Collective Dynamics of Random Polyampholytes

We consider the Langevin dynamics of a semi-dilute system of chains which are random polyampholytes of average monomer charge $q$ and with a fluctuations in this charge of the size $Q^{-1}$ and with freely floating counter-ions in the surrounding. We cast the dynamics into the functional integral formalism and average over the quenched charge distribution in order to compute the dynamic structure factor and the effective collective potential matrix. The results are given for small charge fluctuations. In the limit of finite $q$ we then find that the scattering approaches the limit of polyelectrolyte solutions.Comment: 13 pages including 6 figures, submitted J. Chem. Phy

The human myometrium differentially expresses mTOR signalling components before and during pregnancy: Evidence for regulation by progesterone

Emerging studies implicate the signalling of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) in a number of reproductive functions. To this date, there are no data regarding the expression of mTOR signalling components in the human myometrium during pregnancy. We hypothesized that mTOR-related genes might be differentially expressed in term or preterm labour as well as in labour or non-labour myometria during pregnancy. Using quantitative RT-PCR we demonstrate for first time that there is a significant downregulation of mTOR, DEPTOR, and Raptor in preterm labouring myometria when compared to non-pregnant tissues taken from the same area (lower segment). We used an immortalized myometrial cell line (ULTR) as an in vitro model to dissect further mTOR signalling. In ULTR cells DEPTOR and Rictor had a cytoplasmic distribution, whereas mTOR and Raptor were detected in the cytoplasm and the nucleus, indicative of mTORC1 shuttling. Treatment with inflammatory cytokines caused only minor changes in gene expression of these components, whereas progesterone caused significant down-regulation. We performed a non-biased gene expression analysis of ULTR cells using Nimblegen human gene expression microarray (n = 3), and selected genes were validated by quantitative RT-PCR in progesterone treated myometrial cells. Progesterone significantly down-regulated key components of the mTOR pathway. We conclude that the human myometrium differentially expresses mTOR signalling components and they can be regulated by progesterone. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled 'Pregnancy and Steroids'.This research was funded by National Institutes of Health Grant ESO12961

Delamination of Layered Zeolite Precursors under Mild Conditions: Synthesis of UCB-1 via Fluoride/Chloride Anion-Promoted Exfoliation

New material UCB-1 is synthesized via the delamination of zeolite precursor MCM-22 (P) at pH 9 using an aqueous solution of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, tetrabutylammonium fluoride, and tetrabutylammonium chloride at 353 K. Characterization by powder X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and nitrogen physisorption at 77 K indicates the same degree of delamination in UCB-1 as previously reported for delaminated zeolite precursors, which require a pH of greater than 13.5 and sonication in order to achieve exfoliation. UCB-1 consists of a high degree of structural integrity via ^(29)Si MAS NMR and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopies, and no detectable formation of amorphous silica phase via transmission electron microscopy. Porosimetry measurements demonstrate a lack of hysteresis in the N_2 adsorption/desorption isotherms and macroporosity in UCB-1. The new method is generalizable to a variety of Si:Al ratios and leads to delaminated zeolite precursor materials lacking amorphization

Case assignment in TSL syntax: a case study

Recent work suggests that the subregular complexity of syntax might be comparable to that of phonology and morphology. More specifically, whereas phonological and morphological dependencies are tier-based strictly local over strings, syntactic dependencies are tier-based strictly local over derivation trees. However, a broader range of empirical phenomena must be considered in order to solidify this claim. This paper investigates various phenomena related to morphological case, and we argue that they, too, are tier-based strictly local. Not only do our findings provide empirical support for a kind of computational parallelism across language modules, they also offer a new, computationally unified perspective of structural and lexical case. We hope that this paper will enable other researchers to fruitfully study syntactic phenomena from a subregular perspective

Programming DNA Tube Circumferences

Synthesizing molecular tubes with monodisperse, programmable circumferences is an important goal shared by nanotechnology, materials science, and supermolecular chemistry. We program molecular tube circumferences by specifying the complementarity relationships between modular domains in a 42-base single-stranded DNA motif. Single-step annealing results in the self-assembly of long tubes displaying monodisperse circumferences of 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, or 20 DNA helices

Entropic, electrostatic, and interfacial regimes in concentrated disordered ionic emulsions

We develop a free energy model that describes two key thermodynamic properties, the osmotic pressure Π and the linear elastic shear modulus G′p (i.e. plateau storage modulus), of concentrated monodisperse emulsions which have isotropic, disordered, droplet structures, and are stabilized using ionic surfactants. This model effectively incorporates the concept of random close packing or jamming of repulsive spheres into a free energy F that depends on droplet volume fraction ϕ and shear strain γ both below and above the a critical jamming point ϕc ≈ 0.646. This free energy has three terms: entropic, electrostatic, and interfacial (EEI). By minimizing F with respect to an average droplet deformation parameter that links all three terms, we show that the entropic term is dominant for ϕ well below ϕc, the electrostatic term is dominant for ϕ near but below ϕc, and the interfacial term dominates for larger ϕ. This EEI model describes measurements of G′p(ϕ) for charge-stabilized uniform emulsions having a wide range of droplet sizes, ranging from nanoscale to microscale, and it also is consistent with measurements of Π(ϕ). Moreover, it describes G′p(ϕ) for similar nanoemulsions after adding non-amphiphilic salt, when changes in the interfacial tension and the Debye screening length are properly taken into account. By unifying existing approaches, the EEI model predicts constitutive properties of concentrated ionic emulsions that have disordered, out-of-equilibrium structures through near- equilibrium free energy minimization, consistent with random driving Brownian excitations