The water flea
O.F. Müller 1776 (Crustacea: Cladocera) is an important model of recent evolutionary biology. Here, we report a complete genome of
(Crustacea: Cladocera), recently described species ...endemic to deserts of the United Arab Emirates. In this study, genome analysis of
was carried out to investigate its genomic differences, complexity as well as its historical origins within the subgenus
(
). Hybrid genome assembly of
resulted in ~116 Mb of the assembled genome, with an N50 of ~1.13 Mb (BUSCO score of 99.2%). From the assembled genome, in total protein coding, 5374 tRNA and 643 rRNA genes were annotated. We found that the
complete genome differed from those of other
species deposited in the NCBI database but was close to that of
cf.
. However, its divergence time estimate sets
in the Mesozoic, and our demographic analysis showed a great reduction in its genetic diversity compared to other
species. Interestingly, the population expansion in its diversity occurred during the megadrought climate around 100 Ka ago, reflecting the adaptive feature of the species to arid and drought-affected environments. Moreover, the PFAM comparative analysis highlights the presence of the important domain SOSS complex subunit C in
, which is missing in all other studied species of
. This complex consists of a few subunits (A, B, C) working together to maintain the genome stability (i.e., promoting the reparation of DNA under stress). We propose that this domain could play a role in maintaining the fitness and survival of this species in the desert environment. The present study will pave the way for future research to identify the genes that were gained or lost in this species and identify which of these were key factors to its adaptation to the harsh desert environment.
Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSDs) are a group of central nervous system autoimmune diseases characterized by similar clinical manifestations, optic neuritis, and transverse myelitis ...being the most frequent among them. In most cases, the pathogenesis of NMOSDs is associated with autoantibodies to aquaporin-4 (AQP4-IgG). However, AQP4-IgG is not detected in at least 10-20% of patients with NMOSDs. In this subgroup and in patients with isolated transverse myelitis or optic neuritis, IgG antibodies to myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG-IgG) were detected. Patients seronegative for both AQP4-IgG and MOG-IgG have also been described.
Objective
: to evaluate rituximab (RTX) effectiveness in preventing relapses and disability in patients with NMOSDs.
Patients and methods
. The study included 27 patients with NMOSDs (9 men and 18 women) aged 20-51 years who received RTX in 2019-2021. The treatment protocol included intravenous infusions of 1000 mg of RTX on the 1
st
and 15
th
days, the second and subsequent courses (maintenance therapy) - intravenous infusions of 1000 mg of RTX once every six months. Treatment effectiveness was assessed by the average annualized relapse rate, the median changes of the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS), and based on the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) changes.
Results and discussion
. The annualized relapse rate at baseline and 18 months after the start of treatment was: all patients (n=27) — 0.6±0.3 and 0.07±0.27(p<0.0001); AQP4-IgG+ patients (n=6) — 1.1±0.9 and 0.17±0.41 (p=0.028); MOG-IgG+ patients (n=14) — 0.4±0.3 and 0.07±0.28(p=0.001); AQP4-IgG-, MOG-IgG-patients (n=7) — 0.8±0.4 and 0.0±0.0 (p=0.018). The EDSSscore at baseline and 18months after the start of treatment was: all patients — 4.5 3.25; 6.0 and 4.0 3.0; 5.75 (p=0.679); AQP4-IgG+ — 3.5 2.625; 4.75 and 3.5 2.5; 4.5 (p=0.869); MOG-IgG+ - 5.53.75; 6.5 and 5.52.75; 6.25 (p=0.465); AQP4-IgG-, MOG-IgG- - 4.03.75; 5.25 and 3.53.0; 3.5 (p=0.043). We observed two clinical relapses during the study period: one in an AQP4-IgG+ male and another one in a MOG-IgG+ woman. There was a significant decrease in the annualized relapse rate in all groups. The disability indicator did not increase during the study period, and in AQP4-IgG and MOG-IgG seronegative patients, it slightly but significantly decreased. Brain and spinal cord MRI monitoring during the treatment period revealed new active foci only in two patients with clinical relapses.
Conclusion
. RTX treatment in NMOSDs is reasonably efficient and safe, but with the obligatory prior patient evaluation and monitoring of treatment results.
Abstract
We present the results of the aberration correction of laser radiation wavefront using a dynamic method for determining the reference wavefront. The method, which is based on the processing ...of synchronously obtained data on the near- and far-field zones, significantly improves the focusing quality with active wavefront correction, especially under conditions of dynamic aberrations. An increase in the Strehl number
S
from 0.7 to 0.86 is demonstrated when a beam 18 cm in diameter is focused by an
F
/2.5 parabolic mirror.
We present the results of studying experimentally the expansion of laser plasma in a strong external magnetic field (with a magnetic flux density of 13.5 T) at various sizes of the region of plasma ...formation on the surface of a solid-state target. It is shown that when the size of the plasma formation region is smaller than the classical plasma braking radius, a nearly identical topology of plasma flows is observed, which is characterized by the formation of a thin plasma sheet directed along the external magnetic field. If the width of the plasma formation region is comparable with the classical plasma braking radius, an additional plasma sheet starts to be formed.
The results of the operation of a wavefront correction system based on a deformable bimorph mirror of the PEARL subpetawatt laser facility are presented. An improvement in the quality of focusing of ...laser radiation, which led to an increase in the Strehl ratio from 0.3 to 0.6, is demonstrated. The features of the compensation for phase distortions of the wavefront in the case of a low pulse repetition rate, as well as the correct allowance for the noise of the CCD camera when calculating the Strehl ratio are investigated.
Laser wakefield acceleration of electrons is studied experimentally in the strongly mismatched regime. Up to 20 J, 60 fs laser pulses are focussed at the input of a gas cell with the f/46 focussing ...system. The resulting 44 µm focal spot at the cell entrance is about two times greater than the matched spot size. Experimental results are supported by 3D particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations of the laser-plasma dynamics as well as by numerical simulations of the gas distribution inside the gas cell. Special attention is paid to the accuracy of spectra reconstruction affected by low pointing stability of the accelerated electron beam. It is demonstrated experimentally that the electron energy in the mismatched regime can be higher than that in the matched one and can reach GeV level for the used laser parameters.
Using the KEDR detector at the VEPP-4M e+e− collider, we have determined the values of R at thirteen points of the center-of-mass energy between 1.84 and 3.05 GeV. The achieved accuracy is about or ...better than 3.9% at most of the energy points with a systematic uncertainty less than 2.4%.
Using the KEDR detector at the VEPP-4M e+e− collider, we have measured the values of Ruds and R at seven points of the center-of-mass energy between 3.12 and 3.72 GeV. The total achieved accuracy is ...about or better than 3.3% at most of energy points with a systematic uncertainty of about 2.1%. At the moment it is the most accurate measurement of R(s) in this energy range.
We present the first experimental results obtained with a setup created on the basis of the PEARL laser facility for studying the processes of generating terahertz radiation from laser wake fields ...which are formed during the propagation of a high-power femtosecond laser pulse in a rarefied plasma. In particular, the occurrence of terahertz generation in the case where the laser–plasma interaction region is located between a pair of dielectric prisms of total internal reflection is demonstrated. The dependence of the terahertz radiation energy on the energy of a femtosecond laser pulse and on the plasma density is studied.
Measurement of Γee(J/ψ) with KEDR detector Anashin, V. V; Aulchenko, V. M; Baldin, E. M ...
The journal of high energy physics,
05/2018, Letnik:
2018, Številka:
5
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
A
bstract
The product of the electronic width of the
J/ψ
meson and the branching fractions of its decay to hadrons and electrons has been measured using the KEDR detector at the VEPP-4M
e
+
e
−
...collider. The obtained values are
Γ
e
e
J
/
ψ
=
5.550
±
0.056
±
0.089
keV
,
Γ
e
e
J
/
ψ
·
ℬ
hadrons
J
/
ψ
=
4.884
±
0.048
±
0.078
keV
,
Γ
e
e
J
/
ψ
·
ℬ
e
e
J
/
ψ
=
0.3331
±
0.0066
±
0.0040
keV
.
The uncertainties shown are statistical and systematic, respectively. Using the result presented and the world-average value of the electronic branching fraction, one obtains the total width of the
J/ψ
meson:
Γ
=
92.94
±
1.83
keV
.
These results are consistent with the previous experiments.
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