480 research outputs found
River environment: a reference document, The
DBS-PFL-YHC-SAS-14.Includes bibliographical references (pages A-1-A-26).Prepared for United States of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service.December 1975
High-speed metamagnetic resistive switching of FeRh through Joule heating
Due to its proximity to room temperature and demonstrated high degree of
temperature tunability, the metamagnetic ordering transition in FeRh is
attractive for novel high-performance computing devices seeking to use
magnetism as the state variable. We demonstrate electrical control of the
transition via Joule heating in FeRh wires. Finite element simulations based on
abrupt state transition within each domain result in a globally smooth
transition that agrees with the experimental findings and provides insight into
the thermodynamics involved. We measure a 150 K decrease in transition
temperature with currents up to 60 mA, limited only by the dimensions of the
device. The sizeable shift in transition temperature scales with current
density and wire length, suggesting the absolute resistance and heat
dissipation of the substrate are also important. The FeRh phase change is
evaluated by pulsed I-V using a variety of bias conditions. We demonstrate high
speed (~ ns) memristor-like behavior and report device performance parameters
such as switching speed and power consumption that compare favorably with
state-of-the-art phase change memristive technologies.Comment: 35 pages, 9 figure
Feasibility of quantum key distribution through dense wavelength division multiplexing network
In this paper, we study the feasibility of conducting quantum key
distribution (QKD) together with classical communication through the same
optical fiber by employing dense-wavelength-division-multiplexing (DWDM)
technology at telecom wavelength. The impact of the classical channels to the
quantum channel has been investigated for both QKD based on single photon
detection and QKD based on homodyne detection. Our studies show that the latter
can tolerate a much higher level of contamination from the classical channels
than the former. This is because the local oscillator used in the homodyne
detector acts as a "mode selector" which can suppress noise photons
effectively. We have performed simulations based on both the decoy BB84 QKD
protocol and the Gaussian modulated coherent state (GMCS) QKD protocol. While
the former cannot tolerate even one classical channel (with a power of 0dBm),
the latter can be multiplexed with 38 classical channels (0dBm power each
channel) and still has a secure distance around 10km. Preliminary experiment
has been conducted based on a 100MHz bandwidth homodyne detector.Comment: 18 pages, 5 figure
Overexpression of Mcl-1 exacerbates lymphocyte accumulation and autoimmune kidney disease in lpr mice
Cell death by apoptosis has a critical role during embryonic development and in maintaining tissue homeostasis. In mammals,
there are two converging apoptosis pathways: the ‘extrinsic’ pathway, which is triggered by engagement of cell surface ‘death
receptors’ such as Fas/APO-1; and the ‘intrinsic’ pathway, which is triggered by diverse cellular stresses, and is regulated by prosurvival
and pro-apoptotic members of the Bcl-2 family of proteins. Pro-survival Mcl-1, which can block activation of the proapoptotic
proteins, Bax and Bak, appears critical for the survival and maintenance of multiple haemopoietic cell types. To
investigate the impact on haemopoiesis of simultaneously inhibiting both apoptosis pathways, we introduced the vavP-Mcl-1
transgene, which causes overexpression of Mcl-1 protein in all haemopoietic lineages, into Faslpr/lpr mice, which lack functional
Fas and are prone to autoimmunity. The combined mutations had a modest impact on myelopoiesis, primarily an increase in the
macrophage/monocyte population in Mcl-1tg/lpr mice compared with lpr or Mcl-1tg mice. The impact on lymphopoiesis was
striking, with a marked elevation in all major lymphoid subsets, including the non-conventional double-negative (DN) T cells
(TCRβ+
CD4–
CD8–
B220+
) characteristic of Faslpr/lpr mice. Of note, the onset of autoimmunity was markedly accelerated in Mcl-1tg/lpr
mice compared with lpr mice, and this was preceded by an increase in immunoglobulin (Ig)-producing cells and circulating
autoantibodies. This degree of impact was surprising, given the relatively mild phenotype conferred by the vavP-Mcl-1 transgene
by itself: a two- to threefold elevation of peripheral B and T cells, no significant increase in the non-conventional DN T-cell
population and no autoimmune disease. Comparison of the phenotype with that of other susceptible mice suggests that the
development of autoimmune disease in Mcl-1tg/lpr mice may be influenced not only by Ig-producing cells but also other
haemopoietic cell types
In Vivo Isolation and Characterization of Stem Cells with Diverse Phenotypes Using Growth Factor Impregnated Biomatrices
BACKGROUND: The stimulation to differentiate into specific cell types for somatic stem cells is largely due to a series of internal and external signals coming from the microenvironment that surrounds the stem cell. Even though intensive research has been made, the basic mechanisms of plasticity and/or the molecules regulating stem cells proliferation and differentiation are not completely determined. Potential answers concerning the problems could be derived from the studies of stem cells in culture. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPLE FINDINGS: We combine a new procedure (using the matrigel biopolymer supplemented with a selected cytokine/growth factor) with classic techniques such as light, confocal and electron microscopy, immunohistochemistry and cell culture, to perform an analysis on stem cells involved in the leech (Hirudo medicinalis) repair tissues. The leech has a relative anatomical simplicity and is a reliable model for studying a variety of basic events, such as tissue repair, which has a striking similarity with vertebrate responses. Our data demonstrate that the injection of an appropriate combination of the matrigel biopolymer supplemented with a selected cytokine/growth factor in the leech Hirudo medicinalis is a remarkably effective tool for isolating a specific cell population in vivo. A comparative analysis of biopolymer in vivo sorted stem cells indicates that VEGF recruited cells of a hematopoietic/endothelial phenotype whereas MCP-1/CCL2 isolated cells that were of an early myeloid lineage. CONCLUSION: Our paper describes, for the first time, a method allowing not only the isolation of a specific cell population in relation to the cytokine utilized but also the possibility to culture a precise cell type whose isolation is otherwise quite difficult. This approach could be broadly applied to isolate stem cells of diverse origins based on the recruitment stimuli employed
Down-Regulation of DNA Mismatch Repair Enhances Initiation and Growth of Neuroblastoma and Brain Tumour Multicellular Spheroids
Multicellular tumour spheroid (MCTS) cultures are excellent model systems for simulating the development and microenvironmental conditions of in vivo tumour growth. Many documented cell lines can generate differentiated MCTS when cultured in suspension or in a non-adhesive environment. While physiological and biochemical properties of MCTS have been extensively characterized, insight into the events and conditions responsible for initiation of these structures is lacking. MCTS are formed by only a small subpopulation of cells during surface-associated growth but the processes responsible for this differentiation are poorly understood and have not been previously studied experimentally. Analysis of gene expression within spheroids has provided clues but to date it is not known if the observed differences are a cause or consequence of MCTS growth. One mechanism linked to tumourigenesis in a number of cancers is genetic instability arising from impaired DNA mismatch repair (MMR). This study aimed to determine the role of MMR in MCTS initiation and development. Using surface-associated N2a and CHLA-02-ATRT culture systems we have investigated the impact of impaired MMR on MCTS growth. Analysis of the DNA MMR genes MLH1 and PMS2 revealed both to be significantly down-regulated at the mRNA level compared with non-spheroid-forming cells. By using small interfering RNA (siRNA) against these genes we show that silencing of MLH1 and PMS2 enhances both MCTS initiation and subsequent expansion. This effect was prolonged over several passages following siRNA transfection. Down-regulation of DNA MMR can contribute to tumour initiation and progression in N2a and CHLA-02-ATRT MCTS models. Studies of surface-associated MCTS differentiation may have broader applications in studying events in the initiation of cancer foci
Optics and Quantum Electronics
Contains table of contents for Section 2 and reports on twenty research projects.Charles S. Draper Laboratory Contract DL-H-404179Joint Services Electronics Program Contract DAALO3-89-C-0001National Sciences Foundation Grant EET 87-00474National Science Foundation Grant EET 88-15834U.S. Air Force - Office of Scientific Research Contract F49620-88-C-0089National Science Foundation Grant ECS 85-52701International Business Machines CorporationMassachusetts General Hospital Contract N00014-86K-0117National Institutes of Health Grant 2-RO1-GM35459U.S. Department of Energy Grant DE-FG02-89-ER14012Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Subcontract B04870
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