202 research outputs found
Liquid crystal hyperbolic metamaterial for wide-angle negative-positive refraction and reflection
We show that nanosphere dispersed liquid crystal (NDLC) metamaterial can be
characterized in near IR spectral region as an indefinite medium whose real
parts of effective ordinary and extraordinary permittivities are opposite in
signs. Based on this fact we design a novel electrooptic effect: external
electric field driven switch between normal refraction, negative refraction and
reflection of TM incident electromagnetic wave from the boundary vacuum/NDLC. A
detailed analysis of its functionality is given based on effective medium
theory combined with a study of negative refraction in anisotropic
metamaterials, and Finite Elements simulations
Complete diagrammatics of the single ring theorem
Using diagrammatic techniques, we provide explicit functional relations
between the cumulant generating functions for the biunitarily invariant
ensembles in the limit of large size of matrices. The formalism allows to map
two distinct areas of free random variables: Hermitian positive definite
operators and non-normal R-diagonal operators. We also rederive the
Haagerup-Larsen theorem and show how its recent extension to the eigenvector
correlation function appears naturally within this approach.Comment: 18 pages, 6 figures, version accepted for publicatio
Effect of dielectric medium anisotropy on the polarization degree of emission from a single quantum dash
This research was supported by the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education/the National Science Center Grant No. 2011/02/A/ST3/00152. The experiments have partially been performed within the laboratory infrastructure financed by the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education Grant No. 6167/IA/119/2012.Excitonic emission from single InAs/InGaAlAs/InP quantum dashes has been investigated in the context of degree of linear polarization by post-growth modification of its surrounding dielectric medium. We present optical spectroscopy measurements on a symmetric squared pedestal structures (mesas), and asymmetric rectangular ones oriented parallel or perpendicular to the main in-plane axis of the dashes [1-10]. Polarization resolved microphotoluminescence shows a significant quantitative modification of the degree of linear polarization value from -20% up to 70%. These results have been confronted with calculations of the coupling between the exciton transition dipole moment and electromagnetic field distributed in the vicinity of a quantum dash inside a processed mesa.Postprin
Impairment of the mitochondrial one-carbon metabolism enzyme SHMT2 causes a novel brain and heart developmental syndrome
Inborn errors of metabolism cause a wide spectrum of neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative conditions [15]. A pivotal enzyme located at the intersection of the amino acid and folic acid metabolic pathways is SHMT2, the mitochondrial form of serine hydroxymethyltransferase. SHMT2 performs the first step in a series of reactions that provide one-carbon units covalently bound to folate species in mitochondria: it transfers one-carbon units from serine to tetrahydrofolate (THF), generating glycine and 5,10-methylene-THF. Using whole exome sequencing (WES), we identified biallelic SHMT2 variants in five individuals from four different families. All identified variants were located in conserved residues, either absent or extremely rare in control databases (gnomAD, ExAC), and cosegregated based on a recessive mode of inheritance (pRec = 0.9918 for this gene). In family F1, a homozygous missense variant present in two affected siblings was located in a region without heterozygosity (~ 10 Mb, the only region > 1 Mb shared by both siblings) in which no other candidate variants were found, providing a strong genetic evidence of causality for these variants. The missense/in-frame deletion nature of these variants, and the absence of loss-of-function homozygous individuals in control databases, combined with the fact that complete loss of SHMT2 is embryonic lethal in the mouse, suggested that these variants may cause hypomorphic effects. Using 3D molecular dynamics models of the SHMT2 protein, we concluded that these candidate variants probably alter the SHMT2 oligomerization process, and/or disrupt the conformation of the active site, thus inducing deleterious effects on SHMT2 enzymatic function
Readability estimates for commonly used health-related quality of life surveys
To estimate readability of seven commonly used health-related quality of life instruments: SF-36, HUI, EQ-5D, QWB-SA, HALex, Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLHFQ), and the NEI-VFQ-25.
The Flesch–Kincaid (F–K) and Flesch Reading Ease (FRE) formulae were used to estimate readability for every item in each measure.
The percentage of items that require more than 5 years of formal schooling according to F–K was 50 for the EQ-5D, 53 for the SF-36, 80 for the VFQ-25, 85 for the QWB-SA, 100 for the HUI, HALex, and the MLHFQ. The percentage of items deemed harder than “easy” according to FRE was 50 for the SF-36, 67 for the EQ-5D, 79 for the QWB-SA, 80 for the VFQ-25, 100 for the HUI, HALex, and the MLHFQ.
All seven surveys have a substantial number of items with high readability levels that may not be appropriate for the general population
Nuclear Import and Export Signals of Human Cohesins SA1/STAG1 and SA2/STAG2 Expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Abstract
Background: Human SA/STAG proteins, homologues of the yeast Irr1/Scc3 cohesin, are the least studied constituents of the
sister chromatid cohesion complex crucial for proper chromosome segregation. The two SA paralogues, SA1 and SA2, show
some specificity towards the chromosome region they stabilize, and SA2, but not SA1, has been shown to participate in
transcriptional regulation as well. The molecular basis of this functional divergence is unknown.
Methodology/Principal Findings: In silico analysis indicates numerous putative nuclear localization (NLS) and export (NES)
signals in the SA proteins, suggesting the possibility of their nucleocytoplasmic shuttling. We studied the functionality of
those putative signals by expressing fluorescently tagged SA1 and SA2 in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Only the Nterminal
NLS turned out to be functional in SA1. In contrast, the SA2 protein has at least two functional NLS and also two
functional NES. Depending on the balance between these opposing signals, SA2 resides in the nucleus or is distributed
throughout the cell. Validation of the above conclusions in HeLa cells confirmed that the same N-terminal NLS of SA1 is
functional in those cells. In contrast, in SA2 the principal NLS functioning in HeLa cells is different from that identified in
yeast and is localized to the C-terminus.
Conclusions/Significance: This is the first demonstration of the possibility of non-nuclear localization of an SA protein. The
reported difference in the organization between the two SA homologues may also be relevant to their partially divergent
functions. The mechanisms determining subcellular localization of cohesins are only partially conserved between yeast and
human cells
Prospective evaluation of pain control and quality of life in patients with chronic pancreatitis following bilateral thoracoscopic splanchnicectomy
Cytochrome P450 mRNA expressions along with in vitro differentiation of hepatocyte precursor cells from fetal, young and old rats.
New Insights into Active Site Conformation Dynamics of E. coli PNP Revealed by Combined H/D Exchange Approach and Molecular Dynamics Simulations
Reliability of molecular host-identification methods for ticks: an experimental in vitro study with Ixodes ricinus
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