Polymerized planar suspended lipid bilayers for single ion channel recordings: comparison of several dienoyl lipids

The stabilization of suspended planar lipid membranes, or black lipid membranes (BLMs), through polymerization of mono- and bis-functionalized dienoyl lipids was investigated. Electrical properties, including capacitance, conductance, and dielectric breakdown voltage, were determined for BLMs composed of mono-DenPC, bis-DenPC, mono-SorbPC, and bis-SorbPC both prior to and following photopolymerization, with diphytanoyl phosphocholine (DPhPC) serving as a control. Poly(lipid) BLMs exhibited significantly longer lifetimes and increased the stability of air-water transfers. BLM stability followed the order bis-DenPC > mono-DenPC ≈ mono-SorbPC > bis-SorbPC. The conductance of bis-SorbPC BLMs was significantly higher than that of the other lipids, which is attributed to a high density of hydrophilic pores, resulting in relatively unstable membranes. The use of poly(lipid) BLMs as matrices for supporting the activity of an ion channel protein (IC) was explored using α-hemolysin (α-HL), a model IC. Characteristic i-V plots of α-HL were maintained following photopolymerization of bis-DenPC, mono-DenPC, and mono-SorbPC, demonstrating the utility of these materials for preparing more durable BLMs for single-channel recordings of reconstituted ICs.     

Desmoplakin is important for proper cardiac cell-cell interactions

Normal cardiac function is maintained through dynamic interactions of cardiac cells with each other and with the extracellular matrix. These interactions are important for remodeling during cardiac growth and pathophysiological conditions. However, the precise mechanisms of these interactions remain unclear. In this study we examined the importance of desmoplakin (DSP) in cardiac cell-cell interactions. Cell-cell communication in the heart requires the formation and preservation of cell contacts by cell adhesion junctions called desmosome-like structures. A major protein component of this complex is DSP, which plays a role in linking the cytoskeletal network to the plasma membrane. Our laboratory previously generated a polyclonal antibody (1611) against the detergent soluble fraction of cardiac fibroblast plasma membrane. In attempting to define which proteins 1611 recognizes, we performed two-dimensional electrophoresis and identified DSP as one of the major proteins recognized by 1611. Immunoprecipitation studies demonstrated that 1611 was able to directly pulldown DSP. We also demonstrate that 1611 and anti-DSP antibodies co-localize in whole heart sections. Finally, using a three-dimensional in vitro cell-cell interaction assay, we demonstrate that 1611 can inhibit cell-cell interactions. These data indicate that DSP is an important protein for cell-cell interactions and affects a variety of cellular functions, including cytokine secretion.     

Improved hydrogen release from ammonia-borane with ZIF-8

The promotion for hydrogen release from ammonia-borane (AB) was observed in the presence of ZIF-8. Even at concentrations of ZIF-8 as low as 0.25 mol %, a reduction of the onset temperature for dehydrogenation accompanies an increase in both the rate and amount of hydrogen released from AB.     

Single-pass waveguide amplifiers in Er-Yb doped zinc polyphosphate glass fabricated with femtosecond laser pulses

We have investigated the direct fabrication of subsurface waveguide amplifiers in Er-Yb zinc polyphosphate glass by utilizing the relationship between the initial glass composition and the resulting changes to the network structure after modification by fs laser pulses. Waveguides, exhibiting internal gain of 1 dB/cm at 1.53 μm when pumped with 500 mW at 976 nm, were directly fabricated using a regenerative amplified Ti:sapphire 1 kHz, 180 fs laser system. Optical properties as well as insertion losses and internal gain are reported.     

Error analysis of free probability approximations to the density of States of disordered systems

Theoretical studies of localization, anomalous diffusion and ergodicity breaking require solving the electronic structure of disordered systems. We use free probability to approximate the ensemble-averaged density of states without exact diagonalization. We present an error analysis that quantifies the accuracy using a generalized moment expansion, allowing us to distinguish between different approximations. We identify an approximation that is accurate to the eighth moment across all noise strengths, and contrast this with perturbation theory and isotropic entanglement theory.     

Early contrast enhancement of the liver: exact description of subphases using MRI

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to describe the subphases of early post-contrast enhancement of the liver, using vessel enhancement patterns, and correlate these findings with enhancement patterns of abdominal organs.

Materials and Methods

A total of 114 patients who underwent gadolinium-enhanced abdominal magnetic resonance imaging examinations constituted the final study group, of which 56 were women (age range, 3–94 years; mean, 50 years) and 58 were men (age range, 6–85 years; mean, 54 years). Early post-contrast sequences in all patients were evaluated retrospectively by two reviewers for the determination of the presence of contrast enhancement in predetermined major vessels of the abdomen and qualitative and quantitative extent of enhancement of the renal cortex, spleen, pancreas and liver. Based on the overall findings, subphases of early contrast enhancement of the liver were described and quantitative extent of enhancement of organs was correlated with subphases of early contrast enhancement of the liver. Mann–Whitney U test and one-way unbalanced analysis of variance tests were used for the comparisons.

Results

Early hepatic arterial phase was observed in 14/114 patients, mid-hepatic arterial phase in 23/114 patients, late hepatic arterial phase in 33/114 patients, splenic vein only hepatic arterial dominant phase in 20/114 patients and hepatic arterial dominant phase in 24/114 patients. There was an overall association between the subphases of enhancement and the quantitative extent of enhancement for all studied organs (P<.0001).

Conclusion

The evaluation of vessel and organ enhancement patterns has allowed the characterization of five different subphases in early post-contrast enhancement of the liver. The quantitative extent of enhancement of abdominal organs also demonstrated significant correlation with these five subphases.     

Uniqueness of Positive Ground State Solutions of the Logarithmic Schrödinger Equation

We prove the uniqueness of positive ground state solutions of the problem \({ {\frac {d^{2}u}{dr^{2}}} + {\frac {n-1}{r}}{\frac {du}{dr}} + u \ln(|u|) = 0}\), \({u(r) > 0~\forall r \ge 0}\), and \({(u(r),u'(r)) \to (0, 0)}\) as \({r \to \infty}\). This equation is derived from the logarithmic Schrödinger equation \({{\rm i}\psi_{t} = {\Delta} \psi + u \ln \left(|u|^{2}\right)}\), and also from the classical equation \({{\frac {\partial u}{\partial t}} = {\Delta} u +u \left(|u|^{p-1}\right) -u}\). For each \({n \ge 1}\), a positive ground state solution is \({ u_{0}(r) = \exp \left(-{\frac{r^2}{4}} + {\frac{n}{2}}\right),~0 \le r < \infty}\). We combine \({u_{0}(r)}\) with energy estimates and associated Ricatti equation estimates to prove that, for each \({n \in \left[1, 9 \right]}\), \({u_{0}(r)}\) is the only positive ground state. We also investigate the stability of \({u_{0}(r)}\). Several open problems are stated.     

Colorimetric detection of Escherichia coli using engineered bacteriophage and an affinity reporter system

Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry - Reporter phage systems have emerged as a promising technology for the detection of bacteria in foods and water. However, the sensitivity of these assays is...     

Numerical stability analysis for the explicit high-order finite difference analysis of rotationally symmetric shells

A numerical stability analysis has been formulated to accompany the already developed explicit high-order finite difference analysis of rotationally symmetric shells subjected to time-dependent impulsive loadings. This already developed analysis utilizes a constant nodal point spacing for the spatial finite difference mesh, with the governing field differential equations formulated in terms of the transverse, meridional, and circumferential displacements as the fundamental variables. The remaining quantities which enter into the natural boundary conditions at each edge of the shell are incorporated into the complete system of equations by defining those quantities at each boundary in terms of the displacements. Surface loadings and inertia forces in each of the three displacement directions of the shell have been considered in the governing equations. Ordinary finite difference representations are used for the time derivatives. All loadings and dependent variables in the circumferential direction of the shell are expressed in Fourier series expansions. The complete system of equations is solved implicitly for the first time increment, while explicit relations are used to determine the three primary displacements within the boundary edges of the shell for the second and succeeding time increments. Separate implicit solutions at each boundary are then used to determine the remaining unspecified primary variables on and outside the boundaries. Subsequently, the remaining primary variables within the boundary edges of the shell and all secondary variables are determined explicitly. Numerical stability (or instability) of numerical solutions for given choices of spatial and time increments is determined by evaluation of the eigenvalues of the explicit coefficient matrix and comparing the maximum eigenvalue with the requirements of a stability criterion developed before by the author. Solutions for typical shells and loadings together with results of stability analyses have been included, and comparisons of the stability requirements and solutions with the requirements and solutions based upon ordinary spatial finite difference representations are included.     

The asymptotic behavior of solutions of a system of reaction-diffusion equations which models the Belousov-Zhabotinskii chemical reaction

We investigate the boundary value problem $\text{?u}\text{?t}\text{=}\text{?}{}^2\text{u}\text{?x}{}^2\text{+ u(1 ? u ? rv)}$, $\text{?v}\text{?t}\text{=}\text{?}{}^2\text{v}\text{?x}{}^2\text{? buv}$, u(?∞, t) = v(∞, t) = 0, u(∞, t) = 1, and v(?∞, t) = γ ?t > 0 where r > 0, b > 0, γ > 0 and x?R. This system has been proposed by Murray as a model for the propagation of wave fronts of chemical activity in the Belousov-Zhabotinskii chemical reaction. Here u and v are proportional to the concentrations of bromous acid and bromide ion, respectively. We determine the global stability of the constant solution (u, v) ≡ (1,0). Furthermore we introduce a moving coordinate and for each fixed x?R we investigate the asymptotic behavior of u(x + ct, t) and v(x + ct, t) as t → ∞ for both large and small values of the wave speed c ? 0.