639 research outputs found
Maternal distress in late pregnancy alters obstetric outcomes and the expression of genes important for placental glucocorticoid signalling
The experience of maternal distress in pregnancy is often linked with poorer obstetric outcomes for women as well as adverse outcomes for offspring. Alterations in placental glucocorticoid signalling and subsequent increased fetal exposure to cortisol have been suggested to underlie this relationship. In the current study, 121 pregnant women completed the Perceived Stress Scale, State Trait Anxiety Inventory and Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale in the third trimester of pregnancy. Placental samples were collected after delivery. Maternal history of psychiatric illness and miscarriage were significant predictors of poorer mental health in pregnancy. Higher anxiety was associated with an increase in women delivering via elective Caesarean Section, and an increase in bottle-feeding. Birth temperature was mildly reduced among infants of women with high levels of depressive symptomology. Babies of mothers who scored high in all stress (cumulative distress) measures had reduced 5-min Apgar scores. High cumulative distress reduced the expression of placental HSD11B2 mRNA and increased the expression of placental NR3C1 mRNA. These data support a role for prenatal distress as a risk factor for altered obstetric outcomes. The alterations in placental gene expression support a role for altered placental glucocorticoid signalling in the relationship between maternal prenatal distress and adverse outcomes
Electromechanical instability in suspended carbon nanotubes
We have theoretically investigated electromechanical properties of freely
suspended carbon nanotubes when a current is injected into the tubes using a
scanning tunneling microscope. We show that a shuttle-like electromechanical
instability can occur if the bias voltage exceeds a dissipation-dependent
threshold value. An instability results in large amplitude vibrations of the
carbon nanotube bending mode, which modify the current-voltage characteristics
of the system
Impaired natural killer cell phenotype and function in idiopathic and heritable pulmonary arterial hypertension
BACKGROUND: Beyond their role as innate immune effectors, natural killer (NK) cells are emerging as important regulators of angiogenesis and vascular remodeling. Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is characterized by severe pulmonary vascular remodeling and has long been associated with immune dysfunction. Despite this association, a role for NK cells in disease pathology has not yet been described.
METHODS AND RESULTS: Analysis of whole blood lymphocytes and isolated NK cells from PAH patients revealed an expansion of the functionally defective CD56(-)/CD16(+) NK subset that was not observed in patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension. NK cells from PAH patients also displayed decreased levels of the activating receptor NKp46 and the killer immunoglobulin-like receptors 2DL1/S1 and 3DL1, reduced secretion of the cytokine macrophage inflammatory protein-1β, and a significant impairment in cytolytic function associated with decreased killer immunoglobulin-like receptor 3DL1 expression. Genotyping patients (n=222) and controls (n=191) for killer immunoglobulin-like receptor gene polymorphisms did not explain these observations. Rather, we show that NK cells from PAH patients exhibit increased responsiveness to transforming growth factor-β, which specifically downregulates disease-associated killer immunoglobulin-like receptors. NK cell number and cytotoxicity were similarly decreased in the monocrotaline rat and chronic hypoxia mouse models of PAH, accompanied by reduced production of interferon-γ in NK cells from hypoxic mice. NK cells from PAH patients also produced elevated quantities of matrix metalloproteinase 9, consistent with a capacity to influence vascular remodeling.
CONCLUSIONS: Our work is the first to identify an impairment of NK cells in PAH and suggests a novel and substantive role for innate immunity in the pathobiology of this disease
Quantum Effects in the Mechanical Properties of Suspended Nanomechanical Systems
We explore the quantum aspects of an elastic bar supported at both ends and
subject to compression. If strain rather than stress is held fixed, the system
remains stable beyond the buckling instability, supporting two potential
minima. The classical equilibrium transverse displacement is analogous to a
Ginsburg-Landau order parameter, with strain playing the role of temperature.
We calculate the quantum fluctuations about the classical value as a function
of strain. Excitation energies and quantum fluctuation amplitudes are compared
for silicon beams and carbon nanotubes.Comment: RevTeX4. 5 pages, 3 eps figures. Submitted to Physical Review Letter
Quantum theory of electromechanical noise and momentum transfer statistics
A quantum mechanical theory is developed for the statistics of momentum
transferred to the lattice by conduction electrons. Results for the
electromechanical noise power in the semiclassical diffusive transport regime
agree with a recent theory based on the Boltzmann-Langevin equation. All
moments of the transferred momentum are calculated for a single-channel
conductor with a localized scatterer, and compared with the known statistics of
transmitted charge.Comment: 10 pages, 2 figure
Theory of extraordinary optical transmission through subwavelength hole arrays
We present a fully three-dimensional theoretical study of the extraordinary
transmission of light through subwavelength hole arrays in optically thick
metal films. Good agreement is obtained with experimental data. An analytical
minimal model is also developed, which conclusively shows that the enhancement
of transmission is due to tunneling through surface plasmons formed on each
metal-dielectric interfaces. Different regimes of tunneling (resonant through a
''surface plasmon molecule", or sequential through two isolated surface
plasmons) are found depending on the geometrical parameters defining the
system.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure
Ab-initio structural, elastic, and vibrational properties of carbon nanotubes
A study based on ab initio calculations is presented on the estructural,
elastic, and vibrational properties of single-wall carbon nanotubes with
different radii and chiralities. We use SIESTA, an implementation of
pseudopotential-density-functional theory which allows calculations on systems
with a large number of atoms per cell. Different quantities like bond
distances, Young moduli, Poisson ratio and the frequencies of different phonon
branches are monitored versus tube radius. The validity of expectations based
on graphite is explored down to small radii, where some deviations appear
related to the curvature effects. For the phonon spectra, the results are
compared with the predictions of the simple zone-folding approximation. Except
for the known defficiencies of this approximation in the low-frequency
vibrational regions, it offers quite accurate results, even for relatively
small radii.Comment: 13 pages, 7 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev. B (11 Nov. 98
Spectral compression of single photons
Photons are critical to quantum technologies since they can be used for
virtually all quantum information tasks: in quantum metrology, as the
information carrier in photonic quantum computation, as a mediator in hybrid
systems, and to establish long distance networks. The physical characteristics
of photons in these applications differ drastically; spectral bandwidths span
12 orders of magnitude from 50 THz for quantum-optical coherence tomography to
50 Hz for certain quantum memories. Combining these technologies requires
coherent interfaces that reversibly map centre frequencies and bandwidths of
photons to avoid excessive loss. Here we demonstrate bandwidth compression of
single photons by a factor 40 and tunability over a range 70 times that
bandwidth via sum-frequency generation with chirped laser pulses. This
constitutes a time-to-frequency interface for light capable of converting
time-bin to colour entanglement and enables ultrafast timing measurements. It
is a step toward arbitrary waveform generation for single and entangled
photons.Comment: 6 pages (4 figures) + 6 pages (3 figures
Towards a theory of operational excellence
The term Operational Excellence is widely applied to businesses but the meaning is ill-defined and is often used as a desired goal. This paper provides a comprehensive review of Operational Excellence and starts to address the criticism of its lack of theoretical foundation. The aim of this conceptual paper is to clarify the meaning of Operational Excellent and to identify the underpinning theories and laws, or rules that guide it. Based on the synthesis of the literature using the term ‘Operational Excellence’ writings are reviewed against five criteria for a good theory. Our findings show there has been considerable research into identifying common practices and regularities of Operational Excellence but currently there is no single underlying theory of Operational Excellence that meets the criteria for a good theory. From our analysis of the literature we provide some recommendations to address the gaps found. Further research is required to develop a more robust theory of Operational Excellence that will serve to facilitate learning and innovation in next generation management thinking. Future study is also required to identify research that has been carried out that has tested the laws identified in this study. Ideas and input from practitioners would also be required to develop the theory and underpinning laws
Thermodynamic Behavior of a Model Covalent Material Described by the Environment-Dependent Interatomic Potential
Using molecular dynamics simulations we study the thermodynamic behavior of a
single-component covalent material described by the recently proposed
Environment-Dependent Interatomic Potential (EDIP). The parameterization of
EDIP for silicon exhibits a range of unusual properties typically found in more
complex materials, such as the existence of two structurally distinct
disordered phases, a density decrease upon melting of the low-temperature
amorphous phase, and negative thermal expansion coefficients for both the
crystal (at high temperatures) and the amorphous phase (at all temperatures).
Structural differences between the two disordered phases also lead to a
first-order transition between them, which suggests the existence of a second
critical point, as is believed to exist for amorphous forms of frozen water.
For EDIP-Si, however, the unusual behavior is associated not only with the open
nature of tetrahedral bonding but also with a competition between four-fold
(covalent) and five-fold (metallic) coordination. The unusual behavior of the
model and its unique ability to simulation the liquid/amorphous transition on
molecular-dynamics time scales make it a suitable prototype for fundamental
studies of anomalous thermodynamics in disordeered systems.Comment: 48 pages (double-spaced), 13 figure
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