2,531 research outputs found
Adaptive changes in the neuronal proteome: mitochondrial energy production, endoplasmic reticulum stress, and ribosomal dysfunction in the cellular response to metabolic stress
Impaired energy metabolism in neurons is integral to a range of neurodegenerative diseases, from Alzheimer’s disease to stroke. To investigate the complex molecular changes underpinning cellular adaptation to metabolic stress, we have defined the proteomic response of the SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cell line after exposure to a metabolic challenge of oxygen glucose deprivation (OGD) in vitro. A total of 958 proteins across multiple subcellular compartments were detected and quantified by label-free liquid chromatography mass spectrometry. The levels of 130 proteins were significantly increased (P<0.01) after OGD and the levels of 63 proteins were significantly decreased (P<0.01) while expression of the majority of proteins (765) was not altered. Network analysis identified novel protein–protein interactomes involved with mitochondrial energy production, protein folding, and protein degradation, indicative of coherent and integrated proteomic responses to the metabolic challenge. Approximately one third (61) of the differentially expressed proteins was associated with the endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria. Electron microscopic analysis of these subcellular structures showed morphologic changes consistent with the identified proteomic alterations. Our investigation of the global cellular response to a metabolic challenge clearly shows the considerable adaptive capacity of the proteome to a slowly evolving metabolic challenge
Time-Varying Gravitomagnetism
Time-varying gravitomagnetic fields are considered within the linear
post-Newtonian approach to general relativity. A simple model is developed in
which the gravitomagnetic field of a localized mass-energy current varies
linearly with time. The implications of this temporal variation of the source
for the precession of test gyroscopes and the motion of null rays are briefly
discussed.Comment: 10 pages; v2: slightly expanded version accepted for publication in
Class. Quantum Gra
Industrial Homes, Domestic Factories: The Convergence of Public and Private Space in Interwar Britain
Characterisation of a non-pathogenic and non-protective infectious rabbit lagovirus related to RHDV
The existence of non-pathogenic RHDV strains was established when a non-lethal virus named rabbit
calicivirus (RCV) was characterised in 1996 in Italy. Since then, different RNA sequences related to RHDV have
been detected in apparently healthy domestic and wild rabbits, and recently a new lagovirus was identified in
Australia. We have characterised from seropositive healthy domestic rabbits a non-lethal lagovirus that differs
from RHDV in terms of pathogenicity, tissue tropism and capsid protein sequence. Phylogenetic analyses have
revealed that it is close to the Ashington strain and to the RCV, but distinct. We proved experimentally that it
is infectious but non-pathogenic and demonstrated that, contrary to the other described non-pathogenic
lagoviruses, it induces antibodies that do not protect against RHDV. Our results indicate the existence of a
gradient of cross-protection between circulating strains, from non-protective, partially protective to
protective strains, and highlight the extent of diversity within the genus Lagovirus
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Toward vicarious calibration of microwave remote-sensing satellites in arid environments
The Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS)
satellite marks the commencement of dedicated global surface
soil moisture missions, and the first mission to make passive microwave observations at L-band. On-orbit calibration is an essential part of the instrument calibration strategy, but on-board beam-filling targets are not practical for such large apertures. Therefore, areas to serve as vicarious calibration targets need to be identified. Such sites can only be identified through field
experiments including both in situ and airborne measurements. For this purpose, two field experiments were performed in central Australia. Three areas are studied as follows: 1) Lake Eyre, a typically dry salt lake; 2) Wirrangula Hill, with sparse vegetation and a dense cover of surface rock; and 3) Simpson Desert, characterized by dry sand dunes. Of those sites, only Wirrangula
Hill and the Simpson Desert are found to be potentially
suitable targets, as they have a spatial variation in brightness temperatures of <4 K under normal conditions. However, some limitations are observed for the Simpson Desert, where a bias of 15 K in vertical and 20 K in horizontal polarization exists between model predictions and observations, suggesting a lack of understanding of the underlying physics in this environment.
Subsequent comparison with model predictions indicates a SMOS bias of 5 K in vertical and 11 K in horizontal polarization, and an unbiased root mean square difference of 10 K in both polarizations for Wirrangula Hill. Most importantly, the SMOS observations show that the brightness temperature evolution is dominated by regular seasonal patterns and that precipitation events have only little impact
Bose-Einstein Condensation and Free DKP field
The thermodynamical partition function of the Duffin-Kemmer-Petiau theory is
evaluated using the imaginary-time formalism of quantum field theory at finite
temperature and path integral methods. The DKP partition function displays two
features: (i) full equivalence with the partition function for charged scalar
particles and charged massive spin 1 particles; and (ii) the zero mode sector
which is essential to reproduce the well-known relativistic Bose-Einstein
condensation for both theories.Comment: 12 pages, 2 eps figures. To be published in Physics Letter
Balancing Selection at the Tomato RCR3 Guardee Gene Family Maintains Variation in Strength of Pathogen Defense
Coevolution between hosts and pathogens is thought to occur between interacting molecules of both species. This results in the maintenance of genetic diversity at pathogen antigens (or so-called effectors) and host resistance genes such as the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) in mammals or resistance (R) genes in plants. In plant-pathogen interactions, the current paradigm posits that a specific defense response is activated upon recognition of pathogen effectors via interaction with their corresponding R proteins. According to the''Guard-Hypothesis,'' R proteins (the ``guards'') can sense modification of target molecules in the host (the ``guardees'') by pathogen effectors and subsequently trigger the defense response. Multiple studies have reported high genetic diversity at R genes maintained by balancing selection. In contrast, little is known about the evolutionary mechanisms shaping the guardee, which may be subject to contrasting evolutionary forces. Here we show that the evolution of the guardee RCR3 is characterized by gene duplication, frequent gene conversion, and balancing selection in the wild tomato species Solanum peruvianum. Investigating the functional characteristics of 54 natural variants through in vitro and in planta assays, we detected differences in recognition of the pathogen effector through interaction with the guardee, as well as substantial variation in the strength of the defense response. This variation is maintained by balancing selection at each copy of the RCR3 gene. Our analyses pinpoint three amino acid polymorphisms with key functional consequences for the coevolution between the guardee (RCR3) and its guard (Cf-2). We conclude that, in addition to coevolution at the ``guardee-effector'' interface for pathogen recognition, natural selection acts on the ``guard-guardee'' interface. Guardee evolution may be governed by a counterbalance between improved activation in the presence and prevention of auto-immune responses in the absence of the corresponding pathogen
A search for diffuse bands in the circumstellar envelopes of post-AGB stars
In this work we present the results of a systematic search for diffuse bands
(DBs, hereafter) in the circumstellar envelopes of a carefully selected sample
of post-AGB stars. We concentrated on the analysis of 9 of the DBs most
commonly found in the interstellar medium. The strength of these features is
determined using high resolution optical spectroscopy and the results obtained
are compared with literature data on field stars affected only by interstellar
reddening. Based on the weak features observed in the subsample of post-AGB
stars dominated by circumstellar reddening we conclude that the carrier(s) of
these DBs must not be present in the circumstellar environment of these
sources, or at least not under the excitation conditions in which DBs are
formed. The conclusion is applicable to all the post-AGB stars studied,
irrespective of the dominant chemistry or the spectral type of the star
considered. A detailed radial velocity analysis of the features observed in
individual sources confirms this result, as the Doppler shifts measured are
found to be consistent with an interstellar origin.Comment: Accepted for A&
A Galactic Bar to Beyond the Solar Circle and its Relevance for Microlensing
The Galactic kinematics of Mira variables have been studied using infrared
photometry, radial velocities, and Hipparcos parallaxes and proper motions. For
Miras in the period range 145 to 200 days (probably corresponding to [Fe/H] in
the range -0.8 to -1.3) the major axes of the stellar orbits are concentrated
in the first quadrant of Galactic longitude. This is interpreted as a
continuation of the bar-like structure of the Galactic Bulge out to the solar
circle and beyond.Comment: 6 pages, 2 figures. To be published in: Microlensing 2000. ASP
Conference Series, Eds. J W Menzies, P Sacket
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