Molecular Picture of the Transient Nature of Lipid Rafts.

In biological membranes, lipid rafts are now thought to be transient and nanoscopic. However, the mechanism responsible for these nanoscopic assemblies remains poorly understood, even in the case of model membranes. As a result, it has proven extremely challenging to probe the physicochemical properties of lipid rafts at the molecular level.

Functional lipid pairs as building blocks of phase-separated membranes.

Biological membranes exhibit a great deal of compositional and phase heterogeneity due to hundreds of chemically distinct components. As a result, phase separation processes in cell membranes are extremely difficult to study, especially at the molecular level. It is currently believed that the lateral membrane heterogeneity and the formation of domains, or rafts, are driven by lipid-lipid and lipid-protein interactions.

Emergent Optical Phononic Modes upon Nanoscale Mesogenic Phase Transitions.

The investigation of phononic collective excitations in soft matter systems at the molecular scale has always been challenging due to limitations of experimental techniques in resolving low-energy modes. Recent advances in inelastic X-ray scattering (IXS) enabled the study of such systems with unprecedented spectral contrast at meV excitation energies. In particular, it has become possible to shed light on the low-energy collective motions in materials whose morphology and phase behavior can easily be manipulated, such as mesogenic systems.

Ultrahigh energy resolution focusing monochromator for inelastic x-ray scattering spectrometer.

A further development of a focusing monochromator concept for X-ray energy resolution of 0.1 meV and below is presented. Theoretical analysis of several optical layouts based on this concept was supported by numerical simulations performed in the "Synchrotron Radiation Workshop" software package using the physical-optics approach and careful modeling of partially-coherent synchrotron (undulator) radiation.

Performance of a collimating L-shaped laterally graded multilayer mirror for the IXS analyzer system at NSLS-II.

The L-shaped laterally graded multilayer mirror is a vital part of the ultrahigh-energy and momentum-resolution inelastic X-ray scattering spectrometer at the National Synchrotron Light Source II. This mirror was designed and implemented as a two-dimensional collimating optic for the analyzer system. Its performance was characterized using a secondary large-divergence source at the 30-ID beamline of the Advanced Photon Source, which yielded an integrated reflectivity of 47% and a collimated beam divergence of 78 µrad with a source size of 10 µm.

The landscape of Y chromosome polymorphisms in Russia.

Background: The pattern of diversity for the Y chromosome provides a view of male-driven processes of dispersal and settlement. By virtue of the broad geographic continuity, the genetic signature of movements from Asia to Europe can be detected in populations of north-eastern Europe.

Aim: To directly test previous hypotheses on the peopling of Russia, by considering a broader spectrum of potential diversity.