281 research outputs found
Theory of Tunneling Spectroscopy in a Mn Single-Electron Transistor by Density-Functional Theory Methods
We consider tunneling transport through a Mn molecular magnet using
spin density functional theory. A tractable methodology for constructing
many-body wavefunctions from Kohn-Sham orbitals allows for the determination of
spin-dependent matrix elements for use in transport calculations. The tunneling
conductance at finite bias is characterized by peaks representing transitions
between spin multiplets, separated by an energy on the order of the magnetic
anisotropy. The energy splitting of the spin multiplets and the spatial part of
their many-body wave functions, describing the orbital degrees of freedom of
the excess charge, strongly affect the electronic transport, and can lead to
negative differential conductance.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, a revised version with minor change
the impact of delayed treatment on 6 minute walk distance test in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension a meta analysis
Abstract Background The impact of treatment delay in stable patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) remains unaddressed. Methods This meta-analysis included six datasets of PAH therapies with randomized-controlled trials (RCT) and corresponding open-label extension (OLE) studies. We evaluated the change in 6MWD at 1year in the OLE studies by active treatment versus ex-placebo group. The ex-placebo group (i.e., the patients randomized to placebo in the RCT and ultimately treated with active therapy in the OLE) represented the "delay-in-treatment" population. Results Patients with a treatment delay of 12–16weeks in PAH targeted therapy had an improvement in 6-minute walk distance (6MWD) test at 1year, but this improvement did not amount to the same degree of improvement as their initially treated counterparts. The difference in 6MWD was 15m to 20m at 1year. Conclusion A short-term delay in PAH targeted therapy may adversely affect functional capacity in patients with PAH. This meta-analysis provides some insight as to whether earlier treatment would benefit stable patients with PAH
Oestrogen receptor alpha in pulmonary hypertension
Aims Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) occurs more frequently in women with mutations in bone morphogenetic protein receptor type 2 (BMPR2) and dysfunctional BMPR2 signalling underpinning heritable PAH. We have previously shown that serotonin can uncover a pulmonary hypertensive phenotype in BMPR2+/− mice and that oestrogen can increase serotinergic signalling in human pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells (hPASMCs). Hence, here we wished to characterize the expression of oestrogen receptors (ERs) in male and female human pulmonary arteries and have examined the influence of oestrogen and serotonin on BMPR2 and ERα expression.
Methods and results: By immunohistochemistry, we showed that ERα, ERβ, and G-protein-coupled receptors are expressed in human pulmonary arteries localizing mainly to the smooth muscle layer which also expresses the serotonin transporter (SERT). Protein expression of ERα protein was higher in female PAH patient hPASMCs compared with male and serotonin also increased the expression of ERα. 17β-estradiol induced proliferation of hPASMCs via ERα activation and this engaged mitogen-activated protein kinase and Akt signalling. Female mice over-expressing SERT (SERT+ mice) develop PH and the ERα antagonist MPP attenuated the development of PH in normoxic and hypoxic female SERT+ mice. The therapeutic effects of MPP were accompanied by increased expression of BMPR2 in mouse lung.
Conclusion: ERα is highly expressed in female hPASMCs from PAH patients and mediates oestrogen-induced proliferation of hPASMCs via mitogen-activated protein kinase and Akt signalling. Serotonin can increase ERα expression in hPASMCs and antagonism of ERα reverses serotonin-dependent PH in the mouse and increases BMPR2 expression.</p
Aperiodicity-Induced Second-Order Phase Transition in the 8-State Potts Model
We investigate the critical behavior of the two-dimensional 8-state Potts
model with an aperiodic distribution of the exchange interactions between
nearest-neighbor rows. The model is studied numerically through intensive Monte
Carlo simulations using the Swendsen-Wang cluster algorithm. The transition
point is located through duality relations, and the critical behavior is
investigated using FSS techniques at criticality. For strong enough
fluctuations of the aperiodic sequence under consideration, a second order
phase transition is found. The exponents and are
obtained at the new fixed point.Comment: LaTeX file with Revtex, 4 pages, 5 eps figures, to appear in Phys.
Rev. Let
Spinless particle in rapidly fluctuating random magnetic field
We study a two-dimensional spinless particle in a disordered gaussian
magnetic field with short time fluctuations, by means of the evolution equation
for the density matrix ; in this
description the two coordinates are associated with the retarded and advanced
paths respectively. The static part of the vector potential correlator is
assumed to grow with distance with a power ; the case corresponds to
a -correlated magnetic field, and to free massless field. The
value separates two different regimes, diffusion and logarithmic growth
respectively. When the baricentric coordinate diffuses with a coefficient proportional to , where
is the relative coordinate: . As the
correlator of the magnetic field is a power of distance with positive exponent;
then the coefficient scales as .
The density matrix is a function of and ,and its width in
grows for large times proportionally to .Comment: latex2e; 2 figure
Interface Fluctuations on a Hierarchical Lattice
We consider interface fluctuations on a two-dimensional layered lattice where
the couplings follow a hierarchical sequence. This problem is equivalent to the
diffusion process of a quantum particle in the presence of a one-dimensional
hierarchical potential. According to a modified Harris criterion this type of
perturbation is relevant and one expects anomalous fluctuating behavior. By
transfer-matrix techniques and by an exact renormalization group transformation
we have obtained analytical results for the interface fluctuation exponents,
which are discontinuous at the homogeneous lattice limit.Comment: 14 pages plain Tex, one Figure upon request, Phys Rev E (in print
Energy spectra, wavefunctions and quantum diffusion for quasiperiodic systems
We study energy spectra, eigenstates and quantum diffusion for one- and
two-dimensional quasiperiodic tight-binding models. As our one-dimensional
model system we choose the silver mean or `octonacci' chain. The
two-dimensional labyrinth tiling, which is related to the octagonal tiling, is
derived from a product of two octonacci chains. This makes it possible to treat
rather large systems numerically. For the octonacci chain, one finds singular
continuous energy spectra and critical eigenstates which is the typical
behaviour for one-dimensional Schr"odinger operators based on substitution
sequences. The energy spectra for the labyrinth tiling can, depending on the
strength of the quasiperiodic modulation, be either band-like or fractal-like.
However, the eigenstates are multifractal. The temporal spreading of a
wavepacket is described in terms of the autocorrelation function C(t) and the
mean square displacement d(t). In all cases, we observe power laws for C(t) and
d(t) with exponents -delta and beta, respectively. For the octonacci chain,
0<delta<1, whereas for the labyrinth tiling a crossover is observed from
delta=1 to 0<delta<1 with increasing modulation strength. Corresponding to the
multifractal eigenstates, we obtain anomalous diffusion with 0<beta<1 for both
systems. Moreover, we find that the behaviour of C(t) and d(t) is independent
of the shape and the location of the initial wavepacket. We use our results to
check several relations between the diffusion exponent beta and the fractal
dimensions of energy spectra and eigenstates that were proposed in the
literature.Comment: 24 pages, REVTeX, 10 PostScript figures included, major revision, new
results adde
Dissipative Chaos in Semiconductor Superlattices
We consider the motion of ballistic electrons in a miniband of a
semiconductor superlattice (SSL) under the influence of an external,
time-periodic electric field. We use the semi-classical balance-equation
approach which incorporates elastic and inelastic scattering (as dissipation)
and the self-consistent field generated by the electron motion. The coupling of
electrons in the miniband to the self-consistent field produces a cooperative
nonlinear oscillatory mode which, when interacting with the oscillatory
external field and the intrinsic Bloch-type oscillatory mode, can lead to
complicated dynamics, including dissipative chaos. For a range of values of the
dissipation parameters we determine the regions in the amplitude-frequency
plane of the external field in which chaos can occur. Our results suggest that
for terahertz external fields of the amplitudes achieved by present-day free
electron lasers, chaos may be observable in SSLs. We clarify the nature of this
novel nonlinear dynamics in the superlattice-external field system by exploring
analogies to the Dicke model of an ensemble of two-level atoms coupled with a
resonant cavity field and to Josephson junctions.Comment: 33 pages, 8 figure
Wet Granular Materials
Most studies on granular physics have focused on dry granular media, with no
liquids between the grains. However, in geology and many real world
applications (e.g., food processing, pharmaceuticals, ceramics, civil
engineering, constructions, and many industrial applications), liquid is
present between the grains. This produces inter-grain cohesion and drastically
modifies the mechanical properties of the granular media (e.g., the surface
angle can be larger than 90 degrees). Here we present a review of the
mechanical properties of wet granular media, with particular emphasis on the
effect of cohesion. We also list several open problems that might motivate
future studies in this exciting but mostly unexplored field.Comment: review article, accepted for publication in Advances in Physics;
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