629 research outputs found
Pox proteomics: mass spectrometry analysis and identification of Vaccinia virion proteins
BACKGROUND: Although many vaccinia virus proteins have been identified and studied in detail, only a few studies have attempted a comprehensive survey of the protein composition of the vaccinia virion. These projects have identified the major proteins of the vaccinia virion, but little has been accomplished to identify the unknown or less abundant proteins. Obtaining a detailed knowledge of the viral proteome of vaccinia virus will be important for advancing our understanding of orthopoxvirus biology, and should facilitate the development of effective antiviral drugs and formulation of vaccines. RESULTS: In order to accomplish this task, purified vaccinia virions were fractionated into a soluble protein enriched fraction (membrane proteins and lateral bodies) and an insoluble protein enriched fraction (virion cores). Each of these fractions was subjected to further fractionation by either sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electophoresis, or by reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography. The soluble and insoluble fractions were also analyzed directly with no further separation. The samples were prepared for mass spectrometry analysis by digestion with trypsin. Tryptic digests were analyzed by using either a matrix assisted laser desorption ionization time of flight tandem mass spectrometer, a quadrupole ion trap mass spectrometer, or a quadrupole-time of flight mass spectrometer (the latter two instruments were equipped with electrospray ionization sources). Proteins were identified by searching uninterpreted tandem mass spectra against a vaccinia virus protein database created by our lab and a non-redundant protein database. CONCLUSION: Sixty three vaccinia proteins were identified in the virion particle. The total number of peptides found for each protein ranged from 1 to 62, and the sequence coverage of the proteins ranged from 8.2% to 94.9%. Interestingly, two vaccinia open reading frames were confirmed as being expressed as novel proteins: E6R and L3L
Plasma Properties in the Plume of a Hall Thruster Cluster
Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/76225/1/AIAA-3765-486.pd
Effects of Cathode Configuration on Hall Thruster Cluster Plume Properties
Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/76620/1/AIAA-24636-518.pd
Quantum Kinks: Solitons at Strong Coupling
We examine solitons in theories with heavy fermions. These ``quantum''
solitons differ dramatically from semi-classical (perturbative) solitons
because fermion loop effects are important when the Yukawa coupling is strong.
We focus on kinks in a --dimensional theory coupled to
fermions; a large- expansion is employed to treat the Yukawa coupling
nonperturbatively. A local expression for the fermion vacuum energy is derived
using the WKB approximation for the Dirac eigenvalues. We find that fermion
loop corrections increase the energy of the kink and (for large ) decrease
its size. For large , the energy of the quantum kink is proportional to ,
and its size scales as , unlike the classical kink; we argue that these
features are generic to quantum solitons in theories with strong Yukawa
couplings. We also discuss the possible instability of fermions to solitons.Comment: 21 pp. + 2 figs., phyzzx, JHU-TIPAC-92001
Recommended from our members
The Broad-Spectrum Antiviral Compound ST-669 Restricts Chlamydial Inclusion Development and Bacterial Growth and Localizes to Host Cell Lipid Droplets within Treated Cells
Novel broad-spectrum antimicrobials are a critical component of a strategy for combating antibiotic-resistant pathogens. In this
study, we explored the activity of the broad-spectrum antiviral compound ST-669 for activity against different intracellular bacteria
and began a characterization of its mechanism of antimicrobial action. ST-669 inhibits the growth of three different species
of chlamydia and the intracellular bacterium Coxiella burnetii in Vero and HeLa cells but not in McCoy (murine) cells. The antichlamydial
and anti-C. burnetii activity spectrum was consistent with those observed for tested viruses, suggesting a common
mechanism of action. Cycloheximide treatment in the presence of ST-669 abrogated the inhibitory effect, demonstrating that
eukaryotic protein synthesis is required for tested activity. Immunofluorescence microscopy demonstrated that different chlamydiae
grow atypically in the presence of ST-669, in a manner that suggests the compound affects inclusion formation and organization.
Microscopic analysis of cells treated with a fluorescent derivative of ST-669 demonstrated that the compound localized
to host cell lipid droplets but not to other organelles or the host cytosol. These results demonstrate that ST-669 affects intracellular
growth in a host-cell-dependent manner and interrupts proper development of chlamydial inclusions, possibly through a
lipid droplet-dependent process
Saturated Fats Compared With Unsaturated Fats and Sources of Carbohydrates in Relation to Risk of Coronary Heart Disease A Prospective Cohort Study
AbstractBackgroundThe associations between dietary saturated fats and the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) remain controversial, but few studies have compared saturated with unsaturated fats and sources of carbohydrates in relation to CHD risk.ObjectivesThis study sought to investigate associations of saturated fats compared with unsaturated fats and different sources of carbohydrates in relation to CHD risk.MethodsWe followed 84,628 women (Nurses’ Health Study, 1980 to 2010), and 42,908 men (Health Professionals Follow-up Study, 1986 to 2010) who were free of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer at baseline. Diet was assessed by a semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire every 4 years.ResultsDuring 24 to 30 years of follow-up, we documented 7,667 incident cases of CHD. Higher intakes of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and carbohydrates from whole grains were significantly associated with a lower risk of CHD comparing the highest with lowest quintile for PUFAs (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.80, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.73 to 0.88; p trend <0.0001) and for carbohydrates from whole grains (HR: 0.90, 95% CI: 0.83 to 0.98; p trend = 0.003). In contrast, carbohydrates from refined starches/added sugars were positively associated with a risk of CHD (HR: 1.10, 95% CI: 1.00 to 1.21; p trend = 0.04). Replacing 5% of energy intake from saturated fats with equivalent energy intake from PUFAs, monounsaturated fatty acids, or carbohydrates from whole grains was associated with a 25%, 15%, and 9% lower risk of CHD, respectively (PUFAs, HR: 0.75, 95% CI: 0.67 to 0.84; p < 0.0001; monounsaturated fatty acids, HR: 0.85, 95% CI: 0.74 to 0.97; p = 0.02; carbohydrates from whole grains, HR: 0.91, 95% CI: 0.85 to 0.98; p = 0.01). Replacing saturated fats with carbohydrates from refined starches/added sugars was not significantly associated with CHD risk (p > 0.10).ConclusionsOur findings indicate that unsaturated fats, especially PUFAs, and/or high-quality carbohydrates can be used to replace saturated fats to reduce CHD risk
Homogeneous Bubble Nucleation driven by local hot spots: a Molecular Dynamics Study
We report a Molecular Dynamics study of homogenous bubble nucleation in a
Lennard-Jones fluid. The rate of bubble nucleation is estimated using
forward-flux sampling (FFS). We find that cavitation starts with compact
bubbles rather than with ramified structures as had been suggested by Shen and
Debenedetti (J. Chem. Phys. 111:3581, 1999). Our estimate of the
bubble-nucleation rate is higher than predicted on the basis of Classical
Nucleation Theory (CNT). Our simulations show that local temperature
fluctuations correlate strongly with subsequent bubble formation - this
mechanism is not taken into account in CNT
Dairy consumption and cardiometabolic diseases: systematic review and updated meta-analyses of prospective cohort studies
Purpose of Review Dairy products contain both beneficial and harmful nutrients in relation to cardiometabolic diseases. Here, we
provide the latest scientific evidence regarding the relationship between dairy products and cardiometabolic diseases by
reviewing the literature and updating meta-analyses of observational studies.
Recent Findings We updated our previous meta-analyses of cohort studies on type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease (CHD), and
stroke with nine studies and confirmed previous results. Total dairy and low-fat dairy (per 200 g/d) were inversely associated with
a 3–4% lower risk of diabetes. Yogurt was non-linearly inversely associatedwith diabetes (RR = 0.86, 95%CI: 0.83–0.90 at 80 g/
d). Total dairy and milk were not associated with CHD (RR~1.0). An increment of 200 g of daily milk intake was associated with
an 8% lower risk of stroke.
Summary The latest scientific evidence confirmed neutral or beneficial associations between dairy products and risk of cardiometabolic
diseases
Melanocortin receptors (version 2019.4) in the IUPHAR/BPS Guide to Pharmacology Database
Melanocortin receptors (provisional nomenclature as recommended by NC-IUPHAR [36]) are activated by members of the melanocortin family (α-MSH, β-MSH and γ-MSH forms; δ form is not found in mammals) and adrenocorticotrophin (ACTH). Endogenous antagonists include agouti and agouti-related protein. ACTH(1-24) was approved by the US FDA as a diagnostic agent for adrenal function test, whilst NDP-MSH was approved by EMA for the treatment of erythropoietic protoporphyria. Several synthetic melanocortin receptor agonists are under clinical development
- …