2,957 research outputs found

    Vortex solutions in a binary immiscible Bose-Einstein condensate

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    \ua9 2024 authors. Published by the American Physical Society. Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article\u27s title, journal citation, and DOI.We consider the mean-field vortex solutions and their stability within a two-component Bose-Einstein condensate in the immiscible limit. A variational approach is employed to study a system consisting of a majority component which contains a single quantized vortex and a minority component which fills the vortex core. We show that a super-Gaussian function is a good approximation of the two-component vortex solution for a range of atom numbers of the infilling component by comparing the variational solutions to the full numerical solutions of the coupled Gross-Pitaevskii equations. We subsequently examine the stability of the vortex solutions by perturbing the infilling component away from the center of the vortex core, thereby demonstrating their stability to small perturbations. Finally, we consider the dynamics of infilled vortices

    Vortex-pair dynamics in three-dimensional homogeneous dipolar superfluids

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    The static and dynamic properties of vortices in dipolar Bose-Einstein condensates (dBECs) can be considerably modified relative to their nondipolar counterparts by the anisotropic and long-ranged nature of the dipole-dipole interaction. Working in a uniform dBEC, we analyze the structure of single vortices and the dynamics of vortex pairs, investigating the deviations from the nondipolar paradigm. For a straight vortex line, we find that the induced dipolar interaction potential is axially anisotropic when the dipole moments have a nonzero projection orthogonal to the vortex line. This results in a corresponding elongation of the vortex core along this projection as well as an anisotropic superfluid phase and enhanced compressibility in the vicinity of the vortex core. Consequently, the trajectories of like-signed vortex pairs are described by a family of elliptical and oval-like curves rather than the familiar circular orbits. Similarly for opposite-signed vortex pairs their translation speeds along the binormal are found to be dipole-interaction dependent. We expect that these findings will shed light on the underlying mechanisms of many-vortex phenomena in dBECs such as quantum turbulence, vortex reconnections, and vortex lattices

    The effect of Al(NO3)3 concentration on the formation of AuNPs using low temperature hydrothermal reaction for memory application

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    Distribution of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) on a substrate becomes crucial in nanotechnology applications. This work describes a route to fabricate AuNPs directly on silicon substrates by using an aluminum template in hydrothermal reaction at 80°C for 1 h. The effect of aluminum nitrate (Al(NO3)3) concentration in the hydrothermal bath was investigated. The properties of AuNPs were studied using field-emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), x-ray diffractometer (XRD) and semiconductor characterization system (SCS). Two distinct sizes of AuNPs were observed by FESEM. XRD analysis proved the formation of AuNPs directly on the substrate. AuNPs were embedded between polymethylsilsesquioxane (PMSSQ) in order to investigate their effect on memory properties. The sample grown in 0.1 M Al(NO3)3 exhibited the largest hysteresis window (2.6 V) and the lowest Vth (2.2 V) to turn ‘ON’ the memory device. This indicated that good distribution of FCC structure AuNPs with 80±4 nm and 42±7 nm of large and small particles produced better charge storage capability. Charge transport mechanisms of AuNPs embedded in PMSSQ were explained in details whereby electrons from Si are transported across the barrier by thermionic effects via field-assisted lowering at the Si-PMSSQ interface with the combination of the Schottky and Poole Frenkel emission effect in Region 1. Trapped charge limited current (TCLC) and space charge limited current (SCLC) transport mechanism occurred in Region 2 and Region 3

    A 2-step synthesis of Combretastatin A-4 and derivatives as potent tubulin assembly inhibitors

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    A series of combretastatin derivatives were designed and synthesised by a two-step stereoselective synthesis by use of Wittig olefination followed by Suzuki cross-coupling. Interestingly, all new compounds (2a-2i) showed potent cell-based antiproliferative activities in nanomolar concentrations. Among the compounds, 2a, 2b and 2e were the most active across three cancer cell lines. In addition, these compounds inhibited the polymerisation of tubulin in vitro more efficiently than CA-4. They caused cell cycle arrest in G2/M phase further confirming their ability to inhibit tubulin polymerisation

    Sustained high-level expression of human factor IX (hFIX) after liver-targeted delivery of recombinant adeno-associated virus encoding the hFIX gene in rhesus macaques

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    The feasibility, safety, and efficacy of liver-directed gene transfer was evaluated in 5 male macaques (aged 2.5 to 6.5 years) by using a recombinant adeno-associated viral (rAAV) vector (rAAV-2 CAGG-hFIX) that had previously mediated persistent therapeutic expression of human factor IX (hFIX; 6%-10% of physiologic levels) in murine models. A dose of 4 × 1012 vector genomes (vgs)/kg of body weight was administered through the hepatic artery or portal vein. Persistence of the rAAV vgs as circular monomers and dimers and high-molecular-weight concatamers was documented in liver tissue by Southern blot analysis for periods of up to 1 year. Vector particles were present in plasma, urine, or saliva for several days after infusion (as shown by polymerase chain reaction analysis), and the vgs were detected in spleen tissue at low copy numbers. An enzyme-linked immunosorption assay capable of detecting between 1% and 25% of normal levels of hFIX in rhesus plasma was developed by using hyperimmune serum from a rhesus monkey that had received an adenoviral vector encoding hFIX. Two macaques having 3 and 40 rAAV genome equivalents/cell, respectively, in liver tissue had 4% and 8% of normal physiologic plasma levels of hFIX, respectively. A level of hFIX that was 3% of normal levels was transiently detected in one other macaque, which had a genome copy number of 25 before abrogation by a neutralizing antibody (inhibitor) to hFIX. This nonhuman-primate model will be useful in further evaluation and development of rAAV vectors for gene therapy of hemophilia B. © 2002 by The American Society of Hematology

    Demonstration of mixed properties of RU486 in progesterone receptor (PR)-transfected MDA-MB-231 cells: a model for studying the functions of progesterone analogues

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    Progesterone antagonist RU486 (mifepristone) has been implicated for many anti-neoplastic and obstetrical applications. But the compound has demonstrated undesired agonist-like effect depending on cell, tissue and species studied. Using PR-transfected breast cancer cells MDA-MB-231, this report describes the similarities and differences between progesterone- and RU486-mediated effects on cell growth, cell differentiation and, at the molecular level, on the activation of p44/p42 MAP kinases (MAPK). Like progesterone, RU486 inhibited cells growth by arresting the cells in G0/G1 phase of the cell cycle. In contrast to progesterone that induced cell spreading, RU486 induced a multipolar, stellate morphology. RU486-treated cells showed no increase of stress fibers, nor was there any increase of focal adhesions as progesterone-treated cells did. Furthermore, despite of the fact that both compounds inhibited cell growth, RU486 significantly stimulated the activation of p44/p42 MAP kinases whereas progesterone markedly inhibited the activation. Nonetheless, the effects of RU486 were PR-mediated and RU486 was able to antagonize the effect of progesterone on cell growth and focal adhesion. In conclusion, RU486 can act not only as a progesterone antagonist, a progesterone agonist but also induced morphological and molecular changes that were distinct from progesterone-mediated effects in PR-transfected MDA-MB-231 cells. The non-progesterone-like effect of RU486 may be mediated through a pathway that is different from the progesterone-mediated pathway, or it is the result of a blockade of certain critical step(s) in the progesterone-mediated pathway. In any case, undesired side effects of antiprogestin may create clinical complications. PR-transfected MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells provide a model for studying the functions of progesterone analogues.© 2001 Cancer Research Campaign http://www.bjcancer.co

    Identification of BRCA1/2 Founder Mutations in Southern Chinese Breast Cancer Patients Using Gene Sequencing and High Resolution DNA Melting Analysis

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    Background: Ethnic variations in breast cancer epidemiology and genetics have necessitated investigation of the spectra of BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations in different populations. Knowledge of BRCA mutations in Chinese populations is still largely unknown. We conducted a multi-center study to characterize the spectra of BRCA mutations in Chinese breast and ovarian cancer patients from Southern China. Methodology/Principal Findings: A total of 651 clinically high-risk breast and/or ovarian cancer patients were recruited from the Hong Kong Hereditary Breast Cancer Family Registry from 2007 to 2011. Comprehensive BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation screening was performed using bi-directional sequencing of all coding exons of BRCA1 and BRCA2. Sequencing results were confirmed by in-house developed full high resolution DNA melting (HRM) analysis. Among the 451 probands analyzed, 69 (15.3%) deleterious BRCA mutations were identified, comprising 29 in BRCA1 and 40 in BRCA2. The four recurrent BRCA1 mutations (c.470_471delCT, c.3342_3345delAGAA, c.5406+1_5406+3delGTA and c.981_982delAT) accounted for 34.5% (10/29) of all BRCA1 mutations in this cohort. The four recurrent BRCA2 mutations (c.2808_2811delACAA, c.3109C>T, c.7436_7805del370 and c.9097_9098insA) accounted for 40% (16/40) of all BRCA2 mutations. Haplotype analysis was performed to confirm 1 BRCA1 and 3 BRCA2 mutations are putative founder mutations. Rapid HRM mutation screening for a panel of the founder mutations were developed and validated. Conclusion: In this study, our findings suggest that BRCA mutations account for a substantial proportion of hereditary breast/ovarian cancer in Southern Chinese population. Knowing the spectrum and frequency of the founder mutations in this population will assist in the development of a cost-effective rapid screening assay, which in turn facilitates genetic counseling and testing for the purpose of cancer risk assessment. © 2012 Kwong et al.published_or_final_versio
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