Photothermoplastic films for holographic recording

The electrophotographic and sensitometric characteristics of poly-N-vinyl carbazole photothermoplastic films, sensitized by an amorphous-Se sublayer are examined. It is shown that the photosensitivity of the material can be improved and its spectral range can be expanded by sensitization of amorphous Se with additions of Te, As, and Sb; this can be accomplished without a significant reduction in diffraction efficiency and resolving power

Evaluation of School Readiness Outcomes in Preterm and SGA Infant

The early preterm and SGA children show lower scores then term infants: high and medium scores were seen 84,8% in I Group; 47,1% in II group; and 48,1% in III group and 79,6% in Control group accordingly. Elementary school readiness scores was i

The three-dimensional context of a double helix determines the fluorescence of the internucleoside-tethered pair of fluorophores

We report a general phenomenon of the formation of either a fluorescent or an entirely quenched oligodeoxynucleotide (ODN) duplex system by hybridizing pairs of complementary ODNs with identical chemical composition. The ODNs carried internucleoside tether-linked cyanines, where the cyanines were chosen to form a Forster\u27s resonance energy transfer (FRET) donor-acceptor pair. The fluorescent and quenched ODN duplex systems differed only in that the cyanines linked to the respective ODNs were linked either closer to the 5\u27- or 3\u27-ends of the molecule. In either case, however, the dyes were separated by an identical number (7 or 8) of base pairs. Characterization by molecular modeling and energy minimization using a conformational search algorithm in a molecular operating environment (MOE) revealed that linking of the dyes closer to the 5\u27-ends resulted in their reciprocal orientation across the major groove which allowed a closely interacting dye pair to be formed. This overlap between the donor and acceptor dye molecules resulted in changes in absorbance spectra consistent with the formation of H-aggregates. Conversely, dyes linked closer to 3\u27-ends exhibited emissive FRET and formed a pair of dyes that interacted with the DNA helix only weakly. Induced CD spectra analysis suggested that interaction with the double helix was weaker than in the case of the closely interacting cyanine dye pair. Linking the dyes such that the base pair separation was 10 or 0 favored energy transfer with subsequent acceptor emission. Our results suggest that when interpreting FRET measurements from nucleic acids, the use of a spectroscopic ruler principle which takes into account the 3D helical context of the double helix will allow more accurate interpretation of fluorescence emission

The Main Factors of Air Pollution on the Coast of Batumi and Kobuleti

ბუნებრივი პროცესებისა და ადამიანის ზემოქმედება სხვადასხვა ტერიტორიალურ დონეზე სხვადასხვაგვარად ვლინდება. რეგიონალური სისტემების დონეზე ბუნება შეიძლება ჩაითვალოს მდგრად კატეგორიად, რომელსაც ადამიანის ზეგავლენა პრაქტიკულად ვერ არღვევს. ლოკალურ დონეზე - ბუნებრივი გარემო განიცდის მნიშვნელოვან ცვლილებებს და მთავარ ამოცანად რჩება ლანდშაფტში წარმოქმნილი ცვლილებების „რეგულირება“. საქალაქო პირობებში, განსაკუთრებით კი, საკურორტო ზონაში როგორც წესი, ბუნებრივი ელემენტები გარდაქმნილი და სახეშეცვლილია, ამიტომ უმთავრესი მნიშვნელობა ენიჭება ანთროპოგენული დაბინძურების შედეგად ხელოვნური გარემოს მართვა

Neonatal Screening in Europe Revisited: An ISNS Perspective on the Current State and Developments Since 2010

International audienceNeonatal screening (NBS) was initiated in Europe during the 1960s with the screening for phenylketonuria. The panel of screened disorders ("conditions") then gradually expanded, with a boost in the late 1990s with the introduction of tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS), making it possible to screen for 40-50 conditions using a single blood spot. The most recent additions to screening programmes (screening for cystic fibrosis, severe combined immunodeficiency and spinal muscular atrophy) were assisted by or realised through the introduction of molecular technologies. For this survey, we collected data from 51 European countries. We report the developments between 2010 and 2020 and highlight the achievements reached with the progress made in this period. We also identify areas where further progress can be made, mainly by exchanging knowledge and learning from experiences in neighbouring countries. Between 2010 and 2020, most NBS programmes in geographical Europe matured considerably, both in terms of methodology (modernised) and with regard to the panel of conditions screened (expanded). These developments indicate that more collaboration in Europe through European organisations is gaining momentum. We can only accomplish the timely detection of newborn infants potentially suffering from one of the many rare diseases and take appropriate action by working together

Genotype-phenotype correlations in RHOBTB2-associated neurodevelopmental disorders

Purpose: Missense variants clustering in the BTB domain region of RHOBTB2 cause a developmental and epileptic encephalopathy with early-onset seizures and severe intellectual disability. Methods: By international collaboration, we assembled individuals with pathogenic RHOBTB2 variants and a variable spectrum of neurodevelopmental disorders. By western blotting, we investigated the consequences of missense variants in vitro. Results: In accordance with previous observations, de novo heterozygous missense variants in the BTB domain region led to a severe developmental and epileptic encephalopathy in 16 individuals. Now, we also identified de novo missense variants in the GTPase domain in 6 individuals with apparently more variable neurodevelopmental phenotypes with or without epilepsy. In contrast to variants in the BTB domain region, variants in the GTPase domain do not impair proteasomal degradation of RHOBTB2 in vitro, indicating different functional consequences. Furthermore, we observed biallelic splice-site and truncating variants in 9 families with variable neurodevelopmental phenotypes, indicating that complete loss of RHOBTB2 is pathogenic as well. Conclusion: By identifying genotype-phenotype correlations regarding location and consequences of de novo missense variants in RHOBTB2 and by identifying biallelic truncating variants, we further delineate and expand the molecular and clinical spectrum of RHOBTB2-related phenotypes, including both autosomal dominant and recessive neurodevelopmental disorders