13,799 research outputs found
Phase Transitions in Lyotropic Nematic Gels
In this paper, we discuss the equilibrium phases and collapse transitions of
a lyotropic nematic gel immersed in an isotropic solvent. A nematic gel
consists of a cross-linked polymer network with rod-like molecules embedded in
it. Upon decreasing the quality of the solvent, we find that a lyotropic
nematic gel undergoes a discontinuous volume change accompanied by an
isotropic-nematic transition. We also present phase diagrams that these systems
may exhibit. In particular, we show that coexistence of two isotropic phases,
of two nematic phases, or of an isotropic and a nematic phase can occur.Comment: 13 pages Revtex, 10 figures, submitted to EPJ
Mad2 and Mad3 Cooperate to Arrest Budding Yeast in Mitosis
Background: The spindle checkpoint ensures accurate chromosome transmission by delaying chromosome segregation until all chromosomes are correctly aligned on the mitotic spindle. The checkpoint is activated by kinetochores that are not attached to microtubules or are attached but not under tension and arrests cells at metaphase by inhibiting the anaphase-promoting complex (APC) and its coactivator Cdc20. Despite numerous studies, we still do not understand how the checkpoint proteins coordinate with each other to inhibit activity. Results: To ask how the checkpoint components induce metaphase arrest, we constructed fusions of checkpoint proteins and expressed them in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae to mimic possible protein interactions during checkpoint activation. We found that expression of a Mad2-Mad3 protein fusion or noncovalently linked Mad2 and Mad3, but not the overexpression of the two separate proteins, induces metaphase arrest that is independent of functional kinetochores or other checkpoint proteins. We further showed that artificially tethering Mad2 to Cdc20 also arrests cells in metaphase independently of other checkpoint components. Conclusion: Our results suggest that Mad3 is required for the stable binding of Mad2 to Cdc20 in vivo, which is sufficient to inhibit APC activity and is the most downstream event in spindle checkpoint activation.Molecular and Cellular Biolog
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Direct Slicing of STEP Based NURBS Models for Solid Freeform Fabrication
Direct slicing of CAD models to generate process planning instructions for solid freeform
fabrication may overcome inherent disadvantages of using STL format in terms of the process
accuracy, ease of file management, and incorporation of multiple materials. This paper will
present the results of our development of a direct slicing algorithm for layered freeform
fabrication. The direct slicing algorithm was based on a neutral, international standard (ISO
10303) STEP-formatted NURBS geometric representation and is intended to be independent of
any commercial CAD software. The following aspects of the development effort will be
presented: 1) Determination of optimal build direction based upon STEP-based NURBS models;
2) Adaptive subdivision of NURBS data for geometric refinement; and 3) Ray-casting slice
generation into sets of raster patterns. Feasibility studies applying the direct slicing algorithm to
example models and the generation of fabrication planning instructions involving multi-material
structures will also be presented.Mechanical Engineerin
New variables, the gravitational action, and boosted quasilocal stress-energy-momentum
This paper presents a complete set of quasilocal densities which describe the
stress-energy-momentum content of the gravitational field and which are built
with Ashtekar variables. The densities are defined on a two-surface which
bounds a generic spacelike hypersurface of spacetime. The method used
to derive the set of quasilocal densities is a Hamilton-Jacobi analysis of a
suitable covariant action principle for the Ashtekar variables. As such, the
theory presented here is an Ashtekar-variable reformulation of the metric
theory of quasilocal stress-energy-momentum originally due to Brown and York.
This work also investigates how the quasilocal densities behave under
generalized boosts, i. e. switches of the slice spanning . It is
shown that under such boosts the densities behave in a manner which is similar
to the simple boost law for energy-momentum four-vectors in special relativity.
The developed formalism is used to obtain a collection of two-surface or boost
invariants. With these invariants, one may ``build" several different mass
definitions in general relativity, such as the Hawking expression. Also
discussed in detail in this paper is the canonical action principle as applied
to bounded spacetime regions with ``sharp corners."Comment: Revtex, 41 Pages, 4 figures added. Final version has been revised and
improved quite a bit. To appear in Classical and Quantum Gravit
Accuracy of Circulation Estimation Schemes Applied to Discretised Velocity Field Data
Numerical experiments are conducted on the velocity field of the Oseen vortex to determine the effect of random errors in the velocity field on the circulation estimate. The circulation is estimated by either a velocity integral or a vorticity integral over a particular region of integration. A novel method for the determination of this region is used. The accuracy of circulation estimation schemes is characterised in terms of the velocity sample spacing, the amount of random noise in the velocity field and the vorticity estimation scheme used. It is found that, in general, the velocity integral outperforms the vorticity integral in terms of reducing total error
On the Canonical Reduction of Spherically Symmetric Gravity
In a thorough paper Kuchar has examined the canonical reduction of the most
general action functional describing the geometrodynamics of the maximally
extended Schwarzschild geometry. This reduction yields the true degrees of
freedom for (vacuum) spherically symmetric general relativity. The essential
technical ingredient in Kuchar's analysis is a canonical transformation to a
certain chart on the gravitational phase space which features the Schwarzschild
mass parameter , expressed in terms of what are essentially
Arnowitt-Deser-Misner variables, as a canonical coordinate. In this paper we
discuss the geometric interpretation of Kuchar's canonical transformation in
terms of the theory of quasilocal energy-momentum in general relativity given
by Brown and York. We find Kuchar's transformation to be a ``sphere-dependent
boost to the rest frame," where the ``rest frame'' is defined by vanishing
quasilocal momentum. Furthermore, our formalism is general enough to cover the
case of (vacuum) two-dimensional dilaton gravity. Therefore, besides reviewing
Kucha\v{r}'s original work for Schwarzschild black holes from the framework of
hyperbolic geometry, we present new results concerning the canonical reduction
of Witten-black-hole geometrodynamics.Comment: Revtex, 35 pages, no figure
Entanglement and the nonlinear elastic behavior of forests of coiled carbon nanotubes
Helical or coiled nanostructures have been object of intense experimental and
theoretical studies due to their special electronic and mechanical properties.
Recently, it was experimentally reported that the dynamical response of
foamlike forest of coiled carbon nanotubes under mechanical impact exhibits a
nonlinear, non-Hertzian behavior, with no trace of plastic deformation. The
physical origin of this unusual behavior is not yet fully understood. In this
work, based on analytical models, we show that the entanglement among
neighboring coils in the superior part of the forest surface must be taken into
account for a full description of the strongly nonlinear behavior of the impact
response of a drop-ball onto a forest of coiled carbon nanotubes.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure
Evolution and CNO yields of Z=10^-5 stars and possible effects on CEMP production
Our main goals are to get a deeper insight into the evolution and final fates
of intermediate-mass, extremely metal-poor (EMP) stars. We also aim to
investigate their C, N, and O yields. Using the Monash University Stellar
Evolution code we computed and analysed the evolution of stars of metallicity Z
= 10^-5 and masses between 4 and 9 M_sun, from their main sequence until the
late thermally pulsing (super) asymptotic giant branch, TP-(S)AGB phase. Our
model stars experience a strong C, N, and O envelope enrichment either due to
the second dredge-up, the dredge-out phenomenon, or the third dredge-up early
during the TP-(S)AGB phase. Their late evolution is therefore similar to that
of higher metallicity objects. When using a standard prescription for the mass
loss rates during the TP-(S)AGB phase, the computed stars lose most of their
envelopes before their cores reach the Chandrasekhar mass, so our standard
models do not predict the occurrence of SNI1/2 for Z = 10^-5 stars. However, we
find that the reduction of only one order of magnitude in the mass-loss rates,
which are particularly uncertain at this metallicity, would prevent the
complete ejection of the envelope, allowing the stars to either explode as an
SNI1/2 or become an electron-capture SN. Our calculations stop due to an
instability near the base of the convective envelope that hampers further
convergence and leaves remnant envelope masses between 0.25 M_sun for our 4
M_sun model and 1.5 M_sun for our 9 M_sun model. We present two sets of C, N,
and O yields derived from our full calculations and computed under two
different assumptions, namely, that the instability causes a practically
instant loss of the remnant envelope or that the stars recover and proceed with
further thermal pulses. Our results have implications for the early chemical
evolution of the Universe.Comment: 12 pages, 13 figures, accepted for publication in A&
Hamiltonians for a general dilaton gravity theory on a spacetime with a non-orthogonal, timelike or spacelike outer boundary
A generalization of two recently proposed general relativity Hamiltonians, to
the case of a general (d+1)-dimensional dilaton gravity theory in a manifold
with a timelike or spacelike outer boundary, is presented.Comment: 17 pages, 3 figures. Typos correcte
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