9,626 research outputs found
Exotic Electrostatics: Unusual Features of Electrostatic Interactions between Macroions
We present an overview of our understanding of electrostatic interactions
between charged macromolecular surfaces mediated by mobile counter- and coions.
The dichotomy between the weak and the strong coupling regimes is described in
detail and the way they engender repulsive and attractive interactions between
nominally equally charged macroions. We also introduce the concept of dressed
counterions in the case of many-component Coulomb fluids that are partially
weakly and partially strongly coupled to local electrostatic fields leading to
non-monotonic interactions between equally charged macroions. The effect of
quenched surface charge disorder on the counterion-mediated electrostatic
interactions is analyzed within the same conceptual framework and shown to lead
to unexpected and extraordinary electrostatic interactions between randomly
charged surfaces with equal mean surface charge densities or even between
effectively neutral macroion surfaces. As a result, these recent developments
challenge some cherished notions of pop culture.Comment: 18 pages, 5 figure
Universal temperature dependence of optical excitation life-time and band-gap in chirality assigned semiconducting single-wall carbon nanotubes
The temperature dependence of optical excitation life-time, Gamma, and
transition energies, E_ii, were measured for bucky-papers of single-wall carbon
nanotubes (SWCNTs) and inner tubes in double-wall carbon nanotubes (DWCNTs)
using resonant Raman scattering. The temperature dependence of Gamma and E_ii
is the same for both types of samples and is independent of tube chirality. The
data proves that electron-phonon interaction is responsible for temperature
dependence of E_ii(T). The temperature independent inhomogeneous contribution
to Gamma is much larger in the SWCNT samples, which is explained by the
different SWCNT environment in the two types of samples. Gamma of the inner
tubes for the bucky-paper DWCNT sample is as low as \sim 30 meV, which is
comparable to that found for individual SWCNTs
Neuromuscular junction degeneration in muscle wasting
Purpose of reviewDenervation is a hallmark of age-related and other types of muscle wasting. This review focuses on recent insights and current viewpoints regarding the mechanisms and clinical relevance of maintaining the neuromuscular junction to counteract muscle wasting resulting from aging or neural disease/damage.Recent findingsActivity-dependent regulation of autophagy, the agrin-muscle specific kinase-Lrp4 signaling axis, and sympathetic modulation are principal mechanisms involved in stabilizing the neuromuscular junction. These findings are derived from several animal models and were largely confirmed by human gene expression analysis as well as insights from rare neuromuscular diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and congenital myasthenic syndromes. Based on these insights, agrin-derived fragments are currently being evaluated as biomarkers for age-related muscle wasting. Tuning of autophagy, of the agrin pathway, and of sympathetic input are being studied as clinical treatment of muscle wasting disorders.SummaryBasic research has revealed that maintenance of neuromuscular junctions and a few signaling pathways are important in the context of age-dependent and other forms of muscle wasting. These findings have recently started to enter clinical practice, but further research needs to substantiate and refine our knowledge
“Beyond Ethnic Economy”: Religiosity, Social Entrepreneurship, and Solidarity Formation of Indonesian Migrants in Taiwan
Indonesian migrants in Taiwan have been dominated by low skilled workers who are labelled uneducated sojourners, consumptive, the misplacement of future orientation, and a minority group struggling to survive. Several individuals concern about the migrant condition, and they are so-called migrant social entrepreneurs. Through social-religious activities and interrelations with the migrant worker community, the Indonesian entrepreneurs have created solidarity for migrant workers' to generate living conditions that are more favourable and improve their livelihoods. Three important factors shape this condition: the marginal position of second-class migrant workers-immigrants, the virtuous value of religion, and social apprehension. Thorough analysing the religious experiences of entrepreneurs and social-religious activities, this paper shows the positive effects of the relationship between business activities and religious value application, which establish the immigrant self-identity, solidarity, leadership, and collective work formation of the Indonesian migrant community in Taiwan. The primary data is based on the observation of participants' daily business activities and in-depth interviews with Indonesian entrepreneurs from June to December 2014. The ethnographic research method is applied as a means to explore the effect that migrant-entrepreneur social relations have on the mode of entrepreneurship practices
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