140 research outputs found
MetalâSupport Interactions in Heterogeneous Catalysis: DFT Calculations on the Interaction of Copper Nanoparticles with Magnesium Oxide
Oxide supports play an important role in enhancing the catalytic properties of transition metal nanoparticles in heterogeneous catalysis. How extensively interactions between the oxide support and the nanoparticles impact the electronic structure as well as the surface properties of the nanoparticles is hence of high interest. In this study, the influence of a magnesium oxide support on the properties of copper nanoparticles with different size, shape, and adsorption sites is investigated using density functional theory (DFT) calculations. By proposing simple models to reduce the cost of the calculations while maintaining the accuracy of the results, we show using the nonreducible oxide support MgO as an example that there is no significant influence of the MgO support on the electronic structure of the copper nanoparticles, with the exception of adsorption directly at the CuâMgO interface. We also propose a simplified methodology that allows us to reduce the cost of the calculations, while the accuracy of the results is maintained. We demonstrate in addition that the Cu nanowire model corresponds well to the nanoparticle model, which reduces the computational cost even further
The chemistry of C3 & Carbon Chain Molecules in DR21(OH)
(Abridged) We have observed velocity resolved spectra of four ro-vibrational
far-infrared transitions of C3 between the vibrational ground state and the
low-energy nu2 bending mode at frequencies between 1654--1897 GHz using HIFI on
board Herschel, in DR21(OH), a high mass star forming region. Several
transitions of CCH and c-C3H2 have also been observed with HIFI and the IRAM
30m telescope. A gas and grain warm-up model was used to identify the primary
C3 forming reactions in DR21(OH). We have detected C3 in absorption in four
far-infrared transitions, P(4), P(10), Q(2) and Q(4). The continuum sources MM1
and MM2 in DR21(OH) though spatially unresolved, are sufficiently separated in
velocity to be identified in the C3 spectra. All C3 transitions are detected
from the embedded source MM2 and the surrounding envelope, whereas only Q(4) &
P(4) are detected toward the hot core MM1. The abundance of C3 in the envelope
and MM2 is \sim6x10^{-10} and \sim3x10^{-9} respectively. For CCH and c-C3H2 we
only detect emission from the envelope and MM1. The observed CCH, C3, and
c-C3H2 abundances are most consistent with a chemical model with
n(H2)\sim5x10^{6} cm^-3 post-warm-up dust temperature, T_max =30 K and a time
of \sim0.7-3 Myr. Post warm-up gas phase chemistry of CH4 released from the
grain at t\sim 0.2 Myr and lasting for 1 Myr can explain the observed C3
abundance in the envelope of DR21(OH) and no mechanism involving
photodestruction of PAH molecules is required. The chemistry in the envelope is
similar to the warm carbon chain chemistry (WCCC) found in lukewarm corinos.
The observed lower C3 abundance in MM1 as compared to MM2 and the envelope
could be indicative of destruction of C3 in the more evolved MM1. The timescale
for the chemistry derived for the envelope is consistent with the dynamical
timescale of 2 Myr derived for DR21(OH) in other studies.Comment: 11 Pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in A&
Detection of hydrogen fluoride absorption in diffuse molecular clouds with Herschel/HIFI: a ubiquitous tracer of molecular gas
We discuss the detection of absorption by interstellar hydrogen fluoride (HF)
along the sight line to the submillimeter continuum sources W49N and W51. We
have used Herschel's HIFI instrument in dual beam switch mode to observe the
1232.4762 GHz J = 1 - 0 HF transition in the upper sideband of the band 5a
receiver. We detected foreground absorption by HF toward both sources over a
wide range of velocities. Optically thin absorption components were detected on
both sight lines, allowing us to measure - as opposed to obtain a lower limit
on - the column density of HF for the first time. As in previous observations
of HF toward the source G10.6-0.4, the derived HF column density is typically
comparable to that of water vapor, even though the elemental abundance of
oxygen is greater than that of fluorine by four orders of magnitude. We used
the rather uncertain N(CH)-N(H2) relationship derived previously toward diffuse
molecular clouds to infer the molecular hydrogen column density in the clouds
exhibiting HF absorption. Within the uncertainties, we find that the abundance
of HF with respect to H2 is consistent with the theoretical prediction that HF
is the main reservoir of gas-phase fluorine for these clouds. Thus, hydrogen
fluoride has the potential to become an excellent tracer of molecular hydrogen,
and provides a sensitive probe of clouds of small H2 column density. Indeed,
the observations of hydrogen fluoride reported here reveal the presence of a
low column density diffuse molecular cloud along the W51 sight line, at an LSR
velocity of ~ 24kms-1, that had not been identified in molecular absorption
line studies prior to the launch of Herschel.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, A&A Letter special issue, accepted on 07/13/201
The Principle Of Local Rotational Invariance And The Coexistence Of Magnetism, Charge And Superconductivity
We propose a macroscopic description of the superconducting state in presence
of an applied external magnetic field in terms of first order differential
equations. They describe a corrugated two-component order parameter intertwined
with a spin-charged background, caused by spin correlations and charged
dislocations. The first order differential equations are a consequence of a
Weitzenb\"ock-Liechnorowitz identity which renders a SUL(2) \otimes UL(1)
invariant ground state, based on (L) local rotational and electromagnetic gauge
symmetry. The proposal is based on a long ago developed formalism by \'Elie
Cartan to investigate curved spaces, viewed as a collection of small Euclidean
granules that are translated and rotated with respect to each other. \'Elie
Cartan's formalism unveils the principle of local rotational invariance as a
gauge symmetry because the global SU(2) invariance of the order parameter is
turned local by the interlacement of spin and charge to pairing.Comment: 19 pages, 3 figure
Nitrogen hydrides in interstellar gas: Herschel/HIFI observations towards G10.6-0.4 (W31C)
The HIFI instrument on board the Herschel Space Observatory has been used to
observe interstellar nitrogen hydrides along the sight-line towards G10.6-0.4
in order to improve our understanding of the interstellar chemistry of
nitrogen. We report observations of absorption in NH N=1-0, J=2-1 and ortho-NH2
1_1,1-0_0,0. We also observed ortho-NH3 1_0-0_0, and 2_0-1_0, para-NH3 2_1-1_1,
and searched unsuccessfully for NH+. All detections show emission and
absorption associated directly with the hot-core source itself as well as
absorption by foreground material over a wide range of velocities. All spectra
show similar, non-saturated, absorption features, which we attribute to diffuse
molecular gas. Total column densities over the velocity range 11-54 km/s are
estimated. The similar profiles suggest fairly uniform abundances relative to
hydrogen, approximately 6*10^-9, 3*10^-9, and 3*10^-9 for NH, NH2, and NH3,
respectively. These abundances are discussed with reference to models of
gas-phase and surface chemistry.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, 2 online pages with 2 figures. Accepted for
publication in A&A July 6 (Herschel/HIFI special issue
Excitation and Abundance of C3 in star forming cores:Herschel/HIFI observations of the sight-lines to W31C and W49N
We present spectrally resolved observations of triatomic carbon (C3) in
several ro-vibrational transitions between the vibrational ground state and the
low-energy nu2 bending mode at frequencies between 1654-1897 GHz along the
sight-lines to the submillimeter continuum sources W31C and W49N, using
Herschel's HIFI instrument. We detect C3 in absorption arising from the warm
envelope surrounding the hot core, as indicated by the velocity peak position
and shape of the line profile. The sensitivity does not allow to detect C3
absorption due to diffuse foreground clouds. From the column densities of the
rotational levels in the vibrational ground state probed by the absorption we
derive a rotation temperature (T_rot) of ~50--70 K, which is a good measure of
the kinetic temperature of the absorbing gas, as radiative transitions within
the vibrational ground state are forbidden. It is also in good agreement with
the dust temperatures for W31C and W49N. Applying the partition function
correction based on the derived T_rot, we get column densities N(C3)
~7-9x10^{14} cm^{-2} and abundance x(C3)~10^{-8} with respect to H2. For W31C,
using a radiative transfer model including far-infrared pumping by the dust
continuum and a temperature gradient within the source along the line of sight
we find that a model with x(C3)=10^{-8}, T_kin=30-50 K, N(C3)=1.5 10^{15}
cm^{-2} fits the observations reasonably well and provides parameters in very
good agreement with the simple excitation analysis.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics (HIFI first
results issue
Cell cycle-dependent phosphorylation of pRb-like protein in root meristem cells of Vicia faba
The retinoblastoma tumor suppressor protein (pRb) regulates cell cycle progression by controlling the G1-to-S phase transition. As evidenced in mammals, pRb has three functionally distinct binding domains and interacts with a number of proteins including the E2F family of transcription factors, proteins with a conserved LxCxE motif (D-type cyclin), and c-Abl tyrosine kinase. CDK-mediated phosphorylation of pRb inhibits its ability to bind target proteins, thus enabling further progression of the cell cycle. As yet, the roles of pRb and pRb-binding factors have not been well characterized in plants. By using antibody which specifically recognizes phosphorylated serines (S807/811) in the c-Abl tyrosine kinase binding C-domain of human pRb, we provide evidence for the cell cycle-dependent changes in pRb-like proteins in root meristems cells of Vicia faba. An increased phosphorylation of this protein has been found correlated with the G1-to-S phase transition
Gene expression meta-analysis of Parkinsonâs disease and its relationship with Alzheimerâs disease
Abstract Parkinsonâs disease (PD) and Alzheimerâs disease (AD) are the most common neurodegenerative diseases and have been suggested to share common pathological and physiological links. Understanding the cross-talk between them could reveal potentials for the development of new strategies for early diagnosis and therapeutic intervention thus improving the quality of life of those affected. Here we have conducted a novel meta-analysis to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in PD microarray datasets comprising 69 PD and 57 control brain samples which is the biggest cohort for such studies to date. Using identified DEGs, we performed pathway, upstream and protein-protein interaction analysis. We identified 1046 DEGs, of which a majority (739/1046) were downregulated in PD. YWHAZ and other genes coding 14â3-3 proteins are identified as important DEGs in signaling pathways and in protein-protein interaction networks (PPIN). Perturbed pathways also include mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress. There was a significant overlap in DEGs between PD and AD, and over 99% of these were differentially expressed in the same up or down direction across the diseases. REST was identified as an upstream regulator in both diseases. Our study demonstrates that PD and AD share significant common DEGs and pathways, and identifies novel genes, pathways and upstream regulators which may be important targets for therapy in both diseases
- âŠ