Creatine kinase B deficient neurons exhibit an increased fraction of motile mitochondria

Background  

Neurons require an elaborate system of intracellular transport to distribute cargo throughout axonal and dendritic projections. Active anterograde and retrograde transport of mitochondria serves in local energy distribution, but at the same time also requires input of ATP. Here we studied whether brain-type creatine kinase (CK-B), a key enzyme for high-energy phosphoryl transfer between ATP and CrP in brain, has an intermediary role in the reciprocal coordination between mitochondrial motility and energy distribution. Therefore, we analysed the impact of brain-type creatine kinase (CK-B) deficiency on transport activity and velocity of mitochondria in primary murine neurons and made a comparison to the fate of amyloid precursor protein (APP) cargo in these cells, using live cell imaging.     

Critical petermann K factor for intensity noise squeezing

We investigate the impact of the Petermann-excess-noise factor K>/=1 on the possibility of intensity noise squeezing of laser light below the standard quantum limit. Using an N-mode model, we show that squeezing is limited to a floor level of 2(K-1) times the shot noise limit. Thus, even a modest Petermann factor significantly impedes squeezing, which becomes impossible when K>/=1.5. This appears as a serious limitation for obtaining sub-shot-noise light from practical semiconductor lasers. We present experimental evidence for our theory.     

Laser-based linear and nonlinear guided elastic waves at surfaces (2D) and wedges (1D)

The characteristic features and applications of linear and nonlinear guided elastic waves propagating along surfaces (2D) and wedges (1D) are discussed. Laser-based excitation, detection, or contact-free analysis of these guided waves with pump–probe methods are reviewed. Determination of material parameters by broadband surface acoustic waves (SAWs) and other applications in nondestructive evaluation (NDE) are considered. The realization of nonlinear SAWs in the form of solitary waves and as shock waves, used for the determination of the fracture strength, is described. The unique properties of dispersion-free wedge waves (WWs) propagating along homogeneous wedges and of dispersive wedge waves observed in the presence of wedge modifications such as tip truncation or coatings are outlined. Theoretical and experimental results on nonlinear wedge waves in isotropic and anisotropic solids are presented.     

Exceptional elastic anisotropy of hybrid organic–inorganic perovskite CH3NH3PbBr3 measured by laser ultrasonic technique

The results of the direct experimental evaluation of all elastic constants of single crystal hybrid organic–inorganic perovskite (HOIP) methylammonium lead bromide, a material known due to its possible solar‐energy, optoelectronics, X‐ray detector and thermoelectricity applications, are reported. The measurements of anisotropic elasticity of CH₃NH₃PbBr₃by the technique of laser ultrasonics demonstrate that properties of HOIPs can be even more remarkable than the theoretical expectations: the extracted shear modulus is more than twice smaller, the universal anisotropy is more than twice higher, while the Debye temperature is more than 50° lower. Thus HOIPs can exhibit extremely low shear rigidity and extremely high anisotropy, both strongly overrunning the parameters which have been expected based on earlier first principles theoretical predictions. A simple theoretical model of granular crystal indicates that these observations could be related to the contributions of rotations/tilts of PbBr₆octahedra to elastic response of cubic CH₃NH₃PbBr₃. Another experimental observation is strong stiffening of shear rigidity with temperature increase from its room value up to 120 °C. Discovered elastic properties of HOIPs characterize them as exceptionally ductile/flexible/adaptive materials which could be deposited on corrugated/structured surfaces. (© 2016 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH &Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Effects of substituents in the cationic and anionic η<Superscript>3</Superscript>-allylpalladium complexes according to data from <Superscript>13</Superscript>C NMR spectroscopy and quantum chemical calculations

A linear correlation of chemical shifts (δ) of signals in the ¹³C NMR spectra of the unsubstituted terminal carbon atom of the allyl ligand in [(1-R-η³-C₃H₄)Pd]NO₃ (R = Me, CH₂OMe, CO₂Me, COMe, CHO) with the substituent constants σ⁺ and σ^s- in acetone solutions was found. A considerable deviation from linearity was observed for R = Ph. The ¹³C nuclear magnetic screening constants were calculated by the DFT method in the GIAO approximation for equilibrium geometries of the cations [(1-R-η³-C₃H₄)Pd(Me₂C=0)₂]⁺ and anions [(1-R-η³-C₃H₄)PdCl₂]^s-. In the latter case, the theoretical and experimental δ values are consistent. The influence of the substituent R on the geometric parameters and charges on atoms in the neutral, anionic, and cationic η³-allylpalladium complexes is discussed.