0000000000000294
AUTHOR
M. Fischer
Investigation of the dynamics of bacteriorhodopsin
Bacteriorhodopsin (bR) converted to the blue form by deionization has been reconstituted to the active purple membrane by addition of57Fe ions. Mossbauer spectra measured in a wide temperature range reveal Fe3+ binding places with oxygen atoms in the neighbourhood. No evidence for a well defined functional binding place of the iron has been found. On a timescale faster 100 ns the purple membrane shows increasing flexibility above 200 K. In order to analyse the influence of the lipids, a bacteriorhodopsin sample where the lipid content has been increased artificially by the incorporation of DMPC as well as a sample consisting of lipid bilayer have been investigated.
The photocycle and the structure of iron containing bacteriorhodopsin ?a kinetic and M�ssbauer spectroscopy investigation
Bacteriorhodopsin (bR), converted by deionization to the blue form was reconstituted to the active purple membrane by the addition of Fe2+ or Fe3+ ions. 57Fe Mossbauer spectra of these samples were measured at different pH values (pH 3.9, pH 5.0 and pH 7.0) and at temperatures ranging from 4 K to 300 K. The hyperfine parameters reveal two iron environments with oxygen atoms in the neighbourhood of iron. Iron type 1 is in the 3+ high spin state. It is bound to acid side chains of the protein and/or the phosphate groups of the lipids. Iron type 2 is in the 2+ high spin state and is linked to carboxy groups of the protein in a rather unspecific way. Dynamics as measured by Mossbauer spectrosco…
$T$-odd correlations in polarized top quark decays in the sequential decay $t(\uparrow) \to X_b+W^+(\to \ell^+ + \nu_\ell)$ and in the quasi three-body decay $t(\uparrow) \to X_b+ \ell^+ + \nu_\ell$
We identify the $T$-odd structure functions that appear in the description of polarized top quark decays in the sequential decay $t(\uparrow) \to X_b+W^+(\to \ell^+ + \nu_\ell)$ (two structure functions) and the quasi-three-body decay $t(\uparrow) \to X_b+ \ell^+ + \nu_\ell$ (one structure function). A convenient measure of the magnitude of the $T$-odd structure functions is the contribution of the imaginary part Im $g_R$ of the right-chiral tensor coupling $g_R$ to the $T$-odd structure functions which we work out. Contrary to the case of QCD the NLO electroweak corrections to polarized top quark decays admit of absorptive one-loop vertex contributions. We analytically calculate the imagin…
Hemoglobin dynamics in rat erythrocytes investigated by M�ssbauer spectroscopy
Rats have been enriched in 57Fe and erythrocytes were isolated from the blood. Mössbauer absorption spectroscopy on the hemoglobin of these erythrocytes has shown rather similar dynamics as found earlier in crystals of myoglobin, in frozen solutions of human hemoglobin and in a number of other proteins. The results strongly indicate that the motion of the heme and presumably some part of the F-helix is mainly influenced by the average viscosity of the sample determined by a network of hydrogen bridges and other weak interactions. Extrapolations of Mössbauer results from protein crystals to proteins in their physiological surroundings seem to be suitable for heme proteins.
Comparison of European ICU patients in 2012 (ICON) versus 2002 (SOAP)
Purpose: To evaluate differences in the characteristics and outcomes of intensive care unit (ICU) patients over time. Methods: We reviewed all epidemiological data, including comorbidities, types and severity of organ failure, interventions, lengths of stay and outcome, for patients from the Sepsis Occurrence in Acutely ill Patients (SOAP) study, an observational study conducted in European intensive care units in 2002, and the Intensive Care Over Nations (ICON) audit, a survey of intensive care unit patients conducted in 2012. Results: We compared the 3147 patients from the SOAP study with the 4852 patients from the ICON audit admitted to intensive care units in the same countries as those…
Complete angular analysis of polarized top quark decay atO(αs)
We calculate the O(alpha_s) radiative corrections to the three spin independent and five spin dependent structure functions that describe the angular decay distribution in the decay of a polarized top quark into a W-boson (followed by the decay W^{+} -> l^{+} + nu_l or by W^{+} -> anti-q + q and a bottom quark. The angular decay distribution is described in cascade fashion, i.e. the decay t(uparrow) -> W^{+} + X_b is analyzed in the top rest system while the subsequent decay W^{+} -> l^{+} + nu_l (or W^{+} -> anti-q + q) is analyzed in the W rest frame. We present our results for the eight O(alpha_s) integrated structure functions in analytical form keeping the mass of the bottom quark fini…
THREE NEW SPECIES OF CHOREBUS FROM SPAIN (HYMENOPTERA: BRACONIDAE: ALYSIINAE)
Chorebus affiniformis, C. dentisignatus and C. granulosus, three species of Dacnusini from Spain, are described as new and are compared with allied species of the genus. Keys for their discrimination are provided.
Inclusive decays of B mesons into Ds and at O(αs) including polarization effects
The dominant contribution to the inclusive decays of B mesons into the charm-strangeness mesons Ds and Ds∗ is expected to be given by the partonic process b→c+(Ds−,Ds∗−). We determine the nonperturbative O(1/mb2) and the O(αs) radiative corrections to b→c+(Ds−,Ds∗−) and thereby to the inclusive decays B→Xc+(Ds−,Ds∗−). The new feature of our calculation is that we separately determine the nonperturbative and the O(αs) corrections to the longitudinal (L) and transverse (T) pieces of the spin 1 Ds∗− meson. The longitudinal/transverse composition of the Ds∗− can be probed through its two principal decay modes Ds∗−→Ds−+γand Ds∗−→Ds−+π0 for which we write down the angular decay distributions.
Leptonicμandτdecays: Mass effects, polarization effects, andO(α)radiative corrections
We calculate the radiative corrections to the unpolarized and the four polarized spectrum and rate functions in the leptonic decay of a polarizedinto a polarized electron. The new feature of our calculation is that we keep the mass of the final state electron finite which is mandatory if one wants to investigate the threshold region of the decay. Analytical results are given for the energy spectrum and the polar angle distribution of the final state electron whose longitudinal and transverse polarization is calculated. We also provide analytical results on the integrated spec- trum functions. We analyze the me → 0 limit of our general results and investigate the quality of the me → 0 approx…
Factors controlling plankton community production, export flux, and particulate matter stoichiometry in the coastal upwelling system off Peru
Eastern boundary upwelling systems (EBUS) are among the most productive marine ecosystems on Earth. The production of organic material is fueled by upwelling of nutrient-rich deep waters and high incident light at the sea surface. However, biotic and abiotic factors can modify surface production and related biogeochemical processes. Determining these factors is important because EBUS are considered hotspots of climate change, and reliable predictions of their future functioning requires understanding of the mechanisms driving the biogeochemical cycles therein. In this field experiment, we used in situ mesocosms as tools to improve our mechanistic understanding of processes controlling organ…
A NEW SPECIES OF ANTRUSA AND THREE NEW SPECIES OF CHOREBUS (HYMENOPTERA: BRACONIDAE) FROM THE IBERIAN PENINSULA
Antrusa curtitempus, Chorebus liliputanus, C. propediremptum, and C. vicinus, four new species of Dacnusini from the Iberian Peninsula, are described, illustrated, and compared with allied species. Keys for their discrimination are provided. The taxonomic rehabilitation of the genus Antrusa is proposed.
Temperature dependence of the dynamics of ultrafine particles in a polymeric network
Simple model systems with pronounced dynamical features will help to get a deeper insight into the complicated dynamics of large molecular networks. We investigated the bounded diffusion of ultrafine Fe(OH)3 particles (∼30 A in diameter) in the three-dimensional network of the cation exchanger Dowex 50 W which was solvated with a water solution of sucrose (60 wt%). Mossbauer spectra were recorded in the temperature range from 80 K to 305 K. At temperatures above 250 K broad diffusional lines of different widths appear in the spectrum proving the bounded nature of the diffusion. The line widths strongly increase with temperature to values of several hundred mm/s. Around 300 K a large portion…
Assessment of the worldwide burden of critical illness: The Intensive Care Over Nations (ICON) audit
Item does not contain fulltext BACKGROUND: Global epidemiological data regarding outcomes for patients in intensive care units (ICUs) are scarce, but are important in understanding the worldwide burden of critical illness. We, therefore, did an international audit of ICU patients worldwide and assessed variations between hospitals and countries in terms of ICU mortality. METHODS: 730 participating centres in 84 countries prospectively collected data on all adult (>16 years) patients admitted to their ICU between May 8 and May 18, 2012, except those admitted for fewer than 24 h for routine postoperative monitoring. Participation was voluntary. Data were collected daily for a maximum of 28 da…
Longitudinal, transverse-plus and transverse-minus W-bosons in unpolarized top quark decays at O(alpha_s)
We consider the O(alpha_s) radiative corrections to the decay of an unpolarized top quark into a bottom quark and a W-gauge boson where the helicities of the W are specified as longitudinal, transverse-plus and transverse-minus. The O(alpha_s) radiative corrections lower the normalized longitudinal rate Gamma_L/Gamma by 1.06% and increase the the normalized transverse-minus rate Gamma_-/Gamma by 2.17%. We find that the normalized transverse-plus rate Gamma_+/Gamma, which vanishes at the Born term level for m_b->0, receives radiative correction contributions at the sub-percent level. We discuss m_b!=0 effects for the Born term and the alpha_s-contributions but find these to be small. Our …
Local disorder studied inSrTiO3at low temperature by EXAFS spectroscopy
The temperature dependence of the local distortions in ${\mathrm{SrTiO}}_{3}$ has been studied by EXAFS spectroscopy at the titanium K edge (4982 eV). The oxygen-ion Debye-Waller factor ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\sigma}}}_{0}^{2}$ has been determined from 4.5 to 240 K. The antiferrodistortive transition at 105 K is evidenced by a step in this Debye-Waller factor. At about 31 K, a maximum of ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\sigma}}}_{0}^{2}$ is detected and the EXAFS oscillations due to the first oxygen shell increase. This is the signature of a maximum disorder in the lattice vibrations in this temperature range. A quasiharmonic model with a sinusoidal modulation of the Ti-O distance cannot account for t…