227 research outputs found
Granulocyte-activating mediators (GRAM)
In the present study we investigated the capability of human epidermal cells to generate granulocyte-activating mediators (GRAM). It could be shown that human epidermal cells as well as an epidermoid carcinoma cell line (A431) produce an epidermal cell-derived granulocyte-activating mediator (EC-GRAM) which stimulates human granulocytes to release significant levels of toxic oxygen radicals as measured by a lucigenin-dependent chemiluminescence (CL). For further characterization of EC-GRAM the A431 cell line was used. Supernatants of A431 cells usually contained maximal EC-GRAM levels within 24 h of incubation. Factor production was enhanced by bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS), but not by silica particles and PHA. Moreover, freeze-thaw lysates of A431 cells and extracts of heat-separated human epidermis contained significant levels of EC-GRAM. Preincubation of granulocytes with EC-GRAM resulted in an enhanced response to subsequent stimulation with the chemotactic peptide f-met-phe. In contrast EC-GRAM did not affect the response to PMA or zymosan particles. However, EC-GRAM treated granulocytes were unresponsive to restimulation with EC-GRAM. Upon high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) gel filtration EC-GRAM eluted within two major peaks exhibiting a molecular weight of 17 kD and 44 kD. According to its biochemical and biological properties EC-GRAM can be separated from other cytokines such as ETAF/-interleukin 1, interleukin 2, interferons, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF). However, an antibody to human GM-CSF neutralized about 75% of the activity. These results indicate that EC-GRAM activity stimulating the generation of reactive oxygen species by granulocytes is probably due to GM-CSF
Fission barriers and asymmetric ground states in the relativistic mean field theory
The symmetric and asymmetric fission path for 240Pu, 232Th, and 226Ra is
investigated within the relativistic mean field model. Standard
parametrizations which are well fitted to nuclear ground state properties are
found to deliver reasonable qualitative and quantitative features of fission,
comparable to similar nonrelativstic calculations. Furthermore, stable octupole
deformations in the ground states of Radium isotopes are investigated. They are
found in a series of isotopes, qualitatively in agreement with nonrelativistic
models. But the quantitative details differ amongst the models and between the
various relativsitic parametrizations.Comment: 30 pages RevTeX, 7 tables, 12 low resolution Gif figures (high
resolution PostScript versions are available at
http://www.th.physik.uni-frankfurt.de/~bender/nucl_struct_publications.html
or at ftp://th.physik.uni-frankfurt.de/pub/bender
Conference Report on the 2013 Hermes Consortium Seminar "New Worlds, New Literatures, New Critiques"
3. Greifswalder Baurechtstage - Praxiserfahrungen mit dem neuen BauGB - umweltrechtliche Belange
conferenc
An Approach for Simplified Subsystem Replacement and Reconfiguration in Multimodal VR, AR and Other Simulation Frameworks
Nowadays, modern software for the development of augmented and virtual reality applications is designed with the aim to simplify its usability in order to provide services to a wider user base. In this context, our paper presents a novel approach to make the replacement and reconfiguration of a simulation framework's subsystems possible, without being bound by the restrictions, current plug-in strategies incur, or the need of manipulating its source code. Code manipulation requires a deep understanding of software engineering and the framework's software design, including all dependencies among the subsystems. For this purpose, common simulation systems were examined and their restrictions identified. Solutions of different problems in this context were elaborated and are discussed in this paper
Shell stabilization of super- and hyperheavy nuclei without magic gaps
Quantum stabilization of superheavy elements is quantified in terms of the
shell-correction energy. We compute the shell correction using self-consistent
nuclear models: the non-relativistic Skyrme-Hartree-Fock approach and the
relativistic mean-field model, for a number of parametrizations. All the forces
applied predict a broad valley of shell stabilization around Z=120 and
N=172-184. We also predict two broad regions of shell stabilization in
hyperheavy elements with N approx 258 and N approx 308. Due to the large
single-particle level density, shell corrections in the superheavy elements
differ markedly from those in lighter nuclei. With increasing proton and
neutron numbers, the regions of nuclei stabilized by shell effects become
poorly localized in particle number, and the familiar pattern of shells
separated by magic gaps is basically gone.Comment: 6 pages REVTEX, 4 eps figures, submitted to Phys. Lett.
Potential energy surfaces of superheavy nuclei
We investigate the structure of the potential energy surfaces of the
superheavy nuclei 258Fm, 264Hs, (Z=112,N=166), (Z=114,N=184), and (Z=120,N=172)
within the framework of self-consistent nuclear models, i.e. the
Skyrme-Hartree-Fock approach and the relativistic mean-field model. We compare
results obtained with one representative parametrisation of each model which is
successful in describing superheavy nuclei. We find systematic changes as
compared to the potential energy surfaces of heavy nuclei in the uranium
region: there is no sufficiently stable fission isomer any more, the importance
of triaxial configurations to lower the first barrier fades away, and
asymmetric fission paths compete down to rather small deformation. Comparing
the two models, it turns out that the relativistic mean-field model gives
generally smaller fission barriers.Comment: 8 pages RevTeX, 6 figure
- …