2,796 research outputs found
A eubacterial origin for the human tRNA nucleotidyltransferase?
tRNA CCA-termini are generated and maintained by tRNA nucleotidyltransferases. Together with poly(A) polymerases and other enzymes they belong to the nucleotidyltransferase superfamily. However, sequence alignments within this family do not allow to distinguish between CCA-adding enzymes and poly(A) polymerases. Furthermore, due to the lack of sequence information about animal CCA-adding enzymes, identification of corresponding animal genes was not possible so far. Therefore, we looked for the human homolog using the baker's yeast tRNA nucleotidyltransferase as a query sequence in a BLAST search. This revealed that the human gene transcript CGI-47, (\#AF151805) deposited in GenBank is likely to encode such an enzyme. To identify the nature of this protein, the cDNA of the transcript was cloned and the recombinant protein biochemically characterized, indicating that CGI-47 encodes a bona fide CCA-adding enzyme and not a poly(A) polymerase. This confirmed animal CCA-adding enzyme allowed us to identify putative homologs from other animals. Calculation of a neighbor-joining tree, using an alignment of several CCA-adding enzymes, revealed that the animal enzymes resemble more eubacterial ones than eukaryotic plant and fungal tRNA nucleotidyltransferases, suggesting that the animal nuclear cca genes might have been derived from the endosymbiotic progenitor of mitochondria and are therefore of eubacterial origin
Multi-objective optimisation on motorized momentum exchange tether for payload orbital transfer
The symmetrical motorised momentum exchange tether, is intended to be excited by a continuous torque, so that, it can be applied as an orbital transfer system. The motor drive accelerates the tether, and increases the relative velocity of payloads fitted to each end. In order to access better tether performance, a higher efficiency index needs to be achieved. Meanwhile, the stress in each tether sub-span should stay within the stress limitations. The multi-objective optimisation methods of Genetic Algorithms can be applied for tether performance enhancement. The tether's efficiency index and stress are used as multi-objectives, and the analysis of the resulting Pareto front suggests a set of solutions for the parameters of the motorised momentum exchange tether when used for payload transfer, in order to achieve relative high transfer performance, and safe tether strength
Transfer-Matrix Monte Carlo Estimates of Critical Points in the Simple Cubic Ising, Planar and Heisenberg Models
The principle and the efficiency of the Monte Carlo transfer-matrix algorithm
are discussed. Enhancements of this algorithm are illustrated by applications
to several phase transitions in lattice spin models. We demonstrate how the
statistical noise can be reduced considerably by a similarity transformation of
the transfer matrix using a variational estimate of its leading eigenvector, in
analogy with a common practice in various quantum Monte Carlo techniques. Here
we take the two-dimensional coupled -Ising model as an example.
Furthermore, we calculate interface free energies of finite three-dimensional
O() models, for the three cases , 2 and 3. Application of finite-size
scaling to the numerical results yields estimates of the critical points of
these three models. The statistical precision of the estimates is satisfactory
for the modest amount of computer time spent
Surface tension of the isotropic-nematic interface
We present the first calculations of the pressure tensor profile in the
vicinity of the planar interface between isotropic liquid and nematic liquid
crystal, using Onsager's density functional theory and computer simulation.
When the liquid crystal director is aligned parallel to the interface, the
situation of lowest free energy, there is a large tension on the nematic side
of the interface and a small compressive region on the isotropic side. By
contrast, for perpendicular alignment, the tension is on the isotropic side.
There is excellent agreement between theory and simulation both in the forms of
the pressure tensor profiles, and the values of the surface tension.Comment: Minor changes; to appear in Phys. Rev.
Simple Dynamics on the Brane
We apply methods of dynamical systems to study the behaviour of the
Randall-Sundrum models. We determine evolutionary paths for all possible
initial conditions in a 2-dimensional phase space and we investigate the set of
accelerated models. The simplicity of our formulation in comparison to some
earlier studies is expressed in the following: our dynamical system is a
2-dimensional Hamiltonian system, and what is more advantageous, it is free
from the degeneracy of critical points so that the system is structurally
stable. The phase plane analysis of Randall-Sundrum models with isotropic
Friedmann geometry clearly shows that qualitatively we deal with the same types
of evolution as in general relativity, although quantitatively there are
important differences.Comment: an improved version, 34 pages, 9 eps figure
Enhanced thermal stability and fracture toughness of TiAlN coatings by Cr, Nb and V-alloying
The effect of metal alloying on mechanical properties including hardness and fracture toughness were investigated in three alloys, Ti~0.33Al0.50(Me)~0.17N (Me¿=¿Cr, Nb and V), and compared to Ti0.50Al0.50N, in the as-deposited state and after annealing. All studied alloys display similar as-deposited hardness while the hardness evolution during annealing is found to be connected to phase transformations, related to the alloy's thermal stability. The most pronounced hardening was observed in Ti0.50Al0.50N, while all the coatings with additional metal elements sustain their hardness better and they are harder than Ti0.50Al0.50N after annealing at 1100¿°C. Fracture toughness properties were extracted from scratch tests. In all tested conditions, as-deposited and annealed at 900 and 1100¿°C, Ti0.33Al0.50Nb0.17N show the least surface and sub-surface damage when scratched despite the differences in decomposition behavior and h-AlN formation. Theoretically estimated ductility of phases existing in the coatings correlates well with their crack resistance. In summary, Ti0.33Al0.50Nb0.17N is the toughest alloy in both as-deposited and post-annealed states.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft
Stripes in Quantum Hall Double Layer Systems
We present results of a study of double layer quantum Hall systems in which
each layer has a high-index Landau level that is half-filled. Hartree-Fock
calculations indicate that, above a critical layer separation, the system
becomes unstable to the formation of a unidirectional coherent charge density
wave (UCCDW), which is related to stripe states in single layer systems. The
UCCDW state supports a quantized Hall effect when there is tunneling between
layers, and is {\it always} stable against formation of an isotropic Wigner
crystal for Landau indices . The state does become unstable to the
formation of modulations within the stripes at large enough layer separation.
The UCCDW state supports low-energy modes associated with interlayer coherence.
The coherence allows the formation of charged soliton excitations, which become
gapless in the limit of vanishing tunneling. We argue that this may result in a
novel {\it ``critical Hall state''}, characterized by a power law in
tunneling experiments.Comment: 10 pages, 8 figures include
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