The bend stiffness of S-DNA

We formulate and solve a two-state model for the elasticity of nicked, double-stranded DNA that borrows features from both the Worm Like Chain and the Bragg--Zimm model. Our model is computationally simple, and gives an excellent fit to recent experimental data through the entire overstretching transition. The fit gives the first value for the bending stiffness of the overstretched state as about 10 nm*kbt, a value quite different from either B-form or single-stranded DNA.Comment: 7 pages, 1 figur

Automated myocardial perfusion from coronary X-ray angiography

The purpose of our study is the evaluation of an algorithm to determine the physiological relevance of a coronary\ud lesion as seen in a coronary angiogram. The aim is to extract as much as possible information from a standard\ud coronary angiogram to decide if an abnormality, percentage of stenosis, as seen in the angiogram, results in\ud physiological impairment of the blood supply of the region nourished by the coronary artery. Coronary angiography,\ud still the golden standard, is used to determine the cause of angina pectoris based on the demonstration\ud of an important stenose in a coronary artery. Dimensions of a lesion such as length and percentage of narrowing\ud can at present easily be calculated by using an automatic computer algorithm such as Quantitative Coronary\ud Angiography (QCA) techniques resulting in just anatomical information ignoring the physiological relevance of\ud the lesion. In our study we analyze myocardial perfusion images in standard coronary angiograms in rest and\ud in artificial hyperemic phases, using a drug e.g. papaverine intracoronary. Setting a Region of Interest (ROI) in\ud the angiogram without overlying major vessels makes it possible to calculate contrast differences as a function of\ud time, so called time-density curves, in the basal and hyperemic phases. In minimizing motion artifacts, end diastolic\ud images are selected ECG based in basal and hyperemic phase in an identical ROI in the same angiographic\ud projection. The development of new algorithms for calculating differences in blood supply in the region as set\ud are presented together with the results of a small clinical case study using the standard angiographic procedur

CAD of myocardial perfusion

Our purpose is in the automated evaluation of the physiological relevance of lesions in coronary angiograms. We aim to extract as much as possible quantitative information about the physiological condition of the heart from standard angiographic image sequences. Coronary angiography is still the gold standard for evaluating and diagnosing coronary abnormalities as it is able to locate precisely the coronary artery lesions. The dimensions of the stenosis can be assessed nowadays successfully with image processing based Quantitative Coronary Angiography (QCA) techniques. Our purpose is to assess the clinical relevance of the pertinent stenosis. We therefore analyze the myocardial perfusion as revealed in standard angiographic image sequences. In a Region-of-Interest (ROI) on the angiogram (without an overlaying major blood vessel) the contrast is measured as a function of time (the so-called time-density curve). The required hyperemic state of exercise is induced artificially by the injection of a vasodilator drug e.g. papaverine. In order to minimize motion artifacts we select based on the recorded ECG signal end-diastolic images in both a basal and a hyperemic run in the same projection to position the ROI. We present the development of the algorithms together with results of a small study of 20 patients which have been catheterized following the standard protocol

Critical behaviour in the nonlinear elastic response of hydrogels

In this paper we study the elastic response of synthetic hydrogels to an applied shear stress. The hydrogels studied here have previously been shown to mimic the behaviour of biopolymer networks when they are sufficiently far above the gel point. We show that near the gel point they exhibit an elastic response that is consistent with the predicted critical behaviour of networks near or below the isostatic point of marginal stability. This point separates rigid and floppy states, distinguished by the presence or absence of finite linear elastic moduli. Recent theoretical work has also focused on the response of such networks to finite or large deformations, both near and below the isostatic point. Despite this interest, experimental evidence for the existence of criticality in such networks has been lacking. Using computer simulations, we identify critical signatures in the mechanical response of sub-isostatic networks as a function of applied shear stress. We also present experimental evidence consistent with these predictions. Furthermore, our results show the existence of two distinct critical regimes, one of which arises from the nonlinear stretch response of semi-flexible polymers.

InAs nanowire transistors with multiple, independent wrap-gate segments

We report a method for making horizontal wrap-gate nanowire transistors with up to four independently controllable wrap-gated segments. While the step up to two independent wrap-gates requires a major change in fabrication methodology, a key advantage to this new approach, and the horizontal orientation more generally, is that achieving more than two wrap-gate segments then requires no extra fabrication steps. This is in contrast to the vertical orientation, where a significant subset of the fabrication steps needs to be repeated for each additional gate. We show that cross-talk between adjacent wrap-gate segments is negligible despite separations less than 200 nm. We also demonstrate the ability to make multiple wrap-gate transistors on a single nanowire using the exact same process. The excellent scalability potential of horizontal wrap-gate nanowire transistors makes them highly favourable for the development of advanced nanowire devices and possible integration with vertical wrap-gate nanowire transistors in 3D nanowire network architectures.Comment: 18 pages, 5 figures, In press for Nano Letters (DOI below

Search for the second forbidden beta decay of 8B to the ground state of 8Be

A significant decay branch of 8B to the ground state of 8Be would extend the solar neutrino spectrum to higher energies than anticipated in the standard solar models. These high-energy neutrinos would affect current neutrino oscillation results and also would be a background to measurements of the hep process. We have measured the delayed alpha particles from the decay of 8B, with the goal of observing the two 46-keV alpha particles arising from the ground-state decay. The 8B was produced using an in-flight radioactive beam technique. It was implanted in a silicon PIN-diode detector that was capable of identifying the alpha-particles from the 8Be ground state. From this measurement we find an upper limit (at 90% confidence level) of 7.3 x 10^{-5} for the branching ratio to the ground state. In addition to describing this measurement, we present a theoretical calculation for this branching ratio.Comment: One reference corrected. Minor edits in tex

Finite-time Lyapunov exponents of deep neural networks

We compute how small input perturbations affect the output of deep neural networks, exploring an analogy between deep networks and dynamical systems, where the growth or decay of local perturbations is characterised by finite-time Lyapunov exponents. We show that the maximal exponent forms geometrical structures in input space, akin to coherent structures in dynamical systems. Ridges of large positive exponents divide input space into different regions that the network associates with different classes. These ridges visualise the geometry that deep networks construct in input space, shedding light on the fundamental mechanisms underlying their learning capabilities.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figure

Electron elastic scattering cross sections from 1 keV to 100 MeV for elements Z = 1 to 100

Tables of electron elastic scattering differential cross sections of elements (Z = 1 to 100) are given for electron energies in the range of 1 keV to 100 MeV and scattering angles in the range of 1 to 179$sup 0$. The function describing the asymmetry of a polarized electron beam after the scattering process is also included in the tables. (auth

CARMA Large Area Star Formation Survey: Observational Analysis of Filaments in the Serpens South Molecular Cloud

We present the N2H+(J=1-0) map of the Serpens South molecular cloud obtained as part of the CARMA Large Area Star Formation Survey (CLASSy). The observations cover 250 square arcminutes and fully sample structures from 3000 AU to 3 pc with a velocity resolution of 0.16 km/s, and they can be used to constrain the origin and evolution of molecular cloud filaments. The spatial distribution of the N2H+ emission is characterized by long filaments that resemble those observed in the dust continuum emission by Herschel. However, the gas filaments are typically narrower such that, in some cases, two or three quasi-parallel N2H+ filaments comprise a single observed dust continuum filament. The difference between the dust and gas filament widths casts doubt on Herschel ability to resolve the Serpens South filaments. Some molecular filaments show velocity gradients along their major axis, and two are characterized by a steep velocity gradient in the direction perpendicular to the filament axis. The observed velocity gradient along one of these filaments was previously postulated as evidence for mass infall toward the central cluster, but these kind of gradients can be interpreted as projection of large-scale turbulence.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figures, published in ApJL (July 2014