348 research outputs found
Electron-beam-sustained discharge revisited - light emission from combined electron beam and microwave excited argon at atmospheric pressure
A novel kind of electron beam sustained discharge is presented in which a
12keV electron beam is combined with a 2.45GHz microwave power to excite argon
gas at atmospheric pressure in a continuous mode of operation. Optical emission
spectroscopy is performed over a wide wavelength range from the vacuum
ultraviolet (VUV) to the near infrared (NIR). Several effects which modify the
emission spectra compared to sole electron beam excitation are observed and
interpreted by the changing plasma parameters such as electron density,
electron temperature and gas temperature.Comment: 10 pages, 9 figure
EMMA—mouse mutant resources for the international scientific community
The laboratory mouse is the premier animal model for studying human disease and thousands of mutants have been identified or produced, most recently through gene-specific mutagenesis approaches. High throughput strategies by the International Knockout Mouse Consortium (IKMC) are producing mutants for all protein coding genes. Generating a knock-out line involves huge monetary and time costs so capture of both the data describing each mutant alongside archiving of the line for distribution to future researchers is critical. The European Mouse Mutant Archive (EMMA) is a leading international network infrastructure for archiving and worldwide provision of mouse mutant strains. It operates in collaboration with the other members of the Federation of International Mouse Resources (FIMRe), EMMA being the European component. Additionally EMMA is one of four repositories involved in the IKMC, and therefore the current figure of 1700 archived lines will rise markedly. The EMMA database gathers and curates extensive data on each line and presents it through a user-friendly website. A BioMart interface allows advanced searching including integrated querying with other resources e.g. Ensembl. Other resources are able to display EMMA data by accessing our Distributed Annotation System server. EMMA database access is publicly available at http://www.emmanet.org
Hypocrea rufa/Trichoderma viride: a reassessment, and description of five closely related species with and without warted conidia
The type species of the genus Hypocrea (Hypocreaceae,
Hypocreales, Ascomycota, Fungi), H. rufa, is re-defined and
epitypified using a combination of phenotype (morphology of teleomorphs and
anamorphs, and characteristics in culture) and phylogenetic analyses of the
translation-elongation factor 1α gene. Its anamorph, T. viride,
the type species of Trichoderma, is re-described and epitypified.
Eidamia viridescens is combined as Trichoderma viridescens
and is recognised as one of the most morphologically and phylogenetically
similar relatives of T. viride. Its teleomorph is newly described as
Hypocrea viridescens. Contrary to frequent citations of H.
rufa and T. viride in the literature, this species is relatively
rare. Although both T. viride and T. viridescens have a wide
geographic distribution, their greatest genetic diversity appears to be in
Europe and North America. Hypocrea vinosa is characterised and its
anamorph, T. vinosum sp. nov., is described. Conidia of T.
vinosum are subglobose and warted. The new species T. gamsii is
proposed. It shares eidamia-like morphology of conidiophores with T.
viridescens, but it has smooth, ellipsoidal conidia that have the longest
L/W ratio that we have seen in Trichoderma. Trichoderma scalesiae, an
endophyte of trunks of Scalesia pedunculata in the Galapagos Islands,
is described as new. It only produces conidia on a low-nutrient agar to which
filter paper has been added. Additional phylogenetically distinct clades are
recognised and provisionally delimited from the species here described.
Trichoderma neokoningii, a T. koningii-like species, is
described from a collection made in Peru on a fruit of Theobroma
cacao infected with Moniliophthora roreri
Structural Characterization of Minor Ampullate Spidroin Domains and Their Distinct Roles in Fibroin Solubility and Fiber Formation
10.1371/journal.pone.0056142PLoS ONE82
TGF-β induces TIAF1 self-aggregation via type II receptor-independent signaling that leads to generation of amyloid β plaques in Alzheimer's disease
The role of a small transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β)-induced TIAF1 (TGF-β1-induced antiapoptotic factor) in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) was investigated. TIAF1 physically interacts with mothers against DPP homolog 4 (Smad4), and blocks SMAD-dependent promoter activation when overexpressed. Accordingly, knockdown of TIAF1 by small interfering RNA resulted in spontaneous accumulation of Smad proteins in the nucleus and activation of the promoter governed by the SMAD complex. TGF-β1 and environmental stress (e.g., alterations in pericellular environment) may induce TIAF1 self-aggregation in a type II TGF-β receptor-independent manner in cells, and Smad4 interrupts the aggregation. Aggregated TIAF1 induces apoptosis in a caspase-dependent manner. By filter retardation assay, TIAF1 aggregates were found in the hippocampi of nondemented humans and AD patients. Total TIAF1-positive samples containing amyloid β (Aβ) aggregates are 17 and 48%, respectively, in the nondemented and AD groups, suggesting that TIAF1 aggregation occurs preceding formation of Aβ. To test this hypothesis, in vitro analysis showed that TGF-β-regulated TIAF1 aggregation leads to dephosphorylation of amyloid precursor protein (APP) at Thr668, followed by degradation and generation of APP intracellular domain (AICD), Aβ and amyloid fibrils. Polymerized TIAF1 physically interacts with amyloid fibrils, which would favorably support plaque formation in vivo
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