60,852 research outputs found
Possible attenuation of the G2 DNA damage cell cycle checkpoint in HeLa cells by extremely low frequency (ELF) electromagnetic fields
BACKGROUND:
The issue remains unresolved as to whether low frequency magnetic fields can affect cell behaviour, with the possibility that they may be in part responsible for the increased incidence of leukaemia in parts of the population exposed to them.
METHODS:
Combined treatment of HeLa cells with gamma-irradiation (1, 3 and 5 Grays) and extra low frequency magnetic fields of ~50 Hz was carried out under rigorously controlled conditions.
RESULTS:
Synchronised cells progressing from S-phase arrived at mitosis on average marginally ahead of irradiation controls not exposed to ELF. In no instance out of a total of twenty separate experiments did this "double-insult" further delay entry of cells into mitosis, as had been anticipated.
CONCLUSION:
This apparently "non-genotoxic" agent (ELF) appears to be capable of affecting cells that would normally arrest for longer in G2, suggesting a weakening of the stringency of the late cycle (G2) checkpoint
On the absence of Shapiro-like steps in certain mesoscopic S-N-S junctions
In DC transport through mesoscopic S-N-S junctions, it is known that the
Josephson coupling decreases exponentially with increasing temperature, but the
phase dependence of the conductance persists to much higher temperatures and
decreases only as 1/T. It is pointed out here that, despite the fact that such
a phase-dependent conductance does bring about an AC current for a pure DC
voltage, it cannot, by itself, lead to the formation of Shapiro steps.Comment: 1 page, to be published in PRL (as Comment
Instantaneous processing of "slow light": amplitude-duration control, storage, and splitting
Nonadiabatic change of the control field or of the low-frequency coherence
allows for an almost instantaneous change of the signal field propagating in a
thick resonant absorber where electromagnetically induced transparency is
realized. This finding is applied for the storage and retrieval of the signal,
for the creation of a signal copy and separation of this copy from the original
pulse without its destruction.Comment: 9 pages, 1 figure, submitted to PRL on 18, December, 200
Scale Invariance and Self-averaging in disordered systems
In a previous paper we found that in the random field Ising model at zero
temperature in three dimensions the correlation length is not self-averaging
near the critical point and that the violation of self-averaging is maximal.
This is due to the formation of bound states in the underlying field theory. We
present a similar study for the case of disordered Potts and Ising ferromagnets
in two dimensions near the critical temperature. In the random Potts model the
correlation length is not self-averaging near the critical temperature but the
violation of self-averaging is weaker than in the random field case. In the
random Ising model we find still weaker violations of self-averaging and we
cannot rule out the possibility of the restoration of self-averaging in the
infinite volume limit.Comment: 7 pages, 4 ps figure
A qualitative study exploring why adults with intellectual disabilities and obesity want to lose weight and views of their carers
Background:
Obesity is more prevalent in adults with intellectual disabilities (ID) compared to the general population. Motivations for weight loss may influence engagement with weight management programmes and have only been studied in adults without ID. Aims: To determine reasons given by adults with ID and obesity for seeking weight loss and whether these reasons differ from those of their carers.
Methods:
Prior to a multi-component weight management intervention, participants were asked âwhy do you want to lose weight?â Carers were asked their views and these were compared to the answers given by the adult with ID. Responses were themed. The Fisherâs Exact analysis was used to test for any relationship between reasons for seeking weight loss and participantsâ level of ID, age, gender and BMI.
Results:
Eighteen men and 32 women; age 41.6 SD 14.6 years; BMI 40.8 SD 7.5 kg/m2; Level ID Mild (28 %), Moderate (42 %), Severe (22 %), Profound (8 %). Eleven were unable to respond. Six themes emerged; Health; Fitness / Activity / Mobility; Appearance / Clothes; Emotional / Happiness; For Others; Miscellaneous. The most frequent reason given overall and by women was âappearance.â Carers cited âhealthâ most frequently and âappearanceâ least, rarely agreeing with participants. âHealthâ was given as a reason more from older adults and those with milder ID. No statistically significant associations were found between reasons for seeking weight loss and BMI age, gender or level of ID but the differing views of adults with ID and their carers were clear.
Conclusions:
Views of adults with obesity and mild or moderate ID can be collected. The opposing views of adults and their carers may affect motivation for weight loss
Towards a historical ecology of intertidal foraging in the Mafia Archipelago: archaeomalacology and implications for marine resource management
Understanding the timing and nature of human influence on coastal and island ecosystems is becoming a central concern in archaeological research, particularly when investigated within a historical ecology framework. Unfortunately, the coast and islands of eastern Africa have not figured significantly within this growing body of literature, but are important given their historically contingent environmental, social, and political contexts, as well as the considerable threats now posed to marine ecosystems. Here, we begin developing a longer-term understanding of past marine resource use in the Mafia Archipelago (eastern Africa), an area of high ecological importance containing the Mafia Island Marine Park. Focusing on the comparatively less researched marine invertebrates provides a means for initiating discussion on potential past marine ecosystem structure, human foraging and environmental shifts, and the implications for contemporary marine resource management. The available evidence suggests that human-environment interactions over the last 2000 years were complex and dynamic; however, these data raise more questions than answers regarding the specific drivers of changes observed in the archaeomalacological record. This is encouraging as a baseline investigation and emphasizes the need for further engagement with historical ecology by a range of cognate disciplines to enhance our understanding of these complex issues
Recommended from our members
Analysis of rolling bearing power loss models for twin screw oil injected compressor
The mechanical losses inside a screw compressor limit the performance of the compressor in terms of efficiency. These losses arise due to relative motion between elements inside the screw compressor. The estimation of mechanical losses predicted in the literature is around 10-15% of the total shaft power. One of the elements which contribute significantly to these losses is rolling element bearings. There are numerous mathematical models available which predict power losses in the rolling bearings. The objective of this paper is to study different models to predict power loss for rolling bearings and to predict the power losses for the bearings used for oil injected, twin screw compressor. A comparison between different power loss models for different operating conditions of compressor is also presented in this paper and results of analysis are compared with available experimental observations. The analysis helps to determine suitable power loss model for different operating conditions and more realistic predictions of the power losses. This allows designers for more accurate estimation of the performance of screw compressors
Young\u27s modulus of [111] germanium nanowires
This paper reports a diameter-independent Youngâs modulus of 91.9 ± 8.2 GPa for [111] Germaniumnanowires (Ge NWs). When the surface oxide layer is accounted for using a core-shell NW approximation, the YM of the Ge core approaches a near theoretical value of 147.6 ± 23.4 GPa. The ultimate strength of a NW device was measured at 10.9 GPa, which represents a very high experimental-to-theoretical strength ratio of âŒ75%. With increasing interest in this material system as a high-capacity lithium-ion battery anode, the presented data provide inputs that are essential in predicting its lithiation-induced stress fields and fracture behavior
Exactly solvable model with two conductor-insulator transitions driven by impurities
We present an exact analysis of two conductor-insulator transitions in the
random graph model. The average connectivity is related to the concentration of
impurities. The adjacency matrix of a large random graph is used as a hopping
Hamiltonian. Its spectrum has a delta peak at zero energy. Our analysis is
based on an explicit expression for the height of this peak, and a detailed
description of the localized eigenvectors and of their contribution to the
peak. Starting from the low connectivity (high impurity density) regime, one
encounters an insulator-conductor transition for average connectivity
1.421529... and a conductor-insulator transition for average connectivity
3.154985.... We explain the spectral singularity at average connectivity
e=2.718281... and relate it to another enumerative problem in random graph
theory, the minimal vertex cover problem.Comment: 4 pages revtex, 2 fig.eps [v2: new title, changed intro, reorganized
text
- âŠ