5,701 research outputs found
Contributions of hyperon-hyperon scattering to subthreshold cascade production in heavy ion collisions
Using a gauged flavor SU(3)-invariant hadronic Lagrangian, we calculate the
cross sections for the strangeness-exchange reactions YY to N\Xi (Y=\Lambda,
\Sigma) in the Born approximation. These cross sections are then used in the
Relativistic Vlasov-Uehling-Uhlenbeck (RVUU) transport model to study \Xi
production in Ar+KCl collisions at incident energy of 1.76A GeV and impact
parameter b=3.5 fm. We find that including the contributions of hyperon-hyperon
scattering channels strongly enhances the yield of \Xi, leading to the
abundance ratio \Xi^{-}/(\Lambda+\Sigma^{0})=3.38E-3, which is essentially
consistent with the recently measured value of by the HADES collaboration at GSI.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figure
Melanogenesis Inhibitor(s) from Phyla nodiflora
Overexpression of tyrosinase can cause excessive production of melanin and lead to hyperpigmentation disorders, including melasma and freckles. Recently, agents obtained from plants are being used as alternative medicines to downregulate tyrosinase synthesis and decrease melanin production. Phyla nodiflora Greene (Verbenaceae) is used as a folk medicine in Taiwanese for treating and preventing inflammatory diseases such as hepatitis and dermatitis. However, the antimelanogenesis activity and molecular biological mechanism underlying the activity of the methanolic extract of P. nodiflora (PNM) have not been investigated to date. Our results showed that PNM treatment was not cytotoxic and significantly reduced the cellular melanin content and tyrosinase activity in a dose-dependent manner (P<0.05). Further, PNM exhibited a significant antimelanogenesis effect (P<0.05) by reducing the levels of phospho-cAMP response element-binding protein and microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF), inhibiting the synthesis of tyrosinase, tyrosinase-related protein-1 (TRP-1), and TRP-2, and decreasing the cellular melanin content. Moreover, PNM significantly activated the phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinases, including phospho-extracellular signal-regulated kinase, c-Jun N-terminal kinase, and phospho-p38, and inhibited the synthesis of MITF, thus decreasing melanogenesis. These properties suggest that PNM could be used as a clinical and cosmetic skin-whitening agent to cure and/or prevent hyperpigmentation
Pressurizing Field-Effect Transistors of Few-Layer MoS2 in a Diamond Anvil Cell
Hydrostatic pressure applied using diamond anvil cells (DAC) has been widely
explored to modulate physical properties of materials by tuning their lattice
degree of freedom. Independently, electrical field is able to tune the
electronic degree of freedom of functional materials via, for example, the
field-effect transistor (FET) configuration. Combining these two orthogonal
approaches would allow discovery of new physical properties and phases going
beyond the known phase space. Such experiments are, however, technically
challenging and have not been demonstrated. Herein, we report a feasible
strategy to prepare and measure FETs in a DAC by lithographically patterning
the nanodevices onto the diamond culet. Multiple-terminal FETs were fabricated
in the DAC using few-layer MoS2 and BN as the channel semiconductor and
dielectric layer, respectively. It is found that the mobility, conductance,
carrier concentration, and contact conductance of MoS2 can all be significantly
enhanced with pressure. We expect that the approach could enable unprecedented
ways to explore new phases and properties of materials under coupled
mechano-electrostatic modulation.Comment: 15 pages, 5 figure
Extracts of Artocarpus communis
Artocarpus communis is an agricultural plant that is also used in folk medicine to prevent skin diseases, including acne and dermatitis. Extracts of A. communis have been used to effectively inhibit melanogenesis; however, the antimelanogenesis mechanism of these extracts has not yet been investigated. The present study utilized a cell-free tyrosinase assay as well as α-melanocyte stimulating hormone- (-MSH-) induced tyrosinase assay conducted in B16F10 cells, performed a cytotoxicity assay, and determined cellular melanin content to examine the effects of a methanolic extract of A. communis (ACM) and various organic partition fractions of A. communis on melanogenesis. In addition, we performed western blot analysis to elucidate the mechanism of their antimelanogenesis effect. Our results indicated that, except for the n-hexane extract, ACM and the various partition extracts at noncytotoxic concentrations effectively decreased melanin content and tyrosinase activity by downregulating microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF) and phosphorylated cAMP response element-binding protein (p-CREB). Moreover, ACM and the partition fractions activated phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) to inhibit the synthesis of MITF and finally to decrease melanin production. In conclusion, we suggest that noncytotoxic concentrations of ACM and the various partition fractions may be useful as references for developing skin-lighting agents for use in medicines or cosmetics
Pressure-Temperature Phase Diagram of Vanadium Dioxide
The complexity of strongly correlated electron physics in vanadium dioxide is
exemplified as its rich phase diagrams of all kinds, which in turn shed light
on the mechanisms behind its various phase transitions. In this work, we map
out the hydrostatic pressure - temperature phase diagram of vanadium dioxide
nanobeams by independently varying pressure and temperature with a diamond
anvil cell. In addition to the well-known insulating M1 (monoclinic) and
metallic R (tetragonal) phases, the diagram identifies the existence at high
pressures of the insulating M1' (monoclinic, more conductive than M1) phase,
and two metallic phases of X (monoclinic) and O (orthorhombic, at high
temperature only). Systematic optical and electrical measurements combined with
density functional calculations allow us to delineate their phase boundaries as
well as reveal some basic features of the transitions.Comment: 9 pages, 4 figure
High Fidelity Tape Transfer Printing Based On Chemically Induced Adhesive Strength Modulation
Transfer printing, a two-step process (i.e. picking up and printing) for heterogeneous integration, has been widely exploited for the fabrication of functional electronics system. To ensure a reliable process, strong adhesion for picking up and weak or no adhesion for printing are required. However, it is challenging to meet the requirements of switchable stamp adhesion. Here we introduce a simple, high fidelity process, namely tape transfer printing(TTP), enabled by chemically induced dramatic modulation in tape adhesive strength. We describe the working mechanism of the adhesion modulation that governs this process and demonstrate the method by high fidelity tape transfer printing several types of materials and devices, including Si pellets arrays, photodetector arrays, and electromyography (EMG) sensors, from their preparation substrates to various alien substrates. High fidelity tape transfer printing of components onto curvilinear surfaces is also illustrated
A Statistical Study on the Morphology of Rays and Dynamics of Blobs in the Wake of Coronal Mass Ejections
In this paper, with a survey through the Large Angle and Spectrometric
Coronagraph (LASCO) data from 1996 to 2009, we present 11 events with plasma
blobs flowing outwards sequentially along a bright coronal ray in the wake of a
coronal mass ejection. The ray is believed to be associated with the current
sheet structure that formed as a result of solar eruption, and the blobs are
products of magnetic reconnection occurring along the current sheet. The ray
morphology and blob dynamics are investigated statistically. It is found that
the apparent angular widths of the rays at a fixed time vary in a range of
2.1-6.6 (2.0-4.4) degrees with an average of 3.5 (2.9) degrees at 3 (4) Rs,
respectively, and the observed durations of the events vary from 12 h to a few
days with an average of 27 h. It is also found, based on the analysis of blob
motions, that 58% (26) of the blobs were accelerated, 20% (9) were decelerated,
and 22% (10) moved with a nearly-constant speed. Comparing the dynamics of our
blobs and those that are observed above the tip of a helmet streamer, we find
that the speeds and accelerations of the blobs in these two cases differ
significantly. It is suggested that these differences of the blob dynamics stem
from the associated magnetic reconnection involving different magnetic field
configurations and triggering processes.Comment: 12 pages, 6 figures, accepted by Solar Physic
- …