430 research outputs found
Fluctuating Filaments I: Statistical Mechanics of Helices
We examine the effects of thermal fluctuations on thin elastic filaments with
non-circular cross-section and arbitrary spontaneous curvature and torsion.
Analytical expressions for orientational correlation functions and for the
persistence length of helices are derived, and it is found that this length
varies non-monotonically with the strength of thermal fluctuations. In the weak
fluctuation regime, the local helical structure is preserved and the
statistical properties are dominated by long wavelength bending and torsion
modes. As the amplitude of fluctuations is increased, the helix ``melts'' and
all memory of intrinsic helical structure is lost. Spontaneous twist of the
cross--section leads to resonant dependence of the persistence length on the
twist rate.Comment: 5 figure
Boundary energy of the general open XXZ chain at roots of unity
We have recently proposed a Bethe Ansatz solution of the open spin-1/2 XXZ
quantum spin chain with general integrable boundary terms (containing six free
boundary parameters) at roots of unity. We use this solution, together with an
appropriate string hypothesis, to compute the boundary energy of the chain in
the thermodynamic limit.Comment: 22 pages, 6 figures; v2: some comments, a reference and a footnote
adde
Recommended from our members
Differential cell susceptibilities to kras(G12D) in the setting of obstructive chronic pancreatitis
BACKGROUND & AIMS: Activating mutation of the KRAS gene is common in some cancers, such as pancreatic cancer, but rare in other cancers. Chronic pancreatitis is a predisposing condition for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), but how it synergizes with KRAS mutation is not known. METHODS: We used a mouse model to express an activating mutation of Kras in conjunction with obstruction of the main pancreatic duct to recapitulate a common etiology of human chronic pancreatitis. Because the cell of origin of PDAC is not clear, Kras mutation was introduced into either duct cells or acinar cells. RESULTS: Although Kras(G12D) expression in both cell types was protective against damage-associated cell death, chronic pancreatitis induced p53, p21, and growth arrest only in acinar-derived cells. Mutant duct cells did not elevate p53 or p21 expression and exhibited increased proliferation driving the appearance of PDAC over time. CONCLUSIONS: One mechanism by which tissues may be susceptible or resistant to KRAS(G12D)-initiated tumorigenesis is whether they undergo a p53-mediated damage response. In summary, we have uncovered a mechanism by which inflammation and intrinsic cellular programming synergize for the development of PDAC
Possible origins of macroscopic left-right asymmetry in organisms
I consider the microscopic mechanisms by which a particular left-right (L/R)
asymmetry is generated at the organism level from the microscopic handedness of
cytoskeletal molecules. In light of a fundamental symmetry principle, the
typical pattern-formation mechanisms of diffusion plus regulation cannot
implement the "right-hand rule"; at the microscopic level, the cell's
cytoskeleton of chiral filaments seems always to be involved, usually in
collective states driven by polymerization forces or molecular motors. It seems
particularly easy for handedness to emerge in a shear or rotation in the
background of an effectively two-dimensional system, such as the cell membrane
or a layer of cells, as this requires no pre-existing axis apart from the layer
normal. I detail a scenario involving actin/myosin layers in snails and in C.
elegans, and also one about the microtubule layer in plant cells. I also survey
the other examples that I am aware of, such as the emergence of handedness such
as the emergence of handedness in neurons, in eukaryote cell motility, and in
non-flagellated bacteria.Comment: 42 pages, 6 figures, resubmitted to J. Stat. Phys. special issue.
Major rewrite, rearranged sections/subsections, new Fig 3 + 6, new physics in
Sec 2.4 and 3.4.1, added Sec 5 and subsections of Sec
BESII Detector Simulation
A Monte Carlo program based on Geant3 has been developed for BESII detector
simulation. The organization of the program is outlined, and the digitization
procedure for simulating the response of various sub-detectors is described.
Comparisons with data show that the performance of the program is generally
satisfactory.Comment: 17 pages, 14 figures, uses elsart.cls, to be submitted to NIM
Direct Measurements of the Branching Fractions for and and Determinations of the Form Factors and
The absolute branching fractions for the decays and
are determined using singly
tagged sample from the data collected around 3.773 GeV with the
BES-II detector at the BEPC. In the system recoiling against the singly tagged
meson, events for and events for decays are observed. Those yield
the absolute branching fractions to be and . The
vector form factors are determined to be
and . The ratio of the two form
factors is measured to be .Comment: 6 pages, 5 figure
Study of J/psi decays to Lambda Lambdabar and Sigma0 Sigma0bar
The branching ratios and Angular distributions for J/psi decays to Lambda
Lambdabar and Sigma0 Sigma0bar are measured using BESII 58 million J/psi.Comment: 11 pages, 5 figure
Measurements of J/psi Decays into 2(pi+pi-)eta and 3(pi+pi-)eta
Based on a sample of 5.8X 10^7 J/psi events taken with the BESII detector,
the branching fractions of J/psi--> 2(pi+pi-)eta and J/psi-->3(pi+pi-)eta are
measured for the first time to be (2.26+-0.08+-0.27)X10^{-3} and
(7.24+-0.96+-1.11)X10^{-4}, respectively.Comment: 11 pages, 6 figure
Measurement of branching fractions for the inclusive Cabibbo-favored ~K*0(892) and Cabibbo-suppressed K*0(892) decays of neutral and charged D mesons
The branching fractions for the inclusive Cabibbo-favored ~K*0 and
Cabibbo-suppressed K*0 decays of D mesons are measured based on a data sample
of 33 pb-1 collected at and around the center-of-mass energy of 3.773 GeV with
the BES-II detector at the BEPC collider. The branching fractions for the
decays D+(0) -> ~K*0(892)X and D0 -> K*0(892)X are determined to be BF(D0 ->
\~K*0X) = (8.7 +/- 4.0 +/- 1.2)%, BF(D+ -> ~K*0X) = (23.2 +/- 4.5 +/- 3.0)% and
BF(D0 -> K*0X) = (2.8 +/- 1.2 +/- 0.4)%. An upper limit on the branching
fraction at 90% C.L. for the decay D+ -> K*0(892)X is set to be BF(D+ -> K*0X)
< 6.6%
Study of
New data are presented on from a sample of 58M
events in the upgraded BES II detector at the BEPC. There is a
conspicuous signal for and a peak at higher mass which
may be fitted with . From a combined analysis with
data, the branching ratio
is at the 95%
confidence level.Comment: 11 pages, 5 figures. Submitted to Phys. Lett.
- …