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Shiv Nadar University

(SoNS) School of Natural Sciences

The strong blue and red electroluminescence from Eu-implanted Si O2 layers were investigated as a function of implantation and annealing conditions. It is shown that the red electroluminescence assigned to Eu3+ ions is favored by low Eu concentrations, low annealing temperatures, and short annealing times. Based on a more quantitative analysis of the electroluminescence spectra this preference is explained by a shorter supply of oxygen for higher Eu concentrations and the growth of Europium or Europium oxide clusters with increasing annealing temperatures and annealing times. The correlation between electroluminescence and microstructure is supported by transmission electron microscopy investigations and demonstrates that the electroluminescence of Eu-implanted Si O2 layers can serve as a probe for the microstructural development in the active layer of the light emitter. © 2008 American Institute of Physics.

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Physics

Fulltext

Applied Physics Letters

Blue and red electroluminescence of Europium-implanted metal-oxide- semiconductor structures as a probe for the dynamics of microstructure

Anisotropic displacement parameters (ADPs) are compared for H atoms estimated using three recently described procedures, both among themselves and with neutron diffraction results. The results convincingly demonstrate that all methods are capable of giving excellent results for several benchmark systems and identify systematic discrepancies for several atom types. A revised and extended library of internal H-atom mean-square displacements is presented for use with Madsen's SHADE web server [J. Appl. Cryst. (2006), 39, 757-758; http://shade.ki.ku.dk], and the improvement over the original SHADE results is substantial, suggesting that this is now the most readily and widely applicable of the three approximate procedures. Using this new library - SHADE2 - it is shown that, in line with expectations, a segmented rigid-body description of the heavy atoms yields only a small improvement in the agreement with neutron results. The SHADE2 library, now incorporated in the SHADE web server, is recommended as a routine procedure for deriving estimates of H-atom ADPs suitable for use in charge-density studies on molecular crystals, and its widespread use should reveal remaining deficiencies and perhaps overcome the inherent bias in the majority of such studies. © International Union of Crystallography 2008.

Chemistry

Acta Crystallographica Section A: Foundations of Crystallography

Estimated H-atom anisotropic displacement parameters: A comparison between different methods and with neutron diffraction results

Rap1 GTPase activation by its cAMP responsive nucleotide exchange factor Epac present in endothelial cells increases endothelial cell barrier function with an associated increase in cortical actin. Here, Epac1 was shown to be responsible for these actin changes and to colocalize with microtubules in human umbilical vein endothelial cells. Importantly, Epac activation with a cAMP analogue, 8-pCPT-2′O-Me-cAMP resulted in a net increase in the length of microtubules. This did not require cell- cell interactions or Rap GTPase activation, and it was attributed to microtubule growth as assessed by time-lapse microscopy of human umbilical vein endothelial cell expressing fluorophore-linked microtubule plus-end marker end-binding protein 3. An intact microtubule network was required for Epac-mediated changes in cortical actin and barrier enhancement, but it was not required for Rap activation. Finally, Epac activation reversed microtubuledependent increases in vascular permeability induced by tumor necrosis factor-alpha; and transforming growth factor-β. Thus, Epac can directly promote microtubule growth in endothelial cells. This, together with Rap activation leads to an increase in cortical actin, which has functional significance for vascular permeability. © 2008 by The American Society for Cell Biology.

Life Sciences

Molecular Biology of the Cell

Role of Epac1, an exchange factor for Rap GTPases, in endothelial microtubule dynamics and barrier function

The late Neogene section of ODP Hole 763A, Exmouth Plateau, southeast Indian Ocean, has been biostratigraphically subdivided into eight planktic foraminiferal zones. The zones are similar to those of the tropical northern Indian and tropical western Pacific Oceans. The sequential order of planktic foraminiferal events has been determined, and 32 late Neogene planktic foraminiferal events have been identified. A major faunal turnover (22 events) occurs between 80 and 45 meters below seafloor (mbsf), spanning 1.6 million years between 3.6 Ma and 2 Ma and may be related to the stresses transmitted to the upper ocean due to major cooling associated with Northern Hemisphere glaciation. Based on integration with magnetostratigraphy, numerical age estimates of planktic foraminiferal events have been determined for the first time from the southeast Indian Ocean. A comparison with the published dates for these events from other parts of the world suggests that 14 events are reliable for correlation over a wide geographic range. The useful synchronous events are the Globorotafta tosaensis FO (2.84 Ma), the Globorotalia tosaensis LO (0.59 Ma), the Globigerinoides extremus LO (1.87 Ma), the Globigerinoides fistulosus FO (3.26 Ma), the Globigerinoides fistulosus LO (1.73 Ma), the Dentoglobigerina altispira LO (3.05 Ma), the Dentoglobigerina globosa LO (3.18), the Neogloboquadrina dutertrei FO (2.77 Ma), the Sphaeroidinellopsis LO (3.35), the Globorotalia margaritae LO (3.38 Ma), the Globorotalia crassaformis FO (4.41 Ma), the Globoturborotalita nepenthes LO (3.44 Ma), the Globorotalia tumida tumida FO (5.10 Ma) and the Pulleniatina primalis FO (5.70 Ma). In contrast, the other events are diachronous and considered unsuitable for inter-oceanic correlation. The Pliocene-Pleistocene boundary is marked at ODP Hole 763A by the LO of Globigerinoides fistulosus, which is a synchronous event over a wide latitudinal range and occurs close to the top of the Olduvai Event (Chron C2n; 1.77 Ma). The Miocene-Pliocene boundary is approximated by the first evolutionary appearance of Globorotalia tumida tumida from its ancestor Globorotalia plesiotumida and occurs close to base of Thvera magnetic event (C3n.4n; 5.23 Ma). Recognition of both of these epoch boundaries is in accord with the International Commission on Stratigraphy. The detailed planktic foraminiferal biochronology developed for Hole 763A will aid correlation and dating of various paleoceanographic events over the last 6 million years in the southeast Indian Ocean.

Journal of Foraminiferal Research

Late neogene planktic foraminiferal biochronology of the ODP site 763A, Exmouth Plateau, southeast Indian Ocean

Plasmodium falciparum sirtuin, PfSir2, contains histone deacetylase (HDAC) activity that may be central to the regulation of virulence gene expression in the parasites. Although a few reports have been published recently regarding in vitro and in vivo function of PfSir2, expression of the endogenous protein (c. 30 kDa) has not been shown yet. Here we report the presence of PfSir2 in the parasite at the protein level by specific antibodies. HDAC activity of PfSir2 can be inhibited by nicotinamide, a product of sirtuin reaction. Surprisingly, we find that nicotinamide also delays parasite growth significantly in culture. These findings further our knowledge on PfSir2 and raise the possibility of using an inexpensive agent like nicotinamide as an antimalarial in combination with other antiparasitic drugs. © 2008 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by Blackwell Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.

FEMS Microbiology Letters

Nicotinamide inhibits Plasmodium falciparum Sir2 activity in vitro and parasite growth

Aspartate semialdehyde dehydrogenase from Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Asd, ASADH, Rv3708c), which is the second enzyme in the lysine/homoserine- biosynthetic pathways, has been expressed heterologously in Escherichia coli. The enzyme was purified using affinity and gel-filtration chromatographic techniques and crystallized in two different crystal forms. Preliminary diffraction data analysis suggested the presence of up to four monomers in the asymmetric unit of the orthorhombic crystal form A and of one or two monomers in the cubic crystal form B. {\textcopyright} International Union of Crystallography All rights reserved.

Acta Crystallographica Section F: Structural Biology and Crystallization Communications

Purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction analysis of aspartate semialdehyde dehydrogenase (Rv3708c) from Mycobacterium tuberculosis

The effectiveness of AlN/BN and graphite annealing caps for ion implanted SiC was examined morphologically, structurally, chemically, and electrically. The AlN/BN cap more effectively blocks the out-diffusion of silicon because it is essentially inert. Relatively small amounts of silicon from the SiC diffuse out into the graphite cap and react with it. This has the effect of lowering the Si vapor pressure so that it does not create blow holes in this relatively weak structure. The graphite cap can be removed easily with an oxygen plasma, while warm KOH has to be used to remove the nitride cap, and not all of it can be removed after an 1800°C anneal. The out-diffusion of silicon through the graphite cap is most severe at 1800°C, where it roughens the SiC surface and forms reaction products when the Si reacts with the graphite at a significant rate. At lower temperatures these reaction products form small particulates on the surface that are visible only at higher magnifications. In those regions where the graphite cap crystallized, isolated morphological damage on the SiC surface was also detected, appearing to be in the vicinity of the grain boundaries. Scratches on the substrate surface were not affected even at temperatures as high as 1800°C. © 2008 TMS.

Journal of Electronic Materials

Structural and chemical comparison of graphite and BN/AlN caps used for annealing ion implanted SiC

We report a study of photoinduced charge separation in poly(1,4-phenylenevinylene) (PPV) derivatives with enhanced exciton dissociation using light-induced electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR). Four polymers were studied; all contained alkoxy and fluorenyl side chain units, and two of them also contained a nitro group on the 7-positon of the fluorenyl moieties. Pulsed EPR detected a light induced polaron for all the polymers with the intensity significantly higher for those with nitro groups. A second center was observed for these materials and spectra could be fitted assuming a radical anion was localized on the nitro groups. The fraction of radical anion and polaron centers was comparable, consistent with intramolecular exciton dissociation for the PPV derivatives containing the nitro groups. © 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Organic Electronics

Photoinduced charge separation in poly(1,4-phenylenevinylene) derivatives studied by electron paramagnetic resonance

Vascular endothelial-cadherin (VE-cad) is localized to adherens junctions at endothelial cell borders and forms a complex with α-, β-, γ-, and p120-catenins (p120). We previously showed that the VE-cad complex disassociates to form shortlived "gaps" during leukocyte transendothelial migration (TEM); however, whether these gaps are required for leukocyte TEM is not clear. Recently p120 has been shown to control VE-cad surface expression through endocytosis. We hypothesized that p120 regulates VE-cad surface expression, which would in turn have functional consequences for leukocyte transmigration. Here we show that endothelial cells transduced with an adenovirus expressing p120GFP fusion protein significantly increase VE-cad expression. Moreover, endothelial junctions with high p120GFP expression largely prevent VE-cad gap formation and neutrophil leukocyte TEM; if TEM occurs, the length of time required is prolonged. We find no evidence that VE-cad endocytosis plays a role in VE-cad gap formation and instead show that this process is regulated by changes in VE-cad phosphorylation. In fact, a nonphosphorylatable VE-cad mutant prevented TEM. In summary, our studies provide compelling evidence that VE-cad gap formation is required for leukocyte transmigration and identify p120 as a critical intracellular mediator of this process through its regulation of VE-cad expression at junctions. © 2008 by The American Society of Hematology.

Blood

p120-catenin regulates leukocyte transmigration through an effect on VE-cadherin phosphorylation

In rod-shaped bacteria, septal peptidoglycan synthesis involves the late recruitment of the ftsI gene product (PBP3 in Escherichia coli) to the FtsZ ring. We show that in Caulobacter crescentus, PBP3 accumulates at the new pole at the beginning of the cell cycle. Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching experiments reveal that polar PBP3 molecules are, constantly and independently of FtsZ, replaced by those present in the cellular pool, implying that polar PBP3 is not a remnant of the previous division. By the time cell constriction is initiated, all PBP3 polar accumulation has disappeared in favour of an FtsZ-dependent localization near midcell, consistent with PBP3 function in cell division. Kymograph analysis of time-lapse experiments shows that the recruitment of PBP3 to the FtsZ ring is progressive and initiated very early on, shortly after FtsZ ring formation and well before cell constriction starts. Accumulation of PBP3 near midcell is also highly dynamic with a rapid exchange of PBP3 molecules between midcell and cellular pools. Localization of PBP3 at both midcell and pole appears multifactorial, primarily requiring the catalytic site of PBP3. Collectively, our results suggest a role for PBP3 in pole morphogenesis and provide new insights into the process of peptidoglycan assembly during division. © 2008 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.