2,667 research outputs found
Measurement of Stochastic Entropy Production
Using fluorescence spectroscopy we directly measure entropy production of a
single two-level system realized experimentally as an optically driven defect
center in diamond. We exploit a recent suggestion to define entropy on the
level of a single stochastic trajectory (Seifert, Phys. Rev. Lett. {\bf 95},
040602 (2005)). Entropy production can then be split into one of the system
itself and one of the surrounding medium. We demonstrate that the total entropy
production obeys various exact relations for finite time trajectories.Comment: Phys. Rev. Lett., in pres
Исследование закономерностей развития структурно-химической неоднородности в разнородном сварном соединении трубопроводного переходника
Данная работа посвящена исследованию структурно-химической неоднородности (СХН) трубопроводного переходника из разнородных сталей, выполненного аргонодуговой сваркой (АрДС). При помощи оптического микроскопа получены фотографии СХН и ее размеры. СХН выражается в появлении прослоек (карбидной и ферритной) с разным химическим составом. Приведены графики роста ширин прослоек от времени выдержки и температуры.This paper is devoted to the comparison of the structural and chemical inhomogeneity (SCI) of adapters made of dissimilar steels, made by tungsten insert gas (TIG). By means of optical microscope, photographs of the SCI and its dimensions were obtained. SCI is expressed in the appearance of interlayers (carbide and ferritic) with different chemical composition. Graphs of the growth of the widths of the interlayers from the time of exposure and temperature are given
D14.9: A cross-country comparative report integrating the results from impact assessment in WP7-WP13
537Microparticles and exosomes differentially impact on endothelial cell function in coronary artery disease
Background and Purpose: Microparticles (MPs) and exosomes are released by cells using different mechanisms. Thus, quantitative as well as qualitative changes of both particle populations, MPs and exosomes, in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) might reflect an altered activation status of the endothelium, platelets and leukocytes. Moreover, they might exert differential effects on the target organs, such as the endothelium. Yet, alterations in both populations have not been studied side-by-side so far. The aim of the study was to compare the impact of MPs and exosomes from healthy subjects and CAD patients on endothelial cell (EC) functional characteristics. Methods: MPs and exosomes were isolated by stepwise filtration and ultracentrifugation from citrate-plasma and verified by electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering. MP and exosome fractions, as well as the vehicle (PBS), were added to human arterial ECs and EC apoptosis, number, size, capacity for in vitro-reendothelialisation after scratching, expression of adhesion molecules ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 were assessed. In parallel, platelet-, endothelial- and leukocyte-derived MPs were quantified. In a separate sub-study, the same parameters were assessed in plasma of CAD patients undergoing standard medical rehabilitation or an exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation programme. Results: MPs of healthy, but not of CAD patients supported in vitro re-endothelialisation, while exosomes had no influence. Exercise, but not standard rehabilitation improved CAD MP capacity to support in vitro rehabilitation. This was negatively correlated to the number of leukocyte- and endothelial-derived MPs, but not total or platelet MPs. EC number was negatively affected by exposure to CAD MPs. ANCOVA analysis identified disease, but not the particle type as influencing factor. Instead, apoptotic cell death was influenced by particle type, but not by the disease, and was not altered in rehabilitation. Similarly, ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 expression were enhanced on ECs after incubation with exosomes, but not with MPs, with no effect of disease or rehabilitation. Conclusion: MPs and exosomes differentially affect endothelial cell function and underlie differential modulation in disease and rehabilitation. Those findings might in the future help to optimize and monitor cardiovascular therap
Uncertainties of the CJK 5 Flavour LO Parton Distributions in the Real Photon
Radiatively generated, LO quark (u,d,s,c,b) and gluon densities in the real,
unpolarized photon, calculated in the CJK model being an improved realization
of the CJKL approach, have been recently presented. The results were obtained
through a global fit to the experimental F2^gamma data. In this paper we
present, obtained for the very first time in the photon case, an estimate of
the uncertainties of the CJK parton distributions due to the experimental
errors. The analysis is based on the Hessian method which was recently applied
in the proton parton structure analysis. Sets of test parametrizations are
given for the CJK model. They allow for calculation of its best fit parton
distributions along with F2^gamma and for computation of uncertainties of any
physical value depending on the real photon parton densities. We test the
applicability of the approach by comparing uncertainties of example
cross-sections calculated in the Hessian and Lagrange methods. Moreover, we
present a detailed analysis of the chi^2 of the CJK fit and its relation to the
data. We show that large chi^2/DOF of the fit is due to only a few of the
experimental measurements. By excluding them chi^2/DOF approx 1 can be
obtained.Comment: 28 pages, 8 eps figures, 2 Latex figures; FORTRAN programs available
at http://www.fuw.edu.pl/~pjank/param.html; table 10, figure 10 and section 6
correcte
Soft Contributions to Hard Pion Photoproduction
Hard, or high transverse momentum, pion photoproduction can be a tool for
probing the parton structure of the beam and target. We estimate the soft
contributions to this process, with an eye toward delineating the region where
perturbatively calculable processes dominate. Our soft process estimate is
based on vector meson dominance and data based parameterizations of
semiexclusive hadronic cross sections. We find that soft processes dominate in
single pion photoproduction somewhat past 2 GeV transverse momentum at a few
times 10 GeV incoming energy. The recent polarization asymmetry data is
consistent with the perturbative asymmetry being diluted by polarization
insensitive soft processes. Determining the polarized gluon distribution using
hard pion photoproduction appears feasible with a few hundred GeV incoming
energy (in the target rest frame).Comment: 6 pages, 5 figure
‘Sciencenet’—towards a global search and share engine for all scientific knowledge
Summary: Modern biological experiments create vast amounts of data which are geographically distributed. These datasets consist of petabytes of raw data and billions of documents. Yet to the best of our knowledge, a search engine technology that searches and cross-links all different data types in life sciences does not exist
Heavy Quark Initiated Contributions to Deep Inelastic Structure Functions
We present O(alpha_s^1) corrections to deep inelastic scattering amplitudes
on massive quarks obtained within the scheme of Aivazis, Collins, Olness and
Tung (ACOT). After identifying the correct subtraction term the convergence of
these contributions towards the analogous coefficient functions for massless
quarks, obtained within the modified minimal subtraction scheme (MSbar), is
demonstrated. Furthermore, the quantitative relevance of the contributions to
neutral current (NC) and charged current (CC) structure functions is
investigated for several choices of the factorization scale.Comment: 29 pages, 6 figures; uses epsfig.sty, amssymb.sty, axodraw.sty; minor
changes for publication in Phys. Rev.
Primary and malignant cholangiocytes undergo CD40 mediated Fas dependent Apoptosis, but are insensitive to direct activation with exogenous fas ligand
Introduction
Cholangiocarcinoma is a rare malignancy of the biliary tract, the incidence of which is rising, but the pathogenesis of which remains uncertain. No common genetic defects have been described but it is accepted that chronic inflammation is an important contributing factor. We have shown that primary human cholangiocyte and hepatocyte survival is tightly regulated via co-operative interactions between two tumour necrosis family (TNF) receptor family members; CD40 and Fas (CD95). Functional deficiency of CD154, the ligand for CD40, leads to a failure of clearance of biliary tract infections and a predisposition to cholangiocarcinoma implying a direct link between TNF receptor-mediated apoptosis and the development of cholangiocarcinoma.
Aims
To determine whether malignant cholangiocytes display defects in CD40 mediated apoptosis. By comparing CD40 and Fas-mediated apoptosis and intracellular signalling in primary human cholangiocytes and three cholangiocyte cell lines.
Results
Primary cholangiocytes and cholangiocyte cell lines were relatively insensitive to direct Fas-mediated killing with exogenous FasL when compared with Jurkat cells, which readily underwent Fas-mediated apoptosis, but were extremely sensitive to CD154 stimulation. The sensitivity of cells to CD40 activation was similar in magnitude in both primary and malignant cells and was STAT-3 and AP-1 dependent in both.
Conclusions
1) Both primary and malignant cholangiocytes are relatively resistant to Fas–mediated killing but show exquisite sensitivity to CD154, suggesting that the CD40 pathway is intact and fully functional in both primary and malignant cholangiocytes 2) The relative insensitivity of cholangiocytes to Fas activation demonstrates the importance of CD40 augmentation of Fas dependent death in these cells. Agonistic therapies which target CD40 and associated intracellular signalling pathways may be effective in promoting apoptosis of malignant cholangiocytes
- …