Wave patterns generated by an axisymmetric obstacle in a two-layer flow

Gravity waves generated by a moving obstacle in a two-layer stratified fluid are investigated. The experimental configuration is three-dimensional with an axisymmetric obstacle which is towed in one of the two layers. The experimental method used in the present study is based on a stereoscopic technique allowing the 3D reconstruction of the interface between the two layers. Investigation into the wave pattern as a function of the Froude number, Fr, based on the relative density of the fluid layers and the velocity of the towed obstacle is presented. Specific attention is paid to the transcritical regime for which Fr is close to one. Potential energy trapped in the wave field patterns is also extracted from the experimental results and is analyzed as a function of both the Froude number, Fr, and the transcritical similarity parameter Γ. In particular, a remarkable increase in the potential energy around Fr = 1 is observed and a scaling allowing to assemble data resulting from different experimental parameters is proposed

Bio-Inspired Nanocatalysis

In response to increasing energy concerns, new materials are required that efficiently use and/or produce energy for a variety of applications. One specific and important area would be for catalytic applications that typically are energy intensive, but extremely important. In this regard, biomimetic methods have recently been studied for such reactivity, where the effects of the biointerface on the catalytic functionality have begun to be examined. This chapter focuses on these materials, typically prepared with peptides and viral templates, for a selection of important catalytic processes

A suppressor screen in Mecp2 mutant mice implicates cholesterol metabolism in Rett syndrome

Mutations in MECP2, encoding methyl CpG-binding protein 2, cause Rett syndrome, the most severe autism spectrum disorder. Re-expressing Mecp2 in symptomatic Mecp2-null mice markedly improves function and longevity, providing hope that therapeutic intervention is possible in humans. To identify pathways in disease pathology for therapeutic intervention, we carried out a dominant N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU) mutagenesis suppressor screen in Mecp2-null mice and isolated five suppressors that ameliorate the symptoms of Mecp2 loss. We show that a stop codon mutation in Sqle, encoding squalene epoxidase, a rate-limiting enzyme in cholesterol biosynthesis, underlies suppression in one line. Subsequently, we also show that lipid metabolism is perturbed in the brains and livers of Mecp2-null male mice. Consistently, statin drugs improve systemic perturbations of lipid metabolism, alleviate motor symptoms and confer increased longevity in Mecp2 mutant mice. Our genetic screen therefore points to cholesterol homeostasis as a potential target for the treatment of patients with Rett syndrome.Christie M Buchovecky, Stephen D Turley, Hannah M Brown, Stephanie M Kyle, Jeffrey G McDonald, Benny Liu, Andrew A Pieper, Wenhui Huang, David M Katz, David W Russell, Jay Shendure & Monica J Justic