2,500 research outputs found
Method of fabricating a photovoltaic module of a substantially transparent construction
A method characterized by the steps of positioning a plurality of uniformly dimensioned photovoltaic cells in registered relation with a plurality of openings formed in a planar tool is disclosed. The method allows acess to the P contact surface of each of the cells. The steps of the method are: (1) connecting the N contact surface of alternate cells to the P contact surface of the cells interposed therebetween, (2) removing therefrom residue of solder flux, (3) applying to the N contact surfaces of the cells a transparent adhesive, (4) placing a common transparent cover plate in engaged relation with the adhesive, (5) placing a film over the circular openings for hermetically sealing the openings, and (6) establishing a vacuum between the film and the cover plate
Cells use molecular working memory to navigate inchanging chemoattractant fields
In order to migrate over large distances, cells within tissues and organisms rely on sensing local gradient cues which are irregular, conflicting, and changing over time and space. The mechanism how they generate persistent directional migration when signals are disrupted, while still remaining adaptive to signal's localization changes remain unknown. Here we find that single cells utilize a molecular mechanism akin to a working memory to satisfy these two opposing demands. We derive theoretically that this is characteristic for receptor networks maintained away from steady states. Time-resolved live-cell imaging of Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) phosphorylation dynamics shows that cells transiently memorize position of encountered signals via slow-escaping remnant of the polarized signaling state, a dynamical 'ghost', driving memory-guided persistent directional migration. The metastability of this state further enables migrational adaptation when encountering new signals. We thus identify basic mechanism of real-time computations underlying cellular navigation in changing chemoattractant fields
Photon trains and lasing : The periodically pumped quantum dot
We propose to pump semiconductor quantum dots with surface acoustic waves
which deliver an alternating periodic sequence of electrons and holes. In
combination with a good optical cavity such regular pumping could entail
anti-bunching and sub-Poissonian photon statistics. In the bad-cavity limit a
train of equally spaced photons would arise.Comment: RevTex, 5 pages, 1 figur
Calculus and heat flow in metric measure spaces and applications to spaces with Ricci bounds from below
This paper is devoted to a deeper understanding of the heat flow and to the
refinement of calculus tools on metric measure spaces (X,d,m). Our main results
are:
- A general study of the relations between the Hopf-Lax semigroup and
Hamilton-Jacobi equation in metric spaces (X,d).
- The equivalence of the heat flow in L^2(X,m) generated by a suitable
Dirichlet energy and the Wasserstein gradient flow of the relative entropy
functional in the space of probability measures P(X).
- The proof of density in energy of Lipschitz functions in the Sobolev space
W^{1,2}(X,d,m).
- A fine and very general analysis of the differentiability properties of a
large class of Kantorovich potentials, in connection with the optimal transport
problem.
Our results apply in particular to spaces satisfying Ricci curvature bounds
in the sense of Lott & Villani [30] and Sturm [39,40], and require neither the
doubling property nor the validity of the local Poincar\'e inequality.Comment: Minor typos corrected and many small improvements added. Lemma 2.4,
Lemma 2.10, Prop. 5.7, Rem. 5.8, Thm. 6.3 added. Rem. 4.7, Prop. 4.8, Prop.
4.15 and Thm 4.16 augmented/reenforced. Proof of Thm. 4.16 and Lemma 9.6
simplified. Thm. 8.6 corrected. A simpler axiomatization of weak gradients,
still equivalent to all other ones, has been propose
The semi-presidential system of Cape Verde: the relationship between the executive and the legislative powers = O sistema semi-presidencialista caboverdiano: a relação entre os poderes executivo e legislativo
e article analyses the relationship established between the executive
and legislative powers in the Cape Verdean government system
where researchers seek to understand it, taking into account their theoretical
and constitutional setting practice. It should be noted the prominence
of the debate and studies undertaken to understand how the scienti c
academy seeks to eradicate this problem. Two issues are relevant in this
debate: the rst reporting to the theoretical and constitutional con guration
of Cape Verdean government system and the other to its policy and
legislative practice.
Keywords: Cape Verde. Semi-presidential System. Systems of Government.
Legislative and Executive Powers.O artigo procura analisar a relação que se estabelece entre o poder
executivo e legislativo no sistema de governo cabo-verdiano, onde Investigadores
buscam compreendê-lo, tendo em conta a sua con guração
prática, teórica e constitucional. Há que realçar a proeminência do debate
e dos estudos realizados no sentido de compreender como é que a academia
cientí ca procura debelar esta problemática. Duas questões são
pertinentes neste debate: a primeira refere-se à con guração teórico-constitucional
do sistema de governo cabo-verdiano e a outra à prática política
e legislativa.
Palavras-chave: Cabo Verde. Sistema Semi-presidencialista. Sistemas de Governo.
Poder legislativo e Poder Executivo
Transcriptomic and proteomic insights into innate immunity and adaptations to a symbiotic lifestyle in the gutless marine worm Olavius algarvensis
Background: The gutless marine worm Olavius algarvensis has a completely reduced digestive and excretory system, and lives in an obligate nutritional symbiosis with bacterial symbionts. While considerable knowledge has been gained of the symbionts, the host has remained largely unstudied. Here, we generated transcriptomes and proteomes of O. algarvensis to better understand how this annelid worm gains nutrition from its symbionts, how it adapted physiologically to a symbiotic lifestyle, and how its innate immune system recognizes and responds to its symbiotic microbiota. Results: Key adaptations to the symbiosis include (i) the expression of gut-specific digestive enzymes despite the absence of a gut, most likely for the digestion of symbionts in the host's epidermal cells; (ii) a modified hemoglobin that may bind hydrogen sulfide produced by two of the worm's symbionts; and (iii) the expression of a very abundant protein for oxygen storage, hemerythrin, that could provide oxygen to the symbionts and the host under anoxic conditions. Additionally, we identified a large repertoire of proteins involved in interactions between the worm's innate immune system and its symbiotic microbiota, such as peptidoglycan recognition proteins, lectins, fibrinogen-related proteins, Toll and scavenger receptors, and antimicrobial proteins. Conclusions: We show how this worm, over the course of evolutionary time, has modified widely-used proteins and changed their expression patterns in adaptation to its symbiotic lifestyle and describe expressed components of the innate immune system in a marine oligochaete. Our results provide further support for the recent realization that animals have evolved within the context of their associations with microbes and that their adaptive responses to symbiotic microbiota have led to biological innovations
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