165 research outputs found
Bloch oscillations in one-dimensional spinor gas
A force applied to a spin-flipped particle in a one-dimensional spinor gas
may lead to Bloch oscillations of particle's position and velocity. The
existence of Bloch oscillations crucially depends on the viscous friction force
exerted by the rest of the gas on the spin excitation. We evaluate the friction
in terms of the quantum fluid parameters. In particular, we show that the
friction is absent for integrable cases, such as SU(2) symmetric gas of bosons
or fermions. For small deviations from the exact integrability the friction is
very weak, opening the possibility to observe Bloch oscillations.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figure
On the possibility to supercool molecular hydrogen down to superfluid transition
Recent calculations by Vorobev and Malyshenko (JETP Letters, 71, 39, 2000)
show that molecular hydrogen may stay liquid and superfluid in strong electric
fields of the order of . I demonstrate that strong local
electric fields of similar magnitude exist beneath a two-dimensional layer of
electrons localized in the image potential above the surface of solid hydrogen.
Even stronger local fields exist around charged particles (ions or electrons)
if surface or bulk of a solid hydrogen crystal is statically charged.
Measurements of the frequency shift of the photoresonance transition
in the spectrum of two-dimensional layer of electrons above positively or
negatively charged solid hydrogen surface performed in the temperature range 7
- 13.8 K support the prediction of electric field induced surface melting. The
range of surface charge density necessary to stabilize the liquid phase of
molecular hydrogen at the temperature of superfluid transition is estimated.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figure
Управляемые тупики в параллельных ресурсно-ограниченных потоках работ
We study the verification of the soundness property for workflow nets extended with resources. A workflow is sound if it terminates properly (no deadlocks and livelocks are possible). A class of resource-constrained workflow nets (RCWF-nets) is considered, where resources can be used by a process instance, but cannot be created or spent. Two sound RCWF-nets using the same set of resources can be put in parallel. This parallel composition may in some cases produce additional deadlocks. A problem of deadlock avoidance in parallel workflows is studied, some methods of deadlock search and control are presented.Работа посвящена проблеме проверки правильной организованности (бездефектности) сетей потоков работ с ресурсами. Поток работ называется бездефектным, если он может быть корректно завершен от любого достижимого состояния. Рассматривается класс схем ресурсно-ограниченных потоков работ (RCWF-сетей), в которых экземпляры процесса могут использовать внешние ресурсы, но не могут за время своей жизни изменить их количество.Две бездефектные RCWF-сети, использующие один и тот же набор ресурсов, могут быть запущены параллельно. Подобная параллельная композиция в некоторых случаях может порождать дополнительные тупики, вызванные взаимными блокировками. Мы исследуем проблему обнаружения потенциальных блокировок и предлагаем способы организации такого управления сетью, которое позволило бы их избегать
RNase T1 mimicking artificial ribonuclease
Recently, artificial ribonucleases (aRNases)—conjugates of oligodeoxyribonucleotides and peptide (LR)4-G-amide—were designed and assessed in terms of the activity and specificity of RNA cleavage. The conjugates were shown to cleave RNA at Pyr-A and G–X sequences. Variations of oligonucleotide length and sequence, peptide and linker structure led to the development of conjugates exhibiting G–X cleavage specificity only. The most efficient catalyst is built of nonadeoxyribonucleotide of unique sequence and peptide (LR)4-G-NH2 connected by the linker of three abasic deoxyribonucleotides (conjugate pep-9). Investigation of the cleavage specificity of conjugate pep-9 showed that the compound is the first single-stranded guanine-specific aRNase, which mimics RNase T1. Rate enhancement of RNA cleavage at G–X linkages catalysed by pep-9 is 108 compared to non-catalysed reaction, pep-9 cleaves these linkages only 105-fold less efficiently than RNase T1 (kcat_RNase T1/kcat_pep-9 = 105)
Vortices in multicomponent Bose-Einstein condensates
We review the topic of quantized vortices in multicomponent Bose-Einstein
condensates of dilute atomic gases, with an emphasis on that in two-component
condensates. First, we review the fundamental structure, stability and dynamics
of a single vortex state in a slowly rotating two-component condensates. To
understand recent experimental results, we use the coupled Gross-Pitaevskii
equations and the generalized nonlinear sigma model. An axisymmetric vortex
state, which was observed by the JILA group, can be regarded as a topologically
trivial skyrmion in the pseudospin representation. The internal, coherent
coupling between the two components breaks the axisymmetry of the vortex state,
resulting in a stable vortex molecule (a meron pair). We also mention
unconventional vortex states and monopole excitations in a spin-1 Bose-Einstein
condensate. Next, we discuss a rich variety of vortex states realized in
rapidly rotating two-component Bose-Einstein condensates. We introduce a phase
diagram with axes of rotation frequency and the intercomponent coupling
strength. This phase diagram reveals unconventional vortex states such as a
square lattice, a double-core lattice, vortex stripes and vortex sheets, all of
which are in an experimentally accessible parameter regime. The coherent
coupling leads to an effective attractive interaction between two components,
providing not only a promising candidate to tune the intercomponent interaction
to study the rich vortex phases but also a new regime to explore vortex states
consisting of vortex molecules characterized by anisotropic vorticity. A recent
experiment by the JILA group vindicated the formation of a square vortex
lattice in this system.Comment: 69 pages, 25 figures, Invited review article for International
Journal of Modern Physics
Regulation of mammary gland branching morphogenesis by the extracellular matrix and its remodeling enzymes.
A considerable body of research indicates that mammary gland branching morphogenesis is dependent, in part, on the extracellular matrix (ECM), ECM-receptors, such as integrins and other ECM receptors, and ECM-degrading enzymes, including matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and their inhibitors, tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs). There is some evidence that these ECM cues affect one or more of the following processes: cell survival, polarity, proliferation, differentiation, adhesion, and migration. Both three-dimensional culture models and genetic manipulations of the mouse mammary gland have been used to study the signaling pathways that affect these processes. However, the precise mechanisms of ECM-directed mammary morphogenesis are not well understood. Mammary morphogenesis involves epithelial 'invasion' of adipose tissue, a process akin to invasion by breast cancer cells, although the former is a highly regulated developmental process. How these morphogenic pathways are integrated in the normal gland and how they become dysregulated and subverted in the progression of breast cancer also remain largely unanswered questions
Effect of sitagliptin on cardiovascular outcomes in type 2 diabetes
BACKGROUND: Data are lacking on the long-term effect on cardiovascular events of adding sitagliptin, a dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitor, to usual care in patients with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. METHODS: In this randomized, double-blind study, we assigned 14,671 patients to add either sitagliptin or placebo to their existing therapy. Open-label use of antihyperglycemic therapy was encouraged as required, aimed at reaching individually appropriate glycemic targets in all patients. To determine whether sitagliptin was noninferior to placebo, we used a relative risk of 1.3 as the marginal upper boundary. The primary cardiovascular outcome was a composite of cardiovascular death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke, or hospitalization for unstable angina. RESULTS: During a median follow-up of 3.0 years, there was a small difference in glycated hemoglobin levels (least-squares mean difference for sitagliptin vs. placebo, -0.29 percentage points; 95% confidence interval [CI], -0.32 to -0.27). Overall, the primary outcome occurred in 839 patients in the sitagliptin group (11.4%; 4.06 per 100 person-years) and 851 patients in the placebo group (11.6%; 4.17 per 100 person-years). Sitagliptin was noninferior to placebo for the primary composite cardiovascular outcome (hazard ratio, 0.98; 95% CI, 0.88 to 1.09; P<0.001). Rates of hospitalization for heart failure did not differ between the two groups (hazard ratio, 1.00; 95% CI, 0.83 to 1.20; P = 0.98). There were no significant between-group differences in rates of acute pancreatitis (P = 0.07) or pancreatic cancer (P = 0.32). CONCLUSIONS: Among patients with type 2 diabetes and established cardiovascular disease, adding sitagliptin to usual care did not appear to increase the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events, hospitalization for heart failure, or other adverse events
Host microenvironment in breast cancer development Inflammatory and immune cells in tumour angiogenesis and arteriogenesis
Critical Loads of Sulphur and Nitrogen for Terrestrial Ecosystems in Europe and Northern Asia Using Different Soil Chemical Criteria
Anti-angiogenic alternatives to VEGF blockade
Angiogenesis is a major requirement for tumour formation and development. Anti-angiogenic treatments aim to starve the tumour of nutrients and oxygen and also guard against metastasis. The main anti-angiogenic agents to date have focused on blocking the pro-angiogenic vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGFs). While this approach has seen some success and has provided a proof of principle that such anti-angiogenic agents can be used as treatment, the overall outcome of VEGF blockade has been somewhat disappointing. There is a current need for new strategies in inhibiting tumour angiogenesis; this article will review current and historical examples in blocking various membrane receptors and components of the extracellular matrix important in angiogenesis. Targeting these newly discovered pro-angiogenic proteins could provide novel strategies for cancer therapy
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