Quantum Corner-Transfer Matrix DMRG

We propose a new method for the calculation of thermodynamic properties of one-dimensional quantum systems by combining the TMRG approach with the corner transfer-matrix method. The corner transfer-matrix DMRG method brings reasonable advantage over TMRG for classical systems. We have modified the concept for the calculation of thermal properties of one-dimensional quantum systems. The novel QCTMRG algorithm is implemented and used to study two simple test cases, the classical Ising chain and the isotropic Heisenberg model. In a discussion, the advantages and challenges are illuminated.Comment: 17 pages, 15 figures, to appear in Int.J.Mod.Phys.

Pathways and roles of wall teichoic acid glycosylation in <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i>

The thick peptidoglycan layers of Gram-positive bacteria are connected to polyanionic glycopolymers called wall teichoic acids (WTA). Pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, or Enterococcus faecalis produce WTA with diverse, usually strain-specific structure. Extensive studies on S. aureus WTA mutants revealed important functions of WTA in cell division, growth, morphogenesis, resistance to antimicrobials, and interaction with host or phages. While most of the S. aureus WTA-biosynthetic genes have been identified it remained unclear for long how and why S. aureus glycosylates WTA with alpha or beta-linked N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc). Only recently the discovery of two WTA glycosyltransferases, TarM and TarS, yielded fundamental insights into the roles of S. aureus WTA glycosylation. Mutants lacking WTA GlcNAc are resistant towards most of the S. aureus phages and, surprisingly, TarS-mediated WTA beta-O-GlcNAc modification is essential for beta-lactam resistance in methicillin-resistant S. aureus. Notably, S. aureus WTA GlcNAc residues are major antigens and activate the complement system contributing to opsonophagocytosis. WTA glycosylation with a variety of sugars and corresponding glycosyltransferases were also identified in other Gram-positive bacteria, which paves the way for detailed investigations on the diverse roles of WTA modification with sugar residues. (C) 2013 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved

Photon propagation in a discrete fiber network: An interplay of coherence and losses

We study light propagation in a photonic system that shows stepwise evolution in a discretized environment. It resembles a discrete-time version of photonic waveguide arrays or quantum walks. By introducing controlled photon losses to our experimental setup, we observe unexpected effects like sub-exponential energy decay and formation of complex fractal patterns. This demonstrates that the interplay of linear losses, discreteness and energy gradients leads to genuinely new coherent phenomena in classical and quantum optical experiments. Moreover, the influence of decoherence is investigated.Comment: To appear in PR

Histological markers in nasal mucosa of patients with Alzheimer's disease

Neuropathological changes such as dystrophic neurites and the presence of abnormal tau protein in the olfactory system, including primary sensory cells and nerve fibres have previously been demonstrated in nasal mucosa tissue of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). These changes were detected in autopsy-derived material from histopathologically confirmed AD cases as well as in biopsy tissue from clinical severely ill AD patients. To investigate the potential usefulness for the early diagnosis of AD, we obtained biopsy tissue from olfactory mucosa from 5 clinically mild to moderate AD patients and stained for the presence of tau or beta-amyloid by immunocytochemistry using a panel of specific antibodies. No positive staining was found in any of the cases. For comparison, post-mortem olfactory tissue from AD patients with severe neuropathological changes (widespread neurofibrillary tangles and amyloid in the brain) was investigated, in these severe cases, tau immunoreactivity was found in fine nerve fibres in the lamina propria and in a few olfactory epithelial cells. These results are consistent with other reports showing that cytoskeletal changes and tau pathology in the olfactory epithelium are not primary (or specific) features of AD and may occur predominantly in late stages of the disease

Structural and enzymatic analysis of TarM from <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> reveals an oligomeric protein specific for the glycosylation of wall teichoic acid.

Anionic glycopolymers known as wall teichoic acids (WTAs) functionalize the peptidoglycan layers of many Gram-positive bacteria. WTAs play central roles in many fundamental aspects of bacterial physiology, and they are important determinants of pathogenesis and antibiotic resistance. A number of enzymes that glycosylate WTA in Staphylococcus aureus have recently been identified. Among these is the glycosyltransferase TarM, a component of the WTA de novo biosynthesis pathway. TarM performs the synthesis of α-O-N-acetylglycosylated poly-5′-phosphoribitol in the WTA structure. We have solved the crystal structure of TarM at 2.4 Å resolution, and we have also determined a structure of the enzyme in complex with its substrate UDP-GlcNAc at 2.8 Å resolution. The protein assembles into a propeller-like homotrimer in which each blade contains a GT-B-type glycosyltransferase domain with a typical Rossmann fold. The enzymatic reaction retains the stereochemistry of the anomeric center of the transferred GlcNAc-moiety on the polyribitol backbone. TarM assembles into a trimer using a novel trimerization domain, here termed the HUB domain. Structure-guided mutagenesis experiments of TarM identify residues critical for enzyme activity, assign a putative role for the HUB in TarM function, and allow us to propose a likely reaction mechanism

Alanylation of Teichoic Acids Protects Staphylococcus aureus against Toll-like Receptor 2-Dependent Host Defense in a Mouse Tissue Cage Infection Model

Staphylococcus aureus is inherently resistant to cationic antimicrobial peptides because of alanylation of cell envelope teichoic acids. To test the effect of alanylated teichoic acids on virulence and host defense mediated by Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2), wild-type (wt) S. aureus ATCC35556 (S.a.113) and its isogenic mutant expressing unalanylated teichoic acids (dlt−) were compared in a tissue cage infection model that used C57BL/6 wt and TLR2-deficient mice. The minimum infective doses (MID) to establish persistent infection with S.a.113 were 103 and 102 colony-forming units (cfu) in wt and TLR2−/− mice, respectively. The corresponding MID for dlt− were 5×105 and 103 cfu in wt and TLR2−/− mice, respectively. Both mouse strains showed bacterial-load-dependent inflammation with elevations in tumor necrosis factor, macrophage inflammatory protein 2, and leukocytes, with increasing proportions of dead cells. These findings indicate that alanylated teichoic acids contribute to virulence of S. aureus, and TLR2 mediates host defense, which partly targets alanylated teichoic acid

The GraRS regulatory system controls Staphylococcus aureus susceptibility to antimicrobial host defenses

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Modification of teichoic acids with D-alanine by the products of the <it>dlt </it>operon protects Gram-positive bacteria against major antimicrobial host defense molecules such as defensins, cathelicidins, myeloperoxidase or phospholipase. The <it>gra</it>RS regulatory genes have recently been implicated in the control of D-alanylation in <it>Staphylococcus aureus</it>.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>To determine the impact of the GraRS regulatory system on resistance to antimicrobial host defense mechanisms and virulence of <it>S. aureus</it>, we compared inactivation of <it>S. aureus </it>SA113 wild type and its isogenic <it>gra</it>RS deletion mutant by the human cathelicidin LL-37 or human neutrophil granulocytes <it>in vitro</it>, and the ability to cause infection <it>in vivo</it>. We show here that <it>gra</it>RS deletion considerably alters bacterial surface charge, increases susceptibility to killing by human neutrophils or the defense peptide LL-37, and attenuates virulence of <it>S. aureus </it>in a mouse infection model.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our results indicate that <it>S. aureus </it>can regulate its surface properties in order to overcome innate host defenses.</p

Inhibition of the ATP synthase sensitizes <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> towards human antimicrobial peptides

Abstract Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are an important part of the human innate immune system for protection against bacterial infections, however the AMPs display varying degrees of activity against Staphylococcus aureus. Previously, we showed that inactivation of the ATP synthase sensitizes S. aureus towards the AMP antibiotic class of polymyxins. Here we wondered if the ATP synthase similarly is needed for tolerance towards various human AMPs, including human β-defensins (hBD1-4), LL-37 and histatin 5. Importantly, we find that the ATP synthase mutant (atpA) is more susceptible to killing by hBD4, hBD2, LL-37 and histatin 5 than wild type cells, while no changes in susceptibility was detected for hBD3 and hBD1. Administration of the ATP synthase inhibitor, resveratrol, sensitizes S. aureus towards hBD4-mediated killing. Neutrophils rely on AMPs and reactive oxygen molecules to eliminate bacteria and the atpA mutant is more susceptible to killing by neutrophils than the WT, even when the oxidative burst is inhibited.These results show that the staphylococcal ATP synthase enhance tolerance of S. aureus towards some human AMPs and this indicates that inhibition of the ATP synthase may be explored as a new therapeutic strategy that sensitizes S. aureus to naturally occurring AMPs of the innate immune system

Design of an imaging spectrometer for Earth observation using freeform mirrors

Design of an imaging spectrometer for earth observation using freeform mirrors Thomas Peschel1, Christoph Damm1, Matthias Beier1, Andreas Gebhard1, Stefan Risse1, Ingo Walter2, Ilse Sebastian2, David Krutz2 1 Fraunhofer Institut für Angewandte Optik und Feinwerktechnik, Jena 2 DLR, Institut für Optische Sensorsysteme, Berlin In 2017 the new hyperspectral DLR Earth Sensing Imaging Spectrometer (DESIS) will be integrated in the Multi-User-System for Earth Sensing (MUSES) platform /1/ installed on the International Space Station (ISS). The DESIS instrument is developed under the responsibility of the DLR. It will deliver images of the earth with a spatial resolution of 30 m on ground in 235 spectral channels in the wavelength range from 400 nm to 1 µm. As partner of the development team Fraunhofer IOF is responsible for the optical system of the imaging spectrometer.The optical system is made of two primary components: A compact Three-Mirror-Anastigmat (TMA) telescope images the ground strip under observation onto a slit. The following spectrometer reimages the slit onto the detector and performs the spectral separation using a reflective grating. The whole optical system is realized using metal-based mirrors the surfaces of which are made by Single-Point-Diamond Turning (SPDT). Since the spectral range is in the visible, a post-processing of the surfaces by Nickel plating is necessary. The final surface shape and roughness are realized by a second SPDT step and subsequent Magneto-Rheological Finishing. The TMA provides a focal length of 320 mm and an aperture of F/2.8. Its mechanical design relies on the Duolith-technology of IOF as well as optical and mechanical reference structures on the mirrors /2/ manufactured in the same SPDT run. This strategy allows for a significantly simplified adjustment of the optical system /3/. The spectrometer was designed on the basis of the so-called Offner scheme. Because of the high aperture of the system a freeform mirror had to be introduced in order to provide a good imaging quality over the whole spectral range. The above optical design requires a grating on a curved surface. Technologies are developed in order to fabricate the grating either by SPDT or, alternatively, by laser lithography. The mechanical design uses light-weight housing elements which wrap the optical path to suppress stray light. An athermal design is provided by using the same metal for mirrors and housing. To provide high adjustment precision, the housing elements carry reference and mounting features made by SPDT as well. This approach allows for a stiff mechanical set-up of the system, which is compatible with the harsh requirements of a space flight. References: 1 N. Humphrey, “A View From Above: Imaging from the ISS”, Teledyne DALSA 2014, http://possibility.teledynedalsa.com/a-view-from-above/ 2 S. Scheiding, e.a., “Ultra-precisely manufactured mirror assemblies with well-defined reference structures“, Proc. SPIE 7739, 2010. 3 T. Peschel, e.a., “Anamorphotic telescope for earth observation in the mid-infrared range”, ICSO 201