841 research outputs found
Various series expansions for a Heisenberg antiferromagnet model for SrCu(BO)
We use a variety of series expansion methods at both zero and finite
temperature to study an antiferromagnetic Heisenberg spin model proposed
recently by Miyahara and Ueda for the quasi two-dimensional material
SrCu(BO). We confirm that this model exhibits a first-order quantum
phase transition at T=0 between a gapped dimer phase and a gapless N\'eel phase
when the ratio of nearest and next-nearest neighbour interactions is
varied, and locate the transition at . Using longer series we are
able to give more accurate estimates of the model parameters by fitting to the
high temperature susceptibility data.Comment: RevTeX, 13 figure
Infrared and Raman spectra of LiV2O5 single crystals
The phonon dynamics of LiV2O5 single crystals is studied using infrared and
Raman spectroscopy techniques. The infrared-active phonon frequencies and
dielectric constants are obtained by oscillator fitting procedure of the
reflectivity data measured at room temperature. The Raman scattering spectra
are measured at room temperature and at T=10 K in all nonequivalent polarized
configurations. The assignment of the phonons is done by comparing the infrared
and Raman spectra of LiV2O5 and NaV2O5. The factor-group-analysis of the LiV2O5
crystal symmetry and of its constituent layers is performed to explain the
symmetry properties of the observed modes. We concluded that layer symmetry
dominates in the vibrational properties of this compound.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figure
Recombination dynamics of a human Y-chromosomal palindrome:rapid GC-biased gene conversion, multi-kilobase conversion tracts, and rare inversions
The male-specific region of the human Y chromosome (MSY) includes eight large inverted repeats (palindromes) in which arm-to-arm similarity exceeds 99.9%, due to gene conversion activity. Here, we studied one of these palindromes, P6, in order to illuminate the dynamics of the gene conversion process. We genotyped ten paralogous sequence variants (PSVs) within the arms of P6 in 378 Y chromosomes whose evolutionary relationships within the SNP-defined Y phylogeny are known. This allowed the identification of 146 historical gene conversion events involving individual PSVs, occurring at a rate of 2.9-8.4×10(-4) events per generation. A consideration of the nature of nucleotide change and the ancestral state of each PSV showed that the conversion process was significantly biased towards the fixation of G or C nucleotides (GC-biased), and also towards the ancestral state. Determination of haplotypes by long-PCR allowed likely co-conversion of PSVs to be identified, and suggested that conversion tract lengths are large, with a mean of 2068 bp, and a maximum in excess of 9 kb. Despite the frequent formation of recombination intermediates implied by the rapid observed gene conversion activity, resolution via crossover is rare: only three inversions within P6 were detected in the sample. An analysis of chimpanzee and gorilla P6 orthologs showed that the ancestral state bias has existed in all three species, and comparison of human and chimpanzee sequences with the gorilla outgroup confirmed that GC bias of the conversion process has apparently been active in both the human and chimpanzee lineages
Single-hole dynamics in dimerized and frustrated spin-chains
We present a unified account for the coupled single-hole- and spin-dynamics
in the spin-gap phase of dimerized and frustrated spin-chains and two-leg spin
ladders. Based on the strong dimer-limit of a one-dimensional
--model a diagrammatic approach is presented which employs a
mapping of the spin-Hamiltonian onto a pseudo-fermion bond-boson model. Results
for the single-hole spectrum are detailed. A finite quasi-particle weight is
observed and studied for a variety of system parameters. A comparison with
existing exact diagonalization data is performed and good agreement is found.Comment: 10 pages, 12 figure
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Studies of muon-induced radioactivity at NuMI
The JASMIN Collaboration has studied the production of radionuclides by muons in the muon alcoves of the NuMI beamline at Fermilab. Samples of aluminum and copper are exposed to the muon field and counted on HpGe detectors when removed to determine their content of radioactive isotopes. We compare the results to MARS simulations and discuss the radiological implications for neutrino factories and muon colliders
Spallation reactions. A successful interplay between modeling and applications
The spallation reactions are a type of nuclear reaction which occur in space
by interaction of the cosmic rays with interstellar bodies. The first
spallation reactions induced with an accelerator took place in 1947 at the
Berkeley cyclotron (University of California) with 200 MeV deuterons and 400
MeV alpha beams. They highlighted the multiple emission of neutrons and charged
particles and the production of a large number of residual nuclei far different
from the target nuclei. The same year R. Serber describes the reaction in two
steps: a first and fast one with high-energy particle emission leading to an
excited remnant nucleus, and a second one, much slower, the de-excitation of
the remnant. In 2010 IAEA organized a worskhop to present the results of the
most widely used spallation codes within a benchmark of spallation models. If
one of the goals was to understand the deficiencies, if any, in each code, one
remarkable outcome points out the overall high-quality level of some models and
so the great improvements achieved since Serber. Particle transport codes can
then rely on such spallation models to treat the reactions between a light
particle and an atomic nucleus with energies spanning from few tens of MeV up
to some GeV. An overview of the spallation reactions modeling is presented in
order to point out the incomparable contribution of models based on basic
physics to numerous applications where such reactions occur. Validations or
benchmarks, which are necessary steps in the improvement process, are also
addressed, as well as the potential future domains of development. Spallation
reactions modeling is a representative case of continuous studies aiming at
understanding a reaction mechanism and which end up in a powerful tool.Comment: 59 pages, 54 figures, Revie
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Applicability of a Bonner Shere technique for pulsed neutron in 120 GeV proton facility
The data on neutron spectra and intensity behind shielding are important for radiation safety design of high-energy accelerators since neutrons are capable of penetrating thick shielding and activating materials. Corresponding particle transport codes--that involve physics models of neutron and other particle production, transportation, and interaction--have been developed and used world-wide [1-8]. The results of these codes have been ensured through plenty of comparisons with experimental results taken in simple geometries. For neutron generation and transport, several related experiments have been performed to measure neutron spectra, attenuation length and reaction rates behind shielding walls of various thicknesses and materials in energy range up to several hundred of MeV [9-11]. The data have been used to benchmark--and modify if needed--the simulation modes and parameters in the codes, as well as the reference data for radiation safety design. To obtain such kind of data above several hundred of MeV, Japan-Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL) collaboration for shielding experiments has been started in 2007, based on suggestion from the specialist meeting of shielding, Shielding Aspects of Target, Irradiation Facilities (SATIF), because of very limited data available in high-energy region (see, for example, [12]). As a part of this shielding experiment, a set of Bonner sphere (BS) was tested at the antiproton production target facility (pbar target station) at FNAL to obtain neutron spectra induced by a 120-GeV proton beam in concrete and iron shielding. Generally, utilization of an active detector around high-energy accelerators requires an improvement on its readout to overcome burst of secondary radiation since the accelerator delivers an intense beam to a target in a short period after relatively long acceleration period. In this paper, we employ BS for a spectrum measurement of neutrons that penetrate the shielding wall of the pbar target station in FNAL
Sex-Specific Expression of the X-Linked Histone Demethylase Gene Jarid1c in Brain
Jarid1c, an X-linked gene coding for a histone demethylase, plays an important role in brain development and function. Notably, JARID1C mutations cause mental retardation and increased aggression in humans. These phenotypes are consistent with the expression patterns we have identified in mouse brain where Jarid1c mRNA was detected in hippocampus, hypothalamus, and cerebellum. Jarid1c expression and associated active histone marks at its 5′end are high in P19 neurons, indicating that JARID1C demethylase plays an important role in differentiated neuronal cells. We found that XX mice expressed Jarid1c more highly than XY mice, independent of their gonadal types (testes versus ovaries). This increased expression in XX mice is consistent with Jarid1c escape from X inactivation and is not compensated by expression from the Y-linked paralogue Jarid1d, which is expressed at a very low level compared to the X paralogue in P19 cells. Our observations suggest that sex-specific expression of Jarid1c may contribute to sex differences in brain function
Impact of Metabolic Syndrome Compared With Impaired Fasting Glucose on the Development of Type 2 Diabetes in a General Japanese Population: The Hisayama study
FAD-dependent lysine-specific demethylase-1 regulates cellular energy expenditure
Environmental factors such as nutritional state may act on the epigenome that consequently contributes to the metabolic adaptation of cells and the organisms. The lysine-specific demethylase-1 (LSD1) is a unique nuclear protein that utilizes flavin adenosine dinucleotide (FAD) as a cofactor. Here we show that LSD1 epigenetically regulates energy-expenditure genes in adipocytes depending on the cellular FAD availability. We find that the loss of LSD1 function, either by short interfering RNA or by selective inhibitors in adipocytes, induces a number of regulators of energy expenditure and mitochondrial metabolism such as PPARγ coactivator-1α resulting in the activation of mitochondrial respiration. In the adipose tissues from mice on a high-fat diet, expression of LSD1-target genes is reduced, compared with that in tissues from mice on a normal diet, which can be reverted by suppressing LSD1 function. Our data suggest a novel mechanism where LSD1 regulates cellular energy balance through coupling with cellular FAD biosynthesis
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