Rotational and domain wall motion aftereffect in a patterned array of small particles

Aftereffect for magnetization processes by rotation and by domain wall motion was investigated on the same, single domain, two-state system of a square 2D (two-dimensional) array of garnet particles. Aftereffect measurements were performed magnetooptically. The particles are thermally stable, the particle energy is 10(-6) erg compared to the thermal energy of 10(-12) erg. No aftereffect of rotation switching of the system of "up" and "down" magnetized particles could be observed at room temperature. At increased temperatures thermally activated switching, very weakly depending on magnetic field, is observed. Each individual particle can be demagnetized into a metastable stripe domain structure. The barrier for DW (domain wall) motion is much lower than the barrier for rotation, and a significant aftereffect was measured on the same particles, demagnetized into a domain structure. The observed time dependence for DW aftereffect is exponential, M(t)/Ms=d* exp(-et), where d=0.04, and e=1/tau follows the increase of the magnetization with field, de/dH=0.021 /s/Oe

Modifying the temperature dependence of magnetic garnet film coercivity by etching

The temperature dependence of the domain-wall coercive field of epitaxial magnetic garnet films was modified in a defined temperature range by removing the surface layer of the films. Outside the given temperature range the coercivity versus temperature curve did not change. The result supports a model of coercivity according to which different sets of material imperfections are responsible for pinning the domain walls in different temperature regions. Appropriate processing of the samples enables some of the pinning sets to be modified independently of each other

A novel isoform of the Ly108 gene ameliorates murine lupus

Studies of human systemic lupus erythematosus patients and of murine congenic mouse strains associate genes in a DNA segment on chromosome 1 with a genetic predisposition for this disease. The systematic analysis of lupus-prone congenic mouse strains suggests a role for two isoforms of the Ly108 receptor in the pathogenesis of the disease. In this study, we demonstrate that Ly108 is involved in the pathogenesis of lupus-related autoimmunity in mice. More importantly, we identified a third protein isoform, Ly108-H1, which is absent in two lupus-prone congenic animals. Introduction of an Ly108-H1–expressing transgene markedly diminishes T cell–dependent autoimmunity in congenic B6.Sle1b mice. Thus, an immune response–suppressing isoform of Ly108 can regulate the pathogenesis of lupus.Peer Reviewe

The yield of essential oils in Melaleuca alternifolia (Myrtaceae) is regulated through transcript abundance of genes in the MEP pathway

Medicinal tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia) leaves contain large amounts of an essential oil, dominated by monoterpenes. Several enzymes of the chloroplastic methylerythritol phosphate (MEP) pathway are hypothesised to act as bottlenecks to the production of monoterpenes. We investigated, whether transcript abundance of genes encoding for enzymes of the MEP pathway were correlated with foliar terpenes in M. alternifolia using a population of 48 individuals that ranged in their oil concentration from 39 -122 mg x g DM(-1). Our study shows that most genes in the MEP pathway are co-regulated and that the expression of multiple genes within the MEP pathway is correlated with oil yield. Using multiple regression analysis, variation in expression of MEP pathway genes explained 87% of variation in foliar monoterpene concentrations. The data also suggest that sesquiterpenes in M. alternifolia are synthesised, at least in part, from isopentenyl pyrophosphate originating from the plastid via the MEP pathway

Adaptation and validation of the Patient Expectations and Satisfaction with Prenatal Care instrument among Brazilian pregnant women

Objective: to adapt and validate the Patient Expectations and Satisfaction with Prenatal Care instrument for use in Brazil. It contains 41 items divided into two dimensions: expectations and satisfaction. The adapted version was submitted to analysis for stability, convergent construct validity, and internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha) for distinct groups and dimensions. Method: 119 pregnant women receiving prenatal care were interviewed and 26 of these women answered the instrument twice (retest). Internal consistency was appropriate (Cronbach’s alpha ≥ 0.70); test-retest presented strong correlation (r=0.82; p<0.001) for the domain expectations and moderate correlation (r=0.66; p<0.001) for the satisfaction domain. The analysis confirmed that the instrument’s adapted version is valid in the studied group. Results: there is strong evidence for the validity and reliability of the instrument’s adaptation. Conclusion: the instrument needs to be tested in groups of pregnant women with different social characteristics.CAPESCAPE

Nuclear Wiskott–Aldrich syndrome protein co-regulates T cell factor 1-mediated transcription in T cells

Background: The Wiskott–Aldrich syndrome protein (WASp) family of actin-nucleating factors are present in the cytoplasm and in the nucleus. The role of nuclear WASp for T cell development remains incompletely defined. Methods: We performed WASp chromatin immunoprecipitation and deep sequencing (ChIP-seq) in thymocytes and spleen CD4+ T cells. Results: WASp was enriched at genic and intergenic regions and associated with the transcription start sites of protein-coding genes. Thymocytes and spleen CD4+ T cells showed 15 common WASp-interacting genes, including the gene encoding T cell factor (TCF)12. WASp KO thymocytes had reduced nuclear TCF12 whereas thymocytes expressing constitutively active WASpL272P and WASpI296T had increased nuclear TCF12, suggesting that regulated WASp activity controlled nuclear TCF12. We identify a putative DNA element enriched in WASp ChIP-seq samples identical to a TCF1-binding site and we show that WASp directly interacted with TCF1 in the nucleus. Conclusions: These data place nuclear WASp in proximity with TCF1 and TCF12, essential factors for T cell development. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13073-017-0481-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

Higher-Order Assembly of BRCC36-KIAA0157 Is Required for DUB Activity and Biological Function

BRCC36 is a Zn²⁺-dependent deubiquitinating enzyme (DUB) that hydrolyzes lysine-63-linked ubiquitin chains as part of distinct macromolecular complexes that participate in either interferon signaling or DNA-damage recognition. The MPN⁺ domain protein BRCC36 associates with pseudo DUB MPN⁻ proteins KIAA0157 or Abraxas, which are essential for BRCC36 enzymatic activity. To understand the basis for BRCC36 regulation, we have solved the structure of an active BRCC36-KIAA0157 heterodimer and an inactive BRCC36 homodimer. Structural and functional characterizations show how BRCC36 is switched to an active conformation by contacts with KIAA0157. Higher-order association of BRCC36 and KIAA0157 into a dimer of heterodimers (super dimers) was required for DUB activity and interaction with targeting proteins SHMT2 and RAP80. These data provide an explanation of how an inactive pseudo DUB allosterically activates a cognate DUB partner and implicates super dimerization as a new regulatory mechanism underlying BRCC36 DUB activity, subcellular localization, and biological function

100 days of solitude: the spring of COVID-19 through the eyes of 15 young virologists of the INITIATE program

Medical Microbiolog