485 research outputs found
Small Footprint Multilayered Millimeter-Wave Antennas and Feeding Networks for Multi-Dimensional Scanning and High-Density Integrated Systems
This paper overviews the state-of-the-art of substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) techniques in the design and realization of innovative low-cost, low-profile and low-loss (L3) millimeter-wave antenna elements, feeding networks and arrays for various wireless applications. Novel classes of multilayered antenna structures and systems are proposed and studied to exploit the vertical dimension of planar structures to overcome certain limita-tions in standard two-dimensional (2-D) topologies. The developed structures are based on two techniques, namely multi-layer stacked structures and E-plane corners. Differ-ent E-plane structures realised with SIW waveguide are presented, thereby demonstrating the potential of the proposed techniques as in multi-polarization antenna feeding. An array of 128 elements shows low SLL and height gain with just 200g of the total weight. Two versions of 2-D scanning multi-beam are presented, which effectively combine frequency scanning with beam forming networks. Adding the benefits of wide band performance to the multilayer structure, two bi-layer structures are investigated. Different stacked antennas and arrays are demonstrated to optimise the targeted antenna performances in the smallest footprint possible. These structures meet the requirement for developing inexpensive compact millimeter-wave antennas and antenna systems. Different structures and architectures are theoretically and experimentally studied and discussed for specific space- and ground-based appli-cations. Practical issues such as high-density integration and high-volume manufacturability are also addressed
C3G mediated suppression of malignant transformation involves activation of PP2A phosphatases at the subcortical actin cytoskeleton
In previous work, we demonstrated that C3G suppresses Ras oncogenic transformation by a mechanism involving inhibition of ERK phosphorylation. Here we present evidences indicating that this suppression mechanism is mediated, at least in part, by serine/threonine phosphatases of the PP2A family. Thus: (i) ectopic expression of C3G or C3GΔCat (mutant lacking the GEF activity) increases specific ERK-associated PP2A phosphatase activities; (ii) C3G and PP2A interact, as demonstrated by immunofluorescence and co-immunoprecipitation experiments; (iii) association between PP2A and MEK or ERK increases in C3G overexpressing cells; (iv) phosphorylated-inactive PP2A level decreases in C3G expressing clones and, most importantly, (v) okadaic acid reverts the inhibitory effect of C3G on ERK phosphorylation. Moreover, C3G interacts with Ksr-1, a scaffold protein of the Ras-ERK pathway that also associates with PP2A. The fraction of C3G involved in transformation suppression is restricted to the subcortical actin cytoskeleton where it interacts with actin. Furthermore, the association between C3G and PP2A remains stable even after cytoskeleton disruption with cytochalasin D, suggesting that the three proteins form a complex at this subcellular compartment. Finally, C3G- and C3GΔCat-mediated inhibition of ERK phosphorylation is reverted by incubation with cytochalasin D. We hypothesize that C3G triggers PP2A activation and binding to MEK and ERK at the subcortical actin cytoskeleton, thus favouring ERK dephosphorylation. © 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.This work was supported by grants SAF2003-04177 andGEN2003- 20239-C06-02 from MEC, Spain, FIS-FEDERPI030651, PI041324 and PI061274 from ISCIII,MSC, Spain, as well as institutional support from Redes Temáticas (C03/10 and RD06/0020/0000) de investigación en cáncer from ISCIII, MSC, Spain. S. M-E is a postodoctoral fellow supported by grant GEN2003-20239-C06-02. C.G. was supported by the Ramón y Cajal Program from the Spanish Ministry of Education.Peer Reviewe
Identification of chemical compounds of <em>Nardostachys Jatamansi </em>essence available in Iran
Introduction: With regard to using drugs with plant origin and with the aim of suitable use of these types of drugs and preventing them to be abused, it is necessary to determine the standards of these plants. The aim of the present study was to identify and study chemical compounds of Nardostachys Jatamansi essence in Iran and define monograph of this plant for the Iranian plant pharmacopeia. Methods: In an experimental study the Nardostachys Jatamansi specimen was prepared from the market in Iran. The essence of the plant was prepared by the hydro-distillation in Clevenger apparatus. Essence was obtained as a greenish yellow oil layer with the 0.07 yield. The essence compounds were identified quantitatively by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectroscopy (GC/MS) method. Results: Totally, 29 compounds were identified in Nardostachys Jatamansi essence. The retention indexes (RI) were only similar with overall standard values in two compounds like mesitylene and P-cymene. In this line the RI values about three compounds of valerenic acid, palmitic acid, and valerenyl isovalerate were determined significantly higher than standard values of RI. Conclusion: The essence prepared from the Nardostachys Jatamansi plant in Iran was different in terms of some compounds and components including valerenic acid, palmitic acid, and valerenyl isovalerate and so it is necessary to identify and register quality and quantity characteristics of compounds available in this plat in the Iranian medicinal plants pharmacopeia.</p
Localizing gravity on thick branes: a solution for massive KK modes of the Schroedinger equation
We generate scalar thick brane configurations in a 5D Riemannian space time
which describes gravity coupled to a self-interacting scalar field. We also
show that 4D gravity can be localized on a thick brane which does not
necessarily respect Z_2-symmetry, generalizing several previous models based on
the Randall-Sundrum system and avoiding the restriction to orbifold geometries
as well as the introduction of the branes in the action by hand. We begin by
obtaining a smooth brane configuration that preserves 4D Poincar'e invariance
and violates reflection symmetry along the fifth dimension. The extra dimension
can have either compact or extended topology, depending on the values of the
parameters of the solution. In the non-compact case, our field configuration
represents a thick brane with positive energy density centered at y=c_2,
whereas in the compact case we get pairs of thick branes. We recast as well the
wave equations of the transverse traceless modes of the linear fluctuations of
the classical solution into a Schroedinger's equation form with a volcano
potential of finite bottom. We solve Schroedinger equation for the massless
zero mode m^2=0 and obtain a single bound wave function which represents a
stable 4D graviton and is free of tachyonic modes with m^2<0. We also get a
continuum spectrum of Kaluza-Klein (KK) states with m^2>0 that are suppressed
at y=c_2 and turn asymptotically into plane waves. We found a particular case
in which the Schroedinger equation can be solved for all m^2>0, giving us the
opportunity of studying analytically the massive modes of the spectrum of KK
excitations, a rare fact when considering thick brane configurations.Comment: 8 pages in latex. We corrected signs in the field equations, the
expressions for the scalar field and the self-interacting potential. Due to
the fact that no changes are introduced in the warp factor, the physics of
the system remains the sam
Quantum phase transitions in the Kondo-necklace model: Perturbative continuous unitary transformation approach
The Kondo-necklace model can describe magnetic low-energy limit of strongly
correlated heavy fermion materials. There exist multiple energy scales in this
model corresponding to each phase of the system. Here, we study quantum phase
transition between the Kondo-singlet phase and the antiferromagnetic long-range
ordered phase, and show the effect of anisotropies in terms of quantum
information properties and vanishing energy gap. We employ the "perturbative
continuous unitary transformations" approach to calculate the energy gap and
spin-spin correlations for the model in the thermodynamic limit of one, two,
and three spatial dimensions as well as for spin ladders. In particular, we
show that the method, although being perturbative, can predict the expected
quantum critical point, where the gap of low-energy spectrum vanishes, which is
in good agreement with results of other numerical and Green's function
analyses. In addition, we employ concurrence, a bipartite entanglement measure,
to study the criticality of the model. Absence of singularities in the
derivative of concurrence in two and three dimensions in the Kondo-necklace
model shows that this model features multipartite entanglement. We also discuss
crossover from the one-dimensional to the two-dimensional model via the ladder
structure.Comment: 12 pages, 6 figure
Study on the resistance components in 33 commercial potato cultivars to Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Col.: Chrysomelidae)
Greenhouse and field experiments were conducted to evaluate the resistance components in 33 potato commercial cultivars to Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say) in 2008. In a field choice test, the numbers of attracted beetles to the cultivars was determined as antixenosis index. To evaluate the antibiosis, potato tubers were planted in pots under greenhouse conditions and on each pot, one sleeve cage was set up, in which 15 first instar larvae were released and reared. The Larval weight after 12 days of releasing, mortality percentages of larvae and pupae and the durations of developmental stages were analyzed as the antibiosis indices. To study the level of tolerance of cultivars, the infested and non infested plots were isolated and arranged based on a randomized complete block design in field. In infested plots, each plant was infested by 40 medium larvae (second and early third instars) 15 days prior to the blooming of plants. At the end of the season, defoliation and yield loss among infested plots were determined and compared to non infested plots for each cultivar. Significant differences were observed in all studied traits. The cultivars Cardinal, Carlita and Sinja showed antixenosis effects with the least numbers of attracted beetles, whereas cultivars Carlita, Sinja, Delikat, Aparet and Bridjet showed antibiosis effects in comparison to the others. The cultivars Santana, Satina, Nicola and Bridjet showed tolerance to damage of the pest. Using cluster analysis, UPGMA procedure was based on Euclidean distance and 33 experimental cultivars were grouped in 7 distance groups
A Reo model of Software Defined Networks
Reo is a compositional coordination language for component connectors with a formal semantics based on automata. In this paper, we propose a formal model of software defined networks (SDNs) based on Reo where declarative constructs comprising of basic Reo primitives compose to specify descriptive models of both data and control planes of SDNs. We first describe the model of an SDN switch which can be compactly represented as a single state constraint automaton with a memory storing its flow table. A full network can then be compositionally constructed by composing the switches with basic communication channels. The reactive and proactive behaviour of the controllers in the control plane of an SDN can also be modelled by Reo connectors, which can compose the connectors representing data plane. The resulting model is suitable for testing, simulation, visualization, verification, and ultimately compilation into SDN switch code using the standard tools already available for Reo
Cosmological background solutions and cosmological backreactions
The cosmological backreaction proposal, which attempts to account for
observations without a primary dark energy source in the stress-energy tensor,
has been developed and discussed by means of different approaches. Here, we
focus on the concept of cosmological background solutions in order to develop a
framework to study different backreaction proposals.Comment: 14 pages, 5 figures; major changes, replaced to match the version
published in General Relativity and Gravitatio
Mass hierarchy, mass gap and corrections to Newton's law on thick branes with Poincare symmetry
We consider a scalar thick brane configuration arising in a 5D theory of
gravity coupled to a self-interacting scalar field in a Riemannian manifold. We
start from known classical solutions of the corresponding field equations and
elaborate on the physics of the transverse traceless modes of linear
fluctuations of the classical background, which obey a Schroedinger-like
equation. We further consider two special cases in which this equation can be
solved analytically for any massive mode with m^2>0, in contrast with numerical
approaches, allowing us to study in closed form the massive spectrum of
Kaluza-Klein (KK) excitations and to compute the corrections to Newton's law in
the thin brane limit. In the first case we consider a solution with a mass gap
in the spectrum of KK fluctuations with two bound states - the massless 4D
graviton free of tachyonic instabilities and a massive KK excitation - as well
as a tower of continuous massive KK modes which obey a Legendre equation. The
mass gap is defined by the inverse of the brane thickness, allowing us to get
rid of the potentially dangerous multiplicity of arbitrarily light KK modes. It
is shown that due to this lucky circumstance, the solution of the mass
hierarchy problem is much simpler and transparent than in the (thin)
Randall-Sundrum (RS) two-brane configuration. In the second case we present a
smooth version of the RS model with a single massless bound state, which
accounts for the 4D graviton, and a sector of continuous fluctuation modes with
no mass gap, which obey a confluent Heun equation in the Ince limit. (The
latter seems to have physical applications for the first time within braneworld
models). For this solution the mass hierarchy problem is solved as in the
Lykken-Randall model and the model is completely free of naked singularities.Comment: 25 pages in latex, no figures, content changed, corrections to
Newton's law included for smooth version of RS model and an author adde
When do colliding bubbles produce an expanding universe?
It is intriguing to consider the possibility that the Big Bang of the
standard (3+1) dimensional cosmology originated from the collision of two
branes within a higher dimensional spacetime, leading to the production of a
large amount of entropy. In this paper we study, subject to certain
well-defined assumptions, under what conditions such a collision leads to an
expanding universe. We assume the absence of novel physics, so that ordinary
(4+1) -dimensional Einstein gravity remains a valid approximation. It is
necessary that the fifth dimension not become degenerate at the moment of
collision. First the case of a symmetric collision of infinitely thin branes
having a hyperbolic or flat spatial geometry is considered. We find that a
symmetric collision results in a collapsing universe on the final brane unless
the pre-existing expansion rate in the bulk just prior to the collision is
sufficiently large in comparison to the momentum transfer in the fifth
dimension. Such prior expansion may either result from negative spatial
curvature or from a positive five-dimensional cosmological constant. The
relevance of these findings to the Colliding Bubble Braneworld Universe
scenario is discussed. Finally, results from a numerical study of colliding
thick-wall branes is presented, which confirm the results of the thin-wall
approximation.Comment: 24 pages, 13 figures. Minor changes and references include
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