In 2014, the Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to three scientists who have made groundbreaking contributions to the field of superresolution (SR) microscopy (SRM). The first commercial SR ...microscope came to market a decade earlier, and many other commercial options have followed. As commercialization has lowered the barrier to using SRM and the awarding of the Nobel Prize has drawn attention to these methods, biologists have begun adopting SRM to address a wide range of questions in many types of specimens. There is no shortage of reviews on the fundamental principles of SRM and the remarkable achievements made with these methods. We approach SRM from another direction: we focus on the current practical limitations and compromises that must be made when designing an SRM experiment. We provide information and resources to help biologists navigate through common pitfalls in SRM specimen preparation and optimization of image acquisition as well as errors and artifacts that may compromise the reproducibility of SRM data.
A substructure is required for an implant-supported fixed complete denture that is sufficiently strong and supportive to function reliably. A novel prefabricated modular system that allows for the ...analog generation of a passively fitting, supportive, titanium framework for a 4-implant fixed complete denture is described. The process allows the delivery of an immediate, definitive prosthesis on the same or the next day.
The European Space Agency's Ozone Climate Change Initiative (O3‐CCI) project aims at producing and validating a number of high‐quality ozone data products generated from different satellite sensors. ...For total ozone, the O3‐CCI approach consists of minimizing sources of bias and systematic uncertainties by applying a common retrieval algorithm to all level 1 data sets, in order to enhance the consistency between the level 2 data sets from individual sensors. Here we present the evaluation of the total ozone products from the European sensors Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment (GOME)/ERS‐2, SCIAMACHY/Envisat, and GOME‐2/MetOp‐A produced with the GOME‐type Direct FITting (GODFIT) algorithm v3. Measurements from the three sensors span more than 16 years, from 1996 to 2012. In this work, we present the latest O3‐CCI total ozone validation results using as reference ground‐based measurements from Brewer and Dobson spectrophotometers archived at the World Ozone and UV Data Centre of the World Meteorological Organization as well as from UV‐visible differential optical absorption spectroscopy (DOAS)/Système D′Analyse par Observations Zénithales (SAOZ) instruments from the Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Composition Change. In particular, we investigate possible dependencies in these new GODFIT v3 total ozone data sets with respect to latitude, season, solar zenith angle, and different cloud parameters, using the most adequate type of ground‐based instrument. We show that these three O3‐CCI total ozone data products behave very similarly and are less sensitive to instrumental degradation, mainly as a result of the new reflectance soft‐calibration scheme. The mean bias to the ground‐based observations is found to be within the 1 ± 1% level for all three sensors while the near‐zero decadal stability of the total ozone columns (TOCs) provided by the three European instruments falls well within the 1–3% requirement of the European Space Agency's Ozone Climate Change Initiative project.
Key Points
Validation of Ozone‐CCI total ozone products from GOME/ERS‐2, SCIAMACHY/Envisat, and GOME‐2/MetOpA
The Ozone‐CCI total ozone data behave similarly and are less sensitive to instrumental degradation
The decadal stability of the TOCs falls well within the 1–3% requirement
The m.3243A > G mutation has become known as the MELAS mutation. However, many other clinical phenotypes associated with this mutation have been described, most frequently being maternally inherited ...diabetes and deafness (MIDD). The m.3243A > G mutation, can be detected in virtually all tissues, however heteroplasmy differs between samples. Recent reports indicate, a preference to perform mutation analysis in urinary epithelial cells (UEC). To test this, and to study a correlation between the mutational load in different tissues with two mitochondrial scoring systems (NMDAS and NPMDS) we investigated 34 families carrying the m.3243A > G mutation. Heteroplasmy was determined in three non-invasively collected samples, namely leucocytes, UEC and buccal mucosa. We included 127 patients, of which 82 carried the m.3243A > G mutation. None of the children (n = 11) had specific complaints. In adults (n = 71), a median NMDAS score of 15 (IQR 10-24) was found. The most prevalent symptoms were hearing loss(48%), gastro-intestinal problems(42%), exercise intolerance(38%) and glucose intolerance(37%). Ten patients had neurologic involvement. Buccal mucosa had the best correlation with the NMDAS in all adults (r = 0.437,p < 0.001), whereas UEC had the strongest correlation with the NMDAS in severely affected patients (r = 0.593,p = 0.002). Heteroplasmy declined significantly with increasing age in all three samples (leucocytes r = -0.705 (p < 0.001), UEC r = -0.374(p = 0.001), buccal mucosa r = -0.460(p < 0.001). In our cohort of 82 patients, the m.3243A > G mutation causes a wide variety of signs and symptoms, MIDD being far more prevalent than MELAS. Looking at the characteristics of the three non-invasively available tissues for testing heteroplasmy we confirm that UEC are the preferred sample to test.
Lipid droplets (LDs) originate from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) to store triacylglycerol (TG) and cholesterol esters. The ER protein seipin was shown to localize to ER-LD contacts soon after LDs ...form, but what determines the sites of initial LD biogenesis in the ER is unknown. Here, we identify TMEM159, now re-named lipid droplet assembly factor 1 (LDAF1), as an interaction partner of seipin. Together, LDAF1 and seipin form an ∼600 kDa oligomeric complex that copurifies with TG. LDs form at LDAF1-seipin complexes, and re-localization of LDAF1 to the plasma membrane co-recruits seipin and redirects LD formation to these sites. Once LDs form, LDAF1 dissociates from seipin and moves to the LD surface. In the absence of LDAF1, LDs form only at significantly higher cellular TG concentrations. Our data suggest that the LDAF1-seipin complex is the core protein machinery that facilitates LD biogenesis and determines the sites of their formation in the ER.
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•LDAF1 and seipin form an ∼600 kDa oligomeric complex in the ER bilayer•The LDAF1-seipin complex determines the sites of lipid droplet formation in the ER•LDAF1 dissociates from seipin and moves to the growing lipid droplet surface•LDAF1 facilitates lipid droplet formation at low ER triglyceride concentration
Chung et al. identify and characterize an oligomeric LDAF1-seipin protein complex in the endoplasmic reticulum that determines the sites of lipid droplet formation. This complex appears to promote phase separation of triglyceride neutral lipids within the complex, thus defining the sites of lipid droplet formation.
Abstract
Recently, there has been considerable interest in the application of information geometry to quantum many body physics. This interest has been driven by three separate lines of research, ...which can all be understood as different facets of quantum information geometry. First, the study of topological phases of matter characterized by Chern number is rooted in the symplectic structure of the quantum state space, known in the physics literature as Berry curvature. Second, in the study of quantum phase transitions, the fidelity susceptibility has gained prominence as a universal probe of quantum criticality, even for systems that lack an obviously discernible order parameter. Finally, the study of quantum Fisher information in many body systems has seen a surge of interest due to its role as a witness of genuine multipartite entanglement and owing to its utility as a quantifier of quantum resources, in particular those useful in quantum sensing. Rather than a thorough review, our aim is to connect key results within a common conceptual framework that may serve as an introductory guide to the extensive breadth of applications, and deep mathematical roots, of quantum information geometry, with an intended audience of researchers in quantum many body and condensed matter physics.
Objective
The study examines the associations between two distinct forms of workplace flexibility—flexible schedules and working at home—and workers' well‐being, with special attention to the ...distinct reasons for working at home and gender differences.
Background
Workplace flexibility can be a key resource to manage work and family responsibilities. However, there are gaps in knowledge regarding the types of flexibility that provide either a benefit or disadvantage for workers. In particular, insufficient attention has been paid to different reasons employees have for working at home and their implications.
Method
Using the General Social Survey, we created a pooled sample across the four waves of data (2002, 2006, 2010, and 2014, N = 6,945). Workers' well‐being was measured with job satisfaction, job stress, daily fatigue, and work‐to‐family conflict. Multivariate regression analysis and several sensitivity tests were conducted.
Results
The study found benefits of flexible schedules for work‐related well‐being. Working at home as part of one's job had some benefits, but working at home to catch up on work had consistent disadvantages for worker well‐being. Moreover, the ability to adjust start and end times of work and working at home to catch up on work were associated with elevated work‐to‐family conflict, particularly for female workers.
Conclusion
The findings suggest the potential advantages and unintended consequences of different flexibility arrangements for workers, and these implications may differ by gender.
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