3,063 research outputs found
An easy to control all-metal in-line-series ohmic RF MEMS switch
Copyright @ 2010 Springer-VerlagThe analysis, design and simulation of a novel easy to control all-metal in-line-series ohmic RF MEMS switch is presented, for applications where the operating frequency ranges from DC to 4 GHz. The proposed switch, due to its unique shape and size, assures high isolation and great linearity fulfilling the necessary requirements as concerns loss, power handling and power consumption. Simplicity has been set as the key success factor implying robustness and high fabrication yield. On the other hand, the specially designed cantilever-shape (hammerhead) allows distributed actuation force ensuring high controllability as well as reliability making the presented RF MEMS switch one of its kind
Rotating black rings on Taub-NUT
In this paper, we construct new solutions describing rotating black rings on
Taub-NUT using the inverse-scattering method. These are five-dimensional vacuum
space-times, generalising the Emparan-Reall and extremal Pomeransky-Sen'kov
black rings to a Taub-NUT background space. When reduced to four dimensions in
Kaluza-Klein theory, these solutions describe (possibly rotating) electrically
charged black holes in superposition with a finitely separated magnetic
monopole. Various properties of these solutions are studied, from both a five-
and four-dimensional perspective.Comment: 33 pages, 3 figures, LaTe
Exploring the Free Energy Landscape: From Dynamics to Networks and Back
The knowledge of the Free Energy Landscape topology is the essential key to
understand many biochemical processes. The determination of the conformers of a
protein and their basins of attraction takes a central role for studying
molecular isomerization reactions. In this work, we present a novel framework
to unveil the features of a Free Energy Landscape answering questions such as
how many meta-stable conformers are, how the hierarchical relationship among
them is, or what the structure and kinetics of the transition paths are.
Exploring the landscape by molecular dynamics simulations, the microscopic data
of the trajectory are encoded into a Conformational Markov Network. The
structure of this graph reveals the regions of the conformational space
corresponding to the basins of attraction. In addition, handling the
Conformational Markov Network, relevant kinetic magnitudes as dwell times or
rate constants, and the hierarchical relationship among basins, complete the
global picture of the landscape. We show the power of the analysis studying a
toy model of a funnel-like potential and computing efficiently the conformers
of a short peptide, the dialanine, paving the way to a systematic study of the
Free Energy Landscape in large peptides.Comment: PLoS Computational Biology (in press
Altered thymic differentiation and modulation of arthritis by invariant NKT cells expressing mutant ZAP70
Various subsets of invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells with different cytokine productions develop in the mouse thymus, but the factors driving their differentiation remain unclear. Here we show that hypomorphic alleles of Zap70 or chemical inhibition of Zap70 catalysis leads to an increase of IFN-gamma-producing iNKT cells (NKT1 cells), suggesting that NKT1 cells may require a lower TCR signal threshold. Zap70 mutant mice develop IL-17-dependent arthritis. In a mouse experimental arthritis model, NKT17 cells are increased as the disease progresses, while NKT1 numbers negatively correlates with disease severity, with this protective effect of NKT1 linked to their IFN-gamma expression. NKT1 cells are also present in the synovial fluid of arthritis patients. Our data therefore suggest that TCR signal strength during thymic differentiation may influence not only IFN-gamma production, but also the protective function of iNKT cells in arthritis
Capture the fracture: a best practice framework and global campaign to break the fragility fracture cycle
Summary
The International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) Capture the Fracture Campaign aims to support implementation of Fracture Liaison Services (FLS) throughout the world.
Introduction
FLS have been shown to close the ubiquitous secondary fracture prevention care gap, ensuring that fragility fracture sufferers receive appropriate assessment and intervention to reduce future fracture risk.
Methods
Capture the Fracture has developed internationally endorsed standards for best practice, will facilitate change at the national level to drive adoption of FLS and increase awareness of the challenges and opportunities presented by secondary fracture prevention to key stakeholders. The Best Practice Framework (BPF) sets an international benchmark for FLS, which defines essential and aspirational elements of service delivery.
Results
The BPF has been reviewed by leading experts from many countries and subject to beta-testing to ensure that it is internationally relevant and fit-for-purpose. The BPF will also serve as a measurement tool for IOF to award ‘Capture the Fracture Best Practice Recognition’ to celebrate successful FLS worldwide and drive service development in areas of unmet need. The Capture the Fracture website will provide a suite of resources related to FLS and secondary fracture prevention, which will be updated as new materials become available. A mentoring programme will enable those in the early stages of development of FLS to learn from colleagues elsewhere that have achieved Best Practice Recognition. A grant programme is in development to aid clinical systems which require financial assistance to establish FLS in their localities.
Conclusion
Nearly half a billion people will reach retirement age during the next 20 years. IOF has developed Capture the Fracture because this is the single most important thing that can be done to directly improve patient care, of both women and men, and reduce the spiralling fracture-related care costs worldwide.</p
Search for a Technicolor omega_T Particle in Events with a Photon and a b-quark Jet at CDF
If the Technicolor omega_T particle exists, a likely decay mode is omega_T ->
gamma pi_T, followed by pi_T -> bb-bar, yielding the signature gamma bb-bar. We
have searched 85 pb^-1 of data collected by the CDF experiment at the Fermilab
Tevatron for events with a photon and two jets, where one of the jets must
contain a secondary vertex implying the presence of a b quark. We find no
excess of events above standard model expectations. We express the result of an
exclusion region in the M_omega_T - M_pi_T mass plane.Comment: 14 pages, 2 figures. Available from the CDF server (PS with figs):
http://www-cdf.fnal.gov/physics/pub98/cdf4674_omega_t_prl_4.ps
FERMILAB-PUB-98/321-
Measurement of the B0 anti-B0 oscillation frequency using l- D*+ pairs and lepton flavor tags
The oscillation frequency Delta-md of B0 anti-B0 mixing is measured using the
partially reconstructed semileptonic decay anti-B0 -> l- nubar D*+ X. The data
sample was collected with the CDF detector at the Fermilab Tevatron collider
during 1992 - 1995 by triggering on the existence of two lepton candidates in
an event, and corresponds to about 110 pb-1 of pbar p collisions at sqrt(s) =
1.8 TeV. We estimate the proper decay time of the anti-B0 meson from the
measured decay length and reconstructed momentum of the l- D*+ system. The
charge of the lepton in the final state identifies the flavor of the anti-B0
meson at its decay. The second lepton in the event is used to infer the flavor
of the anti-B0 meson at production. We measure the oscillation frequency to be
Delta-md = 0.516 +/- 0.099 +0.029 -0.035 ps-1, where the first uncertainty is
statistical and the second is systematic.Comment: 30 pages, 7 figures. Submitted to Physical Review
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