1,301 research outputs found
A model for hand-over-hand motion of molecular motors
A simple flashing ratchet model in two dimensions is proposed to simulate the
hand-over-hand motion of two head molecular motors like kinesin. Extensive
Langevin simulations of the model are performed. Good qualitative agreement
with the expected behavior is observed. We discuss different regimes of motion
and efficiency depending of model parameters.Comment: 8 pages, Phys. Rev. E (in press
VLBA measurement of the transverse velocity of the magnetar XTE J1810-197
We have obtained observations of the magnetar XTE J1810-197 with the Very
Long Baseline Array at two epochs separated by 106 days, at wavelengths of 6 cm
and 3.6 cm. Comparison of the positions yields a proper motion value of
13.5+-1.0 mas/yr at an equatorial position angle of 209.4+-2.4 deg (east of
north). This value is consistent with a lower-significance proper motion value
derived from infrared observations of the source over the past three years,
also reported here. Given its distance of 3.5+-0.5 kpc, the implied transverse
velocity corrected to the local standard of rest is 212+-35 km/s (1 sigma). The
measured velocity is slightly below the average for normal young neutron stars,
indicating that the mechanism(s) of magnetar birth need not lead to high
neutron star velocities. We also use Australia Telescope Compact Array, Very
Large Array, and these VLBA observations to set limits on any diffuse emission
associated with the source on a variety of spatial scales, concluding that the
radio emission from XTE J1810-197 is >96% pulsed.Comment: Accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal. Six pages, 2
figure
Accurate sampling using Langevin dynamics
We show how to derive a simple integrator for the Langevin equation and
illustrate how it is possible to check the accuracy of the obtained
distribution on the fly, using the concept of effective energy introduced in a
recent paper [J. Chem. Phys. 126, 014101 (2007)]. Our integrator leads to
correct sampling also in the difficult high-friction limit. We also show how
these ideas can be applied in practical simulations, using a Lennard-Jones
crystal as a paradigmatic case
Interfacial layering in a three-component polymer system
We study theoretically the temporal evolution and the spatial structure of
the interface between two polymer melts involving three different species (A,
A* and B). The first melt is composed of two different polymer species A and A*
which are fairly indifferent to one another (Flory parameter chi_AA* ~ 0). The
second melt is made of a pure polymer B which is strongly attracted to species
A (chi_AB 0). We then show
that, due to these contradictory tendencies, interesting properties arise
during the evolution of the interface after the melts are put into contact: as
diffusion proceeds, the interface structures into several adjacent
"compartments", or layers, of differing chemical compositions, and in addition,
the central mixing layer grows in a very asymmetric fashion. Such unusual
behaviour might lead to interesting mechanical properties, and demonstrates on
a specific case the potential richness of multi-component polymer interfaces
(as compared to conventional two-component interfaces) for various
applications.Comment: Revised version, to appear in Macromolecule
Upper Critical Field in a Spin-Charge Separated Superconductor
It is demonstrated that the spatial decay of the pair propagator in a
Luttinger liquid with spin charge separation contains a logarithmic correction
relative to the free fermi gas result in a finite interval between the spin and
charge thermal lengths. It is argued that similar effects can be expected in
higher dimensional systems with spin charge separation and that the temperature
dependence of the upper critical field curve is a probe of this
effect.Comment: 3 pages, postscript file (compressed and uuencoded
Discovery of X-rays from the supernova remnant G0.9+0.1
During the survey of the Galactic Center region, we have
discovered X-ray emission from the central region of the supernova remnant
G0.9+0.1. The high interstellar absorption (N_H about 3 times 10^{23} cm^-2) is
consistent with a distance of order of 10 kpc and, correspondingly, an X-ray
luminosity of about 10^{35} erg s^{-1}. Although we cannot completely rule out
a thermal origin of the X-ray emission, its small angular extent (radius of
about 2'), the good fit with a power law, the presence of a flat spectrum radio
core, and the estimated SNR age of a few thousand years, favour the
interpretation in terms of synchrotron emission powered by a young, energetic
pulsar.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure. Uses espcrc2.sty (included). To appear in The
Active X-ray Sky: Results from BeppoSAX and Rossi-XTE, Nuclear Physics B
Proceedings Supplements, L. Scarsi, H. Bradt, P. Giommi and F. Fiore (eds.),
Elsevier Science B.
Single-nucleotide polymorphism-based genetic risk score and patient age at prostate cancer diagnosis
Importance: Few studies have evaluated the association between a single-nucleotide polymorphism-based genetic risk score (GRS) and patient age at prostate cancer (PCa) diagnosis.
Objectives: To test the association between a GRS and patient age at PCa diagnosis and to compare the performance of a GRS with that of family history (FH) in PCa risk stratification.
Design, Setting, and Participants: A cohort study of 3225 white men was conducted as a secondary analysis of the Reduction by Dutasteride of Prostate Cancer Events (REDUCE) chemoprevention trial, a 4-year, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled multicenter study conducted from March 2003 to April 2009 to evaluate the safety and efficacy of dutasteride in reducing PCa events. Participants were confirmed to be cancer free by prostate biopsy (6-12 cores) within 6 months prior to the study and underwent 10 core biopsies every 2 years per protocol. The dates for performing data analysis were from July 2016 to October 2019.
Interventions: A well-established, population-standardized GRS was calculated for each participant based on 110 known PCa risk-associated single-nucleotide polymorphisms, which is a relative risk compared with the general population. Men were classified into 3 GRS risk groups based on predetermined cutoff values: low (\u3c0.50), average (0.50-1.49), and high (≥1.50).
Main Outcomes and Measures: Prostate cancer diagnosis-free survival among men of different risk groups.
Results: Among 3225 men (median age, 63 years [interquartile range, 58-67 years]) in the study, 683 (21%) were classified as low risk, 1937 (60%) as average risk, and 605 (19%) as high risk based on GRS alone. In comparison, 2789 (86%) were classified as low or average risk and 436 (14%) as high risk based on FH alone. Men in higher GRS risk groups had a PCa diagnosis-free survival rate that was worse than that of those in the lower GRS risk group (χ2 = 53.3; P \u3c .001 for trend) and in participants with a negative FH of PCa (χ2 = 45.5; P \u3c .001 for trend). Combining GRS and FH further stratified overall genetic risk, indicating that 957 men (30%) were at high genetic risk (either high GRS or positive FH), 1667 men (52%) were at average genetic risk (average GRS and negative FH), and 601 men (19%) were at low genetic risk (low GRS and negative FH). The median PCa diagnosis-free survival was 74 years (95% CI, 73-75 years) for men at high genetic risk, 77 years (95% CI, 75 to \u3e80 years) for men at average genetic risk, and more than 80 years (95% CI, \u3e80 to \u3e80 years) for men at low genetic risk. In contrast, the median PCa diagnosis-free survival was 73 years (95% CI, 71-76 years) for men with a positive FH and 77 years (95% CI, 76-79 years) for men with a negative FH.
Conclusions and Relevance: This study suggests that a GRS is significantly associated with patient age at PCa diagnosis. Combining FH and GRS may better stratify inherited risk than FH alone for developing personalized PCa screening strategies
Fourth Order Algorithms for Solving the Multivariable Langevin Equation and the Kramers Equation
We develop a fourth order simulation algorithm for solving the stochastic
Langevin equation. The method consists of identifying solvable operators in the
Fokker-Planck equation, factorizing the evolution operator for small time steps
to fourth order and implementing the factorization process numerically. A key
contribution of this work is to show how certain double commutators in the
factorization process can be simulated in practice. The method is general,
applicable to the multivariable case, and systematic, with known procedures for
doing fourth order factorizations. The fourth order convergence of the
resulting algorithm allowed very large time steps to be used. In simulating the
Brownian dynamics of 121 Yukawa particles in two dimensions, the converged
result of a first order algorithm can be obtained by using time steps 50 times
as large. To further demostrate the versatility of our method, we derive two
new classes of fourth order algorithms for solving the simpler Kramers equation
without requiring the derivative of the force. The convergence of many fourth
order algorithms for solving this equation are compared.Comment: 19 pages, 2 figure
A Possible X-ray and Radio Counterpart of the High-Energy Gamma-ray Source 3EG J2227+6122
The identity of the persistent EGRET sources in the Galactic plane is largely
a mystery. For one of these, 3EG J2227+6122, our complete census of X-ray and
radio sources in its error circle reveals a remarkable superposition of an
incomplete radio shell with a flat radio spectrum, and a compact, power-law
X-ray source with photon index Gamma = 1.5 and with no obvious optical
counterpart. The radio shell is polarized at a level of 25%. The anomalous
properties of the radio source prevent us from deriving a completely
satisfactory theory as to its nature. Nevertheless, using data from ROSAT,
ASCA, the VLA, and optical imaging and spectroscopy, we argue that the X-ray
source may be a young pulsar with an associated wind-blown bubble or bow shock
nebula, and an example of the class of radio-quiet pulsars which are
hypothesized to comprise the majority of EGRET sources in the Galaxy. The
distance to this source can be estimated from its X-ray absorption as 3 kpc. At
this distance, the X-ray and gamma-ray luminosities would be 1.7x10^{33} and
3.7x10^{35} erg s^{-1}, respectively, which would require an energetic pulsar
to power them.
If, on the contrary, this X-ray source is not the counterpart of 3EG
J2227+6122, then by process of elimination the X-ray luminosity of the latter
must be less than 10^{-4} of its gamma-ray luminosity, a condition not
satisfied by any established class of gamma-ray source counterpart. This would
require the existence of at least a quantitatively new type of EGRET source, as
has been suggested in studies of other EGRET fields.Comment: 26 pages, accepted by The Astrophysical Journal, new radio results
adde
- …