Bragg Reflection Waveguide: Anti-Mirror Reflection and Light Slowdown

The effect of the light group velocity reduction in dielectric Bragg reflection waveguide structures (SiO$_2$/TiO$_2$) in the vicinity of the cutoff frequency is studied experimentally. The effect of anti-mirror reflection, specific for the Bragg reflection waveguides, is described and employed for detection of "slow light". The experiments were performed with the use of the Ti:sapphire laser pulses ~ 100 fs in length. The group index $n_g \sim$ 30 with a fractional pulse delay (normalized to the pulse width) of $\sim$ 10 is demonstrated. The problems and prospects of implementation of the slow-light devices based on the Bragg reflection waveguide structures are discussed.Comment: 11 pages, in the previous version, we failed to insert figure

Ginger DNA transposons in eukaryotes and their evolutionary relationships with long terminal repeat retrotransposons

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In eukaryotes, long terminal repeat (LTR) retrotransposons such as <it>Copia, BEL </it>and <it>Gypsy </it>integrate their DNA copies into the host genome using a particular type of DDE transposase called integrase (INT). The <it>Gypsy </it>INT-like transposase is also conserved in the <it>Polinton/Maverick </it>self-synthesizing DNA transposons and in the 'cut and paste' DNA transposons known as <it>TDD-4 </it>and <it>TDD-5</it>. Moreover, it is known that INT is similar to bacterial transposases that belong to the IS<it>3</it>, IS<it>481</it>, IS<it>30 </it>and IS<it>630 </it>families. It has been suggested that LTR retrotransposons evolved from a non-LTR retrotransposon fused with a DNA transposon in early eukaryotes. In this paper we analyze a diverse superfamily of eukaryotic cut and paste DNA transposons coding for INT-like transposase and discuss their evolutionary relationship to LTR retrotransposons.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A new diverse eukaryotic superfamily of DNA transposons, named <it>Ginger </it>(for '<it>Gypsy </it>INteGrasE Related') DNA transposons is defined and analyzed. Analogously to the IS<it>3 </it>and IS<it>481 </it>bacterial transposons, the <it>Ginger </it>termini resemble those of the <it>Gypsy </it>LTR retrotransposons. Currently, <it>Ginger </it>transposons can be divided into two distinct groups named <it>Ginger1 </it>and <it>Ginger2/Tdd</it>. Elements from the <it>Ginger1 </it>group are characterized by approximately 40 to 270 base pair (bp) terminal inverted repeats (TIRs), and are flanked by CCGG-specific or CCGT-specific target site duplication (TSD) sequences. The <it>Ginger1</it>-encoded transposases contain an approximate 400 amino acid N-terminal portion sharing high amino acid identity to the entire <it>Gypsy</it>-encoded integrases, including the YPYY motif, zinc finger, DDE domain, and, importantly, the GPY/F motif, a hallmark of <it>Gypsy </it>and endogenous retrovirus (ERV) integrases. <it>Ginger1 </it>transposases also contain additional C-terminal domains: ovarian tumor (OTU)-like protease domain or Ulp1 protease domain. In vertebrate genomes, at least two host genes, which were previously thought to be derived from the <it>Gypsy </it>integrases, apparently have evolved from the <it>Ginger1 </it>transposase genes. We also introduce a second <it>Ginger </it>group, designated <it>Ginger2/Tdd</it>, which includes the previously reported DNA transposon <it>TDD-4</it>.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The <it>Ginger </it>superfamily represents eukaryotic DNA transposons closely related to LTR retrotransposons. <it>Ginger </it>elements provide new insights into the evolution of transposable elements and certain transposable element (TE)-derived genes.</p

Development of thermal LED Model

One of the main tasks of modern lighting technology is to increase the reliability of LED technology. In order to solve this problem, it is necessary to ensure an effective cooling of LEDs, since the values of their parameters depend substantially on the temperature of a crystal. This dependence makes a significant effect on the reliability of a lamp or a luminaire. Thus, in order to increase the reliability of LED technology, it is necessary to calculate the thermal operating conditions of LEDs at the design stage, taking into account a cooling system in use. There are many programs designed to simulate thermal processes, however, such programs use primitive, substantially simplified LED models, and do not allow to recreate electrical and thermal regimes close to real ones. In order to conduct a more accurate simulation, it is required to create new electric and thermal models of LEDs, which are based on real values of the electric-physical and geometric parameters of the instruments. The article considers the thermal model of LED produced by the company SemiLEDs developed in the Multisim program. They performed the calculation of the processes taking place in the light-emitting diodes during their work in a luminaire. The obtained results indicate the possibility of the used approach application for the analysis of various LED light sources. The created models will allow to reveal unfavorable thermal operating modes for LEDs and, accordingly, to take measures to increase the reliability of fixtures.Keywords: temperature dependence of characteristics, high-power LED, current-voltage characteristic, flux-current characteristic

RAG1 Core and V(D)J Recombination Signal Sequences Were Derived from Transib Transposons

The V(D)J recombination reaction in jawed vertebrates is catalyzed by the RAG1 and RAG2 proteins, which are believed to have emerged approximately 500 million years ago from transposon-encoded proteins. Yet no transposase sequence similar to RAG1 or RAG2 has been found. Here we show that the approximately 600-amino acid “core” region of RAG1 required for its catalytic activity is significantly similar to the transposase encoded by DNA transposons that belong to the Transib superfamily. This superfamily was discovered recently based on computational analysis of the fruit fly and African malaria mosquito genomes. Transib transposons also are present in the genomes of sea urchin, yellow fever mosquito, silkworm, dog hookworm, hydra, and soybean rust. We demonstrate that recombination signal sequences (RSSs) were derived from terminal inverted repeats of an ancient Transib transposon. Furthermore, the critical DDE catalytic triad of RAG1 is shared with the Transib transposase as part of conserved motifs. We also studied several divergent proteins encoded by the sea urchin and lancelet genomes that are 25%−30% identical to the RAG1 N-terminal domain and the RAG1 core. Our results provide the first direct evidence linking RAG1 and RSSs to a specific superfamily of DNA transposons and indicate that the V(D)J machinery evolved from transposons. We propose that only the RAG1 core was derived from the Transib transposase, whereas the N-terminal domain was assembled from separate proteins of unknown function that may still be active in sea urchin, lancelet, hydra, and starlet sea anemone. We also suggest that the RAG2 protein was not encoded by ancient Transib transposons but emerged in jawed vertebrates as a counterpart of RAG1 necessary for the V(D)J recombination reaction