6,211 research outputs found
Dendritic Epidermal T Cells: Lessons from Mice for Humans
Dendritic epidermal T cells (DETC) in mice form part of a primitive system of epithelial-resident T cells characterized by the expression of gd T-cell receptors (TCR). Critical attributes that characterize DETC include their highly restricted T-cell receptor gene utilization, proliferation and maturation within epidermis, a capacity to kill relevant skin-derived tumor targets, and the ability to modulate immune responses that are initiated and expressed in skin. Contemporary knowledge suggests that DETC and the related skin-directed gd T cells found in humans play important roles in maintaining the immunologic integrity of skin
Solvated dissipative electro-elastic network model of hydrated proteins
Elastic netwok models coarse grain proteins into a network of residue beads
connected by springs. We add dissipative dynamics to this mechanical system by
applying overdamped Langevin equations of motion to normal-mode vibrations of
the network. In addition, the network is made heterogeneous and softened at the
protein surface by accounting for hydration of the ionized residues. Solvation
changes the network Hessian in two ways. Diagonal solvation terms soften the
spring constants and off-diagonal dipole-dipole terms correlate displacements
of the ionized residues. The model is used to formulate the response functions
of the electrostatic potential and electric field appearing in theories of
redox reactions and spectroscopy. We also formulate the dielectric response of
the protein and find that solvation of the surface ionized residues leads to a
slow relaxation peak in the dielectric loss spectrum, about two orders of
magnitude slower than the main peak of protein relaxation. Finally, the
solvated network is used to formulate the allosteric response of the protein to
ion binding. The global thermodynamics of ion binding is not strongly affected
by the network solvation, but it dramatically enhances conformational changes
in response to placing a charge at the active site of the protein
Terahertz response of dipolar impurities in polar liquids: On anomalous dielectric absorption of protein solutions
A theory of radiation absorption by dielectric mixtures is presented. The
coarse-grained formulation is based on the wavevector-dependent correlation
functions of molecular dipoles of the host polar liquid and a density-density
structure factor of the positions of the solutes. A nonlinear dependence of the
absorption coefficient on the solute concentration is predicted and originates
from the mutual polarization of the liquid surrounding the solutes by the
collective field of the solute dipoles aligned along the radiation field. The
theory is applied to terahertz absorption of hydrated saccharides and proteins.
While the theory gives an excellent account of the observations for saccharides
without additional assumptions and fitting parameters, experimental absorption
coefficient of protein solutions significantly exceeds theoretical calculations
within standard dielectric models and shows a peak against the protein
concentration. A substantial polarization of protein's hydration shell is
required to explain the differences between standard theories and experiment.
When the correlation function of the total dipole moment of the protein with
its hydration shell from numerical simulations is used in the present
analytical model an absorption peak similar to that seen is experiment is
obtained. The result is sensitive to the specifics of protein-protein
interactions in solution. Numerical testing of the theory requires the
combination of terahertz dielectric and small-angle scattering measurements.Comment: 11 p
Pacific 187Os/188Os isotope chemistry and U-Pb geochronology: synchroneity of global Os isotope change across OAE 2
Studies of OAE 2 sections beyond the Atlantic Ocean, Western Interior Seaway (WIS) and European pelagic shelf are limited. Here, we present initial osmium isotope stratigraphy (187Os/188Os–Osi) from two proto-Pacific sites that span the Cenomanian–Turonian boundary interval (CTBI): the Yezo Group (YG) section, Hokkaido, Japan, and the Great Valley Sequence (GVS), California, USA; to evaluate the 187Os/188Os seawater chemistry of the proto-Pacific. Additionally we combine new 206Pb/238U zircon CA-ID-TIMS geochronology from five volcanic tuff horizons of the Yezo Group section to test and facilitate inter-basinal integration with the WIS using radio-isotopically constrained age–depth models for both sections, and quantitatively constrain the absolute timing and duration of events across the CTBI. The YG shows an almost identical Osi profile to that of the WIS, and very similar to that of other sites of the proto-Atlantic and European pelagic oceans (Turgeon and Creaser, 2008 and Du Vivier et al., 2014). The characteristics of the Osi profile are radiogenic and heterogeneous (∼0.55–0.85) prior to the OAE 2, and synchronous with the inferred OAE 2 onset the Osi abruptly become unradiogenic and remain relatively homogeneous (∼0.20–0.30) before showing a gradual return to more radiogenic View the MathML source throughout the middle to late OAE 2. A206Pb/238U zircon age of an interbedded tuff (HK017) in the adjacent horizon to the first unradiogenic Osi value constrains the age of the Osi inflection at 94.44±0.14 Ma. This age, including uncertainty, agrees with the interpolated age of the same point in the Osi profile (94.28±0.25 Ma) in the only other dated OAE 2 section, the WIS; indicating a coeval shift in seawater chemistry associated with volcanism at the OAE 2 onset at the levels of temporal resolution (ca. 0.1 Myr). Further, prior to the onset of OAE 2 an enhanced radiogenic inflection in the Osi profile of the YG is correlative, within uncertainty, with a similar trend in the WIS based on the U–Pb age–depth model. The interpolated ages, 94.78±0.12 Ma and 94.66±0.25 Ma for this Osi inflection in the YG and WIS, respectively, indicate that palaeocirculation was sufficient to simultaneously influence transbasinal seawater chemistry. In contrast, the pre-OAE 2 Osi profile for the GVS is disparate to that of the YG and those of the proto-Atlantic and European pelagic shelf locations. We interpret the pre OAE 2 heterogeneous Osi values (0.30–0.95) to record a palaeobasin that was regionally influenced interchangeably by both unradiogenic (hydrothermal flux) and radiogenic (continental flux) Os. We conclude that the Osi profiles from the proto-Pacific sections record both trends that are consistent globally (OAE 2 onset, syn and post OAE 2), but also show regional differences (pre OAE 2) between OAE 2 sections worldwide. As such the Osi profiles coupled with U–Pb geochronology facilitate the correlation of OAE 2 stratigraphy, and demonstrate both regional and global ocean dynamics
Pressure-temperature Phase Diagram of Polycrystalline UCoGe Studied by Resistivity Measurement
Recently, coexistence of ferromagnetism (T_Curie = 2.8K) and
superconductivity (T_sc = 0.8K) has been reported in UCoGe, a compound close to
a ferromagnetic instability at ambient pressure P. Here we present resistivity
measurements under pressure on a UCoGe polycrystal. The phase diagram obtained
from resistivity measurements on a polycrystalline sample is found to be
qualitatively different to those of all other ferromagnetic superconductors. By
applying high pressure, ferromagnetism is suppressed at a rate of 1.4 K/GPa. No
indication of ferromagnetic order has been observed above P ~ 1GPa. The
resistive superconducting transition is, however, quite stable in temperature
and persists up to the highest measured pressure of about 2.4GPa.
Superconductivity would therefore appear also in the paramagnetic phase.
However, the appearance of superconductivity seems to change at a
characteristic pressure P* ~ 0.8GPa. Close to a ferromagnetic instability, the
homogeneity of the sample can influence strongly the electronic and magnetic
properties and therefore bulk phase transitions may differ from the
determination by resistivity measurements.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, submitted to J. Phys. Soc. Jp
On the principal bifurcation branch of a third order nonlinear long-wave equation
We study the principal bifurcation curve of a third order equation which
describes the nonlinear evolution of several systems with a long--wavelength
instability. We show that the main bifurcation branch can be derived from a
variational principle. This allows to obtain a close estimate of the complete
branch. In particular, when the bifurcation is subcritical, the large amplitude
stable branch can be found in a simple manner.Comment: 11 pages, 3 figure
Testing Hardy nonlocality proof with genuine energy-time entanglement
We show two experimental realizations of Hardy ladder test of quantum
nonlocality using energy-time correlated photons, following the scheme proposed
by A. Cabello \emph{et al.} [Phys. Rev. Lett. \textbf{102}, 040401 (2009)].
Unlike, previous energy-time Bell experiments, these tests require precise
tailored nonmaximally entangled states. One of them is equivalent to the
two-setting two-outcome Bell test requiring a minimum detection efficiency. The
reported experiments are still affected by the locality and detection
loopholes, but are free of the post-selection loophole of previous energy-time
and time-bin Bell tests.Comment: 5 pages, revtex4, 6 figure
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