Orbital Angular Momentum in Noncollinear Second Harmonic Generation by off-axis vortex beams

We experimentally study the behavior of orbital angular momentum (OAM) of light in a noncollinear second harmonic generation (SHG) process. The experiment is performed by using a type I BBO crystal under phase matching conditions with femtosecond pumping fields at 830 nm. Two specular off-axis vortex beams carrying fractional orbital angular momentum at the fundamental frequency (FF) are used. We analyze the behavior of the OAM of the SH signal when the optical vortex of each input field at the FF is displaced from the beam's axis. We obtain different spatial configurations of the SH field, always carrying the same zero angular momentum.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figure

Resveratrol: A Focus on Several Neurodegenerative Diseases

Molecules of the plant world are proving their effectiveness in countering, slowing down, and regressing many diseases. The resveratrol for its intrinsic properties related to its stilbene structure has been proven to be a universal panacea, especially for a wide range of neurodegenerative diseases. This paper evaluates (in vivo and in vitro) the various molecular targets of this peculiar polyphenol and its ability to effectively counter several neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and Huntington’s diseases and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. What emerges is that, in the deep heterogeneity of the pathologies evaluated, resveratrol through a convergence on the protein targets is able to give therapeutic responses in neuronal cells deeply diversified not only in morphological structure but especially in their function performed in the anatomical district to which they belong

A Novel White Laccase from Pleurotus ostreatus

Abstract Two laccase isoenzymes (POXA1 and POXA2) produced by Pleurotus ostreatus were purified and fully characterized. POXA1 and POXA2 are monomeric glycoproteins with 3 and 9% carbohydrate content, molecular masses of about 61 and 67 kDa by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, of about 54 and 59 kDa by gel filtration in native conditions, and of 61 kDa by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry (only for POXA1) and pI values of 6.7 and 4.0, respectively. The N terminus and three tryptic peptides of POXA1 have been sequenced, revealing clear homology with laccases from other microorganisms, whereas POXA2 showed a blocked N terminus. The stability of POXA2 as a function of temperature was particularly low, whereas POXA1 showed remarkable high stability with respect to both pH and temperature. Both enzymes oxidize syringaldazine and ABTS (2, 2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)) together with a variety of different substituted phenols and aromatic amines with the concomitant reduction of oxygen, but POXA1 is unable to oxidize guaiacol. Both enzymes were strongly inhibited by sodium azide and thioglycolic acid but not by EDTA. UV/visible absorption spectra, atomic adsorption, and polarographic data indicated the presence of 4 copper atoms/mol of POXA2 but only one copper, two zinc, and one iron atoms were found/mol of POXA1. The neutral pI and the anomalous metal content of POXA1 laccase render this enzyme unique in its structural characteristics. The lack of typical absorbance at 600 nm allows its classification as a "white" laccase

Effects of two plant arrangements in corn (Zea mays L.) and soybean (Glycine max L. Merrill) intercropping on soil nitrogen and phosphorus status and growth of component crops at an Argentinean argiudoll

22-31Intercropping systems can provide many benefits through increased efficiency of land and light use. The objectives of this study were to assess the main effects on a soil and plant growth of two arrangements of corn - soybean intercropping. In a 1-year experiment at 2011, the following treatments were randomly assigned in a CRD to 16 plots located on a vertic Argiudoll from Argentina: sole corn (Zea mays L.), sole soybean (Glycine max L.), corn-soybean 1:1 intercropping and Corn-soybean 1:2 intercropping. Nitrate levels were modified by treatments, but these treatments did not affect available P contents due to very high levels of this element during the whole cropping cycles. The practice of intercropping did not enhance water uptake by crops in relation to sole crops, as might be expected from complementary root systems and development timelines. Corn N status improved with intercropping probably due to an enhanced growth of plants and their roots, but soybean chlorophyll content was decreased by intercropping treatments. Yield and growth of corn were stimulated by intercropping systems, but this system depressed soybean growth, particularly at 1:1 corn-soybean ratio. Based on the remarkable dominance of corn crop observed at this arrangement, it can be concluded that a 1:2 corn-soybean ratio could be more beneficial in terms of more symmetric ecological interactions

Le ferromagnétisme marginal à basse température explique les corrélations à longue portée dans les essaims d'oiseaux

We introduce a new ferromagnetic model capable of reproducing one of the most intriguing properties of collective behaviour in starling flocks, namely the fact that strong collective order coexists with scale-free correlations of the modulus of the microscopic degrees of freedom, that is, the birds´ speeds. The key idea of the new theory is that the single-particle potential needed to bound the modulus of the microscopic degrees of freedom around a finite value is marginal, that is, it has zero curvature. We study the model by using mean-field approximation and Monte Carlo simulations in three dimensions, complemented by finite-size scaling analysis. While at the standard critical temperature, Tc, the properties of the marginal model are exactly the same as a normal ferromagnet with continuous symmetry breaking, our results show that a novel zero-temperature critical point emerges, so that in its deeply ordered phase the marginal model develops divergent susceptibility and correlation length of the modulus of the microscopic degrees of freedom, in complete analogy with experimental data on natural flocks of starlings.Nous introduisons un nouveau modèle ferromagnétique capable de reproduire l'une des propriétés les plus intrigantes du comportement collectif des essaims d'oiseaux, à savoir le fait qu'un ordre collectif fort coexiste avec des corrélations sans échelle du module des degrés de liberté microscopiques, à savoir les vitesses des oiseaux. L'idée-clé de la nouvelle théorie est que le potentiel à un corps nécessaire pour lier le module des degrés de liberté microscopiques autour d'une valeur finie est marginal, c'est-à-dire qu'il a une courbure nulle. Nous étudions le modèle en utilisant l'approximation du champ moyen et les simulations de Monte-Carlo en trois dimensions, complétées par l'analyse à l'échelle finie. Alors qu'à la température critique standard, Tc , les propriétés du modèle marginal sont exactement les mêmes que celles d'un ferromagnétique normal avec rupture de symétrie continue, nos résultats montrent qu'un nouveau point critique à température nulle émerge, de sorte que, dans sa phase profondément ordonnée, le modèle marginal développe une susceptibilité divergente et une longueur de corrélation du module des degrés de liberté microscopiques, en analogie complète avec les données expérimentales sur des essaims naturels d'oiseaux.Fil: Cavagna, Andrea. Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche; ItaliaFil: Culla, Antonio. Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche; Italia. Università Degli Studi Di Roma "la Sapienza". Dipartimento Di Sanita Publica E Malattie Infetive.; ItaliaFil: Di Carlo, Luca. Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche; Italia. Università Degli Studi Di Roma "la Sapienza". Dipartimento Di Sanita Publica E Malattie Infetive.; ItaliaFil: Giardina, Irene. Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche; Italia. Università Degli Studi Di Roma "la Sapienza". Dipartimento Di Sanita Publica E Malattie Infetive.; Italia. Istituto Nazionale Di Fisica Nucleare.; ItaliaFil: Grigera, Tomas Sebastian. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Física de Líquidos y Sistemas Biológicos. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Instituto de Física de Líquidos y Sistemas Biológicos; Argentin

Duplication of the dystroglycan gene in most branches of teleost fish

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The dystroglycan (DG) complex is a major non-integrin cell adhesion system whose multiple biological roles involve, among others, skeletal muscle stability, embryonic development and synapse maturation. DG is composed of two subunits: α-DG, extracellular and highly glycosylated, and the transmembrane β-DG, linking the cytoskeleton to the surrounding basement membrane in a wide variety of tissues. A single copy of the DG gene (<it>DAG1</it>) has been identified so far in humans and other mammals, encoding for a precursor protein which is post-translationally cleaved to liberate the two DG subunits. Similarly, <it>D. rerio </it>(zebrafish) seems to have a single copy of <it>DAG1</it>, whose removal was shown to cause a severe dystrophic phenotype in adult animals, although it is known that during evolution, due to a whole genome duplication (WGD) event, many teleost fish acquired multiple copies of several genes (paralogues).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Data mining of pufferfish (<it>T. nigroviridis </it>and <it>T. rubripes</it>) and other teleost fish (<it>O. latipes </it>and <it>G. aculeatus</it>) available nucleotide sequences revealed the presence of two functional paralogous DG sequences. RT-PCR analysis proved that both the DG sequences are transcribed in <it>T. nigroviridis</it>. One of the two DG sequences harbours an additional mini-intronic sequence, 137 bp long, interrupting the uncomplicated exon-intron-exon pattern displayed by <it>DAG1 </it>in mammals and <it>D. rerio</it>. A similar scenario emerged also in <it>D. labrax </it>(sea bass), from whose genome we have cloned and sequenced a new DG sequence that also harbours a shorter additional intronic sequence of 116 bp. Western blot analysis confirmed the presence of DG protein products in all the species analysed including two teleost Antarctic species (<it>T. bernacchii </it>and <it>C. hamatus</it>).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our evolutionary analysis has shown that the whole-genome duplication event in the Class Actinopterygii (ray-finned fish) involved also <it>DAG1</it>. We unravelled new important molecular genetic details about fish orthologous DGs, which might help to increase the current knowledge on DG expression, maturation and targeting and on its physiopathological role in higher organisms.</p

Duplication of the dystroglycan gene in most branches of teleost fish

background: the dystroglycan (DG) complex is a major non-integrin cell adhesion system whose multiple biological roles involve, among others, skeletal muscle stability, embryonic development and synapse maturation. DG is composed of two subunits: α-DG, extracellular and highly glycosylated, and the transmembrane β-DG, linking the cytoskeleton to the surrounding basement membrane in a wide variety of tissues. a single copy of the DG gene (DAG1) has been identified so far in humans and other mammals, encoding for a precursor protein which is post-translationally cleaved to liberate the two DG subunits. similarly, D. rerio (zebrafish) seems to have a single copy of DAG1, whose removal was shown to cause a severe dystrophic phenotype in adult animals, although it is known that during evolution, due to a whole genome duplication (WGD) event, many teleost fish acquired multiple copies of several genes (paralogues). results: data mining of pufferfish (T. nigroviridis and T. rubripes) and other teleost fish (O. latipes and G. aculeatus) available nucleotide sequences revealed the presence of two functional paralogous DG sequences. RT-PCR analysis proved that both the DG sequences are transcribed in T. nigroviridis. One of the two DG sequences harbours an additional mini-intronic sequence, 137 bp long, interrupting the uncomplicated exon-intron-exon pattern displayed by DAG1 in mammals and D. rerio. a similar scenario emerged also in D. labrax (sea bass), from whose genome we have cloned and sequenced a new DG sequence that also harbours a shorter additional intronic sequence of 116 bp. western blot analysis confirmed the presence of DG protein products in all the species analysed including two teleost antarctic species (T. bernacchii and C. hamatus). conclusion: our evolutionary analysis has shown that the whole-genome duplication event in the class actinopterygii (ray-finned fish) involved also DAG1. we unravelled new important molecular genetic details about fish orthologous DGs, which might help to increase the current knowledge on DG expression, maturation and targeting and on its physiopathological role in higher organisms

Embodied responses to musical experience detected by human bio-feedback brain features in a geminoid augmented architecture

This paper presents the conceptual framework for a study of musical experience and the associated architecture centred on Human-Humanoid Interaction (HHI). On the grounds of the theoretical and experimental literature on the biological foundation of music, the grammar of music perception and the perception and feeling of emotions in music hearing, we argue that music cognition is specific and that it is realized by a cognitive capacity for music that consists of conceptual and affective constituents. We discuss the relationship between such constituents that enables understanding, that is extracting meaning from music at the different levels of the organization of sounds that are felt as bearers of affects and emotions. To account for the way such cognitive mechanisms are realized in music hearing and extended to movements and gestures we bring in the construct of tensions and of music experience as a cognitive frame. Finally, we describe the principled approach to the design and the architecture of a BCI-controlled robotic system that can be employed to map and specify the constituents of the cognitive capacity for music as well as to simulate their contribution to music meaning understanding in the context of music experience by displaying it through the Geminoid robot movements

Stanja Jπ = 2+ i 0+, T = 0 8Be na energijama pobuđenja oko 20 MeV

The 7Li(d, αα)n reaction induced by deuterons of an incident energy of 7 MeV has been used to excite the 8Be nucleus in the region of excitation energy Ex of about 20 MeV. Each of the obtained αα coincidence spectra was fitted by an incoherent sum of the Jπ=2+ and 0+, T=0 8Be levels at Ex=20.1 and 20.2 MeV, respectively. The results show that the experimental data are well fitted when the G values deduced for these levels are 0.90 and 0.70 MeV, respectively.Reakcija 7Li (d, αα) n inducirana deuteronima energije 7 MeV je iskorištena za proučavanje jezgre 8Be na energijama pobuđenja Ex oko 20 MeV. Koincidentni αα spektri poravnani su nekoherentnim zbrojem stanja Jπ = 2 + na Ex = 20, 1 MeV i Jπ = 0+ na Ex = 20,2 MeV. Rezultati pokazuju da su eksperimentalni podaci najbolje opisani ako se za širine navedenih stanja uzmu vrijednosti 0,90 MeV odnosno 0, 70 Me V