180 research outputs found
Dynamical capture of the moon by the earth
Numerical integration of equations for dynamic capture of moon by eart
Analytical approximation for the structure of differentially rotating barotropes
Approximate analytical formula for density distribution in differentially
rotating stars is derived. Any barotropic EOS and conservative rotation law can
be handled with use of this method for wide range of differential rotation
strength. Results are in good qualitative agreement with comparison to the
other methods. Some applications are suggested and possible improvements of the
formula are discussed.Comment: 10 pages, 13 figures, accepted for publication in Monthly Notice
Spontaneous Breaking of Rotational Symmetry in Rotating Solitons - a Toy Model of Excited Nucleons with High Angular Momentum
We study the phenomenon of spontaneous breaking of rotational symmetry (SBRS)
in the rotating solutions of two types of baby Skyrme models. In the first the
domain is a two-sphere and in the other, the Skyrmions are confined to the
interior of a unit disk. Numerical full-field results show that when the
angular momentum of the Skyrmions increases above a certain critical value, the
rotational symmetry of the solutions is broken and the minimal energy
configurations become less symmetric. We propose a possible mechanism as to why
SBRS is present in the rotating solutions of these models, while it is not
observed in the `usual' baby Skyrme model. Our results might be relevant for a
qualitative understanding of the non-spherical deformation of excited nucleons
with high orbital angular momentum.Comment: RevTex, 9 pages, 9 figures. Added conten
Using ultra-thin parylene films as an organic gate insulator in nanowire field-effect transistors
We report the development of nanowire field-effect transistors featuring an
ultra-thin parylene film as a polymer gate insulator. The room temperature,
gas-phase deposition of parylene is an attractive alternative to oxide
insulators prepared at high temperatures using atomic layer deposition. We
discuss our custom-built parylene deposition system, which is designed for
reliable and controlled deposition of <100 nm thick parylene films on III-V
nanowires standing vertically on a growth substrate or horizontally on a device
substrate. The former case gives conformally-coated nanowires, which we used to
produce functional -gate and gate-all-around structures. These give
sub-threshold swings as low as 140 mV/dec and on/off ratios exceeding at
room temperature. For the gate-all-around structure, we developed a novel
fabrication strategy that overcomes some of the limitations with previous
lateral wrap-gate nanowire transistors. Finally, we show that parylene can be
deposited over chemically-treated nanowire surfaces; a feature generally not
possible with oxides produced by atomic layer deposition due to the surface
`self-cleaning' effect. Our results highlight the potential for parylene as an
alternative ultra-thin insulator in nanoscale electronic devices more broadly,
with potential applications extending into nanobioelectronics due to parylene's
well-established biocompatible properties
On the stability of self-gravitating accreting flows
Analytic methods show stability of the stationary accretion of test fluids
but they are inconclusive in the case of self-gravitating stationary flows. We
investigate numerically stability of those stationary flows onto compact
objects that are transonic and rich in gas. In all studied examples solutions
appear stable. Numerical investigation suggests also that the analogy between
sonic and event horizons holds for small perturbations of compact support but
fails in the case of finite perturbations.Comment: 10 pages, accepted for publication in PR
Prospects for single-molecule electrostatic detection in molecular motor gliding motility assays
Molecular motor gliding motility assays based on myosin/actin or
kinesin/microtubules are of interest for nanotechnology applications ranging
from cargo-trafficking in lab-on-a-chip devices to novel biocomputation
strategies. Prototype systems are typically monitored by expensive and bulky
fluorescence microscopy systems and the development of integrated, direct
electric detection of single filaments would strongly benefit applications and
scale-up. We present estimates for the viability of such a detector by
calculating the electrostatic potential change generated at a carbon nanotube
transistor by a motile actin filament or microtubule under realistic gliding
assay conditions. We combine this with detection limits based on previous
state-of-the-art experiments using carbon nanotube transistors to detect
catalysis by a bound lysozyme molecule and melting of a bound short-strand DNA
molecule. Our results show that detection should be possible for both actin and
microtubules using existing low ionic strength buffers given good device
design, e.g., by raising the transistor slightly above the guiding channel
floor. We perform studies as a function of buffer ionic strength, height of the
transistor above the guiding channel floor, presence/absence of the casein
surface passivation layer for microtubule assays and the linear charge density
of the actin filaments/microtubules. We show that detection of microtubules is
a more likely prospect given their smaller height of travel above the surface,
higher negative charge density and the casein passivation, and may possibly be
achieved with the nanoscale transistor sitting directly on the guiding channel
floor.Comment: Submitted to New Journal of Physic
Motility of an autonomous protein-based artificial motor that operates via a burnt-bridge principle
Inspired by biology, great progress has been made in creating artificial molecular motors. However, the dream of harnessing proteins – the building blocks selected by nature – to design autonomous motors has so far remained elusive. Here we report the synthesis and characterization of the Lawnmower, an autonomous, protein-based artificial molecular motor comprised of a spherical hub decorated with proteases. Its “burnt-bridge” motion is directed by cleavage of a peptide lawn, promoting motion towards unvisited substrate. We find that Lawnmowers exhibit directional motion with average speeds of up to 80 nm/s, comparable to biological motors. By selectively patterning the peptide lawn on microfabricated tracks, we furthermore show that the Lawnmower is capable of track-guided motion. Our work opens an avenue towards nanotechnology applications of artificial protein motors
Trapped: Experiences of unpaid carers of clinically vulnerable people "shielding" during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic
This is the final version. Available from SAGE Publications via the DOI in this record. Summary:
Unpaid carers were profoundly impacted by the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic and public health responses. In the UK, in March 2020, people identified as clinically extremely vulnerable and their household members were advised to “shield” for an initial 12-week period, which meant minimizing all contacts from outside the household and not leaving the house at all, unless in an emergency. In a modified form, shielding guidance remained in place until August 2020 and was reinstituted from December 2020 until April 1, 2021. This article, reporting on qualitative interviews with 47 unpaid carers in Wales, thematically analyzed using a coding framework, explores the experiences of unpaid carers affected by this shielding guidance and their wider implications for social work with unpaid carers in the future.
Findings:
Participants in our study described ways in which their caring role expanded, due to the need to provide additional practical and emotional support for loved ones who were shielding, and who lost access to other avenues of support. Some also described their caring role as becoming more involved and complex due to the declining health or self-care capacity of the person cared-for as a direct consequence of shielding restrictions. Alongside the increase in their caring responsibilities, carers reported losing access to important avenues of support for their own well-being.
Applications:
We draw on ecological systems theory to highlight the importance during care planning and management of exploring the carer's mesosystem to identify and optimize sustaining forces, and of attending to the microsystem involving the carer and person cared-for.Public Health Wale
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