392 research outputs found
Conceptual Design of a Fast-Ignition Laser Fusion Reactor FALCON-D
A new conceptual design of the laser fusion power plant FALCON-D (Fast ignition Advanced Laser fusion reactor CONcept with a Dry wall chamber) has been proposed. The fast ignition method can achieve the sufficient fusion gain for a commercial operation (~100) with about 10 times smaller fusion yield than the conventional central ignition method. FALCON-D makes full use of this property and aims at designing with a compact dry wall chamber (5~6m radius). 1-D/2-D hydrodynamic simulations showed the possibility of the sufficient gain achievement with a 40 MJ target yield. The design feasibility of the compact dry wall chamber and solid breeder blanket system was shown through the thermomecanical analysis of the dry wall and neutronics analysis of the blanket system. A moderate electric output (~400MWe) can be achieved with a high repetition (30Hz) laser. This dry wall concept not only reduces some difficulties accompanied with a liquid wall but also enables a simple cask maintenance method for the replacement of the blanket system, which can shorten the maintenance time. The basic idea of the maintenance method for the final optics system has also been proposed. Some critical R&D issues required for this design are also discussed
Remote Participation for the Plasma Experiment with the Levitated Superconductor Coil by Use of Super SINET System
Breakdown of supersaturation barrier links protein folding to amyloid formation
The thermodynamic hypothesis of protein folding, known as the “Anfinsen’s dogma” states that the native structure of a protein represents a free energy minimum determined by the amino acid sequence. However, inconsistent with the Anfinsen’s dogma, globular proteins can misfold to form amyloid fibrils, which are ordered aggregates associated with diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. Here, we present a general concept for the link between folding and misfolding. We tested the accessibility of the amyloid state for various proteins upon heating and agitation. Many of them showed Anfinsen-like reversible unfolding upon heating, but formed amyloid fibrils upon agitation at high temperatures. We show that folding and amyloid formation are separated by the supersaturation barrier of a protein. Its breakdown is required to shift the protein to the amyloid pathway. Thus, the breakdown of supersaturation links the Anfinsen’s intramolecular folding universe and the intermolecular misfolding universe
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Purification and functional characterisation of rhiminopeptidase A, a novel aminopeptidase from the venom of Bitis gabonica rhinoceros
This study describes the discovery and characterisation of a novel aminopeptidase A from the venom of B. g. rhinoceros and highlights its potential biological importance. Similar to mammalian aminopeptidases, rhiminopeptidase A might be capable of playing roles in altering the blood pressure and brain function of victims. Furthermore, it could have additional effects on the biological functions of other host proteins by cleaving their N-terminal amino acids. This study points towards the importance of complete analysis of individual components of snake venom in order to develop effective therapies for snake bites
Variations in mineralogy of dust in an ice core obtained from northwestern Greenland over the past 100 years
Our study is the first to demonstrate a
high-temporal-resolution record of mineral composition in a Greenland ice
core over the past 100 years. To reconstruct past variations in the sources
and transportation processes of mineral dust in northwestern Greenland, we
analysed the morphology and mineralogical composition of dust in the SIGMA-D
ice core from 1915 to 2013 using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and
energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The results revealed that the
ice core dust consisted mainly of silicate minerals and that the composition
varied substantially on multi-decadal and inter-decadal scales, suggesting
that the ice core minerals originated from different geological sources in
different periods during the past 100 years. The multi-decadal variation
trend differed among mineral types. Kaolinite, which generally formed in
warm and humid climatic zones, was abundant in colder periods (1950–2004),
whereas mica, chlorite, feldspars, mafic minerals, and quartz, which
formed in arid, high-latitude, and local areas, were abundant in warmer
periods (1915–1949 and 2005–2013). Comparison to Greenland surface
temperature records indicates that multi-decadal variation in the relative
abundance of these minerals was likely affected by local temperature changes
in Greenland. Trajectory analysis shows that the minerals were transported
mainly from the western coast of Greenland in the two warming periods, which
was likely due to an increase in dust sourced from local ice-free areas as a
result of shorter snow/ice cover duration in the Greenland coastal region
during the melt season caused by recent warming. Meanwhile, ancient deposits
in northern Canada, which were formed in past warmer climates, seem to be the
best candidate during the colder period (1950–2004). Our results suggest
that SEM–EDS analysis can detect variations in ice core dust sources during
recent periods of low dust concentration.</p
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