47,653 research outputs found
Characterization of proteins by means of their buffer capacity, measured with an ISFET-based coulometric sensor-actuator system
Proteins form the specific selector in many biochemical sensors. A change in one of the properties of such a protein has to be detected by an appropriate transducer, which completes the biochemical sensor. One of these properties is the buffer capacity of a protein. If the binding of a substance to a protein can significantly change the proton binding, which accounts for the buffer capacity of proteins, the detection of this changed buffer capacity enables the construction of a new type of biosensor.\ud
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It will be shown that the buffer capacity can be measured with an ISFET-based sensor—actuator device. The alternating generation of protons and hydroxyl ions by alternating current coulometry at a porous noble metal actuator electrode causes an associated small pH perturbation, which is detected by the underlying pH-sensitive ISFET. The amplitude of the measured signal is a function of the buffer capacity of the solute, in which proteins can be present (or these proteins can be adsorbed in the porous actuator electrode of the device). A model describing the transfer function from the electrical input signal of the actuator to the resulting chemical output, which is subsequently detected by the ISFET pH sensor, is presented. Preliminary results of the measured buffer capacity of ribonuclease and lysozyme are presented
Linear and Non Linear Effects on the Newtonian Gravitational Constant as deduced from the Torsion Balance
The Newtonian gravitational constant has still 150 parts per million of
uncertainty. This paper examines the linear and nonlinear equations governing
the rotational dynamics of the torsion gravitational balance. A nonlinear
effect modifying the oscillation period of the torsion gravitational balance is
carefully explored.Comment: 11 pages, 2 figure
Thermodynamical quantities of lattice full QCD from an efficient method
I extend to QCD an efficient method for lattice gauge theory with dynamical
fermions. Once the eigenvalues of the Dirac operator and the density of states
of pure gluonic configurations at a set of plaquette energies (proportional to
the gauge action) are computed, thermodynamical quantities deriving from the
partition function can be obtained for arbitrary flavor number, quark masses
and wide range of coupling constants, without additional computational cost.
Results for the chiral condensate and gauge action are presented on the
lattice at flavor number , 1, 2, 3, 4 and many quark masses and coupling
constants. New results in the chiral limit for the gauge action and its
correlation with the chiral condensate, which are useful for analyzing the QCD
chiral phase structure, are also provided.Comment: Latex, 11 figures, version accepted for publicatio
TIFA, an inflammatory signaling adaptor, is tumor suppressive for liver cancer.
TIFA (TNF receptor associated factor (TRAF)-interacting protein with a Forkhead-associated (FHA) domain), also called T2BP, was first identified using a yeast two-hybrid screening. TIFA contains a FHA domain, which directly binds phosphothreonine and phosphoserine, and a consensus TRAF6-binding motif. TIFA-mediated oligomerization and poly-ubiquitinylation of TRAF6 mediates signaling downstream of the Tumor necrosis factor alpha receptor 1 (TNFaR-I) and interleukin-1/Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) pathways. Examining TIFA expression in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissues microarrays, we noted marked decreases TIFA reactivity in tumor versus control samples. In agreement, we found that HCC cell lines show reduced TIFA expression levels versus normal liver controls. Reconstituting TIFA expression in HCC cell lines promoted two independent apoptosis signaling pathways: the induction of p53 and cell cycle arrest, and the activation of caspase-8 and caspase-3. In contrast, the expression of a non-oligomerizing mutant of TIFA impacted cells minimally, and suppression of TIFA expression protected cells from apoptosis. Mice bearing TIFA overexpression hepatocellular xenografts develop smaller tumors versus TIFA mutant tumors; terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling staining demonstrates increased cell apoptosis, and decreased proliferation, reflecting cell cycle arrest. Interestingly, p53 has a greater role in decreased proliferation than cell death, as it appeared dispensable for TIFA-induced cell killing. The findings demonstrate a novel suppressive role of TIFA in HCC progression via promotion of cell death independent of p53
Discussion on Event Horizon and Quantum Ergosphere of Evaporating Black Holes in a Tunnelling Framework
In this paper, with the Parikh-Wilczek tunnelling framework the positions of
the event horizon of the Vaidya black hole and the Vaidya-Bonner black hole are
calculated respectively. We find that the event horizon and the apparent
horizon of these two black holes correspond respectively to the two turning
points of the Hawking radiation tunnelling barrier. That is, the quantum
ergosphere coincides with the tunnelling barrier. Our calculation also implies
that the Hawking radiation comes from the apparent horizon.Comment: 8 page
The shape of disorder broadened Landau subbands in graphene
Density of states (DOS) of graphene under a high uniform magnetic field and
white-noise random potential is numerically calculated. The disorder broadened
zero-energy Landau band has a Gaussian shape whose width is proportional to the
random potential variance and the square root of magnetic field. Wegner-type
calculation is used to justify the results
Determination of buffer capacity by means of an ISFET-based coulometric sensor-actuator system with a gate-covering porous actuator
In this paper we propose a dynamic way to measure the buffer capacity of an electrolyte by means of an ISFET-based coulometric sensor-actuator system whose gate is covered with a porous actuator. A theoterical model for this measurement is presented. Experiments are carried out in nitric and acetic acid as well as in phosphoric acid solutions. A fairly good agreement has been found between the theoretical calculations and the experimental results
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