Circular Dichroism of RbHe and RbN2_2 Molecules

We present measurements of the circular dichroism of optically pumped Rb vapor near the D1 resonance line. Collisions with the buffer gases $^3$He and N$_2$ reduce the transparency of the vapor, even when fully polarized. We use two methods to measure this effect, show that the He results can be understood from RbHe potential curves, and show how this effect conspires with the spectral profile of the optical pumping light to increase the laser power demands for optical pumping of very optically thick samples

A model of phase relations in the system MgO-SiO_2-H_2O-CO_2 and prediction of the compositions of liquids coexisting with forsterite and enstatite

A comprehensive model has been developed for the system MgO-SiO_2-H_2O-CO_2 on the basis of experimental studies, Schreinemaker's rules, and thermodynamic data. The assemblage forsterite plus enstatite is predicted to melt in the presence of vapor of any H_2O/CO_2 ratio at low pressures, in the presence of vapor whose H_2O/CO_2 ratio is buffered by the presence of magnesite at intermediate pressures, and at a vapor-absent eutectic with brucite and magnetite at high pressures. The composition of the liquid at the solidus for a bulk composition of forsterite plus enstatite plus a small amount of volatiles with a 3/1 H_2O/CO_2 ratio changes from enstatite-quartz normative at 20 kbar, to periclase- forsterite normative at 50 kbar, to forsterite-enstatite normative at 90 kbar and greater pressures. Forsterite cannot coexist with H_2O-CO_2 vapor at pressures greater than 90 kbar. Thus all melting in the earth's mantle at higher pressures must be vapor-absent

Breakdown of Angular Momentum Selection Rules in High Pressure Optical Pumping Experiments

We present measurements, using two complementary methods, of the breakdown of atomic angular momentum selection rules in He-broadened Rb vapor. Atomic dark states are rendered weakly absorbing due to fine-structure mixing during Rb-He collisions. The effect substantially increases the photon demand for optical pumping of dense vapors

Magic wavelengths for the 5s−18s5s-18s transition in rubidium

Magic wavelengths, for which there is no differential ac Stark shift for the ground and excited state of the atom, allow trapping of excited Rydberg atoms without broadening the optical transition. This is an important tool for implementing quantum gates and other quantum information protocols with Rydberg atoms, and reliable theoretical methods to find such magic wavelengths are thus extremely useful. We use a high-precision all-order method to calculate magic wavelengths for the $5s-18s$ transition of rubidium, and compare the calculation to experiment by measuring the light shift for atoms held in an optical dipole trap at a range of wavelengths near a calculated magic value

Solidity of viscous liquids. IV. Density fluctuations

This paper is the fourth in a series exploring the physical consequences of the solidity of highly viscous liquids. It is argued that the two basic characteristics of a flow event (a jump between two energy minima in configuration space) are the local density change and the sum of all particle displacements. Based on this it is proposed that density fluctuations are described by a time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau equation with rates in k-space of the form $\Gamma_0+Dk^2$ with $D\gg\Gamma_0a^2$ where $a$ is the average intermolecular distance. The inequality expresses a long-wavelength dominance of the dynamics which implies that the Hamiltonian (free energy) may be taken to be ultra local. As an illustration of the theory the case with the simplest non-trivial Hamiltonian is solved to second order in the Gaussian approximation, where it predicts an asymmetric frequency dependence of the isothermal bulk modulus with Debye behavior at low frequencies and an $\omega^{-1/2}$ decay of the loss at high frequencies. Finally, a general formalism for the description of viscous liquid dynamics, which supplements the density dynamics by including stress fields, a potential energy field, and molecular orientational fields, is proposed

Structure and expression of nuclear oncogenes in multi-stage thyroid tumorigenesis.

We have investigated the possibility that structural alterations of the 'nuclear' oncogene family (c-myc, N-myc, L-myc, fos, myb and p53) leading to aberrant expression might, as in several other tumour types, play a role in the multi-stage development of tumorigenesis in the human thyroid follicular cell. Direct analysis of expression by slot and Northern blot RNA hybridisation showed that normal thyroid expresses surprisingly high levels of fos, and to a lesser extent c-myc, c-myc expression was markedly increased in all tumours, both benign and malignant, but no increase was seen in any other nuclear oncogene. fos expression was reduced specifically in one type of malignant tumour-follicular carcinoma-in inverse correlation with differentiation. Southern blot analysis showed no evidence of rearrangement or amplification of c-myc, or of any other 'nuclear' oncogene in any thyroid tumour. We conclude that there is no evidence that a primary abnormality of these genes plays a role in thyroid follicular cell tumorigenesis and suggest that the observed changes in expression can be adequately explained as secondary consequences of the tumour phenotype

Identification of amino acid residues of the NR2A subunit that control glutamate potency in recombinant NR1/NR2A NMDA receptors

The NMDA type of ligand-gated glutamate receptor requires the presence of both glutamate and glycine for gating. These receptors are hetero-oligomers of NR1 and NR2 subunits. Previously it was thought that the binding sites for glycine and glutamate were formed by residues on the NR1 subunit. Indeed, it has been shown that the effects of glycine are controlled by residues on the NR1 subunit, and a “Venus flytrap” model for the glycine binding site has been suggested by analogy with bacterial periplasmic amino acid binding proteins. By analysis of 10 mutant NMDA receptors, we now show that residues on the NR2A subunit control glutamate potency in recombinant NR1/NR2A receptors, without affecting glycine potency. Furthermore, we provide evidence that, at least for some mutated residues, the reduced potency of glutamate cannot be explained by alteration of gating but has to be caused primarily by impairing the binding of the agonist to the resting state of the receptor. One NR2A mutant, NR2A(T671A), had anEC50for glutamate 1000-fold greater than wild type and a 255-fold reduced affinity for APV, yet it had single-channel openings very similar to those of wild type. Therefore we propose that the glutamate binding site is located on NR2 subunits and (taking our data together with previous work) is not on the NR1 subunit. Our data further imply that each NMDA receptor subunit possesses a binding site for an agonist (glutamate or glycine).</jats:p

Susceptibility to apoptosis is differentially regulated by c-myc and mutated Ha-ras oncogenes and is associated with endonuclease availability.

Oncogenes and oncosuppressors can deregulate cell replication in tumours, and recently have been shown to influence the probability of apoptosis. The effects of human c-myc and mutated (T24) Ha-ras oncogenes on susceptibility to apoptosis were investigated by introducing them into immortalised rat fibroblasts. The resulting family of transfectants showed closely similar measures of proliferation, but widely divergent rates of apoptosis, differing by up to fifteen-fold, that correlated inversely with population expansion rates in vitro. T24-ras transfectants with moderate or high p21ras expression showed reduced apoptosis, and this was reversed by pharmacological inhibition of membrane localisation of p21ras by mevinolin. In contrast, c-myc stimulated apoptosis, and this was further enhanced by serum deprivation. Inducibility of effector proteins represents one possible mechanism of genetic control of the susceptibility to apoptosis, and its investigation showed that c-myc was associated with expression by viable cells of latent calcium/magnesium sensitive endonuclease activity characteristic of apoptosis. In contrast, endonuclease activity was not detected in viable cells of a T24-ras transfectant expressing high levels of p21ras. Thus, there appeared to be differential regulation of susceptibility to apoptosis, positively by c-myc and negatively by activated ras, and this was associated with availability of endonuclease activity. Genetic modulation of apoptosis in human neoplasms is likely to influence net growth rate, retention of cells acquiring new mutations and response to certain chemotherapeutic agents

Hydrous Carbonatitic Liquids Drive CO2 Recycling From Subducted Marls and Limestones

This research was supported by the Italian Ministry of Education, University, and Research (MIUR) program PRIN2017 and by the Deep Carbon Observatory (DCO). We are greatly indebted to Andrea Risplendente for careful examination of run charges at the Electron Microprobe.Pelagic limestones are subducted in a variety of subduction zones worldwide. Despite the geochemical relevance of systems enriched in CaCO3, previous experimental investigations mostly focused on carbonated pelites, with low Ca/(Ca+Mg+Fe) ratio. We present the compositions and the formation conditions of liquids in the model system CaO‐Al2O3‐SiO2‐H2O‐CO2 (CASHC), building on phase relationships in the subsystems CHC and CSHC, where a second critical endpoint was suggested at temperatures as low as 515 °C, and 3.2 GPa. Multianvil experiments were performed at 4.2 and 6.0 GPa on five bulk compositions at variable Ca/Si/Al ratios. H2O contents vary from 5.6 to 21 wt%. Aragonite + kyanite + vapor and minor lawsonite form at 700 °C, replaced by zoisite/grossular at 800 °C. Between 850 °C and 950 °C, a complex sequence of textural features is observed upon quenching of a single volatile‐rich liquid phase formed at run conditions. Precipitates include dendritic CaCO3, silicate glass, and Al‐rich whiskers. The bulk composition of such hydrous carbonatitic liquids is retrieved by image analysis on X‐ray maps, showing Ca/Si ratio increasing with pressure and temperature. Hydrous Ca‐carbonatitic liquids are efficient media for scavenging volatiles from subducted crustal material and for metasomatizing the mantle wedge.Ministry of Education, Universities and Research (MIUR)Deep Carbon Observatory (DCO

Functional properties of in vitro excitatory cortical neurons derived from human pluripotent stem cells

The in vitro derivation of regionally defined human neuron types from patient‐derived stem cells is now established as a resource to investigate human development and disease. Characterization of such neurons initially focused on the expression of developmentally regulated transcription factors and neural markers, in conjunction with the development of protocols to direct and chart the fate of differentiated neurons. However, crucial to the understanding and exploitation of this technology is to determine the degree to which neurons recapitulate the key functional features exhibited by their native counterparts, essential for determining their usefulness in modelling human physiology and disease in vitro. Here, we review the emerging data concerning functional properties of human pluripotent stem cell‐derived excitatory cortical neurons, in the context of both maturation and regional specificity. [Image: see text