Insights into the relationship between inherent materials properties of PZT and photochemistry for the development of nanostructured silver.

Recently there has been great interest in using patterned ferroelectric materials for the photochemical growth of metal nanostructures. Variations in surface and sub-surface structure influence the photochemical processes. Here we show that crystallography, and hence remnant polarization, of the ferroelectric affects photo-deposition. The ratio of metal growth on c– and c+ domains varies from 1 : 2 for [100] to 1 : 100 for [111]. This is shown to be dependent on the variations in the band structu

A role for the extracellular calcium-sensing receptor in cell-cell communication in pancreatic islets of Langerhans

Background: The extracellular calcium-sensing receptor (CaR) is expressed in many tissues that are not associated with Ca2+ homeostasis, including the endocrine cells in pancreatic islets of Langerhans. We have demonstrated previously that pharmacological activation of the CaR stimulates insulin secretion from islet -cells and insulin-secreting MIN6 cells. Methods: In the present study we have investigated the effects of CaR activation on MIN6 cell proliferation and have used shRNA-mediated CaR knockdown to determine whether the CaR is involved in the regulation of insulin secretion via cell-cell communication. Results: CaR activation caused the phosphorylation and activation of the p42/44 MAPK signalling cascade, and this activation was prevented by the shRNA-induced down-regulation of CaR mRNA expression. CaR activation also resulted in increased proliferation of MIN6 cells, consistent with the known role of the p42/44 MAPK system in the regulation of -cell proliferation. Down-regulation of CaR expression had no detectable effects on glucose-induced insulin secretion from MIN6 cells maintained as monolayers, but blocked the increases in insulin secretion that were observed when the cells were configured as three-dimensional islet-like structures (pseudoislets), consistent with a role for the CaR in cell-cell communication in pseudoislets. Conclusion: It is well established that islet function is dependent on communication between islet cells and the results of this study suggest that the CaR is required for -cell to -cell interactions within islet-like structures

Capturing the 3D motion of an infalling galaxy via fluid dynamics

The Fornax Cluster is the nearest galaxy cluster in the southern sky. NGC 1404 is a bright elliptical galaxy falling through the intracluster medium of the Fornax Cluster. The sharp leading edge of NGC 1404 forms a classical "cold front" that separates 0.6 keV dense interstellar medium and 1.5 keV diffuse intracluster medium. We measure the angular pressure variation along the cold front using a very deep (670\,ksec) {\sl Chandra} X-ray observation. We are taking the classical approach -- using stagnation pressure to determine a substructure's speed -- to the next level by not only deriving a general speed but also directionality which yields the complete velocity field as well as the distance of the substructure directly from the pressure distribution. We find a hydrodynamic model consistent with the pressure jump along NGC 1404's atmosphere measured in multiple directions. The best-fit model gives an inclination of 33∘ and a Mach number of 1.3 for the infall of NGC 1404, in agreement with complementary measurements of the motion of NGC 1404. Our study demonstrates the successful treatment of a highly ionized ICM as ideal fluid flow, in support of the hypothesis that magnetic pressure is not dynamically important over most of the virial region of galaxy clusters