Thermodynamics of pairing in mesoscopic systems

Using numerical and analytical methods implemented for different models we conduct a systematic study of thermodynamic properties of pairing correlation in mesoscopic nuclear systems. Various quantities are calculated and analyzed using the exact solution of pairing. An in-depth comparison of canonical, grand canonical, and microcanonical ensemble is conducted. The nature of the pairing phase transition in a small system is of a particular interest. We discuss the onset of discontinuity in the thermodynamic variables, fluctuations, and evolution of zeros of the canonical and grand canonical partition functions in the complex plane. The behavior of the Invariant Correlational Entropy is also studied in the transitional region of interest. The change in the character of the phase transition due to the presence of magnetic field is discussed along with studies of superconducting thermodynamics.Comment: 19 pages, 24 figure

The Auto-Generated Fragment of the Usp1 Deubiquitylase Is a Physiological Substrate of the N-End Rule Pathway

Deamidation of N-terminal Gln by the Ntaq1 Nt^Q-amidase is a part of the Arg/N-end rule pathway, a ubiquitin-dependent proteolytic system. Here we identify Gln-Usp1^(Ct), the C-terminal fragment of the autocleaved Usp1 deubiquitylase, as the first physiological Arg/N-end rule substrate that is targeted for degradation through deamidation of N-terminal Gln. Usp1 regulates genomic stability, in part through the deubiquitylation of monoubiquitylated PCNA, a DNA polymerase processivity factor. The autocleaved Usp1 remains a deubiquitylase because its fragments remain associated with Uaf1, an enhancer of Usp1 activity, until the Gln-Usp1^(Ct) fragment is selectively destroyed by the Arg/N-end rule pathway. We also show that metabolic stabilization of Gln-Usp1^(Ct) results in a decreased monoubiquitylation of PCNA and in a hypersensitivity of cells to ultraviolet irradiation. Thus, in addition to its other functions in DNA repair and chromosome segregation, the Arg/N-end rule pathway regulates genomic stability through the degradation-mediated control of the autocleaved Usp1 deubiquitylase

Heteroatom-doped core/shell carbonaceous framework materials : synthesis, characterization and electrochemical properties

Organic-inorganic hybrid core@shell nanospherical particles with 200 nm to 600 nm in diameter were formed between cyclomatrix poly(organophosphazenes) (POP) and zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) in a methanol solution at room temperature. This facile synthesis route produced core@shell spheres with controlled structure and properties, such as mono-dispersed particles, 50 nm to 100 nm shell thickness, surface area of 1557 m2 g-1 and homogenously doped Zn and heteroatoms (N, S, P, O, Cl). The POP/ZIF-8 core@shell structures were subsequently converted into porous carbonaceous materials, and investigated as anode materials in a lithium-ion coin cell battery. It showed a stable discharge capacity of 538 mA h g-1 over 250 cycles, high rate capability (0.1 C to 1 C) and excellent capacity retention, which are promising for rapid charge-discharge applications. Higher ZIF-8 loading ratio in the core@shell structure increased the capacity of the electrode material and stablised the lithiated active materials. The facile synthesis method and the carbonaceous framework materials are applicable for high performance energy storage materials in electrochemical power devices

Last Semester’s Enduring Impressions

The increased recollection of events occurring at the beginning and end of a period, known as the end point effect, is a phenomenon widely reported in the autobiographical memory literature. We used an interview method to explore the end point effect and to find out what impressions students retain for an academic semester. Participants recounted recollections of events from an academic course that was completed in their immediately preceding semester, and then they rated each recollection on a variety of attributes such as emotionality and vividness. The results showed recollection peaks corresponding to the semester midpoint as well as corresponding to the endpoints of the semester; the results also showed that distinct content defined recollections contributed to the mid- and endpoints. The discussion focuses on the qualitative versus quantitative examination of autobiographical memory

Promoter-Wide Hypermethylation of the Ribosomal RNA Gene Promoter in the Suicide Brain

BACKGROUND: Alterations in gene expression in the suicide brain have been reported and for several genes DNA methylation as an epigenetic regulator is thought to play a role. rRNA genes, that encode ribosomal RNA, are the backbone of the protein synthesis machinery and levels of rRNA gene promoter methylation determine rRNA transcription. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We test here by sodium bisulfite mapping of the rRNA promoter and quantitative real-time PCR of rRNA expression the hypothesis that epigenetic differences in critical loci in the brain are involved in the pathophysiology of suicide. Suicide subjects in this study were selected for a history of early childhood neglect/abuse, which is associated with decreased hippocampal volume and cognitive impairments. rRNA was significantly hypermethylated throughout the promoter and 5' regulatory region in the brain of suicide subjects, consistent with reduced rRNA expression in the hippocampus. This difference in rRNA methylation was not evident in the cerebellum and occurred in the absence of genome-wide changes in methylation, as assessed by nearest neighbor. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: This is the first study to show aberrant regulation of the protein synthesis machinery in the suicide brain. The data implicate the epigenetic modulation of rRNA in the pathophysiology of suicide

A comparative review of dynamic neural networks and hidden Markov model methods for mobile on-device speech recognition

The adoption of high-accuracy speech recognition algorithms without an effective evaluation of their impact on the target computational resource is impractical for mobile and embedded systems. In this paper, techniques are adopted to minimise the required computational resource for an effective mobile-based speech recognition system. A Dynamic Multi-Layer Perceptron speech recognition technique, capable of running in real time on a state-of-the-art mobile device, has been introduced. Even though a conventional hidden Markov model when applied to the same dataset slightly outperformed our approach, its processing time is much higher. The Dynamic Multi-layer Perceptron presented here has an accuracy level of 96.94% and runs significantly faster than similar techniques

Rolling resistance contribution to a road pavement life cycle carbon footprint analysis

Purpose Although the impact of road pavement surface condition on rolling resistance has been included in the life cycle assessment (LCA) framework of several studies in the last years, there is still a high level of uncertainty concerning the methodological assumptions and the parameters that can affect the results. In order to adopt pavement carbon footprint/LCA as a decision-making tool, it is necessary to explore the impact of the chosen methods and assumptions on the LCA results. Methods This paper provides a review of the main models describing the impact of the pavement surface properties on vehicle fuel consumption and analyses the influence of the methodological assumptions related to the rolling resistance on the LCA results. It compares the CO2 emissions, calculated with two different rolling resistance models existing in literature, and performs a sensitivity test on some specific input variables (pavement deterioration rate, traffic growth, and emission factors/fuel efficiency improvement). Results and discussion The model used to calculate the impact of the pavement surface condition on fuel consumption significantly affects the LCA results. The pavement deterioration rate influences the calculation in both models, while traffic growth and fuel efficiency improvement have a limited impact on the vehicle CO2 emissions resulting from the pavement condition contribution to rolling resistance. Conclusions and recommendations Existing models linking pavement condition to rolling resistance and hence vehicle emissions are not broadly applicable to the use phase of road pavement LCA and further research is necessary before a widely-used methodology can be defined. The methods of modelling and the methodological assumptions need to be transparent in the analysis of the impact of the pavement surface condition on fuel consumption, in order to be interpreted by decision makers and implemented in an LCA framework. This will be necessary before product category rules (PCR) for pavement LCA can be extended to include the use phase

Water-Gated Charge Doping of Graphene Induced by Mica Substrates

We report on the existence of water-gated charge doping of graphene deposited on atomically flat mica substrates. Molecular films of water in units of ~0.4 nm-thick bilayers were found to be present in regions of the interface of graphene/mica hetero-stacks prepared by micromechanical exfoliation of kish graphite. The spectral variation of the G and 2D bands, as visualized by Raman mapping, shows that mica substrates induce strong p-type doping in graphene, with hole densities of $(9 \pm 2) \times 1012 cm${-2}$. The ultrathin water films, however, effectively block interfacial charge transfer, rendering graphene significantly less hole-doped. Scanning Kelvin probe microscopy independently confirmed a water-gated modulation of the Fermi level by 0.35 eV, in agreement with the optically determined hole density. The manipulation of the electronic properties of graphene demonstrated in this study should serve as a useful tool in realizing future graphene applications.Comment: 15 pages, 4 figures; Nano Letters, accepted (2012

APC/CCdh1-dependent proteolysis of USP1 regulates the response to UV-mediated DNA damage

APC/CCdh1-dependent degradation of USP1 allows for PCNA monoubiquitination and subsequent recruitment of trans-lesion synthesis polymerase to UV repair sites