| 1. |
- Almeida, Joao, et al.
(författare)
-
Molecular understanding of sulphuric acid-amine particle nucleation in the atmosphere
- 2013
-
Ingår i: Nature. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0028-0836 .- 1476-4687. ; 502:7471, s. 359-
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Nucleation of aerosol particles from trace atmospheric vapours is thought to provide up to half of global cloud condensation nuclei(1). Aerosols can cause a net cooling of climate by scattering sunlight and by leading to smaller but more numerous cloud droplets, which makes clouds brighter and extends their lifetimes(2). Atmospheric aerosols derived from human activities are thought to have compensated for a large fraction of the warming caused by greenhouse gases(2). However, despite its importance for climate, atmospheric nucleation is poorly understood. Recently, it has been shown that sulphuric acid and ammonia cannot explain particle formation rates observed in the lower atmosphere(3). It is thought that amines may enhance nucleation(4-16), but until now there has been no direct evidence for amine ternary nucleation under atmospheric conditions. Here we use the CLOUD (Cosmics Leaving OUtdoor Droplets) chamber at CERN and find that dimethylamine above three parts per trillion by volume can enhance particle formation rates more than 1,000-fold compared with ammonia, sufficient to account for the particle formation rates observed in the atmosphere. Molecular analysis of the clusters reveals that the faster nucleation is explained by a base-stabilization mechanism involving acid-amine pairs, which strongly decrease evaporation. The ion-induced contribution is generally small, reflecting the high stability of sulphuric acid-dimethylamine clusters and indicating that galactic cosmic rays exert only a small influence on their formation, except at low overall formation rates. Our experimental measurements are well reproduced by a dynamical model based on quantum chemical calculations of binding energies of molecular clusters, without any fitted parameters. These results show that, in regions of the atmosphere near amine sources, both amines and sulphur dioxide should be considered when assessing the impact of anthropogenic activities on particle formation.
|
|
| 2. |
|
|
| 3. |
- Lubberink, Mark, et al.
(författare)
-
Validity of Simplified 3′-Deoxy-3′-[18F]Fluorothymidine Uptake Measures for Monitoring Response to Chemotherapy in Locally Advanced Breast Cancer
- 2012
-
Ingår i: Molecular Imaging and Biology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1536-1632 .- 1860-2002. ; 14:6, s. 777-782
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose:Positron emission tomography using 3′-deoxy-3′-[18F]fluorothymidine ([18F]FLT) has been suggested as a means for monitoring response to chemotherapy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the validity of simplified uptake measures for assessing response to chemotherapy using [18F]FLT in locally advanced breast cancer (LABC).Procedures:Fifteen LABC patients underwent dynamic [18F]FLT scans both prior to and after the first cycle of chemotherapy with fluorouracil, epirubicin or doxorubicin, and cyclophosphamide. The net uptake rate constant of [18F]FLT, K i , determined by non-linear regression (NLR) of an irreversible two-tissue compartment model was used as the gold standard. In addition to Patlak graphical analysis, standardised uptake values (SUV) and tumour-to-whole blood ratio (TBR) were used for analysing [18F]FLT data. Correlations and relationships between simplified uptake measures and NLR before and after chemotherapy were assessed using regression analysis.Results: No significant differences in both pre- and post-chemotherapy relationships between any of the simplified uptake measures and NLR were found. However, changes in SUV between baseline and post-therapy scans showed a significant negative bias and slope less than one, while TBR did not.Conclusions:In LABC, TBR instead of SUV may be preferred for monitoring response to chemotherapy with [18F]FLT.
|
|
| 4. |
- Quax, Tessa E. F., et al.
(författare)
-
Differential Translation Tunes Uneven Production of Operon-Encoded Proteins
- 2013
-
Ingår i: Cell Reports. - : Elsevier BV. - 2211-1247. ; 4:5, s. 938-944
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Clustering of functionally related genes in operons allows for coregulated gene expression in prokaryotes. This is advantageous when equal amounts of gene products are required. Production of protein complexes with an uneven stoichiometry, however, requires tuning mechanisms to generate subunits in appropriate relative quantities. Using comparative genomic analysis, we show that differential translation is a key determinant of modulated expression of genes clustered in operons and that codon bias generally is the best in silico indicator of unequal protein production. Variable ribosome density profiles of polycistronic transcripts correlate strongly with differential translation patterns. In addition, we provide experimental evidence that de novo initiation of translation can occur at intercistronic sites, allowing for differential translation of any gene irrespective of its position on a polycistronic messenger. Thus, modulation of translation efficiency appears to be a universal mode of control in bacteria and archaea that allows for differential production of operon-encoded proteins.
|
|
