89 research outputs found
A phase separation in diluted Laponite suspensions: evidence of empty liquid and equilibrium gel states
The relevance of anisotropic interactions in colloidal systems has recently
emerged in the context of rational design of novel soft materials. Theoretical
studies have predicted the possibility of a gas-liquid phase separation
confined at low densities and the formation of empty liquids and equilibrium
gels in low-valence systems. Here we provide experimental evidence of this
scenario in Laponite, a complex colloidal clay with discotic shape and
anisotropic interactions. We also report simulations of a patchy model for
Laponite platelets, able to reproduce the observed experimental phase diagram
and structural properties, confirming the crucial role of the reduced valence
Dynamical heterogeneities in an attraction driven colloidal glass
The dynamical heterogeneities (DH) in non-ergodic states of an attractive
colloidal glass are studied, as a function of the waiting time. Whereas the
fluid states close to vitrify showed strong DH, the distribution of squared
displacements of the glassy states studied here only present a tail of
particles with increased mobility for the lower attraction strength at short
waiting times. These particles are in the surface of the percolating cluster
that comprises all of the particles, reminiscent of the fastest particles in
the fluid. The quench deeper into the attractive glass is dynamically more
homogeneous, in agreement with repulsive glasses (i.e. Lennard-Jones glass).Comment: Proceedings of 5th IDMRCS - Lille 200
From compact to fractal crystalline clusters in concentrated systems of monodisperse hard spheres
We address the crystallization of monodisperse hard spheres in terms of the
properties of finite- size crystalline clusters. By means of large scale
event-driven Molecular Dynamics simulations, we study systems at different
packing fractions {\phi} ranging from weakly supersaturated state points to
glassy ones, covering different nucleation regimes. We find that such regimes
also result in different properties of the crystalline clusters: compact
clusters are formed in the classical-nucleation-theory regime ({\phi} \leq
0.54), while a crossover to fractal, ramified clusters is encountered upon
increasing packing fraction ({\phi} \geq 0.56), where nucleation is more
spinodal-like. We draw an analogy between macroscopic crystallization of our
clusters and percolation of attractive systems to provide ideas on how the
packing fraction influences the final structure of the macroscopic crystals. In
our previous work (Phys. Rev. Lett., 106, 215701, 2011), we have demonstrated
how crystallization from a glass (at {\phi} > 0.58) happens via a gradual
(many-step) mechanism: in this paper we show how the mechanism of gradual
growth seems to hold also in super-saturated systems just above freezing
showing that static properties of clusters are not much affected by dynamics.Comment: Soft Matter, 201
Dynamical heterogeneities close to a colloidal gel
Dynamical heterogeneities in a colloidal fluid close to gelation are studied
by means of computer simulations. A clear distinction between some fast
particles and the rest, slow ones, is observed, yielding a picture of the gel
composed by two populations with different mobilities. Analyzing the statics
and dynamics of both sets of particles, it is shown that the slow particles
form a network of stuck particles, whereas the fast ones are able to move over
long distances. Correlation functions show that the environment of the fast
particles relaxes much faster than that of the slow ones, but at short times
the bonds between fast particles are longer lived due to the flexibility of
their structure. No string-like motion is observed for the fast particles, but
they occupy preferential sites in the surface of the structure formed by the
slow ones
Simulation study of Non-ergodicity Transitions: Gelation in Colloidal Systems with Short Range Attractions
Computer simulations were used to study the gel transition occurring in
colloidal systems with short range attractions. A colloid-polymer mixture was
modelled and the results were compared with mode coupling theory expectations
and with the results for other systems (hard spheres and Lennard Jones). The
self-intermediate scattering function and the mean squared displacement were
used as the main dynamical quantities. Two different colloid packing fractions
have been studied. For the lower packing fraction, -scaling holds and
the wave-vector analysis of the correlation function shows that gelation is a
regular non-ergodicity transition within MCT. The leading mechanism for this
novel non-ergodicity transition is identified as bond formation caused by the
short range attraction. The time scale and diffusion coefficient also show
qualitatively the expected behaviour, although different exponents are found
for the power-law divergences of these two quantities. The non-Gaussian
parameter was also studied and very large correction to Gaussian behaviour
found. The system with higher colloid packing fraction shows indications of a
nearby high-order singularity, causing -scaling to fail, but the
general expectations for non-ergodicity transitions still hold.Comment: 13 pages, 15 figure
The Second-Generation Guide Star Catalog: Description and Properties
The GSC-II is an all-sky database of objects derived from the uncompressed
DSS that the STScI has created from the Palomar and UK Schmidt survey plates
and made available to the community. Like its predecessor (GSC-I), the GSC-II
was primarily created to provide guide star information and observation
planning support for HST. This version, however, is already employed at some of
the ground-based new-technology telescopes such as GEMINI, VLT, and TNG, and
will also be used to provide support for the JWST and Gaia space missions as
well as LAMOST, one of the major ongoing scientific projects in China. Two
catalogs have already been extracted from the GSC-II database and released to
the astronomical community. A magnitude-limited (R=18.0) version, GSC2.2, was
distributed soon after its production in 2001, while the GSC2.3 release has
been available for general access since 2007.
The GSC2.3 catalog described in this paper contains astrometry, photometry,
and classification for 945,592,683 objects down to the magnitude limit of the
plates. Positions are tied to the ICRS; for stellar sources, the all-sky
average absolute error per coordinate ranges from 0.2" to 0.28" depending on
magnitude. When dealing with extended objects, astrometric errors are 20% worse
in the case of galaxies and approximately a factor of 2 worse for blended
images. Stellar photometry is determined to 0.13-0.22 mag as a function of
magnitude and photographic passbands (B,R,I). Outside of the galactic plane,
stellar classification is reliable to at least 90% confidence for magnitudes
brighter than R=19.5, and the catalog is complete to R=20.Comment: 52 pages, 33 figures, to be published in AJ August 200
Prognostic evaluation of re-resection for recurrent glioblastoma using the novel RANO classification for extent of resection:A report of the RANO resect group
BACKGROUND: The value of re-resection in recurrent glioblastoma remains controversial as a randomized trial that specifies intentional incomplete resection cannot be justified ethically. Here, we aimed to (1) explore the prognostic role of extent of re-resection using the previously proposed Response Assessment in Neuro-Oncology (RANO) classification (based upon residual contrast-enhancing (CE) and non-CE tumor), and to (2) define factors consolidating the surgical effects on outcome. METHODS: The RANO resect group retrospectively compiled an 8-center cohort of patients with first recurrence from previously resected glioblastomas. The associations of re-resection and other clinical factors with outcome were analyzed. Propensity score-matched analyses were constructed to minimize confounding effects when comparing the different RANO classes. RESULTS: We studied 681 patients with first recurrence of Isocitrate Dehydrogenase (IDH) wild-type glioblastomas, including 310 patients who underwent re-resection. Re-resection was associated with prolonged survival even when stratifying for molecular and clinical confounders on multivariate analysis; ≤1 cm3 residual CE tumor was associated with longer survival than non-surgical management. Accordingly, "maximal resection" (class 2) had superior survival compared to "submaximal resection" (class 3). Administration of (radio-)chemotherapy in the absence of postoperative deficits augmented the survival associations of smaller residual CE tumors. Conversely, "supramaximal resection" of non-CE tumor (class 1) was not associated with prolonged survival but was frequently accompanied by postoperative deficits. The prognostic role of residual CE tumor was confirmed in propensity score analyses. CONCLUSIONS: The RANO resect classification serves to stratify patients with re-resection of glioblastoma. Complete resection according to RANO resect classes 1 and 2 is prognostic.</p
Surgical management and outcome of newly diagnosed glioblastoma without contrast enhancement ('low grade appearance') - a report of the RANO resect group
BACKGROUND: Resection of the contrast-enhancing (CE) tumor represents the standard of care in newly diagnosed glioblastoma. However, some tumors ultimately diagnosed as glioblastoma lack contrast enhancement and have a 'low grade appearance' on imaging (non-CE glioblastoma). We aimed to (I) volumetrically define the value of non-CE tumor resection in the absence of contrast enhancement, and to (II) delineate outcome differences between glioblastoma patients with and without contrast enhancement.
METHODS: The RANO resect group retrospectively compiled a global, eight-center cohort of patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma per WHO 2021 classification. The associations between post-operative tumor volumes and outcome were analyzed. Propensity score-matched analyses were constructed to compare glioblastomas with and without contrast enhancement.
RESULTS: Among 1323 newly diagnosed IDH-wildtype glioblastomas, we identified 98 patients (7.4%) without contrast enhancement. In such patients, smaller post-operative tumor volumes were associated with more favourable outcome. There was an exponential increase in risk for death with larger residual non-CE tumor. Accordingly, extensive resection was associated with improved survival compared to lesion biopsy. These findings were retained on a multivariable analysis adjusting for demographic and clinical markers. Compared to CE glioblastoma, patients with non-CE glioblastoma had more favourable clinical profile and superior outcome as confirmed in propensity score analyses by matching the patients with non-CE glioblastoma to patients with CE glioblastoma using a large set of clinical variables.
CONCLUSIONS: The absence of contrast enhancement characterizes a less aggressive clinical phenotype of IDH-wildtype glioblastomas. Maximal resection of non-CE tumors has prognostic implications and translates into favourable outcome
FOXM1 binds directly to non-consensus sequences in the human genome.
BACKGROUND: The Forkhead (FKH) transcription factor FOXM1 is a key regulator of the cell cycle and is overexpressed in most types of cancer. FOXM1, similar to other FKH factors, binds to a canonical FKH motif in vitro. However, genome-wide mapping studies in different cell lines have shown a lack of enrichment of the FKH motif, suggesting an alternative mode of chromatin recruitment. We have investigated the role of direct versus indirect DNA binding in FOXM1 recruitment by performing ChIP-seq with wild-type and DNA binding deficient FOXM1. RESULTS: An in vitro fluorescence polarization assay identified point mutations in the DNA binding domain of FOXM1 that inhibit binding to a FKH consensus sequence. Cell lines expressing either wild-type or DNA binding deficient GFP-tagged FOXM1 were used for genome-wide mapping studies comparing the distribution of the DNA binding deficient protein to the wild-type. This shows that interaction of the FOXM1 DNA binding domain with target DNA is essential for recruitment. Moreover, analysis of the protein interactome of wild-type versus DNA binding deficient FOXM1 shows that the reduced recruitment is not due to inhibition of protein-protein interactions. CONCLUSIONS: A functional DNA binding domain is essential for FOXM1 chromatin recruitment. Even in FOXM1 mutants with almost complete loss of binding, the protein-protein interactions and pattern of phosphorylation are largely unaffected. These results strongly support a model whereby FOXM1 is specifically recruited to chromatin through co-factor interactions by binding directly to non-canonical DNA sequences.We would like to acknowledge the Genomics and bioinformatics core at the CRUK Research Institute for the Illumina sequencing and the Proteomics core for the LC/MS-MS protein analysis for the RIME experiments. We acknowledge the support from The University of Cambridge and Cancer Research UK. The Balasubramanian Laboratory is supported by core funding from Cancer Research UK (C14303/A17197). SB is a Wellcome Trust Principle Investigator.This is the final version of the article. It first appeared from BioMed Central via http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s13059-015-0696-
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