Radiative interactions of electrons with matter Final report

Electron interaction with matter and differential cross section measurements for bremsstrahlung produced in coincidence with inelastically scattered electron

Budapest-reis: Communistisch in, democratisch uit

In de week van 23 oktober bracht een afvaardiging van de vakgroep Bestuurskunde een bezoek aan Budapest en was daar onverwachts getuige van bijzondere staatskundige veranderingen

Microtubule-associated protein 1B: a neuronal binding partner for myelin-associated glycoprotein

Myelin-associated glycoprotein (MAG) is expressed in periaxonal membranes of myelinating glia where it is believed to function in glia–axon interactions by binding to a component of the axolemma. Experiments involving Western blot overlay and coimmunoprecipitation demonstrated that MAG binds to a phosphorylated neuronal isoform of microtubule-associated protein 1B (MAP1B) expressed in dorsal root ganglion neurons (DRGNs) and axolemma-enriched fractions from myelinated axons of brain, but not to the isoform of MAP1B expressed by glial cells. The expression of some MAP1B as a neuronal plasma membrane glycoprotein (Tanner, S.L., R. Franzen, H. Jaffe, and R.H. Quarles. 2000. J. Neurochem. 75:553–562.), further documented here by its immunostaining without cell permeabilization, is consistent with it being a binding partner for MAG on the axonal surface. Binding sites for a MAG-Fc chimera on DRGNs colocalized with MAP1B on neuronal varicosities, and MAG and MAP1B also colocalized in the periaxonal region of myelinated axons. In addition, expression of the phosphorylated isoform of MAP1B was increased significantly when DRGNs were cocultured with MAG-transfected COS cells. The interaction of MAG with MAP1B is relevant to the known role of MAG in affecting the cytoskeletal structure and stability of myelinated axons

The genome of the Hi5 germ cell line from Trichoplusia ni, an agricultural pest and novel model for small RNA biology

We report a draft assembly of the genome of Hi5 cells from the lepidopteran insect pest, Trichoplusia ni, assigning 90.6% of bases to one of 28 chromosomes and predicting 14,037 protein-coding genes. Chemoreception and detoxification gene families reveal T. ni-specific gene expansions that may explain its widespread distribution and rapid adaptation to insecticides. Transcriptome and small RNA data from thorax, ovary, testis, and the germline-derived Hi5 cell line show distinct expression profiles for 295 microRNA- and \u3e 393 piRNA-producing loci, as well as 39 genes encoding small RNA pathway proteins. Nearly all of the W chromosome is devoted to piRNA production, and T. ni siRNAs are not 2 -O-methylated. To enable use of Hi5 cells as a model system, we have established genome editing and single-cell cloning protocols. The T. ni genome provides insights into pest control and allows Hi5 cells to become a new tool for studying small RNAs ex vivo

Circulating Fibroblast Growth Factor-21 Is Elevated in Impaired Glucose Tolerance and Type 2 Diabetes and Correlates With Muscle and Hepatic Insulin Resistance

OBJECTIVE — Fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-21 is highly expressed in the liver and regulates hepatic glucose production and lipid metabolism in rodents. However, its role in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes in humans remains to be defined. The aim of this study was to quantitate circulating plasma FGF-21 levels and examine their relationship with insulin sensitivity in subjects with varying degrees of obesity and glucose tolerance. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS — Forty-one subjects (8 lean with normal glucose tolerance [NGT], 9 obese with NGT, 12 with impaired fasting glucose [IFG]/impaired glucose tolerance [IGT], and 12 type 2 diabetic subjects) received an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and a hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp (80 mU/m 2 per min) combined with 3- [ 3 H] glucose infusion. RESULTS — Subjects with type 2 diabetes, subjects with IGT, and obese subjects with NGT were insulin resistant compared with lean subjects with NGT. Plasma FGF-21 levels progressively increased from 3.9 � 0.3 ng/ml in lean subjects with NGT to 4.9 � 0.2 in obese subjects with NGT to 5.2 � 0.2 in subjects with IGT and to 5.3 � 0.2 in type 2 diabetic subjects. FGF-21 levels correlated inversely with whole-body (primarily reflects muscle) insulin sensitivity (r ��0.421, P � 0.007

PEBSI - A Monte Carlo simulator for bremsstrahlung arising from electrons colliding with thin solid-state targets

We present a Monte Carlo code dedicated to the simulation of bremsstrahlung arising in collisions of polarized electrons with thin target foils. The program consists of an electron transport algorithm taking into account elastic electron-nucleus scattering and inelastic collisions with target electrons as well as a treatment of polarized-electron bremsstrahlung emission. Good agreement is found between the predictions of the electron transport code and data stemming from other simulation programs and experiments. In addition, we present first results from the bremsstrahlung simulation which indicate a significant decrease in the degree of linear polarization of bremsstrahlung even for the thinnest gold targets considered