2,063 research outputs found
Different forms of the bovine PrP gene have five or six copies of a short, G-C-rich element within the protein-coding exon
Current models of the virus-like agents of scrapie and bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) have to take into account that structural changes in a host-encoded protein (PrP protein) exhibit an effect on the time course of these diseases and the survival time of any man or animal exposed to these pathogens. We report here the sequence of different forms of the bovine PrP gene which contain either five or six copies of a short, G-C-rich element which encodes the octapeptide Pro-His-Gly-Gly-Gly-Trp-Gly-Gln or its longer variants Pro-Gln/His-Gly-Gly-Gly-Gly-Trp-Gly-Gln. Out of 12 cattle, we found eight animals homozygous for genes with six copies of the Gly-rich peptide (6:6), while four were heterozygous (6:5). Two confirmed cases of BSE occurred in (6: 6) homozygous animals. Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) is a transmissible disease (Fraser et al., 1988; Dawson et al., 1990; Barlow & Middleton, 1990) which produces neuropathological lesions in cattle similar to those seen in ovine scrapie (Wells et al., 1987) and the rare human dementias Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) and Gerstmann-Str/iussler syndrome (GSS) (Beck & Daniel, 1987). A cellular membrane protein (PrP) has a key role in the transmission and development of these diseases. This protein accumulates in the brain and other tissues during the protracted time course of these diseases and, in a disease-specific, protease-resistant isoform (SAF-PrP), has been purified by subcellular fractionation of scrapie
Microscopic measurement of the linear compressibilities of two-dimensional fatty acid mesophases
The linear compressibility of two-dimensional fatty acid mesophases has
determined by grazing incidence x-ray diffraction. Surface pressure vs
molecular area isotherms were reconstructed from these measurements, and the
linear compressibility (relative distortion along a given direction for
isotropic applied stress) was determined both in the sample plane and in a
plane normal to the aliphatic chain director (transverse plane). The linear
compressibilities range over two orders of magnitude from 0.1 to 10 m/N and are
distributed depending on their magnitude in 4 different sets which we are able
to associate with different molecular mechanisms. The largest compressibilities
(10m/N) are observed in the tilted phases. They are apparently independent of
the chain length and could be related to the reorganization of the headgroup
hydrogen-bounded network, whose role should be revalued. Intermediate
compressibilities are observed in phases with quasi long-range order
(directions normal to the molecular tilt in L_2 or L_2' phases, S phase), and
could be related to the ordering of these phases. The lowest compressibilities
are observed in the solid untilted CS phase and for 1 direction of the S and
L_2'' phases. They are similar to the compressibility of crystalline polymers
and correspond to the interactions between methyl groups in the crystal.
Finally, negative compressibilities are observed in the transverse plane for
L_2' and L_2'' phases and can be traced to subtle reorganizations upon
untilting.Comment: 24 pages, 17 figure
Evidence of Water-related Discrete Trap State Formation in Pentacene Single Crystal Field-Effect Transistors
We report on the generation of a discrete trap state during negative gate
bias stress in pentacene single crystal "flip-crystal" field-effect transistors
with a SiO2 gate dielectric. Trap densities of up to 2*10^12 cm^-2 were created
in the experiments. Trap formation and trap relaxation are distinctly different
above and below ~280 K. In devices in which a self-assembled monolayer on top
of the SiO2 provides a hydrophobic insulator surface we do not observe trap
formation. These results indicate the microscopic cause of the trap state to be
water adsorbed on the SiO2 surface.Comment: 13 pages, 4 figures, submitted to Applied Physics Letter
A novel human ex vivo model for the analysis of molecular events during lung cancer chemotherapy
Density of bulk trap states in organic semiconductor crystals: discrete levels induced by oxygen in rubrene
The density of trap states in the bandgap of semiconducting organic single
crystals has been measured quantitatively and with high energy resolution by
means of the experimental method of temperature-dependent
space-charge-limited-current spectroscopy (TD-SCLC). This spectroscopy has been
applied to study bulk rubrene single crystals, which are shown by this
technique to be of high chemical and structural quality. A density of deep trap
states as low as ~ 10^{15} cm^{-3} is measured in the purest crystals, and the
exponentially varying shallow trap density near the band edge could be
identified (1 decade in the density of states per ~25 meV). Furthermore, we
have induced and spectroscopically identified an oxygen related sharp hole bulk
trap state at 0.27 eV above the valence band.Comment: published in Phys. Rev. B, high quality figures:
http://www.cpfs.mpg.de/~krellner
Hole mobility in organic single crystals measured by a "flip-crystal" field-effect technique
We report on single crystal high mobility organic field-effect transistors
(OFETs) prepared on prefabricated substrates using a "flip-crystal" approach.
This method minimizes crystal handling and avoids direct processing of the
crystal that may degrade the FET electrical characteristics. A chemical
treatment process for the substrate ensures a reproducible device quality. With
limited purification of the starting materials, hole mobilities of 10.7, 1.3,
and 1.4 cm^2/Vs have been measured on rubrene, tetracene, and pentacene single
crystals, respectively. Four-terminal measurements allow for the extraction of
the "intrinsic" transistor channel resistance and the parasitic series contact
resistances. The technique employed in this study shows potential as a general
method for studying charge transport in field-accumulated carrier channels near
the surface of organic single crystals.Comment: 26 pages, 7 figure
Coarsening in surface growth models without slope selection
We study conserved models of crystal growth in one dimension [] which are linearly unstable and develop a mound
structure whose typical size L increases in time (). If the local
slope () increases indefinitely, depends on the exponent
characterizing the large behaviour of the surface current (): for and for
.Comment: 7 pages, 2 EPS figures. To be published in J. Phys. A (Letter to the
Editor
Field-induced charge transport at the surface of pentacene single crystals: a method to study charge dynamics of 2D electron systems in organic crystals
A method has been developed to inject mobile charges at the surface of
organic molecular crystals, and the DC transport of field-induced holes has
been measured at the surface of pentacene single crystals. To minimize damage
to the soft and fragile surface, the crystals are attached to a pre-fabricated
substrate which incorporates a gate dielectric (SiO_2) and four probe pads. The
surface mobility of the pentacene crystals ranges from 0.1 to 0.5 cm^2/Vs and
is nearly temperature-independent above ~150 K, while it becomes thermally
activated at lower temperatures when the induced charges become localized.
Ruling out the influence of electric contacts and crystal grain boundaries, the
results contribute to the microscopic understanding of trapping and detrapping
mechanisms in organic molecular crystals.Comment: 14 pages, 4 figures. Submitted to J. Appl. Phy
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