1,733 research outputs found
Large Effects of Electric Fields on Atom-Molecule Collisions at Millikelvin Temperatures
Controlling interactions between cold molecules using external fields can
elucidate the role of quantum mechanics in molecular collisions. We create a
new experimental platform in which ultracold rubidium atoms and cold ammonia
molecules are separately trapped by magnetic and electric fields and then
combined to study collisions. We observe inelastic processes that are faster
than expected from earlier field-free calculations. We use quantum scattering
calculations to show that electric fields can have a major effect on collision
outcomes, even in the absence of dipole-dipole interactions.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure
Optimization of a 96-Well Electroporation Assay for Postnatal Rat CNS Neurons Suitable for Cost–Effective Medium-Throughput Screening of Genes that Promote Neurite Outgrowth
Following an injury, central nervous system (CNS) neurons show a very limited regenerative response which results in their failure to successfully form functional connections with their original target. This is due in part to the reduced intrinsic growth state of CNS neurons, which is characterized by their failure to express key regeneration-associated genes (RAGs) and by the presence of growth inhibitory molecules in CNS environment that form a molecular and physical barrier to regeneration. Here we have optimized a 96-well electroporation and neurite outgrowth assay for postnatal rat cerebellar granule neurons (CGNs) cultured upon an inhibitory cellular substrate expressing myelin-associated glycoprotein or a mixture of growth inhibitory chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans. Optimal electroporation parameters resulted in 28% transfection efficiency and 51% viability for postnatal rat CGNs. The neurite outgrowth of transduced neurons was quantitatively measured using a semi-automated image capture and analysis system. The neurite outgrowth was significantly reduced by the inhibitory substrates which we demonstrated could be partially reversed using a Rho Kinase inhibitor. We are now using this assay to screen large sets of RAGs for their ability to increase neurite outgrowth on a variety of growth inhibitory and permissive substrates
Understanding the Challenges of Reducing Cancer in Appalachia: Addressing a Place-Based Health Disparity Population
The Appalachian region of the United States has long been recognized for its poor economic and social indicators. Only during the past decade have multi-state data become more accessible to describe the regions’ poor health status and resulting outcomes. A recent community-based participatory study engaged rural Appalachians to describe “what makes Appalachia different?” from other geographic areas and cultural groups in the United States and identify those characteristics that influence the region’s health. This article summarizes the community interpretation of these findings
Interaction between LiH molecule and Li atom from state-of-the-art electronic structure calculations
State-of-the-art ab initio techniques have been applied to compute the potential energy surface for the lithium atom interacting with the lithium hydride molecule in the Born–Oppenheimer approximation. The interaction potential was obtained using a combination of the explicitly correlated unrestricted coupled-cluster method with single, double, and noniterative triple excitations [UCCSD(T)-F12] for the core–core and core–valence correlation and full configuration interaction for the valence–valence correlation. The potential energy surface has a global minimum 8743 cm−1 deep if the Li–H bond length is held fixed at the monomer equilibrium distance or 8825 cm−1 deep if it is allowed to vary. In order to evaluate the performance of the conventional CCSD(T) approach, calculations were carried out using correlation-consistent polarized valence X-tuple-zeta basis sets, with X ranging from 2 to 5, and a very large set of bond functions. Using simple two-point extrapolations based on the single-power laws X−2 and X−3 for the orbital basis sets, we were able to reproduce the CCSD(T)–F12 results for the characteristic points of the potential with an error of 0.49% at worst. The contribution beyond the CCSD(T)–F12 model, obtained from full configuration interaction calculations for the valence–valence correlation, was shown to be very small, and the error bars on the potential were estimated. At linear LiH–Li geometries, the ground-state potential shows an avoided crossing with an ion-pair potential. The energy difference between the ground-state and excited-state potentials at the avoided crossing is only 94 cm−1. Using both adiabatic and diabatic pictures, we analyze the interaction between the two potential energy surfaces and its possible impact on the collisional dynamics. When the Li–H bond is allowed to vary, a seam of conical intersections appears at C2v geometries. At the linear LiH–Li geometry, the conical intersection is at a Li–H distance which is only slightly larger than the monomer equilibrium distance, but for nonlinear geometries it quickly shifts to Li–H distances that are well outside the classical turning points of the ground-state potential of LiH. This suggests that the conical intersection will have little impact on the dynamics of Li–LiH collisions at ultralow temperatures. Finally, the reaction channels for the exchange and insertion reactions are also analyzed and found to be unimportant for the dynamics
Cold collisions of OH and Rb. I: the free collision
We have calculated elastic and state-resolved inelastic cross sections for
cold and ultracold collisions in the Rb() + OH() system,
including fine-structure and hyperfine effects. We have developed a new set of
five potential energy surfaces for Rb-OH() from high-level {\em ab
initio} electronic structure calculations, which exhibit conical intersections
between covalent and ion-pair states. The surfaces are transformed to a
quasidiabatic representation. The collision problem is expanded in a set of
channels suitable for handling the system in the presence of electric and/or
magnetic fields, although we consider the zero-field limit in this work.
Because of the large number of scattering channels involved, we propose and
make use of suitable approximations. To account for the hyperfine structure of
both collision partners in the short-range region we develop a
frame-transformation procedure which includes most of the hyperfine
Hamiltonian. Scattering cross sections on the order of cm are
predicted for temperatures typical of Stark decelerators. We also conclude that
spin orientation of the partners is completely disrupted during the collision.
Implications for both sympathetic cooling of OH molecules in an environment of
ultracold Rb atoms and experimental observability of the collisions are
discussed.Comment: 20 pages, 16 figure
Finite to infinite steady state solutions, bifurcations of an integro-differential equation
We consider a bistable integral equation which governs the stationary
solutions of a convolution model of solid--solid phase transitions on a circle.
We study the bifurcations of the set of the stationary solutions as the
diffusion coefficient is varied to examine the transition from an infinite
number of steady states to three for the continuum limit of the
semi--discretised system. We show how the symmetry of the problem is
responsible for the generation and stabilisation of equilibria and comment on
the puzzling connection between continuity and stability that exists in this
problem
Existence of radial stationary solutions for a system in combustion theory
In this paper, we construct radially symmetric solutions of a nonlinear
noncooperative elliptic system derived from a model for flame balls with
radiation losses. This model is based on a one step kinetic reaction and our
system is obtained by approximating the standard Arrehnius law by an ignition
nonlinearity, and by simplifying the term that models radiation. We prove the
existence of 2 solutions using degree theory
Phonon-Coupled Electron Tunneling in Two and Three-Dimensional Tunneling Configurations
We treat a tunneling electron coupled to acoustical phonons through a
realistic electron phonon interaction: deformation potential and piezoelectric,
in two or three-dimensional tunneling configurations. Making use of slowness of
the phonon system compared to electron tunneling, and using a Green function
method for imaginary time, we are able to calculate the change in the
transition probability due to the coupling to phonons. It is shown using
standard renormalization procedure that, contrary to the one-dimensional case,
second order perturbation theory is sufficient in order to treat the
deformation potential coupling, which leads to a small correction to the
transmission coefficient prefactor. In the case of piezoelectric coupling,
which is found to be closely related to the piezoelectric polaron problem,
vertex corrections need to be considered. Summing leading logarithmic terms, we
show that the piezoelectric coupling leads to a significant change of the
transmission coefficient.Comment: 17 pages, 4 figure
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