75 research outputs found
The effect of rare regions on a disordered itinerant quantum antiferromagnet with cubic anisotropy
We study the quantum phase transition of an itinerant antiferromagnet with
cubic anisotropy in the presence of quenched disorder, paying particular
attention to the locally ordered spatial regions that form in the Griffiths
region. We derive an effective action where these rare regions are described in
terms of static annealed disorder. A one loop renormalization group analysis of
the effective action shows that for order parameter dimensions the rare
regions destroy the conventional critical behavior. For order parameter
dimensions the critical behavior is not influenced by the rare regions,
it is described by the conventional dirty cubic fixed point. We also discuss
the influence of the rare regions on the fluctuation-driven first-order
transition in this system.Comment: 6 pages RevTe
Feynman's Propagator Applied to Network Models of Localization
Network models of dirty electronic systems are mapped onto an interacting
field theory of lower dimensionality by intepreting one space dimension as
time. This is accomplished via Feynman's interpretation of anti-particles as
particles moving backwards in time. The method developed maps calculation of
the moments of the Landauer conductance onto calculation of correlation
functions of an interacting field theory of bosons and fermions. The resulting
field theories are supersymmetric and closely related to the supersymmetric
spin-chain representations of network models recently discussed by various
authors. As an application of the method, the two-edge Chalker-Coddington model
is shown to be Anderson localized, and a delocalization transition in a related
two-edge network model (recently discussed by Balents and Fisher) is studied by
calculation of the average Landauer conductance.Comment: Latex, 14 pages, 2 fig
On the critical behavior of disordered quantum magnets: The relevance of rare regions
The effects of quenched disorder on the critical properties of itinerant
quantum antiferromagnets and ferromagnets are considered. Particular attention
is paid to locally ordered spatial regions that are formed in the presence of
quenched disorder even when the bulk system is still in the paramagnetic phase.
These rare regions or local moments are reflected in the existence of spatially
inhomogeneous saddle points of the Landau-Ginzburg-Wilson functional. We derive
an effective theory that takes into account small fluctuations around all of
these saddle points. The resulting free energy functional contains a new term
in addition to those obtained within the conventional perturbative approach,
and it comprises what would be considered non-perturbative effects within the
latter. A renormalization group analysis shows that in the case of
antiferromagnets, the previously found critical fixed point is unstable with
respect to this new term, and that no stable critical fixed point exists at
one-loop order. This is contrasted with the case of itinerant ferromagnets,
where we find that the previously found critical behavior is unaffected by the
rare regions due to an effective long-ranged interaction between the order
parameter fluctuations.Comment: 16 pp., REVTeX, epsf, 2 figs, final version as publishe
Quantum Griffiths effects and smeared phase transitions in metals: theory and experiment
In this paper, we review theoretical and experimental research on rare region
effects at quantum phase transitions in disordered itinerant electron systems.
After summarizing a few basic concepts about phase transitions in the presence
of quenched randomness, we introduce the idea of rare regions and discuss their
importance. We then analyze in detail the different phenomena that can arise at
magnetic quantum phase transitions in disordered metals, including quantum
Griffiths singularities, smeared phase transitions, and cluster-glass
formation. For each scenario, we discuss the resulting phase diagram and
summarize the behavior of various observables. We then review several recent
experiments that provide examples of these rare region phenomena. We conclude
by discussing limitations of current approaches and open questions.Comment: 31 pages, 7 eps figures included, v2: discussion of the dissipative
Ising chain fixed, references added, v3: final version as publishe
The origin of polyploids via 2n gametes in Vaccinium section Cyanococcus
The production of 2n pollen (pollen with the sporophytic chromosome number) was evaluated in 4x and 6x taxa of Vaccinium section Cyanococcus . Mean frequencies of 2n pollen producers were 17.1% and 8.3% in natural 4x and 6x populations, respectively. The frequency of 2n pollen producers in the 4x species ranged from 8.6% ( V. angustifolium ) to 23.8% ( V. pallidum ). Level of 2n pollen production was genotypically variable (1% to 37.4%). The widespread occurrence of 2n pollen in 2x, 4x and 6x taxa suggests that sexual polyploidization was widespread and responsible for the origin of the polyploid species found in this genus. The frequency of 2n pollen producers was not significantly different between the 4x species and their putative 2x ancestors. These results support the origin of 4x and 6x taxa as a consequence of sexual polyploidization. Polyploids derived from sexual polyploidization would be expected to have increased fitness and flexibility due to the mode of 2n pollen formation. In blueberry species the predominant mode of 2n pollen formation is genetically equivalent to a first division restitution mechanism (FDR). FDR 2n pollen transmits a high percentage of the heterozygosity and a large fraction of the epistasis from the 2x parent to the 4x offspring.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/42736/1/10681_2004_Article_BF00039664.pd
Metformin promotes antitumor immunity via endoplasmic-reticulum-associated degradation of PD-L1
Metformin has been reported to possess antitumor activity and maintain high cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) immune surveillance. However, the functions and detailed mechanisms of metformin’s role in cancer immunity are not fully understood. Here, we show that metformin increases CTL activity by reducing the stability and membrane localization of programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1). Furthermore, we discover that AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activated by metformin directly phosphorylates S195 of PD-L1. S195 phosphorylation induces abnormal PD-L1 glycosylation, resulting in its ER accumulation and ER-associated protein degradation (ERAD). Consistently, tumor tissues from metformin-treated breast cancer patients exhibit reduced PD-L1 levels with AMPK activation. Blocking the inhibitory signal of PD-L1 by metformin enhances CTL activity against cancer cells. Our findings identify a new regulatory mechanism of PD-L1 expression through the ERAD pathway and suggest that the metformin-CTLA4 blockade combination has the potential to increase the efficacy of immunotherapy
Lactation Potential as a Criterion for Strategy of Feeding Total Mixed Rations to Dairy Cows
Congenital acute T lymphoblastic leukaemia: report of a case with immunohistochemical and molecular characterisation
A newborn infant with congenital T cell lymphoblastic leukaemia presented with hepatosplenomegaly and pancytopenia at birth and died on the 21st day of multiorgan failure. Biopsy and necropsy examination showed extensive atypical lymphoid infiltrates in the lungs, liver, spleen, kidneys, lymph nodes, and bone marrow. Immunohistochemically, the lymphoid cells were TdT+, CD3+, CD45RO+, and CD10-, CD79a-, CD20-. Genotypic analysis using polymerase chain reaction showed T cell receptor γ chain gene rearrangement and absence of immunoglobulin heavy chain gene rearrangement. This appears to be the first documented case of congenital T cell lymphoblastic leukaemia. The case had unusual histological and immunogenotypic features, disseminated early, and pursued a highly aggressive course. Consideration of the diagnosis is of paramount importance. The immunophenotypic studies and molecular characterisation of such congenital leukaemias are critical in arriving at a definite diagnosis. Key Words: congenital lymphoblastic leukaemia • T cell lymphoblastic leukaemi
Spectroscopic Observations of Mercury’s Surface Reflectance During MESSENGER’s First Mercury Flyby
During MESSENGER’s first flyby of Mercury, the Mercury Atmospheric and Surface Composition Spectrometer made simultaneous mid-ultraviolet to near-infrared (wavelengths of 200 to 1300 nanometers) reflectance observations of the surface. An ultraviolet absorption (<280 nanometers) suggests that the ferrous oxide (Fe2+) content of silicates in average surface material is low (less than 2 to 3 weight percent). This result is supported by the lack of a detectable 1-micrometer Fe2+ absorption band in high-spatial-resolution spectra of mature surface materials as well as immature crater ejecta, which suggests that the ferrous iron content may be low both on the surface and at depth. Differences in absorption features and slope among the spectra are evidence for variations in composition and regolith maturation of Mercury’s surface
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