Dependence on temperature and GC content of bubble length distributions in DNA

We present numerical results on the temperature dependence of the distribution of bubble lengths in DNA segments of various guanine-cytosine (GC) concentrations. Base-pair openings are described by the Peyrard-Bishop-Dauxois model and the corresponding thermal equilibrium distributions of bubbles are obtained through Monte Carlo calculations for bubble sizes up to the order of a hundred base pairs. The dependence of the parameters of bubble length distribution on temperature and the GC content is investigated. We provide simple expressions which approximately describe these relations. The variation of the average bubble length is also presented. We find a temperature dependence of the exponent c that appears in the distribution of bubble lengths. If an analogous dependence exists in the loop entropy exponent of real DNA, it may be relevant to understand overstretching in force-extension experiments.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figures. Published on The Journal of Chemical Physic

Electrochemical behavior of Sn-Zn alloys with different grain structures in chloride-containing solutions

In the present research the electrochemical behavior of the Sn-Zn alloys (Sn-1 wt.%Zn, Sn-4 wt.%Zn and 8.9 wt.%Zn) in 3% NaCl solution is analyzed using potentiodynamic cyclic polarization measurements and Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) technique. Specimens were longitudinally solidified with simultaneous heat extraction in two opposite directions. Working electrodes were constructed using longitudinal and cross sections of the specimens with both types of structure: columnar and equiaxed. Results obtained from the polarization curves indicated that the two types of grain structures of Sn-Zn alloys (Sn-1 wt.%Zn, Sn-4 wt.%Zn and Sn-8.9 wt.%Zn) corresponding to longitudinal section present a pseudo passive zone. In the case of specimens from cross sections of the samples, the columnar and equiaxed zones of Sn-8.9 wt.%Zn are the only ones that do not have this pseudo passive region. In addition, the interdendritic zone of alloys is susceptible to corrosion by dealloying because this phase is zinc-rich. This type of corrosion also occurs in the zinc rich lamellar structure present in the eutectic. The percentage of zinc in the alloy increases with increasing susceptibility to pitting corrosion. The EIS values obtained revealed that the susceptibility to corrosion increases with increasing zinc content in alloys, for both the columnar and equiaxed zones. In addition, the columnar zones of Sn-4 wt.%Zn and Sn-8.9 wt.%Zn specimens are more resistant to corrosion than the equiaxed grain specimens. However, the equiaxed zone of Sn-1 wt.%Zn alloy is less susceptible to corrosion than the columnar zone. After adjustment by equivalent circuits it is revealed that the equiaxed zone of Sn-8.9 wt.%Zn alloy has a second porous layer composed of corrosion products on the electrode surface.Fil: Mendez, Claudia Marcela. Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Químicas y Naturales; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Materiales de Misiones. Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Químicas y Naturales. Instituto de Materiales de Misiones; ArgentinaFil: Scheiber, Verónica L.. Provincia de Misiones. Comité de Desarrollo e Innovación Tecnológica. Centro de Desarrollo e Innovación Tecnológica; ArgentinaFil: Rozicki, Roberto S.. Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Químicas y Naturales; ArgentinaFil: Kociubczyk, Alex Iván. Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Químicas y Naturales; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Materiales de Misiones. Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Químicas y Naturales. Instituto de Materiales de Misiones; ArgentinaFil: Ares, Alicia Esther. Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Químicas y Naturales; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Materiales de Misiones. Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Químicas y Naturales. Instituto de Materiales de Misiones; Argentin

Second order equation of motion for electromagnetic radiation back-reaction

We take the viewpoint that the physically acceptable solutions of the Lorentz--Dirac equation for radiation back-reaction are actually determined by a second order equation of motion, the self-force being given as a function of spacetime location and velocity. We propose three different methods to obtain this self-force function. For two example systems, we determine the second order equation of motion exactly in the nonrelativistic regime via each of these three methods, the three methods leading to the same result. We reveal that, for both systems considered, back-reaction induces a damping proportional to velocity and, in addition, it decreases the effect of the external force.Comment: 13 page

Logos on environmental sustainability in wine production: how do Burgundy consumers perceive them?

Logos on environmental sustainability could consist of an effective strategy to provide consumers accurate, understandable and trustable information in order to encourage them to buy environmentally sustainable wine. However, the large number of different logos on environmental sustainability available in the market raises the question of whether their associated messages are successfully conveyed to consumers. In this context, the aim of the present exploratory study was to investigate how Burgundy wine consumers perceive a series of logos on environmental sustainability in wine production. Fourteen logos available in the French market were selected: three logos being specific to wine and eleven non-specific to wine. The logos were presented to 127 wine consumers from Dijon area (France) following an incomplete balanced block design. For each logo, participants had to answer the question: ?What does a bottle of wine with this logo suggest you?? Responses were qualitatively analyzed and grouped into different categories. Chi-square test and Correspondence analysis were used to identify the relationship among logos and categories. Results showed large differences in how consumers perceived the logos. Logos that most successfully conveyed their messages were Biodyvin, the ancient European AB and the French AB organic logos, which were strongly associated to organic wine. Most logos did not communicate a message related to environmental sustainability, which reaffirms the need to provide consumers with adequate information on environmental sustainability, and indicate the need for further research on this subject

A Comparison of Optimization Techniques for Power Patterns with Low Sidelobes Generated by Linear Arrays with Efficient Excitation Distributions

This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: S. Kyle Smith; Julio C. Brégains; Kathleen L. Melde; Francisco Ares " comparison of optimization techniques for power patterns with low sidelobes generated by linear arrays with efficient excitation distributions", Microwave and Optical Technology Letters, 57 - 60 Volume: 45, Issue: 1, Apr. 2005, which has been published in final form at DOI: 10.1002/mop.20722. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving."[Abstract] Equispaced linear arrays that have uniformly excited central elements and monotonically decreasing flanking segments have been shown to yield low-sidelobe patterns with specified constraints on the effective radiated voltage (ERV). An analytical method for generating these distributions using a constrained least-squares (CLS) method, with restrictions on both the peak amplitude of the elements and the ERV, has been discussed in a previous work. Simulated annealing (SA) is a versatile global-optimization technique that can be effectively used for similar purposes, but can also provide additional control over some other design parameters. In this paper, we inspect both methods—indicating some of their advantages and drawbacks—through some numerical results

Identifying motives underlying wine purchase decisions: Results from an exploratory free listing task with Burgundy wine consumers.

To better understand consumer decision making processes while purchasing wine it is important to identify which attributes consumers actually rely on and how they perceive and weight them in order to reach a final decision.The aims of the present work were to identify motives underlying wine purchase decisions and to identify consumer segments with different drivers of wine purchase. One hundred and twenty seven Burgundy wine consumers were asked to complete a free listing task. Relevance of each category of elicited terms was estimated by Smith's and Cognitive saliency indices. Hierarchical cluster analysis was performed on individual Smith's saliency indices. In the free listing task, respondents listed an average of 5.6 terms, the minimum number per participant being 2and the maximum 11. The four categories with the highest saliency indices were Price, Production region, Wine type and Production year. Two consumer segments with different motives underlying their wine purchase decisions were identified. Cluster 1, mainly composed of young consumers, elicited Price, Production region, Food and wine pairing and Consumption context as the most salient motives, while Cluster 2, composed of older consumers, mentioned Production region, Price, Grape variety and Wine type as the most salient ones

Finite Element Simulations of Dynamic Shear Rupture Experiments and Dynamic Path Selection along Kinked and Branched Faults

We analyze the nucleation and propagation of shear cracks along nonplanar, kinked, and branched fault paths corresponding to the configurations used in recent laboratory fracture studies by Rousseau and Rosakis (2003, 2009). The aim is to reproduce numerically those shear rupture experiments and from that provide an insight into processes which are active when a crack, initially propagating in mode II along a straight path, interacts with a bend in the fault or a branching junction. The experiments involved impact loading of thin Homalite-100 (a photoelastic polymer) plates, which had been cut along bent or branched paths and weakly glued back together everywhere except along a starter notch near the impact site. Strain gage recordings and high-speed photography of isochromatic lines provided characterization of the transient deformation fields associated with the impact and fracture propagation. We found that dynamic explicit 2-D plane-stress finite element analyses with a simple linear slip-weakening description of cohesive and frictional strength of the bonded interfaces can reproduce the qualitative rupture behavior past the bend and branch junctions in most cases and reproduce the principal features revealed by the photographs of dynamic isochromatic line patterns. The presence of a kink or branch can cause an abrupt change in rupture propagation velocity. Additionally, the finite element results allow comparison between total slip accumulated along the main and inclined fault segments. We found that slip along inclined faults can be substantially less than slip along the main fault, and the amount depends on the branch angle and kink or branch configuration.Earth and Planetary SciencesEngineering and Applied Science

Spatial distribution of PAH concentrations and stable isotope signatures (δ13C, δ15N) in mosses from three European areas – Characterization by multivariate analysis

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) concentrations and N, C stable isotope signatures were determined in mosses Hypnum cupressiforme Hedw. from 61 sites of 3 European regions: Île-de-France (France); Navarra (Spain); the Swiss Plateau and Basel area (Switzerland). Total PAH concentrations of 100-700 ng g-1, as well as δ13C values of -32 to -29‰ and δ15N values of -11 to -3‰ were measured. Pearson correlation tests revealed opposite trends between high molecular weight PAH (4-6 aromatic rings) content and δ13C values. Partial Least Square regressions explained the very significant correlations (r > 0.91, p < 0.001) between high molecular weight PAH concentrations by local urban land use (<10 km) and environmental factors such as elevation and pluviometry. Finally, specific correlations between heavy metal and PAH concentrations were attributed to industrial emissions in Switzerland and road traffic emissions in Spain

Abemaciclib in Combination with Single-Agent Options in Patients with Stage IV Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Phase Ib Study

Purpose: Abemaciclib, a dual inhibitor of cyclin-dependent kinases 4 and 6, has demonstrated preclinical activity in non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). A multicenter, nonrandomized, open-label phase Ib study was conducted to test safety, MTD, pharmacokinetics, and preliminary antitumor activity of abemaciclib in combination with other therapies for treatment in patients with metastatic NSCLC. Patients and Methods: An initial dose escalation phase was used to determine the MTD of twice-daily oral abemaciclib (150, 200 mg) plus pemetrexed, gemcitabine, or ramucirumab, followed by an expansion phase for each drug combination. Pemetrexed and gemcitabine were administered according to label. The abemaciclib plus ramucirumab study examined two dosing schedules. Results: The three study parts enrolled 86 patients; all received ≥1 dose of combination therapy. Across arms, the most common treatment-emergent adverse events were fatigue, diarrhea, neutropenia, decreased appetite, and nausea. The trial did not identify an abemaciclib MTD for the combination with pemetrexed or gemcitabine but did so for the combination of abemaciclib with days 1 and 8 ramucirumab (8 mg/kg). Plasma sample analysis showed that abemaciclib did not influence the pharmacokinetics of the combination agents and the combination agents did not affect abemaciclib exposure. The disease control rate was 57% for patients treated with abemaciclib–pemetrexed, 25% for abemaciclib–gemcitabine, and 54% for abemaciclib–ramucirumab. Median progression-free survival was 5.55, 1.58, and 4.83 months, respectively. Conclusions: Abemaciclib demonstrated an acceptable safety profile when dosed on a continuous twice-daily schedule in combination with pemetrexed, gemcitabine, or ramucirumab. Abemaciclib exposures remained consistent with those observed in single-agent studies