56 research outputs found
Cosmological Parameter Determination in Free-Form Strong Gravitational Lens Modeling
We develop a novel statistical strong lensing approach to probe the
cosmological parameters by exploiting multiple redshift image systems behind
galaxies or galaxy clusters. The method relies on free-form mass inversion of
strong lenses and does not need any additional information other than
gravitational lensing. Since in free-form lensing the solution space is a
high-dimensional convex polytope, we consider Bayesian model comparison
analysis to infer the cosmological parameters. The volume of the solution space
is taken as a tracer of the probability of the underlying cosmological
assumption. In contrast to parametric mass inversions, our method accounts for
the mass-sheet degeneracy, which implies a degeneracy between the steepness of
the profile and the cosmological parameters. Parametric models typically break
this degeneracy, introducing hidden priors to the analysis that contaminate the
inference of the parameters. We test our method with synthetic lenses, showing
that it is able to infer the assumed cosmological parameters. Applied to the
CLASH clusters, the method might be competitive with other probes.Comment: 11 pages, 5 figures. Accepted for publication in MNRA
1-Methyl-4H-3,1-benzoxazine-2,4(1H)dione
In its crystal structure, the title compound, C9H7NO3, forms π-stacked dimers, with a centroid–centroid distance of 3.475 (5) Å between the benzenoid and the 2,4 dicarbonyl oxazine rings. These dimers then form staircase-like linear chains through further π-stacking between the benzenoid rings [centroid–centroid distance of 3.761 (2) Å]. The methyl-H atoms are disordered due to rotation about the C—N bond and were modeled with equal occupancy
The Bi-Loop, a new general four-stranded DNA motif
The crystal structure of the cyclic octanucleotide d contains two independent molecules that form a novel quadruplex by means of intermolecular Watson-Crick A.T pairs and base stacking. A virtually identical quadruplex composed of G.C pairs was found by earlier x-ray analysis of the linear heptamer d(GCATGCT), when the DNA was looped in the crystal. The close correspondence between these two structures of markedly dissimilar oligonucleotides suggests that they are both examples of a previously unrecognized motif. Their nucleotide sequences have little in common except for two separated 5'-purine-pyrimidine dinucleotides forming the quadruplex, and by implication these so-called 'bi-loops' could occur widely in natural DNA. Such structures provide a mechanism for noncovalent linking of polynucleotides in vivo. Their capacity to associate by base stacking, demonstrated in the crystal structure of d(GCATGCT), creates a compact molecular framework made up of four DNA chains within which strand exchange could take place
Probing the dark matter issue in f(R)-gravity via gravitational lensing
For a general class of analytic f(R)-gravity theories, we discuss the weak
field limit in view of gravitational lensing. Though an additional Yukawa term
in the gravitational potential modifies dynamics with respect to the standard
Newtonian limit of General Relativity, the motion of massless particles results
unaffected thanks to suitable cancellations in the post-Newtonian limit. Thus,
all the lensing observables are equal to the ones known from General
Relativity. Since f(R)-gravity is claimed, among other things, to be a possible
solution to overcome for the need of dark matter in virialized systems, we
discuss the impact of our results on the dynamical and gravitational lensing
analyses. In this framework, dynamics could, in principle, be able to reproduce
the astrophysical observations without recurring to dark matter, but in the
case of gravitational lensing we find that dark matter is an unavoidable
ingredient. Another important implication is that gravitational lensing, in the
post-Newtonian limit, is not able to constrain these extended theories, since
their predictions do not differ from General Relativity.Comment: 7 pages, accepted for publication in EPJ
Linear Relationship between Deformability and Thermal Stability of 2′-O-Modified RNA Hetero Duplexes
Molecular phylogeny and timing of diversification in Alpine Rhithrogena (Ephemeroptera: Heptageniidae).
BACKGROUND: Larvae of the Holarctic mayfly genus Rhithrogena Eaton, 1881 (Ephemeroptera, Heptageniidae) are a diverse and abundant member of stream and river communities and are routinely used as bio-indicators of water quality. Rhithrogena is well diversified in the European Alps, with a number of locally endemic species, and several cryptic species have been recently detected. While several informal species groups are morphologically well defined, a lack of reliable characters for species identification considerably hampers their study. Their relationships, origin, timing of speciation and mechanisms promoting their diversification in the Alps are unknown.
RESULTS: Here we present a species-level phylogeny of Rhithrogena in Europe using two mitochondrial and three nuclear gene regions. To improve sampling in a genus with many cryptic species, individuals were selected for analysis according to a recent DNA-based taxonomy rather than traditional nomenclature. A coalescent-based species tree and a reconstruction based on a supermatrix approach supported five of the species groups as monophyletic. A molecular clock, mapped on the most resolved phylogeny and calibrated using published mitochondrial evolution rates for insects, suggested an origin of Alpine Rhithrogena in the Oligocene/Miocene boundary. A diversification analysis that included simulation of missing species indicated a constant speciation rate over time, rather than any pronounced periods of rapid speciation. Ancestral state reconstructions provided evidence for downstream diversification in at least two species groups.
CONCLUSIONS: Our species-level analyses of five gene regions provide clearer definitions of species groups within European Rhithrogena. A constant speciation rate over time suggests that the paleoclimatic fluctuations, including the Pleistocene glaciations, did not significantly influence the tempo of diversification of Alpine species. A downstream diversification trend in the hybrida and alpestris species groups supports a previously proposed headwater origin hypothesis for aquatic insects
Selective gene silencing by viral delivery of short hairpin RNA
RNA interference (RNAi) technology has not only become a powerful tool for functional genomics, but also allows rapid drug target discovery and in vitro validation of these targets in cell culture. Furthermore, RNAi represents a promising novel therapeutic option for treating human diseases, in particular cancer. Selective gene silencing by RNAi can be achieved essentially by two nucleic acid based methods: i) cytoplasmic delivery of short double-stranded (ds) interfering RNA oligonucleotides (siRNA), where the gene silencing effect is only transient in nature, and possibly not suitable for all applications; or ii) nuclear delivery of gene expression cassettes that express short hairpin RNA (shRNA), which are processed like endogenous interfering RNA and lead to stable gene down-regulation. Both processes involve the use of nucleic acid based drugs, which are highly charged and do not cross cell membranes by free diffusion. Therefore, in vivo delivery of RNAi therapeutics must use technology that enables the RNAi therapeutic to traverse biological membrane barriers in vivo. Viruses and the vectors derived from them carry out precisely this task and have become a major delivery system for shRNA. Here, we summarize and compare different currently used viral delivery systems, give examples of in vivo applications, and indicate trends for new developments, such as replicating viruses for shRNA delivery to cancer cells
Probing the Influence of Stereoelectronic Effects on the Biophysical Properties of Oligonucleotides: Comprehensive Analysis of the RNA Affinity, Nuclease Resistance, and Crystal Structure of Ten 2-O-Ribonucleic Acid Modifications
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