70 research outputs found
Raman spectroscopic studies on the ferroelectric soft mode in SnxSr1-xTiO3
The Raman spectra of novel ferroelectric ceramics SnxSr1-xTiO3 (x = 0.1, 0.05 and 0.02) were obtained to clarify the mechanism of their ferroelectric phase transitions. Two transverse-optic modes in the ferroelectric phase showed softening toward the ferroelectric transition temperature. A comparison of the spectra obtained for SnxSr1-xTiO3 with the spectrum of PbxSr1-xTiO3 facilitated the assignment of the observed modes under the assumption of the ferroelectric phase in C4v1 symmetry. However, several peaks violating the Raman selection rules were observed, suggesting the emergence and growth of polar regions even in the paraelectric phase
Evolution of Angular Momentum Distribution during Star Formation
If the angular momentum of the molecular cloud core were conserved during the
star formation process, a new-born star would rotate much faster than its
fission speed. This constitutes the angular momentum problem of new-born stars.
In this paper, the angular momentum transfer in the contraction of a rotating
magnetized cloud is studied with axisymmetric MHD simulations. Owing to the
large dynamic range covered by the nested-grid method, the structure of the
cloud in the range from 10 AU to 0.1 pc is explored. First, the cloud
experiences a run-away collapse, and a disk forms perpendicularly to the
magnetic field, in which the central density increases greatly in a finite
time-scale. In this phase, the specific angular momentum j of the disk
decreases to of the initial cloud. After the central density of
the disk exceeds , the infall on to the central
object develops. In this accretion stage, the rotation motion and thus the
toroidal magnetic field drive the outflow. The angular momentum of the central
object is transferred efficiently by the outflow as well as the effect of the
magnetic stress. In 7000 yr from the core formation, the specific angular
momentum of the central decreases a factor of 10^{-4} from the
initial value (i.e. from to ).Comment: 15 pages, 2 figures, Astrophysical Journal Letters in pres
Collapse and Fragmentation of Rotating Magnetized Clouds. I. Magnetic Flux - Spin Relation
We discuss evolution of the magnetic flux density and angular velocity in a
molecular cloud core, on the basis of three-dimensional numerical simulations,
in which a rotating magnetized cloud fragments and collapses to form a very
dense optically thick core of > 5 times 10 ^10 cm^-3 . As the density increases
towards the formation of the optically thick core, the magnetic flux density
and angular velocity converge towards a single relationship between the two
quantities. If the core is magnetically dominated its magnetic flux density
approaches 1.5 (n/5 times 10^10 cm^-3)^1/2 mG, while if the core is
rotationally dominated the angular velocity approaches 2.57 times 10^-3, (n/5
times 10^10 cm^-3)^1/2 yr^-1, where n is the density of the gas. We also find
that the ratio of the angular velocity to the magnetic flux density remains
nearly constant until the density exceeds 5 times 10^10 cm^-3. Fragmentation of
the very dense core and emergence of outflows from fragments are shown in the
subsequent paper.Comment: 17 pages, 12 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA
Collapse of Rotating Magnetized Molecular Cloud Cores and Mass Outflows
Collapse of the rotating magnetized molecular cloud core is studied with the
axisymmetric magnetohydrodynamical (MHD) simulations. Due to the change of the
equation of state of the interstellar gas, the molecular cloud cores experience
several different phases as collapse proce eds. In the isothermal run-away
collapse (), a pseudo-disk is formed and
it continues to contract till the opaque core is fo rmed at the center. In this
disk, a number of MHD fast and slow shock pairs appear running parallelly to
the disk. After the equation of state becomes hard, an adiabatic core is
formed, which is separated from the isothermal contracting pseudo-disk by the
accretion shock front facing radially outwards. By the effect of the magnetic
tension, the angular momentum is transferred from the disk mid-plane to the
surface. The gas with excess angular momentum near the surface is finally
ejected, which explains the molecular bipolar outflow. Two types of outflows
are observed. When the poloidal magnetic field is strong (magnetic energy is
comparable to the thermal one), a U-shaped outflow is formed in which fast
moving gas is confined to the wall whose shape looks like a capit al letter U.
The other is the turbulent outflow in which magnetic field lines and velocity
fi elds are randomly oriented. In this case, turbulent gas moves out almost
perpendicularly from the disk. The continuous mass accretion leads to the
quasistatic contraction of the first core. A second collapse due to
dissociation of H in the first core follows. Finally another quasistatic
core is again formed by atomic hydrogen (the second core). It is found that
another outflow is ejected around the second atomic core, which seems to
correspond to the optical jets or the fast neutral winds.Comment: submitted to Ap
A new thermo-time domain reflectometry approach to quantify soil ice content at temperatures near the freezing point
Soil ice content (θi) is an important property for many studies associated with cold regions. In situ quantification of θi with thermo-time domain reflectometry (TDR) at temperatures near the freezing point has been difficult. The objective of this study is to propose and test a new thermo-TDR approach to determine θi. First, the liquid water content (θl) of a partially frozen soil is determined from a TDR waveform. Next, a pulse of heat is applied through the thermo-TDR sensor to melt the ice in the partially frozen soil. Then, a second TDR waveform is obtained after melting to determine the θl, which is equivalent to the total water content (θt ) of the partially frozen soil. Finally, θi is calculated as the difference between θt and θl. The performance of the new approach was evaluated in sand and loam soils at a variety of θ t values. The new approach estimated θt , θl, and θi accurately. The root mean square errors (RMSE) of estimation were 0.013, 0.020, and 0.023 m3 m−3 for sand, and 0.041, 0.026, and 0.031 m3 m−3 for loam. These RMSE values are smaller than those reported in earlier thermo-TDR studies. Repeating the thermo-TDR measurements at the same location on the same soil sample caused decreased accuracy of estimated values, because of radial water transfer away from the heater tube of the thermo-TDR sensor. Further research is needed to determine if it is possible to obtain accurate repeated measurements. The use of a dielectric mixing model to convert the soil apparent dielectric constant to θl improved the accuracy of this approach. In our investigation, application of a small heat intensity until the partially frozen soil temperature became larger than about 1°C was favorable. The new method was shown to be suitable for estimating ice contents in soil at temperatures between 0°C and -2°C, and it could be combined with the volumetric heat capacity or thermal conductivity thermo-TDR based methods, which measured ice content at colder temperatures. Thus, the thermo-TDR technique could measure θi at all temperatures
Evolution of Rotating Molecular Cloud Core with Oblique Magnetic Field
We studied the collapse of rotating molecular cloud cores with inclined
magnetic fields, based on three-dimensional numerical simulations.The numerical
simulations start from a rotating Bonnor-Ebert isothermal cloud in a uniform
magnetic field. The magnetic field is initially taken to be inclined from the
rotation axis. As the cloud collapses, the magnetic field and rotation axis
change their directions. When the rotation is slow and the magnetic field is
relatively strong, the direction of the rotation axis changes to align with the
magnetic field, as shown earlier by Matsumoto & Tomisaka. When the magnetic
field is weak and the rotation is relatively fast, the magnetic field inclines
to become perpendicular to the rotation axis. In other words, the evolution of
the magnetic field and rotation axis depends on the relative strength of the
rotation and magnetic field. Magnetic braking acts to align the rotation axis
and magnetic field, while the rotation causes the magnetic field to incline
through dynamo action. The latter effect dominates the former when the ratio of
the angular velocity to the magnetic field is larger than a critical value
\Omega_0/ B_0 > 0.39 G^1/2 c_s^-1, where B_0, \Omega_0, G, and c_s^-1 denote
the initial magnetic field, initial angular velocity, gravitational constant,
and sound speed, respectively. When the rotation is relatively strong, the
collapsing cloud forms a disk perpendicular to the rotation axis and the
magnetic field becomes nearly parallel to the disk surface in the high density
region. A spiral structure appears due to the rotation and the wound-up
magnetic field in the disk.Comment: 45 pages, 17 figures, Submitted to ApJ, For high resolution figures
see http://www2.scphys.kyoto-u.ac.jp/~machidam/ms060201.pd
Destruxin E Decreases Beta-Amyloid Generation by Reducing Colocalization of Beta-Amyloid-Cleaving Enzyme 1 and Beta-Amyloid Protein Precursor
Alzheimer-disease-associated beta-amyloid (A beta) is produced by sequential endoproteolysis of beta-amyloid protein precursor (beta APP): the extracellular portion is shed by cleavage in the juxtamembrane region by beta-amyloid-cleaving enzyme (BACE)/beta-secretase, after which it is cleaved by presenilin (PS)/gamma-secretase near the middle of the transmembrane domain. Thus, inhibition of either of the secretases reduces A beta generation and is a fundamental strategy for the development of drugs to prevent Alzheimer disease. However, it is not clear how small compounds reduce A beta production without inhibition of the secretases. Such compounds are expected to avoid some of the side effects of secretase inhibitors. Here, we report that destruxin E (Dx-E), a natural cyclic hexadepsipeptide, reduces A beta generation without affecting BACE or PS/gamma-secretase activity. In agreement with this, Dx-E did not inhibit Notch signaling. We found that Dx-E decreases colocalization of BACE1 and beta APP, which reduces beta-cleavage of beta APP. Therefore, the data demonstrate that Dx-E represents a novel A beta-reducing process which could have fewer side effects than secretase inhibitors. Copyright (C) 2009 S. Karger AG, Base
Handling rich turn-taking in spoken dialogue systems
ABSTRACT This paper discusses how to build a system that can engage in a mixed-initiative human-machine spoken dialogue in which system utterances sometimes overlap with user utterances and vice versa. In the method, a module that incrementally understands user utterances and another module that incrementally generates system utterances work in parallel, and the timing of taking and releasing the dialogue initiative is decided according to the understanding of user utterances and the content of the system utterances. This method enables the system to respond when the user holds the dialogue initiative and is speaking, and enables the system to react to the user's barge-ins when it holds the initiative and is speaking. An experimental system called DUG-1 is also presented
Glycolysis Inhibition Inactivates ABC Transporters to Restore Drug Sensitivity in Malignant Cells
Cancer cells eventually acquire drug resistance largely via the aberrant expression of ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters, ATP-dependent efflux pumps. Because cancer cells produce ATP mostly through glycolysis, in the present study we explored the effects of inhibiting glycolysis on the ABC transporter function and drug sensitivity of malignant cells. Inhibition of glycolysis by 3-bromopyruvate (3BrPA) suppressed ATP production in malignant cells, and restored the retention of daunorubicin or mitoxantrone in ABC transporter-expressing, RPMI8226 (ABCG2), KG-1 (ABCB1) and HepG2 cells (ABCB1 and ABCG2). Interestingly, although side population (SP) cells isolated from RPMI8226 cells exhibited higher levels of glycolysis with an increased expression of genes involved in the glycolytic pathway, 3BrPA abolished Hoechst 33342 exclusion in SP cells. 3BrPA also disrupted clonogenic capacity in malignant cell lines including RPMI8226, KG-1, and HepG2. Furthermore, 3BrPA restored cytotoxic effects of daunorubicin and doxorubicin on KG-1 and RPMI8226 cells, and markedly suppressed subcutaneous tumor growth in combination with doxorubicin in RPMI8226-implanted mice. These results collectively suggest that the inhibition of glycolysis is able to overcome drug resistance in ABC transporter-expressing malignant cells through the inactivation of ABC transporters and impairment of SP cells with enhanced glycolysis as well as clonogenic cells
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