Non-equilibrium dynamics of a system with Quantum Frustration

Using flow equations, equilibrium and non-equilibrium dynamics of a two-level system are investigated, which couples via non-commuting components to two independent oscillator baths. In equilibrium the two-level energy splitting is protected when the TLS is coupled symmetrically to both bath. A critical asymmetry angle separates the localized from the delocalized phase. On the other hand, real-time decoherence of a non-equilibrium initial state is for a generic initial state faster for a coupling to two baths than for a single bath.Comment: 22 pages, 9 figure

Proteomic identification of heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein L as a novel component of SLM/Sam68 nuclear bodies

Background: Active pre-mRNA splicing occurs co-transcriptionally, and takes place throughout the nucleoplasm of eukaryotic cells. Splicing decisions are controlled by networks of nuclear RNA-binding proteins and their target sequences, sometimes in response to signalling pathways. Sam68 (Src-associated in mitosis 68 kDa) is the prototypic member of the STAR (Signal Transduction and Activation of RNA) family of RNA-binding proteins, which regulate splicing in response to signalling cascades. Nuclear Sam68 protein is concentrated within subnuclear organelles called SLM/Sam68 Nuclear Bodies (SNBs), which also contain some other splicing regulators, signalling components and nucleic acids. Results: We used proteomics to search for the major interacting protein partners of nuclear Sam68. In addition to Sam68 itself and known Sam68-associated proteins (heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoproteins hnRNP A1, A2/B1 and G), we identified hnRNP L as a novel Sam68-interacting protein partner. hnRNP L protein was predominantly present within small nuclear protein complexes approximating to the expected size of monomers and dimers, and was quantitatively associated with nucleic acids. hnRNP L spatially co-localised with Sam68 as a novel component of SNBs and was also observed within the general nucleoplasm. Localisation within SNBs was highly specific to hnRNP L and was not shared by the closely-related hnRNP LL protein, nor any of the other Sam68-interacting proteins we identified by proteomics. The interaction between Sam68 and hnRNP L proteins was observed in a cell line which exhibits low frequency of SNBs suggesting that this association also takes place outside SNBs. Although ectopic expression of hnRNP L and Sam68 proteins independently affected splicing of CD44 variable exon v5 and TJP1 exon 20 minigenes, these proteins did not, however, co-operate with each other in splicing regulation of these target exons. Conclusion: Here we identify hnRNP L as a novel SNB component. We show that, compared with other identified Sam68-associated hnRNP proteins and hnRNP LL, this co-localisation within SNBs is specific to hnRNP L. Our data suggest that the novel Sam68-hnRNP L protein interaction may have a distinct role within SNBs

Multiple packets of neutral molecules revolving for over a mile

The level of control that one has over neutral molecules in beams dictates their possible applications. Here we experimentally demonstrate that state-selected, neutral molecules can be kept together in a few mm long packet for a distance of over one mile. This is accomplished in a circular arrangement of 40 straight electrostatic hexapoles through which the molecules propagate over 1000 times. Up to 19 packets of molecules have simultaneously been stored in this ring structure. This brings the realization of a molecular low-energy collider within reach

The first metazoa living in permanently anoxic conditions

Background: Several unicellular organisms (prokaryotes and protozoa) can live under permanently anoxic conditions. Although a few metazoans can survive temporarily in the absence of oxygen, it is believed that multi-cellular organisms cannot spend their entire life cycle without free oxygen. Deep seas include some of the most extreme ecosystems on Earth, such as the deep hypersaline anoxic basins of the Mediterranean Sea. These are permanently anoxic systems inhabited by a huge and partly unexplored microbial biodiversity.Results: During the last ten years three oceanographic expeditions were conducted to search for the presence of living fauna in the sediments of the deep anoxic hypersaline L'Atalante basin (Mediterranean Sea). We report here that the sediments of the L'Atalante basin are inhabited by three species of the animal phylum Loricifera (Spinoloricus nov. sp., Rugiloricus nov. sp. and Pliciloricus nov. sp.) new to science. Using radioactive tracers, biochemical analyses, quantitative X-ray microanalysis and infrared spectroscopy, scanning and transmission electron microscopy observations on ultra-sections, we provide evidence that these organisms are metabolically active and show specific adaptations to the extreme conditions of the deep basin, such as the lack of mitochondria, and a large number of hydrogenosome-like organelles, associated with endosymbiotic prokaryotes.Conclusions: This is the first evidence of a metazoan life cycle that is spent entirely in permanently anoxic sediments. Our findings allow us also to conclude that these metazoans live under anoxic conditions through an obligate anaerobic metabolism that is similar to that demonstrated so far only for unicellular eukaryotes. The discovery of these life forms opens new perspectives for the study of metazoan life in habitats lacking molecular oxygen

A Systematic Review and Metaanalysis on the Effects of Garlic Preparations on Blood Pressure in Individuals With Hypertension

BACKGROUND Many patients prefer herbal medications to conventional drugs. Limited trial evidence suggests that garlic preparations reduce high blood pressure (BP). METHODS We searched electronic databases through March 2014 to identify all randomized controlled trials that compared a garlic preparation to placebo in hypertensive patients. Trials were required to report BP values at baseline and after a follow-up of at least 4 weeks. RESULTS Nine double-blind trials with 482 individuals fulfilled our inclusion criteria. Included trials were rather small, and the quality of the majority of included trials was moderate. Follow-up ranged from 8 to 26 weeks. All trials reported office BP measurements. Systolic BP and diastolic BP (SBP and DBP) were more effectively reduced in individuals treated with garlic preparations than in individuals treated with placebo. However, heterogeneity was high (weighted mean difference (WMD) for SBP was −9.1mm Hg; 95% confidence interval (CI), −12.7 to −5.4; P for heterogeneity = 0.0006; and I 2 = 71%; WMD for BP was −3.8mm Hg; 95% CI, −6.7 to −1.0; P for heterogeneity = 0.00001; I 2 = 80%). When analyses were restricted to higher-quality trials using intention-to-treat analysis or to trials with concealed treatment allocation and standardized and blinded BP measurement, effect sizes for SBP but not for DBP were lower and heterogeneity disappeared. CONCLUSIONS Although evidence from this review suggests that garlic preparations may lower BP in hypertensive individuals, the evidence is not strong. A well-conducted and powered trial of longer duration is needed to confirm these finding

Fluorescence kinetics of flavin adenine dinucleotide in different microenvironments

Fluorescence kinetics of flavin adenine dinucleotide was measured in a wide time and spectral range in different media, affecting its intra- end extramolecular interactions, and analyzed by a new method based on compressed sensing

Supersymmetric Extensions of Calogero--Moser--Sutherland like Models: Construction and Some Solutions

We introduce a new class of models for interacting particles. Our construction is based on Jacobians for the radial coordinates on certain superspaces. The resulting models contain two parameters determining the strengths of the interactions. This extends and generalizes the models of the Calogero--Moser--Sutherland type for interacting particles in ordinary spaces. The latter ones are included in our models as special cases. Using results which we obtained previously for spherical functions in superspaces, we obtain various properties and some explicit forms for the solutions. We present physical interpretations. Our models involve two kinds of interacting particles. One of the models can be viewed as describing interacting electrons in a lower and upper band of a one--dimensional semiconductor. Another model is quasi--two--dimensional. Two kinds of particles are confined to two different spatial directions, the interaction contains dipole--dipole or tensor forces.Comment: 21 pages, 4 figure

Structural Analysis to Determine the Core of Hypoxia Response Network

The advent of sophisticated molecular biology techniques allows to deduce the structure of complex biological networks. However, networks tend to be huge and impose computational challenges on traditional mathematical analysis due to their high dimension and lack of reliable kinetic data. To overcome this problem, complex biological networks are decomposed into modules that are assumed to capture essential aspects of the full network's dynamics. The question that begs for an answer is how to identify the core that is representative of a network's dynamics, its function and robustness. One of the powerful methods to probe into the structure of a network is Petri net analysis. Petri nets support network visualization and execution. They are also equipped with sound mathematical and formal reasoning based on which a network can be decomposed into modules. The structural analysis provides insight into the robustness and facilitates the identification of fragile nodes. The application of these techniques to a previously proposed hypoxia control network reveals three functional modules responsible for degrading the hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF). Interestingly, the structural analysis identifies superfluous network parts and suggests that the reversibility of the reactions are not important for the essential functionality. The core network is determined to be the union of the three reduced individual modules. The structural analysis results are confirmed by numerical integration of the differential equations induced by the individual modules as well as their composition. The structural analysis leads also to a coarse network structure highlighting the structural principles inherent in the three functional modules. Importantly, our analysis identifies the fragile node in this robust network without which the switch-like behavior is shown to be completely absent

Comparative effects of different dietary approaches on blood pressure in hypertensive and pre-hypertensive patients: A systematic review and network meta-analysis

Pairwise meta-analyses have shown beneficial effects of individual dietary approaches on blood pressure but their comparative effects have not been established. Objective: Therefore we performed a systematic review of different dietary intervention trials and estimated the aggregate blood pressure effects through network meta-analysis including hypertensive and pre-hypertensive patients. Design: PubMed, Cochrane CENTRAL, and Google Scholar were searched until June 2017. The inclusion criteria were defined as follows: i) Randomized trial with a dietary approach; ii) hypertensive and pre-hypertensive adult patients; and iii) minimum intervention period of 12 weeks. In order to determine the pooled effect of each intervention relative to each of the other intervention for both diastolic and systolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP), random effects network meta-analysis was performed. Results: A total of 67 trials comparing 13 dietary approaches (DASH, lowfat, moderate-carbohydrate, high-protein, low-carbohydrate, Mediterranean, Palaeolithic, vegetarian, low-GI/GL, low-sodium, Nordic, Tibetan, and control) enrolling 17,230 participants were included. In the network metaanalysis, the DASH, Mediterranean, low-carbohydrate, Palaeolithic, high-protein, low-glycaemic index, lowsodium, and low-fat dietary approaches were significantly more effective in reducing SBP (¡8.73 to ¡2.32 mmHg) and DBP (¡4.85 to ¡1.27 mmHg) compared to a control diet. According to the SUCRAs, the DASH diet was ranked the most effective dietary approach in reducing SBP (90%) and DBP (91%), followed by the Palaeolithic, and the low-carbohydrate diet (ranked 3rd for SBP) or the Mediterranean diet (ranked 3rd for DBP). For most comparisons, the credibility of evidence was rated very low to moderate, with the exception for the DASH vs. the low-fat dietary approach for which the quality of evidence was rated high. Conclusion: The present network meta-analysis suggests that the DASH dietary approach might be the most effective dietary measure toreduce blood pressure among hypertensive and pre-hypertensive patients based on high quality evidence