6,809 research outputs found
Pattern formation of microtubules and motors: inelastic interaction of polar rods
We derive a model describing spatio-temporal organization of an array of
microtubules interacting via molecular motors. Starting from a stochastic model
of inelastic polar rods with a generic anisotropic interaction kernel we obtain
a set of equations for the local rods concentration and orientation. At large
enough mean density of rods and concentration of motors, the model describes
orientational instability. We demonstrate that the orientational instability
leads to the formation of vortices and (for large density and/or kernel
anisotropy) asters seen in recent experiments.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figures, to appear in Phys. Rev. E, Rapid Communication
Curvature suppresses the Rayleigh-Taylor instability
The dynamics of a thin liquid film on the underside of a curved cylindrical
substrate is studied. The evolution of the liquid layer is investigated as the
film thickness and the radius of curvature of the substrate are varied. A
dimensionless parameter (a modified Bond number) that incorporates both
geometric parameters, gravity, and surface tension is identified, and allows
the observations to be classified according to three different flow regimes:
stable films, films with transient growth of perturbations followed by decay,
and unstable films. Experiments and theory confirm that, below a critical value
of the Bond number, curvature of the substrate suppresses the Rayleigh-Taylor
instability
Opening of DNA double strands by helicases. Active versus passive opening
Helicase opening of double-stranded nucleic acids may be "active" (the
helicase directly destabilizes the dsNA to promote opening) or "passive" (the
helicase binds ssNA available due to a thermal fluctuation which opens part of
the dsNA). We describe helicase opening of dsNA, based on helicases which bind
single NA strands and move towards the double-stranded region, using a discrete
``hopping'' model. The interaction between the helicase and the junction where
the double strand opens is characterized by an interaction potential. The form
of the potential determines whether the opening is active or passive. We
calculate the rate of passive opening for the helicase PcrA, and show that the
rate increases when the opening is active. Finally, we examine how to choose
the interaction potential to optimize the rate of strand separation. One
important result is our finding that active opening can increase the unwinding
rate by 7 fold compared to passive opening.Comment: 13 pages, 3 figure
Hyperlipasemia in dogs with acute kidney injury treated with and without hemodialysis.
BACKGROUND
Hyperlipasemia has been reported in dogs with acute kidney injury (AKI) but associations with AKI severity, hemodialysis (HD) treatment, and outcome have not been extensively evaluated.
OBJECTIVES
Investigate the prevalence and clinical relevance of hyperlipasemia in dogs with AKI, treated with and without HD.
ANIMALS
Client-owned dogs (n = 125) with AKI.
METHODS
Retrospective data extraction from medical records, including signalment, cause of AKI, duration of hospitalization, survival, plasma creatinine concentration, and 1,2-o-dilauryl-rac-glycero-3-glutaric acid-(6'-methyresorufin) ester (DGGR) lipase activity at admission and throughout hospitalization.
RESULTS
A DGGR-lipase activity >3× the upper reference limit (URL) was found in 28.8% and 55.4% of dogs at admission and during hospitalization, respectively, but only 8.8% and 14.9% of dogs, respectively, were diagnosed with acute pancreatitis. Hyperlipasemia >10 × URL was observed in 32.7% of dogs during hospitalization. The DGGR-lipase activity was higher in dogs with International Renal Interest Society (IRIS) Grades 4-5 than Grades 1-3, but correlation between DGGR-lipase activity and creatinine concentration was poor (rs  = .22; 95% confidence intervals [CI], 0.04-0.38). Treatment with HD was not associated with DGGR-lipase activity independent of IRIS grade. Survival to discharge and 30 days after admission was 65.6% and 59.6%, respectively. High IRIS grades (P = .03) and high DGGR-lipase activity at admission (P = .02) and during hospitalization (P = .003) were associated with nonsurvival.
CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE
Hyperlipasemia is frequent and often marked in dogs with AKI despite only a minority being diagnosed with pancreatitis. Hyperlipasemia is associated with AKI severity but not independently with HD treatment. High IRIS grade and hyperlipasemia were associated with nonsurvival
CCR4-bearing T cells participate in autoimmune diabetes.
Chemokine receptor expression is exquisitely regulated on T cell subsets during the course of their migration to inflammatory sites. In the present study we demonstrate that CCR4 expression marks a pathogenic population of autoimmune T cells. CCR4 was found exclusively on memory CD4(+) T cells during the progression of disease in NOD mice. Cells expressing the CCR4 ligand TARC (thymus- and activation-regulated chemokine) were detected within infiltrated islets from prediabetic mice. Interestingly, neutralization of macrophage-derived chemokine (MDC) with Ab caused a significant reduction of CCR4-positive T cells within the pancreatic infiltrates and inhibited the development of insulitis and diabetes. Furthermore, enhanced recruitment of CCR4-bearing cells in NOD mice resulting from transgenic expression of MDC resulted in acceleration of clinical disease. Cumulatively, the results demonstrate that CCR4-bearing T cells participate in the development of such tissue-driven autoimmune reactions
Hydrodynamic attraction of swimming microorganisms by surfaces
Cells swimming in confined environments are attracted by surfaces. We measure
the steady-state distribution of smooth-swimming bacteria (Escherichia coli)
between two glass plates. In agreement with earlier studies, we find a strong
increase of the cell concentration at the boundaries. We demonstrate
theoretically that hydrodynamic interactions of the swimming cells with solid
surfaces lead to their re-orientation in the direction parallel to the
surfaces, as well as their attraction by the closest wall. A model is derived
for the steady-state distribution of swimming cells, which compares favorably
with our measurements. We exploit our data to estimate the flagellar propulsive
force in swimming E. coli
Three Dimensional Structure and Energy Balance of a Coronal Mass Ejection
The Ultraviolet Coronagraph Spectrometer (UVCS) observed Doppler shifted
material of a partial Halo Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) on December 13 2001. The
observed ratio of [O V]/O V] is a reliable density diagnostic important for
assessing the state of the plasma. Earlier UVCS observations of CMEs found
evidence that the ejected plasma is heated long after the eruption. We have
investigated the heating rates, which represent a significant fraction of the
CME energy budget. The parameterized heating and radiative and adiabatic
cooling have been used to evaluate the temperature evolution of the CME
material with a time dependent ionization state model. The functional form of a
flux rope model for interplanetary magnetic clouds was also used to
parameterize the heating. We find that continuous heating is required to match
the UVCS observations. To match the O VI-bright knots, a higher heating rate is
required such that the heating energy is greater than the kinetic energy. The
temperatures for the knots bright in Ly and C III emission indicate
that smaller heating rates are required for those regions. In the context of
the flux rope model, about 75% of the magnetic energy must go into heat in
order to match the O VI observations. We derive tighter constraints on the
heating than earlier analyses, and we show that thermal conduction with the
Spitzer conductivity is not sufficient to account for the heating at large
heights.Comment: 40 pages, 16 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ For associated
mpeg file, please see https://www.cora.nwra.com/~jylee/mpg/f5.mp
Mg(, )Na reaction study for spectroscopy of Na
The Mg(, )Na reaction was measured at the Holifield
Radioactive Ion Beam Facility at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in order to
better constrain spins and parities of energy levels in Na for the
astrophysically important F()Ne reaction rate
calculation. 31 MeV proton beams from the 25-MV tandem accelerator and enriched
Mg solid targets were used. Recoiling He particles from the
Mg(, )Na reaction were detected by a highly segmented
silicon detector array which measured the yields of He particles over a
range of angles simultaneously. A new level at 6661 5 keV was observed in
the present work. The extracted angular distributions for the first four levels
of Na and Distorted Wave Born Approximation (DWBA) calculations were
compared to verify and extract angular momentum transfer.Comment: 11 pages, 6 figures, proceedings of the 18th International Conference
on Accelerators and Beam Utilization (ICABU2014
Observations of a rotating macrospicule associated with an X-ray jet
We attempt to understand the driving mechanism of a macrospicule and its
relationship with a coronal jet. We study the dynamics of a macrospicule and an
associated coronal jet captured by multi-spacecraft observations. Doppler
velocities both in the macrospicule and the coronal jet are determined by EIS
and SUMER spectra. Their temporal evolution is studied using X-ray and He II
304 images. A blueshift of -120+/-15 km/s is detected on one side of the
macrospicule, while a redshift of 50+/-6 km/s is found at the base of the other
side. The inclination angle of the macrospicule inferred from a stereoscopic
analysis with STEREO suggests that the measured Doppler velocities can be
attributed to a rotating motion of the macrospicule rather than a radial flow
or an expansion. The macrospicule is driven by the unfolding motion of a
twisted magnetic flux rope, while the associated X-ray jet is a radial outflow.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, accepted for publication in A&
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