Topological Analysis of Small Leucine-Rich Repeat Proteoglycan Nyctalopin

Nyctalopin is a small leucine rich repeat proteoglycan (SLRP) whose function is critical for normal vision. The absence of nyctalopin results in the complete form of congenital stationary night blindness. Normally, glutamate released by photoreceptors binds to the metabotropic glutamate receptor type 6 (GRM6), which through a G-protein cascade closes the non-specific cation channel, TRPM1, on the dendritic tips of depolarizing bipolar cells (DBCs) in the retina. Nyctalopin has been shown to interact with TRPM1 and expression of TRPM1 on the dendritic tips of the DBCs is dependent on nyctalopin expression. In the current study, we used yeast two hybrid and biochemical approaches to investigate whether murine nyctalopin was membrane bound, and if so by what mechanism, and also whether the functional form was as a homodimer. Our results show that murine nyctalopin is anchored to the plasma membrane by a single transmembrane domain, such that the LRR domain is located in the extracellular space

DNA immunoprecipitation semiconductor sequencing (DIP-SC-seq) as a rapid method to generate genome wide epigenetic signatures

Modification of DNA resulting in 5-methylcytosine (5 mC) or 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) has been shown to influence the local chromatin environment and affect transcription. Although recent advances in next generation sequencing technology allow researchers to map epigenetic modifications across the genome, such experiments are often time-consuming and cost prohibitive. Here we present a rapid and cost effective method of generating genome wide DNA modification maps utilising commercially available semiconductor based technology (DNA immunoprecipitation semiconductor sequencing; “DIP-SC-seq”) on the Ion Proton sequencer. Focussing on the 5hmC mark we demonstrate, by directly comparing with alternative sequencing strategies, that this platform can successfully generate genome wide 5hmC patterns from as little as 500 ng of genomic DNA in less than 4 days. Such a method can therefore facilitate the rapid generation of multiple genome wide epigenetic datasets

Cracking and strain analysis of beams reinforced with composite bars / Kompozitiniais strypais armuotų sijų pleišėjimo ir deformacijų analizė

The paper discusses the results of experimental and numerical modelling using two beams reinforced with GFRP bars. One beam was made of plain concrete while the other contained short steel fibres. The influence of steel fibres on deflection and cracking behaviour was studied. A comparative analysis of experimental results has shown that steel fibres significantly reduce deflections and average crack width of the beam. Moreover, an addition of steel fibres to the concrete mix led to a more ductile failure mode of the beam. Numerical analysis employing nonlinear finite element software ATENA has revealed that a good agreement between calculated and experimental results regarding an ordinary concrete GFRP reinforced beam can be obtained. Santrauka Kompozitinės armatūros taikymas betono konstrukcijoms dažnai sukelia šias problemas: neleistinai didelius įlinkius ir atsiveriančius plyšio pločius, trapų konstrukcijų irimą. Straipsnyje pateikiami dviejų vienodos geometrijos kompozitiniais stiklo pluošto strypais armuotų sijų eksperimentiniai ir skaitiniai tyrimai. Vienoje iš sijų į betono mišinį papildomai įdėta plieno plaušo fibrų. Bandymo metu matuoti vidutiniai sijų kreiviai, įlinkiai ir atsiveriantys plyšio pločiai. Atlikus lyginamąją analizę pastebėta, kad plieno plaušo naudojimas padidina stiklo pluoštu armuotų sijų standumą, atsparumą pleišėjimui, sijų suirimo pobūdis tampa plastiškesnis. Sijas sumodeliavus netiesine baigtinių elementų programa ATENA gautas geras eksperimentinių ir skaitinių rezultatų sutapimas įprasto betono stiklo pluošto armatūra armuotai sijai. Raktiniai žodžiai: armuotas betonas; stiklo pluošto armatūra; GFRP; pleišėjimas; eksperimentiniai tyrimai; skaitinis modeliavima