Response to ''Comment on 'Change of the emission spectra in organic light-emitting diodes by layer thickness modification''' Appl. Phys. Lett. 86, 186101.2005.

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Higher body mass index may induce asthma among adolescents with pre-asthmatic symptoms: a prospective cohort study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Limited studies have prospectively examined the role of body mass index (BMI) as a major risk factor for asthma during adolescence. This study investigates whether BMI is associated with increased risk of developing physician-diagnosed asthma during 12-month follow-up among adolescents with undiagnosed asthma-like symptoms at baseline.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A total of 4,052 adolescents with undiagnosed asthma-like symptoms at baseline were re-examined after a 12-month follow-up. Asthma cases were considered confirmed only after diagnosis by a physician based on the New England core and International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) criteria video questionnaires, and accompanying pulmonary function tests. Logistic regression analyses were used to evaluate the relationship of BMI and the risk of acquiring asthma.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The results indicated that girls with higher BMI were at an increased risk of developing asthma during the 12-month follow-up. The odds ratios for girls developing physician-diagnosed asthma were 1.75 (95% CI = 1.18-2.61) and 1.12 (95% CI = 0.76-1.67), respectively, for overweight and obesity as compared to the normal weight reference group after adjustment for other covariates. A similar relationship was not observed for overweight and obese boys who were also significantly more active than their female counterparts.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Increased BMI exaggerates the risk of acquiring asthma in symptomatic adolescent females but not in adolescent males. Thus, gender is an important modifier of BMI-related asthma risk. Additional research will be required to determine whether the increased asthma risk results from genetic, physiological or behavioural differences.</p

Phonon-driven spin-Floquet magneto-valleytronics in MoS2

Two-dimensional materials equipped with strong spin-orbit coupling can display novel electronic, spintronic, and topological properties originating from the breaking of time or inversion symmetry. A lot of interest has focused on the valley degrees of freedom that can be used to encode binary information. By performing ab initio time-dependent density functional simulation on MoS2, here we show that the spin is not only locked to the valley momenta but strongly coupled to the optical E &apos;&apos; phonon that lifts the lattice mirror symmetry. Once the phonon is pumped so as to break time-reversal symmetry, the resulting Floquet spectra of the phonon-dressed spins carry a net out-of-plane magnetization (approximate to 0.024 mu(B) for single-phonon quantum) even though the original system is non-magnetic. This dichroic magnetic response of the valley states is general for all 2H semiconducting transition-metal dichalcogenides and can be probed and controlled by infrared coherent laser excitation

Information transfer fidelity in spin networks and ring-based quantum routers

Spin networks are endowed with an Information Transfer Fidelity (ITF), which defines an absolute upper bound on the probability of transmission of an excitation from one spin to another. The ITF is easily computable but the bound can be reached asymptotically in time only under certain conditions. General conditions for attainability of the bound are established and the process of achieving the maximum transfer probability is given a dynamical model, the translation on the torus. The time to reach the maximum probability is estimated using the simultaneous Diophantine approximation, implemented using a variant of the Lenstra-Lenstra-Lov\'asz (LLL) algorithm. For a ring with uniform couplings, the network can be made a metric space by defining a distance (satisfying the triangle inequality) that quantifies the lack of transmission fidelity between two nodes. It is shown that transfer fidelities and transfer times can be improved significantly by means of simple controls taking the form of non-dynamic, spatially localized bias fields, opening up the possibility for intelligent design of spin networks and dynamic routing of information encoded in them, while being more flexible than engineering fixed couplings to favor some transfers, and less demanding than control schemes requiring fast dynamic controls

Sirt1 Deficiency Attenuates Spermatogenesis and Germ Cell Function

In mammals, Sirt1, a member of the sirtuin family of proteins, functions as a nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide-dependent protein deactylase, and has important physiological roles, including the regulation of glucose metabolism, cell survival, and mitochondrial respiration. The initial investigations of Sirt1 deficient mice have revealed a phenotype that includes a reduced lifespan, small size, and an increased frequency of abnormal sperm. We have now performed a detailed analysis of the molecular and functional effects of Sirt1 deficiency in the germ line of Sirt1 knock-out (−/−) mice. We find that Sirt1 deficiency markedly attenuates spermatogenesis, but not oogenesis. Numbers of mature sperm and spermatogenic precursors, as early as d15.5 of development, are significantly reduced (∼2-10-fold less; P≤0.004) in numbers in Sirt1−/− mice, whereas Sirt1 deficiency did not effect the efficiency oocyte production following superovulation of female mice. Furthermore, the proportion of mature sperm with elevated DNA damage (∼7.5% of total epididymal sperm; P = 0.02) was significantly increased in adult Sirt1−/− males. Analysis of global gene expression by microarray analysis in Sirt1 deficient testis revealed dysregulated expression of 85 genes, which were enriched (P<0.05) for genes involved in spermatogenesis and protein sumoylation. To assess the function of Sirt1 deficient germ cells, we compared the efficiency of generating embryos and viable offspring in in vitro fertilization (IVF) experiments using gametes from Sirt1−/− and sibling Sirt1+/− mice. While viable animals were derived in both Sirt1−/− X wild type and Sirt1−/− X Sirt1−/− crosses, the efficiency of producing both 2-cell zygotes and viable offspring was diminished when IVF was performed with Sirt1−/− sperm and/or oocytes. Together, these data support an important role for Sirt1 in spermatogenesis, including spermatogenic stem cells, as well as germ cell function

Odorranalectin Is a Small Peptide Lectin with Potential for Drug Delivery and Targeting

BACKGROUND: Lectins are sugar-binding proteins that specifically recognize sugar complexes. Based on the specificity of protein-sugar interactions, different lectins could be used as carrier molecules to target drugs specifically to different cells which express different glycan arrays. In spite of lectin's interesting biological potential for drug targeting and delivery, a potential disadvantage of natural lectins may be large size molecules that results in immunogenicity and toxicity. Smaller peptides which can mimic the function of lectins are promising candidates for drug targeting. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Small peptide with lectin-like behavior was screened from amphibian skin secretions and its structure and function were studied by NMR, NMR-titration, SPR and mutant analysis. A lectin-like peptide named odorranalectin was identified from skin secretions of Odorrana grahami. It was composed of 17 aa with a sequence of YASPKCFRYPNGVLACT. L-fucose could specifically inhibit the haemagglutination induced by odorranalectin. (125)I-odorranalectin was stable in mice plasma. In experimental mouse models, odorranalectin was proved to mainly conjugate to liver, spleen and lung after i.v. administration. Odorranalectin showed extremely low toxicity and immunogenicity in mice. The small size and single disulfide bridge of odorranalectin make it easy to manipulate for developing as a drug targeting system. The cyclic peptide of odorranalectin disclosed by solution NMR study adopts a beta-turn conformation stabilized by one intramolecular disulfide bond between Cys6-Cys16 and three hydrogen bonds between Phe7-Ala15, Tyr9-Val13, Tyr9-Gly12. Residues K5, C6, F7, C16 and T17 consist of the binding site of L-fucose on odorranalectin determined by NMR titration and mutant analysis. The structure of odorranalectin in bound form is more stable than in free form. CONCLUSION: These findings identify the smallest lectin so far, and show the application potential of odorranalectin for drug delivery and targeting. It also disclosed a new strategy of amphibian anti-infection

ELK1 Uses Different DNA Binding Modes to Regulate Functionally Distinct Classes of Target Genes

Eukaryotic transcription factors are grouped into families and, due to their similar DNA binding domains, often have the potential to bind to the same genomic regions. This can lead to redundancy at the level of DNA binding, and mechanisms are required to generate specific functional outcomes that enable distinct gene expression programmes to be controlled by a particular transcription factor. Here we used ChIP–seq to uncover two distinct binding modes for the ETS transcription factor ELK1. In one mode, other ETS transcription factors can bind regulatory regions in a redundant fashion; in the second, ELK1 binds in a unique fashion to another set of genomic targets. Each binding mode is associated with different binding site features and also distinct regulatory outcomes. Furthermore, the type of binding mode also determines the control of functionally distinct subclasses of genes and hence the phenotypic response elicited. This is demonstrated for the unique binding mode where a novel role for ELK1 in controlling cell migration is revealed. We have therefore uncovered an unexpected link between the type of binding mode employed by a transcription factor, the subsequent gene regulatory mechanisms used, and the functional categories of target genes controlled

IFN-γ, IL-4 and IL-13 modulate responsiveness of human airway smooth muscle cells to IL-13

© 2008 Moynihan et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Licens

Anopheles gambiae Antiviral Immune Response to Systemic O'nyong-nyong Infection

Mosquito-borne viral diseases are found across the globe and are responsible for numerous severe human infections. In order to develop novel methods for prevention and treatment of these diseases, detailed understanding of the biology of viral infection and transmission is required. Little is known about invertebrate responses to infection in mosquito hosts. In this study we used a model system of Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes and O'nyong-nyong virus to study mosquito immune responses to infection. We examined the global transcriptional responses of A. gambiae to viral infection of the mosquito blood equivalent (the hemolymph) identifying a number of genes with immune functions that are switched on or off in response to infection, including complement-like proteins that circulate in the mosquito hemolymph. The switching on of these genes combined with co-infection experiments with malaria parasites suggests that viral infection inhibits the melanisation pathway. Through silencing the function of a selection of viral responsive genes, we identified four genes that have roles in A. gambiae anti-viral immunity; two putative recognition receptors (a galectin and an MD2-like receptor); two effector lysozymes. These molecules have previously non-described roles in antiviral immunity, and suggest uncharacterised mechanisms for targeting viral infection in A. gambiae mosquitoes