Spin-coating on nanoscale topography and phase separation of diblock copolymers

CRANN researchers are interested in mathematical modelling of all aspects of the process of spin-coating of diblock copolymers, with the aim of removing expensive trial and error design cycles. Of particular interest is the flow of the polymer during spin-coating, and also during the subsequent annealing process. Also of considerable interest is the chemical process of phase-separation and self-assembly of the diblock copolymer. Existing models in the literature rely heavily on computationally expensive Monte-Carlo simulation methods. The modelling work performed during the study group in summarized in this report. The report is split into four main sections, with discussion and suggestions for experiments in the concluding section. The content of the sections is as follows: Section 0.2: Mathematical modelling of spin-coating onto a flat substrate; no annealing considered. Section 0.3: Modelling of spin-coating onto a substrate with topography (i.e. trenches); no annealing considered. Section 0.4: Flow of polymer during annealing. Section 0.5: Models for self-assembly of polymers into nanostructures. Sections 0.2 to 0.4 are focussed on the fluid flow problems for the polymer, and go some way to providing useful answers to Problem 1. On the other hand, Problem 2 was found to be extremely challenging, and the efforts described in section 0.5 represent only a relatively modest impact on this problem

Framework for better living with HIV in England

1 Introduction and overview 1.1 The goal, purpose and scope of the framework This framework is the first of its kind in the UK. It describes the shared aspirations of a group of agencies for the lives of people diagnosed with HIV in England. The overarching goal of the framework is: All people with HIV are enabled to have the maximum level of health, well-being, quality of life and social integration. This is no less than the majority of people in the country expect for themselves. However, numerous obstacles prevent people with HIV from achieving this goal. These obstacles are not about having the virus but about how people with the virus are treated. This overarching goal is the situation we want to bring about. We detail this goal in seventeen subsidiary goals (what we want to happen). Each of these has a number of related aims and target groups (what we want individuals and groups to do to bring about the goal). The framework starts with the individual and seeks to bring about the conditions most favourable to individual self-determination and self-empowerment. The purpose of the framework is to: • Promote and protect the rights and well-being of all people with HIV in England. • Maximise the capacity of individuals and groups of people with HIV to care for, advocate and represent themselves effectively. • Improve and protect access to appropriate, effective and sufficient information, social support and social care services. • Minimise social, economic, governmental and judicial change detrimental to the rights and well-being of people with HIV. • Build consensus among those with a responsibility for promoting the well-being and rights of people with HIV. • Provide benchmarks against which the activities of a range of key stakeholders can be assessed, critiqued and coordinated. The framework does not describe all the activities of the organisations represented in the Framework Development Group (see section 1.4). Nor can these organisations undertake all the interventions necessary within the framework. Rather, the framework seeks to mobilise and coordinate the actions of a broad range of individuals and groups, from people with HIV themselves to government ministers. The framework primarily seeks to benefit people with diagnosed HIV infection. It is concerned with the health and well-being of those diagnosed with HIV and not those with undiagnosed HIV or those who might become infected (HIV prevention).As we are concerned with the lives of people with HIV after diagnosis, this framework is not focused on increasing HIV testing or HIV diagnosis nor does it attend to the needs of the broader population affected by HIV except where they relate to people with diagnosed HIV

A Roadmap for Functional Structural Variants in the Soybean Genome

Gene structural variation (SV) has recently emerged as a key genetic mechanism underlying several important phenotypic traits in crop species. We screened a panel of 41 soybean (Glycine max) accessions serving as parents in a soybean nested association mapping population for deletions and duplications in more than 53,000 gene models. Array hybridization and whole genome resequencing methods were used as complementary technologies to identify SV in 1528 genes, or approximately 2.8%, of the soybean gene models. Although SV occurs throughout the genome, SV enrichment was noted in families of biotic defense response genes. Among accessions, SV was nearly eightfold less frequent for gene models that have retained paralogs since the last whole genome duplication event, compared with genes that have not retained paralogs. Increases in gene copy number, similar to that described at the Rhg1 resistance locus, account for approximately one-fourth of the genic SV events. This assessment of soybean SV occurrence presents a target list of genes potentially responsible for rapidly evolving and/or adaptive traits

A Roadmap for Functional Structural Variants in the Soybean Genome

Gene structural variation (SV) has recently emerged as a key genetic mechanism underlying several important phenotypic traits in crop species. We screened a panel of 41 soybean (Glycine max) accessions serving as parents in a soybean nested association mapping population for deletions and duplications in more than 53,000 gene models. Array hybridization and whole genome resequencing methods were used as complementary technologies to identify SV in 1528 genes, or approximately 2.8%, of the soybean gene models. Although SV occurs throughout the genome, SV enrichment was noted in families of biotic defense response genes. Among accessions, SV was nearly eightfold less frequent for gene models that have retained paralogs since the last whole genome duplication event, compared with genes that have not retained paralogs. Increases in gene copy number, similar to that described at the Rhg1 resistance locus, account for approximately one-fourth of the genic SV events. This assessment of soybean SV occurrence presents a target list of genes potentially responsible for rapidly evolving and/or adaptive traits

Activating Transcription Factor 3 Promotes Loss of the Acinar Cell Phenotype in Response to Cerulein-Induced Pancreatitis in Mice

Pancreatitis is a debilitating disease of the exocrine pancreas that, under chronic conditions, is a major susceptibility factor for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Although down-regulation of genes that promote the mature acinar cell fate is required to reduce injury associated with pancreatitis, the factors that promote this repression are unknown. Activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3) is a key mediator of the unfolded protein response, a pathway rapidly activated during pancreatic insult. Using chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by next-generation sequencing, we show that ATF3 is bound to the transcriptional regulatory regions of \u3e30% of differentially expressed genes during the initiation of pancreatitis. Of importance, ATF3-dependent regulation of these genes was observed only upon induction of pancreatitis, with pathways involved in inflammation, acinar cell differentiation, and cell junctions being specifically targeted. Characterizing expression of transcription factors that affect acinar cell differentiation suggested that acinar cells lacking ATF3 maintain a mature cell phenotype during pancreatitis, a finding supported by maintenance of junctional proteins and polarity markers. As a result

Optomechanical Crystals

Structured, periodic optical materials can be used to form photonic crystals capable of dispersing, routing, and trapping light. A similar phenomena in periodic elastic structures can be used to manipulate mechanical vibrations. Here we present the design and experimental realization of strongly coupled optical and mechanical modes in a planar, periodic nanostructure on a silicon chip. 200-Terahertz photons are co-localized with mechanical modes of Gigahertz frequency and 100-femtogram mass. The effective coupling length, which describes the strength of the photon-phonon interaction, is as small as 2.9 microns, which, together with minute oscillator mass, allows all-optical actuation and transduction of nanomechanical motion with near quantum-limited sensitivity. Optomechanical crystals have many potential applications, from RF-over-optical communication to the study of quantum effects in mesoscopic mechanical systems.Comment: 16 pages, 7 figure

Fas/FasL-mediated apoptosis and inflammation are key features of acute human spinal cord injury: implications for translational, clinical application

The Fas/FasL system plays an important role in apoptosis, the inflammatory response and gliosis in a variety of neurologic disorders. A better understanding of these mechanisms could lead to effective therapeutic strategies following spinal cord injury (SCI). We explored these mechanisms by examining molecular changes in postmortem human spinal cord tissue from cases with acute and chronic SCI. Complementary studies were conducted using the in vivo Fejota™ clip compression model of SCI in Fas-deficient B6.MRL-Fas-lpr (lpr) and wild-type (Wt) mice to test Fas-mediated apoptosis, inflammation, gliosis and axonal degeneration by immunohistochemistry, Western blotting, gelatin zymography and ELISA with Mouse 32-plex cytokine/chemokine panel bead immunoassay. We report novel evidence that shows that Fas-mediated apoptosis of neurons and oligodendrocytes occurred in the injury epicenter in all cases of acute and subacute SCI and not in chronic SCI or in control cases. We also found significantly reduced apoptosis, expression of GFAP, NF-κB, p-IKappaB and iba1, increased number of CD4 positive T cells and MMP2 expression and reduced neurological dysfunction in lpr mice when compared with Wt mice after SCI. We found dramatically reduced inflammation and cytokines and chemokine expression in B6.MRL-Fas-lpr mice compared to Wt mice after SCI. In conclusion, we report multiple lines of evidence that Fas/FasL activation plays a pivotal role in mediating apoptosis, the inflammatory response and neurodegeneration after SCI, providing a compelling rationale for therapeutically targeting Fas in human SCI