442 research outputs found
Single DNA conformations and biological function
From a nanoscience perspective, cellular processes and their reduced in vitro
imitations provide extraordinary examples for highly robust few or single
molecule reaction pathways. A prime example are biochemical reactions involving
DNA molecules, and the coupling of these reactions to the physical
conformations of DNA. In this review, we summarise recent results on the
following phenomena: We investigate the biophysical properties of DNA-looping
and the equilibrium configurations of DNA-knots, whose relevance to biological
processes are increasingly appreciated. We discuss how random DNA-looping may
be related to the efficiency of the target search process of proteins for their
specific binding site on the DNA molecule. And we dwell on the spontaneous
formation of intermittent DNA nanobubbles and their importance for biological
processes, such as transcription initiation. The physical properties of DNA may
indeed turn out to be particularly suitable for the use of DNA in nanosensing
applications.Comment: 53 pages, 45 figures. Slightly revised version of a review article,
that is going to appear in the J. Comput. Theoret. Nanoscience; some typos
correcte
Prä- und postoperative neuropsychiatrische Befunde bei Patienten mit primärem Hyperparathyreoidismus
Fragestellung vorliegender Untersuchung ist die
Häufigkeit und die Veränderung neuropsychiatrischer Symptome
bei Patienten mit primärem Hyperparathyreoidismus vor und nach
Parathyreoidektomie. Es wurden die folgenden zwei Hypothesen
überprüft und bestätigt. Erstens: Patienten mit pHPT zeigen
mehr und stärkere neuropsychiatrische Symptome als
nicht-pHPT-Patienten, die ebenfalls operativen Stressoren
ausgesetzt sind und zweitens: pHPT-Patienten zeigen bereits
wenige Tage nach Parathyreoidektomie eine Reduktion
neuropsychiatrischer Befunde in Häufigkeit und Schweregrad.
Untersucht wurden 39 zufällig ausgewählte pHPT-Patienten im
mittleren Alter von 63 Jahren (Mittelwert 62,7; SD 9,9) und
eine Kontrollgruppe aus 22 Patienten mit euthyreoter Struma im
mittleren Alter von 52 Jahren (Mittelwert 51,8; SD 14,6) der
Klinik für Allgemeinchirurgie des Zentrums für Operative
Medizin I im Klinikum der Phillipps-Universität Marburg.
Alle
Studienteilnehmer wurden am Tage vor und drei Tage nach ihrer
Operation mit Selbst- und Fremdbeurteilungsverfahren der
Depressivität (HAMD, MADRS, BDI), der psychischen
Beeinträchtigung (SCL-90-R) und kognitiven Leistungstests
(Benton-Test, d2, KAI) in einer standardisierten Testsituation
untersucht.
Patienten mit pHPT zeigen präoperativ insgesamt
mehr depressive Symptome in der Fremdbeurteilung (MADRS, HAMD),
eine höhere psychische Beeinträchtigung (SCL-90-R) und
geringere kognitive Leistungsfähigkeit (d2, KAI, Benton-Test)
als Patienten mit euthyreoter Struma. Obwohl die Patienten mit
pHPT postoperativ eine signifikante Reduktion auffälliger
Befunde zeigen, bestehen weiterhin signifikante Unterschiede zu
den Struma-Patienten in der psychischen Beeinträchtigung
(SCL-90-R) und der kognitiven Leistungsfähigkeit (d2, KAI,
Benton-Test)
Hydrogen-powered aviation in Germany: A macroeconomic perspective and methodological approach of fuel supply chain integration into an economy-wide dataset
The hydrogen (H2) momentum affects the aviation sector. However, a macroeconomic consideration is currently missing. To address this research gap, the paper derives a methodology for evaluating macroeconomic effects of H2 in aviation and applies this approach to Germany. Three goals are addressed: (1) Construction of a German macroeconomic database. (2) Translation of H2 supply chains to the system of national accounts. (3) Implementation of H2-powered aviation into the macroeconomic data framework. The article presents an economy-wide database for analyzing H2-powered aviation. Subsequently, the paper highlights three H2 supply pathways, provides an exemplary techno-economic cost break-down for ten H2 components and translates them into the data framework. Eight relevant macroeconomic sectors for H2-powered aviation are identified and quantified. Overall, the paper contributes on a suitable foundation to apply the macroeconomic dataset and to conduct macroeconomic analyses on H2-powered aviation. Finally, the article highlights further research potential on job effects related to future H2 demand
Blinking statistics of a molecular beacon triggered by end-denaturation of DNA
We use a master equation approach based on the Poland-Scheraga free energy
for DNA denaturation to investigate the (un)zipping dynamics of a denaturation
wedge in a stretch of DNA, that is clamped at one end. In particular, we
quantify the blinking dynamics of a fluorophore-quencher pair mounted within
the denaturation wedge. We also study the behavioural changes in the presence
of proteins, that selectively bind to single-stranded DNA. We show that such a
setup could be well-suited as an easy-to-implement nanodevice for sensing
environmental conditions in small volumes.Comment: 14 pages, 5 figures, LaTeX, IOP style. Accepted to J Phys Cond Mat
special issue on diffusio
Breathing dynamics in heteropolymer DNA
While the statistical mechanical description of DNA has a long tradition,
renewed interest in DNA melting from a physics perspective is nourished by
measurements of the fluctuation dynamics of local denaturation bubbles by
single molecule spectroscopy. The dynamical opening of DNA bubbles (DNA
breathing) is supposedly crucial for biological functioning during, for
instance, transcription initiation and DNA's interaction with selectively
single-stranded DNA binding proteins. Motivated by this, we consider the bubble
breathing dynamics in a heteropolymer DNA based on a (2+1)-variable master
equation and complementary stochastic Gillespie simulations, providing the
bubble size and the position of the bubble along the sequence as a function of
time. We utilize new experimental data that independently obtain stacking and
hydrogen bonding contributions to DNA stability. We calculate the spectrum of
relaxation times and the experimentally measurable autocorrelation function of
a fluorophore-quencher tagged base-pair, and demonstrate good agreement with
fluorescence correlation experiments. A significant dependence of opening
probability and waiting time between bubble events on the local DNA sequence is
revealed and quantified for a promoter sequence of the T7 phage. The strong
dependence on sequence, temperature and salt concentration for the breathing
dynamics of DNA found here points at a good potential for nanosensing
applications by utilizing short fluorophore-quencher dressed DNA constructs.Comment: 11 pages, 8 figure
On the Importance of the Equation of State for the Neutrino-Driven Supernova Explosion Mechanism
By implementing widely-used equations of state (EOS) from Lattimer & Swesty
(LS) and H. Shen et al. (SHEN) in core-collapse supernova simulations, we
explore possible impacts of these EOS on the post-bounce dynamics prior to the
onset of neutrino-driven explosions. Our spherically symmetric (1D) and axially
symmetric (2D) models are based on neutrino radiation hydrodynamics including
spectral transport, which is solved by the isotropic diffusion source
approximation. We confirm that in 1D simulations neutrino-driven explosions
cannot be obtained for any of the employed EOS. Impacts of the EOS on the
post-bounce hydrodynamics are more clearly visible in 2D simulations. In 2D
models of a 15 M_sun progenitor using the LS EOS, the stalled bounce shock
expands to increasingly larger radii, which is not the case using the SHEN EOS.
Keeping in mind that the omission of the energy drain by heavy-lepton neutrinos
in the present scheme could facilitate explosions, we find that 2D models of an
11.2 M_sun progenitor produce neutrino-driven explosions for all the EOS under
investigation. Models using the LS EOS are slightly more energetic compared to
those with the SHEN EOS. The more efficient neutrino heating in the LS models
coincides with a higher electron antineutrino luminosity and a larger mass that
is enclosed within the gain region. The models based on the LS EOS also show a
more vigorous and aspherical downflow of accreting matter to the surface of the
protoneutron star (PNS). The accretion pattern is essential for the production
and strength of outgoing pressure waves, that can push in turn the shock to
larger radii and provide more favorable conditions for the explosion.
[abbreviated]Comment: 21 pages, 22 figures, accepted for publication in Ap
Nature of unconventional pairing in the kagome superconductors AVSb
The recent discovery of AVSb (A=K,Rb,Cs) has uncovered an intriguing
arena for exotic Fermi surface instabilities in a kagome metal. Among them,
superconductivity is found in the vicinity of multiple van Hove singularities,
exhibiting indications of unconventional pairing. We show that the sublattice
interference mechanism is central to understanding the formation of
superconductivity in a kagome metal. Starting from an appropriately chosen
minimal tight-binding model with multiple with multiple van Hove singularities
close to the Fermi level for AVSb, we provide a random phase
approximation analysis of superconducting instabilities. Non-local Coulomb
repulsion, the sublattice profile of the van Hove bands, and the bare
interaction strength turn out to be the crucial parameters to determine the
preferred pairing symmetry. Implications for potentially topological surface
states are discussed, along with a proposal for additional measurements to pin
down the nature of superconductivity in AVSb.Comment: 6 page, 4 figure
Entropy loss in long-distance DNA looping
The entropy loss due to the formation of one or multiple loops in circular
and linear DNA chains is calculated from a scaling approach in the limit of
long chain segments. The analytical results allow to obtain a fast estimate for
the entropy loss for a given configuration. Numerical values obtained for some
examples suggest that the entropy loss encountered in loop closure in typical
genetic switches may become a relevant factor which has to be overcome by the
released bond energy between the looping contact sites.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figure
Handbuch methodischer Grundfragen zur Masterplan-Erstellung - Kommunale Masterpläne für 100 % Klimaschutz
Masterplan-Kommunen sind die Vorreiter unter den Klimaschutzkommunen und müssen über das bisher
in der Breite bereits Begonnene hinausgehen. Sie stehen vor großen strukturellen und finanziellen
Herausforderungen, aber auch vor großen Chancen. Die Chancen ergeben sich insbesondere für ein
verbessertes und lebenswerteres Umfeld in der Kommune und damit auch für eine gesteigerte Lebensqualität.
Die Einbindung aller Akteure in der Kommune, innerhalb und außerhalb der Verwaltung, ist
ein wichtiger Baustein auf dem Weg zum Ziel „Null Emissionen“. Vor allem die Einbindung der Wirtschaft
vor Ort und der Bürgerinnen und Bürger ist essenziell, wenn eine Transformation angestoßen
und umgesetzt werden soll. Das Handbuch unterstützt die Masterplan-Kommunen mit der vorliegenden
methodischen Herangehensweise auf ihrem Weg
Procalcitonin reflects bacteremia and bacterial load in urosepsis syndrome: a prospective observational study
Introduction: Guidelines recommend that two blood cultures be performed in patients with febrile urinary tract infection (UTI), to detect bacteremia and help diagnose urosepsis. The usefulness and cost-effectiveness of this practice have been criticized. This study aimed to evaluate clinical characteristics and the biomarker procalcitonin (PCT) as an aid in predicting bacteremia. Methods: A prospective observational multicenter cohort study included consecutive adults with febrile UTI in 35 primary care units and 8 emergency departments of 7 regional hospitals. Clinical and microbiological data were collected and PCT and time to positivity (TTP) of blood culture were measured. Results: Of 581 evaluable patients, 136 (23%) had bacteremia. The median age was 66 years (interquartile range 46 to 78 years) and 219 (38%) were male. We evaluated three different models: a clinical model including seven bedside characteristics, the clinical model plus PCT, and a PCT only model. The diagnostic abilities of these models as reflected by area under the curve of the receiver operating characteristic were 0.71 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.66 to 0.76), 0.79 (95% CI: 0.75 to 0.83) and 0.73 (95% CI: 0.68 to 0.77) respectively. Calculating corresponding sensitivity and specificity for the presence of bacteremia after each step of adding a significant predictor in the model yielded that the PCT > 0.25 mu g/l only model had the best diagnostic performance (sensitivity 0.95; 95% CI: 0.89 to 0.98, specificity 0.50; 95% CI: 0.46 to 0.55). Using PCT as a single decision tool, this would result in 40% fewer blood cultures being taken, while still identifying 94 to 99% of patients with bacteremia. The TTP of E. coli positive blood cultures was linearly correlated with the PCT log value; the higher the PCT the shorter the TTP (R-2 = 0.278, P = 0.007). Conclusions: PCT accurately predicts the presence of bacteremia and bacterial load in patients with febrile UTI. This may be a helpful biomarker to limit use of blood culture resources.Immunogenetics and cellular immunology of bacterial infectious disease
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