Singular kernels, multiscale decomposition of microstructure, and dislocation models

We consider a model for dislocations in crystals introduced by Koslowski, Cuiti\~no and Ortiz, which includes elastic interactions via a singular kernel behaving as the $H^{1/2}$ norm of the slip. We obtain a sharp-interface limit of the model within the framework of $\Gamma$-convergence. From an analytical point of view, our functional is a vector-valued generalization of the one studied by Alberti, Bouchitt\'e and Seppecher to which their rearrangement argument no longer applies. Instead we show that the microstructure must be approximately one-dimensional on most length scales and exploit this property to derive a sharp lower bound

Binding of estrogen receptor with estrogen conjugated to bovine serum albumin (BSA)

BACKGROUND: The classic model of estrogen action requires that the estrogen receptor (ER) activates gene expression by binding directly or indirectly to DNA. Recent studies, however, strongly suggest that ER can act through nongenomic signal transduction pathways and may be mediated by a membrane bound form of the ER. Estradiol covalently linked to membrane impermeable BSA (E(2)-BSA) has been widely used as an agent to study these novel membrane-associated ER events. However, a recent report suggests that E(2)-BSA does not compete for E(2 )binding to purified ER in vitro. To resolve this apparent discrepancy, we performed competition studies examining the binding of E(2 )and E(2)-BSA to both purified ER preparations and ER within intact cells. To eliminate potential artifacts due to contamination of commercially available E(2)-BSA preparations with unconjugated E(2 )(usually between 3–5%), the latter was carefully removed by ultrafiltration. RESULTS: As previously reported, a 10-to 1000-fold molar excess of E(2)-BSA was unable to compete with (3)H-E(2 )binding to ER when added simultaneously. However, when ER was pre-incubated with the same concentrations of E(2)-BSA, the binding of (3)H-E(2 )was significantly reduced. E(2)-BSA binding to a putative membrane-associated ER was directly visualized using fluorescein labeled E(2)-BSA (E(2)-BSA-FITC). Staining was restricted to the cell membrane when E(2)-BSA-FITC was incubated with stable transfectants of the murine ERα within ER-negative HeLa cells and with MC7 cells that endogenously produce ERα. This staining appeared highly specific since it was competed by pre-incubation with E(2 )in a dose dependent manner and with the competitor ICI-182,780. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate that E(2)-BSA does bind to purified ER in vitro and to ER in intact cells. It seems likely that the size and structure of E(2)-BSA requires more energy for it to bind to the ER and consequently binds more slowly than E(2). More importantly, these findings demonstrate that in intact cells that express ER, E(2)-BSA binding is localized to the cell membrane, strongly suggesting a membrane bound form of the ER

The electronic structure of amorphous silica: A numerical study

We present a computational study of the electronic properties of amorphous SiO2. The ionic configurations used are the ones generated by an earlier molecular dynamics simulations in which the system was cooled with different cooling rates from the liquid state to a glass, thus giving access to glass-like configurations with different degrees of disorder [Phys. Rev. B 54, 15808 (1996)]. The electronic structure is described by a tight-binding Hamiltonian. We study the influence of the degree of disorder on the density of states, the localization properties, the optical absorption, the nature of defects within the mobility gap, and on the fluctuations of the Madelung potential, where the disorder manifests itself most prominently. The experimentally observed mismatch between a photoconductivity threshold of 9 eV and the onset of the optical absorption around 7 eV is interpreted by the picture of eigenstates localized by potential energy fluctuations in a mobility gap of approximately 9 eV and a density of states that exhibits valence and conduction band tails which are, even in the absence of defects, deeply located within the former band gap.Comment: 21 pages of Latex, 5 eps figure

The Link between General Relativity and Shape Dynamics

We show that one can construct two equivalent gauge theories from a linking theory and give a general construction principle for linking theories which we use to construct a linking theory that proves the equivalence of General Relativity and Shape Dynamics, a theory with fixed foliation but spatial conformal invariance. This streamlines the rather complicated construction of this equivalence performed previously. We use this streamlined argument to extend the result to General Relativity with asymptotically flat boundary conditions. The improved understanding of linking theories naturally leads to the Lagrangian formulation of Shape Dynamics, which allows us to partially relate the degrees of freedom.Comment: 19 pages, LaTeX, no figure

Semiempirical Quantum-Chemical Orthogonalization-Corrected Methods: Theory, Implementation, and Parameters

Semiempirical orthogonalization-corrected methods (OM1, OM2, and OM3) go beyond the standard MNDO model by explicitly including additional interactions into the Fock matrix in an approximate manner (Pauli repulsion, penetration effects, and core–valence interactions), which yields systematic improvements both for ground-state and excited-state properties. In this Article, we describe the underlying theoretical formalism of the OMx methods and their implementation in full detail, and we report all relevant OMx parameters for hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and fluorine. For a standard set of mostly organic molecules commonly used in semiempirical method development, the OMx results are found to be superior to those from standard MNDO-type methods. Parametrized Grimme-type dispersion corrections can be added to OM2 and OM3 energies to provide a realistic treatment of noncovalent interaction energies, as demonstrated for the complexes in the S22 and S66×8 test sets

Three-Dimensional Quantum Percolation Studied by Level Statistics

Three-dimensional quantum percolation problems are studied by analyzing energy level statistics of electrons on maximally connected percolating clusters. The quantum percolation threshold \pq, which is larger than the classical percolation threshold \pc, becomes smaller when magnetic fields are applied, i.e., \pq(B=0)>\pq(B\ne 0)>\pc. The critical exponents are found to be consistent with the recently obtained values of the Anderson model, supporting the conjecture that the quantum percolation is classified onto the same universality classes of the Anderson transition. Novel critical level statistics at the percolation threshold is also reported.Comment: to appear in the May issue of J. Phys. Soc. Jp

Produção, composição bromatológica e extração de potássio pela planta de milho para silagem colhida em duas alturas de corte.

O presente experimento teve como objetivo avaliar as características agronômicas, composição químico-bromatológica e extração de potássio de cinco genótipos de milho para silagem. O delineamento foi realizado em parcelas subdivididas no delineamento em blocos ao acaso, com 3 híbridos (DKB 390, AGX 8517, A-2560) e 2 variedaes (AL-Bianco, Piratininga), em 2 alturas de corte (20 e 40 cm acima do solo) e 4 repetições..

Equivalent Fixed-Points in the Effective Average Action Formalism

Starting from a modified version of Polchinski's equation, Morris' fixed-point equation for the effective average action is derived. Since an expression for the line of equivalent fixed-points associated with every critical fixed-point is known in the former case, this link allows us to find, for the first time, the analogous expression in the latter case.Comment: 30 pages; v2: 29 pages - major improvements to section 3; v3: published in J. Phys. A - minor change