625 research outputs found
Elastic Correlations in Nucleosomal DNA Structure
The structure of DNA in the nucleosome core particle is studied using an
elastic model that incorporates anisotropy in the bending energetics and
twist-bend coupling. Using the experimentally determined structure of
nucleosomal DNA [T.J. Richmond and C.A. Davey, Nature {\bf 423}, 145 (2003)],
it is shown that elastic correlations exist between twist, roll, tilt, and
stretching of DNA, as well as the distance between phosphate groups. The
twist-bend coupling term is shown to be able to capture these correlations to a
large extent, and a fit to the experimental data yields a new estimate of G=25
nm for the value of the twist-bend coupling constant
Acceleration and Substructure Constraints in a Quasar Outflow
We present observations of probable line-of-sight acceleration of a broad
absorption trough of C IV in the quasar SDSS J024221.87+004912.6. We also
discuss how the velocity overlap of two other outflowing systems in the same
object constrains the properties of the outflows. The Si IV doublet in each
system has one unblended transition and one transition which overlaps with
absorption from the other system. The residual flux in the overlapping trough
is well fit by the product of the residual fluxes in the unblended troughs. For
these optically thick systems to yield such a result, at least one of them must
consist of individual subunits rather than being a single structure with
velocity-dependent coverage of the source. If these subunits are identical,
opaque, spherical clouds, we estimate the cloud radius to be r = 3.9 10^15 cm.
If they are identical, opaque, linear filaments, we estimate their width to be
w = 6.5 10^14 cm. These subunits are observed to cover the Mg II broad emission
line region of the quasar, at which distance from the black hole the above
filament width is equal to the predicted scale height of the outer atmosphere
of a thin accretion disk. Insofar as that scale height is a natural size scale
for structures originating in an accretion disk, these observations are
evidence that the accretion disk can be a source of quasar absorption systems.
Based on data from ESO program 075.B-0190(A).Comment: 14 emulateapj pages, 7 figures, ApJ in pres
Entanglement Transfer via XXZ Heisenberg chain with DM Interaction
The role of spin-orbit interaction, arises from the Dzyaloshinski-Moriya
anisotropic antisymmetric interaction, on the entanglement transfer via an
antiferromagnetic XXZ Heisenberg chain is investigated. From symmetrical point
of view, the XXZ Hamiltonian with Dzyaloshinski-Moriya interaction can be
replaced by a modified XXZ Hamiltonian which is defined by a new exchange
coupling constant and rotated Pauli operators. The modified coupling constant
and the angle of rotations are depend on the strength of Dzyaloshinski-Moriya
interaction. In this paper we study the dynamical behavior of the entanglement
propagation through a system which is consist of a pair of maximally entangled
spins coupled to one end of the chain. The calculations are performed for the
ground state and the thermal state of the chain, separately. In both cases the
presence of this anisotropic interaction make our channel more efficient, such
that the speed of transmission and the amount of the entanglement are improved
as this interaction is switched on. We show that for large values of the
strength of this interaction a large family of XXZ chains becomes efficient
quantum channels, for whole values of an isotropy parameter in the region .Comment: 21 pages, 9 figure
Studies on Germination, Early Seedling Growth and Development of Castanea sativa
Castanea sativa Mill. (sweet chestnut) is a medium large deciduous plant, primarily found distributed
from Southern Europe and North Africa, to North-Western Europe and eastward to Western Asia. The species is
not only known for its edible seed, but also notable for its lumber (hardwood), which significant as natural
resources for food and timber industry. Considering the remarkable uses, this study was conducted since no
research was done yet on germination, early growth and development of chestnut in Malaysia. Thus, this
preliminary study attempted to investigate at the germination, early seedling growth and development of
PA
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Castanea sativa as well as the occurrence of pest and disease in the nursery. Different sizes of seeds were grown
on planting substrates which eventually kept under different growing condition. Results were obtained through
examination on shoot and root development while observing any incidence of pest and disease. Data were
analysed on seed germination rate (%), seedling growth and development including growth rate (%), seedling
emergence (%), root length (cm), shoot length (cm), root collar diameter (cm), pest and disease infestation (%). The findings are feasible for agroforestry especially in the establishment of chestnut in equatorial climate
Recycling graphene from supercapacitor electrodes as reinforcing filler for epoxy resins
A wet shredding process has been developed for recycling graphene from the electrodes of supercapacitors into polymer composites. At first, supercapacitors are cut open to expose the interior graphene based electrodes. The electrodes are heat-treated at 200o C to remove the contained solvent, and the heat treatment temperature can be further increased to remove the polymer binder, which binds the graphene on an aluminium foil current collector. After heat treatment, the electrodes are shredded in an epoxy resin to strip off the graphene and the graphene was subsequently dispersed using a high shear mixer. The dispersed graphene is used directly as reinforcing filler for the epoxy resin. A content of 0.40% (wt) of the recycled graphene resulted in a significant increase in both the tensile strength and elongation at break of the epoxy resin. Removal of the binder increases the reinforcing effect of the recycled graphene. However, a compromise can be made to leave the binder in the recycled graphene in order to avoid secondary pollution
A discrete geometric approach for simulating the dynamics of thin viscous threads
We present a numerical model for the dynamics of thin viscous threads based
on a discrete, Lagrangian formulation of the smooth equations. The model makes
use of a condensed set of coordinates, called the centerline/spin
representation: the kinematical constraints linking the centerline's tangent to
the orientation of the material frame is used to eliminate two out of three
degrees of freedom associated with rotations. Based on a description of twist
inspired from discrete differential geometry and from variational principles,
we build a full-fledged discrete viscous thread model, which includes in
particular a discrete representation of the internal viscous stress.
Consistency of the discrete model with the classical, smooth equations is
established formally in the limit of a vanishing discretization length. The
discrete models lends itself naturally to numerical implementation. Our
numerical method is validated against reference solutions for steady coiling.
The method makes it possible to simulate the unsteady behavior of thin viscous
jets in a robust and efficient way, including the combined effects of inertia,
stretching, bending, twisting, large rotations and surface tension
The Sloan Digital Sky Survey Reverberation Mapping Project: Rapid CIV Broad Absorption Line Variability
We report the discovery of rapid variations of a high-velocity CIV broad
absorption line trough in the quasar SDSS J141007.74+541203.3. This object was
intensively observed in 2014 as a part of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey
Reverberation Mapping Project, during which 32 epochs of spectroscopy were
obtained with the Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey spectrograph. We
observe significant (>4sigma) variability in the equivalent width of the broad
(~4000 km/s wide) CIV trough on rest-frame timescales as short as 1.20 days
(~29 hours), the shortest broad absorption line variability timescale yet
reported. The equivalent width varied by ~10% on these short timescales, and by
about a factor of two over the duration of the campaign. We evaluate several
potential causes of the variability, concluding that the most likely cause is a
rapid response to changes in the incident ionizing continuum. If the outflow is
at a radius where the recombination rate is higher than the ionization rate,
the timescale of variability places a lower limit on the density of the
absorbing gas of n_e > 3.9 x 10^5 cm^-3. The broad absorption line variability
characteristics of this quasar are consistent with those observed in previous
studies of quasars, indicating that such short-term variability may in fact be
common and thus can be used to learn about outflow characteristics and
contributions to quasar/host-galaxy feedback scenarios.Comment: 15 pages, 14 figures. Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical
Journa
The molecular landscape and associated clinical experience in infant medulloblastoma: prognostic significance of second-generation subtypes
Aims:
Biomarker‐driven therapies have not been developed for infant medulloblastoma (iMB). We sought to robustly sub‐classify iMB, and proffer strategies for personalized, risk‐adapted therapies.
Methods:
We characterized the iMB molecular landscape, including second‐generation subtyping, and the associated retrospective clinical experience, using large independent discovery/validation cohorts (n = 387).
Results:
iMBGrp3 (42%) and iMBSHH (40%) subgroups predominated. iMBGrp3 harboured second‐generation subtypes II/III/IV. Subtype II strongly associated with large‐cell/anaplastic pathology (LCA; 23%) and MYC amplification (19%), defining a very‐high‐risk group (0% 10yr overall survival (OS)), which progressed rapidly on all therapies; novel approaches are urgently required. Subtype VII (predominant within iMBGrp4) and subtype IV tumours were standard risk (80% OS) using upfront CSI‐based therapies; randomized‐controlled trials of upfront radiation‐sparing and/or second‐line radiotherapy should be considered. Seventy‐five per cent of iMBSHH showed DN/MBEN histopathology in discovery and validation cohorts (P < 0.0001); central pathology review determined diagnosis of histological variants to WHO standards. In multivariable models, non‐DN/MBEN pathology was associated significantly with worse outcomes within iMBSHH. iMBSHH harboured two distinct subtypes (iMBSHH‐I/II). Within the discriminated favourable‐risk iMBSHH DN/MBEN patient group, iMBSHH‐II had significantly better progression‐free survival than iMBSHH‐I, offering opportunities for risk‐adapted stratification of upfront therapies. Both iMBSHH‐I and iMBSHH‐II showed notable rescue rates (56% combined post‐relapse survival), further supporting delay of irradiation. Survival models and risk factors described were reproducible in independent cohorts, strongly supporting their further investigation and development.
Conclusions:
Investigations of large, retrospective cohorts have enabled the comprehensive and robust characterization of molecular heterogeneity within iMB. Novel subtypes are clinically significant and subgroup‐dependent survival models highlight opportunities for biomarker‐directed therapies
Application of Graphene within Optoelectronic Devices and Transistors
Scientists are always yearning for new and exciting ways to unlock graphene's
true potential. However, recent reports suggest this two-dimensional material
may harbor some unique properties, making it a viable candidate for use in
optoelectronic and semiconducting devices. Whereas on one hand, graphene is
highly transparent due to its atomic thickness, the material does exhibit a
strong interaction with photons. This has clear advantages over existing
materials used in photonic devices such as Indium-based compounds. Moreover,
the material can be used to 'trap' light and alter the incident wavelength,
forming the basis of the plasmonic devices. We also highlight upon graphene's
nonlinear optical response to an applied electric field, and the phenomenon of
saturable absorption. Within the context of logical devices, graphene has no
discernible band-gap. Therefore, generating one will be of utmost importance.
Amongst many others, some existing methods to open this band-gap include
chemical doping, deformation of the honeycomb structure, or the use of carbon
nanotubes (CNTs). We shall also discuss various designs of transistors,
including those which incorporate CNTs, and others which exploit the idea of
quantum tunneling. A key advantage of the CNT transistor is that ballistic
transport occurs throughout the CNT channel, with short channel effects being
minimized. We shall also discuss recent developments of the graphene tunneling
transistor, with emphasis being placed upon its operational mechanism. Finally,
we provide perspective for incorporating graphene within high frequency
devices, which do not require a pre-defined band-gap.Comment: Due to be published in "Current Topics in Applied Spectroscopy and
the Science of Nanomaterials" - Springer (Fall 2014). (17 pages, 19 figures
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