Rating of electrical wires in vacuum environments

Electric conductors used in vacuum environments have smaller cross sections. This report provides data on the correct size wire for a required current load in free-air, low-pressure oxygen, and vacuum environments

Dynamical frustration in ANNNI model and annealing

Zero temperature quench in the Axial Next Nearest Neighbour Ising (ANNNI) model fails to bring it to its ground state for a certain range of values of the frustration parameter $\kappa$, the ratio of the next nearest neighbour antiferromagnetic interaction strength to the nearest neighbour one. We apply several annealing methods, both classical and quantum, and observe that the behaviour of the residual energy and the order parameter depends on the value of $\kappa$ strongly. Classical or thermal annealing is found to be adequate for small values of $\kappa$. However, neither classical nor quantum annealing is effective at values of $\kappa$ close to the fully frustrated point $\kappa=0.5$, where the residual energy shows a very slow algebraic decay with the number of MCS.Comment: 6 pages,10 figures, to be published in Proceedings of " The International Workshop on Quantum annealing and other Optimization Methods

Ising model in small-world networks

The Ising model in small-world networks generated from two- and three-dimensional regular lattices has been studied. Monte Carlo simulations were carried out to characterize the ferromagnetic transition appearing in these systems. In the thermodynamic limit, the phase transition has a mean-field character for any finite value of the rewiring probability p, which measures the disorder strength of a given network. For small values of p, both the transition temperature and critical energy change with p as a power law. In the limit p -> 0, the heat capacity at the transition temperature diverges logarithmically in two-dimensional (2D) networks and as a power law in 3D.Comment: 6 pages, 7 figure

High orders of the perturbation theory for hydrogen atom in magnetic field

The states of hydrogen atom with principal quantum number $n\le3$ and zero magnetic quantum number in constant homogeneous magnetic field ${\cal H}$ are considered. The coefficients of energy eigenvalues expansion up to 75th order in powers of ${\cal H}^2$ are obtained for these states. The series for energy eigenvalues and wave functions are summed up to ${\cal H}$ values of the order of atomic magnetic field. The calculations are based on generalization of the moment method, which may be used in other cases of the hydrogen atom perturbation by a polynomial in coordinates potential.Comment: 16 pages, LaTeX, 6 figures (ps, eps

Selection for predation, not female fecundity, explains sexual size dimorphism in the orchid mantises

Here we reconstruct the evolutionary shift towards floral simulation in orchid mantises and suggest female predatory selection as the likely driving force behind the development of extreme sexual size dimorphism. Through analysis of body size data and phylogenetic modelling of trait evolution, we recovered an ancestral shift towards sexual dimorphisms in both size and appearance in a lineage of flower-associated praying mantises. Sedentary female flower mantises dramatically increased in size prior to a transition from camouflaged, ambush predation to a floral simulation strategy, gaining access to, and visually attracting, a novel resource: large pollinating insects. Male flower mantises, however, remained small and mobile to facilitate mate-finding and reproductive success, consistent with ancestral male life strategy. Although moderate sexual size dimorphisms are common in many arthropod lineages, the predominant explanation is female size increase for increased fecundity. However, sex-dependent selective pressures acting outside of female fecundity have been suggested as mechanisms behind niche dimorphisms. Our hypothesised role of predatory selection acting on females to generate both extreme sexual size dimorphism coupled with niche dimorphism is novel among arthropods

Search for the evidence of endocrine disruption in the aquatic environment; Lessons to be learned from joint biological and chemical monitoring in the European project COMPREHEND

Between January 1999 and December 2001, the European Community project COMPREHEND was performed. The overall aim of COMPREHEND was to assess endocrine disruption in the aquatic environment in Europe, consequent to effluent discharge, with emphasis on estrogenic activity. COMPREHEND demonstrated the widespread occurrence of estrogenic effluents across Europe and presented evidence of impacts on a range of wild fish species. Using a variety of bioassays in combination with chemical analytical methods, estrogenic steroids of human origin from domestic wastewater effluents were identified as the most pervasive problem, although alkylphenols may be important estrogenic components of some industrial effluents. New tools have been developed for the identification of estrogenic effluents, and recommendations are made for the improvement of existing techniques. We have shown that individual fish within natural populations may be feminized to varying degrees, but it has not been possible to show, using traditional fish population parameters, that the survival of fish populations is threatened. However, laboratory-based fish life-cycle studies demonstrate the sensitivity of fish to estrogen (and androgen) exposure and how this might lead to complex (and potentially damaging) genetic changes at the population level. New approaches to this problem, utilizing recent advances made in the field of molecular and population genetics, are recommended. Finally, a study of estrogenic and androgenic activity of waste waters during the treatment process has shown that some of the existing wastewater treatment technologies have the potential to eliminate or minimize the hormonal activity of the final effluen

Epidermal Growth Factor–PEG Functionalized PAMAM-Pentaethylenehexamine Dendron for Targeted Gene Delivery Produced by Click Chemistry

Aim of this study was the site-specific conjugation of an epidermal growth factor (EGF)-polyethylene glycol (PEG) chain by click chemistry onto a poly(amido amine) (PAMAM) dendron, as a key step toward defined multifunctional carriers for targeted gene delivery. For this purpose, at first propargyl amine cored PAMAM dendrons with ester ends were synthesized. The chain terminal ester groups were then modified by oligoamines with different secondary amino densities. The oligoamine-modified PAMAM dendrons were well biocompatible, as demonstrated in cytotoxicity assays. Among the different oligoamine-modified dendrons, PAMAM-pentaethylenehexamine (PEHA) dendron polyplexes displayed the best gene transfer ability. Conjugation of PAMAM-PEHA dendron with PEG spacer was conducted via click reaction, which was performed before amidation with PEHA. The resultant PEG-PAMAM-PEHA copolymer was then coupled with EGF ligand. pDNA transfections in HuH-7 hepatocellular carcinoma cells showed a 10-fold higher efficiency with the polyplexes containing conjugated EGF as compared to the ligand-free ones, demonstrating the concept of ligand targeting. Overall gene transfer efficiencies, however, were moderate, suggesting that additional measures for overcoming subsequent intracellular bottlenecks in delivery have to be taken