Relating a gluon mass scale to an infrared fixed point in pure gauge QCD

The condition for the global minimum of the vacuum energy for a non-Abelian gauge theory with a dynamically generated gauge boson mass scale which implies the existence of a nontrivial IR fixed point of the theory was shown. Thus, this vacuum energy depends on the dynamical masses through the nonperturbative propagators of the theory. The results show that the freezing of the QCD coupling constant observed in the calculations can be a natural consequence of the onset of a gluon mass scale, giving strong support to their claim.

Cellular and molecular mechanisms of apoptosis in skeletal muscle atrophy

Apoptosis is necessary for maintaining the integrity of proliferative tissues, such as epithelial cells of the gastrointestinal and integumentary systems. The role of apoptosis in post-mitotic tissues, such as skeletal muscle, is less well defined, but several lines of evidence suggest that it occurs in both myofiber and other interstitial muscle cell types. Apoptosis of myonuclei likely contributes to the loss of muscle mass, but the mechanisms underlying this process are largely unknown. Caspase-dependent as well as caspase-independent pathways have been implicated, and the mode by which atrophy is induced likely determines the apoptotic mechanisms that are utilized. It remains to be determined whether a decrease in apoptosis will alleviate atrophy and distinct research strategies may be required to clarify the different causes of skeletal muscle mass loss. In this review, it was also speculated that apoptosis is a normal regulatory process that the myofiber can use to reduce the number of nuclear domains, thus ensuring optimal cell functions according to the mechanical load imposed on the muscle. ©FUNPEC-RP.

The use of molecular spectra simulation for diagnostics of reactive flows

The C 2 * radical is used as a system probe tool to the reactive flow diagnostic, and it was chosen due to its large occurrence in plasma and combustion in aeronautics and aerospace applications. The rotational temperatures of C 2 * species were determined by the comparison between experimental and theoretical data. The simulation code was developed by the authors, using C++ language and the object oriented paradigm, and it includes a set of new tools that increase the efficacy of the C 2 * probe to determine the rotational temperature of the system. A brute force approach for the determination of spectral parameters was adopted in this version of the computer code. The statistical parameter c 2 was used as an objective criterion to determine the better match of experimental and synthesized spectra. The results showed that the program works even with low-quality experimental data, typically collected from in situ airborne compact apparatus. The technique was applied to flames of a Bunsen burner, and the rotational temperature of ca. 2100 K was calculated.

Mass-imbalanced three-body systems in two dimensions

We consider three-body systems in two dimensions with zero-range interactions for general masses and interaction strengths. The momentum-space Schrödinger equation is solved numerically and in the Born-Oppenheimer (BO) approximation. The BO expression is derived using separable potentials and yields a concise adiabatic potential between the two heavy particles. The BO potential is Coulomb-like and exponentially decreasing at small and large distances, respectively. While we find similar qualitative features to previous studies, we find important quantitative differences. Our results demonstrate that mass-imbalanced systems that are accessible in the field of ultracold atomic gases can have a rich three-body bound state spectrum in two-dimensional geometries. Small light-heavy mass ratios increase the number of bound states. For 87Rb-87Rb-6Li and 133Cs- 133Cs-6Li we find respectively three and four bound states. © 2013 IOP Publishing Ltd.

Optimal single-embryo mass spectrometry fingerprinting

In pre-implantation embryos, lipids play key roles in determining viability, cryopreservation and implantation properties, but often their analysis is analytically challenging because of the few picograms of analytes present in each of them. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) allows obtaining individual phospholipid profiles of these microscopic organisms. This technique is sensitive enough to enable analysis of individual intact embryos and monitoring the changes in membrane lipid composition in the early stages of development serving as screening method for studies of biology and biotechnologies of reproduction. This article introduces an improved, more comprehensive MALDI-MS lipid fingerprinting approach that considerably increases the lipid information obtained from a single embryo. Using bovine embryos as a biological model, we have also tested optimal sample storage and handling conditions before the MALDI-MS analysis. Improved information at the molecular level is provided by the use of a binary matrix that enables phosphatidylcholines, sphingomyelins, phosphatidylserines, phosphatidylinositols and phosphoethanolamines to be detected via MALDI(±)-MS in both the positive and negative ion modes. An optimal MALDI-MS protocol for lipidomic monitoring of a single intact embryo is therefore reported with potential applications in human and animal reproduction, cell development and stem cell research. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Elucidation of carbohydrate molecular interaction mechanism of recombinant and native ArtinM

The quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) technique has been applied for monitoring the biorecognition of ArtinM lectins at low horseradish peroxidase glycoprotein (HRP) concentrations, using a simple kinetic model based on Langmuir isotherm in previous work.18 The latter approach was consistent with the data at dilute conditions but it fails to explain the small differences existing in the jArtinM and rArtinM due to ligand binding concentration limit. Here we extend this analysis to differentiate sugar-binding event of recombinant (rArtinM) and native (jArtinM) ArtinM lectins beyond dilute conditions. Equivalently, functionalized quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D) was used as real-time label-free technique but structural-dependent kinetic features of the interaction were detailed by using combined analysis of mass and dissipation factor variation. The stated kinetic model not only was able to predict the diluted conditions but also allowed to differentiate ArtinM avidities. For instance, it was found that rArtinM avidity is higher than jArtinM avidity whereas their conformational flexibility is lower. Additionally, it was possible to monitor the hydration shell of the binding complex with ArtinM lectins under dynamic conditions. Such information is key in understanding and differentiating protein binding avidity, biological functionality, and kinetics. © 2013 American Chemical Society.

Tunelamento quântico molecular: efeito de acoplamentos no malonaldeído

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Caracterização morfológica, bioquímica e molecular do músculo esquelético sóleo de ratos espontaneamente hipertensos com insuficiência cardíaca

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Fabricação e caracterização de filmes finos de perileno: arquitetura molecular e aplicações sensoriais

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Caracterização molecular de proteínas que compõem o complexo spliceosomal em tripanosomatídeos

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Reconstruction of molecular networks involved in citokine-induced myotubes atrophy integrating microRNA and mRNA expression

Pós-graduação em Ciências Biológicas (Genética) - IBB

Molecular Identification of Nocardia Isolates from Clinical Samples and an Overview of Human Nocardiosis in Brazil

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Structural and functional characterization of the chaperone Hsp70 from sugarcane. Insights into conformational changes during cycling from cross-linking/mass spectrometry assays

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Complexes of platinum and palladium with beta-diketones and DMSO: Synthesis, characterization, molecular modeling, and biological studies

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization-Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry for Differentiation of the Dimorphic Fungal Species Paracoccidioides brasiliensis and Paracoccidioides lutzii

Isolates of Paracoccidioides brasiliensis and Paracoccidioides lutzii, previously characterized by molecular techniques, were identified for the first time by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). All isolates were correctly identified, with log score values of >2.0. Thus, MALDI-TOF MS is a new tool for differentiating species of the genus Paracoccidioides.