COMPLEX INVESTIGATION OF EN Ni-P METALLIC GLASSES HAVING ANOMALOUS BEHA VIOR DURING LONG TIME ISOTHERMAL HEAT-TREATMENT

An EN Ni-P layer consisting of two metallic glass components were examined after a short-time pre-heat treatment at 200°C, followed by a 5OOO-hour heat treatment at 160°C, then a 5-year relaxation at room temperature. X-ray diffraction, DSC, AES, and micro-hardness measurements were used in the study. Our only surprising experience was that the metallic glass recrystallized fully only during the room-temperature relaxation

On Linear Codes with Random Multiplier Vectors and the Maximum Trace Dimension Property

Let $C$ be a linear code of length $n$ and dimension $k$ over the finite field $\mathbb{F}_{q^m}$. The trace code $\mathrm{Tr}(C)$ is a linear code of the same length $n$ over the subfield $\mathbb{F}_q$. The obvious upper bound for the dimension of the trace code over $\mathbb{F}_q$ is $mk$. If equality holds, then we say that $C$ has maximum trace dimension. The problem of finding the true dimension of trace codes and their duals is relevant for the size of the public key of various code-based cryptographic protocols. Let $C_{\mathbf{a}}$ denote the code obtained from $C$ and a multiplier vector $\mathbf{a}\in (\mathbb{F}_{q^m})^n$. In this paper, we give a lower bound for the probability that a random multiplier vector produces a code $C_{\mathbf{a}}$ of maximum trace dimension. We give an interpretation of the bound for the class of algebraic geometry codes in terms of the degree of the defining divisor. The bound explains the experimental fact that random alternant codes have minimal dimension. Our bound holds whenever $n\geq m(k+h)$, where $h\geq 0$ is the Singleton defect of $C$. For the extremal case $n=m(h+k)$, numerical experiments reveal a closed connection between the probability of having maximum trace dimension and the probability that a random matrix has full rank

The PMS project: Poor Man's Supercomputer

We briefly describe the Poor Man's Supercomputer (PMS) project carried out at Eotvos University, Budapest. The goal was to develop a cost effective, scalable, fast parallel computer to perform numerical calculations of physical problems that can be implemented on a lattice with nearest neighbour interactions. To this end we developed the PMS architecture using PC components and designed a special, low cost communication hardware and the driver software for Linux OS. Our first implementation of PMS includes 32 nodes (PMS1). The performance of PMS1 was tested by Lattice Gauge Theory simulations. Using SU(3) pure gauge theory or bosonic MSSM on PMS1 we obtained 3$/Mflop and 0.45$Mflop price-to-sustained performance for double and single precision operations, respectively. The design of the special hardware and the communication driver are freely available upon request for non-profit organizations.Comment: Latex, 13 pages, 6 figures included, minor additions, typos correcte

The Bajnok-Janik formula and wrapping corrections

We write down the simplified TBA equations of the $AdS_5 \times S^5$ string sigma-model for minimal energy twist-two operators in the sl(2) sector of the model. By using the linearized version of these TBA equations it is shown that the wrapping corrected Bethe equations for these states are identical, up to O(g^8), to the Bethe equations calculated in the generalized L\"uscher approach (Bajnok-Janik formula). Applications of the Bajnok-Janik formula to relativistic integrable models, the nonlinear O(n) sigma models for n=2,3,4 and the SU(n) principal sigma models, are also discussed.Comment: Latex, 22 pages, published versio

Genetic and environmental influence on thyroid gland volume and thickness of thyroid isthmus: a twin study.

Objectives Decreased thyroid volume has been related to increased prevalence of thyroid cancer.Subjects and methods One hundred and fourteen Hungarian adult twin pairs (69 monozygotic, 45 dizygotic) with or without known thyroid disorders underwent thyroid ultrasound. Thickness of the thyroid isthmus was measured at the thickest portion of the gland in the midline using electronic calipers at the time of scanning. Volume of the thyroid lobe was computed according to the following formula: thyroid height*width*depth*correction factor (0.63).Results Age-, sex-, body mass index- and smoking-adjusted heritability of the thickness of thyroid isthmus was 50% (95% confidence interval [CI], 35 to 66%). Neither left nor right thyroid volume showed additive genetic effects, but shared environments were 68% (95% CI, 48 to 80%) and 79% (95% CI, 72 to 87%), respectively. Magnitudes of monozygotic and dizygotic co-twin correlations were not substantially impacted by the correction of covariates of body mass index and smoking. Unshared environmental effects showed a moderate influence on dependent parameters (24-50%).Conclusions Our analysis support that familial factors are important for thyroid measures in a general twin population. A larger sample size is needed to show whether this is because of common environmental (e.g. intrauterine effects, regional nutrition habits, iodine supply) or genetic effects

Recognition of ASF1 Using Hydrocarbon Constrained Peptides

Inhibition of the histone H3-ASF1 (anti-silencing function 1) protein-protein interaction (PPI) represents a potential approach for treatment of numerous cancers. As an α-helix mediated PPI, constraint of the key histone H3 helix (residues 118-135) represents a strategy through which chemical probes might be elaborated to test this hypothesis. In this work variant H3118-135 peptides bearing pentenyl glycine residues at i and i + 4 positions were constrained by olefin metathesis. Biophysical analyses revealed that promotion of a bioactive helical conformation depends on the position at which the constraint is introduced, but that potency of binding towards ASF1 is unaffected by the constraint and instead that enthalpy-entropy compensation occurs

On the Series of +CG Lightning Strokes in Dancing Sprite Events

In dancing sprite events, sprite entities and groups appear in rapid succession together with a corresponding series of parent lightning strokes. Dancing sprite events, including a case with possible sprite rebrightening, were recorded on video simultaneously from two observation sites above a mesoscale convective system in Central Europe on the night of 6 August 2013. Joint analysis of triangulated locations of sprite elements, position, type, and peak current of lightning strokes from the LINET lightning detection network database and current moment waveforms deduced at the Hylaty station, Poland, showed that subsequent sprite‐parent lightning strokes occurred no further than 21 km from the closest preceding sprite entity in the cases analyzed in this study. Additionally, it was found that longer sprite delay times tend to correspond to larger sprite location offsets from the parent +CG stroke. These observations, the occurrence of +CG lightning stroke and sprite sequences, as well as sprite‐sprite delay times and displacements can be explained if +CG strokes are part of one extended lightning flash. A corresponding production mechanism based on previous findings on the formation of sprite‐producing and general +CG lightning discharges is suggested

Understanding p300-transcription factor interactions using sequence variation and hybridization

The hypoxic response is central to cell function and plays a significant role in the growth and survival of solid tumours. HIF-1 regulates the hypoxic response by activating over 100 genes responsible for adaptation to hypoxia, making it a potential target for anticancer drug discovery. Although there is significant structural and mechanistic understanding of the interaction between HIF-1α and p300 alongside negative regulators of HIF-1α such as CITED2, there remains a need to further understand the sequence determinants of binding. In this work we use a combination of protein expression, chemical synthesis, fluorescence anisotropy and isothermal titration calorimetry for HIF-1α sequence variants and a HIF-1α-CITED hybrid sequence which we term CITIF. We show the HIF-1α sequence is highly tolerant to sequence variation through reduced enthalpic and less unfavourable entropic contributions, These data imply backbone as opposed to side chain interactions and ligand folding control the binding interaction and that sequence variations are tolerated as a result of adopting a more disordered bound interaction or “fuzzy” complex