Highly efficient optogenetic cell ablation in C. elegans using membrane-targeted miniSOG.

The genetically encoded photosensitizer miniSOG (mini Singlet Oxygen Generator) can be used to kill cells in C. elegans. miniSOG generates the reactive oxygen species (ROS) singlet oxygen after illumination with blue light. Illumination of neurons expressing miniSOG targeted to the outer mitochondrial membrane (mito-miniSOG) causes neuronal death. To enhance miniSOG's efficiency as an ablation tool in multiple cell types we tested alternative targeting signals. We find that membrane targeted miniSOG allows highly efficient cell killing. When combined with a point mutation that increases miniSOG's ROS generation, membrane targeted miniSOG can ablate neurons in less than one tenth the time of mito-miniSOG. We extend the miniSOG ablation technique to non-neuronal tissues, revealing an essential role for the epidermis in locomotion. These improvements expand the utility and throughput of optogenetic cell ablation in C. elegans

Existence of log canonical closures

Let $f:X\to U$ be a projective morphism of normal varieties and $(X,\Delta)$ a dlt pair. We prove that if there is an open set $U^0\subset U$, such that $(X,\Delta)\times_U U^0$ has a good minimal model over $U^0$ and the images of all the non-klt centers intersect $U^0$, then $(X,\Delta)$ has a good minimal model over $U$. As consequences we show the existence of log canonical compactifications for open log canonical pairs, and the fact that the moduli functor of stable schemes satisfies the valuative criterion for properness

A Solvable Mixed Charge Ensemble on the Line: Global Results

We consider an ensemble of interacting charged particles on the line consisting of two species of particles with charge ratio 2 : 1 in the presence of the harmonic oscillator potential. The system is assumed to be at temperature corresponding to \beta = 1 and the sum of the charges is fixed. We investigate the distribution of the number as well as the spatial density of each species of particle in the limit as the total charge increases to \infty. These results will follow from the fact that the system of particles forms a Pfaffian point process. We produce the skew-orthogonal polynomials necessary to simplify the related matrix kernels.Comment: 29 pages, 2 figure

Carrier Dynamics in Submonolayer InGaAs/GaAs Quantum Dots

Carrier dynamics of submonolayer (SML) InGaAs/GaAs quantum dots (QDs) were studied by micro-photoluminecence (MPL), selectively excited photoluminescence (SEPL), and time-resolved photoluminescence (TRPL). MPL and SEPL show the coexistence of localized and delocalized states, and different local phonon modes. TRPL reveal shorter recombination lifetimes and longer capture times for the QDs with higher emission energy. This suggests that the smallest SML QDs are formed by perfectly vertically correlated 2D InAs islands, having the highest In content and the lowest emission energy, while a slight deviation from the perfectly vertical correlation produces larger QDs with lower In content and higher emission energy.Comment: 12 pages, 5 figure