Positivity for Gaussian graphical models

Gaussian graphical models are parametric statistical models for jointly normal random variables whose dependence structure is determined by a graph. In previous work, we introduced trek separation, which gives a necessary and sufficient condition in terms of the graph for when a subdeterminant is zero for all covariance matrices that belong to the Gaussian graphical model. Here we extend this result to give explicit cancellation-free formulas for the expansions of non-zero subdeterminants.     

Investigation of Ti/CuO interface by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy

The Ti/CuO interface has been studied by the techniques of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy. Thin films of titanium were deposited on a CuO substrate at room temperature by the e-beam technique. The photoelectron spectra of titanium and copper were found to exhibit significant chemical interaction at the interface. The titanium overlayer was observed to get oxidized to TiO₂, while the CuO was observed to get reduced to elemental copper. This chemical interaction was observed to occur until a thickness of 7 nm of the titanium overlayer. For thicknesses greater than this value, the presence of unreacted titanium in the sample was detected. Barrier characteristics at the Ti/CuO interface were also carried out for substrate temperatures of 300°C, 400°C, 500°C, and 600°C as a function of the titanium overlayer thickness. A linear trend in the barrier thickness of the overlayer was observed between 400°C and 600°C substrate temperatures. The atomic force microscopy micrographs of the unannealed samples depicted layer-by-layer growth of elemental titanium on copper. At the Ti/CuO interface in such samples, the micrographs exhibited island formation of TiO₂ corresponding to the Volmer-Weber growth model. This formation has been interpreted as the relaxation in the strain energy. The percentage coverage of the underlying substrate by the TiO₂ islands showed a linear trend for the thicknesses of the titanium overlayer investigated. The average size of these islands also showed a linear trend as a function of the thickness of the overlayer.     

Symmetry reduction for molecular dynamics simulation of an imploding gas bubble

We propose a symmetry reduction technique whereby molecular dynamics (MD) simulations for spherically symmetric gas bubbles can be accelerated. Results for an imploding Xenon bubble containing 50 million particles—the smallest measured sonoluminescing system—are presented.     

Effect of ZnO/CdO on the structure and electrical conductivity in Li2O·MO·Bi2O3·B2O3 glasses (M=Zn, Cd)

Studies of structural and electrical properties have been carried out on a number of glasses with wide ranging compositions in the glass systems Li₂O·MO·Bi₂O₃·B₂O₃ (where M=Zn or Cd), in order to understand the effect of transition metal (TM) ions on the structure of these glasses. The density and molar volume measurements have also been made to understand the structural changes occurring in these glasses. The dc conductivity measured in the temperature range 423-623 K obeys Arrhenius law. It increases with increase in Li₂O/MO ratio. The results of infrared spectra indicate that TM ions (Zn²⁺ or Cd²⁺) behave as network former in the present system. Boron exists in both tri- and tetra-hedral units in these glasses and no boroxol ring formation takes place in the glass structure. Values of theoretical optical basicity have also been reported.     

Quantum private queries

We propose a cheat sensitive quantum protocol to perform a private search on a classical database which is efficient in terms of communication complexity. It allows a user to retrieve an item from the database provider without revealing which item he or she retrieved: if the provider tries to obtain information on the query, the person querying the database can find it out. The protocol ensures also perfect data privacy of the database: the information that the user can retrieve in a single query is bounded and does not depend on the size of the database. With respect to the known (quantum and classical) strategies for private information retrieval, our protocol displays an exponential reduction in communication complexity and in running-time computational complexity.     

Determination of the strong phase in D0-->K+pi- using quantum-correlated measurements

We exploit the quantum coherence between pair-produced D0 and D[over]0 in psi(3770) decays to study charm mixing, which is characterized by the parameters x and y, and to make a first determination of the relative strong phase delta between D0-->K+pi- and D[over]0-->K+pi-. Using 281 pb(-1) of e+e- collision data collected with the CLEO-c detector at Ecm=3.77 GeV, as well as branching fraction input and time-integrated measurements of RM identical with (x2 + y2)/2 and RWS identical with Gamma(D0-->K+pi-)/Gamma(D[over]0-->K+pi-) from other experiments, we find cosdelta=1.03(-0.17)(+0.31)+/-0.06, where the uncertainties are statistical and systematic, respectively. By further including other mixing parameter measurements, we obtain an alternate measurement of cosdelta=1.10+/-0.35+/-0.07, as well as x sindelta=(4.4(-1.8)(+2.7)+/-2.9)x10(-3) and delta=(22(-12-11)(+11+9)) degrees .     

Enzymatic Insertion of Lipids Increases Membrane Tension for Inhibiting Drug Resistant Cancer Cells

Although lipids contribute to cancer drug resistance, it is challenging to target diverse range of lipids. Here, we show enzymatically inserting exceedingly simple synthetic lipids into membranes for increasing membrane tension and selectively inhibiting drug resistant cancer cells. The lipid, formed by conjugating dodecylamine to d -phosphotyrosine, self-assembles to form micelles. Enzymatic dephosphorylation of the micelles inserts the lipids into membranes and increases membrane tension. The micelles effectively inhibit a drug resistant glioblastoma cell (T98G) or a triple-negative breast cancer cell (HCC1937), without inducing acquired drug resistance. Moreover, the enzymatic reaction of the micelles promotes the accumulation of the lipids in the membranes of subcellular organelles (e.g., endoplasmic reticulum (ER), Golgi, and mitochondria), thus activating multiple regulated cell death pathways. This work, in which for the first time membrane tension is increased to inhibit cancer cells, illustrates a new and powerful supramolecular approach for antagonizing difficult drug targets.     

A numerical simulation of mixed convective and arbitrarily oblique radiative stagnation point slip flow of a CNT-water MHD nanofluid

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry - Numerical simulation of a non-linear mathematical model governing an arbitrarily oblique slip flow of a nanofluid, with suspended carbon nanotubes in...     

Nano gold-coated surface patterned mesoporous titanium tin oxide sol–gel thin film: fabrication,optical and photoelectrochemical properties

Nano noble metal coating on surface patterned mesoporous semiconductor thin film can play an important role in enhancing visible light harvesting efficiency (LHE) towards improvement in photoelectrochemical (PEC) activity of the material. In this work, one-dimensional (1D) and two-dimensional (2D) mesoscale surface patterns have been created on sol–gel-based titanium tin oxide (TSO) nanostructured thin film on pure silica/indium tin oxide-coated glass by soft lithography. The TSO film matrix is observed to be mesoporous and semicrystalline as evidenced from the structural characterization by transmission electron microscopy and measurement of atmospheric ellipso-porosimetry, respectively. The 2D patterned film exhibits maximum LHE value in visible wavelength region. Further film surface modification has been carried out by depositing nano Au coating onto the bare patterned TSO films by a low temperature solution technique. Under visible light, a significant improvement in PEC activity is found and the gold-coated patterned 2D film shows higher visible LHE as well as >2.7 times higher photocurrent density than bare 2D film. This facile fabrication strategy can create an avenue toward improvement in LHE vis-à-vis the PEC activity of mesoporous mixed metal oxide semiconductor thin film.

Open image in new window