Brain-derived neurotrophic factor modulation of Kv1.3 channel is disregulated by adaptor proteins Grb10 and nShc

Background  

Neurotrophins are important regulators of growth and regeneration, and acutely, they can modulate the activity of voltage-gated ion channels. Previously we have shown that acute brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) activation of neurotrophin receptor tyrosine kinase B (TrkB) suppresses the Shaker voltage-gated potassium channel (Kv1.3) via phosphorylation of multiple tyrosine residues in the N and C terminal aspects of the channel protein. It is not known how adaptor proteins, which lack catalytic activity, but interact with members of the neurotrophic signaling pathway, might scaffold with ion channels or modulate channel activity.     

Beam delivery characteristics of optical fibres for carbon monoxide lasers

An experimental investigation has been conducted of the propagation characteristics of several types of optical fibres which are candidates for use in optical beam delivery systems for carbon monoxide lasers. Both solid core (chalcogenide) fibres and hollow core (with dielectric or dielectric coated metal) waveguides have been investigated. Such experiments have included an assessment of both the power transmission characteristics, and the effects of waveguide transmission on the optical quality of the beam at the exit of the fibre. The experiments indicated lowest loss for the chalcogenide solid core fibre with a value of 0.4 dB m⁻¹.     

Probing the reactivity of photoinitiators for free radical polymerization: time-resolved infrared spectroscopic study of benzoyl radicals

A series of substituted benzoyl radicals has been generated by laser flash photolysis of alpha-hydroxy ketones, alpha-amino ketones, and acyl and bis(acyl)phosphine oxides, all of which are used commercially as photoinitiators in free radical polymerizations. The benzoyl radicals have been studied by fast time-resolved infrared spectroscopy. The absolute rate constants for their reaction with n-butylacrylate, thiophenol, bromotrichloromethane and oxygen were measured in acetonitrile solution. The rate constants of benzoyl radical addition to n-butylacrylate range from 1.3 x 10(5) to 5.5 x 10(5) M(-1) s(-1) and are about 2 orders of magnitude lower than for the n-butylacrylate addition to the counterradicals that are produced by alpha-cleavage of the investigated ketones. Density functional theoretical calculations have been performed in order to rationalize the observed reactivities of the initiating radicals. Calculations of the phosphorus-centered radicals generated by photolysis of an acyl and bis(acyl)phosphine oxide suggest that P atom Mulliken spin populations are an indicator of the relative reactivities of the phosphorus-centered radicals. The alpha-cleavage of (2,4,6-trimethylbenzoyl)phosphine oxide was studied by picosecond pump-probe and nanosecond step-scan time-resolved infrared spectroscopy. The results support a mechanism in which the alpha-cleavage occurs from the triplet excited state that has a lifetime less than or equal to the singlet excited state.     

Algebraic methods for the solution of linear functional equations

The equation

$$\sum^{n}_ {i=0} a_{i}f(b_{i}x + (1 - b_{i})y) = 0$$

belongs to the class of linear functional equations. The solutions form a linear space with respect to the usual pointwise operations. According to the classical results of the theory they must be generalized polynomials. New investigations have been started a few years ago. They clarified that the existence of non-trivial solutions depends on the algebraic properties of some related families of parameters. The problem is to find the necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of non-trivial solutions in terms of these kinds of properties. One of the earliest results is due to Z. Daróczy [1]. It can be considered as the solution of the problem in case of n = 2. We are going to take more steps forward by solving the problem in case of n = 3.

     

The missing mass squared dependence of the average charged particle multiplicity in the reaction K+p → KoX++ from 5–16 GeV/c

The average charged particle multiplicity, 〈n_ch(M_X²)〉, in the reaction K⁺p→K^oX⁺⁺ is studied as a function of the mass squared, M_X², of the recoil system X and also as a function of the K^o transverse momentum, p_T, at incident momenta of 5.0, 8.2 and 16.0 GeV/c. The complete data samples yield distributions which are not independent of c.m. energy squared, s, They exhibit a linear dependence on log (M_X²_X/M_o²)[M_o²=1 GeV²] with a change in slope occurring for M_X²≈s/2, and do not agree with the corresponding distributions of 〈n_ch〉 as a function of s for K⁺ p inelastic scattering. Sub-samples of the data for which K^o production via beam fragmentation, central production and target fragmentation are expected to be the dominant mechanisms show that, within error, the distribution of 〈n_ch(M_X²)〉 versus M_X² is independent of incident momentum for each sub-sample separately. In particular in the beam fragmentation region the 〈n_ch(M_X²)〉 versus M_X² distribution agrees rather well with that of 〈n_ch〉 versus s for inelastic K⁺p interactions. The latter result agrees with recent results on the reactions pp → pX and π^?p → pX in the NAL energy range. Evidence is presented for the presence of different production mechanisms in these separate regions.     

First observation of the production and decay of the Σc+

An event with the decay chain Σ_c⁺ → Λ_c⁺ + π⁰, Λ_c⁺ → K^? + p + π⁺, has been observed in an exposure of BEBC, equipped with a track sensitive target, to the wide band neutrino beam from the SPS at CERN. The event has a unique three constraint kinematic fit to the ΔS = ?ΔQ reaction v + p → μ^? + p + K^? + π⁺ + π⁺ + π⁰ with both gammas from the π⁰ decay detected. The proton and other final state particles are identified. The masses are M(Λ_c⁺) = 2290 ± 3 MeV/c², M(Σ_c⁺) = 2457 ± 4 MeV/c² and M(Σ_c⁺) ? M(Λ_c⁺) = 168 ± 3 MeV/c². Including other data one obtains M (Σ_c⁺⁺) ? M(Σ_c⁺) = 0 ± 4 MeV/c².     

Study of theS-matrix near bound states in the continuum

The behaviour ofS-matrix for potentials generating bound states in continuum in the neighbourhood of the positive bound state energies is studied. It is shown that unlike the case of usual negative energy bound states, theS-matrix does not have a pole at the positive bound state energy but becomes unity at the energy corresponding to bound states in continuum. Calculations ofS-waveS-matrix for a local potential constructed by Stillinger and Herrick and a separable nonlocal potential constructed by the present authors verify these results. Our results indicate that the bound states embedded in continuum constructedvia the von Neumann and Wigner procedure cannot be interpreted as resonances with zero width.     

Positron production by muon neutrinos BEBC filled with a neon-hydrogen mixture

For e⁺ energy > 0.3 GeV and 10 GeV < visible energy < 100 GeV we find that: (i) $\text{? = (v}{}_{\mathrm{\mu }}\text{+}\text{Ne}\text{→ μ}{}^{\mathrm{?}}\text{e}{}^{\mathrm{+}}\text{)/(v}{}_{\mathrm{\mu }}\text{+}\text{Ne}\text{→ μ}{}^{\mathrm{?}}\text{) = (0.41 ± 0.15)\%}$; (ii) 1.2 ± 0.5 neutral strange particles are produced per μ^?e⁺ event; (iii) the lifetime of possible positron-parent particles is < 3 × 10^?10 s (90% C.L.); (iv) the cross section for direct e⁺ production via the neutral current is < 0.2 times that via the charged current (90% C.L.); (v) the cross section for producing heavy leptons, L⁺, decaying into e⁺ … is < 0.7 × 10^?3 times that for μ^?production, implying M(L⁺) > 10 GeV.     

A study of the Regge recurrence of the Δ(1236) produced in 10 GeV/c K+p interactions

Data are presented on a high mass $\text{I}\text{3}\text{2}\text{Δ}$ resonance produced in 10 GeV/c K⁺p interactions. The mass and width of the resonance, determined by a maximum likelihood fit to the pπ⁺ spectrum in the final state K⁺pπ⁺π^?, are 1895±15 MeV/c²230±50 MeV/c² respectively. The differential cross sections, dσ/dt, for the quasi two-body final states K¹(890)Δ(1236) and K¹(890)Δ(1900) are well described by the one pion exchange model. In addition the moments of the Gottfried-Jackson angular distribution of the pπ⁺ system agree with those computed from on-shell π⁺p elastic scattering data. We conclude that the two final states are produced mainly by π exchange and associate the structure observed in the moments up to NH(6,0) in the 1900 MeV region with the $\text{7}\text{2}{}^{\mathrm{+}}$ Regge recurrence of the Δ(1236). The dominant decay mode of the resonance is Δ⁺⁺(1900)→pπ⁺ but decays to pπ⁺π⁰ and nπ⁺π⁺ are also observed. Cross sections are determined for the production of the quasi two-body final states K¹(890)Δ(1236), K¹(890) Δ(1900), K¹(1420)Δ(1236) and K¹(1420)Δ(1900).     

Dynamic,multimodal hydrogel actuators using porphyrin-based visible light photoredox catalysis in a thermoresponsive polymer network

Hydrogels that can respond to multiple external stimuli represent the next generation of advanced functional biomaterials. Here, a series of multimodal hydrogels were synthesized that can contract and expand reversibly over several cycles while changing their mechanical properties in response to blue and red light, as well as heat (∼50 °C). The light-responsive behavior was achieved through a photoredox-based mechanism consisting of photoinduced electron transfer from a zinc porphyrin photocatalyst in its excited state to oligoviologen-based macrocrosslinkers, both of which were integrated into the hydrogel polymer network during gel formation. Orthogonal thermoresponsive properties were also realized by introducing N-isopropyl acrylamide (NIPAM) monomer simultaneously with hydroxyethyl acrylate (HEA) in the pre-gel mixture to produce a statistical 60 : 40 HEA : NIPAM polymer network. The resultant hydrogel actuators – crosslinked with either a styrenated viologen dimer (2V4+-St) or hexamer (6V12+-St) – were exposed to red or blue light, or heat, for up to 5 h, and their rate of contraction, as well as the corresponding changes in their physical properties (i.e., stiffness, tensile strength, Young''s modulus, etc.), were measured. The combined application of blue light and heat to the 6V12+-St-based hydrogels was also demonstrated, resulting in hydrogels with more than two-fold faster contraction kinetics and dramatically enhanced mechanical robustness when fully contracted. We envision that the reported materials and the corresponding methods of remotely manipulating the dynamic hydrogels may serve as a useful blueprint for future adaptive materials used in biomedical applications.

Orthogonal modes of activation in thermoresponsive hydrogel actuators using porphyrin-based visible light photoredox catalysis, viologen-based crosslinkers, and poly(N-isopropylacrylamide).