172 research outputs found
Conformation of a Polyelectrolyte Complexed to a Like-Charged Colloid
We report results from a molecular dynamics (MD) simulation on the
conformations of a long flexible polyelectrolyte complexed to a charged sphere,
\textit{both negatively charged}, in the presence of neutralizing counterions
in the strong Coulomb coupling regime. The structure of this complex is very
sensitive to the charge density of the polyelectrolyte. For a fully charged
polyelectrolyte the polymer forms a dense two-dimensional "disk", whereas for a
partially charged polyelectrolyte the monomers are spread over the colloidal
surface. A mechanism involving the \textit{overcharging} of the polyelectrolyte
by counterions is proposed to explain the observed conformations.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures (6 EPS files
Flexible Near-Field Wireless Optoelectronics as Subdermal Implants for Broad Applications in Optogenetics
In vivo optogenetics provides unique, powerful capabilities in the dissection of neural circuits implicated in neuropsychiatric disorders. Conventional hardware for such studies, however, physically tethers the experimental animal to an external light source, limiting the range of possible experiments. Emerging wireless options offer important capabilities that avoid some of these limitations, but the current size, bulk, weight, and wireless area of coverage is often disadvantageous. Here, we present a simple but powerful setup based on wireless, near-field power transfer and miniaturized, thin, flexible optoelectronic implants, for complete optical control in a variety of behavioral paradigms. The devices combine subdermal magnetic coil antennas connected to microscale, injectable light-emitting diodes (LEDs), with the ability to operate at wavelengths ranging from UV to blue, green-yellow, and red. An external loop antenna allows robust, straightforward application in a multitude of behavioral apparatuses. The result is a readily mass-producible, user-friendly technology with broad potential for optogenetics applications.114419Ysciescopu
Moments of the Hadronic Invariant Mass Spectrum in B --> X_c l nu Decays at Belle
We present a measurement of the hadronic invariant mass squared (M^2_X)
spectrum in charmed semileptonic B meson decays B --> X_c l nu based on 140
fb^-1 of Belle data collected near the Y(4S) resonance. We determine the first,
the second central and the second non-central moments of this spectrum for
lepton energy thresholds ranging between 0.7 and 1.9 GeV. Full correlations
between these measurements are evaluated.Comment: published version of the paper (one figure added, minor changes in
the text); 16 pages, 3 figures, 10 table
Search for \bar{B}^0\to\Lambda_c^+\bar{\Lambda}_c^- decay at Belle
We search for the doubly charmed baryonic decay
, in a data sample of
events accumulated at the resonance with the Belle
detector at the KEKB asymmetric e^+e^- collider. We find no significant signal
and set an upper limit of at 90%
confidence level. The result is significantly below a naive extrapolation from
assuming a simple Cabibbo-suppression
factor of . The small branching fraction could be attributed
to a suppression due to the large momentum of the baryonic decay products,
which has been observed in other charmed baryonic two-body B decays. trend
observed in other charmed baryonic two-body B decays.Comment: 12 page, 5 figures. Contribution paper for conferences EPS2007 and
Lepton Photon 2007, Belle-Conference-070
Measurement of the ratio B(D0->pi+pi-pi0)/B(D0->K-pi+pi0) and the time-integrated CP asymmetry in D0->pi+pi-pi0
We report a high-statistics measurement of the relative branching fraction
B(D0->pi+pi-pi0)/B(D0->K-pi+pi0) using a 532 fb^{-1} data sample collected with
the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric-energy e+e- collider. The measured
value of the relative branching fraction is B(D0->pi+pi-pi0)/B(D0->K-pi+pi0) =
(10.12 +/- 0.04(stat) +/- 0.18(syst))x10^{-2} which has an accuracy comparable
to the world average. We also present a measurement of the time-integrated CP
asymmetry in D0->pi+pi-pi0 decay. The result, A_{CP} = (0.43 +/- 1.30)%, shows
no significant CP violation.Comment: 15 pages, 11 figures, submitted to Physics Letters
Effect of Magnesium Addition on the Cell Structure of Foams Produced From Re-melted Aluminum Alloy Scrap
Closed-cell foams were produced from re-melted aluminum alloy scrap that contained 0.13 wt pct Mg magnesium in the as-received state and higher levels after adding 1, 2, or 5 wt pct Mg. The excess Mg gave rise to the fragmentation of long oxide filaments present in the scrap alloy into smaller filaments and improved its distribution and wetting by the Al matrix. Foaming the re-melted scrap alloy containing 1, 2, and 5 wt pct Mg excess showed stability and good expansion in comparison to the scrap alloy containing 0.13 wt pct Mg only, but the cells became non-equiaxed when the Mg concentration was high (≥2 wt pct excess) due to cell wall rupture during solidification. Compressibility and energy absorption behavior were studied for scrap alloy foams containing 1 wt pct Mg excess, which is the optimum level to obtain good expansion, stability, and uniform cell size. Foams with densities in the range of 0.2 to 0.4 g cm−1 produced by holding at the foaming temperature for different times were used for the investigation. A uniform cell structure led to flatter stress plateaus, higher energy absorption efficiencies, and reduced “knockdown” in strength compared with commercial foams made by gas bubbling. The mechanical performance found is comparable to that of commercial foams made by a similar method but the expected costs are lower
School-based prevention for adolescent Internet addiction: prevention is the key. A systematic literature review
Adolescents’ media use represents a normative need for information, communication, recreation and functionality, yet problematic Internet use has increased. Given the arguably alarming prevalence rates worldwide and the increasingly problematic use of gaming and social media, the need for an integration of prevention efforts appears to be timely. The aim of this systematic literature review is (i) to identify school-based prevention programmes or protocols for Internet Addiction targeting adolescents within the school context and to examine the programmes’ effectiveness, and (ii) to highlight strengths, limitations, and best practices to inform the design of new initiatives, by capitalizing on these studies’ recommendations. The findings of the reviewed studies to date presented mixed outcomes and are in need of further empirical evidence. The current review identified the following needs to be addressed in future designs to: (i) define the clinical status of Internet Addiction more precisely, (ii) use more current psychometrically robust assessment tools for the measurement of effectiveness (based on the most recent empirical developments), (iii) reconsider the main outcome of Internet time reduction as it appears to be problematic, (iv) build methodologically sound evidence-based prevention programmes, (v) focus on skill enhancement and the use of protective and harm-reducing factors, and (vi) include IA as one of the risk behaviours in multi-risk behaviour interventions. These appear to be crucial factors in addressing future research designs and the formulation of new prevention initiatives. Validated findings could then inform promising strategies for IA and gaming prevention in public policy and education
The first observation of decay
We present the first measurement of tau-decays to hadronic final states with
a -meson. This is based on 401.4 fb of data accumulated at the
Belle experiment. The branching ratio obtained is .Comment: 10 pages, 5 figures, ICHEP2006 contribution pape
Measurement of B(Ds -> munu)
We present a measurement of the branching fraction
using a 548 fb data sample collected by the Belle experiment at the KEKB
collider. The momentum is determined by reconstruction of the
system recoiling against in events of the type , where represents additional pions or photons
from fragmentation. The full reconstruction method provides high resolution in
the neutrino momentum and thus good background separation, equivalent to that
reached by experiments at the tau-charm factories. We obtain the branching
fraction , implying a decay constant of MeV.Comment: 6 pages, 2 figures, replaced by version subm. to Phys. Rev. Let
Reliability and accuracy of single-molecule FRET studies for characterization of structural dynamics and distances in proteins
Single-molecule Förster-resonance energy transfer (smFRET) experiments allow the study of biomolecular structure and dynamics in vitro and in vivo. We performed an international blind study involving 19 laboratories to assess the uncertainty of FRET experiments for proteins with respect to the measured FRET efficiency histograms, determination of distances, and the detection and quantification of structural dynamics. Using two protein systems with distinct conformational changes and dynamics, we obtained an uncertainty of the FRET efficiency ≤0.06, corresponding to an interdye distance precision of ≤2 Å and accuracy of ≤5 Å. We further discuss the limits for detecting fluctuations in this distance range and how to identify dye perturbations. Our work demonstrates the ability of smFRET experiments to simultaneously measure distances and avoid the averaging of conformational dynamics for realistic protein systems, highlighting its importance in the expanding toolbox of integrative structural biology
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