tables, 44 Reference
Thin Ice Target for O(p,p') experiment
A windowless and self-supporting ice target is described. An ice sheet with a
thickness of 29.7 mg/cm cooled by liquid nitrogen was placed at the target
position of a magnetic spectrometer and worked stably in the O
experiment at MeV. Background-free spectra were obtained.Comment: 14 pages, 4 figures, Nucl. Instr. & Meth. A (in press
The lncRNA HOTAIR transcription is controlled by HNF4α-induced chromatin topology modulation
The expression of the long noncoding RNA HOTAIR (HOX Transcript Antisense Intergenic RNA) is largely deregulated in epithelial cancers and positively correlates with poor prognosis and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma and gastrointestinal cancers. Furthermore, functional studies revealed a pivotal role for HOTAIR in the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, as this RNA is causal for the repressive activity of the master factor SNAIL on epithelial genes. Despite the proven oncogenic role of HOTAIR, its transcriptional regulation is still poorly understood. Here hepatocyte nuclear factor 4-α (HNF4α), as inducer of epithelial differentiation, was demonstrated to directly repress HOTAIR transcription in the mesenchymal-to epithelial transition. Mechanistically, HNF4α was found to cause the release of a chromatin loop on HOTAIR regulatory elements thus exerting an enhancer-blocking activity
The Snail repressor recruits EZH2 to specific genomic sites through the enrollment of the lncRNA HOTAIR in epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition
The transcription factor Snail is a master regulator of cellular identity and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) directly repressing a broad repertoire of epithelial genes. How chromatin modifiers instrumental to its activity are recruited to Snail-specific binding sites is unclear. Here we report that the long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) HOTAIR (for HOX Transcript Antisense Intergenic RNA) mediates a physical interaction between Snail and enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2), an enzymatic subunit of the polycomb-repressive complex 2 and the main writer of chromatin-repressive marks. The Snail-repressive activity, here monitored on genes with a pivotal function in epithelial and hepatic morphogenesis, differentiation and cell-type identity, depends on the formation of a tripartite Snail/HOTAIR/EZH2 complex. These results demonstrate an lncRNA-mediated mechanism by which a transcriptional factor conveys a general chromatin modifier to specific genes, thereby allowing the execution of hepatocyte transdifferentiation; moreover, they highlight HOTAIR as a crucial player in the Snail-mediated EMT.Oncogene advance online publication, 25 July 2016; doi:10.1038/onc.2016.260
Recoil Polarization Measurements of the Proton Electromagnetic Form Factor Ratio to Q^2 = 8.5 GeV^2
Among the most fundamental observables of nucleon structure, electromagnetic
form factors are a crucial benchmark for modern calculations describing the
strong interaction dynamics of the nucleon's quark constituents; indeed, recent
proton data have attracted intense theoretical interest. In this letter, we
report new measurements of the proton electromagnetic form factor ratio using
the recoil polarization method, at momentum transfers Q2=5.2, 6.7, and 8.5
GeV2. By extending the range of Q2 for which GEp is accurately determined by
more than 50%, these measurements will provide significant constraints on
models of nucleon structure in the non-perturbative regime
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