171 research outputs found
Modelling of acoustic transmission through perforated layer
The paper deals with modeling the acoustic transmission through a perforated interface plane separating two halfspaces occupied by the acoustic medium. We considered the two-scale homogenization limit of the standard acoustic problem imposed in the layer with the perforated periodic structure embedded inside. The homogenized transmission conditions govern the interface discontinuity of the acoustic pressure associated with the two halfspaces and the magnitude of the fictitious transversal acoustic velocity. By numerical examples we illustrate this novel approach of modeling the acoustic impedance of perforated interfaces
Two-scale numerical simulation of acoustic transmission in interaction with flow
the grant project GA 2116406S of the Czech Science Foundatio
Flow in poro-piezoelectric media induced by persitaltic deformation waves – homogenization approach
The research has been supported by the grant projects GACR 19-04956S and GACR 21-16406S of the Czech Science Foundation, and in a part by the European Regional Development FundProject “Application of Modern Technologies in Medicine and Industry” (No. CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/17 048/0007280) of the Czech Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports
Ultrafast Photo-Induced Charge Transfer Unveiled by Two-Dimensional Electronic Spectroscopy
The interaction of exciton and charge transfer (CT) states plays a central
role in photo-induced CT processes in chemistry, biology and physics. In this
work, we use a combination of two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy (2D-ES),
pump-probe measurements and quantum chemistry to investigate the ultrafast CT
dynamics in a lutetium bisphthalocyanine dimer in different oxidation states.
It is found that in the anionic form, the combination of strong CT-exciton
interaction and electronic asymmetry induced by a counter-ion enables CT
between the two macrocycles of the complex on a 30 fs timescale. Following
optical excitation, a chain of electron and hole transfer steps gives rise to
characteristic cross-peak dynamics in the electronic 2D spectra, and we monitor
how the excited state charge density ultimately localizes on the macrocycle
closest to the counter-ion within 100 fs. A comparison with the dynamics in the
radical species further elucidates how CT states modulate the electronic
structure and tune fs-reaction dynamics. Our experiments demonstrate the unique
capability of 2D-ES in combination with other methods to decipher ultrafast CT
dynamics.Comment: 14 pages, 11 figures, and Supporting informatio
Subcritical behaviour and stability of a rigid rotor supported by undulated journal bearings
The work presented in this contribution was supported by the projects of the Czech Science
Foundation No. 22-29874S and 21-16406S
Viral discovery and diversity in trypanosomatid protozoa with a focus on relatives of the human parasite <i>Leishmania</i>.
Knowledge of viral diversity is expanding greatly, but many lineages remain underexplored. We surveyed RNA viruses in 52 cultured monoxenous relatives of the human parasite <i>Leishmania</i> ( <i>Crithidia</i> and <i>Leptomonas</i> ), as well as plant-infecting <i>Phytomonas</i> <i>Leptomonas pyrrhocoris</i> was a hotbed for viral discovery, carrying a virus (Leptomonas pyrrhocoris ostravirus 1) with a highly divergent RNA-dependent RNA polymerase missed by conventional BLAST searches, an emergent clade of tombus-like viruses, and an example of viral endogenization. A deep-branching clade of trypanosomatid narnaviruses was found, notable as <i>Leptomonas seymouri</i> bearing Narna-like virus 1 (LepseyNLV1) have been reported in cultures recovered from patients with visceral leishmaniasis. A deep-branching trypanosomatid viral lineage showing strong affinities to bunyaviruses was termed " <i>Leishbunyavirus</i> " (LBV) and judged sufficiently distinct to warrant assignment within a proposed family termed " <i>Leishbunyaviridae</i> " Numerous relatives of trypanosomatid viruses were found in insect metatranscriptomic surveys, which likely arise from trypanosomatid microbiota. Despite extensive sampling we found no relatives of the totivirus <i>Leishmaniavirus</i> (LRV1/2), implying that it was acquired at about the same time the <i>Leishmania</i> became able to parasitize vertebrates. As viruses were found in over a quarter of isolates tested, many more are likely to be found in the >600 unsurveyed trypanosomatid species. Viral loss was occasionally observed in culture, providing potentially isogenic virus-free lines enabling studies probing the biological role of trypanosomatid viruses. These data shed important insights on the emergence of viruses within an important trypanosomatid clade relevant to human disease
Distribution and Phylogeny of EFL and EF-1α in Euglenozoa Suggest Ancestral Co-Occurrence Followed by Differential Loss
BACKGROUND: The eukaryotic elongation factor EF-1alpha (also known as EF1A) catalyzes aminoacyl-tRNA binding by the ribosome during translation. Homologs of this essential protein occur in all domains of life, and it was previously thought to be ubiquitous in eukaryotes. Recently, however, a number of eukaryotes were found to lack EF-1alpha and instead encode a related protein called EFL (for EF-Like). EFL-encoding organisms are scattered widely across the tree of eukaryotes, and all have close relatives that encode EF-1alpha. This intriguingly complex distribution has been attributed to multiple lateral transfers because EFL's near mutual exclusivity with EF-1alpha makes an extended period of co-occurrence seem unlikely. However, differential loss may play a role in EFL evolution, and this possibility has been less widely discussed. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We have undertaken an EST- and PCR-based survey to determine the distribution of these two proteins in a previously under-sampled group, the Euglenozoa. EF-1alpha was found to be widespread and monophyletic, suggesting it is ancestral in this group. EFL was found in some species belonging to each of the three euglenozoan lineages, diplonemids, kinetoplastids, and euglenids. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Interestingly, the kinetoplastid EFL sequences are specifically related despite the fact that the lineages in which they are found are not sisters to one another, suggesting that EFL and EF-1alpha co-occurred in an early ancestor of kinetoplastids. This represents the strongest phylogenetic evidence to date that differential loss has contributed to the complex distribution of EFL and EF-1alpha
TAC102 is a novel component of the mitochondrial genome segregation machinery in trypanosomes
Trypanosomes show an intriguing organization of their mitochondrial DNA into a catenated network, the kinetoplast DNA (kDNA). While more than 30 proteins involved in kDNA replication have been described, only few components of kDNA segregation machinery are currently known. Electron microscopy studies identified a high-order structure, the tripartite attachment complex (TAC), linking the basal body of the flagellum via the mitochondrial membranes to the kDNA. Here we describe TAC102, a novel core component of the TAC, which is essential for proper kDNA segregation during cell division. Loss of TAC102 leads to mitochondrial genome missegregation but has no impact on proper organelle biogenesis and segregation. The protein is present throughout the cell cycle and is assembled into the newly developing TAC only after the pro-basal body has matured indicating a hierarchy in the assembly process. Furthermore, we provide evidence that the TAC is replicated de novo rather than using a semi-conservative mechanism. Lastly, we demonstrate that TAC102 lacks an N-terminal mitochondrial targeting sequence and requires sequences in the C-terminal part of the protein for its proper localization
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