1,399 research outputs found
Phase transitions in a network with range dependent connection probability
We consider a one-dimensional network in which the nodes at Euclidean
distance can have long range connections with a probabilty in addition to nearest neighbour connections. This system has been
shown to exhibit small world behaviour for above which its
behaviour is like a regular lattice. From the study of the clustering
coefficients, we show that there is a transition to a random network at . The finite size scaling analysis of the clustering coefficients obtained
from numerical simulations indicate that a continuous phase transition occurs
at this point. Using these results, we find that the two transitions occurring
in this network can be detected in any dimension by the behaviour of a single
quantity, the average bond length. The phase transitions in all dimensions are
non-trivial in nature.Comment: 4 pages, revtex4, submitted to Physical Review
The repulsive nature of naked singularities from the point of view of Quantum Mechanics
We use the Dirac equation coupled to a background metric to examine what
happens to quantum mechanical observables like the probability density and the
radial current in the vicinity of a naked singularity of the
Reissner-Nordstr\"{o}m type. We find that the wave function of the Dirac
particle is regular in the point of the singularity. We show that the
probability density is exactly zero at the singularity reflecting
quantum-mechanically the repulsive nature of the naked singularity.
Furthermore, the surface integral of the radial current over a sphere in the
vicinity of the naked singularity turns out to be also zero.Comment: 11 page
Transcriptome analysis indicates dominant effects on ribosome and mitochondrial function of a premature termination codon mutation in the zebrafish gene psen2
Published: July 13, 2020PRESENILIN 2 (PSEN2) is one of the genes mutated in early onset familial Alzheimer's disease (EOfAD). PSEN2 shares significant amino acid sequence identity with another EOfAD-related gene PRESENILIN 1 (PSEN1), and partial functional redundancy is seen between these two genes. However, the complete range of functions of PSEN1 and PSEN2 is not yet understood. In this study, we performed targeted mutagenesis of the zebrafish psen2 gene to generate a premature termination codon close downstream of the translation start with the intention of creating a null mutation. Homozygotes for this mutation, psen2S4Ter, are viable and fertile, and adults do not show any gross psen2-dependent pigmentation defects, arguing against significant loss of γ-secretase activity. Also, assessment of the numbers of Dorsal Longitudinal Ascending (DoLA) interneurons that are responsive to psen2 but not psen1 activity during embryogenesis did not reveal decreased psen2 function. Transcripts containing the S4Ter mutation show no evidence of destabilization by nonsense-mediated decay. Forced expression in zebrafish embryos of fusions of psen2S4Ter 5' mRNA sequences with sequence encoding enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) indicated that the psen2S4Ter mutation permits utilization of cryptic, novel downstream translation start codons. These likely initiate translation of N-terminally truncated Psen2 proteins lacking late endosomal/lysosomal localization sequences and that obey the "reading frame preservation rule" of PRESENILIN EOfAD mutations. Transcriptome analysis of entire brains from a 6-month-old family of wild type, heterozygous and homozygous psen2S4Ter female siblings revealed profoundly dominant effects on gene expression likely indicating changes in ribosomal, mitochondrial, and anion transport functions.Haowei Jiang, Stephen Martin Pederson, Morgan Newman, Yang Dong, Karissa Barthelson, Michael Lardell
Quintessence Cosmology and the Cosmic Coincidence
Within present constraints on the observed smooth energy and its equation of
state parameter, it is important to find out whether the smooth energy is
static (cosmological constant) or dynamic (quintessence). The most dynamical
quintessence fields observationally allowed are now still fast-rolling and no
longer satisfy the tracker approximation if the equation of state parameter
varies moderately with cosmic scale. We are optimistic about distinguishing
between a cosmological constant and appreciably dynamic quintessence, by
measuring average values for the effective equation of state parameter.
However, reconstructing the quintessence potential from observations of any
scale dependence appears problematic in the near future. For our flat universe,
at present dominated by smooth energy in the form of either a cosmological
constant (LCDM) or quintessence (QCDM), we calculate the asymptotic collapsed
mass fraction to be maximal at the observed smooth energy/matter ratio.
Identifying this collapsed fraction as a conditional probability for habitable
galaxies, we infer that the prior distribution is flat. Interpreting this prior
as a distribution over theories, rather than as a distribution over
unobservable subuniverses, leads us to heuristic predictions about the class of
future quantum cosmology theories and the static or quasi-static nature of the
smooth energy.Comment: Typos corrected, as presented at Cosmo-01 Workshop, Rovaniemi,
Finland and accepted for publication in Physical Review D. 9 pages, 4 figure
Homologous recombination deficiency and host anti-tumor immunity in triple-negative breast cancer
Purpose: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is associated with worse outcomes relative to other breast cancer subtypes. Chemotherapy remains the standard-of-care systemic therapy for patients with localized or metastatic disease, with few biomarkers to guide benefit. Methods: We will discuss recent advances in our understanding of two key biological processes in TNBC, homologous recombination (HR) DNA repair deficiency and host anti-tumor immunity, and their intersection. Results: Recent advances in our understanding of homologous recombination (HR) deficiency, including FDA approval of PARP inhibitor olaparib for BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation carriers, and host anti-tumor immunity in TNBC offer potential for new and biomarker-driven approaches to treat TNBC. Assays interrogating HR DNA repair capacity may guide treatment with agents inducing or targeting DNA damage repair. Tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) are associated with improved prognosis in TNBC and recent efforts to characterize infiltrating immune cell subsets and activate host anti-tumor immunity offer promise, yet challenges remain particularly in tumors lacking pre-existing immune infiltrates. Advances in these fields provide potential biomarkers to stratify patients with TNBC and guide therapy: induction of DNA damage in HR-deficient tumors and activation of existing or recruitment of host anti-tumor immune cells. Importantly, these advances provide an opportunity to guide use of existing therapies and development of novel therapies for TNBC. Efforts to combine therapies that exploit HR deficiency to enhance the activity of immune-directed therapies offer promise. Conclusions: HR deficiency remains an important biomarker target and potentially effective adjunct to enhance immunogenicity of ‘immune cold’ TNBCs
Potential microbial toxicity and non-target impact of different concentrations of glyphosate-containing herbicide (GCH) in a model pervious paving system
Demagnetization via Nucleation of the Nonequilibrium Metastable Phase in a Model of Disorder
We study both analytically and numerically metastability and nucleation in a
two-dimensional nonequilibrium Ising ferromagnet. Canonical equilibrium is
dynamically impeded by a weak random perturbation which models homogeneous
disorder of undetermined source. We present a simple theoretical description,
in perfect agreement with Monte Carlo simulations, assuming that the decay of
the nonequilibrium metastable state is due, as in equilibrium, to the
competition between the surface and the bulk. This suggests one to accept a
nonequilibrium "free-energy" at a mesoscopic/cluster level, and it ensues a
nonequilibrium "surface tension" with some peculiar low-T behavior. We
illustrate the occurrence of intriguing nonequilibrium phenomena, including:
(i) Noise-enhanced stabilization of nonequilibrium metastable states; (ii)
reentrance of the limit of metastability under strong nonequilibrium
conditions; and (iii) resonant propagation of domain walls. The cooperative
behavior of our system may also be understood in terms of a Langevin equation
with additive and multiplicative noises. We also studied metastability in the
case of open boundaries as it may correspond to a magnetic nanoparticle. We
then observe burst-like relaxation at low T, triggered by the additional
surface randomness, with scale-free avalanches which closely resemble the type
of relaxation reported for many complex systems. We show that this results from
the superposition of many demagnetization events, each with a well- defined
scale which is determined by the curvature of the domain wall at which it
originates. This is an example of (apparent) scale invariance in a
nonequilibrium setting which is not to be associated with any familiar kind of
criticality.Comment: 26 pages, 22 figure
Higher dimensional dust collapse with a cosmological constant
The general solution of the Einstein equation for higher dimensional (HD)
spherically symmetric collapse of inhomogeneous dust in presence of a
cosmological term, i.e., exact interior solutions of the Einstein field
equations is presented for the HD Tolman-Bondi metrics imbedded in a de Sitter
background. The solution is then matched to exterior HD Scwarschild-de Sitter.
A brief discussion on the causal structure singularities and horizons is
provided. It turns out that the collapse proceed in the same way as in the
Minkowski background, i.e., the strong curvature naked singularities form and
that the higher dimensions seem to favor black holes rather than naked
singularities.Comment: 7 Pages, no figure
BAs and boride III-V alloys
Boron arsenide, the typically-ignored member of the III-V arsenide series
BAs-AlAs-GaAs-InAs is found to resemble silicon electronically: its Gamma
conduction band minimum is p-like (Gamma_15), not s-like (Gamma_1c), it has an
X_1c-like indirect band gap, and its bond charge is distributed almost equally
on the two atoms in the unit cell, exhibiting nearly perfect covalency. The
reasons for these are tracked down to the anomalously low atomic p orbital
energy in the boron and to the unusually strong s-s repulsion in BAs relative
to most other III-V compounds. We find unexpected valence band offsets of BAs
with respect to GaAs and AlAs. The valence band maximum (VBM) of BAs is
significantly higher than that of AlAs, despite the much smaller bond length of
BAs, and the VBM of GaAs is only slightly higher than in BAs. These effects
result from the unusually strong mixing of the cation and anion states at the
VBM. For the BAs-GaAs alloys, we find (i) a relatively small (~3.5 eV) and
composition-independent band gap bowing. This means that while addition of
small amounts of nitrogen to GaAs lowers the gap, addition of small amounts of
boron to GaAs raises the gap (ii) boron ``semi-localized'' states in the
conduction band (similar to those in GaN-GaAs alloys), and (iii) bulk mixing
enthalpies which are smaller than in GaN-GaAs alloys. The unique features of
boride III-V alloys offer new opportunities in band gap engineering.Comment: 18 pages, 14 figures, 6 tables, 61 references. Accepted for
publication in Phys. Rev. B. Scheduled to appear Oct. 15 200
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