2,302 research outputs found
Structure and electronic properties of molybdenum monoatomic wires encapsulated in carbon nanotubes
Monoatomic chains of molybdenum encapsulated in single walled carbon
nanotubes of different chiralities are investigated using density functional
theory. We determine the optimal size of the carbon nanotube for encapsulating
a single atomic wire, as well as the most stable atomic arrangement adopted by
the wire. We also study the transport properties in the ballistic regime by
computing the transmission coefficients and tracing them back to electronic
conduction channels of the wire and the host. We predict that carbon nanotubes
of appropriate radii encapsulating a Mo wire have metallic behavior, even if
both the nanotube and the wire are insulators. Therefore, encapsulating Mo
wires in CNT is a way to create conductive quasi one-dimensional hybrid
nanostructures.Comment: 8 pages, 10 figure
Derivation of the physical parameters of the jet in S5 0836+710 from stability analysis
A number of extragalactic jets show periodic structures at different scales
that can be associated with growing instabilities. The wavelengths of the
developing instability modes and their ratios depend on the flow parameters, so
the study of those structures can shed light on jet physics at the scales
involved. In this work, we use the fits to the jet ridgeline obtained from
different observations of S5 B0836710 and apply stability analysis of
relativistic, sheared flows to derive an estimate of the physical parameters of
the jet. Based on the assumption that the observed structures are generated by
growing Kelvin-Helmholtz (KH) instability modes, we have run numerical
calculations of stability of a relativistic, sheared jet over a range of
different jet parameters. We have spanned several orders of magnitude in
jet-to-ambient medium density ratio, and jet internal energy, and checked
different values of the Lorentz factor and shear layer width. This represents
an independent method to obtain estimates of the physical parameters of a jet.
By comparing the fastest growing wavelengths of each relevant mode given by the
calculations with the observed wavelengths reported in the literature, we have
derived independent estimates of the jet Lorentz factor, specific internal
energy, jet-to-ambient medium density ratio and Mach number. We obtain a jet
Lorentz factor , specific internal energy of , jet-to-ambient medium density ratio of , and an internal (classical) jet Mach number of . We also find that the wavelength ratios are better recovered by a
transversal structure with a width of of the jet radius. This
method represents a powerful tool to derive the jet parameters in all jets
showing helical patterns with different wavelengths.Comment: Accepted for publication in A&A, 15 pages, 12 figure
Impact of dimerization and stretching on the transport properties of molybdenum atomic wires
We study the electrical and transport properties of monoatomic Mo wires with
different structural characteristics. We consider first periodic wires with
inter-atomic distances ranging between the dimerized wire to that formed by
equidistant atoms. We find that the dimerized case has a gap in the electronic
structure which makes it insulating, as opposed to the equidistant or
near-equidistant cases which are metallic. We also simulate two conducting
one-dimensional Mo electrodes separated by a scattering region which contains a
number of dimers between 1 and 6. The characteristics strongly depend on
the number of dimers and vary from ohmic to tunneling, with the presence of
different gaps. We also find that stretched chains are ferromagnetic.Comment: 8 pages, 7 figure
<i>Phaeocystis globosa</i> Virus DNA Polymerase X: a “Swiss Army knife”, Multifunctional DNA polymerase-lyase-ligase for Base Excision Repair
Phaeocystis globosa virus 16T is a giant virus that belongs to the so-called nucleo-cytoplasmic large DNA virus (NCLDV) group. Its linear dsDNA genome contains an almost full complement of genes required to participate in viral base excision repair (BER). Among them is a gene coding for a bimodular protein consisting of an N-terminal Polβ-like core fused to a C-terminal domain (PgVPolX), which shows homology with NAD+-dependent DNA ligases. Analysis of the biochemical features of the purified enzyme revealed that PgVPolX is a multifunctional protein that could act as a “Swiss army knife” enzyme during BER since it is endowed with: 1) a template-directed DNA polymerization activity, preferentially acting on DNA structures containing gaps; 2) 5′-deoxyribose-5-phosphate (dRP) and abasic (AP) site lyase activities; and 3) an NAD+-dependent DNA ligase activity. We show how the three activities act in concert to efficiently repair BER intermediates, leading us to suggest that PgVPolX may constitute, together with the viral AP-endonuclease, a BER pathway. This is the first time that this type of protein fusion has been demonstrated to be functional
Spontaneous Symmetry Breakdown in non-relativistic Quantum Mechanics
The advantages and disadvantages of some pedagogical non-relativistic
quantum-mechanical models, used to illustrate spontaneous symmetry breakdown,
are discussed. A simple quantum-mechanical toy model (a spinor on the line,
subject to a magnetostatic interaction) is presented, that exhibits the
spontaneous breakdown of an internal symmetry.Comment: 19 pages, 5 figures. arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with
arXiv:1111.1213. Equations (30) and (31) have been corrected. Other minor
correction
Connexins and the epithelial tissue barrier: a focus on Connexin 26
Epithelial tissue responds rapidly to environmental triggers and is constantly renewed. This tissue is also highly accessible for therapeutic targeting. This review highlights the role of connexin mediated communication in avascular epithelial tissue. These proteins form communication conduits with the extracellular space (hemichannels) and between neighboring cells (gap junctions). Regulated exchange of small metabolites less than 1kDa aide the co-ordination of cellular activities and in spatial communication compartments segregating tissue networks. Dysregulation of connexin expression and function has profound impact on physiological processes in epithelial tissue including wound healing. Connexin 26, one of the smallest connexins, is expressed in diverse epithelial tissue and mutations in this protein are associated with hearing loss, skin and eye conditions of differing severity. The functional consequences of dysregulated connexin activity is discussed and the development of connexin targeted therapeutic strategies highlighted
Diffusion on a solid surface: Anomalous is normal
We present a numerical study of classical particles diffusing on a solid
surface. The particles' motion is modeled by an underdamped Langevin equation
with ordinary thermal noise. The particle-surface interaction is described by a
periodic or a random two dimensional potential. The model leads to a rich
variety of different transport regimes, some of which correspond to anomalous
diffusion such as has recently been observed in experiments and Monte Carlo
simulations. We show that this anomalous behavior is controlled by the friction
coefficient, and stress that it emerges naturally in a system described by
ordinary canonical Maxwell-Boltzmann statistics
Exercises using a touchscreen tablet application improved functional ability more than an exercise program prescribed on paper in people after surgical carpal tunnel release: a randomised trial
Question: In people who have undergone surgical carpal tunnel release, do sensorimotor-based exercises performed on the touchscreen of a tablet device improve outcomes more than a conventional home exercise program prescribed on paper? Design: Randomised, parallel-group trial with concealed allocation, assessor blinding, and intention-to-treat analysis. Participants: Fifty participants within 10 days of surgical carpal tunnel release. Intervention: Each participant was prescribed a 4-week home exercise program. Participants in the experimental group received the ReHand tablet application, which administered and monitored exercises via the touchscreen. The control group was prescribed a home exercise program on paper, as is usual practice in the public hospital system. Outcome measures: The primary outcome was functional ability of the hand, reported using the shortened form of the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (QuickDASH) questionnaire. Secondary outcomes were grip strength, pain intensity measured on a 10-cm visual analogue scale, and dexterity measured with the Nine-Hole Peg Test. Outcomes were measured by a blinded assessor at baseline and at the end of the 4-week intervention period. Results: At Week 4, functional ability improved significantly more in the experimental group than the control group (MD –21, 95% CI –33 to –9) on the QuickDASH score (0 to 100). Although the mean estimates of effect on the secondary outcome also all favoured the experimental group, none reached statistical significance: grip strength (MD 5.6 kg, 95% CI –0.5 to 11.7), pain (MD –1.4 cm, 95% CI –2.9 to 0.1), and dexterity (MD –1.3 seconds, 95% CI –3.7 to 1.1). Conclusion: Use of the ReHand tablet application for early rehabilitation after carpal tunnel release is more effective in the recovery of functional ability than a conventional home exercise program. It remains unclear whether there are any benefits in grip strength, pain or dexterity. Trial registration: ACTRN12618001887268
Ultrathin carbon nanotube with single, double, and triple bonds
A metastable carbon nanotube with single, double, and triple bonds has been predicted from abinitio simulation. It results from the relaxation of an ideal carbon nanotube with chirality (2,1), without any potential barrier between the ideal nanotube and the new structure. Ten-membered carbon rings are formed by breaking carbon bonds between adjacent hexagons; eight-membered rings, already present in the ideal structure, become the smallest rings. This structure is stable in molecular dynamics simulations at temperatures up to 1000K. Raman, infrared, and optical absorption spectra are simulated to allow its identification in the laboratory. The structure can be described as a double helical chain with alternating single, double, and triple bonds, where the chains are bridged by single bondsThis work was supported by Grants No. SB2010-0119 (MEC), No. CTQ2010-19232 (MICIN), and No. A1/035856/11 (AECID
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