1,341 research outputs found
Non-Centrosymmetric Heavy-Fermion Superconductors
In this chapter we discuss the physical properties of a particular family of
non-centrosymmetric superconductors belonging to the class heavy-fermion
compounds. This group includes the ferromagnet UIr and the antiferromagnets
CeRhSi3, CeIrSi3, CeCoGe3, CeIrGe3 and CePt3Si, of which all but CePt3Si become
superconducting only under pressure. Each of these superconductors has
intriguing and interesting properties. We first analyze CePt3Si, then review
CeRhSi3, CeIrSi3, CeCoGe3 and CeIrGe3, which are very similar to each other in
their magnetic and electrical properties, and finally discuss UIr. For each
material we discuss the crystal structure, magnetic order, occurrence of
superconductivity, phase diagram, characteristic parameters, superconducting
properties and pairing states. We present an overview of the similarities and
differences between all these six compounds at the end.Comment: To appear in "Non-Centrosymmetric Superconductors: Introduction and
Overview", Lecture Notes in Physics 847, edited by E. Bauer and M. Sigrist
(Springer-Verlag, Berlin Heidelberg, 2012) Chap. 2, pp. 35-7
Ruthenium polypyridyl complexes and their modes of interaction with DNA : is there a correlation between these interactions and the antitumor activity of the compounds?
Various interaction modes between a group of six ruthenium polypyridyl complexes and DNA have been studied using a number of spectroscopic techniques. Five mononuclear species were selected with formula [Ru(tpy) L1L2](2-n)?, and one closely related dinuclear cation of formula [{Ru(apy)(tpy)}2{l-H2N(CH2)6NH2}]4?. The ligand tpy is 2,20:60,200-terpyridine and the ligand L1 is a bidentate ligand, namely, apy (2,20-azobispyridine), 2-phenylazopyridine, or 2-phenylpyridinylmethylene amine. The ligand L2 is a labile monodentate ligand, being Cl-, H2O, or CH3CN. All six species containing a labile L2 were found to be able to coordinate to the DNA model base 9-ethylguanine by 1H NMR and mass spectrometry. The dinuclear cationic species, which has no positions available for coordination to a DNA base, was studied for comparison purposes. The interactions between a selection of four representative complexes and calf-thymus DNA were studied by circular and linear dichroism. To explore a possible relation between DNA-binding ability and toxicity, all compounds were screened for anticancer activity in a variety of cancer cell lines, showing in some cases an activity which is comparable to that of cisplatin. Comparison of the details of the compound structures, their DNA binding, and their toxicity allows the exploration of structure–activity relationships that might be used to guide optimization of the activity of agents of this class of compounds
Ferromagnetism and Superconductivity in Uranium Compounds
Recent advances on ferromagnetic superconductors, UGe2, URhGe and UCoGe are
presented. The superconductivity (SC) peacefully coexists with the
ferromagnetism (FM), forming the spin-triplet state of Cooper pairs. The
striking new phenomena, such as SC reinforced by the magnetic field, are
associated with Ising-type ferromagnetic fluctuations. A variety of
ferromagnetic ordered moments between UGe2, URhGe and UCoGe affords to
understand the relation between FM, tricriticality and SC.Comment: 11 pages, 16 figures, accepted for publication in J. Phys. Soc. Jpn.
as a review article of Special Topics of "Recent developments in
superconductivity
Triplet Cooper Pair Formation by Anomalous Spin Fluctuations in Non-centrosymmetric Superconductors
A microscopic theory for the spin triplet Cooper pairing in
non-centrosymmetric superconductors like CePt_3Si and CeTSi_3 (T=Rh, Ir) is
presented. The lack of inversion symmetry leads to new anomalous spin
fluctuations which stabilize the triplet part in addition to the singlet part
originating from the centrosymmetric spin fluctuations. It is shown that both
parts have similar nontrivial momentum dependence of A_1 type. Therefore the
mixed singlet-triplet gap function has accidental line nodes on both Fermi
surface sheets which are stable as function of temperature. This gap function
explains the salient features of CePt_3Si and CeTSi_3 superconductors.Comment: 5 pages with 3 figure
The X-inactivation trans-activator Rnf12 is negatively regulated by pluripotency factors in embryonic stem cells
X-inactivation, the molecular mechanism enabling dosage compensation in mammals, is tightly controlled during mouse early embryogenesis. In the morula, X-inactivation is imprinted with exclusive silencing of the paternally inherited X-chromosome. In contrast, in the post-implantation epiblast, X-inactivation affects randomly either the paternal or the maternal X-chromosome. The transition from imprinted to random X-inactivation takes place in the inner cell mass (ICM) of the blastocyst from which embryonic stem (ES) cells are derived. The trigger of X-inactivation, Xist, is specifically downregulated in the pluripotent cells of the ICM, thereby ensuring the reactivation of the inactive paternal X-chromosome and the transient presence of two active X-chromosomes. Moreover, Tsix, a critical cis-repressor of Xist, is upregulated in the ICM and in ES cells where it imposes a particular chromatin state at the Xist promoter that ensures the establishment of random X-inactivation upon differentiation. Recently, we have shown that key transcription factors supporting pluripotency directly repress Xist and activate Tsix and thus couple Xist/Tsix control to pluripotency. In this manuscript, we report that Rnf12, a third X-linked gene critical for the regulation of X-inactivation, is under the control of Nanog, Oct4 and Sox2, the three factors lying at the heart of the pluripotency network. We conclude that in mouse ES cells the pluripotency-associated machinery exerts an exhaustive control of X-inactivation by taking over the regulation of all three major regulators of X-inactivation: Xist, Tsix, and Rnf12
Experimental study of the atmospheric neutrino backgrounds for proton decay to positron and neutral pion searches in water Cherenkov detectors
The atmospheric neutrino background for proton decay to positron and neutral
pion in ring imaging water Cherenkov detectors is studied with an artificial
accelerator neutrino beam for the first time. In total, about 314,000 neutrino
events corresponding to about 10 megaton-years of atmospheric neutrino
interactions were collected by a 1,000 ton water Cherenkov detector (KT). The
KT charged-current single neutral pion production data are well reproduced by
simulation programs of neutrino and secondary hadronic interactions used in the
Super-Kamiokande (SK) proton decay search. The obtained proton to positron and
neutral pion background rate by the KT data for SK from the atmospheric
neutrinos whose energies are below 3 GeV is about two per megaton-year. This
result is also relevant to possible future, megaton-scale water Cherenkov
detectors.Comment: 13 pages, 16 figure
A phase II, open-label, multicentre study to evaluate the immunogenicity and safety of an adjuvanted prepandemic (H5N1) influenza vaccine in healthy Japanese adults
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Promising clinical data and significant antigen-sparing have been demonstrated for a pandemic H5N1 influenza split-virion vaccine adjuvanted with AS03<sub>A</sub>, an α-tocopherol-containing oil-in-water emulsion-based Adjuvant System. Although studies using this formulation have been reported, there have been no data for Japanese populations. This study therefore aimed to assess the immunogenicity and tolerability of a prepandemic (H5N1) influenza vaccine adjuvanted with AS03<sub>A </sub>in Japanese adults.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>This open-label, single-group study was conducted at two centres in Japan in healthy Japanese males and females aged 20-64 years (n = 100). Subjects received two doses of vaccine, containing 3.75 μg haemagglutinin of the A/Indonesia/5/2005-like IBCDC-RG2 Clade 2.1 (H5N1) strain adjuvanted with AS03<sub>A</sub>, 21 days apart. The primary endpoint evaluated the humoral immune response in terms of H5N1 haemagglutination inhibition (HI) antibody titres against the vaccine strain (Clade 2.1) 21 days after the second dose. Ninety five percent confidence intervals for geometric mean titres, seroprotection, seroconversion and seropositivity rates were calculated. Secondary and exploratory endpoints included the assessment of the humoral response in terms of neutralising antibody titres, the response against additional H5N1 strains (Clade 1 and Clade 2.2), as well as the evaluation of safety and reactogenicity.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Robust immune responses were elicited after two doses of the prepandemic influenza vaccine adjuvanted with AS03<sub>A</sub>. Overall, vaccine HI seroconversion rates and seroprotection rates were 91% 21 days after the second vaccination. This fulfilled all regulatory acceptance criteria for the vaccine-homologous HI antibody level. A substantial cross-reactive humoral immune response was also observed against the virus strains A/turkey/Turkey/1/2005 (Clade 2.2) and A/Vietnam/1194/2004 (Clade 1) after the second vaccine administration. A marked post-vaccination response in terms of neutralising antibody titres was demonstrated and persistence of the immune response was observed 6 months after the first dose. The vaccine was generally well tolerated and there were no serious adverse events reported.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The H5N1 candidate vaccine adjuvanted with AS03<sub>A </sub>elicited a strong and persistent immune response against the vaccine strain A/Indonesia/5/2005 in Japanese adults. Vaccination with this formulation demonstrated a clinically acceptable reactogenicity profile and did not raise any safety concerns in this population.</p> <p>Trial registration</p> <p>Clinicaltrials.gov NCT00742885</p
Antimicrobial lubricant formulations containing poly(hydroxybenzene)-trimethoprim conjugates synthesized by tyrosinase
Poly(hydroxybenzene)-trimethoprim conjugates were prepared using methylparaben as substrate of the oxida- tive enzyme tyrosinase. MALDI-TOF MS analysis showed that the enzymatic oxidation of methylparaben alone leads to the poly(hydroxybenzene) formation. In the presence of tri- methoprim, the methylparaben tyrosinase oxidation leads poly(hydroxybenzene)-trimethoprim conjugates. All of these compounds were incorporated into lubricant hydroxyethyl cellulose/glycerol mixtures. Poly(hydroxybenzene)-trimetho- prim conjugates were the most effective phenolic structures against the bacterial growth reducing by 96 and 97 % of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus epidermidis suspen- sions, respectively (after 24 h). A novel enzymatic strategy to produce antimicrobial poly(hydroxybenzene)-antibiotic conjugates is proposed here for a wide range of applications on the biomedical field.The authors Idalina Gonçalves and Cláudia
Botelho would like to acknowledge the NOVO project (FP7-HEALTH-
2011.2.3.1- 5) for funding. Loïc Hilliou acknowledges the financial support
by FCT – Foundation for Science and Technology, Portugal
(501100001871), through Grant PEst-C/CTM/LA0025/2013 - Strategic
Project - LA 25 - 2013–2014, and by Programa Operacional Regional
do Norte (ON.2) through the project BMatepro – Optimizing Materials
and Processes^, with reference NORTE-07-0124-FEDER-000037
FEDER COMPETE
Measurement of single charged pion production in the charged-current interactions of neutrinos in a 1.3 GeV wide band beam
Single charged pion production in charged-current muon neutrino interactions
with carbon is studied using data collected in the K2K long-baseline neutrino
experiment. The mean energy of the incident muon neutrinos is 1.3 GeV. The data
used in this analysis are mainly from a fully active scintillator detector,
SciBar. The cross section for single production in the resonance
region ( GeV/) relative to the charged-current quasi-elastic cross
section is found to be 0.734 . The energy-dependent cross
section ratio is also measured. The results are consistent with a previous
experiment and the prediction of our model.Comment: 15 pages, 12 figures, 7 tables. Uses revtex4. Minor revisions to
match version accepted for publication in Physical Review
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