4,907 research outputs found
Dielectric Function of Diluted Magnetic Semiconductors in the Infrared Regime
We present a study of the dielectric function of metallic (III,Mn)V diluted
magnetic semiconductors in the infrared regime. Our theoretical approach is
based on the kinetic exchange model for carrier induced (III,Mn)V
ferromagnetism. The dielectric function is calculated within the random phase
approximation and, within this metallic regime, we treat disorder effects
perturbatively and thermal effects within the mean field approximation. We also
discuss the implications of this calculations on carrier concentration
measurements from the optical f-sum rule and the analysis of plasmon-phonon
coupled modes in Raman spectra.Comment: 6 pages, 6 figures include
Response to combination therapy with interferon alfa-2a and ribavirin in chronic hepatitis C according to a TNF-alpha promoter polymorphism
Background. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) is involved in the pathogenesis of chronic active hepatitis C. Polymorphisms in the promoter region of the TNF-alpha gene can alter the TNF-alpha expression and modify the host immune response. The present study aimed at the correlation of the G308A TNF-alpha polymorphism with the response to antiviral combination therapy in chronic hepatitis C. Patients and Methods: 62 patients with HCV and 119 healthy unrelated controls were genotyped for the G308A TNF-alpha promoter polymorphism. The patients received 3 x 3 million units of interferon alfa-2a and 1,0001,200 mg ribavirin daily according to their body weight. A response was defined as absence of HCV-RNA and normalization of S-ALT after 6 months of combination therapy. Results:With respect to the allele and genotype frequency, a significant difference was not observed between controls and patients with chronic hepatitis C. Furthermore, such a difference was also not observed if responders and non-responders to antiviral therapy were compared. Conclusions: The promoter polymorphism of the TNF-alpha gene investigated herein is equally distributed in healthy individuals and patients with hepatitis C and does not seem to predict the response to therapy with interferon alfa-2a and ribavirin. Copyright (C) 2003 S. Karger AG, Basel
Estimating novel potential drug targets of Plasmodium falciparum by analysing the metabolic network of knock-out strains in silico
Malaria is one of the worldâs most common and serious diseases causing death of about 3 million people
each year. Its most severe occurrence is caused by the protozoan Plasmodium falciparum. Biomedical
research could enable treating the disease by effectively and specifically targeting essential enzymes of
this parasite. However, the parasite has developed resistance to existing drugsmaking it indispensable to
discover new drugs. We have established a simple computational tool which analyses the topology of the
metabolic network of P. falciparum to identify essential enzymes as possible drug targets.Weinvestigated
the essentiality of a reaction in the metabolic network by deleting (knocking-out) such a reaction in silico.
The algorithmselected neighbouring compounds of the investigated reaction that had to be produced by
alternative biochemical pathways. Using breadth first searches, we tested qualitatively if these products
could be generated by reactions that serve as potential deviations of the metabolic flux. With this we
identified 70 essential reactions. Our results were compared with a comprehensive list of 38 targets of
approved malaria drugs. When combining our approach with an in silico analysis performed recently
[Yeh, I., Hanekamp, T., Tsoka, S., Karp, P.D., Altman, R.B., 2004. Computational analysis of Plasmodium
falciparum metabolism: organizing genomic information to facilitate drug discovery. Genome Res. 14,
917â924] we could improve the precision of the prediction results. Finally we present a refined list of 22
new potential candidate targets for P. falciparum, half of which have reasonable evidence to be valid
targets against micro-organisms and cancer
Conductance plateau in quantum spin transport through an interacting quantum dot
Quantum spin transport is studied in an interacting quantum dot. It is found
that a conductance "plateau" emerges in the non-linear charge conductance by a
spin bias in the Kondo regime. The conductance plateau, as a complementary to
the Kondo peak, originates from the strong electron correlation and exchange
processes in the quantum dot, and can be regarded as one of the characteristics
in quantum spin transport.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figure
The role of Cahn and Sivers effects in Deep Inelastic Scattering
The role of intrinsic \bfk_\perp in inclusive and semi-inclusive Deep
Inelastic Scattering processes () is studied with exact
kinematics within QCD parton model at leading order; the dependence of the
unpolarized cross section on the azimuthal angle between the leptonic and the
hadron production planes (Cahn effect) is compared with data and used to
estimate the average values of both in quark distribution and
fragmentation functions. The resulting picture is applied to the description of
the weighted single spin asymmetry recently
measured by the HERMES collaboration at DESY; this allows to extract some
simple models for the quark Sivers functions. These are compared with the
Sivers functions which succeed in describing the data on transverse single spin
asymmetries in \pup p \to \pi X processes; the two sets of functions are not
inconsistent. The extracted Sivers functions give predictions for the COMPASS
measurement of in agreement with recent
preliminary data, while their contribution to HERMES is
computed and found to be small. Predictions for for kaon production at HERMES are also given.Comment: 21 pages, 12 figures, revtex, version published in PRD, one figure,
comments and references adde
5G-Based Multi-Sensor Platform for Monitoring of Workpieces and Machines: Prototype Hardware Design and Firmware
In this paper, we introduce a 5G-based multi-sensor platform for monitoring workpieces and machines. The prototype is realized within the EU-funded 5G-SMART project, which aims to enable smart manufacturing through 5G, demonstrating and validating new generation network technology in industrial processes. There are already state-of-the-art solutions, but with drawbacks such as limited flexibility, brief real-time capability, and sensors aimed at single applications. The 5G-SMART multi-sensor platform is designed to overcome these points and meet the requirements of Industry 4.0. The device is equipped with different sensors to acquire multiple data from workpieces and machines of the shop floor, wirelessly connected by 5G to the factory cloud. A hardware design description of the prototype is provided, focusing on the electronic components and their interaction with the microcontroller. Verification of the correct functioning of the board is given, with a basic library for the main peripherals used as a basis for the final firmware
Correlation induced switching of local spatial charge distribution in two-level system
We present theoretical investigation of spatial charge distribution in the
two-level system with strong Coulomb correlations by means of Heisenberg
equations analysis for localized states total electron filling numbers taking
into account pair correlations of local electron density. It was found that
tunneling current through nanometer scale structure with strongly coupled
localized states causes Coulomb correlations induced spatial redistribution of
localized charges. Conditions for inverse occupation of two-level system in
particular range of applied bias caused by Coulomb correlations have been
revealed. We also discuss possibility of charge manipulation in the proposed
system.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures Submitted to JETP Letter
IgE-Mediated Hypersensitivity Reactions to Cannabis in Laboratory Personnel
Background: There have been sporadic reports of hypersensitivity reactions to plants of the Cannabinaceae family (hemp and hops), but it has remained unclear whether these reactions are immunologic or nonimmunologic in nature. Objective: We examined the IgE-binding and histamine-releasing properties of hashish and marijuana extracts by CAP-FEIA and a basophil histamine release test. Methods: Two workers at a forensic laboratory suffered from nasal congestion, rbinitis, sneezing and asthmatic symptoms upon occupational contact with hashish or marijuana, which they had handled frequently for 25 and 16 years, respectively. Neither patient had a history of atopic disease. Serum was analyzed for specific IgE antibodies to hashish or marijuana extract by research prototype ImmunoCAP, and histamine release from basophils upon exposure to hashish or marijuana extracts was assessed. Results were matched to those of 4 nonatopic and 10 atopic control subjects with no known history of recreational or occupational exposure to marijuana or hashish. Results: Patient 1 had specific IgE to both hashish and marijuana (CAP class 2), and patient 2 to marijuana only (CAP class 2). Controls proved negative for specific IgE except for 2 atopic individuals with CAP class 1 to marijuana and 1 other atopic individual with CAP class 1 to hashish. Stimulation of basophils with hashish or marijuana extracts elicited histamine release from basophils of both patients and 4 atopic control subjects. Conclusions: Our results suggest an IgE-related pathomechanism for hypersensitivity reactions to marijuana or hashish. Copyright (C) 2011 S. Karger AG, Base
- âŠ