2,732 research outputs found
Kerr effect as a tool for the investigation of dynamic heterogeneities
We propose a dynamic Kerr effect experiment for the distinction between
dynamic heterogeneous and homogeneous relaxation in glassy systems. The
possibility of this distinction is due to the inherent nonlinearity of the Kerr
effect signal. We model the slow reorientational molecular motion in
supercooled liquids in terms of non-inertial rotational diffusion. The Kerr
effect response, consisting of two terms, is calculated for heterogeneous and
for homogeneous variants of the stochastic model. It turns out that the
experiment is able to distinguish between the two scenarios. We furthermore
show that exchange between relatively 'slow' and 'fast' environments does not
affect the possibility of frequency-selective modifications. It is demonstrated
how information about changes in the width of the relaxation time distribution
can be obtained from experimental results.Comment: 23 pages incl. 6 figures accepted for publication in The Journal of
Chemical Physic
Mithramycin and Analogs for Overcoming Cisplatin Resistance in Ovarian Cancer
Ovarian cancer is a highly deadly malignancy in which recurrence is considered incurable. Resistance to platinum-based chemotherapy bodes a particularly abysmal prognosis, underscoring the need for novel therapeutic agents and strategies. The use of mithramycin, an antineoplastic antibiotic, has been previously limited by its narrow therapeutic window. Recent advances in semisynthetic methods have led to mithramycin analogs with improved pharmacological profiles. Mithramycin inhibits the activity of the transcription factor Sp1, which is closely linked with ovarian tumorigenesis and platinum-resistance. This article summarizes recent clinical developments related to mithramycin and postulates a role for the use of mithramycin, or its analog, in the treatment of platinum-resistant ovarian cancer
Elastic electron scattering from 3-hydroxytetrahydrofuran: experimental and theoretical studies
We report the results of measurements and calculations for elastic electron scattering from 3-hydroxytetrahydrofuran (C4H8O2). The measurements are performed with a crossed electron-target beam apparatus and the absolute cross-sections are determined using the relative flow technique. The calculations are carried out using the Schwinger multichannel method in the static-exchange plus polarization (SEP) approximation. A set of angular differential cross-sections (DCS) is provided at five incident energies (6.5, 8, 10, 15 and 20 eV) over an angular range of 20–130°, and the energy dependence of the elastic DCS at a scattering angle of 120° is also presented. Integral elastic and elastic momentum transfer cross-sections have also been derived and calculated. The results are compared with those of recent measurements and calculations for the structurally similar molecule tetrahydrofuran (C4H8O)
miR-17-5p regulates endocytic trafficking through targeting TBC1D2/ Armus
miRNA cluster miR-17-92 is known as oncomir-1 due to its potent oncogenic function. miR-17-92 is a polycistronic cluster that encodes 6 miRNAs, and can both facilitate and inhibit cell proliferation. Known targets of miRNAs encoded by this cluster are largely regulators of cell cycle progression and apoptosis. Here, we show that miRNAs encoded by this cluster and sharing the seed sequence of miR-17 exert their influence on one of the most essential cellular processes – endocytic trafficking. By mRNA expression analysis we identified that regulation of endocytic trafficking by miR-17 can potentially be achieved by targeting of a number of trafficking regulators. We have thoroughly validated TBC1D2/Armus, a GAP of Rab7 GTPase, as a novel target of miR-17. Our study reveals regulation of endocytic trafficking as a novel function of miR-17, which might act cooperatively with other functions of miR-17 and related miRNAs in health and disease
The Green Bank Northern Celestial Cap Pulsar Survey - I: Survey Description, Data Analysis, and Initial Results
We describe an ongoing search for pulsars and dispersed pulses of radio
emission, such as those from rotating radio transients (RRATs) and fast radio
bursts (FRBs), at 350 MHz using the Green Bank Telescope. With the Green Bank
Ultimate Pulsar Processing Instrument, we record 100 MHz of bandwidth divided
into 4,096 channels every 81.92 . This survey will cover the entire sky
visible to the Green Bank Telescope (, or 82% of the sky)
and outside of the Galactic Plane will be sensitive enough to detect slow
pulsars and low dispersion measure (30 ) millisecond
pulsars (MSPs) with a 0.08 duty cycle down to 1.1 mJy. For pulsars with a
spectral index of 1.6, we will be 2.5 times more sensitive than previous and
ongoing surveys over much of our survey region. Here we describe the survey,
the data analysis pipeline, initial discovery parameters for 62 pulsars, and
timing solutions for 5 new pulsars. PSR J02145222 is an MSP in a long-period
(512 days) orbit and has an optical counterpart identified in archival data.
PSR J06365129 is an MSP in a very short-period (96 minutes) orbit with a
very low mass companion (8 ). PSR J06455158 is an isolated MSP
with a timing residual RMS of 500 ns and has been added to pulsar timing array
experiments. PSR J14347257 is an isolated, intermediate-period pulsar that
has been partially recycled. PSR J18164510 is an eclipsing MSP in a
short-period orbit (8.7 hours) and may have recently completed its spin-up
phase.Comment: 18 pages, 10 figures, 5 tables, accepted by Ap
String-like Clusters and Cooperative Motion in a Model Glass-Forming Liquid
A large-scale molecular dynamics simulation is performed on a glass-forming
Lennard-Jones mixture to determine the nature of dynamical heterogeneities
which arise in this model fragile liquid. We observe that the most mobile
particles exhibit a cooperative motion in the form of string-like paths
(``strings'') whose mean length and radius of gyration increase as the liquid
is cooled. The length distribution of the strings is found to be similar to
that expected for the equilibrium polymerization of linear polymer chains.Comment: 6 pages of RevTex, 6 postscript figures, uses epsf.st
The Green Bank North Celestial Cap Pulsar Survey. IV: Four New Timing Solutions
We present timing solutions for four pulsars discovered in the Green Bank
Northern Celestial Cap (GBNCC) survey. All four pulsars are isolated with spin
periods between 0.26s and 1.84s. PSR J00382501 has a 0.26s
period and a period derivative of ,
which is unusually low for isolated pulsars with similar periods. This low
period derivative may be simply an extreme value for an isolated pulsar or it
could indicate an unusual evolution path for PSR J00382501, such as a
disrupted recycled pulsar (DRP) from a binary system or an orphaned central
compact object (CCO). Correcting the observed spin-down rate for the Shklovskii
effect suggests that this pulsar may have an unusually low space velocity,
which is consistent with expectations for DRPs. There is no X-ray emission
detected from PSR J00382501 in an archival swift observation, which suggests
that it is not a young orphaned CCO. The high dispersion measure of PSR
J1949+3426 suggests a distance of 12.3kpc. This distance indicates that PSR
J1949+3426 is among the most distant 7% of Galactic field pulsars, and is one
of the most luminous pulsars.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figure
Growing Correlation Length on Cooling Below the Onset of Caging in a Simulated Glass-Forming Liquid
We present a calculation of a fourth-order, time-dependent density
correlation function that measures higher-order spatiotemporall correlations of
the density of a liquid. From molecular dynamics simulations of a glass-forming
Lennard-Jones liquid, we find that the characteristic length scale of this
function has a maximum as a function of time which increases steadily beyond
the characteristic length of the static pair correlation function in the
temperature range approaching the mode coupling temperature from above
The Green Bank Northern Celestial Cap Pulsar Survey II: The Discovery and Timing of Ten Pulsars
We present timing solutions for ten pulsars discovered in 350 MHz searches
with the Green Bank Telescope. Nine of these were discovered in the Green Bank
Northern Celestial Cap survey and one was discovered by students in the Pulsar
Search Collaboratory program in analysis of drift-scan data. Following
discovery and confirmation with the Green Bank Telescope, timing has yielded
phase-connected solutions with high precision measurements of rotational and
astrometric parameters. Eight of the pulsars are slow and isolated, including
PSR J09302301, a pulsar with nulling fraction lower limit of 30\% and
nulling timescale of seconds to minutes. This pulsar also shows evidence of
mode changing. The remaining two pulsars have undergone recycling, accreting
material from binary companions, resulting in higher spin frequencies. PSR
J05572948 is an isolated, 44 \rm{ms} pulsar that has been partially recycled
and is likely a former member of a binary system which was disrupted by a
second supernova. The paucity of such so-called `disrupted binary pulsars'
(DRPs) compared to double neutron star (DNS) binaries can be used to test
current evolutionary scenarios, especially the kicks imparted on the neutron
stars in the second supernova. There is some evidence that DRPs have larger
space velocities, which could explain their small numbers. PSR J1806+2819 is a
15 \rm{ms} pulsar in a 44 day orbit with a low mass white dwarf companion. We
did not detect the companion in archival optical data, indicating that it must
be older than 1200 Myr.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figure
Morphology of supported polymer electrolyte ultra-thin films: a numerical study
Morphology of polymer electrolytes membranes (PEM), e.g., Nafion, inside PEM
fuel cell catalyst layers has significant impact on the electrochemical
activity and transport phenomena that determine cell performance. In those
regions, Nafion can be found as an ultra-thin film, coating the catalyst and
the catalyst support surfaces. The impact of the hydrophilic/hydrophobic
character of these surfaces on the structural formation of the films has not
been sufficiently explored yet. Here, we report about Molecular Dynamics
simulation investigation of the substrate effects on the ionomer ultra-thin
film morphology at different hydration levels. We use a mean-field-like model
we introduced in previous publications for the interaction of the hydrated
Nafion ionomer with a substrate, characterized by a tunable degree of
hydrophilicity. We show that the affinity of the substrate with water plays a
crucial role in the molecular rearrangement of the ionomer film, resulting in
completely different morphologies. Detailed structural description in different
regions of the film shows evidences of strongly heterogeneous behavior. A
qualitative discussion of the implications of our observations on the PEMFC
catalyst layer performance is finally proposed
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