Normal ordering and boundary conditions in open bosonic strings

Boundary conditions play a non trivial role in string theory. For instance the rich structure of D-branes is generated by choosing appropriate combinations of Dirichlet and Neumann boundary conditions. Furthermore, when an antisymmetric background is present at the string end-points (corresponding to mixed boundary conditions) space time becomes non-commutative there. We show here how to build up normal ordered products for bosonic string position operators that satisfy both equations of motion and open string boundary conditions at quantum level. We also calculate the equal time commutator of these normal ordered products in the presence of antisymmetric tensor background.Comment: 7 pages no figures, References adde

Too close for comfort? Endomembranes promote missegregation by enclosing lost chromosomes

Correct segregation of chromosomes during mitosis is essential to prevent aneuploidy. In this issue, Ferrandiz et al. (2022. J. Cell Biol. https://doi.org/10.1083/jcb.202203021) show that endomembranes can promote chromosome missegregation by “ensheathing” misaligned chromosomes, preventing their integration into the metaphase plate. Their findings point toward endomembranes as a potential risk factor for aneuploidy

An Overview of Recent Advances in the Iterative Analysis of Coupled Models for Wave Propagation

Wave propagation problems can be solved using a variety of methods. However, in many cases, the joint use of different numerical procedures to model different parts of the problem may be advisable and strategies to perform the coupling between them must be developed. Many works have been published on this subject, addressing the case of electromagnetic, acoustic, or elastic waves and making use of different strategies to perform this coupling. Both direct and iterative approaches can be used, and they may exhibit specific advantages and disadvantages. This work focuses on the use of iterative coupling schemes for the analysis of wave propagation problems, presenting an overview of the application of iterative procedures to perform the coupling between different methods. Both frequency- and time-domain analyses are addressed, and problems involving acoustic, mechanical, and electromagnetic wave propagation problems are illustrated

Determination of Peroxisomal pH in Living Mammalian Cells Using pHRed

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Humana Press via the DOI in this record.Organelle pH homeostasis is crucial for maintaining proper cellular function. The nature of the peroxisomal pH remains somewhat controversial, with several studies reporting conflicting results. Here, we describe in detail a rapid and accurate method for the measurement of peroxisomal pH, using the pHRed sensor protein and confocal microscopy of living mammalian cells. pHRed, a ratiometric sensor of pH, is targeted to the peroxisomes by virtue of a C-terminal targeting sequence. The probe has a maximum fluorescence emission at 610 nm while exhibiting dual excitation peaks at 440 nm and 585 nm, allowing for ratiometric imaging and determination of intracellular pH in live cell microscopy.This work was supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) (SFRH/BPD/90084/2012 to L. G.)