Phonon Raman scattering of perovskite LaNiO3 thin films

We report an investigation of perovskite-type LaNiO3 thin films by Raman scattering in both various scattering configurations and as a function of temperature. The room-temperature Raman spectra and the associated phonon mode assignment provide reference data for phonon calculations and for the use of Raman scattering for structural investigations of LaNiO3, namely the effect of strain in thin films or heterostructures. The temperature-dependent Raman spectra from 80 to 900 K are characterized by the softening of the rotational A1g mode, which suggest a decreasing rhombohedral distortion towards the ideal cubic structure with increasing temperature

Evolution of higher torque in Campylobacter-type bacterial flagellar motors

Understanding the evolution of molecular machines underpins our understanding of the development of life on earth. A well-studied case are bacterial flagellar motors that spin helical propellers for bacterial motility. Diverse motors produce different torques, but how this diversity evolved remains unknown. To gain insights into evolution of the high-torque ε-proteobacterial motor exemplified by the Campylobacter jejuni motor, we inferred ancestral states by combining phylogenetics, electron cryotomography, and motility assays to characterize motors from Wolinella succinogenes, Arcobacter butzleri and Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus. Observation of ~12 stator complexes in many proteobacteria, yet ~17 in ε-proteobacteria suggest a “quantum leap” evolutionary event. Campylobacter-type motors have high stator occupancy in wider rings of additional stator complexes that are scaffolded by large proteinaceous periplasmic rings. We propose a model for motor evolution wherein independent inner- and outer-membrane structures fused to form a scaffold for additional stator complexes. Significantly, inner- and outer-membrane associated structures have evolved independently multiple times, suggesting that evolution of such structures is facile and poised the ε-proteobacteria to fuse them to form the high-torque Campylobacter-type motor

DNA Damage by Ionizing Radiation: Tandem Double Lesions by Charged Particles

Oxidative damages by ionizing radiation are the source of radiation-induced carcinogenesis, damage to the central nervous system, lowering of the immune response, as well as other radiation-induced damages to human health. Monte Carlo track simulations and kinetic modeling of radiation damages to the DNA employ available molecular and cellular data to simulate the biological effect of high and low LET radiation io the DNA. While the simulations predict single and double strand breaks and base damages, so far all complex lesions are the result of stochastic coincidence from independent processes. Tandem double lesions have not yet been taken into account. Unlike the standard double lesions that are produced by two separate attacks by charged particles or radicals, tandem double lesions are produced by one single attack. The standard double lesions dominate at the high dosage regime. On the other hand, tandem double lesions do not depend on stochastic coincidences and become important at the low dosage regime of particular interest to NASA. Tandem double lesions by hydroxyl radical attack of guanine in isolated DNA have been reported at a dosage of radiation as low as 10 Gy. The formation of two tandem base lesions was found to be linear with the applied doses, a characteristic of tandem lesions. However, tandem double lesions from attack by a charged particle have not been reported

The EU through the eyes of Asia: Media perceptions and public opinion in 2006

In 2006, a study initiated by the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF) of media and public opinion perceptions of the European Union was undertaken in six Asian locations - Thailand, South Korea, Singapore, Japan, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and mainland China. This article summarises the findings from the daily analysis of three newspapers and one prime-time television evening news in each location for the period 1 January – 31 October 2006 as well as from an online public opinion survey conducted in November 2006 (400 respondents in each location)

A combined non-invasive approach to the study of a mosaic model: First laboratory experimental results

This paper presents first laboratory results of a combined approach carried out by the use of three different portable non-invasive electromagnetic methods: Digital holographic speckle pattern interferometry (DHSPI), stimulated infrared thermography (SIRT) and holographic subsurface radar (HSR), proposed for the analysis of a custom-built wall mosaic model. The model reproduces a series of defects (e.g., cracks, voids, detachments), simulating common deteriorated, restored or reshuffled areas in wall mosaics. DHSPI and SIRT, already well known in the field of non-destructive (NDT) methods, are full-field contactless techniques, providing complementary information on the subsurface hidden discontinuities. The use of DHSPI, based on optical imaging and interferometry, provides remote control and visualization of surface micro-deformation after induced thermal stress, while the use of SIRT allows visualization of thermal energy diffusion in the surface upon the induced thermal stress. DHSPI and SIRT data are complemented by the use of HSR, a contact method that provides localized information about the distribution of contrasts in dielectric permittivity and related possible anomalies. The experimental results, made by the combined use of these methods to the identification of the known anomalies in the mosaic model, are presented and discussed here as a contribution in the development of an efficient non-invasive approach to the in-situ subsurface analysis of ancient wall mosaics

Multidisciplinary Intention: Revealing The Consequence of Psychosocial Factors on the Adherence to Treatment of the Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Background: Diabetes Mellitus type 2 (T2DM) has been becoming a globalworld health problem affecting countries with different income level (Mogre,Johnson, Tzelepis, Shaw, & Paul, 2017). The low level of compliance and theincreased level of the diabetes distress has been closely associated with destituteglycemic control. Some diabetes-specific psychological variables may beimportant for psychological status of patients and glycemic control to theachievement of individual glycemic targets (Indelicato et al., 2017). Therefore,alexithymia – psychological clinical characteristic of the reduced emotionalcomponent that could have been associated with the metabolic syndrome inpatients with type 2 diabetes, for example (Lemche, Chaban, & Lemche, 2014). Itis important to consider the clinical evaluation of mental aspects in patients withT2DM, however, in order to preventing potentially unfavorable self-care behaviorleading to complications of this disease, including a decrease in the quality of lifelevel (Conti et al., 2017). Patient's level of the quality of life is the one of mainimportant components of treatment adherence and clinical decision making forimproving the effectiveness of therapy (Chaban, Khaustova, & Bezsheiko, n.d.).The low level of medication compliance and quality of life could have beenaddicted in consequence to non-adherence and respectively – inefficiency oftherapy of these patients. Therefore, multidisciplinary connection – involvingmental health care specialists can potentially improve treatment effectiveness(Kogut at al., 2018)

Photodissociation Dynamics of Molecular Fluorine in an Argon Matrix Induced by Ultrashort Laser Pulses

The electronic excitation induced by ultrashort laser pulses and the subsequent photodissociation dynamics of molecular fluorine in an argon matrix are studied. The interactions of photofragments and host atoms are modeled using a Diatomics-In-Molecule Hamiltonian. Two types of methods are compared: Quantum-classical simulations where the nuclei are treated classically, with surface-hopping algorithms to describe either radiative or non-radiative transitions between different electronic states. Fully quantum-mechanical simulations, but for a model system of reduced dimensionality, in which the two most essential degrees of freedom are considered. Some of the main results are: The sequential energy transfer events from the photoexcited F2 into the lattice modes are such that the ``reduced dimensionality'' model is valid for the first 200 fs. This, in turn, allows us to use the quantum results to investigate the details of the excitation process with short laser pulses. Thus, it also serves as a reference for the quantum-classical ``surface hopping'' model of the excitation process. Moreover, it supports the validity of a laser pulse control strategy developed on the basis of the ``reduced dimensionality'' model. Both in the quantum and quantum-classical simulations, the separation of the F atoms following photodissociation does not exceed 20 bohr. The cage exit mechanisms appear qualitatively similar in the two sets of simulations but quantum effects are quantitatively important. Nonlinear effects are important in determining the photoexcitation yield. In summary, this paper demonstrates that quantum-classical simulations combined with reduced dimensionality quantum calculations can be a powerful approach to the analysis and control of the dynamics of complex systems

The flagellum in bacterial pathogens: For motility and a whole lot more.

The bacterial flagellum is an amazingly complex molecular machine with a diversity of roles in pathogenesis including reaching the optimal host site, colonization or invasion, maintenance at the infection site, and post-infection dispersal. Multi-megadalton flagellar motors self-assemble across the cell wall to form a reversible rotary motor that spins a helical propeller - the flagellum itself - to drive the motility of diverse bacterial pathogens. The flagellar motor responds to the chemoreceptor system to redirect swimming toward beneficial environments, thus enabling flagellated pathogens to seek out their site of infection. At their target site, additional roles of surface swimming and mechanosensing are mediated by flagella to trigger pathogenesis. Yet while these motility-related functions have long been recognized as virulence factors in bacteria, many bacteria have capitalized upon flagellar structure and function by adapting it to roles in other stages of the infection process. Once at their target site, the flagellum can assist adherence to surfaces, differentiation into biofilms, secretion of effector molecules, further penetration through tissue structures, or in activating phagocytosis to gain entry into eukaryotic cells. Next, upon onset of infection, flagellar expression must be adapted to deal with the host's immune system defenses, either by reduced or altered expression or by flagellar structural modification. Finally, after a successful growth phase on or inside a host, dispersal to new infection sites is often flagellar motility-mediated. Examining examples of all these processes from different bacterial pathogens, it quickly becomes clear that the flagellum is involved in bacterial pathogenesis for motility and a whole lot more. © 2015 Elsevier Ltd

Modeling the Process of Optimization of Budget Structure of the Marketing Communications of Investment-Construction Company

The article highlights the results of carried out research of existing practice of management of the system of marketing communications in case of an investment-construction company. On the results of studying the existing approaches to carryig out evaluation and analysis of efficiency of marketing communication costs, a proper approach to optimizing the cost structure is proposed. The use of applied econometric instrumentarium together with the possibilities of optimization modeling have allowed to offer an own approach to solving the problem of optimization processes of management of the marketing communications system of investment-construction company in the context of the main projects of its investment activity. Taking account of the lag effect of changing economic conditions has provided an opportunity to form a scheme of movement of funds of company and on its basis to implement optimization models. Practical application of the developed approach allowed to determine the amount of the underreceived economic effect from investing in marketing communications both for each individual project and in their totality