4,521 research outputs found
Supersolid phases of light in extended Jaynes-Cummings-Hubbard systems
Jaynes-Cummings-Hubbard lattices provide unique properties for the study of
correlated phases as they exhibit convenient state preparation and measurement,
as well as "in situ" tuning of parameters. We show how to realize charge
density and supersolid phases in Jaynes-Cummings-Hubbard lattices in the
presence of long-range interactions. The long-range interactions are realized
by the consideration of Rydberg states in coupled atom-cavity systems and the
introduction of additional capacitive couplings in quantum-electrodynamics
circuits. We demonstrate the emergence of supersolid and checkerboard solid
phases, for calculations which take into account nearest neighbour couplings,
through a mean-field decoupling.Comment: 9 pages with 6 figures, accepted for publication in Physical Review
Giant Anisotropic Magneto-Resistance in ferromagnetic atomic contacts
Magneto-resistance is a physical effect of great fundamental and industrial
interest since it is the basis for the magnetic field sensors used in computer
read-heads and Magnetic Random Access Memories. As device dimensions are
reduced, some important physical length scales for magnetism and electrical
transport will soon be attained. Ultimately, there is a strong need to know if
the physical phenomena responsible for magneto-resistance still hold at the
atomic scale. Here, we show that the anisotropy of magneto-resistance is
greatly enhanced in atomic size constrictions. We explain this physical effect
by a change in the electronic density of states in the junction when the
magnetization is rotated, as supported by our ab-initio calculations. This
stems from the "spin-orbit coupling" mechanism linking the shape of the
orbitals with the spin direction. This sensitively affects the conductance of
atomic contacts which is determined by the overlap of the valence orbitals.Comment: latex AAMR.tex, 6 files, 5 figures, 4 pages
(http://www-drecam.cea.fr/spec/articles/S06/011
The OPERA magnetic spectrometer
The OPERA neutrino oscillation experiment foresees the construction of two
magnetized iron spectrometers located after the lead-nuclear emulsion targets.
The magnet is made up of two vertical walls of rectangular cross section
connected by return yokes. The particle trajectories are measured by high
precision drift tubes located before and after the arms of the magnet.
Moreover, the magnet steel is instrumented with Resistive Plate Chambers that
ease pattern recognition and allow a calorimetric measurement of the hadronic
showers. In this paper we review the construction of the spectrometers. In
particular, we describe the results obtained from the magnet and RPC prototypes
and the installation of the final apparatus at the Gran Sasso laboratories. We
discuss the mechanical and magnetic properties of the steel and the techniques
employed to calibrate the field in the bulk of the magnet. Moreover, results of
the tests and issues concerning the mass production of the Resistive Plate
Chambers are reported. Finally, the expected physics performance of the
detector is described; estimates rely on numerical simulations and the outcome
of the tests described above.Comment: 6 pages, 10 figures, presented at the 2003 IEEE-NSS conference,
Portland, OR, USA, October 20-24, 200
Delay discounting in Parkinson's disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Delay discounting refers to the depreciation of the value of a reward as a function of the time it takes to obtain it. Growing evidence shows altered delay discounting in several pathological conditions, including neurological disorders. Here, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of the published literature on delay dis-counting (DD) in Parkinson's Disease (PD). We found steeper DD in patients with PD, compared to healthy controls, both in "on" and "off" dopaminergic medication. These results confirm altered DD in PD and suggest an independent influence of the dopaminergic medication and the clinical condition itself on it. Also the effect of impulse control disorder and of pharmacological treatments are analysed
Dual targeting of ptp1b and aldose reductase with marine drug phosphoeleganin: A promising strategy for treatment of type 2 diabetes
An in-depth study on the inhibitory mechanism on protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) and aldose reductase (AR) enzymes, including analysis of the insulin signalling pathway, of phosphoeleganin, a marine-derived phosphorylated polyketide, was achieved. Phosphoeleganin was demonstrated to inhibit both enzymes, acting respectively as a pure non-competitive inhibitor of PTP1B and a mixed-type inhibitor of AR. In addition, in silico docking analyses to evaluate the interaction mode of phosphoeleganin with both enzymes were performed. Interestingly, this study showed that phosphoeleganin is the first example of a dual inhibitor polyketide extracted from a marine invertebrate, and it could be used as a versatile scaffold structure for the synthesis of new designed multiple ligands
Transcriptional Characterization of a Widely-Used Grapevine Rootstock Genotype under Different Iron-Limited Conditions
Iron chlorosis is a serious deficiency that affects orchards and vineyards reducing quality and yield production. Chlorotic plants show abnormal photosynthesis and yellowing shoots. In grapevine iron uptake and homeostasis are most likely controlled by a mechanism known as "Strategy I," characteristic of non-graminaceous plants and based on a system of soil acidification, iron reduction and transporter-mediated uptake. Nowadays, grafting of varieties of economic interest on tolerant rootstocks is widely used practice against many biotic and abiotic stresses. Nevertheless, many interspecific rootstocks, and in particular those obtained by crossing exclusively non-vinifera genotypes, can show limited nutrient uptake and transport, in particular for what concerns iron. In the present study, 101.14, a commonly used rootstock characterized by susceptibility to iron chlorosis was subjected to both Fe-absence and Fe-limiting conditions. Grapevine plantlets were grown in control, Fe-deprived, and bicarbonate-supplemented hydroponic solutions. Whole transcriptome analyses, via mRNA-Seq, were performed on root apices of stressed and unstressed plants. Analysis of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) confirmed that Strategy I is the mechanism responsible for iron uptake in grapevine, since many orthologs genes to the Arabidopsis "ferrome" were differentially regulated in stressed plant. Molecular differences in the plant responses to Fe absence and presence of bicarbonate were also identified indicating the two treatments are able to induce response-mechanisms only partially overlapping. Finally, we measured the expression of a subset of genes differentially expressed in 101.14 (such as IRT1, FERRITIN1, bHLH38/39) or known to be fundamental in the "strategy I" mechanism (AHA2 and FRO2) also in a tolerant rootstock (M1) finding important differences which could be responsible for the different degrees of tolerance observed
- …