Features of the Energy Spectrum of Cosmic Rays above 2.5×10^{18} eV Using the Pierre Auger Observatory.

We report a measurement of the energy spectrum of cosmic rays above 2.5×10^{18}  eV based on 215 030 events. New results are presented: at about 1.

Circular oligomerization is an intrinsic property of synaptotagmin.

Previously, we showed that synaptotagmin1 (Syt1) forms Ca-sensitive ring-like oligomers on membranes containing acidic lipids and proposed a potential role in regulating neurotransmitter release (Zanetti et al., 2016). Here, we report that Syt1 assembles into similar ring-like oligomers in solution when triggered by naturally occurring polyphosphates (PIP2 and ATP) and magnesium ions (Mg).

The importance of functional tests to assess the effect of a new variant when genotype-phenotype correlation is not possible.

In vitro functional tests aimed to investigate CFTR dysfunction appear critical to help elucidate the functional impact of new variants of uncertain clinical significance and solve inconclusive cases, especially in early deceased newborns.

First Direct-Detection Constraints on eV-Scale Hidden-Photon Dark Matter with DAMIC at SNOLAB.

We present direct detection constraints on the absorption of hidden-photon dark matter with particle masses in the range 1.2-30  eV c^{-2} with the DAMIC experiment at SNOLAB. Under the assumption that the local dark matter is entirely constituted of hidden photons, the sensitivity to the kinetic mixing parameter κ is competitive with constraints from solar emission, reaching a minimum value of 2.

Testing Hadronic Interactions at Ultrahigh Energies with Air Showers Measured by the Pierre Auger Observatory.

Ultrahigh energy cosmic ray air showers probe particle physics at energies beyond the reach of accelerators. Here we introduce a new method to test hadronic interaction models without relying on the absolute energy calibration, and apply it to events with primary energy 6-16 EeV (E_{CM}=110-170  TeV), whose longitudinal development and lateral distribution were simultaneously measured by the Pierre Auger Observatory. The average hadronic shower is 1.

Measurement of the Radiation Energy in the Radio Signal of Extensive Air Showers as a Universal Estimator of Cosmic-Ray Energy.

We measure the energy emitted by extensive air showers in the form of radio emission in the frequency range from 30 to 80 MHz. Exploiting the accurate energy scale of the Pierre Auger Observatory, we obtain a radiation energy of 15.8±0.

Search for patterns by combining cosmic-ray energy and arrival directions at the Pierre Auger Observatory.

Energy-dependent patterns in the arrival directions of cosmic rays are searched for using data of the Pierre Auger Observatory. We investigate local regions around the highest-energy cosmic rays with [Formula: see text] eV by analyzing cosmic rays with energies above [Formula: see text] eV arriving within an angular separation of approximately 15[Formula: see text]. We characterize the energy distributions inside these regions by two independent methods, one searching for angular dependence of energy-energy correlations and one searching for collimation of energy along the local system of principal axes of the energy distribution.

Calcium sensitive ring-like oligomers formed by synaptotagmin.

The synaptic vesicle protein synaptotagmin-1 (SYT) is required to couple calcium influx to the membrane fusion machinery. However, the structural mechanism underlying this process is unclear. Here we report an unexpected circular arrangement (ring) of SYT's cytosolic domain (C2AB) formed on lipid monolayers in the absence of free calcium ions as revealed by electron microscopy.

Interfacial pressure and phospholipid density at emulsion droplet interface using fluorescence microscopy.

Phospholipids are widely used to stabilize oil in water micron size emulsion droplets; the interfacial phospholipid density and tension of such droplets are difficult to estimate. In the present paper, we describe a simple approach by which the measurement of a micron size oil droplet interface fluorescence intensity provides directly both the interfacial phospholipid density and the interfacial tension. This method relies on two prior calibration steps: (i) the quantitative variation of the interfacial tension with fluorescence intensity at droplets interface through micro-manipulation techniques; (ii) the variation of interfacial tension with phospholipid density through monolayer isotherm.

Effective line tension and contact angles between membrane domains in biphasic vesicles.

Inhomogeneities in membranes give rise to localized interactions at the interface between domains in two-component vesicles. The corresponding energy is expressed as a line tension between the two phases. In this paper we study the implications of the thickness mismatch between domains which has been experimentally reported to be of order 20-30% and the conditions under which the induced line tension can destabilize the domains in inhomogeneous vesicles.

Recent applications of fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) to membrane bio-macromolecules.

This review examines some recent applications of fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) to biopolymers, while mainly focusing on membrane protein studies. Initially, we discuss the lateral diffusion of membrane proteins, as measured by FRAP. Then, we talk about the use of FRAP to probe interactions between membrane proteins by obtaining fundamental information such as geometry and stoichiometry of the interacting complex.

Extracellular iron biomineralization by photoautotrophic iron-oxidizing bacteria.

Iron oxidation at neutral pH by the phototrophic anaerobic iron-oxidizing bacterium Rhodobacter sp. strain SW2 leads to the formation of iron-rich minerals. These minerals consist mainly of nano-goethite (alpha-FeOOH), which precipitates exclusively outside cells, mostly on polymer fibers emerging from the cells.

Transformation of vivianite by anaerobic nitrate-reducing iron-oxidizing bacteria.

In phosphate-rich environments, vivianite (Fe(II)(3)(PO(4))(2), 8H(2)O) is an important sink for dissolved Fe(II) and is considered as a very stable mineral due to its low solubility at neutral pH. In the present study, we report the mineralogical transformation of vivianite in cultures of the nitrate-reducing iron-oxidizing bacterial strain BoFeN1 in the presence of dissolved Fe(II). Vivianite was first transformed into a greenish phase consisting mostly of an amorphous mixed valence Fe-phosphate.

Speciation of arsenic in Euglena gracilis cells exposed to As(V).

Euglena gracilis is a photosynthetic eukaryote ubiquitous in arsenic-polluted acid mine drainages and is locally exposed to As(III) and As(V) concentrations up to 250 and 100 mg L(-1), respectively. Here, arsenic speciation in E. graciliswas determined by X-ray absorption spectroscopy and selected (bio)chemical methods on cells grown at nonlimiting phosphate concentrations.

Protein structure determination by electron cryo-microscopy.

Transmission electron cryo-microscopy (cryoEM) is a versatile tool in the structural analysis of proteins and biological macromolecular assemblies. In this review, we present a brief survey of the methods used in cryoEM, and their current developments. These latest advances provide exciting opportunities for the three-dimensional structural determination of macromolecular complexes that are either too large or too heterogeneous to be investigated by conventional X-ray crystallography or nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR).

Turning a plant tissue into a living cell froth through isotropic growth.

The forms resulting from growth processes are highly sensitive to the nature of the driving impetus, and to the local properties of the medium, in particular, its isotropy or anisotropy. In turn, these local properties can be organized by growth. Here, we consider a growing plant tissue, the shoot apical meristem of Arabidopsis thaliana.

The role of fingerprints in the coding of tactile information probed with a biomimetic sensor.

In humans, the tactile perception of fine textures (spatial scale <200 micrometers) is mediated by skin vibrations generated as the finger scans the surface. To establish the relationship between texture characteristics and subcutaneous vibrations, a biomimetic tactile sensor has been designed whose dimensions match those of the fingertip. When the sensor surface is patterned with parallel ridges mimicking the fingerprints, the spectrum of vibrations elicited by randomly textured substrates is dominated by one frequency set by the ratio of the scanning speed to the interridge distance.

Conical defects in growing sheets.

A growing or shrinking disc will adopt a conical shape, its intrinsic geometry characterized by a surplus angle phi(e) at the apex. If growth is slow, the cone will find its equilibrium. Whereas this is trivial if phi(e)0.

Sex-specific expression of SOX9 during gonadogenesis in the amphibian Xenopus tropicalis.

To investigate the role of SOX9 gene in amphibian gonadogenesis, we analyzed its expression during male and female gonadogenesis in Xenopus tropicalis. The results showed that in both sexes SOX9 mRNA and protein were first detectable after metamorphosis when the gonads were well differentiated and remained present until the adult stage. In the testis, SOX9 expression was restricted to the nucleus of Sertoli-like cells, similarly to what has been observed in other vertebrates suggesting a conserved role in vertebrate testicular differentiation.

XAS study of arsenic coordination in Euglena gracilis exposed to arsenite.

Among the few eukaryotes adapted to the extreme conditions prevailing in acid mine drainage, Euglenae are ubiquitous in these metal(loid)-impacted environments, where they can be exposed to As(III) concentrations up to a few hundreds of mg x L(-1). In order to evaluate their resistance to this toxic metalloid and to identify associated detoxification mechanisms, we investigated arsenic coordination in the model photosynthetic protozoan, Euglena gracilis, cultured at pH 3.2 and exposed to As(III) at concentrations ranging from 10 to 500 mg x L(-1).

Analyzing single-bond experiments: influence of the shape of the energy landscape and universal law between the width, depth, and force spectrum of the bond.

Experimentalists who measure the rupture force of a single molecular bond usually pull on that bond at a constant speed, keeping the loading rate r=df/dt constant. The challenge is to extract the energy landscape of the interaction between the two molecules involved from the experimental rupture force distribution under several loading rates. This analysis requires the use of a model for the shape of this energy landscape.

Calcineurin B-like domains in the large regulatory alpha/beta subunits of phosphorylase kinase.

Phosphorylase kinase (PhK) is a large hexadecameric complex that catalyzes the phosphorylation and activation of glycogen phosphorylase (GP). It consists in four copies each of a catalytic subunit (gamma) and three regulatory subunits (alpha beta delta). Delta corresponds to endogenous calmodulin, whereas little is known on the molecular architecture of the large alpha and beta subunits, which probably arose from gene duplication.

Wetting Properties of Grain Boundaries in Solid 4He.

We have observed boundaries between hcp 4He crystal grains in equilibrium with liquid 4He. We have found that, when emerging at the liquid-solid interface, a grain boundary makes a groove whose dihedral angle 2theta is nonzero. This measurement shows that grain boundaries are not completely wet by the liquid phase, in agreement with recent Monte Carlo simulations.

Early aspects of gonadal sex differentiation in Xenopus tropicalis with reference to an antero-posterior gradient.

In an effort to contribute to the development of Xenopus tropicalis as an amphibian model system, we carried out a detailed histological analysis of the process of gonadal sex differentiation and were able to find evidence that gonadal differentiation in X. tropicalis follows an antero-posterior gradient. Although the main reason for the presence of a gradient of sex differentiation is still unknown, this gradient enabled us to define the early events that signal ovarian and testicular differentiation and to identify the undifferentiated gonad structure.

The subnanometer resolution structure of the glutamate synthase 1.2-MDa hexamer by cryoelectron microscopy and its oligomerization behavior in solution: functional implications.

The three-dimensional structure of the hexameric (alphabeta)(6) 1.2-MDa complex formed by glutamate synthase has been determined at subnanometric resolution by combining cryoelectron microscopy, small angle x-ray scattering, and molecular modeling, providing for the first time a molecular model of this complex iron-sulfur flavoprotein. In the hexameric species, interprotomeric alpha-alpha and alpha-beta contacts are mediated by the C-terminal domain of the alpha subunit, which is based on a beta helical fold so far unique to glutamate synthases.