A comparative spectroscopic and kinetic study of photoexcitations in detergent-isolated and membrane-embedded LH2 light-harvesting complexes

AbstractIntegral membrane proteins constitute more than third of the total number of proteins present in organisms. Solubilization with mild detergents is a common technique to study the structure, dynamics, and catalytic activity of these proteins in purified form. However beneficial the use of detergents may be for protein extraction, the membrane proteins are often denatured by detergent solubilization as a result of native lipid membrane interactions having been modified. Versatile investigations of the properties of membrane-embedded and detergent-isolated proteins are, therefore, required to evaluate the consequences of the solubilization procedure. Herein, the spectroscopic and kinetic fingerprints have been established that distinguish excitons in individual detergent-solubilized LH2 light-harvesting pigment–protein complexes from them in the membrane-embedded complexes of purple photosynthetic bacteria Rhodobacter sphaeroides. A wide arsenal of spectroscopic techniques in visible optical range that include conventional broadband absorption–fluorescence, fluorescence anisotropy excitation, spectrally selective hole burning and fluorescence line-narrowing, and transient absorption–fluorescence have been applied over broad temperature range between physiological and liquid He temperatures. Significant changes in energetics and dynamics of the antenna excitons upon self-assembly of the proteins into intracytoplasmic membranes are observed, analyzed, and discussed. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Photosynthesis Research for Sustainability: from Natural to Artificial

Early Transition Trends and Differences of Higher Education Attainment in the Former Soviet Union, Central and Eastern European Countries

The past trends in tertiary education attainment of selected post-communist countries are investigated through population projections. Did a common higher education policy manifest itself through attainment levels, and how did the situation change after the collapse of the Soviet regime? The approach is based on comprehensive back-projections ranging from year 2000 to 1970. Descriptive findings for most countries show that the level of tertiary education attainment for women has surpassed that of men sooner than in Western Europe. Results are discussed in light of individual countries’ pre-war higher education models and former communist policy, and possible implications are derived for future study of higher education attainment

‘Some people expect women should always be dependent’:Indian women’s experiences as highly skilled migrants

The intersections of migration and gender have been well established in the literature. This article seeks to look beyond the notion of women as tied movers and to highlight women’s central position in the high-skilled migration process and complement it with the perspectives of male migrants. Our findings are based on 47 qualitative life course interviews with high-skilled Indian migrants in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, and illustrated in detail through the life stories of four female participants. We found that for highly skilled Indian women, migration can represent an opportunity to diverge from normative paths and escape from patriarchal norms, but that they still seek a compromise between these cultural constraints and their personal aspirations. Whereas in the Western context traditions and modernity are generally seen as being in opposition to each other, we show that in the Indian context women may continue to adhere to the normative age at marriage, while also pursuing a professional career and combining family and employment. We conclude that migration can thus both facilitate and limit the professional development of women, particularly those from traditional cultural backgrounds who are redefining the role of women in their society