Noncovariant gauge fixing in the quantum Dirac field theory of atoms and molecules

Starting from the Weyl gauge formulation of quantum electrodynamics (QED), the formalism of quantum-mechanical gauge fixing is extended using techniques from nonrelativistic QED. This involves expressing the redundant gauge degrees of freedom through an arbitrary functional of the gauge-invariant transverse degrees of freedom. Particular choices of functional can be made to yield the Coulomb gauge and Poincar\'{e} gauge representations. The Hamiltonian we derive therefore serves as a good starting point for the description of atoms and molecules by means of a relativistic Dirac field. We discuss important implications for the ontology of noncovariant canonical QED due to the gauge freedom that remains present in our formulation.Comment: 8 pages, 0 figure

Letter to the Editor Concerning Simultaneous, Single-Particle Measurements of Size and Loading Give Insights into the Structure of Drug-Delivery Nanoparticles

The vexing error of excess variance in the sizing of single particles degrades accuracy in applications ranging from quality control of nanoparticle products to hazard assessment of nanoplastic byproducts. The particular importance of lipid nanoparticles for vaccine and medicine delivery motivates this comment on a publication$^{\textrm{1}}$ in ACS Nano. In ref 1, the benchmark measurements of a nanoparticle standard manifest large errors of the size distribution that contradict the claim of validation. Such errors can bias the correlation of fluorescence intensity as an optical proxy for the molecular loading of lipid nanoparticles and give misleading insights from power-law models of intensity$-$size data. Looking forward, measurement error models have the potential to address this widespread issue.Comment: Peer reviewed and pending acceptance by ACS Nan

Analysis of the cercosporin polyketide synthase CTB1 reveals a new fungal thioesterase function

The polyketide synthase CTB1 is demonstrated to catalyze pyrone formation thereby expanding the known biosynthetic repertoire of thioesterase domains in iterative, non-reducing polyketide synthases

Subnanometer traceability of localization microscopy

In localization microscopy, subnanometer precision is possible but supporting accuracy is challenging, and no study has demonstrated reliable traceability to the International System of Units (SI). To do so, we measure the positions of nanoscale apertures in a reference array by traceable atomic-force microscopy, creating a master standard. We perform correlative measurements of this standard by optical microscopy, correcting position errors from optical aberrations by a Zernike calibration. We establish an uncertainty field due to localization errors and scale uncertainty, with regions of position traceability to within a 68 % coverage interval of +/- 1.0 nm. These results enable localization metrology with high throughput, which we apply to measure working standards, validating the subnanometer accuracy of lithographic pitch

Graft-versus-host disease of the skin: life and death on the epidermal edge

AbstractDespite impressive advances in the field of allogeneic hematopoietic transplantation, graft versus host disease (GVHD) remains a significant obstacle to be overcome; it would enhance the safety and efficacy of this life-saving therapy. This review provides a framework for understanding the molecular and cellular basis underlying GVHD. We propose a 3-phase model of GVHD that highlights the importance of the conditioning regimen on the recipient tissues administered prior to infusion of donor bone marrow inoculum. A novel skin explant model, designed to take into consideration the immunobiological consequences of conditioning regimens on resident host cells, is proposed to advance our understanding of GVHD and serve as a potential prognostic tool when allogeneic recipient/donor combinations are being contemplated in the clinic. Within this review, specific emphasis is placed on the importance of defining the apoptotic machinery engaged in epidermal keratinocytes triggered by both conditioning regimens, and by host resident and recruited immunocytes and soluble mediators produced at sites of injury. The review is completed with a working model for cutaneous GVHD. Although the skin is highlighted because of its accessibility for clinical observations and serial sampling opportunities, lessons learned from studies of cutaneous GVHD are likely to provide valuable insights into GVHD occurring in the gastrointestinal tract, lung, and liver. With new insights designed to better predict and prevent GVHD and novel agents designed to treat GVHD, overcoming this current impediment to successful bone marrow transplantation should become increasingly feasible