Lifetime reduction of surface states at Cu, Ag and Au(111) caused by impurity scattering

We present density-functional results on the lifetime of the (111) surface state of the noble metals. We consider scattering on the Fermi surface caused by impurity atoms belonging to the 3d and 4sp series. The results are analyzed with respect to film thickness and with respect to separation of scattering into bulk or into surface states. While for impurities in the surface layer the overall trends are similar to the long-known bulk-state scattering, for adatom-induced scattering we find a surprising behavior with respect to the adatom atomic number. A plateau emerges in the scattering rate of the 3d adatoms, instead of a peak characteristic of the d resonance. Additionally, the scattering rate of 4sp adatoms changes in a zig-zag pattern, contrary to a smooth parabolic increase following Linde's rule that is observed in bulk. We interpret these results in terms of the weaker charge-screening and of interference effects induced by the lowering of symmetry at the surface

Global dynamics and stability limits for planetary systems around HD 12661, HD 38529, HD 37124 and HD 160691

In order to distinguish between regular and chaotic planetary orbits we apply a new technique called MEGNO in a wide neighbourhood of orbital parameters determined using standard two-body Keplerian fits for HD 12661, HD 38529, HD 37124 and HD 160691 planetary systems. We show that the currently announced orbital parameters place these systems in very different situations from the point of view of dynamical stability. While HD 38529 and HD 37124 are located within large stability zones in the phase space around their determined orbits, the preliminary orbits in HD 160691 are highly unstable. The orbital parameters of the HD 12661 planets are located in a border region between stable and unstable dynamical regimes, so while its currently determined orbital parameters produce stable regular orbits, a minor change within the margin of error of just one parameter may result in a chaotic dynamical system.Comment: 12 pages, 3 figures, accepted ApJ, revised version following the referee's repor

Microstructure Analysis of Internally Oxidized Cu-C Composite

On the basis of experimentally obtained data, it was established that submicron-size bubbles are formed by the internal oxidation of Cu-C composite with fine dispersed graphite particles. They are homogeneously distributed in the Cu-matrix. This process starts with the dissolution of oxygen into the metal at the free surfaces, and continues with the diffusion of oxygen atoms into the volume of copper crystal lattice where they react with the graphite particles. The reactions of dissolved oxygen with carbon yield the gas products (CO2, CO), which cannot be dissolved in the crystal lattice of the matrix. The gas molecules, which are enclosed in the space previously occupied by the graphite, have a greater specific volume than the solid graphite. Consequently, compressive stresses arise in the copper matrix around the bubbles. The interaction of these stress fields with gliding dislocations during loading could improve the mechanical properties of the copper. The internal oxidation kinetic in Cu-C composite depends on the diffusion of oxygen in the copper matrix, and the penetration depth of the internal oxidation front indicates the parabolic nature of the process

Sinker Structure of Phoradendron californicum (Viscaceae) Confounds its Presumed Close Relationship to Other Acataphyllous Species

Phoradendron is the largest genus of New World mistletoes, with about 250 species in two subgenera, Boreales and Aequatoriales, corresponding, respectively, to northern acataphyllous and southern cataphyllous groups. The typically acataphyllous P. californicum of western North America is controversial because recent phylogenetic work has nested it in the southern cataphyllous clade. Seedling establishment, stem anatomy, and endophytic system structure of this species were studied. Seedling haustorial holdfasts have gland cavities, structures considered absent in the Viscaceae clade of Santalales. The stem epidermis has a thick cuticle, deeply sunken stomata, and branched multicellular trichomes. The stem has an outer cortex of palisade chlorenchyma and an inner cortex of large isodiametric parenchyma cells. The boundary area between the outer and inner cortex contains druses and an unusual ring of small xylic bundles lacking protoxylem fibers and phloem. Sinkers are of two types: uniseriate, with only parenchyma that often has thick-walled transfer cells at its interface with vessels of the host; and multiseriate, with parenchyma and vessel elements that often are in direct contact and share simple perforation plates with vessels of the host. Sinker morphology is also dimorphic in the cataphyllous P. fragile but only unimorphic (multiseriate) in the acataphyllous P. juniperinum and P. serotinum. The dimorphic sinker system of P. californicum may be functionally partitioned, whereas these functions are combined in the unimorphic sinkers of other acataphyllous species. Differences in sinker morphology may reflect evolutionary trends in Phoradendron. This study also supports the hypothesis that P. californicum is more closely aligned with the mainly tropical cataphyllous species of the genus

Pretubulysin derived probes as novel tools for monitoring the microtubule network via activity-based protein profiling and fluorescence microscopy

Microtubules (mt) are highly dynamic polymers composed of alpha- and beta-tubulin monomers that are present in all dividing and non-dividing cells. A broad variety of natural products exists that are known to interfere with the microtubule network, by either stabilizing or de-stabilizing these rope-like polymers. Among those tubulysins represent a new and potent class of cytostatic tetrapeptides originating from myxobacteria. Early studies suggested that tubulysins interact with the eukaryotic cytoskeleton by inhibition of tubulin polymerization with EC50 values in the picomolar range. Recently, pretubulysins have been described to retain the high tubulindegradation activity of their more complex tubulysin relatives and represent an easier synthetic target with an efficient synthesis already in place. Although tubulin has been suggested as the dedicated target of tubulysin a comprehensive molecular target analysis of pretubulysin in the context of the whole proteome has not been carried out so far. Here we utilize synthetic chemistry to develop two pretubulysin photoaffinity probes which were applied in cellular activity-based protein profiling and imaging studies in order to unravel and visualize dedicated targets. Our results clearly show a remarkable selectivity of pretubulysin for beta-tubulin which we independently confirmed by a mass-spectrometry based proteomic profiling platform as well as by tubulin antibody based co-staining on intact cells

Synaptophysin Is Required for Synaptobrevin Retrieval during Synaptic Vesicle Endocytosis

The integral synaptic vesicle (SV) protein synaptophysin forms approximately 10% of total SV protein content, but has no known function in SV physiology. Synaptobrevin (sybII) is another abundant integral SV protein with an essential role in SV exocytosis. Synaptophysin and sybII form a complex in nerve terminals, suggesting this interaction may have a key role in presynaptic function. To determine how synaptophysin controls sybII traffic in nerve terminals, we used a combination of optical imaging techniques in cultures derived from synaptophysin knockout mice. We show that synaptophysin is specifically required for the retrieval of the pH-sensitive fluorescent reporter sybII-pHluorin from the plasma membrane during endocytosis. The retrieval of other SV protein cargo reporters still occurred, however their recapture proceeded with slower kinetics. This slowing of SV retrieval kinetics in the absence of synaptophysin did not impact on global SV turnover. These results identify a specific and selective requirement for synaptophysin in the retrieval of sybII during SV endocytosis and suggest that their interaction may act as an adjustable regulator of SV retrieval efficiency

Konsentrasi Nitrat Dan Bahan Organik Total Pada Saat Pasang Dan Surut Di Muara Sungai Demaan Jepara

Muara Sungai Demaan adalah salah satu muara sungai yang digunakan oleh masyarakat untuk mencari ikan dan sebagai tempat berlabuh kapal nelayan. Aktivitas di sekitar muara sungai dan buangan limbah yang berasal dari daratan mengakibatkan Perubahan kualitas perairan muara sungai Demaan. Hal ini dapat ditinjau pada Perubahan konsentrasi nitrat dan bahan organik pada saat pasang dan surut yang berkaitan dengan faktor fisika kimia perairan, yaitu suhu, DO, salinitas dan pH. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui tingkat konsentrasi dan pola sebaran nitrat dan bahan organik pada saat pasang dan surut di muara Sungai Demaan. Penelitian ini dilaksanakan pada bulan Maret 2014, dengan menggunakan metode deskriptif. Metode pemilihan lokasi dengan purposive sampling yang dilakukan di 6 stasiun dengan pertimbangan dapat mewakili wilayah sungai, muara sungai dan laut. Data yang diamati adalah konsentrasi nitrat, konsentrasi bahan organik, suhu, Salinitas, DO dan pH sebagai data primer. Permodelan arus laut menggunakan SMS 8.1 sebagai data sekunder. Pengolahan data menggunakan software ArcGIS 10.0 dan Surfer 11 untuk menganalisis model persebaran. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan, ketika surut konsentrasi nitrat berkisar <0,001 – 0,344 mg/l dan bahan organik berkisar 103,41 – 132,13 mg/l, pada saat pasang konsentrasi nitrat berkisar 0,056 – 0,154 mg/l dan konsentrasi bahan organik berkisar 99,48 – 134,6 mg/l

The Formation and Coarsening of the Concertina Pattern

The concertina is a magnetization pattern in elongated thin-film elements of a soft material. It is a ubiquitous domain pattern that occurs in the process of magnetization reversal in direction of the long axis of the small element. Van den Berg argued that this pattern grows out of the flux closure domains as the external field is reduced. Based on experimental observations and theory, we argue that in sufficiently elongated thin-film elements, the concertina pattern rather bifurcates from an oscillatory buckling mode. Using a reduced model derived by asymptotic analysis and investigated by numerical simulation, we quantitatively predict the average period of the concertina pattern and qualitatively predict its hysteresis. In particular, we argue that the experimentally observed coarsening of the concertina pattern is due to secondary bifurcations related to an Eckhaus instability. We also link the concertina pattern to the magnetization ripple and discuss the effect of a weak (crystalline or induced) anisotropy