2,852 research outputs found
Quantum Langevin model for exoergic ion-molecule reactions and inelastic processes
We presents a fully quantal version of the Langevin model for the total rate
of exoergic ion-molecule reactions or inelastic processes. The model, which is
derived from a rigorous multichannel quantum-defect formulation of bimolecular
processes, agrees with the classical Langevin model at sufficiently high
temperatures. It also gives the first analytic description of ion-molecule
reactions and inelastic processes in the ultracold regime where the quantum
nature of the relative motion between the reactants becomes important.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure
Recovery of surface reflectance spectra and evaluation of the optical depth of aerosols in the near-IR using a Monte-Carlo approach: Application to the OMEGA observations of high latitude regions of Mars
We present a model of radiative transfer through atmospheric particles based
on Monte Carlo methods. This model can be used to analyze and remove the
contribution of aerosols in remote sensing observations. We have developed a
method to quantify the contribution of atmospheric dust in near-IR spectra of
the Martian surface obtained by the OMEGA imaging spectrometer on board Mars
Express. Using observations in the nadir pointing mode with significant
differences in solar incidence angles, we can infer the optical depth of
atmospheric dust, and we can retrieve the surface reflectance spectra free of
aerosol contribution. Martian airborne dust properties are discussed and
constrained from previous studies and OMEGA data. We have tested our method on
a region at 90{\deg}E and 77{\deg}N extensively covered by OMEGA, where
significant variations of the albedo of ice patches in the visible have been
reported. The consistency between reflectance spectra of ice-covered and
ice-free regions recovered at different incidence angles validates our
approach. The optical depth of aerosols varies by a factor 3 in this region
during the summer of Martian year 27. The observed brightening of ice patches
does not result from frost deposition but from a decrease in the dust
contamination of surface ice and (to a lower extent) from a decrease in the
optical thickness of atmospheric dust. Our Monte Carlo-based model can be
applied to recover the spectral reflectance characteristics of the surface from
OMEGA spectral imaging data when the optical thickness of aerosols can be
evaluated. It could prove useful for processing image cubes from the Compact
Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM) on board the Mars
Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO)
Acupuncture Point Localization Varies Among Acupuncturists
Background: Studies assessing the point-specific effect of acupuncture or the characteristics of acupuncture points (APs) tend to yield inconclusive results. In order to identify a possible confounding factor, we aimed to examine the variability in AP localization by means of a survey. Material and Methods: Attendees of the 14th ICMART (International Council of Medical Acupuncture and Related Techniques) congress as well as DAGfA (German Medical Society of Acupuncture) lecturers and students were asked to locate and mark the APs LI 10 and TH 5 on a research assistant's arm. Identified points were transferred into a coordinate system, and the respective bivariate distribution function was calculated. Additionally, participants filled out a questionnaire about their acupuncture education and experience, the acupuncture style and point localization techniques used most frequently, and their estimation of the size of an AP. Results: The areas of the ellipses, theoretically containing 95% of AP localizations, varied between 44.49 and 5.18 cm(2). The largest distance between 2 identified points was 8.45 cm for LI 10 and 5.3 cm for TH 5. Apart from being trained at the same school, no other factor could be identified that determined the variability in AP localization. Conclusion: Our results indicate that congruity of AP localization among experienced acupuncturists might be low. Although there are some limitations to our results, this possible bias should be taken into account when conducting acupuncture trials and interpreting results of previous acupuncture studies
Let-7 MicroRNA-Binding-Site Polymorphism in the 3âČUTR of KRAS and Colorectal Cancer Outcome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
There is a small but growing body of literature regarding the predictive utility of a Let-7 microRNA-binding-site polymorphism in the 30 -untranslated region (UTR) of KRAS (KRAS-LCS6) for colorectal cancer outcome, although the results are conflicting. We performed a review and meta-analysis in an attempt to better clarify this relationship. A PubMed search was conducted to identify all studies reporting on KRAS let-7 microRNA-binding site polymorphism (LCS6; rs61764370) and colorectal cancer outcome. Hazard ratios (HR) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) were extracted or estimated from each manuscript. Log HRs and log CIs were combined across studies using the inverse-variance weight to calculate fixed- and random-effects summary estimates and corresponding 95% CIs for overall and progression-free survival. We did not observe any significant association between overall or progression-free survival, neither when considering all colorectal cancer patients nor for subgroup analyses (metastatic, anti-EGFR [epidermal growth factor receptor] treatment, or KRAS wild type). There was substantial heterogeneity across studies, overall and among subgroups analyzed. We have found no clear evidence to support an association between the KRAS-LCS6 genotype and overall or progression-free survival among colorectal cancer patients, even after conducting subgroup analyses by stage and anti-EGFR treatment status. This information helps to clarify the confusing body of literature regarding the clinical implications of the KRAS-LCS6 genetic variant on colorectal cancer outcomes, indicating that it should not be used at the present time to personalize therapeutic strategies (PROSPERO registration number: CRD42013005325)
Direct optical observations of surface thermal motions at sub-shot noise levels
We measure spectral properties of surface thermal fluctuations of liquids,
solids, complex fluids and biological matter using light scattering methods.
The random thermal fluctuations are delineated from random noise at sub-shot
noise levels. The principle behind this extraction, which is quite general and
is not limited to surface measurements, is explained. An optical lever is used
to measure the spectrum of fluctuations in the inclinations of surfaces down to
at W optical intensity, corresponding
to in the vertical displacement, in the
frequency range . The dynamical evolution of the
surface properties is also investigated. The measurement requires only a short
amount of time and is essentially passive, so that it can be applied to a wide
variety of surfaces.Comment: 5pp, 5 figure
Communicating About Fascia: History, Pitfalls, and Recommendations
The modern reader and author need to be aware of possible ambiguities and misunderstandings stemming from different meanings of the word âfasciaâ because the general meaning of the term can be so vague as to imply little more than some form of connective tissue. âFasciaâ encompasses both loose and dense, superficial and deep, and multiple- and single-layered connective tissues. To foster communication, we here suggest twelve specific terms to describe specified aspects of fascial tissue
Recombination in polymer-fullerene bulk heterojunction solar cells
Recombination of photogenerated charge carriers in polymer bulk
heterojunction (BHJ) solar cells reduces the short circuit current (Jsc) and
the fill factor (FF). Identifying the mechanism of recombination is, therefore,
fundamentally important for increasing the power conversion efficiency. Light
intensity and temperature dependent current-voltage measurements on polymer BHJ
cells made from a variety of different semiconducting polymers and fullerenes
show that the recombination kinetics are voltage dependent and evolve from
first order recombination at short circuit to bimolecular recombination at open
circuit as a result of increasing the voltage-dependent charge carrier density
in the cell. The "missing 0.3V" inferred from comparison of the band gaps of
the bulk heterojunction materials and the measured open circuit voltage at room
temperature results from the temperature dependence of the quasi-Fermi-levels
in the polymer and fullerene domains - a conclusion based upon the fundamental
statistics of Fermions.Comment: Accepted for publication in Physical Review B.
http://prb.aps.org/accepted/B/6b07cO3aHe71bd1b149e1425e58bf2868cda2384d?ajax=1&height=500&width=50
The effect of Coulombic friction on spatial displacement statistics
The phenomenon of Coulombic friction enters the stochastic description of dry
friction between two solids and the statistic characterization of vibrating
granular media. Here we analyze the corresponding Fokker-Planck equation
including both velocity and spatial components, exhibiting a formal connection
to a quantum mechanical harmonic oscillator in the presence of a delta
potential. Numerical solutions for the resulting spatial displacement
statistics show a crossover from exponential to Gaussian displacement
statistics. We identify a transient intermediate regime that exhibits
multiscaling properties arising from the contribution of Coulombic friction.
The possible role of these effects during observations in diffusion experiments
is shortly discussed.Comment: 11 pages, 9 figure
Penicillin kills chlamydia following the fusion of bacteria with Lysosomes and prevents genital inflammatory lesions in C. muridarum-infected mice
The obligate intracellular bacterium Chlamydia exists as two distinct forms. Elementary bodies (EBs) are infectious and extra-cellular, whereas reticulate bodies (RBs) replicate within a specialized intracellular compartment termed an âinclusionâ. Alternative persistent intra-cellular forms can be induced in culture by diverse stimuli such as IFNÎł or adenosine/EHNA. They do not grow or divide but revive upon withdrawal of the stimulus and are implicated in several widespread human diseases through ill-defined in vivo mechanisms. ÎČ-lactam antibiotics have also been claimed to induce persistence in vitro. The present report shows that upon penicillin G (pG) treatment, inclusions grow as fast as those in infected control cells. After removal of pG, Chlamydia do not revert to RBs. These effects are independent of host cell type, serovar, biovar and species of Chlamydia. Time-course experiments demonstrated that only RBs were susceptible to pG. pG-treated bacteria lost their control over host cell apoptotic pathways and no longer expressed pre-16S rRNA, in contrast to persistent bacteria induced with adenosine/EHNA. Confocal and live-video microscopy showed that bacteria within the inclusion fused with lysosomal compartments in pG-treated cells. That leads to recruitment of cathepsin D as early as 3 h post pG treatment, an event preceding bacterial death by several hours. These data demonstrate that pG treatment of cultured cells infected with Chlamydia results in the degradation of the bacteria. In addition we show that pG is significantly more efficient than doxycycline at preventing genital inflammatory lesions in C. muridarum-C57Bl/6 infected mice. These in vivo results support the physiological relevance of our findings and their potential therapeutic applications
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