We describe the synthesis of optical modes whose axial structure follows a random tandem array of Bessel beams of integer order. The array follows fluctuations of Markov-chain type and the amplitude ...values for each beam are linked to a sequence of random vectors. As a prototype, we describe the synthesis of optical fields for Markov-chain type Ehrenfest. This process models the thermodynamic equilibrium and then it can be related to the evolution and stability of optical systems, in this way, it offers a similitude with partially coherent processes where the coherence degree is now distributed between all the compounds of the resulting random vector. The matrix representation for the stochastic process allows incorporating entropy properties and the calculus of the purity for the optical field. This constitutes the basis to describe the interference between markovian modes. When the set of markovian modes type Ehrenfest reaches a stable configuration they become indistinguishability non-conservative optical field having associated hysteresis features. Computer simulations are presented.
Polyamines (Pas) are short molecules that exhibit two or three amine groups that are positively charged at a physiological pH. These small molecules are present in high concentrations in a wide ...variety of organisms and tissues, suggesting that they play an important role in cellular physiology. Polyamines include spermine, spermidine, and putrescine, which play important roles in age-related diseases that have not been completely elucidated. Aging is a natural process, defined as the time-related deterioration of the physiological functions; it is considered a risk factor for degenerative diseases such as cardiovascular, neurodegenerative, and musculoskeletal diseases; arthritis; and even cancer. In this review, we provide a new perspective on the participation of Pas in the cellular and molecular processes related to age-related diseases, focusing our attention on important degenerative diseases such as Alzheimerߣs disease, Parkinsonߣs disease, osteoarthritis, sarcopenia, and osteoporosis. This new perspective leads us to propose that Pas function as novel biomarkers for age-related diseases, with the main purpose of achieving new molecular alternatives for healthier aging.
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•Ni/(Al)SBA-15 catalysts were prepared using Ni(EDTA)2− complex and nickel nitrate.•Prepared catalysts were tested in the hydrogenation of naphthalene.•Effect of Ni size and ...catalyst’s acidity on activity and selectivity was studied.•Ni/AlSBA-15 catalyst prepared from a Ni:EDTA complex showed the highest TOF value.•Catalysts prepared from Ni(NO3)2 were selective to tetralin and prepared from Ni:EDTA to decalins.
The hydrogenation of naphthalene was performed with nickel catalysts (4 wt. % of Ni) supported on SBA-15 and Al-SBA-15 in order to evaluate the effect of the support’s acidity on the activity and selectivity of the catalysts. The incorporation of aluminum into the SBA-15 support was performed during the hydrothermal synthesis of the material with the aim to reach the isomorphic substitution of Si4+ by Al3+ leading to the generation of Brönsted acid sites. Two different precursors (nickel nitrate and a Ni:EDTA complex) were used for the preparation of the catalysts on each support. Catalysts were characterized by nitrogen physisorption, powder X-ray diffraction, temperature programmed reduction, temperature programmed desorption of ammonia, scanning and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. The Al-SBA-15 support was characterized by solid state 27Al MAS-NMR. The results showed that the intrinsic activity of the catalysts (TOF) increased when the Al-SBA-15 support and the Ni:EDTA complex were used in the catalyst’s preparation. The catalysts prepared using the Ni:EDTA complex showed high selectivity to decalins and higher proportion of trans-decalin in the products than the catalysts prepared with nickel nitrate, which was attributed to a higher dispersion of the metallic Ni species and the larger total amount of acid sites.
GEMS is an IRAM 30m Large Program whose aim is determining the elemental depletions and the ionization fraction in a set of prototypical star-forming regions. This paper presents the first results ...from the prototypical dark cloud TMC 1. Extensive millimeter observations have been carried out with the IRAM 30m telescope (3 mm and 2 mm) and the 40m Yebes telescope (1.3 cm and 7 mm) to determine the fractional abundances of CO, HCO
, HCN, CS, SO, HCS
, and N
H
in three cuts which intersect the dense filament at the well-known positions TMC 1-CP, TMC 1-NH3, and TMC 1-C, covering a visual extinction range from A
~ 3 to ~20 mag. Two phases with differentiated chemistry can be distinguished: i) the translucent envelope with molecular hydrogen densities of 1-5×10
cm
; and ii) the dense phase, located at A
> 10 mag, with molecular hydrogen densities >10
cm
. Observations and modeling show that the gas phase abundances of C and O progressively decrease along the C
/C/CO transition zone (A
~ 3 mag) where C/H ~ 8×10
and C/O~0.8-1, until the beginning of the dense phase at A
~ 10 mag. This is consistent with the grain temperatures being below the CO evaporation temperature in this region. In the case of sulfur, a strong depletion should occur before the translucent phase where we estimate a S/H ~ (0.4 - 2.2) ×10
, an abundance ~7-40 times lower than the solar value. A second strong depletion must be present during the formation of the thick icy mantles to achieve the values of S/H measured in the dense cold cores (S/H ~8×10
). Based on our chemical modeling, we constrain the value of
to ~ (0.5 - 1.8) ×10
s
in the translucent cloud.
Background Germline variants affecting the proofreading activity of polymerases epsilon and delta cause a hereditary cancer and adenomatous polyposis syndrome characterized by tumors with a high ...mutational burden and a specific mutational spectrum. In addition to the implementation of multiple pieces of evidence for the classification of gene variants, POLE and POLD1 variant classification is particularly challenging given that non-disruptive variants affecting the proofreading activity of the corresponding polymerase are the ones associated with cancer. In response to an evident need in the field, we have developed gene-specific variant classification recommendations, based on the ACMG/AMP (American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics/Association for Molecular Pathology) criteria, for the assessment of non-disruptive variants located in the sequence coding for the exonuclease domain of the polymerases. Methods A training set of 23 variants considered pathogenic or benign was used to define the usability and strength of the ACMG/AMP criteria. Population frequencies, computational predictions, co-segregation data, phenotypic and tumor data, and functional results, among other features, were considered. Results Gene-specific variant classification recommendations for non-disruptive variants located in the exonuclease domain of POLE and POLD1 were defined. The resulting recommendations were applied to 128 exonuclease domain variants reported in the literature and/or public databases. A total of 17 variants were classified as pathogenic or likely pathogenic, and 17 as benign or likely benign. Conclusions Our recommendations, with room for improvement in the coming years as more information become available on carrier families, tumor molecular characteristics and functional assays, are intended to serve the clinical and scientific communities and help improve diagnostic performance, avoiding variant misclassifications. Keywords: Polymerase proofreading-associated polyposis, PPAP, Polymerase epsilon, Polymerase delta, Proofreading deficiency, Mutational signatures, Variant classification, Hereditary cancer
CONTEXTSulphur is one of the most abundant elements in the Universe. Surprisingly, sulphuretted molecules are not as abundant as expected in the interstellar medium and the identity of the main ...sulphur reservoir is still an open question.AIMSOur goal is to investigate the H2S chemistry in dark clouds, as this stable molecule is a potential sulphur reservoir.METHODSUsing millimeter observations of CS, SO, H2S, and their isotopologues, we determine the physical conditions and H2S abundances along the cores TMC 1-C, TMC 1-CP, and Barnard 1b. The gas-grain model Nautilus is used to model the sulphur chemistry and explore the impact of photo-desorption and chemical desorption on the H2S abundance.RESULTSOur modeling shows that chemical desorption is the main source of gas-phase H2S in dark cores. The measured H2S abundance can only be fitted if we assume that the chemical desorption rate decreases by more than a factor of 10 when n H > 2 × 104. This change in the desorption rate is consistent with the formation of thick H2O and CO ice mantles on grain surfaces. The observed SO and H2S abundances are in good agreement with our predictions adopting an undepleted value of the sulphur abundance. However, the CS abundance is overestimated by a factor of 5 - 10. Along the three cores, atomic S is predicted to be the main sulphur reservoir.CONCLUSIONSThe gaseous H2S abundance is well reproduced, assuming undepleted sulphur abundance and chemical desorption as the main source of H2S. The behavior of the observed H2S abundance suggests a changing desorption efficiency, which would probe the snowline in these cold cores. Our model, however, highly overestimates the observed gas-phase CS abundance. Given the uncertainty in the sulphur chemistry, we can only conclude that our data are consistent with a cosmic elemental S abundance with an uncertainty of a factor of 10.
Background and Aims
Wild grapevine, considered the ancestor relative of cultivated vines, has a large gene pool that is currently endangered in Europe. These plants can contribute to improving ...adaptation capacity to stresses due to climate change. The aim of this study was to evaluate the key ampelographic traits to identify true wild individuals supporting the preservation and use of wild populations.
Methods and Results
Prospections performed since 2002 enabled the inventory of 51 localities with wild grapevines, most of which were located along Spanish riverbank forests. A morphological study of 192 individuals grafted in the grapevine collection of El Encín (Alcalá de Henares, Spain) was carried out ex situ, and results were compared with data from 182 Spanish commercial cultivars grown in the same collection. Wild individuals presented morphological differences with cultivars, but only a few significant differences were found within wild individuals when comparing their geographic origin and plant sex. Ten morphological traits were relevant to discriminate wild and cultivated specimens.
Conclusions
Ampelography, supported by previous molecular screening, is recommended to identify wild grape plants, although it is not advisable to establish relationships among wild genotypes by geographical location or gender.
Significance of the Study
Results are expected to contribute to improved discovery, preservation and use of this important phytogenetic resource.
Current antidiabetic drugs have severe side effects, which may be minimized by new selective molecules that strongly inhibit α-glucosidase and weakly inhibit α-amylase. We have synthesized novel ...alkoxy-substituted xanthones and imidazole-substituted xanthones and have evaluated them for their in silico and in vitro α-glucosidase and α-amylase inhibition activity. Compounds
, and
promoted higher α-glucosidase inhibition (IC
= 16.0, 12.8, and 4.0 µM, respectively) and lower α-amylase inhibition (IC
= 76.7, 68.1, and >200 µM, respectively) compared to acarbose (IC
= 306.7 µM for α-glucosidase and 20.0 µM for α-amylase). Contrarily, derivatives
and
showed higher α-amylase inhibition (IC
= 5.4 and 8.7 µM, respectively) and lower α-glucosidase inhibition (IC
= 232.7 and 145.2 µM, respectively). According to the structure-activity relationship, attaching 4-bromobutoxy or 4'-chlorophenylacetophenone moieties to the 2-hydroxy group of xanthone provides higher α-glucosidase inhibition and lower α-amylase inhibition. In silico studies suggest that these scaffolds are key in the activity and interaction of xanthone derivatives. Enzymatic kinetics studies showed that
,
, and
are mainly mixed inhibitors on α-glucosidase and α-amylase. In addition, drug prediction and ADMET studies support that compounds
,
, and
are candidates with antidiabetic potential.