271 research outputs found
Viscoelastic Phase Patterning in Artificial Protein Hydrogels
Viscoelastic forces can affect the dynamics of pattern formation during phase separation in polymeric materials. We programmed an artificial protein hydrogel to undergo viscoelastic phase separation above a critical temperature. Highly dynamic phase patterns that coarsened under the influence of viscoelastic stresses spontaneously emerged in these gels. Local oxidative crosslinking promoted by mild photobleaching could be used to initiate phase separation locally, enabling the creation of non-equilibrium patterns that evolved under the influence of surface tension and viscoelastic stresses to yield dynamic structures of controlled size and shape
Spectroscopy of resonance decays in high-energy heavy-ion collisions
Invariant mass distributions of the hadronic decay products from resonances
formed in relativistic heavy ion collision (RHIC) experiments are investigated
with a view to disentangle the effects of thermal motion and the phase space of
decay products from those of intrinsic changes in the structure of resonances
at the freeze-out conditions. Analytic results of peak mass shifts for the
cases of both equal and unequal mass decay products are derived. The shift is
expressed in terms of the peak mass and width of the vacuum or medium-modified
spectral functions and temperature. Examples of expected shifts in meson (e.g.,
rho, omega, and sigma) and baryon (e.g., Delta) resonances that are helpful to
interpret recent RHIC measurements at BNL are provided. Although significant
downward mass shifts are caused by widened widths of the meson in
medium, a downward shift of at least 50 MeV in its intrinsic mass is required
to account for the reported downward shift of 60-70 MeV in the peak of the
rho-invariant mass distribution. An observed downward shift from the vacuum
peak value of the Delta distinctively signals a significant downward shift in
its intrinsic peak mass, since unlike for the rho-meson, phase space functions
produce an upward shift for the Delta isobar.Comment: published version with slight change of title and some typos
corrected, 12 pages, 5 figure
Differential retinoic acid signaling in the hippocampus of aged rats with and without memory impairment
Funding Information: This work was entirely supported by the Intramural Research Program of the National Institutes of Health, National institute on Aging.Peer reviewedPublisher PD
Transverse flow and hadro-chemistry in Au+Au collisions at \sqrt{s_{NN}}=200 GeV
We present a hydrodynamic assessment of preliminary particle spectra observed
in Au+Au collisions at \sqrt{s_{NN}}=200 GeV. The hadronic part of the
underlying equation of state is based on explicit conservation of (measured)
particle ratios throughout the resonance gas stage after chemical freezeout by
employing chemical potentials for stable mesons, nucleons and anti-nucleons. We
find that under these conditions the data (in particular the proton spectra)
favor a low freeze-out temperature of around 100 MeV. Furthermore we show that
through inclusion of a moderate pre-hydrodynamic transverse flow field the
shape of the spectra improves with respect to the data. The effect of the
initial transverse boost on elliptic flow and the freeze-out geometry of the
system is also elucidated.Comment: as published: more data included in Fig. 1, discussions throughout
the text improved, 6 pages, 4 figure
Mechanisms of diffusion in associative polymer networks: evidence for chain hopping
Networks assembled by reversible association of telechelic polymers constitute a common class of soft materials. Various mechanisms of chain migration in associative networks have been proposed; yet there remains little quantitative experimental data to discriminate among them. Proposed mechanisms for chain migration include multichain aggregate diffusion as well as single-chain mechanisms such as âwalkingâ and âhoppingâ, wherein diffusion is achieved by either partial (âwalkingâ) or complete (âhoppingâ) disengagement of the associated chain segments. Here, we provide evidence that hopping can dominate the effective diffusion of chains in associative networks due to a strong entropic penalty for bridge formation imposed by local network structure; chains become conformationally restricted upon association with two or more spatially separated binding sites. This restriction decreases the effective binding strength of chains with multiple associative domains, thereby increasing the probability that a chain will hop. For telechelic chains this manifests as binding asymmetry, wherein the first association is effectively stronger than the second. We derive a simple thermodynamic model that predicts the fraction of chains that are free to hop as a function of tunable molecular and network properties. A large set of self-diffusivity measurements on a series of model associative polymers finds good agreement with this model
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Mechanisms of diffusion in associative polymer networks: evidence for chain hopping
Networks assembled by reversible association of telechelic polymers constitute a common class of soft materials. Various mechanisms of chain migration in associative networks have been proposed; yet there remains little quantitative experimental data to discriminate among them. Proposed mechanisms for chain migration include multichain aggregate diffusion as well as single-chain mechanisms such as âwalkingâ and âhoppingâ, wherein diffusion is achieved by either partial (âwalkingâ) or complete (âhoppingâ) disengagement of the associated chain segments. Here, we provide evidence that hopping can dominate the effective diffusion of chains in associative networks due to a strong entropic penalty for bridge formation imposed by local network structure; chains become conformationally restricted upon association with two or more spatially separated binding sites. This restriction decreases the effective binding strength of chains with multiple associative domains, thereby increasing the probability that a chain will hop. For telechelic chains this manifests as binding asymmetry, wherein the first association is effectively stronger than the second. We derive a simple thermodynamic model that predicts the fraction of chains that are free to hop as a function of tunable molecular and network properties. A large set of self-diffusivity measurements on a series of model associative polymers finds good agreement with this model
Cognitive Reserve in Model Systems for Mechanistic Discovery: The Importance of Longitudinal Studies.
The goal of this review article is to provide a resource for longitudinal studies, using animal models, directed at understanding and modifying the relationship between cognition and brain structure and function throughout life. We propose that forthcoming longitudinal studies will build upon a wealth of knowledge gleaned from prior cross-sectional designs to identify early predictors of variability in cognitive function during aging, and characterize fundamental neurobiological mechanisms that underlie the vulnerability to, and the trajectory of, cognitive decline. Finally, we present examples of biological measures that may differentiate mechanisms of the cognitive reserve at the molecular, cellular, and network level
Pancreatic polypeptide inhibits somatostatin secretion
AbstractPancreatic polypeptide (PP) is a major agonist for neuropeptide Y4 receptors (NPY4R). While NPY4R has been identified in various tissues, the cells on which it is expressed and its function in those cells has not been clearly delineated. Here we report that NPY4R is present in all somatostatin-containing cells of tissues that we tested, including pancreatic islets, duodenum, hippocampus, and hypothalamus. Its agonism by PP decreases somatostatin secretion from human islets. Mouse embryonic hippocampal (mHippo E18) cells expressed NPY4Rs and their activation by PP consistently decreased somatostatin secretion. Furthermore, central injection of PP in mice induced c-Fos immunoreactivity in somatostatin-containing cells in the hippocampus compared with PBS-injected mice. In sum, our results identify PP as a pivotal modulator of somatostatin secretion
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