306 research outputs found
On hydrogen bond correlations at high pressures
In situ high pressure neutron diffraction measured lengths of O H and H O
pairs in hydrogen bonds in substances are shown to follow the correlation
between them established from 0.1 MPa data on different chemical compounds. In
particular, the conclusion by Nelmes et al that their high pressure data on ice
VIII differ from it is not supported. For compounds in which the O H stretching
frequencies red shift under pressure, it is shown that wherever structural data
is available, they follow the stretching frequency versus H O (or O O) distance
correlation. For compounds displaying blue shifts with pressure an analogy
appears to exist with improper hydrogen bonds.Comment: 12 pages,4 figure
L-infinity algebra connections and applications to String- and Chern-Simons n-transport
We give a generalization of the notion of a Cartan-Ehresmann connection from
Lie algebras to L-infinity algebras and use it to study the obstruction theory
of lifts through higher String-like extensions of Lie algebras. We find
(generalized) Chern-Simons and BF-theory functionals this way and describe
aspects of their parallel transport and quantization.
It is known that over a D-brane the Kalb-Ramond background field of the
string restricts to a 2-bundle with connection (a gerbe) which can be seen as
the obstruction to lifting the PU(H)-bundle on the D-brane to a U(H)-bundle. We
discuss how this phenomenon generalizes from the ordinary central extension
U(1) -> U(H) -> PU(H) to higher categorical central extensions, like the
String-extension BU(1) -> String(G) -> G. Here the obstruction to the lift is a
3-bundle with connection (a 2-gerbe): the Chern-Simons 3-bundle classified by
the first Pontrjagin class. For G = Spin(n) this obstructs the existence of a
String-structure. We discuss how to describe this obstruction problem in terms
of Lie n-algebras and their corresponding categorified Cartan-Ehresmann
connections. Generalizations even beyond String-extensions are then
straightforward. For G = Spin(n) the next step is "Fivebrane structures" whose
existence is obstructed by certain generalized Chern-Simons 7-bundles
classified by the second Pontrjagin class.Comment: 100 pages, references and clarifications added; correction to section
5.1 and further example to 9.3.1 adde
Systematic characterization of upper critical fields for MgB thin films using the two-band superconducting theory
We present experimental results of the upper critical fields of
various MgB thin films prepared by the molecular beam epitaxy,
multiple-targets sputtering, and co-evaporation deposition apparatus.
Experimental data of the are successfully analyzed by applying
the Gurevich theory of dirty two-band superconductivity in the case of
, where and are the intraband
electron diffusivities for and bands, respectively. We find that
the parameters obtained from the analysis are strongly correlated to the
superconducting transition temperature of the films. We also
discuss the anormalous narrowing of the transition width at intermediate
temperatures confirmed by the magnetoresistance measurements.Comment: 7 pages, 7 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev.
Dosage, effectiveness, and safety of sertraline treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder in a Japanese clinical setting: a retrospective study
Effect of Hypoxia on Expression of Selected Proteins Involved in Regulation of Apoptotic Activity in Striatum of Newborn Piglets
The levels of selected neuroregulatory proteins that inhibit or promote apoptotic cell death were measured in the striatum of piglets subjected to precisely controlled 1 h hypoxic insult followed by 0, 2 and 4 h recovery and compared to sham operated animals. The anti-apoptotic proteins: there were increases in Survivin at 0 (157%, P = 0.031) and 4 h (171%, P = 0.033), in Bcl-XL at 0 (138%, P = 0.028) and 4 h (143%, P = 0.007), in VEGF at 4 h (185%, P = 0.019) and Hsp27 at 2 h (144%, P = 0.05) and 4 h (143%, P = 0.05). The pro-apoptotic proteins: caspases-1 and 7 increased at 4 h (135%, P = 0.05) and (129%, P = 0.038), respectively. Bim increased after 4 h (115%, P = 0.028), Apoptosis Inducing Factor after 2 h (127%, P = 0.048) and Calpain after 4 h (143% of control, P = 0.04). Hypoxia causes increase in levels of both anti- and pro-apoptotic proteins. Their relative activity determines the outcome in terms of cell damage and neuronal deficit
Oncogenic KRAS sensitises colorectal tumour cells to chemotherapy by p53-dependent induction of Noxa
BACKGROUND: Oxaliplatin and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) currently form the backbone of conservative treatment in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. Tumour responses to these agents are highly variable, but the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Our previous results have indicated that oncogenic KRAS in colorectal tumour cells sensitises these cells to chemotherapy. METHODS: FACS analysis was used to determine cell-cycle distribution and the percentage of apoptotic and mitotic cells. A multiplexed RT-PCR assay was used to identify KRAS-controlled apoptosis regulators after exposure to 5-FU or oxaliplatin. Lentiviral expression of short-hairpin RNAs was used to suppress p53 or Noxa. RESULTS: Oncogenic KRAS sensitised colorectal tumour cells to oxaliplatin and 5-FU in a p53-dependent manner and promoted p53 phosphorylation at Ser37 and Ser392, without affecting p53 stabilisation, p21 induction, or cell-cycle arrest. Chemotherapy-induced expression of the p53 target gene Noxa was selectively enhanced by oncogenic KRAS. Suppression of Noxa did not affect p21 induction or cell-cycle arrest, but reduced KRAS/p53-dependent apoptosis after exposure to chemotherapy in vitro and in tumour xenografts. Noxa suppression did not affect tumour growth per se, but strongly reduced the response of these tumours to chemotherapy. CONCLUSION: Oncogenic KRAS determines the cellular response to p53 activation by oxaliplatin or 5-FU, by facilitating apoptosis induction through Noxa. British Journal of Cancer (2010) 102, 1254-1264. doi: 10.1038/sj.bjc.6605633 www.bjcancer.com Published online 30 March 2010 (C) 2010 Cancer Research U
Whole genome assessment of the retinal response to diabetes reveals a progressive neurovascular inflammatory response
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Despite advances in the understanding of diabetic retinopathy, the nature and time course of molecular changes in the retina with diabetes are incompletely described. This study characterized the functional and molecular phenotype of the retina with increasing durations of diabetes.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Using the streptozotocin-induced rat model of diabetes, levels of retinal permeability, caspase activity, and gene expression were examined after 1 and 3 months of diabetes. Gene expression changes were identified by whole genome microarray and confirmed by qPCR in the same set of animals as used in the microarray analyses and subsequently validated in independent sets of animals. Increased levels of vascular permeability and caspase-3 activity were observed at 3 months of diabetes, but not 1 month. Significantly more and larger magnitude gene expression changes were observed after 3 months than after 1 month of diabetes. Quantitative PCR validation of selected genes related to inflammation, microvasculature and neuronal function confirmed gene expression changes in multiple independent sets of animals.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>These changes in permeability, apoptosis, and gene expression provide further evidence of progressive retinal malfunction with increasing duration of diabetes. The specific gene expression changes confirmed in multiple sets of animals indicate that pro-inflammatory, anti-vascular barrier, and neurodegenerative changes occur in tandem with functional increases in apoptosis and vascular permeability. These responses are shared with the clinically documented inflammatory response in diabetic retinopathy suggesting that this model may be used to test anti-inflammatory therapeutics.</p
Measurement of neutrino and antineutrino neutral-current quasielasticlike interactions on oxygen by detecting nuclear deexcitation γ rays
Neutrino- and antineutrino-oxygen neutral-current quasielastic-like
interactions are measured at Super-Kamiokande using nuclear de-excitation
-rays to identify signal-like interactions in data from a $14.94 \
(16.35)\times 10^{20}\langle \sigma_{\nu {\rm -NCQE}} \rangle = 1.70 \pm 0.17 ({\rm stat.}) ^{+
{\rm 0.51}}_{- {\rm 0.38}} ({\rm syst.}) \times 10^{-38} \ {\rm cm^2/oxygen}\langle \sigma_{\bar{\nu} {\rm
-NCQE}} \rangle = 0.98 \pm 0.16 ({\rm stat.}) ^{+ {\rm 0.26}}_{- {\rm 0.19}}
({\rm syst.}) \times 10^{-38} \ {\rm cm^2/oxygen}$ with a flux-averaged energy
of 0.68 GeV, for neutrinos and antineutrinos, respectively. These results are
the most precise to date, and the antineutrino result is the first cross
section measurement of this channel. They are compared with various theoretical
predictions. The impact on evaluation of backgrounds to searches for supernova
relic neutrinos at present and future water Cherenkov detectors is also
discussed
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