760 research outputs found
Dynamo models and differential rotation in late-type rapidly rotating stars
Increasing evidence is becoming available about not only the surface
differential rotation of rapidly rotating cool stars but, in a small number of
cases, also about temporal variations, which possibly are analogous to the
solar torsional oscillations. Given the present difficulties in resolving the
precise nature of such variations, due to both the short length and poor
resolution of the available data, theoretical input is vital to help assess the
modes of behaviour that might be expected, and will facilitate interpretation
of the observations. Here we take a first step in this direction by studying
the variations in the convection zones of such stars, using a two dimensional
axisymmetric mean field dynamo model operating in a spherical shell in which
the only nonlinearity is the action of the azimuthal component of the Lorentz
force of the dynamo generated magnetic field on the stellar angular velocity.
We consider three families of models with different depths of dynamo-active
regions. For moderately supercritical dynamo numbers we find torsional
oscillations that penetrate all the way down to the bottom of the convection
zones, similar to the case of the Sun. For larger dynamo numbers we find
fragmentation in some cases and sometimes there are other dynamical modes of
behaviour, including quasi-periodicity and chaos. We find that the largest
deviations in the angular velocity distribution caused by the Lorentz force are
of the order of few percent, implying that the original assumed `background'
rotation field is not strongly distorted.Comment: Astronomy and Astrophysics, in pres
Lipid coated liquid crystal droplets for the on-chip detection of antimicrobial peptides
We describe a novel biosensor based on phospholipid-coated nematic liquid crystal (LC) droplets and demonstrate the detection of Smp43, a model antimicrobial peptide (AMP) from the venom of North African scorpion Scorpio maurus palmatus. Mono-disperse lipid-coated LC droplets of diameter 16.7 ± 0.2 μm were generated using PDMS microfluidic devices with a flow-focusing configuration and were the target for AMPs. The droplets were trapped in a bespoke microfluidic trap structure and were simultaneously treated with Smp43 at gradient concentrations in six different chambers. The disruption of the lipid monolayer by the Smp43 was detected (<6 μM) at concentrations well within its biologically active range, indicated by a dramatic change in the appearance of the droplets associated with the transition from a typical radial configuration to a bipolar configuration, which is readily observed by polarizing microscopy. This suggests the system has feasibility as a drug-discovery screening tool. Further, compared to previously reported LC droplet biosensors, this LC droplet biosensor with a lipid coating is more biologically relevant and its ease of use in detecting membrane-related biological processes and interactions has the potential for development as a reliable, low-cost and disposable point of care diagnostic tool
Revertant fibres and dystrophin traces in Duchenne muscular dystrophy: Implication for clinical trials
Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is characterised by the absence of dystrophin in muscle biopsies, although residual dystrophin can be present, either as dystrophin-positive (revertant) fibres or traces. As restoration of dystrophin expression is the end point of clinical trials, such residual dystrophin is a key factor in recruitment of patients and may also confound the analysis of dystrophin restoration in treated patients, if, as previously observed in the mdx mouse, revertant fibres increase with age. In 62% of the diagnostic biopsies reports of 65 DMD patients studied, traces or revertants were recorded with no correlation between traces or revertants, the patients' performance, or corticosteroids response. In nine of these patients, there was no increase in traces or revertants in biopsies taken a mean of 8.23 years (5.8-10.4 years) after the original diagnostic biopsy. This information should help in the design and execution of clinical trials focused on dystrophin restoration strategies. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved
Concentrating Membrane Proteins Using Asymmetric Traps and AC Electric Fields
Membrane proteins are key components of the plasma membrane and are responsible for control of chemical ionic gradients, metabolite and nutrient transfer, and signal transduction between the interior of cells and the external environment. Of the genes in the human genome, 30% code for membrane proteins (Krogh et al. J. Mol. Biol.2001, 305, 567). Furthermore, many FDA-approved drugs target such proteins (Overington et al. Nat. Rev. Drug Discovery2006, 5, 993). However, the structure-function relationships of these are notably sparse because of difficulties in their purification and handling outside of their membranous environment. Methods that permit the manipulation of membrane components while they are still in the membrane would find widespread application in separation, purification, and eventual structure-function determination of these species (Poo et al. Nature1977, 265, 602). Here we show that asymmetrically patterned supported lipid bilayers in combination with AC electric fields can lead to efficient manipulation of charged components. We demonstrate the concentration and trapping of such components through the use of a “nested trap” and show that this method is capable of yielding an approximately 30-fold increase in the average protein concentration. Upon removal of the field, the material remains trapped for several hours as a result of topographically restricted diffusion. Our results indicate that this method can be used for concentrating and trapping charged membrane components while they are still within their membranous environment. We anticipate that our approach could find widespread application in the manipulation and study of membrane proteins
Intentional librarian-student interactions during COVID-19
As part of a research study to examine first-year college students’ preparation for college-level research, students at six U.S. institutions of higher education were surveyed in the spring semester of 2021. The pandemic continued to affect the delivery of information literacy (IL) instruction and library services across the United States throughout the 2020–2021 academic year. When students completed this survey in April and May of 2021, the majority of instructional services were offered in synchronous and asynchronous remote formats. The students' engagement with librarians and librarian-created instructional resources were captured via the survey and analysed to determine whether students were able to leverage these interactions and materials despite the remote contexts. Students who did not interact with an academic librarian were less likely to use library resources, had more problems accessing information, and felt more overwhelmed by the quantity of resources and services offered by the library. Results show that intentional student-librarian interactions are a bridge to the acquisition and development of knowledge practices and dispositions of the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education. The findings suggest considerations for moving forward when it comes to communicating with students and delivering IL support in academic libraries around the world as countries emerge from pandemic conditions
Translational and Regulatory Challenges for Exon Skipping Therapies
Several translational challenges are currently impeding the therapeutic development of antisense-mediated exon skipping approaches for rare diseases. Some of these are inherent to developing therapies for rare diseases, such as small patient numbers and limited information on natural history and interpretation of appropriate clinical outcome measures. Others are inherent to the antisense oligonucleotide (AON)-mediated exon skipping approach, which employs small modified DNA or RNA molecules to manipulate the splicing process. This is a new approach and only limited information is available on long-term safety and toxicity for most AON chemistries. Furthermore, AONs often act in a mutation-specific manner, in which case multiple AONs have to be developed for a single disease. A workshop focusing on preclinical development, trial design, outcome measures, and different forms of marketing authorization was organized by the regulatory models and biochemical outcome measures working groups of Cooperation of Science and Technology Action: "Networking towards clinical application of antisense-mediated exon skipping for rare diseases." The workshop included participants from patient organizations, academia, and members of staff from the European Medicine Agency and Medicine Evaluation Board (the Netherlands). This statement article contains the key outcomes of this meeting.status: publishe
Recommended from our members
Double-diffusive magnetic buoyancy instability in a quasi-two-dimensional Cartesian geometry
Magnetic buoyancy, believed to occur in the solar tachocline, is both an important part of large-scale solar dynamo models and the picture of how sunspots are formed. Given that in the tachocline region the ratio of magnetic diffusivity to thermal diffusivity is small it is important, for both the dynamo and sunspot formation pictures, to understand magnetic buoyancy in this regime. Furthermore, the tachocline is a region of strong shear and such investigations must involve structures that become buoyant in the double-diffusive regime which are generated entirely from a shear flow. In a previous study, we have illustrated that shear-generated doublediffusive magnetic buoyancy instability is possible in the tachocline. However, this study was severely limited due to the computational requirements of running three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic simulations over diffusive time-scales. A more comprehensive investigation is required to fully understand the double-diffusive magnetic buoyancy instability and its dependency on a number of key parameters; such an investigation requires the consideration of a reduced model. Here we consider a quasi-two-dimensional model where all gradients in the x direction are set to zero. We show how the instability is sensitive to changes in the thermal diffusivity and also show how different initial configurations of the forced shear flow affect the behaviour of the instability. Finally, we conclude that if the tachocline is thinner than currently stated then the double-diffusive magnetic buoyancy instability can more easily occur
Sub‐nanometer thick gold nanosheets as highly efficient catalysts
2D metal nanomaterials offer exciting prospects in terms of their properties and functions. However, the ambient aqueous synthesis of atomically‐thin, 2D metallic nanomaterials represents a significant challenge. Herein, freestanding and atomically‐thin gold nanosheets with a thickness of only 0.47 nm (two atomic layers thick) are synthesized via a one‐step aqueous approach at 20 °C, using methyl orange as a confining agent. Owing to the high surface‐area‐to‐volume ratio, abundance of unsaturated atoms exposed on the surface and large interfacial areas arising from their ultrathin 2D nature, the as‐prepared Au nanosheets demonstrate excellent catalysis performance in the model reaction of 4‐nitrophenol reduction, and remarkable peroxidase‐mimicking activity, which enables a highly sensitive colorimetric sensing of H2O2 with a detection limit of 0.11 × 10−6 m. This work represents the first fabrication of freestanding 2D gold with a sub‐nanometer thickness, opens up an innovative pathway toward atomically‐thin metal nanomaterials that can serve as model systems for inspiring fundamental advances in materials science, and holds potential across a wide region of applications
Sub‐nanometer thick gold nanosheets: sub‐nanometer thick gold nanosheets as highly efficient catalysts (Adv. Sci. 21/2019)
In article number 1900911, Stephen D. Evans and co‐workers develop an ambient aqueous synthesis for preparing atomically‐thin gold nanosheets (termed gold nanoseaweed, AuNSW, because of its morphology, color and aqueous growth). These AuNSWs represent the first free‐standing 2D gold with a sub‐nanometer thickness (0.47 nm, e.g., two atomic layers thick), and exhibit excellent catalysis performance in the model reaction of 4‐nitrophenol reduction, as well as remarkable peroxidase‐mimicking activity
- …