Theory of Electromagnetic Wave Transmission through Metallic Gratings of Subwavelength Slits

We present FDTD calculations for transmission of light and other electromagnetic waves through periodic arrays of slits in a metallic slab. The results show resonant, frequency dependent, transmittance peaks for subwavelength widths of the slits which can be up to a factor of ten with respect to those out of resonance. Although our conclusions agree with previous work by Lezec and Thio as regards both the magnitude of the enhancement and the lack of contribution of surface plasmon polaritons of the metal surface to this effect, we derive an interpretation from a theory that deals with emerging beam- Rayleigh anomalies of the grating, and with Fabry-Perot resonances of the perforated slab considered as an effective medium.Comment: 12 pages 3 figure

Specific gene correction of the AGXT gene and direct cell reprogramming for the treatment of Primary Hyperoxaluria Type 1

P428 Primary Hyperoxaluria Type 1 (PH1) is an inherited rare metabolic liver disease caused by the deficiency in the alanine: glyoxylate aminotransferase enzyme (AGXT), involved in the glyoxylate metabolism. The only potentially curative treatment is organ transplantation. Thus, the development of new therapeutic approaches for the treatment of these patients appears as a priority.We propose the combination of site-specific gene correction and direct cell reprogramming for the generation of autologous phenotypically healthy induced hepatocytes (iHeps) from skin-derived fibroblast of PH1 patients. For the correction of AGXT mutations, we have designed specific gene editing tools to address gene correction by two different strategies, assisted by CRISPR/Cas9 system. Accurate specific point mutation correction (c.853T-C) has been achieved by homologydirected repair (HDR) with ssODN harbouring wild-type sequence. In the second strategy, an enhanced version ofAGXTcDNAhas been inserted near the transcription start codon of the endogenous gene, constituting an almost universal correction strategy for PH1 mutations. Direct reprogramming of fibroblasts has been conducted by overexpression of hepatic transcription factors and in vitro culture in defined media. In vitro characterization of healthy induced hepatocytes (iHeps) has demonstrated hepatic function of the reprogrammed cells. PH1 patient fibroblasts and , ,

Transcriptome profiling of Set5 and Set1 methyltransferases: Tools for visualization of gene expression

AbstractCells regulate transcription by coordinating the activities of multiple histone modifying complexes. We recently identified the yeast histone H4 methyltransferase Set5 and discovered functional overlap with the histone H3 methyltransferase Set1 in gene expression. Specifically, using next-generation RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq), we found that Set5 and Set1 function synergistically to regulate specific transcriptional programs at subtelomeres and transposable elements. Here we provide a comprehensive description of the methodology and analysis tools corresponding to the data deposited in NCBI's Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) under the accession number GSE52086. This data complements the experimental methods described in Mas Martín G et al. (2014) and provides the means to explore the cooperative functions of histone H3 and H4 methyltransferases in the regulation of transcription. Furthermore, a fully annotated R code is included to enable researchers to use the following computational tools: comparison of significant differential expression (SDE) profiles; gene ontology enrichment of SDE; and enrichment of SDE relative to chromosomal features, such as centromeres, telomeres, and transposable elements. Overall, we present a bioinformatics platform that can be generally implemented for similar analyses with different datasets and in different organisms

Determination of water and lipid-soluble arsenic compounds in the commercial edible seaweed Hijiki (Hizikia fusiforme)

Se presentan los resultados obtenidos en los estudios de especiación de arsénico realizados sobre el alga comestible Hijiki. Los análisis se realizaron a través de métodos analíticos desarrollados en la UPM (España) y en la Universidad de Graz (Austria). La determinación de especies hidrosolubles se realizó mediante HPLC-(UV)-HG-AFS, previa extracción mediante MAE con agua desionizada. Por otro lado, la identificación y cuantificación de arsenolípidos se llevó a cabo mediante HPLC-ICPMS/ESMS, previa extracción con cloroformo:metanol y purificación mediante SPE

Effects of Drought on Mortality in Macro Urban Areas of Brazil Between 2000 and 2019.

A significant fraction of Brazil's population has been exposed to drought in recent years, a situation that is expected to worsen in frequency and intensity due to climate change. This constitutes a current key environmental health concern, especially in densely urban areas such as several big cities and suburbs. For the first time, a comprehensive assessment of the short-term drought effects on weekly non-external, circulatory, and respiratory mortality was conducted in 13 major Brazilian macro-urban areas across 2000-2019. We applied quasi-Poisson regression models adjusted by temperature to explore the association between drought (defined by the Standardized Precipitation-Evapotranspiration Index) and the different mortality causes by location, sex, and age groups. We next conducted multivariate meta-analytical models separated by cause and population groups to pool individual estimates. Impact measures were expressed as the attributable fractions among the exposed population, from the relative risks (RRs). Overall, a positive association between drought exposure and mortality was evidenced in the total population, with RRs varying from 1.003 [95% CI: 0.999-1.007] to 1.010 [0.996-1.025] for non-external mortality related to moderate and extreme drought conditions, from 1.002 [0.997-1.007] to 1.008 [0.991-1.026] for circulatory mortality, and from 1.004 [0.995-1.013] to 1.013 [0.983-1.044] for respiratory mortality. Females, children, and the elderly population were the most affected groups, for whom a robust positive association was found. The study also revealed high heterogeneity between locations. We suggest that policies and action plans should pay special attention to vulnerable populations to promote efficient measures to reduce vulnerability and risks associated with droughts