Surface and capillary transitions in an associating binary mixture model

We investigate the phase diagram of a two-component associating fluid mixture in the presence of selectively adsorbing substrates. The mixture is characterized by a bulk phase diagram which displays peculiar features such as closed loops of immiscibility. The presence of the substrates may interfere the physical mechanism involved in the appearance of these phase diagrams, leading to an enhanced tendency to phase separate below the lower critical solution point. Three different cases are considered: a planar solid surface in contact with a bulk fluid, while the other two represent two models of porous systems, namely a slit and an array on infinitely long parallel cylinders. We confirm that surface transitions, as well as capillary transitions for a large area/volume ratio, are stabilized in the one-phase region. Applicability of our results to experiments reported in the literature is discussed.Comment: 12 two-column pages, 12 figures, accepted for publication in Physical Review E; corrected versio

Influencia de la diversidad biológica y química de las forrajeras nativas del NE de Mendoza sobre el comportamiento alimentario de cabras criollas

La producción caprina extensiva es la actividad ganadera más importante del NE de Lavalle, los animales pastorean en comunidades vegetales muy heterogéneas, con gran variabilidad en la disponibilidad y calidad de los recursos forrajeros. Éstos incluyen especies con compuestos secundarios (CS) como: fenoles, taninos condensados, saponinas, etc. Estos CS, junto con la disponibilidad y calidad nutricional, afectan el comportamiento alimentario de las cabras. El objetivo general es estudiar el patrón de selección de diferentes especies nativas por cabras criollas, y específicamente en este trabajo: determinar el contenido de CS en diferentes especies y la composición nutricional de la dieta de las cabras en invierno

PHF6 regulates phenotypic plasticity through chromatin organization within lineage-specific genes

Developmental and lineage plasticity have been observed in numerous malignancies and have been correlated with tumor progression and drug resistance. However, little is known about the molecular mechanisms that enable such plasticity to occur. Here, we describe the function of the plant homeodomain finger protein 6 (PHF6) in leukemia and define its role in regulating chromatin accessibility to lineage-specific transcription factors. We show that loss of Phf6 in B-cell leukemia results in systematic changes in gene expression via alteration of the chromatin landscape at the transcriptional start sites of B-cell- and T-cell-specific factors. Additionally, Phf6KO cells show significant down-regulation of genes involved in the development and function of normal B cells, show up-regulation of genes involved in T-cell signaling, and give rise to mixed-lineage lymphoma in vivo. Engagement of divergent transcriptional programs results in phenotypic plasticity that leads to altered disease presentation in vivo, tolerance of aberrant oncogenic signaling, and differential sensitivity to frontline and targeted therapies. These findings suggest that active maintenance of a precise chromatin landscape is essential for sustaining proper leukemia cell identity and that loss of a single factor (PHF6) can cause focal changes in chromatin accessibility and nucleosome positioning that render cells susceptible to lineage transition.National Cancer Institute ; F31-CA183405 - National Institutes of Health ; 1122374 - National Science Foundation ; Ludwig Center for Molecular Oncology at Massachusetts Institute of Technology ; Koch Institute ; Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center ; P30-CA14051 - Koch Institute ; NCI ; NIH ; National Science Foundatio

Temperature and Humidity Dependence of Air Fluorescence Yield measured by AIRFLY

The fluorescence detection of ultra high energy cosmic rays requires a detailed knowledge of the fluorescence light emission from nitrogen molecules over a wide range of atmospheric parameters, corresponding to altitudes typical of the cosmic ray shower development in the atmosphere. We have studied the temperature and humidity dependence of the fluorescence light spectrum excited by MeV electrons in air. Results for the 313.6 nm, 337.1 nm, 353.7 nm and 391.4 nm bands are reported in this paper. We found that the temperature and humidity dependence of the quenching process changes the fluorescence yield by a sizeable amount (up to 20%) and its effect must be included for a precise estimation of the energy of ultra high energy cosmic rays.Comment: presented at the 5th Fluorescence Workshop, El Escorial - Madrid, Spain, 16 - 20 September 2007, to appear in Nuclear Instruments and Methods

Nonequilibrium wetting

When a nonequilibrium growing interface in the presence of a wall is considered a nonequilibrium wetting transition may take place. This transition can be studied trough Langevin equations or discrete growth models. In the first case, the Kardar-Parisi-Zhang equation, which defines a very robust universality class for nonequilibrium moving interfaces, with a soft-wall potential is considered. While in the second, microscopic models, in the corresponding universality class, with evaporation and deposition of particles in the presence of hard-wall are studied. Equilibrium wetting is related to a particular case of the problem, it corresponds to the Edwards-Wilkinson equation with a potential in the continuum approach or to the fulfillment of detailed balance in the microscopic models. In this review we present the analytical and numerical methods used to investigate the problem and the very rich behavior that is observed with them.Comment: Review, 36 pages, 16 figure

Geochemical and physical sources of radon variation in a subterranean estuary — implications for groundwater radon activities in submarine groundwater discharge studies

Author Posting. © Elsevier B.V., 2007. This is the author's version of the work. It is posted here by permission of Elsevier B.V. for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Marine Chemistry 110 (2008): 120-127, doi:10.1016/j.marchem.2008.02.011.Submarine groundwater discharge (SGD), in form of springs and diffuse seepage, has long been recognized as a source of chemical constituents to the coastal ocean. Because groundwater is two to four orders of magnitude richer in radon than surface water, it has been used as both a qualitative and a quantitative tracer of groundwater discharge. Besides this large activity gradient, the other perceived advantage of radon stems from its classification as noble gas; that is, its chemical behavior is expected not to be influenced by salinity, redox, and diagenetic conditions present in aquatic environments. During our three-year monthly sampling of the subterranean estuary (STE) in Waquoit Bay, MA, we found highly variable radon activities (50-1600 dpm L-1) across the fresh-saline interface of the aquifer. We monitored pore water chemistry and radon activity at 8 fixed depths spanning from 2 to 5.6 m across the STE, and found seasonal fluctuations in activity at depths where elevated radon was observed. We postulate that most of pore water 222Rn is produced from particle-surface bound 226Ra, and that the accumulation of this radium is likely regulated by the presence of manganese (hydr)oxides. Layers of manganese (hydr)oxides form at the salinity transition zone (STZ), where water with high salinity, high manganese, and low redox potential mixes with fresh water. Responding to the seasonality of aquifer recharge, the location of the STZ and the layers with radium enriched manganese (hydr)oxide follows the seasonal land- or bay-ward movement of the freshwater lens. This results in seasonal changes in the depth where elevated radon activities are observed. The conclusion of our study is that the freshwater part of the STE has a radon signature that is completely different from the STZ or recirculated sea water. Therefore, the radon activity in SGD will depend on the ratio of fresh and recirculated seawater in the discharging groundwater.This work is a result of research sponsored by NSF (OCE- 0425061 to M.A.C.) and the WHOI Postdoctoral Scholar program (to H.D.)

In vitro inhibition of Plasmodium falciparum early and late stage gametocyte viability by extracts from eight traditionally used South African plant species

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE : Extracts of plant species, used traditionally to treat malaria, have been extensively investigated for their activity against Plasmodium intraerythrocytic asexual parasites in search of new antimalarial drugs. However, less effort has been directed towards examining their efficacy in blocking transmission. Here, we report the results of the in vitro screening of extracts from eight selected plant species used traditionally to treat malaria in South Africa for activity against P. falciparum NF54 early and late stage gametocytes. The species used were Khaya anthotheca, Trichilia emetica, Turraea floribunda, Leonotis leonurus, Leonotis leonurus ex Hort, Olea europaea subsp. Africana, Catha edulis and Artemisia afra. AIM OF STUDY : To investigate the activities of extracts from plant species traditionally used for malaria treatment against P. falciparum gametocytes. MATERIAL AND METHODS : Air-dried and ground plant leaves were extracted using acetone. Primary two point in vitro phenotypic screens against both early and late stage gametocytes were done at 10 and 20 μg/ml followed by full IC50 determination of the most active extracts. Inhibition of gametocyte viability in vitro was assessed using the parasite lactate dehydrogenase (pLDH) assay. RESULTS : Of the eight crude acetone extracts from plant species screened in vitro, four had good activity with over 50-70% inhibition of early and late stage gametocytes’ viability at 10 and 20 μg/ml, respectively. Artemisia afra (Asteraceae), Trichilia emetica (Meliaceae) and Turraea floribunda (Meliaceae) were additionally highly active against both gametocyte stages with IC50 values of less than 10 μg/ml while Leonotis leonurus ex Hort (Lamiaceae) was moderately active (IC50<20 μg/ml). The activity of these three highly active plant species was significantly more pronounced on late stage gametocytes compared to early stages. CONCLUSION : This study shows the potential transmission blocking activity of extracts from selected South African medicinal plants and substantiates their traditional use in malaria control that broadly encompasses prevention, treatment and transmission blocking. Further studies are needed to isolate and identify the active principles from the crude extracts of A. afra, T. emetica and T. floribunda, as well as to examine their efficacy towards blocking parasite transmission to mosquitoes.A research grant from the University of Pretoria Centre for Sustainable Malaria Control (UP CSMC), the South African National Research Foundation (UID:84627), and the Medical Research Council Strategic Health Innovation Partnership.http://www.elsevier.com/locate/jethpharm2017-06-30hb2016BiochemistryChemistryParaclinical Science

Uptake and subcellular distribution of radiolabeled polymersomes for radiotherapy

Polymersomes have the potential to be applied in targeted alpha radionuclide therapy, while in addition preventing release of recoiling daughter isotopes. In this study, we investigated the cellular uptake, post uptake processing and intracellular localization of polymersomes. Methods: High-content microscopy was used to validate polymersome uptake kinetics. Confocal (live cell) microscopy was used to elucidate the uptake mechanism and DNA damage induction. Intracellular distribution of polymersomes in 3-D was determined using super-resolution microscopy. Results: We found that altering polymersome size and concentration affects the initial uptake and overall uptake capacity; uptake efficiency and eventual plateau levels varied between cell lines;

Critical behavior at m-axial Lifshitz points: field-theory analysis and ϵ\epsilon-expansion results

The critical behavior of d-dimensional systems with an n-component order parameter is reconsidered at (m,d,n)-Lifshitz points, where a wave-vector instability occurs in an m-dimensional subspace of ${\mathbb R}^d$. Our aim is to sort out which ones of the previously published partly contradictory $\epsilon$-expansion results to second order in $\epsilon=4+\frac{m}{2}-d$ are correct. To this end, a field-theory calculation is performed directly in the position space of $d=4+\frac{m}{2}-\epsilon$ dimensions, using dimensional regularization and minimal subtraction of ultraviolet poles. The residua of the dimensionally regularized integrals that are required to determine the series expansions of the correlation exponents $\eta_{l2}$ and $\eta_{l4}$ and of the wave-vector exponent $\beta_q$ to order $\epsilon^2$ are reduced to single integrals, which for general m=1,...,d-1 can be computed numerically, and for special values of m, analytically. Our results are at variance with the original predictions for general m. For m=2 and m=6, we confirm the results of Sak and Grest [Phys. Rev. B {\bf 17}, 3602 (1978)] and Mergulh{\~a}o and Carneiro's recent field-theory analysis [Phys. Rev. B {\bf 59},13954 (1999)].Comment: Latex file with one figure (eps-file). Latex file uses texdraw to generate figures that are included in the tex