6,610 research outputs found
Volume-energy correlations in the slow degrees of freedom of computer-simulated phospholipid membranes
Constant-pressure molecular-dynamics simulations of phospholipid membranes in
the fluid phase reveal strong correlations between equilibrium fluctuations of
volume and energy on the nanosecond time-scale. The existence of strong
volume-energy correlations was previously deduced indirectly by Heimburg from
experiments focusing on the phase transition between the fluid and the ordered
gel phases. The correlations, which are reported here for three different
membranes (DMPC, DMPS-Na, and DMPSH), have volume-energy correlation
coefficients ranging from 0.81 to 0.89. The DMPC membrane was studied at two
temperatures showing that the correlation coefficient increases as the phase
transition is approached
Isomorphs in model molecular liquids
Isomorphs are curves in the phase diagram along which a number of static and
dynamic quantities are invariant in reduced units. A liquid has good isomorphs
if and only if it is strongly correlating, i.e., the equilibrium
virial/potential energy fluctuations are more than 90% correlated in the NVT
ensemble. This paper generalizes isomorphs to liquids composed of rigid
molecules and study the isomorphs of two systems of small rigid molecules, the
asymmetric dumbbell model and the Lewis-Wahnstrom OTP model. In particular, for
both systems we find that the isochoric heat capacity, the excess entropy, the
reduced molecular center-of-mass self part of the intermediate scattering
function, the reduced molecular center-of-mass radial distribution function to
a good approximation are invariant along an isomorph. In agreement with theory,
we also find that an instantaneous change of temperature and density from an
equilibrated state point to another isomorphic state point leads to no
relaxation. The isomorphs of the Lewis-Wahnstrom OTP model were found to be
more approximative than those of the asymmetric dumbbell model, which is
consistent with the OTP model being less strongly correlating. For both models
we find "master isomorphs", i.e., isomorphs have identical shape in the
virial/potential energy phase diagram.Comment: 20 page
Symmetry breaking in driven and strongly damped pendulum
We examine the conditions for appearance of symmetry breaking bifurcation in
damped and periodically driven pendulum in the case of strong damping. We show
that symmetry breaking, unlike other nonlinear phenomena, can exist at high
dissipation. We prove that symmetry breaking phases exist between phases of
symmetric normal and symmetric inverted oscillations. We find that symmetry
broken solutions occupy a sufficiently smaller region of pendulum's parameter
space in comparison to the statements made in earlier considerations [McDonald
and Plischke, Phys. Rev. B 27 (1983) 201]. Our research on symmetry breaking in
a strongly damped pendulum is relevant to an understanding of phenomena of
dynamic symmetry breaking and rectification in a pure ac driven semiconductor
superlattices.Comment: 11 pages, 4 color figures, RevTeX
One Dimensional Kondo Lattice Model Studied by the Density Matrix Renormalization Group Method
Recent developments of the theoretical investigations on the one-dimensional
Kondo lattice model by using the density matrix renormalization group (DMRG)
method are discussed in this review. Short summaries are given for the
zero-temperature DMRG, the finite-temperature DMRG, and also its application to
dynamic quantities. Away from half-filling, the paramagnetic metallic state is
shown to be a Tomonaga-Luttinger liquid with the large Fermi surface. For the
large Fermi surface its size is determined by the sum of the densities of the
conduction electrons and the localized spins. The correlation exponent K_rho of
this metallic phase is smaller than 1/2. At half-filling the ground state is
insulating. Excitation gaps are different depending on channels, the spin gap,
the charge gap and the quasiparticle gap. Temperature dependence of the spin
and charge susceptibilities and specific heat are discussed. Particularly
interesting is the temperature dependence of various excitation spectra, which
show unusual properties of the Kondo insulators.Comment: 18 pages, 23 Postscript figures, REVTe
Plasma level of mannose-binding lectin is associated with the risk of recurrent pregnancy loss but not pregnancy outcome after the diagnosis
STUDY QUESTION: Are low or high plasma mannose-binding lectin (p-MBL) levels associated with recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) and the reproductive and perinatal outcomes before and after RPL? SUMMARY ANSWER: The prevalence of low p-MBL levels was significantly higher in RPL patients, while high levels were significantly less prevalent. No association was found between p-MBL level and reproductive and perinatal outcomes before and after RPL. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY: Mannose-binding lectin (MBL) is an important component in the innate immune system. Low p-MBL levels have been associated with RPL, while the correlation with high levels has been poorly studied. Adverse perinatal outcomes are generally more frequent among RPL patients, but reports concerning the association between maternal p-MBL levels and perinatal outcomes, including birth weight (BW) and gestational age (GA), are conflicting. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION: This study was a combined cross-sectional and cohort study of 267 RPL patients admitted to the RPL Center of Western Denmark between January 2016 and March 2020. RPL patients were followed until birth of a liveborn child or until end of follow-up, March 2021. A sample of 185 healthy female blood donors of reproductive age was used as a MBL reference group. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS: All RPL patients had ≥3 consecutive pregnancy losses, a regular menstrual cycle and no known significant chromosomal or uterine malformations. At the first consultation, routine blood samples including p-MBL measurement and detailed obstetrical and perinatal information were collected. p-MBL levels in RPL patients were compared to the MBL reference group. A logistic regression analysis adjusted for relevant confounders assessed the association between low p-MBL levels and an unsuccessful reproductive outcome in RPL patients in first pregnancy after admission. Perinatal outcomes before and after RPL were compared between RPL subgroups according to low (≤500 µg/l), intermediate (501–3000 µg/l) and high (>3000 µg/l) p-MBL levels. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE: Significantly more RPL patients had low p-MBL levels (prevalence proportion ratio (PPR): 1.79, 95% CI: 1.34–2.38) and fewer had high p-MBL levels (PPR: 0.56, 95% CI: 0.40–0.79) compared to the reference group, while the prevalence of intermediate p-MBL level was not different between the groups (PPR: 0.86, 95% CI: 0.69–1.08). In the prospective study, low p-MBL level was not a significant risk factor for a pregnancy loss in the first pregnancy after admission after adjustment for age, BMI and smoking. Neither before nor after the RPL diagnosis were maternal p-MBL levels significantly associated with BW or GA. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION: Only 161 (60.3%) patients had given birth after RPL during the follow-up period, which limited the possibility to detect clear associations between p-MBL levels and perinatal outcomes after RPL. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS: In agreement with several previous studies, low p-MBL levels are strongly associated with RPL, while this study for the first time documents that high levels may play a protective role, which suggests a causal relationship. We suggest that larger prospective studies evaluate the association between p-MBL levels and RPL prognosis. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S): No external funding was received. We acknowledge the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Aalborg University Hospital for financial support. U.S.K. has reported personal fees from Merck, consulting fees from IBSA Nordic, and a grant from Gedeon Richter, Merck and IBSA Nordic outside of the submitted work. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ID from clinicaltrials.gov is NCT04017754
The Rigidly Rotating Magnetosphere of Sigma Ori E
We attempt to characterize the observed variability of the magnetic
helium-strong star sigma Ori E in terms of a recently developed rigidly
rotating magnetosphere model. This model predicts the accumulation of
circumstellar plasma in two co-rotating clouds, situated in magnetohydrostatic
equilibrium at the intersection between magnetic and rotational equators. We
find that the model can reproduce well the periodic modulations observed in the
star's light curve, H alpha emission-line profile, and longitudinal field
strength, confirming that it furnishes an essentially correct, quantitative
description of the star's magnetically controlled circumstellar environment.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, accepted by Ap
The Afterglow of GRB010222: A Case of Continuous Energy Injection
The optical lightcurve of GRB010222 exhibited one of the slowest decays of
any gamma-ray burst to date. Its broadband properties have been difficult to
explain with conventional afterglow models, as they either require the power
law index of the underlying electron energy distribution to be low, , or
that the outflow is quasi-spherical thus reviving the energy problem. We argue
that the slow decay of GRB 010222 and a linear polarization of %,
is naturally explained by a jet model with continuous energy injection. The
electron energy distribution then has , fully consistent with
the expectation from detailed modelling of acceleration in relativistic shocks,
that , thus alleviating the ``-problem''.Comment: 5 pages, 1 figure. To appear in ApJ
Macroscopic Quantum Tunneling of a Fluxon in a Long Josephson Junction
Macroscopic quantum tunneling (MQT) for a single fluxon moving along a long
Josephson junction is studied theoretically. To introduce a fluxon-pinning
force, we consider inhomogeneities made by modifying thickness of an insulating
layer locally. Two different situations are studied: one is the quantum
tunneling from a metastable state caused by a single inhomogeneity, and the
other is the quantum tunneling in a two-state system made by two
inhomogeneities. In the quantum tunneling from a metastable state, the decay
rate is estimated within the WKB approximation. Dissipation effects on a fluxon
dynamics are taken into account by the Caldeira-Leggett theory. We propose a
device to observe quantum tunneling of a fluxon experimentally. Required
experimental resolutions to observe MQT of a fluxon seem attainable within the
presently available micro-fabrication technique. For the two-state system, we
study quantum resonance between two stable states, i.e., macroscopic quantum
coherence (MQC). From the estimate for dissipation coefficients due to
quasiparticle tunneling, the observation of MQC appears to be possible within
the Caldeira-Leggett theory.Comment: 30 pages LaTeX including 11 PS figures, using jpsj.sty. To be
published on J. Phys. Soc. Jpn. Overestimates for damping amplitude is
correcte
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Results from the CERN pilot CLOUD experiment
During a 4-week run in October–November 2006, a pilot experiment was performed at the CERN Proton Synchrotron in preparation for the Cosmics Leaving OUtdoor Droplets (CLOUD) experiment, whose aim is to study the possible influence of cosmic rays on clouds. The purpose of the pilot experiment was firstly to carry out exploratory measurements of the effect of ionising particle radiation on aerosol formation from trace H2SO4 vapour and secondly to provide technical input for the CLOUD design. A total of 44 nucleation bursts were produced and recorded, with formation rates of particles above the 3 nm detection threshold of between 0.1 and 100 cm−3 s−1, and growth rates between 2 and 37 nm h−1. The corresponding H2SO4 concentrations were typically around 106 cm−3 or less. The experimentally-measured formation rates and H2SO4 concentrations are comparable to those found in the atmosphere, supporting the idea that sulphuric acid is involved in the nucleation of atmospheric aerosols. However, sulphuric acid alone is not able to explain the observed rapid growth rates, which suggests the presence of additional trace vapours in the aerosol chamber, whose identity is unknown. By analysing the charged fraction, a few of the aerosol bursts appear to have a contribution from ion-induced nucleation and ion-ion recombination to form neutral clusters. Some indications were also found for the accelerator beam timing and intensity to influence the aerosol particle formation rate at the highest experimental SO2 concentrations of 6 ppb, although none was found at lower concentrations. Overall, the exploratory measurements provide suggestive evidence for ion-induced nucleation or ion-ion recombination as sources of aerosol particles. However in order to quantify the conditions under which ion processes become significant, improvements are needed in controlling the experimental variables and in the reproducibility of the experiments. Finally, concerning technical aspects, the most important lessons for the CLOUD design include the stringent requirement of internal cleanliness of the aerosol chamber, as well as maintenance of extremely stable temperatures (variations below 0.1 _C)
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