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Sample records for lowest recombination rates

  1. Genome-wide recombination rate variation in a recombination map of cotton.

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    Shen, Chao; Li, Ximei; Zhang, Ruiting; Lin, Zhongxu

    2017-01-01

    Recombination is crucial for genetic evolution, which not only provides new allele combinations but also influences the biological evolution and efficacy of natural selection. However, recombination variation is not well understood outside of the complex species' genomes, and it is particularly unclear in Gossypium. Cotton is the most important natural fibre crop and the second largest oil-seed crop. Here, we found that the genetic and physical maps distances did not have a simple linear relationship. Recombination rates were unevenly distributed throughout the cotton genome, which showed marked changes along the chromosome lengths and recombination was completely suppressed in the centromeric regions. Recombination rates significantly varied between A-subgenome (At) (range = 1.60 to 3.26 centimorgan/megabase [cM/Mb]) and D-subgenome (Dt) (range = 2.17 to 4.97 cM/Mb), which explained why the genetic maps of At and Dt are similar but the physical map of Dt is only half that of At. The translocation regions between A02 and A03 and between A04 and A05, and the inversion regions on A10, D10, A07 and D07 indicated relatively high recombination rates in the distal regions of the chromosomes. Recombination rates were positively correlated with the densities of genes, markers and the distance from the centromere, and negatively correlated with transposable elements (TEs). The gene ontology (GO) categories showed that genes in high recombination regions may tend to response to environmental stimuli, and genes in low recombination regions are related to mitosis and meiosis, which suggested that they may provide the primary driving force in adaptive evolution and assure the stability of basic cell cycle in a rapidly changing environment. Global knowledge of recombination rates will facilitate genetics and breeding in cotton.

  2. Electron-ion recombination rates for merged-beams experiments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pajek, M.

    1994-01-01

    Energy dependence of the electron-ion recombination rates are studied for different recombination processes (radiative recombination, three-body recombination, dissociative recombination) for Maxwellian relative velocity distribution of arbitrary asymmetry. The results are discussed in context of the electron-ion merged beams experiments in cooling ion storage rings. The question of indication of a possible contribution of the three-body recombination to the measured recombination rates versus relative energy is particularly addressed. Its influence on the electron beam temperature derived from the energy dependence of recombination rate is discussed

  3. Recombination rate plasticity: revealing mechanisms by design

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    Sefick, Stephen; Rushton, Chase

    2017-01-01

    For over a century, scientists have known that meiotic recombination rates can vary considerably among individuals, and that environmental conditions can modify recombination rates relative to the background. A variety of external and intrinsic factors such as temperature, age, sex and starvation can elicit ‘plastic’ responses in recombination rate. The influence of recombination rate plasticity on genetic diversity of the next generation has interesting and important implications for how populations evolve. Further, many questions remain regarding the mechanisms and molecular processes that contribute to recombination rate plasticity. Here, we review 100 years of experimental work on recombination rate plasticity conducted in Drosophila melanogaster. We categorize this work into four major classes of experimental designs, which we describe via classic studies in D. melanogaster. Based on these studies, we highlight molecular mechanisms that are supported by experimental results and relate these findings to studies in other systems. We synthesize lessons learned from this model system into experimental guidelines for using recent advances in genotyping technologies, to study recombination rate plasticity in non-model organisms. Specifically, we recommend (1) using fine-scale genome-wide markers, (2) collecting time-course data, (3) including crossover distribution measurements, and (4) using mixed effects models to analyse results. To illustrate this approach, we present an application adhering to these guidelines from empirical work we conducted in Drosophila pseudoobscura. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Evolutionary causes and consequences of recombination rate variation in sexual organisms’. PMID:29109222

  4. Genome-wide variation in recombination rate in Eucalyptus.

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    Gion, Jean-Marc; Hudson, Corey J; Lesur, Isabelle; Vaillancourt, René E; Potts, Brad M; Freeman, Jules S

    2016-08-09

    Meiotic recombination is a fundamental evolutionary process. It not only generates diversity, but influences the efficacy of natural selection and genome evolution. There can be significant heterogeneity in recombination rates within and between species, however this variation is not well understood outside of a few model taxa, particularly in forest trees. Eucalypts are forest trees of global economic importance, and dominate many Australian ecosystems. We studied recombination rate in Eucalyptus globulus using genetic linkage maps constructed in 10 unrelated individuals, and markers anchored to the Eucalyptus reference genome. This experimental design provided the replication to study whether recombination rate varied between individuals and chromosomes, and allowed us to study the genomic attributes and population genetic parameters correlated with this variation. Recombination rate varied significantly between individuals (range = 2.71 to 3.51 centimorgans/megabase [cM/Mb]), but was not significantly influenced by sex or cross type (F1 vs. F2). Significant differences in recombination rate between chromosomes were also evident (range = 1.98 to 3.81 cM/Mb), beyond those which were due to variation in chromosome size. Variation in chromosomal recombination rate was significantly correlated with gene density (r = 0.94), GC content (r = 0.90), and the number of tandem duplicated genes (r = -0.72) per chromosome. Notably, chromosome level recombination rate was also negatively correlated with the average genetic diversity across six species from an independent set of samples (r = -0.75). The correlations with genomic attributes are consistent with findings in other taxa, however, the direction of the correlation between diversity and recombination rate is opposite to that commonly observed. We argue this is likely to reflect the interaction of selection and specific genome architecture of Eucalyptus. Interestingly, the differences amongst

  5. Recombination rate variation in mice from an isolated island.

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    Wang, Richard J; Gray, Melissa M; Parmenter, Michelle D; Broman, Karl W; Payseur, Bret A

    2017-01-01

    Recombination rate is a heritable trait that varies among individuals. Despite the major impact of recombination rate on patterns of genetic diversity and the efficacy of selection, natural variation in this phenotype remains poorly characterized. We present a comparison of genetic maps, sampling 1212 meioses, from a unique population of wild house mice (Mus musculus domesticus) that recently colonized remote Gough Island. Crosses to a mainland reference strain (WSB/EiJ) reveal pervasive variation in recombination rate among Gough Island mice, including subchromosomal intervals spanning up to 28% of the genome. In spite of this high level of polymorphism, the genomewide recombination rate does not significantly vary. In general, we find that recombination rate varies more when measured in smaller genomic intervals. Using the current standard genetic map of the laboratory mouse to polarize intervals with divergent recombination rates, we infer that the majority of evolutionary change occurred in one of the two tested lines of Gough Island mice. Our results confirm that natural populations harbour a high level of recombination rate polymorphism and highlight the disparities in recombination rate evolution across genomic scales. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  6. Late replicating domains are highly recombining in females but have low male recombination rates: implications for isochore evolution.

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    Catherine J Pink

    Full Text Available In mammals sequences that are either late replicating or highly recombining have high rates of evolution at putatively neutral sites. As early replicating domains and highly recombining domains both tend to be GC rich we a priori expect these two variables to covary. If so, the relative contribution of either of these variables to the local neutral substitution rate might have been wrongly estimated owing to covariance with the other. Against our expectations, we find that sex-averaged recombination rates show little or no correlation with replication timing, suggesting that they are independent determinants of substitution rates. However, this result masks significant sex-specific complexity: late replicating domains tend to have high recombination rates in females but low recombination rates in males. That these trends are antagonistic explains why sex-averaged recombination is not correlated with replication timing. This unexpected result has several important implications. First, although both male and female recombination rates covary significantly with intronic substitution rates, the magnitude of this correlation is moderately underestimated for male recombination and slightly overestimated for female recombination, owing to covariance with replicating timing. Second, the result could explain why male recombination is strongly correlated with GC content but female recombination is not. If to explain the correlation between GC content and replication timing we suppose that late replication forces reduced GC content, then GC promotion by biased gene conversion during female recombination is partly countered by the antagonistic effect of later replicating sequence tending increase AT content. Indeed, the strength of the correlation between female recombination rate and local GC content is more than doubled by control for replication timing. Our results underpin the need to consider sex-specific recombination rates and potential covariates in

  7. A New Metazoan Recombination Rate Record and Consistently High Recombination Rates in the Honey Bee Genus Apis Accompanied by Frequent Inversions but Not Translocations

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    Kuster, Ryan; Miller, Katelyn; Fouks, Bertrand; Rubio Correa, Sara; Collazo, Juan; Phaincharoen, Mananya; Tingek, Salim; Koeniger, Nikolaus

    2016-01-01

    Abstract Western honey bees (Apis mellifera) far exceed the commonly observed 1–2 meiotic recombination events per chromosome and exhibit the highest Metazoan recombination rate (20 cM/Mb) described thus far. However, the reasons for this exceptional rate of recombination are not sufficiently understood. In a comparative study, we report on the newly constructed genomic linkage maps of Apis florea and Apis dorsata that represent the two honey bee lineages without recombination rate estimates so far. Each linkage map was generated de novo, based on SNP genotypes of haploid male offspring of a single female. The A. florea map spans 4,782 cM with 1,279 markers in 16 linkage groups. The A. dorsata map is 5,762 cM long and contains 1,189 markers in 16 linkage groups. Respectively, these map sizes result in average recombination rate estimates of 20.8 and 25.1 cM/Mb. Synteny analyses indicate that frequent intra-chromosomal rearrangements but no translocations among chromosomes accompany the high rates of recombination during the independent evolution of the three major honey bee lineages. Our results imply a common cause for the evolution of very high recombination rates in Apis. Our findings also suggest that frequent homologous recombination during meiosis might increase ectopic recombination and rearrangements within but not between chromosomes. It remains to be investigated whether the resulting inversions may have been important in the evolutionary differentiation between honey bee species. PMID:28173114

  8. Natural Selection and Recombination Rate Variation Shape Nucleotide Polymorphism Across the Genomes of Three Related Populus Species.

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    Wang, Jing; Street, Nathaniel R; Scofield, Douglas G; Ingvarsson, Pär K

    2016-03-01

    A central aim of evolutionary genomics is to identify the relative roles that various evolutionary forces have played in generating and shaping genetic variation within and among species. Here we use whole-genome resequencing data to characterize and compare genome-wide patterns of nucleotide polymorphism, site frequency spectrum, and population-scaled recombination rates in three species of Populus: Populus tremula, P. tremuloides, and P. trichocarpa. We find that P. tremuloides has the highest level of genome-wide variation, skewed allele frequencies, and population-scaled recombination rates, whereas P. trichocarpa harbors the lowest. Our findings highlight multiple lines of evidence suggesting that natural selection, due to both purifying and positive selection, has widely shaped patterns of nucleotide polymorphism at linked neutral sites in all three species. Differences in effective population sizes and rates of recombination largely explain the disparate magnitudes and signatures of linked selection that we observe among species. The present work provides the first phylogenetic comparative study on a genome-wide scale in forest trees. This information will also improve our ability to understand how various evolutionary forces have interacted to influence genome evolution among related species. Copyright © 2016 by the Genetics Society of America.

  9. Genome-Wide Fine-Scale Recombination Rate Variation in Drosophila melanogaster

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    Song, Yun S.

    2012-01-01

    Estimating fine-scale recombination maps of Drosophila from population genomic data is a challenging problem, in particular because of the high background recombination rate. In this paper, a new computational method is developed to address this challenge. Through an extensive simulation study, it is demonstrated that the method allows more accurate inference, and exhibits greater robustness to the effects of natural selection and noise, compared to a well-used previous method developed for studying fine-scale recombination rate variation in the human genome. As an application, a genome-wide analysis of genetic variation data is performed for two Drosophila melanogaster populations, one from North America (Raleigh, USA) and the other from Africa (Gikongoro, Rwanda). It is shown that fine-scale recombination rate variation is widespread throughout the D. melanogaster genome, across all chromosomes and in both populations. At the fine-scale, a conservative, systematic search for evidence of recombination hotspots suggests the existence of a handful of putative hotspots each with at least a tenfold increase in intensity over the background rate. A wavelet analysis is carried out to compare the estimated recombination maps in the two populations and to quantify the extent to which recombination rates are conserved. In general, similarity is observed at very broad scales, but substantial differences are seen at fine scales. The average recombination rate of the X chromosome appears to be higher than that of the autosomes in both populations, and this pattern is much more pronounced in the African population than the North American population. The correlation between various genomic features—including recombination rates, diversity, divergence, GC content, gene content, and sequence quality—is examined using the wavelet analysis, and it is shown that the most notable difference between D. melanogaster and humans is in the correlation between recombination and

  10. Variation in Recombination Rate and Its Genetic Determinism in Sheep Populations.

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    Petit, Morgane; Astruc, Jean-Michel; Sarry, Julien; Drouilhet, Laurence; Fabre, Stéphane; Moreno, Carole R; Servin, Bertrand

    2017-10-01

    Recombination is a complex biological process that results from a cascade of multiple events during meiosis. Understanding the genetic determinism of recombination can help to understand if and how these events are interacting. To tackle this question, we studied the patterns of recombination in sheep, using multiple approaches and data sets. We constructed male recombination maps in a dairy breed from the south of France (the Lacaune breed) at a fine scale by combining meiotic recombination rates from a large pedigree genotyped with a 50K SNP array and historical recombination rates from a sample of unrelated individuals genotyped with a 600K SNP array. This analysis revealed recombination patterns in sheep similar to other mammals but also genome regions that have likely been affected by directional and diversifying selection. We estimated the average recombination rate of Lacaune sheep at 1.5 cM/Mb, identified ∼50,000 crossover hotspots on the genome, and found a high correlation between historical and meiotic recombination rate estimates. A genome-wide association study revealed two major loci affecting interindividual variation in recombination rate in Lacaune, including the RNF212 and HEI10 genes and possibly two other loci of smaller effects including the KCNJ15 and FSHR genes. The comparison of these new results to those obtained previously in a distantly related population of domestic sheep (the Soay) revealed that Soay and Lacaune males have a very similar distribution of recombination along the genome. The two data sets were thus combined to create more precise male meiotic recombination maps in Sheep. However, despite their similar recombination maps, Soay and Lacaune males were found to exhibit different heritabilities and QTL effects for interindividual variation in genome-wide recombination rates. This highlights the robustness of recombination patterns to underlying variation in their genetic determinism. Copyright © 2017 by the Genetics Society

  11. The Genetic Architecture of Natural Variation in Recombination Rate in Drosophila melanogaster.

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    Hunter, Chad M; Huang, Wen; Mackay, Trudy F C; Singh, Nadia D

    2016-04-01

    Meiotic recombination ensures proper chromosome segregation in many sexually reproducing organisms. Despite this crucial function, rates of recombination are highly variable within and between taxa, and the genetic basis of this variation remains poorly understood. Here, we exploit natural variation in the inbred, sequenced lines of the Drosophila melanogaster Genetic Reference Panel (DGRP) to map genetic variants affecting recombination rate. We used a two-step crossing scheme and visible markers to measure rates of recombination in a 33 cM interval on the X chromosome and in a 20.4 cM interval on chromosome 3R for 205 DGRP lines. Though we cannot exclude that some biases exist due to viability effects associated with the visible markers used in this study, we find ~2-fold variation in recombination rate among lines. Interestingly, we further find that recombination rates are uncorrelated between the two chromosomal intervals. We performed a genome-wide association study to identify genetic variants associated with recombination rate in each of the two intervals surveyed. We refined our list of candidate variants and genes associated with recombination rate variation and selected twenty genes for functional assessment. We present strong evidence that five genes are likely to contribute to natural variation in recombination rate in D. melanogaster; these genes lie outside the canonical meiotic recombination pathway. We also find a weak effect of Wolbachia infection on recombination rate and we confirm the interchromosomal effect. Our results highlight the magnitude of population variation in recombination rate present in D. melanogaster and implicate new genetic factors mediating natural variation in this quantitative trait.

  12. The Genetic Architecture of Natural Variation in Recombination Rate in Drosophila melanogaster.

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    Chad M Hunter

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available Meiotic recombination ensures proper chromosome segregation in many sexually reproducing organisms. Despite this crucial function, rates of recombination are highly variable within and between taxa, and the genetic basis of this variation remains poorly understood. Here, we exploit natural variation in the inbred, sequenced lines of the Drosophila melanogaster Genetic Reference Panel (DGRP to map genetic variants affecting recombination rate. We used a two-step crossing scheme and visible markers to measure rates of recombination in a 33 cM interval on the X chromosome and in a 20.4 cM interval on chromosome 3R for 205 DGRP lines. Though we cannot exclude that some biases exist due to viability effects associated with the visible markers used in this study, we find ~2-fold variation in recombination rate among lines. Interestingly, we further find that recombination rates are uncorrelated between the two chromosomal intervals. We performed a genome-wide association study to identify genetic variants associated with recombination rate in each of the two intervals surveyed. We refined our list of candidate variants and genes associated with recombination rate variation and selected twenty genes for functional assessment. We present strong evidence that five genes are likely to contribute to natural variation in recombination rate in D. melanogaster; these genes lie outside the canonical meiotic recombination pathway. We also find a weak effect of Wolbachia infection on recombination rate and we confirm the interchromosomal effect. Our results highlight the magnitude of population variation in recombination rate present in D. melanogaster and implicate new genetic factors mediating natural variation in this quantitative trait.

  13. Scrambling Eggs: Meiotic Drive and the Evolution of Female Recombination Rates

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    Brandvain, Yaniv; Coop, Graham

    2012-01-01

    Theories to explain the prevalence of sex and recombination have long been a central theme of evolutionary biology. Yet despite decades of attention dedicated to the evolution of sex and recombination, the widespread pattern of sex differences in the recombination rate is not well understood and has received relatively little theoretical attention. Here, we argue that female meiotic drivers—alleles that increase in frequency by exploiting the asymmetric cell division of oogenesis—present a potent selective pressure favoring the modification of the female recombination rate. Because recombination plays a central role in shaping patterns of variation within and among dyads, modifiers of the female recombination rate can function as potent suppressors or enhancers of female meiotic drive. We show that when female recombination modifiers are unlinked to female drivers, recombination modifiers that suppress harmful female drive can spread. By contrast, a recombination modifier tightly linked to a driver can increase in frequency by enhancing female drive. Our results predict that rapidly evolving female recombination rates, particularly around centromeres, should be a common outcome of meiotic drive. We discuss how selection to modify the efficacy of meiotic drive may contribute to commonly observed patterns of sex differences in recombination. PMID:22143919

  14. Genetic and evolutionary correlates of fine-scale recombination rate variation in Drosophila persimilis.

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    Stevison, Laurie S; Noor, Mohamed A F

    2010-12-01

    Recombination is fundamental to meiosis in many species and generates variation on which natural selection can act, yet fine-scale linkage maps are cumbersome to construct. We generated a fine-scale map of recombination rates across two major chromosomes in Drosophila persimilis using 181 SNP markers spanning two of five major chromosome arms. Using this map, we report significant fine-scale heterogeneity of local recombination rates. However, we also observed "recombinational neighborhoods," where adjacent intervals had similar recombination rates after excluding regions near the centromere and telomere. We further found significant positive associations of fine-scale recombination rate with repetitive element abundance and a 13-bp sequence motif known to associate with human recombination rates. We noted strong crossover interference extending 5-7 Mb from the initial crossover event. Further, we observed that fine-scale recombination rates in D. persimilis are strongly correlated with those obtained from a comparable study of its sister species, D. pseudoobscura. We documented a significant relationship between recombination rates and intron nucleotide sequence diversity within species, but no relationship between recombination rate and intron divergence between species. These results are consistent with selection models (hitchhiking and background selection) rather than mutagenic recombination models for explaining the relationship of recombination with nucleotide diversity within species. Finally, we found significant correlations between recombination rate and GC content, supporting both GC-biased gene conversion (BGC) models and selection-driven codon bias models. Overall, this genome-enabled map of fine-scale recombination rates allowed us to confirm findings of broader-scale studies and identify multiple novel features that merit further investigation.

  15. The Time Scale of Recombination Rate Evolution in Great Apes

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    Stevison, Laurie S.; Woerner, August E.; Kidd, Jeffrey M.; Kelley, Joanna L.; Veeramah, Krishna R.; McManus, Kimberly F.; Bustamante, Carlos D.; Hammer, Michael F.; Wall, Jeffrey D.

    2016-01-01

    Abstract We present three linkage-disequilibrium (LD)-based recombination maps generated using whole-genome sequence data from 10 Nigerian chimpanzees, 13 bonobos, and 15 western gorillas, collected as part of the Great Ape Genome Project (Prado-Martinez J, et al. 2013. Great ape genetic diversity and population history. Nature 499:471–475). We also identified species-specific recombination hotspots in each group using a modified LDhot framework, which greatly improves statistical power to detect hotspots at varying strengths. We show that fewer hotspots are shared among chimpanzee subspecies than within human populations, further narrowing the time scale of complete hotspot turnover. Further, using species-specific PRDM9 sequences to predict potential binding sites (PBS), we show higher predicted PRDM9 binding in recombination hotspots as compared to matched cold spot regions in multiple great ape species, including at least one chimpanzee subspecies. We found that correlations between broad-scale recombination rates decline more rapidly than nucleotide divergence between species. We also compared the skew of recombination rates at centromeres and telomeres between species and show a skew from chromosome means extending as far as 10–15 Mb from chromosome ends. Further, we examined broad-scale recombination rate changes near a translocation in gorillas and found minimal differences as compared to other great ape species perhaps because the coordinates relative to the chromosome ends were unaffected. Finally, on the basis of multiple linear regression analysis, we found that various correlates of recombination rate persist throughout the African great apes including repeats, diversity, and divergence. Our study is the first to analyze within- and between-species genome-wide recombination rate variation in several close relatives. PMID:26671457

  16. No Evidence that Infection Alters Global Recombination Rate in House Mice.

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    Beth L Dumont

    Full Text Available Recombination rate is a complex trait, with genetic and environmental factors shaping observed patterns of variation. Although recent studies have begun to unravel the genetic basis of recombination rate differences between organisms, less attention has focused on the environmental determinants of crossover rates. Here, we test the effect of one ubiquitous environmental pressure-bacterial infection-on global recombination frequency in mammals. We applied MLH1 mapping to assay global crossover rates in male mice infected with the pathogenic bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme Disease, and uninfected control animals. Despite ample statistical power to identify biologically relevant differences between infected and uninfected animals, we find no evidence for a global recombination rate response to bacterial infection. Moreover, broad-scale patterns of crossover distribution, including the number of achiasmate bivalents, are not affected by infection status. Although pathogen exposure can plastically increase recombination in some species, our findings suggest that recombination rates in house mice may be resilient to at least some forms of infection stress. This negative result motivates future experiments with alternative house mouse pathogens to evaluate the generality of this conclusion.

  17. Radiative recombination of highly charged ions: Enhanced rates at low energies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Frank, A.; Mueller, A.; Haselbauer, J.; Schennach, S.; Spies, W.; Uwira, O.; Wagner, M.

    1992-01-01

    In a single-pass merged-beams experiment employing a dense cold electron target recombination of highly charged ions is studied. Unexpected high recombination rates are observed at low energies E cm in the electron-ion center-of-mass frame. In particular, theoretical estimates for radiative recombination are dramatically exceeded by the experimental recombination rates at E cm =0 eV for U 28+ and for Au 25+ ions. Considerable rate enhancement is also observed for Ar 15+ . This points to a general phenomenon which has to be interpreted as a consequence of high electron densities, low electron beam temperatures, high ion charge states and presence of strong magnetic fields. (orig.)

  18. Dielectronic and Trielectronic Recombination Rate Coefficients of Be-like Ar14+

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Z. K.; Wen, W. Q.; Xu, X.; Mahmood, S.; Wang, S. X.; Wang, H. B.; Dou, L. J.; Khan, N.; Badnell, N. R.; Preval, S. P.; Schippers, S.; Xu, T. H.; Yang, Y.; Yao, K.; Xu, W. Q.; Chuai, X. Y.; Zhu, X. L.; Zhao, D. M.; Mao, L. J.; Ma, X. M.; Li, J.; Mao, R. S.; Yuan, Y. J.; Wu, B.; Sheng, L. N.; Yang, J. C.; Xu, H. S.; Zhu, L. F.; Ma, X.

    2018-03-01

    Electron–ion recombination of Be-like 40Ar14+ has been measured by employing the electron–ion merged-beams method at the cooler storage ring CSRm. The measured absolute recombination rate coefficients for collision energies from 0 to 60 eV are presented, covering all dielectronic recombination (DR) resonances associated with 2s 2 → 2s2p core transitions. In addition, strong trielectronic recombination (TR) resonances associated with 2s 2 → 2p 2 core transitions were observed. Both DR and TR processes lead to series of peaks in the measured recombination spectrum, which have been identified by the Rydberg formula. Theoretical calculations of recombination rate coefficients were performed using the state-of-the-art multi-configuration Breit–Pauli atomic structure code AUTOSTRUCTURE to compare with the experimental results. The plasma rate coefficients for DR+TR of Ar14+ were deduced from the measured electron–ion recombination rate coefficients in the temperature range from 103 to 107 K, and compared with calculated data from the literature. The experimentally derived plasma rate coefficients are 60% larger and 30% lower than the previously recommended atomic data for the temperature ranges of photoionized plasmas and collisionally ionized plasmas, respectively. However, good agreement was found between experimental results and the calculations by Gu and Colgan et al. The plasma rate coefficients deduced from experiment and calculated by the current AUTOSTRUCTURE code show agreement that is better than 30% from 104 to 107 K. The present results constitute a set of benchmark data for use in astrophysical modeling.

  19. Variation in human recombination rates and its genetic determinants.

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    Adi Fledel-Alon

    Full Text Available Despite the fundamental role of crossing-over in the pairing and segregation of chromosomes during human meiosis, the rates and placements of events vary markedly among individuals. Characterizing this variation and identifying its determinants are essential steps in our understanding of the human recombination process and its evolution.Using three large sets of European-American pedigrees, we examined variation in five recombination phenotypes that capture distinct aspects of crossing-over patterns. We found that the mean recombination rate in males and females and the historical hotspot usage are significantly heritable and are uncorrelated with one another. We then conducted a genome-wide association study in order to identify loci that influence them. We replicated associations of RNF212 with the mean rate in males and in females as well as the association of Inversion 17q21.31 with the female mean rate. We also replicated the association of PRDM9 with historical hotspot usage, finding that it explains most of the genetic variance in this phenotype. In addition, we identified a set of new candidate regions for further validation.These findings suggest that variation at broad and fine scales is largely separable and that, beyond three known loci, there is no evidence for common variation with large effects on recombination phenotypes.

  20. Looking for the optimal rate of recombination for evolutionary dynamics

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    Saakian, David B.

    2018-01-01

    We consider many-site mutation-recombination models of evolution with selection. We are looking for situations where the recombination increases the mean fitness of the population, and there is an optimal recombination rate. We found two fitness landscapes supporting such nonmonotonic behavior of the mean fitness versus the recombination rate. The first case is related to the evolution near the error threshold on a neutral-network-like fitness landscape, for moderate genome lengths and large population. The more realistic case is the second one, in which we consider the evolutionary dynamics of a finite population on a rugged fitness landscape (the smooth fitness landscape plus some random contributions to the fitness). We also give the solution to the horizontal gene transfer model in the case of asymmetric mutations. To obtain nonmonotonic behavior for both mutation and recombination, we need a specially designed (ideal) fitness landscape.

  1. Determination of the N2 recombination rate coefficient in the ionosphere

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    Orsini, N.; Torr, D. G.; Brinton, H. C.; Brace, L. H.; Hanson, W. B.; Hoffman, J. H.; Nier, A. O.

    1977-01-01

    Measurements of aeronomic parameters made by the Atmosphere Explorer-C satellite are used to determine the recombination rate coefficient of N2(+) in the ionosphere. The rate is found to increase significantly with decreasing electron density. Values obtained range from approximately 1.4 x 10 to the -7th to 3.8 x 10 to the -7th cu cm/sec. This variation is explained in a preliminary way in terms of an increase in the rate coefficient with vibrational excitation. Thus, high electron densities depopulate high vibrational levels reducing the effective recombination rate, whereas, low electron densities result in an enhancement in the population of high vibrational levels, thus, increasing the effective recombination rate.

  2. Interpreting impedance spectra of organic photovoltaic cells—Extracting charge transit and recombination rates

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mullenbach, Tyler K.; Zou, Yunlong; Holmes, Russell J., E-mail: rholmes@umn.edu [Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455 (United States); Holst, James [New Products R and D, Sigma-Aldrich Corporation, 6000 N. Teutonia Avenue, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53209 (United States)

    2014-09-28

    Impedance spectroscopy has been widely used to extract the electron-hole recombination rate constant in organic photovoltaic cells (OPVs). This technique is typically performed on OPVs held at open-circuit. Under these conditions, the analysis is simplified with recombination as the only pathway for the decay of excess charge carriers; transit provides no net change in the charge density. In this work, we generalize the application and interpretation of impedance spectroscopy for bulk heterojunction OPVs at any operating voltage. This, in conjunction with reverse bias external quantum efficiency measurements, permits the extraction of both recombination and transit rate constants. Using this approach, the transit and recombination rate constants are determined for OPVs with a variety of electron donor-acceptor pairings and compositions. It is found that neither rate constant individually is sufficient to characterize the efficiency of charge collection in an OPV. It is demonstrated that a large recombination rate constant can be accompanied by a large transit rate constant, thus fast recombination is not necessarily detrimental to OPV performance. Extracting the transit and recombination rate constants permits a detailed understanding of how OPV architecture and processing conditions impact the transient behavior of charge carriers, elucidating the origin of optimum device configurations.

  3. A study on the hydrogen recombination rates of catalytic recombiners and deliberate ignition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fineschi, F.; Bazzichi, M.; Carcassi, M.

    1994-01-01

    A study is being carried out by the Department of Nuclear and Mechanical Constructions (DCMN) at the University of Pisa on catalytic recombiners and on deliberately induced weak deflagration. The recombination rates of different types of catalytic devices were obtained from a thorough analysis of published experimental data. The main parameter that affects the effectiveness of these devices seems to be the molar density of the deficiency reactant rather than its volumetric concentration. The recombination rate of weak deflagrations in vented compartments has been assessed with experimental tests carried out in a small scale glass vessel. Through a computerized system of analysis of video recordings of the deflagrations, the flame surface and the burned gas volume were obtained as functions of time. Although approximations are inevitable, the method adopted to identify the position of the flame during propagation is more reliable than other non-visual methods (thermocouples and ion-probes). It can only easily be applied to vented weak deflagrations, i.e. when the hydrogen concentration is far from stoichiometric conditions and near to flammability limits, because the pressurization has to be limited due to the low mechanical resistance of the glass. The values of flame surface and burned gas volume were used as inputs for a computer code to calculate the recombining rate, the burning velocity and the pressure transient in the experimental test. The code is being validated with a methodology principally based on a comparison of the measurements of pressure with the calculated values. The research gave some very interesting results on a small scale which should in the future be compared with large scale data

  4. Genetics of Genome-Wide Recombination Rate Evolution in Mice from an Isolated Island.

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    Wang, Richard J; Payseur, Bret A

    2017-08-01

    Recombination rate is a heritable quantitative trait that evolves despite the fundamentally conserved role that recombination plays in meiosis. Differences in recombination rate can alter the landscape of the genome and the genetic diversity of populations. Yet our understanding of the genetic basis of recombination rate evolution in nature remains limited. We used wild house mice ( Mus musculus domesticus ) from Gough Island (GI), which diverged recently from their mainland counterparts, to characterize the genetics of recombination rate evolution. We quantified genome-wide autosomal recombination rates by immunofluorescence cytology in spermatocytes from 240 F 2 males generated from intercrosses between GI-derived mice and the wild-derived inbred strain WSB/EiJ. We identified four quantitative trait loci (QTL) responsible for inter-F 2 variation in this trait, the strongest of which had effects that opposed the direction of the parental trait differences. Candidate genes and mutations for these QTL were identified by overlapping the detected intervals with whole-genome sequencing data and publicly available transcriptomic profiles from spermatocytes. Combined with existing studies, our findings suggest that genome-wide recombination rate divergence is not directional and its evolution within and between subspecies proceeds from distinct genetic loci. Copyright © 2017 by the Genetics Society of America.

  5. Effects of collisions on level populations and dielectronic recombination rates of multiply charged ions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jacobs, V.L.; Davis, J.

    1978-01-01

    A generalization of previously reported statistical theories is developed for determining the excited-level populations and the ionization-recombination balance of multiply charged atomic ions in an optically thin high-temperature plasma. Account is taken of the most important collisional and radiative processes involving bound and autoionizing levels in three consecutive ionization stages. We obtain a set of rate equations for the population densities of the low-lying levels which contains effective excitation, ionization, and recombination rates describing indirect transitions through the more highly excited bound and autoionizing levels. The familiar corona-model equations for the ground-state populations are recovered by making the assumption that all excited states decay by only spontaneous radiative or autoionization processes. When collisional processes become efficient in depopulating the highly excited levels important in dielectronic recombination, the effective rate of recombination must be described by a collisional-dielectronic recombination coefficient. Results of calculations are presented for the collisional-dielectronic recombination rate coefficients for recombination of Fe +8 --Fe +13 ions. At an electron density of 10 16 cm -3 , dielectronic recombination is still the dominant recombination process. However, the collisional-dielectronic recombination rate coefficients are found to be reduced by about an order of magnitude from their corona-model values due to the effects of multiple-collisional excitations on the populations of the highly excited bound levels of the recombined ion. The dielectronic recombination rates into these highly excited levels are found to be enhanced by the effects of collisionally induced angular momentum redistribution on the populations of the autoionizing levels

  6. Hybrid Sterility Locus on Chromosome X Controls Meiotic Recombination Rate in Mouse.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maria Balcova

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available Meiotic recombination safeguards proper segregation of homologous chromosomes into gametes, affects genetic variation within species, and contributes to meiotic chromosome recognition, pairing and synapsis. The Prdm9 gene has a dual role, it controls meiotic recombination by determining the genomic position of crossover hotspots and, in infertile hybrids of house mouse subspecies Mus m. musculus (Mmm and Mus m. domesticus (Mmd, it further functions as the major hybrid sterility gene. In the latter role Prdm9 interacts with the hybrid sterility X 2 (Hstx2 genomic locus on Chromosome X (Chr X by a still unknown mechanism. Here we investigated the meiotic recombination rate at the genome-wide level and its possible relation to hybrid sterility. Using immunofluorescence microscopy we quantified the foci of MLH1 DNA mismatch repair protein, the cytological counterparts of reciprocal crossovers, in a panel of inter-subspecific chromosome substitution strains. Two autosomes, Chr 7 and Chr 11, significantly modified the meiotic recombination rate, yet the strongest modifier, designated meiotic recombination 1, Meir1, emerged in the 4.7 Mb Hstx2 genomic locus on Chr X. The male-limited transgressive effect of Meir1 on recombination rate parallels the male-limited transgressive role of Hstx2 in hybrid male sterility. Thus, both genetic factors, the Prdm9 gene and the Hstx2/Meir1 genomic locus, indicate a link between meiotic recombination and hybrid sterility. A strong female-specific modifier of meiotic recombination rate with the effect opposite to Meir1 was localized on Chr X, distally to Meir1. Mapping Meir1 to a narrow candidate interval on Chr X is an important first step towards positional cloning of the respective gene(s responsible for variation in the global recombination rate between closely related mouse subspecies.

  7. Hybrid Sterility Locus on Chromosome X Controls Meiotic Recombination Rate in Mouse.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Balcova, Maria; Faltusova, Barbora; Gergelits, Vaclav; Bhattacharyya, Tanmoy; Mihola, Ondrej; Trachtulec, Zdenek; Knopf, Corinna; Fotopulosova, Vladana; Chvatalova, Irena; Gregorova, Sona; Forejt, Jiri

    2016-04-01

    Meiotic recombination safeguards proper segregation of homologous chromosomes into gametes, affects genetic variation within species, and contributes to meiotic chromosome recognition, pairing and synapsis. The Prdm9 gene has a dual role, it controls meiotic recombination by determining the genomic position of crossover hotspots and, in infertile hybrids of house mouse subspecies Mus m. musculus (Mmm) and Mus m. domesticus (Mmd), it further functions as the major hybrid sterility gene. In the latter role Prdm9 interacts with the hybrid sterility X 2 (Hstx2) genomic locus on Chromosome X (Chr X) by a still unknown mechanism. Here we investigated the meiotic recombination rate at the genome-wide level and its possible relation to hybrid sterility. Using immunofluorescence microscopy we quantified the foci of MLH1 DNA mismatch repair protein, the cytological counterparts of reciprocal crossovers, in a panel of inter-subspecific chromosome substitution strains. Two autosomes, Chr 7 and Chr 11, significantly modified the meiotic recombination rate, yet the strongest modifier, designated meiotic recombination 1, Meir1, emerged in the 4.7 Mb Hstx2 genomic locus on Chr X. The male-limited transgressive effect of Meir1 on recombination rate parallels the male-limited transgressive role of Hstx2 in hybrid male sterility. Thus, both genetic factors, the Prdm9 gene and the Hstx2/Meir1 genomic locus, indicate a link between meiotic recombination and hybrid sterility. A strong female-specific modifier of meiotic recombination rate with the effect opposite to Meir1 was localized on Chr X, distally to Meir1. Mapping Meir1 to a narrow candidate interval on Chr X is an important first step towards positional cloning of the respective gene(s) responsible for variation in the global recombination rate between closely related mouse subspecies.

  8. Fine-scale maps of recombination rates and hotspots in the mouse genome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brunschwig, Hadassa; Levi, Liat; Ben-David, Eyal; Williams, Robert W; Yakir, Benjamin; Shifman, Sagiv

    2012-07-01

    Recombination events are not uniformly distributed and often cluster in narrow regions known as recombination hotspots. Several studies using different approaches have dramatically advanced our understanding of recombination hotspot regulation. Population genetic data have been used to map and quantify hotspots in the human genome. Genetic variation in recombination rates and hotspots usage have been explored in human pedigrees, mouse intercrosses, and by sperm typing. These studies pointed to the central role of the PRDM9 gene in hotspot modulation. In this study, we used single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from whole-genome resequencing and genotyping studies of mouse inbred strains to estimate recombination rates across the mouse genome and identified 47,068 historical hotspots--an average of over 2477 per chromosome. We show by simulation that inbred mouse strains can be used to identify positions of historical hotspots. Recombination hotspots were found to be enriched for the predicted binding sequences for different alleles of the PRDM9 protein. Recombination rates were on average lower near transcription start sites (TSS). Comparing the inferred historical recombination hotspots with the recent genome-wide mapping of double-strand breaks (DSBs) in mouse sperm revealed a significant overlap, especially toward the telomeres. Our results suggest that inbred strains can be used to characterize and study the dynamics of historical recombination hotspots. They also strengthen previous findings on mouse recombination hotspots, and specifically the impact of sequence variants in Prdm9.

  9. Dielectronic recombination rate coefficients to excited states of Be-like oxygen

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Murakami, Izumi; Safronova, Ulyana I.; Kato, Takako

    2001-05-01

    We have calculated energy levels, radiative transition probabilities, and autoionization rates for Be-like oxygen (O{sup 4+}) including ls{sup 2}2lnl' (n=2 - 8, l {<=} n - 1) and 1s{sup 2}3l'nl (n=3 - 6, l {<=} n - l) states by multi-configurational Hartree-Fock method (Cowan code) and perturbation theory Z-expansion method (MZ code). The state selective dielectronic recombination rate coefficients to excited states of Be-like O ions are obtained. Configuration mixing plays an important role for the principal quantum number n distribution of the dielectronic recombination rate coefficients for 2snl (n {<=} 5) levels at low electron temperature. The orbital angular momentum quantum number l distribution of the rate coefficients shows a peak at l = 4. The total dielectronic recombination rate coefficient is derived as a function of electron temperature. (author)

  10. High-throughput measurement of recombination rates and genetic interference in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Raffoux, Xavier; Bourge, Mickael; Dumas, Fabrice; Martin, Olivier C; Falque, Matthieu

    2018-06-01

    Allelic recombination owing to meiotic crossovers is a major driver of genome evolution, as well as a key player for the selection of high-performing genotypes in economically important species. Therefore, we developed a high-throughput and low-cost method to measure recombination rates and crossover patterning (including interference) in large populations of the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Recombination and interference were analysed by flow cytometry, which allows time-consuming steps such as tetrad microdissection or spore growth to be avoided. Moreover, our method can also be used to compare recombination in wild-type vs. mutant individuals or in different environmental conditions, even if the changes in recombination rates are small. Furthermore, meiotic mutants often present recombination and/or pairing defects affecting spore viability but our method does not involve growth steps and thus avoids filtering out non-viable spores. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  11. A calculation of the surface recombination rate constant for hydrogen isotopes on metals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Baskes, M.J.

    1980-01-01

    The surface recombination rate constant for hydrogen isotopes on a metal has been calculated using a simple model whose parameters may be determined by direct experimental measurements. Using the experimental values for hydrogen diffusivity, solubility, and sticking coefficient at zero surface coverage a reasonable prediction of the surface recombination constant may be made. The calculated recombination constant is in excellent agreement with experiment for bcc iron. A heuristic argument is developed which, along with the rate constant calculation, shows that surface recombination is important in those metals in which hydrogen has an exothermic heat of solution. (orig.)

  12. Dielectronic recombination rate coefficients to the excited states of CI from CII

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dubau, J.; Kato, T.; Safronova, U.I.

    1998-01-01

    The dielectronic recombination rate coefficients to the excited states for n=2-6 are calculated including 1s 2 2l 1 2l 2 2l 3 nl (n=2-6, l≤(n-1)) states. The values for the excited states higher than n=6 are extrapolated and the total dielectronic recombination rate coefficients are derived. The rate coefficients to the excited states are fitted to an analytical formula and the fit parameters are given. (author)

  13. Comparison of recombination rate coefficients given by empirical formulas for ions from hydrogen through nickel

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kato, T.; Asano, E. [National Institute for Fusion Science, Toki, Gifu (Japan)

    1999-06-01

    Recombination rate coefficients based on several empirical formulae are compared for ions of H, He, C, N, O, Ne, Na, Mg, Al, Si, S, P, Cl, Ar, Ca, Fe and Ni. The total rate coefficients including radiative recombination and dielectronic recombination are shown in graphs. (author)

  14. Dielectronic recombination rate coefficients to the excited states of CII from CIII

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kato, Takako; Safronova, U.; Ohira, Mituhiko.

    1996-02-01

    Energy levels, radiative transition probabilities and autoionization rates for CII including 1s 2 2l2l'nl'' (n=2-6, l'≤(n-1)) states were calculated by using multi-configurational Hartree-Fock (Cowan code) method. Autoionizing levels above three thresholds: 1s 2 2s 2 ( 1 S), 1s 2 2s2p( 3 P), 1s 2 2s2p( 1 P) were considered. Branching ratios related to the first threshold and the intensity factor were calculated for satellite lines of CII ion. The dielectronic recombination rate coefficients to the excited states for n=2-6 are calculated with these atomic data. The rate coefficients are fitted to an analytical formula and the fit parameters are given. The values for higher excited states than n=6 are extrapolated and the total dielectronic recombination rate coefficients are derived. The effective recombination rate coefficient for different electron densities are also derived. (author)

  15. Dielectronic recombination rate coefficients to the excited states of CI from CII

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dubau, J. [Observatoire of Paris, 92 MEUDON (France); Kato, T.; Safronova, U.I.

    1998-01-01

    The dielectronic recombination rate coefficients to the excited states for n=2-6 are calculated including 1s{sup 2}2l{sub 1}2l{sub 2}2l{sub 3}nl (n=2-6, l{<=}(n-1)) states. The values for the excited states higher than n=6 are extrapolated and the total dielectronic recombination rate coefficients are derived. The rate coefficients to the excited states are fitted to an analytical formula and the fit parameters are given. (author)

  16. Experimental study of para- and ortho-H3+ recombination

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Plasil, R; Varju, J; Hejduk, M; Dohnal, P; KotrIk, T; Glosik, J

    2011-01-01

    Recombination of H 3 + with electrons is a key process for many plasmatic environments. Recent experiments on storage ring devices used ion sources producing H 3 + with enhanced populations of H 3 + ions in the para nuclear spin configuration to shed light on the theoretically predicted faster recombination of para states. Although increased recombination rates were observed, no in situ characterization of recombining ions was performed. We present a state selective recombination study of para- and ortho-H 3 + ions with electrons at 77 K in afterglow plasma in a He/Ar/H 2 gas-mixture. Both spin configurations of H 3 + have been observed in situ with a near infrared cavity ring down spectrometer (NIR-CRDS) using the two lowest energy levels of H 3 + . Using hydrogen with an enhanced population of H 2 molecules in para states allowed us to influence the [para-H 3 + ]/[ortho-H 3 + ] ratio in the discharge and in the afterglow. We observed an increase in the measured effective recombination rate coefficients with the increase of the fraction of para-H 3 + . Measurements with different fractions of para-H 3 + at otherwise identical conditions allowed us to determine the binary recombination rate coefficients for pure para-H 3 + p α bin (77 K) = (2.0±0.4)x10 -7 cm 3 s -1 and pure ortho-H 3 + o α bin (77 K) = (4±3)x10 -8 cm 3 s -1 .

  17. Experimental study of para- and ortho-H3+ recombination

    Science.gov (United States)

    Plašil, R.; Varju, J.; Hejduk, M.; Dohnal, P.; Kotrík, T.; Glosík, J.

    2011-07-01

    Recombination of H3+ with electrons is a key process for many plasmatic environments. Recent experiments on storage ring devices used ion sources producing H3+ with enhanced populations of H3+ ions in the para nuclear spin configuration to shed light on the theoretically predicted faster recombination of para states. Although increased recombination rates were observed, no in situ characterization of recombining ions was performed. We present a state selective recombination study of para- and ortho-H3+ ions with electrons at 77 K in afterglow plasma in a He/Ar/H2 gas-mixture. Both spin configurations of H3+ have been observed in situ with a near infrared cavity ring down spectrometer (NIR-CRDS) using the two lowest energy levels of H3+. Using hydrogen with an enhanced population of H2 molecules in para states allowed us to influence the [para-H3+]/[ortho-H3+] ratio in the discharge and in the afterglow. We observed an increase in the measured effective recombination rate coefficients with the increase of the fraction of para-H3+. Measurements with different fractions of para-H3+ at otherwise identical conditions allowed us to determine the binary recombination rate coefficients for pure para-H3+ pαbin(77 K) = (2.0±0.4)×10-7 cm3s-1 and pure ortho-H3+ oαbin(77 K) = (4±3)×10-8 cm3s-1.

  18. Lineage specific recombination rates and microevolution in Listeria monocytogenes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nightingale Kendra K

    2008-10-01

    account for the possibility of changes in the rate of recombination would be required. While previous studies suggested that only L. monocytogenes lineage I has experienced a recent bottleneck, our analyses clearly show that lineage II experienced a bottleneck at about the same time, which was subsequently obscured by abundant homologous recombination after the lineage II bottleneck. While lineage I and lineage II should be considered separate species from an evolutionary viewpoint, maintaining single species name may be warranted since both lineages cause the same type of human disease.

  19. Dielectronic recombination rate coefficients of initially rubidium-like tungsten

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wu, Z.; Zhang, Y.; Fu, Y.; Dong, C.; Surzhykov, A.; Fritzsche, S.

    2015-01-01

    Dielectric recombination (DR) is a dominant electron recombination process in plasmas. Tungsten ions are expected to be prominent impurities in fusion plasmas so the knowledge of DR rate coefficient of tungsten ions is important to model fusion plasmas. Ab initio calculations of DR rate coefficients of initially rubidium-like W 37+ ions have been performed for the electron temperatures from 1 eV to 5*10 4 eV, by using the Flexible Atomic Code based on the relativistic configuration-interaction method. Special attention has been paid to the partial contributions to total DR rate coefficients as associated with the excitation of individual subshells. A detailed comparison of the calculations shows that the excitation from 4p subshell dominates total DR rate coefficients followed by the excitations from 4s and 4d subshells, while the contribution of excitations from 3l (l = s, p, d) subshells becomes important only at high temperatures. Besides, it is found that the electron excitations associated with Δn = 0, 1 dominate at low-temperature plasmas, however, the excitations associated with Δn ≥ 2 become non-negligible at high-temperature ones

  20. Polymer:Nonfullerene Bulk Heterojunction Solar Cells with Exceptionally Low Recombination Rates

    KAUST Repository

    Gasparini, Nicola; Salvador, Michael; Heumueller, Thomas; Richter, Moses; Classen, Andrej; Shrestha, Shreetu; Matt, Gebhard J.; Holliday, Sarah; Strohm, Sebastian; Egelhaaf, Hans-Joachim; Wadsworth, Andrew; Baran, Derya; McCulloch, Iain; Brabec, Christoph J.

    2017-01-01

    Organic semiconductors are in general known to have an inherently lower charge carrier mobility compared to their inorganic counterparts. Bimolecular recombination of holes and electrons is an important loss mechanism and can often be described by the Langevin recombination model. Here, the device physics of bulk heterojunction solar cells based on a nonfullerene acceptor (IDTBR) in combination with poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) are elucidated, showing an unprecedentedly low bimolecular recombination rate. The high fill factor observed (above 65%) is attributed to non-Langevin behavior with a Langevin prefactor (β/βL) of 1.9 × 10−4. The absence of parasitic recombination and high charge carrier lifetimes in P3HT:IDTBR solar cells inform an almost ideal bimolecular recombination behavior. This exceptional recombination behavior is explored to fabricate devices with layer thicknesses up to 450 nm without significant performance losses. The determination of the photoexcited carrier mobility by time-of-flight measurements reveals a long-lived and nonthermalized carrier transport as the origin for the exceptional transport physics. The crystalline microstructure arrangement of both components is suggested to be decisive for this slow recombination dynamics. Further, the thickness-independent power conversion efficiency is of utmost technological relevance for upscaling production and reiterates the importance of understanding material design in the context of low bimolecular recombination.

  1. Polymer:Nonfullerene Bulk Heterojunction Solar Cells with Exceptionally Low Recombination Rates

    KAUST Repository

    Gasparini, Nicola

    2017-09-01

    Organic semiconductors are in general known to have an inherently lower charge carrier mobility compared to their inorganic counterparts. Bimolecular recombination of holes and electrons is an important loss mechanism and can often be described by the Langevin recombination model. Here, the device physics of bulk heterojunction solar cells based on a nonfullerene acceptor (IDTBR) in combination with poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) are elucidated, showing an unprecedentedly low bimolecular recombination rate. The high fill factor observed (above 65%) is attributed to non-Langevin behavior with a Langevin prefactor (β/βL) of 1.9 × 10−4. The absence of parasitic recombination and high charge carrier lifetimes in P3HT:IDTBR solar cells inform an almost ideal bimolecular recombination behavior. This exceptional recombination behavior is explored to fabricate devices with layer thicknesses up to 450 nm without significant performance losses. The determination of the photoexcited carrier mobility by time-of-flight measurements reveals a long-lived and nonthermalized carrier transport as the origin for the exceptional transport physics. The crystalline microstructure arrangement of both components is suggested to be decisive for this slow recombination dynamics. Further, the thickness-independent power conversion efficiency is of utmost technological relevance for upscaling production and reiterates the importance of understanding material design in the context of low bimolecular recombination.

  2. X-Chromosome Control of Genome-Scale Recombination Rates in House Mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dumont, Beth L

    2017-04-01

    Sex differences in recombination are widespread in mammals, but the causes of this pattern are poorly understood. Previously, males from two interfertile subspecies of house mice, Mus musculus musculus and M. m. castaneus , were shown to exhibit a ∼30% difference in their global crossover frequencies. Much of this crossover rate divergence is explained by six autosomal loci and a large-effect locus on the X chromosome. Intriguingly, the allelic effects at this X-linked locus are transgressive, with the allele conferring increased crossover rate being transmitted by the low crossover rate M. m. castaneus parent. Despite the pronounced divergence between males, females from these subspecies exhibit similar crossover rates, raising the question of how recombination is genetically controlled in this sex. Here, I analyze publicly available genotype data from early generations of the Collaborative Cross, an eight-way panel of recombinant inbred strains, to estimate crossover frequencies in female mice with sex-chromosome genotypes of diverse subspecific origins. Consistent with the transgressive influence of the X chromosome in males, I show that females inheriting an M. m. castaneus X possess higher average crossover rates than females lacking the M. m. castaneus X chromosome. The differential inheritance of the X chromosome in males and females provides a simple genetic explanation for sex-limited evolution of this trait. Further, the presence of X-linked and autosomal crossover rate modifiers with antagonistic effects hints at an underlying genetic conflict fueled by selection for distinct crossover rate optima in males and females. Copyright © 2017 by the Genetics Society of America.

  3. People In Sub-Saharan Africa Rate Their Health And Health Care Among Lowest In World

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deaton, Angus S.; Tortora, Robert

    2017-01-01

    The health of people in sub-Saharan Africa is a major global concern. However, data are weak, and little is known about how people in the region perceive their health or their health care. We used data from the Gallup World Poll in 2012 to document sub-Saharan Africans’ perceived health status, their satisfaction with health care, their contact with medical professionals, and the priority they attach to health care. In comparison to other regions of the world, sub-Saharan Africa has the lowest ratings for well-being and the lowest satisfaction with health care. It also has the second lowest perception of personal health, after only the former Soviet Union and its satellites. HIV prevalence is positively correlated with perceived improvements in health care in countries with high prevalence. This is consistent with an improvement in at least some health care services as a result of the largely aid-funded rollout of antiretroviral treatment. Even so, sub-Saharan Africans do not prioritize health care as a matter of policy, although donors are increasingly shifting their aid efforts in sub-Saharan Africa toward health. PMID:25715657

  4. Recombination Rate Heterogeneity within Arabidopsis Disease Resistance Genes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choi, Kyuha; Reinhard, Carsten; Serra, Heïdi; Ziolkowski, Piotr A; Underwood, Charles J; Zhao, Xiaohui; Hardcastle, Thomas J; Yelina, Nataliya E; Griffin, Catherine; Jackson, Matthew; Mézard, Christine; McVean, Gil; Copenhaver, Gregory P; Henderson, Ian R

    2016-07-01

    Meiotic crossover frequency varies extensively along chromosomes and is typically concentrated in hotspots. As recombination increases genetic diversity, hotspots are predicted to occur at immunity genes, where variation may be beneficial. A major component of plant immunity is recognition of pathogen Avirulence (Avr) effectors by resistance (R) genes that encode NBS-LRR domain proteins. Therefore, we sought to test whether NBS-LRR genes would overlap with meiotic crossover hotspots using experimental genetics in Arabidopsis thaliana. NBS-LRR genes tend to physically cluster in plant genomes; for example, in Arabidopsis most are located in large clusters on the south arms of chromosomes 1 and 5. We experimentally mapped 1,439 crossovers within these clusters and observed NBS-LRR gene associated hotspots, which were also detected as historical hotspots via analysis of linkage disequilibrium. However, we also observed NBS-LRR gene coldspots, which in some cases correlate with structural heterozygosity. To study recombination at the fine-scale we used high-throughput sequencing to analyze ~1,000 crossovers within the RESISTANCE TO ALBUGO CANDIDA1 (RAC1) R gene hotspot. This revealed elevated intragenic crossovers, overlapping nucleosome-occupied exons that encode the TIR, NBS and LRR domains. The highest RAC1 recombination frequency was promoter-proximal and overlapped CTT-repeat DNA sequence motifs, which have previously been associated with plant crossover hotspots. Additionally, we show a significant influence of natural genetic variation on NBS-LRR cluster recombination rates, using crosses between Arabidopsis ecotypes. In conclusion, we show that a subset of NBS-LRR genes are strong hotspots, whereas others are coldspots. This reveals a complex recombination landscape in Arabidopsis NBS-LRR genes, which we propose results from varying coevolutionary pressures exerted by host-pathogen relationships, and is influenced by structural heterozygosity.

  5. Sex recombination, and reproductive fitness: an experimental study using Paramecium

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nyberg, D.

    1982-08-01

    The effect of sex and recombination on reproductive fitness are measured using five wild stocks of Paramecium primaurelia. Among the wild stocks there were highly significant differences in growth rates. No hybrid had as low a fitness as the least fit parental stock. Recombination produced genotypes of higher fitness than those of either parent only in the cross between the two stocks of lowest fitness. The increase in variance of fitness as a result of recombination was almost exclusively attributable to the generation lines with low fitness. The fitness consequences of sexuality and mate choice were stock specific; some individuals leaving the most descendants by inbreeding, others by outcrossing. For most crosses the short-term advantage of sex, if any, accrue from the fusion of different gametes (hybrid vigor) and not from recombination. Since the homozygous genotype with the highest fitnes left the most progeny by inbreeding (no recombination), the persistence of conjugation in P. primaurelia is paradoxical. (JMT)

  6. Termini of human chromosomes display elevated rates of mitotic recombination.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cornforth, M N; Eberle, R L

    2001-01-01

    The strand-specific in situ hybridization technique of CO-FISH was used to probe telomeres of human mitotic cells in order to determine the spontaneous frequency of crossover. This approach allowed the detection of recombinational crossovers occurring anywhere along the length of individual chromosomes, including reciprocal events taking place between sister chromatids. Although the process of sister chromatid exchange (SCE) is the most prominent type of recombination in somatic mammalian cells, our results show that SCEs accounted for less than a third of the recombinational events revealed by CO-FISH. It is concluded that chromosomal regions near the termini of chromosome arms undergo extraordinarily high rates of spontaneous recombination, producing terminal crossovers whose small size precludes detection by standard cytogenetic methods. That similar results were observed for transformed epithelial cells, as well as primary fibroblasts, suggests that the phenomenon is a common characteristic of human cells. These findings are noteworthy because, although telomeric and subtelomeric DNA is known to be preferentially involved in certain types of recombination, the tips of somatic mammalian chromosomes have not previously been identified as preferred sites for crossover. Implications of these results are discussed in terms of limitations imposed on CO-FISH for its proposed use in directional hybridization mapping.

  7. Conserved Genetic Architecture Underlying Individual Recombination Rate Variation in a Wild Population of Soay Sheep (Ovis aries).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnston, Susan E; Bérénos, Camillo; Slate, Jon; Pemberton, Josephine M

    2016-05-01

    Meiotic recombination breaks down linkage disequilibrium (LD) and forms new haplotypes, meaning that it is an important driver of diversity in eukaryotic genomes. Understanding the causes of variation in recombination rate is important in interpreting and predicting evolutionary phenomena and in understanding the potential of a population to respond to selection. However, despite attention in model systems, there remains little data on how recombination rate varies at the individual level in natural populations. Here we used extensive pedigree and high-density SNP information in a wild population of Soay sheep (Ovis aries) to investigate the genetic architecture of individual autosomal recombination rates. Individual rates were high relative to other mammal systems and were higher in males than in females (autosomal map lengths of 3748 and 2860 cM, respectively). The heritability of autosomal recombination rate was low but significant in both sexes (h(2) = 0.16 and 0.12 in females and males, respectively). In females, 46.7% of the heritable variation was explained by a subtelomeric region on chromosome 6; a genome-wide association study showed the strongest associations at locus RNF212, with further associations observed at a nearby ∼374-kb region of complete LD containing three additional candidate loci, CPLX1, GAK, and PCGF3 A second region on chromosome 7 containing REC8 and RNF212B explained 26.2% of the heritable variation in recombination rate in both sexes. Comparative analyses with 40 other sheep breeds showed that haplotypes associated with recombination rates are both old and globally distributed. Both regions have been implicated in rate variation in mice, cattle, and humans, suggesting a common genetic architecture of recombination rate variation in mammals. Copyright © 2016 by the Genetics Society of America.

  8. Dielectronic recombination rate coefficients to the excited states of CIII from CIV

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Safronova, U.; Kato, Takako; Ohira, Mituhiko

    1996-07-01

    Energy levels, radiative transition probabilities and autoionization rates for CIII including 1s{sup 2}2pnl` (n=2/6, l`{<=}(n-1)) and 1s{sup 2}3lnl` (n=3/6, l`{<=}(n-1)) states were calculated by using multi-configurational Hartree-Fock (Cowan code) method. Autoionizing levels above the 1s{sup 2}2s and 1s{sup 2}2p thresholds were considered and their contributions were computed. Branching ratios on the autoionization rate to the first threshold and intensity factor were calculated for satellite lines of CIII ion. The dielectronic recombination rate coefficients to the excited states for n=2-6 were calculated. The values for the excited states higher than n=6 were extrapolated and the total dielectronic recombination rate coefficients were also derived. The rate coefficients to the excited states were fitted to an analytical formula and the fitting parameters are given. (author)

  9. Testing the effect of paraquat exposure on genomic recombination rates in queens of the western honey bee, Apis mellifera.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Langberg, Kurt; Phillips, Matthew; Rueppell, Olav

    2018-04-01

    The rate of genomic recombination displays evolutionary plasticity and can even vary in response to environmental factors. The western honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) has an extremely high genomic recombination rate but the mechanistic basis for this genome-wide upregulation is not understood. Based on the hypothesis that meiotic recombination and DNA damage repair share common mechanisms in honey bees as in other organisms, we predicted that oxidative stress leads to an increase in recombination rate in honey bees. To test this prediction, we subjected honey bee queens to oxidative stress by paraquat injection and measured the rates of genomic recombination in select genome intervals of offspring produced before and after injection. The evaluation of 26 genome intervals in a total of over 1750 offspring of 11 queens by microsatellite genotyping revealed several significant effects but no overall evidence for a mechanistic link between oxidative stress and increased recombination was found. The results weaken the notion that DNA repair enzymes have a regulatory function in the high rate of meiotic recombination of honey bees, but they do not provide evidence against functional overlap between meiotic recombination and DNA damage repair in honey bees and more mechanistic studies are needed.

  10. Three-body recombination of two-component cold atomic gases into deep dimers in an optical model

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mikkelsen, Mathias; Jensen, A. S.; Fedorov, D. V.

    2015-01-01

    to the decay rate or recombination probability of the three-body system. The method is formulated in details and the relevant qualitative features are discussed as functions of scattering lengths and masses. We use zero-range model in analyses of recent recombination data. The dominating scattering length......We consider three-body recombination into deep dimers in a mass-imbalanced two-component atomic gas. We use an optical model where a phenomenological imaginary potential is added to the lowest adiabatic hyper-spherical potential. The consequent imaginary part of the energy eigenvalue corresponds...... is usually related to the non-equal two-body systems. We account for temperature smearing which tends to wipe out the higher-lying Efimov peaks. The range and the strength of the imaginary potential determine positions and shapes of the Efimov peaks as well as the absolute value of the recombination rate...

  11. Binary recombination of para- and ortho-H3+ with electrons at low temperatures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dohnal, P; Hejduk, M; Varju, J; Rubovic, P; Roucka, S; Kotrík, T; Plasil, R; Johnsen, R; Glosík, J

    2012-11-13

    Results of an experimental study of binary recombination of para- and ortho-H(3)(+) ions with electrons are presented. Near-infrared cavity-ring-down absorption spectroscopy was used to probe the lowest rotational states of H(3)(+) ions in the temperature range of 77-200 K in an H(3)(+)-dominated afterglow plasma. By changing the para/ortho abundance ratio, we were able to obtain the binary recombination rate coefficients for pure and para-H(3)(+) and ortho-H(3)(+). The results are in good agreement with previous theoretical predictions.

  12. Temperature variation of non-radiative recombination rate in a-Si:H films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ogihara, C. [Department of Applied Science, Yamaguchi University, Ube 755-8611 (Japan); Morigaki, K. [Department of Electrical and Digital-System Engineering, Hiroshima Institute of Technology, Miyake, Saeki-ku, Hiroshima 731-5193 (Japan); resent address: C-305, 2-12 Wakabadai, Inagi, Tokyo 206-0824 (Japan)

    2012-12-15

    Temperature variation of the recombination rates has been investigated for the electron-hole pairs responsible for defect PL in a defective a-Si:H film as grown. The results are compared with those obtained for a high-quality a-Si:H film after illumination. The results of the nonradiative recombination rate are fitted by a theoretical prediction for the case of strong electron-phonon coupling in the case of the defective a-Si:H film similarly to the case of the illuminated high-quality a-Si:H film. Difference between the frequency of the phonon associated with the non-radiative recombination process in the defective a-Si:H film and that in the illuminated highquality a-Si:H film is discussed by considering the influence of the amorphous network in the a-Si:H films affected by the preparation conditions and the nature of the native and photo-created defects. (Copyright copyright 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

  13. Theoretical investigation of exchange and recombination reactions in O(3P)+NO(2Π) collisions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ivanov, M. V.; Zhu, H.; Schinke, R.

    2007-01-01

    We present a detailed dynamical study of the kinetics of O( 3 P)+NO( 2 Π) collisions including O atom exchange reactions and the recombination of NO 2 . The classical trajectory calculations are performed on the lowest 2 A ' and 2 A '' potential energy surfaces, which were calculated by ab initio methods. The calculated room temperature exchange reaction rate coefficient, k ex , is in very good agreement with the measured one. The high-pressure recombination rate coefficient, which is given by the formation rate coefficient and to a good approximation equals 2k ex , overestimates the experimental data by merely 20%. The pressure dependence of the recombination rate, k r , is described within the strong-collision model by assigning a stabilization probability to each individual trajectory. The measured falloff curve is well reproduced over five orders of magnitude by a single parameter, i.e., the strong-collision stabilization frequency. The calculations also yield the correct temperature dependence, k r ∝T -1.5 , of the low-pressure recombination rate coefficient. The dependence of the rate coefficients on the oxygen isotopes are investigated by incorporating the difference of the zero-point energies between the reactant and product NO radicals, Δ ZPE , into the potential energy surface. Similar isotope effects as for ozone are predicted for both the exchange reaction and the recombination. Finally, we estimate that the chaperon mechanism is not important for the recombination of NO 2 , which is in accord with the overall T -1.4 dependence of the measured recombination rate even in the low temperature range

  14. Europe the continent with the lowest fertility

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Baird, D. T.; Collins, J.; Evers, J. L. H.; Leridon, H.; Lutz, W.; Velde, E. Te; Thevenon, O.; Crosignani, P. G.; Devroey, P.; Diedrich, K.; Fauser, B. C. J. M.; Fraser, L.; Geraedts, J. P. M.; Gianaroli, L.; Glasier, A.; Sunde, A.; Tarlatzis, B.; Van Steirteghem, A.; Veiga, A.

    2010-01-01

    INTRODUCTION: Although fertility rates are falling in many countries, Europe is the continent with the lowest total fertility rate (TFR). This review assesses trends in fertility rates, explores possible health and social factors and reviews the impact of health and social interventions designed to

  15. Photoionization and Recombination

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nahar, Sultana N.

    2000-01-01

    Theoretically self-consistent calculations for photoionization and (e + ion) recombination are described. The same eigenfunction expansion for the ion is employed in coupled channel calculations for both processes, thus ensuring consistency between cross sections and rates. The theoretical treatment of (e + ion) recombination subsumes both the non-resonant recombination ("radiative recombination"), and the resonant recombination ("di-electronic recombination") processes in a unified scheme. In addition to the total, unified recombination rates, level-specific recombination rates and photoionization cross sections are obtained for a large number of atomic levels. Both relativistic Breit-Pauli, and non-relativistic LS coupling, calculations are carried out in the close coupling approximation using the R-matrix method. Although the calculations are computationally intensive, they yield nearly all photoionization and recombination parameters needed for astrophysical photoionization models with higher precision than hitherto possible, estimated at about 10-20% from comparison with experimentally available data (including experimentally derived DR rates). Results are electronically available for over 40 atoms and ions. Photoionization and recombination of He-, and Li-like C and Fe are described for X-ray modeling. The unified method yields total and complete (e+ion) recombination rate coefficients, that can not otherwise be obtained theoretically or experimentally.

  16. How hot are drosophila hotspots? examining recombination rate variation and associations with nucleotide diversity, divergence, and maternal age in Drosophila pseudoobscura.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Brenda Manzano-Winkler

    Full Text Available Fine scale meiotic recombination maps have uncovered a large amount of variation in crossover rate across the genomes of many species, and such variation in mammalian and yeast genomes is concentrated to <5kb regions of highly elevated recombination rates (10-100x the background rate called "hotspots." Drosophila exhibit substantial recombination rate heterogeneity across their genome, but evidence for these highly-localized hotspots is lacking. We assayed recombination across a 40Kb region of Drosophila pseudoobscura chromosome 2, with one 20kb interval assayed every 5Kb and the adjacent 20kb interval bisected into 10kb pieces. We found that recombination events across the 40kb stretch were relatively evenly distributed across each of the 5kb and 10kb intervals, rather than concentrated in a single 5kb region. This, in combination with other recent work, indicates that the recombination landscape of Drosophila may differ from the punctate recombination pattern observed in many mammals and yeast. Additionally, we found no correlation of average pairwise nucleotide diversity and divergence with recombination rate across the 20kb intervals, nor any effect of maternal age in weeks on recombination rate in our sample.

  17. Low-energy rate enhancement in recombination processes of electrons into bare uranium ions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wu Yong; Zeng Siliang; Duan Bin; Yan Jun; Wang Jianguo; Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou; Dong Chenzhong; Ma Xinwen

    2007-01-01

    Based on the Dirac-Fork-Slater method combined with the multichannel quantum defect theory, the recombination processes of electrons into bare uranium ions (U 92+ ) are investigated in the relative energy range close to zero, and the x-ray spectrum emitted in the direct radiative recombination and cascades processes are simulated. Compared with the recent measurement, it is found that the rate enhancement comes from the additional populations on high Rydberg states. These additional populations may be produced by other recombination mechanisms, such as the external electric-magnetic effects and the many-body correlation effects, which still remains an open problem. (authors)

  18. MareyMap Online: A User-Friendly Web Application and Database Service for Estimating Recombination Rates Using Physical and Genetic Maps.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Siberchicot, Aurélie; Bessy, Adrien; Guéguen, Laurent; Marais, Gabriel A B

    2017-10-01

    Given the importance of meiotic recombination in biology, there is a need to develop robust methods to estimate meiotic recombination rates. A popular approach, called the Marey map approach, relies on comparing genetic and physical maps of a chromosome to estimate local recombination rates. In the past, we have implemented this approach in an R package called MareyMap, which includes many functionalities useful to get reliable recombination rate estimates in a semi-automated way. MareyMap has been used repeatedly in studies looking at the effect of recombination on genome evolution. Here, we propose a simpler user-friendly web service version of MareyMap, called MareyMap Online, which allows a user to get recombination rates from her/his own data or from a publicly available database that we offer in a few clicks. When the analysis is done, the user is asked whether her/his curated data can be placed in the database and shared with other users, which we hope will make meta-analysis on recombination rates including many species easy in the future. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution.

  19. People in sub-Saharan Africa rate their health and health care among the lowest in the world.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deaton, Angus S; Tortora, Robert

    2015-03-01

    The health of people in sub-Saharan Africa is a major global concern. However, data are weak, and little is known about how people in the region perceive their health or their health care. We used data from the Gallup World Poll in 2012 to document sub-Saharan Africans' perceived health status, their satisfaction with health care, their contact with medical professionals, and the priority they attach to health care. In comparison to other regions of the world, sub-Saharan Africa has the lowest ratings for well-being and the lowest satisfaction with health care. It also has the second-lowest perception of personal health, after only the former Soviet Union and its Eastern European satellites. HIV prevalence is positively correlated with perceived improvements in health care in countries with high prevalence. This is consistent with an improvement in at least some health care services as a result of the largely aid-funded rollout of antiretroviral treatment. Even so, sub-Saharan Africans do not prioritize health care as a matter of policy, although donors are increasingly shifting their aid efforts in the region toward health. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.

  20. New Software for the Fast Estimation of Population Recombination Rates (FastEPRR in the Genomic Era

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Feng Gao

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Genetic recombination is a very important evolutionary mechanism that mixes parental haplotypes and produces new raw material for organismal evolution. As a result, information on recombination rates is critical for biological research. In this paper, we introduce a new extremely fast open-source software package (FastEPRR that uses machine learning to estimate recombination rate ρ (=4Ner from intraspecific DNA polymorphism data. When ρ>10 and the number of sampled diploid individuals is large enough (≥50, the variance of ρFastEPRR remains slightly smaller than that of ρLDhat. The new estimate ρcomb (calculated by averaging ρFastEPRR and ρLDhat has the smallest variance of all cases. When estimating ρFastEPRR, the finite-site model was employed to analyze cases with a high rate of recurrent mutations, and an additional method is proposed to consider the effect of variable recombination rates within windows. Simulations encompassing a wide range of parameters demonstrate that different evolutionary factors, such as demography and selection, may not increase the false positive rate of recombination hotspots. Overall, accuracy of FastEPRR is similar to the well-known method, LDhat, but requires far less computation time. Genetic maps for each human population (YRI, CEU, and CHB extracted from the 1000 Genomes OMNI data set were obtained in less than 3 d using just a single CPU core. The Pearson Pairwise correlation coefficient between the ρFastEPRR and ρLDhat maps is very high, ranging between 0.929 and 0.987 at a 5-Mb scale. Considering that sample sizes for these kinds of data are increasing dramatically with advances in next-generation sequencing technologies, FastEPRR (freely available at http://www.picb.ac.cn/evolgen/ is expected to become a widely used tool for establishing genetic maps and studying recombination hotspots in the population genomic era.

  1. Diffusion-driven and excitation-dependent recombination rate in blue InGaN/GaN quantum well structures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aleksiejūnas, R.; Gelžinytė, K.; Nargelas, S.; Jarašiūnas, K.; Vengris, M.; Armour, E. A.; Byrnes, D. P.; Arif, R. A.; Lee, S. M.; Papasouliotis, G. D.

    2014-01-01

    We report on diffusion-driven and excitation-dependent carrier recombination rate in multiple InGaN/GaN quantum wells by using photoluminescence, light-induced absorption, and diffraction techniques. We demonstrate gradually increasing with excitation carrier diffusivity and its correlation with the recombination rate. At low carrier densities, an increase in radiative emission and carrier lifetime was observed due to partial saturation of non-radiative recombination centers. However, at carrier densities above ∼5 × 10 18  cm −3 , a typical value of photoluminescence efficiency droop, a further increase of diffusivity forces the delocalized carriers to face higher number of fast non-radiative recombination centers leading to an increase of non-radiative losses

  2. Diffusion-driven and excitation-dependent recombination rate in blue InGaN/GaN quantum well structures

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Aleksiejūnas, R.; Gelžinytė, K.; Nargelas, S., E-mail: saulius.nargelas@ff.vu.lt; Jarašiūnas, K. [Department of Semiconductor Optoelectronics, Institute of Applied Research, Vilnius University, Saulėtekio 9–III, 10222 Vilnius (Lithuania); Vengris, M. [Laser Research Center, Vilnius University, Saulėtekio 10, 10223 Vilnius (Lithuania); Armour, E. A.; Byrnes, D. P.; Arif, R. A.; Lee, S. M.; Papasouliotis, G. D. [Veeco Instruments, Turbodisc Operations, 394 Elizabeth Avenue, Somerset, New Jersey 08873 (United States)

    2014-01-13

    We report on diffusion-driven and excitation-dependent carrier recombination rate in multiple InGaN/GaN quantum wells by using photoluminescence, light-induced absorption, and diffraction techniques. We demonstrate gradually increasing with excitation carrier diffusivity and its correlation with the recombination rate. At low carrier densities, an increase in radiative emission and carrier lifetime was observed due to partial saturation of non-radiative recombination centers. However, at carrier densities above ∼5 × 10{sup 18} cm{sup −3}, a typical value of photoluminescence efficiency droop, a further increase of diffusivity forces the delocalized carriers to face higher number of fast non-radiative recombination centers leading to an increase of non-radiative losses.

  3. Three-body recombination of two-component cold atomic gases into deep dimers in an optical model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mikkelsen, M; Jensen, A S; Fedorov, D V; Zinner, N T

    2015-01-01

    We consider three-body recombination into deep dimers in a mass-imbalanced two-component atomic gas. We use an optical model where a phenomenological imaginary potential is added to the lowest adiabatic hyper-spherical potential. The consequent imaginary part of the energy eigenvalue corresponds to the decay rate or recombination probability of the three-body system. The method is formulated in details and the relevant qualitative features are discussed as functions of scattering lengths and masses. We use zero-range model in analyses of recent recombination data. The dominating scattering length is usually related to the non-equal two-body systems. We account for temperature smearing which tends to wipe out the higher-lying Efimov peaks. The range and the strength of the imaginary potential determine positions and shapes of the Efimov peaks as well as the absolute value of the recombination rate. The Efimov scaling between recombination peaks is calculated and shown to depend on both scattering lengths. Recombination is predicted to be largest for heavy–heavy–light systems. Universal properties of the optical parameters are indicated. We compare to available experiments and find in general very satisfactory agreement. (paper)

  4. Application of NIR - CRDS for state selective study of recombination of para and ortho H3+ ions with electrons in low temperature plasma

    Science.gov (United States)

    Varju, J.; Roučka, Š.; Kotrík, T.; Plašil, R.; Glosík, J.

    2010-05-01

    We present a study of H3+ recombination performed at 77 K on the two lowest rotational levels of this ion, which belong to its two different nuclear spin states of the studied ion. A near infrared cavity ring-down spectrometer (~1381 nm, CRDS arrangement) has been used to obtain the time evolution of concentration of both states. From the overall ion density decay during the afterglow we obtained the binary recombination rate coefficient αbin (77 K) = 1.2×10-7 cm3s-1. We have also observed ternary helium assisted recombination of both para and ortho H3+. The process is very slow (at 77 K) and the obtained ternary recombination rate coefficient is in contradiction with the theoretical prediction. It is the first time that the binary and ternary H3+ recombination rate coefficient was measured at a known population of para and ortho H3+ ions in decaying plasma.

  5. Application of NIR - CRDS for state selective study of recombination of para and ortho H3+ ions with electrons in low temperature plasma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Varju, J; Roucka, S; KotrIk, T; Plasil, R; Glosik, J

    2010-01-01

    We present a study of H 3 + recombination performed at 77 K on the two lowest rotational levels of this ion, which belong to its two different nuclear spin states of the studied ion. A near infrared cavity ring-down spectrometer (∼1381 nm, CRDS arrangement) has been used to obtain the time evolution of concentration of both states. From the overall ion density decay during the afterglow we obtained the binary recombination rate coefficient α bin (77 K) = 1.2x10 -7 cm 3 s -1 . We have also observed ternary helium assisted recombination of both para and ortho H 3 + . The process is very slow (at 77 K) and the obtained ternary recombination rate coefficient is in contradiction with the theoretical prediction. It is the first time that the binary and ternary H 3 + recombination rate coefficient was measured at a known population of para and ortho H 3 + ions in decaying plasma.

  6. Heterogeneous recombination among Hepatitis B virus genotypes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Castelhano, Nadine; Araujo, Natalia M; Arenas, Miguel

    2017-10-01

    The rapid evolution of Hepatitis B virus (HBV) through both evolutionary forces, mutation and recombination, allows this virus to generate a large variety of adapted variants at both intra and inter-host levels. It can, for instance, generate drug resistance or the diverse viral genotypes that currently exist in the HBV epidemics. Concerning the latter, it is known that recombination played a major role in the emergence and genetic diversification of novel genotypes. In this regard, the quantification of viral recombination in each genotype can provide relevant information to devise expectations about the evolutionary trends of the epidemic. Here we measured the amount of this evolutionary force by estimating global and local recombination rates in >4700 HBV complete genome sequences corresponding to nine (A to I) HBV genotypes. Counterintuitively, we found that genotype E presents extremely high levels of recombination, followed by genotypes B and C. On the other hand, genotype G presents the lowest level, where recombination is almost negligible. We discuss these findings in the light of known characteristics of these genotypes. Additionally, we present a phylogenetic network to depict the evolutionary history of the studied HBV genotypes. This network clearly classified all genotypes into specific groups and indicated that diverse pairs of genotypes are derived from a common ancestor (i.e., C-I, D-E and, F-H) although still the origin of this virus presented large uncertainty. Altogether we conclude that the amount of observed recombination is heterogeneous among HBV genotypes and that this heterogeneity can influence on the future expansion of the epidemic. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. Fine-Scale Recombination Maps of Fungal Plant Pathogens Reveal Dynamic Recombination Landscapes and Intragenic Hotspots.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stukenbrock, Eva H; Dutheil, Julien Y

    2018-03-01

    Meiotic recombination is an important driver of evolution. Variability in the intensity of recombination across chromosomes can affect sequence composition, nucleotide variation, and rates of adaptation. In many organisms, recombination events are concentrated within short segments termed recombination hotspots. The variation in recombination rate and positions of recombination hotspot can be studied using population genomics data and statistical methods. In this study, we conducted population genomics analyses to address the evolution of recombination in two closely related fungal plant pathogens: the prominent wheat pathogen Zymoseptoria tritici and a sister species infecting wild grasses Z. ardabiliae We specifically addressed whether recombination landscapes, including hotspot positions, are conserved in the two recently diverged species and if recombination contributes to rapid evolution of pathogenicity traits. We conducted a detailed simulation analysis to assess the performance of methods of recombination rate estimation based on patterns of linkage disequilibrium, in particular in the context of high nucleotide diversity. Our analyses reveal overall high recombination rates, a lack of suppressed recombination in centromeres, and significantly lower recombination rates on chromosomes that are known to be accessory. The comparison of the recombination landscapes of the two species reveals a strong correlation of recombination rate at the megabase scale, but little correlation at smaller scales. The recombination landscapes in both pathogen species are dominated by frequent recombination hotspots across the genome including coding regions, suggesting a strong impact of recombination on gene evolution. A significant but small fraction of these hotspots colocalize between the two species, suggesting that hotspot dynamics contribute to the overall pattern of fast evolving recombination in these species. Copyright © 2018 Stukenbrock and Dutheil.

  8. Whole-genome patterns of linkage disequilibrium across flycatcher populations clarify the causes and consequences of fine-scale recombination rate variation in birds.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kawakami, Takeshi; Mugal, Carina F; Suh, Alexander; Nater, Alexander; Burri, Reto; Smeds, Linnéa; Ellegren, Hans

    2017-08-01

    Recombination rate is heterogeneous across the genome of various species and so are genetic diversity and differentiation as a consequence of linked selection. However, we still lack a clear picture of the underlying mechanisms for regulating recombination. Here we estimated fine-scale population recombination rate based on the patterns of linkage disequilibrium across the genomes of multiple populations of two closely related flycatcher species (Ficedula albicollis and F. hypoleuca). This revealed an overall conservation of the recombination landscape between these species at the scale of 200 kb, but we also identified differences in the local rate of recombination despite their recent divergence (recombination rate in a lineage-specific manner, indicating differences in the extent of linked selection between species. We detected 400-3,085 recombination hotspots per population. Location of hotspots was conserved between species, but the intensity of hotspot activity varied between species. Recombination hotspots were primarily associated with CpG islands (CGIs), regardless of whether CGIs were at promoter regions or away from genes. Recombination hotspots were also associated with specific transposable elements (TEs), but this association appears indirect due to shared preferences of the transposition machinery and the recombination machinery for accessible open chromatin regions. Our results suggest that CGIs are a major determinant of the localization of recombination hotspots, and we propose that both the distribution of TEs and fine-scale variation in recombination rate may be associated with the evolution of the epigenetic landscape. © 2017 The Authors. Molecular Ecology Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  9. Dependence of the quasiparticle recombination rate on the superconducting gap and TC

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carr, G. L.; Xi, Xiaoxiang; Hwang, J.; Tashiro, H.; Reitze, D. H.; Tanner, D. B.

    2010-03-01

    The relaxation of excess quasiparticles in a BCS superconductor is known to depend on quantities such as the quasiparticle & phonon density of states, and their coupling (Kaplan et al, Phys. Rev. B 14 4854, 1976). Disorder or an applied field can disrupt superconductivity, as evidenced by a reduced TC. We consider some simple modifications to the quasiparticle density of states consistent with a suppressed energy gap and TC, leading to changes in the intrinsic and effective (measured) rates for excess quasiparticles to recombine into pairs. We review some results for disordered MoGe and discuss the magnetic-field dependence of the recombination process.

  10. Auger recombination in Dirac materials: A tangle of many-body effects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alymov, Georgy; Vyurkov, Vladimir; Ryzhii, Victor; Satou, Akira; Svintsov, Dmitry

    2018-05-01

    The peculiar electron dispersion in Dirac materials makes lowest-order Auger processes prohibited or marginally prohibited by energy and momentum conservation laws. Thus, Auger recombination (AR) in these materials is very sensitive to many-body effects. We incorporate them at the level of the G W approximation into the nonequilibrium Green's functions approach to AR and study the role of dynamic screening, spectrum broadening, and renormalization in the case of weakly pumped undoped graphene. We find that incorrect treatment of many-body effects can lead to an order-of-magnitude error in the recombination rate. We show that the AR time depends weakly (sublinearly) on the background dielectric constant, which limits the possibility to control recombination by the choice of substrate. However, the AR time can be considerably prolonged by placing graphene under a metal gate or by introducing a band gap. With carrier cooling taken into account, our results comply with experiments on photoexcited graphene.

  11. The Relation between Recombination Rate and Patterns of Molecular Evolution and Variation in Drosophila melanogaster

    Science.gov (United States)

    Campos, José L.; Halligan, Daniel L.; Haddrill, Penelope R.; Charlesworth, Brian

    2014-01-01

    Genetic recombination associated with sexual reproduction increases the efficiency of natural selection by reducing the strength of Hill–Robertson interference. Such interference can be caused either by selective sweeps of positively selected alleles or by background selection (BGS) against deleterious mutations. Its consequences can be studied by comparing patterns of molecular evolution and variation in genomic regions with different rates of crossing over. We carried out a comprehensive study of the benefits of recombination in Drosophila melanogaster, both by contrasting five independent genomic regions that lack crossing over with the rest of the genome and by comparing regions with different rates of crossing over, using data on DNA sequence polymorphisms from an African population that is geographically close to the putatively ancestral population for the species, and on sequence divergence from a related species. We observed reductions in sequence diversity in noncrossover (NC) regions that are inconsistent with the effects of hard selective sweeps in the absence of recombination. Overall, the observed patterns suggest that the recombination rate experienced by a gene is positively related to an increase in the efficiency of both positive and purifying selection. The results are consistent with a BGS model with interference among selected sites in NC regions, and joint effects of BGS, selective sweeps, and a past population expansion on variability in regions of the genome that experience crossing over. In such crossover regions, the X chromosome exhibits a higher rate of adaptive protein sequence evolution than the autosomes, implying a Faster-X effect. PMID:24489114

  12. Recombination rates of hydrogen and oxygen over pure and impure plutonium oxides

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Morales, L.

    1999-01-01

    Long-term, safe storage of excess plutonium-bearing materials is required until stabilization and disposal methods are implemented or defined. The US Department of Energy (DOE) has established a plan to address the stabilization, packing, and storage of plutonium-bearing materials from around the complex. The DOE's standard method, DOE-STD-3013-96 and its proposed revision, for stabilizing pure and impure actinide materials is by calcination in air followed by sealing the material in welded stainless steel containers. The 3013 standard contains and equation that predicts the total pressure buildup in the can over the anticipated storage time of 50 yr. This equation was meant to model a worst-case scenario to ensure that pressures would not exceed the strength of the container at the end of 50 yr. As a result, concerns about pressure generation in the storage cans, both absolute values and rates, have been raised with regard to rupture and dispersal of nuclear materials. Similar issues have been raised about the transportation of these materials around the complex. The purpose of this work is to provide a stronger technical basis for the 3013 standard by measuring the recombination rates of hydrogen/oxygen mixtures in contact with pure and impure plutonium oxides. The goal of these experiments was to determine whether the rate of recombination is faster than the rate of water radiolysis under controlled conditions. This was accomplished by using a calibrated pressure-volume-temperature apparatus to measure the recombination rates in a fixed volume as the gas mixture was brought into contact with oxide powders whose temperatures ranged from 50 to 300 C. These conditions were selected in order to bracket the temperature conditions expected in a typical storage can. In addition, a 2% H 2 /air mixture encompasses scenarios in which the cans are sealed in air, and over time various amounts of hydrogen are formed

  13. An explanation of efficiency droop in InGaN-based light emitting diodes: saturated radiative recombination rate at randomly distributed In-rich active areas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shim, Jong-In; Kim, Hyun-Sung; Shin, Dong-Soo; Yoo, Han-Youl

    2011-01-01

    We present a comprehensive model of the dependence of the internal quantum efficiency (IQE) on both the temperature and the carrier density in InGaN-based blue and green light emitting diodes (LEDs). In our model, carriers are dominantly located and recombine both radiatively and nonradiatively inside randomly distributed In-rich areas of the InGaN quantum wells (QWs). In those areas, the carrier density is very high even at a small current density. We propose that the saturated radiative recombination rate is a primary factor determining the IQE droop of InGaN based LEDs. In typical InGaN-based QWs, it is common for the total carrier recombination rate to be smaller than the carrier injection rate even at a small current density. This is mostly attributable to the saturation of the radiative recombination rate. The saturation of the radiative recombination rate increases carrier density in InGaN QWs, enlarges nonradiative carrier losses, and eventually gives rise to the large IQE droop with increasing current. We show how the radiative recombination rate saturates and the radiative recombination rate has influence on the IQE droop in InGaN-based QW LEDs.

  14. Hydrogen Recombination Rates of Plate-type Passive Auto-catalytic Recombiner

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Jongtae; Hong, Seong-Wan [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Gun Hong [Kyungwon E-C Co., Seongnam (Korea, Republic of)

    2014-10-15

    The hydrogen mitigation system may include igniters, passive autocatalytic recombiner (PAR), and venting or dilution system. Recently PAR is commonly used as a main component of HMS in a NPP containment because of its passive nature. PARs are categorized by the shape and material of catalytic surface. Catalytic surface coated by platinum is mostly used for the hydrogen recombiners. The shapes of the catalytic surface can be grouped into plate type, honeycomb type and porous media type. Among them, the plate-type PAR is well tested by many experiments. PAR performance analysis can be approached by a multi-scale method which is composed of micro, meso and macro scales. The criterion of the scaling is the ratio of thickness of boundary layer developed on a catalytic surface to representative length of a computational domain. Mass diffusion in the boundary layer must be resolved in the micro scale analysis. In a lumped parameter (LP) analysis using a system code such as MAAP or MELCOR, the chamber of the PAR is much smaller than a computational node. The hydrogen depletion by a PAR is modeled as a source of mass and energy conservation equations. Te catalytic surface reaction of hydrogen must be modeled by a volume-averaged correlation. In this study, a micro scale analysis method is developed using libraries in OpenFOAM to evaluate a hydrogen depletion rate depending on parameters such as size and number of plates and plate arrangement. The analysis code is validated by simulating REKO-3 experiment. And hydrogen depletion analysis is conducted by changing the plate arrangement as a trial of the performance enhancement of a PAR. In this study, a numerical code for an analysis of a PAR performance in a micro scale has been developed by using OpenFOAM libraries. The physical and numerical models were validated by simulating the REKO-3 experiment. As a try to enhance the performance of the plate-type PAR, it was proposed to apply a staggered two-layer arrangement of the

  15. Hydrogen Recombination Rates of Plate-type Passive Auto-catalytic Recombiner

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Jongtae; Hong, Seong-Wan; Kim, Gun Hong

    2014-01-01

    The hydrogen mitigation system may include igniters, passive autocatalytic recombiner (PAR), and venting or dilution system. Recently PAR is commonly used as a main component of HMS in a NPP containment because of its passive nature. PARs are categorized by the shape and material of catalytic surface. Catalytic surface coated by platinum is mostly used for the hydrogen recombiners. The shapes of the catalytic surface can be grouped into plate type, honeycomb type and porous media type. Among them, the plate-type PAR is well tested by many experiments. PAR performance analysis can be approached by a multi-scale method which is composed of micro, meso and macro scales. The criterion of the scaling is the ratio of thickness of boundary layer developed on a catalytic surface to representative length of a computational domain. Mass diffusion in the boundary layer must be resolved in the micro scale analysis. In a lumped parameter (LP) analysis using a system code such as MAAP or MELCOR, the chamber of the PAR is much smaller than a computational node. The hydrogen depletion by a PAR is modeled as a source of mass and energy conservation equations. Te catalytic surface reaction of hydrogen must be modeled by a volume-averaged correlation. In this study, a micro scale analysis method is developed using libraries in OpenFOAM to evaluate a hydrogen depletion rate depending on parameters such as size and number of plates and plate arrangement. The analysis code is validated by simulating REKO-3 experiment. And hydrogen depletion analysis is conducted by changing the plate arrangement as a trial of the performance enhancement of a PAR. In this study, a numerical code for an analysis of a PAR performance in a micro scale has been developed by using OpenFOAM libraries. The physical and numerical models were validated by simulating the REKO-3 experiment. As a try to enhance the performance of the plate-type PAR, it was proposed to apply a staggered two-layer arrangement of the

  16. Application of NIR - CRDS for state selective study of recombination of para and ortho H{sub 3}{sup +} ions with electrons in low temperature plasma

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Varju, J; Roucka, S; KotrIk, T; Plasil, R; Glosik, J, E-mail: Juraj.Glosik@mff.cuni.c [Charles University, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Department of Surface and Plasma Science, V Holesovickach 2, Prague 8 (Czech Republic)

    2010-05-01

    We present a study of H{sub 3}{sup +} recombination performed at 77 K on the two lowest rotational levels of this ion, which belong to its two different nuclear spin states of the studied ion. A near infrared cavity ring-down spectrometer ({approx}1381 nm, CRDS arrangement) has been used to obtain the time evolution of concentration of both states. From the overall ion density decay during the afterglow we obtained the binary recombination rate coefficient {alpha}{sub bin} (77 K) = 1.2x10{sup -7} cm{sup 3}s{sup -1}. We have also observed ternary helium assisted recombination of both para and ortho H{sub 3}{sup +}. The process is very slow (at 77 K) and the obtained ternary recombination rate coefficient is in contradiction with the theoretical prediction. It is the first time that the binary and ternary H{sub 3}{sup +} recombination rate coefficient was measured at a known population of para and ortho H{sub 3}{sup +} ions in decaying plasma.

  17. Selectivity control of photosensitive structures based on gallium arsenide phosphide solid solutions by changing the rate of surface recombination

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tarasov, S A; Andreev, M Y; Lamkin, I A; Solomonov, A V

    2016-01-01

    In this paper, we demonstrate the effect of surface recombination on spectral sensitivity of structures based on gallium arsenide phosphide solid solutions. Simulation of the effect for structures based on a p-n junction and a Schottky barrier was carried out. Photodetectors with different rates of surface recombination were fabricated by using different methods of preliminary treatment of the semiconductor surface. We experimentally demonstrated the possibility to control photodetector selectivity by altering the rate of surface recombination. The full width at half maximum was reduced by almost 4 times, while a relatively small decrease in sensitivity at the maximum was observed. (paper)

  18. Recombination every day: abundant recombination in a virus during a single multi-cellular host infection.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Remy Froissart

    2005-03-01

    Full Text Available Viral recombination can dramatically impact evolution and epidemiology. In viruses, the recombination rate depends on the frequency of genetic exchange between different viral genomes within an infected host cell and on the frequency at which such co-infections occur. While the recombination rate has been recently evaluated in experimentally co-infected cell cultures for several viruses, direct quantification at the most biologically significant level, that of a host infection, is still lacking. This study fills this gap using the cauliflower mosaic virus as a model. We distributed four neutral markers along the viral genome, and co-inoculated host plants with marker-containing and wild-type viruses. The frequency of recombinant genomes was evaluated 21 d post-inoculation. On average, over 50% of viral genomes recovered after a single host infection were recombinants, clearly indicating that recombination is very frequent in this virus. Estimates of the recombination rate show that all regions of the genome are equally affected by this process. Assuming that ten viral replication cycles occurred during our experiment-based on data on the timing of coat protein detection-the per base and replication cycle recombination rate was on the order of 2 x 10(-5 to 4 x 10(-5. This first determination of a virus recombination rate during a single multi-cellular host infection indicates that recombination is very frequent in the everyday life of this virus.

  19. Efficient quantum-classical method for computing thermal rate constant of recombination: application to ozone formation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ivanov, Mikhail V; Babikov, Dmitri

    2012-05-14

    Efficient method is proposed for computing thermal rate constant of recombination reaction that proceeds according to the energy transfer mechanism, when an energized molecule is formed from reactants first, and is stabilized later by collision with quencher. The mixed quantum-classical theory for the collisional energy transfer and the ro-vibrational energy flow [M. Ivanov and D. Babikov, J. Chem. Phys. 134, 144107 (2011)] is employed to treat the dynamics of molecule + quencher collision. Efficiency is achieved by sampling simultaneously (i) the thermal collision energy, (ii) the impact parameter, and (iii) the incident direction of quencher, as well as (iv) the rotational state of energized molecule. This approach is applied to calculate third-order rate constant of the recombination reaction that forms the (16)O(18)O(16)O isotopomer of ozone. Comparison of the predicted rate vs. experimental result is presented.

  20. High recombination rate in natural populations of Plasmodium falciparum

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Conway, D. J.; Roper, C.; Oduola, A. M.; Arnot, D. E.; Kremsner, P. G.; Grobusch, M. P.; Curtis, C. F.; Greenwood, B. M.

    1999-01-01

    Malaria parasites are sexually reproducing protozoa, although the extent of effective meiotic recombination in natural populations has been debated. If meiotic recombination occurs frequently, compared with point mutation and mitotic rearrangement, linkage disequilibrium between polymorphic sites is

  1. Iso-nuclear tungsten dielectronic recombination rates for use in magnetically-confined fusion plasmas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kwon, D.-H.; Lee, W.; Preval, S.; Ballance, C. P.; Behar, E.; Colgan, J.; Fontes, C. J.; Nakano, T.; Li, B.; Ding, X.; Dong, C. Z.; Fu, Y. B.; Badnell, N. R.; O'Mullane, M.; Chung, H.-K.; Braams, B. J.

    2018-01-01

    Under the auspices of the IAEA Atomic and Molecular Data Center and the Korean Atomic Energy Research Institute, our assembled group of authors has reviewed the current state of dielectronic recombination (DR) rate coefficients for various ion stages of tungsten (W). Subsequent recommendations were based upon available experimental data, first-principle calculations carried out in support of this paper and from available recombination data within existing atomic databases. If a recommendation was possible, data were compiled, evaluated and fitted to a functional form with associated uncertainty information retained, where available. This paper also considers the variation of the W fractional abundance due to the underlying atomic data when employing different data sets.

  2. Recombining without Hotspots: A Comprehensive Evolutionary Portrait of Recombination in Two Closely Related Species of Drosophila

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smukowski Heil, Caiti S.; Ellison, Chris; Dubin, Matthew; Noor, Mohamed A.F.

    2015-01-01

    Meiotic recombination rate varies across the genome within and between individuals, populations, and species in virtually all taxa studied. In almost every species, this variation takes the form of discrete recombination hotspots, determined in some mammals by a protein called PRDM9. Hotspots and their determinants have a profound effect on the genomic landscape, and share certain features that extend across the tree of life. Drosophila, in contrast, are anomalous in their absence of hotspots, PRDM9, and other species-specific differences in the determination of recombination. To better understand the evolution of meiosis and general patterns of recombination across diverse taxa, we present a truly comprehensive portrait of recombination across time, combining recently published cross-based contemporary recombination estimates from each of two sister species with newly obtained linkage-disequilibrium-based historic estimates of recombination from both of these species. Using Drosophila pseudoobscura and Drosophila miranda as a model system, we compare recombination rate between species at multiple scales, and we suggest that Drosophila replicate the pattern seen in human–chimpanzee in which recombination rate is conserved at broad scales. We also find evidence of a species-wide recombination modifier(s), resulting in both a present and historic genome-wide elevation of recombination rates in D. miranda, and identify broad scale effects on recombination from the presence of an inversion. Finally, we reveal an unprecedented view of the distribution of recombination in D. pseudoobscura, illustrating patterns of linked selection and where recombination is taking place. Overall, by combining these estimation approaches, we highlight key similarities and differences in recombination between Drosophila and other organisms. PMID:26430062

  3. The HD+ dissociative recombination rate coefficient at low temperature

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wolf A.

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The effect of the rotational temperature of the ions is considered for low-energy dissociative recombination (DR of HD+. Merged beams measurements with HD+ ions of a rotational temperature near 300 K are compared to multichannel quantum defect theory calculations. The thermal DR rate coefficient for a Maxwellian electron velocity distribution is derived from the merged-beams data and compared to theoretical results for a range of rotational temperatures. Good agreement is found for the theory with 300 K rotational temperature. For a low-temperature plasma environment where also the rotational temperature assumes 10 K, theory predicts a considerably higher thermal DR rate coefficient. The origin of this is traced to predicted resonant structures of the collision-energy dependent DR cross section at few-meV collision energies for the particular case of HD+ ions in the rotational ground state.

  4. Phylogeographic variation in recombination rates within a global clone of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Castillo-Ramirez, Santiago; Corander, Jukka; Marttinen, Pekka

    2012-01-01

    by employing a recently developed Bayesian approach, BRATNextGen, for detecting recombination on an expanded NGS dataset of the globally disseminated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) clone ST239. RESULTS: The data confirm strong geographical clustering at continental, national and city scales...... that the rapid global dissemination of a single pathogenic bacterial clone results in local variation in measured recombination rates. Possible explanatory variables include the size and time since emergence of each defined sub-population (as determined by the sampling frame), variation in transmission dynamics...

  5. Recombining without Hotspots: A Comprehensive Evolutionary Portrait of Recombination in Two Closely Related Species of Drosophila.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smukowski Heil, Caiti S; Ellison, Chris; Dubin, Matthew; Noor, Mohamed A F

    2015-10-01

    Meiotic recombination rate varies across the genome within and between individuals, populations, and species in virtually all taxa studied. In almost every species, this variation takes the form of discrete recombination hotspots, determined in some mammals by a protein called PRDM9. Hotspots and their determinants have a profound effect on the genomic landscape, and share certain features that extend across the tree of life. Drosophila, in contrast, are anomalous in their absence of hotspots, PRDM9, and other species-specific differences in the determination of recombination. To better understand the evolution of meiosis and general patterns of recombination across diverse taxa, we present a truly comprehensive portrait of recombination across time, combining recently published cross-based contemporary recombination estimates from each of two sister species with newly obtained linkage-disequilibrium-based historic estimates of recombination from both of these species. Using Drosophila pseudoobscura and Drosophila miranda as a model system, we compare recombination rate between species at multiple scales, and we suggest that Drosophila replicate the pattern seen in human-chimpanzee in which recombination rate is conserved at broad scales. We also find evidence of a species-wide recombination modifier(s), resulting in both a present and historic genome-wide elevation of recombination rates in D. miranda, and identify broad scale effects on recombination from the presence of an inversion. Finally, we reveal an unprecedented view of the distribution of recombination in D. pseudoobscura, illustrating patterns of linked selection and where recombination is taking place. Overall, by combining these estimation approaches, we highlight key similarities and differences in recombination between Drosophila and other organisms. © The Author(s) 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution.

  6. Theoretical study of the lowest-lying electronic states of Aluminium monoiodide

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Taher, F.; Kabbani, A.; Ani-El Houte, W.

    2004-01-01

    Full text.The spectroscopic study of Aluminium monohalides, especially the Aluminium monoiodide, is important for monitoring such species in high temperature fast-flow reactors. Theoretical calculations of AlI are not available, whereas several studies have been done for the other aluminium monohalides. In this work, CAS-SCF/MRCI calculations are performed for the lowest-lying electronic states of AlI in a range of internuclear distance between 2.30 A and 2.80 A. Ab-initio calculations have been effectuated by using the computational chemistry program Molpro. The basis set used in this study for aluminium atom is that used by Langhoff for aluminium monohalides, of contractions using atomic natural orbitals and a pseudopotential is used for iode. Accurate theoretical spectroscopic constants and potential curves are obtained for the ground state X 1 Σ + and the first excited states a 3 Π and A 1 Π. The calculated values of Te, ωe, ωexe and re of these states are compatible with the experimental results. An ordering of states is represented for the lowest five predicted singlet and lowest five predicted triplet states. These results provide a big support to determine the analogy in the ordering of the electronic states in AlF, AlBr and AlI respectively at lower energies. These theoretical results identify a set of electronic singlet and triplet states unobserved experimentally

  7. Laser-induced electron--ion recombination used to study enhanced spontaneous recombination during electron cooling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schramm, U.; Wolf, A.; Schuess ler, T.; Habs, D.; Schwalm, D.; Uwira, O.; Linkemann, J.; Mueller, A.

    1997-01-01

    Spontaneous recombination of highly charged ions with free electrons in merged velocity matched electron and ion beams has been observed in earlier experiments to occur at rates significantly higher than predicted by theoretical estimates. To study this enhanced spontaneous recombination, laser induced recombination spectra were measured both in velocity matched beams and in beams with well defined relative velocities, corresponding to relative electron-ion detuning energies ranging from 1 meV up to 6.5 meV where the spontaneous recombination enhancement was found to be strongly reduced. Based on a comparison with simplified calculations, the development of the recombination spectra for decreasing detuning energies indicates additional contributions at matched velocities which could be related to the energy distribution of electrons causing the spontaneous recombination rate enhancement

  8. Electron-ion recombination in merged beams

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wolf, A.; Habs, D.; Lampert, A.; Neumann, R.; Schramm, U.; Schuessler, T.; Schwalm, D.

    1993-01-01

    Detailed studies of recombination processes between electrons and highly charged ions have become possible by recent improvements of merged-beams experiments. We discuss in particular measurements with stored cooled ion beams at the Test Storage Ring (TSR) in Heidelberg. The cross section of dielectronic recombination was measured with high energy resolution for few-electron systems up to the nuclear charge of Cu at a relative energy up to 2.6 keV. At low energy (∼0.1 eV) total recombination rates of several ions were measured and compared with calculated radiative recombination rates. Laser-stimulated recombination of protons and of C 6+ ions was investigated as a function of the photon energy using visible radiation. Both the total recombination rates and the stimulated recombination spectra indicate that in spite of the short interaction time in merged beams, also collisional capture of electrons into weakly bound levels (related to three-body recombination) could be important

  9. Vibrationally resolved rate coefficients and branching fractions in the dissociative recombination of O2+

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Petrignani, A.; Zande, W.J. van der; Cosby, P.C.; Hellberg, F.; Thomas, R.; Larsson, M.

    2005-01-01

    We have studied the dissociative recombination of the first three vibrational levels of O-2(+) in its electronic ground X (2)Pi(g) state. Absolute rate coefficients, cross sections, quantum yields and branching fractions have been determined in a merged-beam experiment in the heavy-ion storage ring,

  10. Recombination Modulates How Selection Affects Linked Sites in Drosophila

    Science.gov (United States)

    McGaugh, Suzanne E.; Heil, Caiti S. S.; Manzano-Winkler, Brenda; Loewe, Laurence; Goldstein, Steve; Himmel, Tiffany L.; Noor, Mohamed A. F.

    2012-01-01

    One of the most influential observations in molecular evolution has been a strong association between local recombination rate and nucleotide polymorphisms across the genome. This is interpreted as evidence for ubiquitous natural selection. The alternative explanation, that recombination is mutagenic, has been rejected by the absence of a similar association between local recombination rate and nucleotide divergence between species. However, many recent studies show that recombination rates are often very different even in closely related species, questioning whether an association between recombination rate and divergence between species has been tested satisfactorily. To circumvent this problem, we directly surveyed recombination across approximately 43% of the D. pseudoobscura physical genome in two separate recombination maps and 31% of the D. miranda physical genome, and we identified both global and local differences in recombination rate between these two closely related species. Using only regions with conserved recombination rates between and within species and accounting for multiple covariates, our data support the conclusion that recombination is positively related to diversity because recombination modulates Hill–Robertson effects in the genome and not because recombination is predominately mutagenic. Finally, we find evidence for dips in diversity around nonsynonymous substitutions. We infer that at least some of this reduction in diversity resulted from selective sweeps and examine these dips in the context of recombination rate. PMID:23152720

  11. Binary and ternary recombination of D3+ ions at 80-130 K: Application of laser absorption spectroscopy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dohnal, Petr; Hejduk, Michal; Rubovič, Peter; Varju, Jozef; Roučka, Štěpán; Plašil, Radek; Glosík, Juraj

    2012-11-01

    Recombination of D_3^+ ions with electrons at low temperatures (80-130 K) was studied using spectroscopic determination of D_3^+ ions density in afterglow plasmas. The use of cavity ring-down absorption spectroscopy enabled an in situ determination of the abundances of the ions in plasma and the translational and the rotational temperatures of the recombining ions. Two near infrared transitions at (5792.70 ± 0.01) cm-1 and at (5793.90 ± 0.01) cm-1 were used to probe the number densities of the lowest ortho state and of one higher lying rotational state of the vibrational ground state of D_3^+ ion. The results show that D_3^+ recombination with electrons consists of the binary and the third-body (helium) assisted process. The obtained binary recombination rate coefficients are in agreement with a recent theoretical prediction for electron-ion plasma in thermodynamic equilibrium with αbin(80 K) = (9.2 ± 2.0) × 10-8 cm3 s-1. The measured helium assisted ternary rate coefficients KHe are in agreement with our previously measured flowing afterglow data giving a value of KHe(80 K) = (1.2 ± 0.3) × 10-25 cm6 s-1.

  12. Binary and ternary recombination of D3+ ions at 80-130 K: application of laser absorption spectroscopy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dohnal, Petr; Hejduk, Michal; Rubovič, Peter; Varju, Jozef; Roučka, Štěpán; Plašil, Radek; Glosík, Juraj

    2012-11-21

    Recombination of D(3)(+) ions with electrons at low temperatures (80-130 K) was studied using spectroscopic determination of D(3)(+) ions density in afterglow plasmas. The use of cavity ring-down absorption spectroscopy enabled an in situ determination of the abundances of the ions in plasma and the translational and the rotational temperatures of the recombining ions. Two near infrared transitions at (5792.70 ± 0.01) cm(-1) and at (5793.90 ± 0.01) cm(-1) were used to probe the number densities of the lowest ortho state and of one higher lying rotational state of the vibrational ground state of D(3)(+) ion. The results show that D(3)(+) recombination with electrons consists of the binary and the third-body (helium) assisted process. The obtained binary recombination rate coefficients are in agreement with a recent theoretical prediction for electron-ion plasma in thermodynamic equilibrium with α(bin)(80 K) = (9.2 ± 2.0) × 10(-8) cm(3) s(-1). The measured helium assisted ternary rate coefficients K(He) are in agreement with our previously measured flowing afterglow data giving a value of K(He)(80 K) = (1.2 ± 0.3) × 10(-25) cm(6) s(-1).

  13. Calculation of hydrogen outgassing rate of LHD by recombination limited model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Akaishi, K.; Nakasuga, M.

    2002-04-01

    To simulate hydrogen outgassing in the plasma vacuum vessel of LHD, the recombination limited model is presented, where the time evolution of hydrogen concentration in the wall of the plasma vacuum vessel is described by a one-dimensional diffusion equation. The hydrogen outgassing rates when the plasma vacuum vessel is pumped down at room temperature and baked at 100 degC are calculated as a function of pumping time. The calculation shows that the hydrogen outgassing rate of the plasma vacuum vessel can be reduced at least by one order of magnitude due to pumping and baking. This prediction is consistent with the recent result of outgassing reduction observed in the pumping-down and baking of the plasma vacuum vessel in LHD. (author)

  14. Recombination rates in heterojunction silicon solar cells analyzed by impedance spectroscopy at forward bias and under illumination

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mora-Sero, Ivan; Luo, Yan; Garcia-Belmonte, Germa; Bisquert, Juan [Departament de Fisica, Universitat Jaume I, E-12071 Castello (Spain); Munoz, Delfina; Voz, Cristobal; Puigdollers, Joaquim; Alcubilla, Ramon [Departament d' Enginyeria Electronica, Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya, E-08034 Barcelona (Spain)

    2008-04-15

    Impedance spectroscopy (at forward bias and under illumination) of solar cells comprised thin hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) films deposited on crystalline silicon (c-Si) wafers was analyzed in terms of ac equivalent circuits. Shockley-Read-Hall recombination at states on the device interfaces governs the cell dynamic response. Recombination process was modeled by means of simple RC circuits which allow to determine the capture rate of electrons and holes. Carrier lifetime is found to be stated by the electron capture time {tau}{sub SRH}{approx}{tau}{sub n}, and it results in the range of 300 {mu}s. The Al-annealed back contact was regarded as the dominating recombination interface. (author)

  15. The investigation of electron-ion radiative and dielectronic recombination in high-temperature plasmas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jacobs, V.L.

    1991-01-01

    (1) The unified description of radiative and dielectronic recombination, which the authors have developed to provide corrections to the conventional independent-processes approximation, has been generalized to self-consistently incorporate the effects of charged-particle collisions and plasma electric fields. (2) The K α model for the dielectronic satellite spectra of highly-charged Fe ions, which the authors have developed based on the conventional theory of dielectronic satellite line intensities, has been incorporated into the multi-ion-species transport code MIST. Excellent agreement has been obtained between the simulated spectra and the observed Fe K α spectra from PLT and TFTR. (3) A detailed investigation has been completed on the dielectronic recombination satellite spectra in the presence of a distribution of plasma electric microfields. The calculations have been carried out for the lowest-lying n=2 satellites, which are affected by the electric fields only in high-density laser-produced plasma. For application to the lower-density conditions in tokamak plasmas, in which the electron density is about ten orders of magnitude smaller, a number of alternatives are under consideration for evaluating the recombination rates associated with the Rydberg autoionizing sates corresponding to large values of n. (3) A manuscript entitled ''Observation of Density-Enhanced Dielectronic Satellite Spectra Produced During Subpicosecond Laser-Matter Interactions'' has been submitted for publication in the Physical Review A. This work provides a convincing experimental verification of the theoretical predictions on the density sensitivity of diagnostically-important dielectronic satellite spectra in dense plasmas

  16. Experimental evolution across different thermal regimes yields genetic divergence in recombination fraction but no divergence in temperature associated plastic recombination.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kohl, Kathryn P; Singh, Nadia D

    2018-04-01

    Phenotypic plasticity is pervasive in nature. One mechanism underlying the evolution and maintenance of such plasticity is environmental heterogeneity. Indeed, theory indicates that both spatial and temporal variation in the environment should favor the evolution of phenotypic plasticity under a variety of conditions. Cyclical environmental conditions have also been shown to yield evolved increases in recombination frequency. Here, we use a panel of replicated experimental evolution populations of D. melanogaster to test whether variable environments favor enhanced plasticity in recombination rate and/or increased recombination rate in response to temperature. In contrast to expectation, we find no evidence for either enhanced plasticity in recombination or increased rates of recombination in the variable environment lines. Our data confirm a role of temperature in mediating recombination fraction in D. melanogaster, and indicate that recombination is genetically and plastically depressed under lower temperatures. Our data further suggest that the genetic architectures underlying plastic recombination and population-level variation in recombination rate are likely to be distinct. © 2018 The Author(s). Evolution © 2018 The Society for the Study of Evolution.

  17. Evolution of recombination in eutherian mammals: insights into mechanisms that affect recombination rates and crossover interference

    OpenAIRE

    Segura, Joana; Ferretti, Luca; Ramos-Onsins, Sebastián; Capilla, Laia; Farré, Marta; Reis, Fernanda; Oliver-Bonet, Maria; Fernández-Bellón, Hugo; Garcia, Francisca; Garcia-Caldés, Montserrat; Robinson, Terence J.; Ruiz-Herrera, Aurora

    2013-01-01

    Recombination allows faithful chromosomal segregation during meiosis and contributes to the production of new heritable allelic variants that are essential for the maintenance of genetic diversity. Therefore, an appreciation of how this variation is created and maintained is of critical importance to our understanding of biodiversity and evolutionary change. Here, we analysed the recombination features from species representing the major eutherian taxonomic groups Afrotheria, Rodentia, Primat...

  18. Density dependence of dielectronic recombination in selenium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hagelstein, P.L.; Rosen, M.D.; Jacobs, V.L.

    1986-01-01

    Dielectronic recombination has been found to be the dominant recombination process in the determination of the ionization balance of selenium near the Ne-like sequence under conditions relevant to the exploding-foil EUV laser plasmas. The dielectronic recombination process tends to populate excited levels, and these levels in turn are more susceptible to subsequent excitation and ionization than are the ground-state ions. If one defines an effective recombination rate which includes, in addition to the primary recombination, the subsequent excitation and ionization of the additional excited-state population due to the primary recombination, then this effective recombination rate can be density-sensitive at relatively low electron density. We present results for this effective dielectronic recombination rate at an electron density of 3 x 10/sup 20/ electrons/cm 3 for recombination from Ne-like to Na-like selenium and from F-like to Ne-like selenium. In the former case, the effective recombination rate coefficient is found to be 1.8 x 10/sup -11/ cm 3 /sec at 1.0 keV, which is to be compared with the zero-density value of 2.8 x 10/sup -11/ cm 3 /sec. In the latter case (F-like to Ne-like), the effective recombination rate coefficient is found to be 1.3 x 10/sup -11/ cm 3 /sec, which is substantially reduced from the zero-density result of 3.3 x 10/sup -11/ cm 3 /sec. We have examined the effects of dielectronic recombination on the laser gain of the dominant Ne-like 3p-3s transitions and have compared our results with those presented by Whitten et al. [Phys. Rev. A 33, 2171 (1986)

  19. Calculations of recombination rates for cold 4He atoms from atom-dimer phase shifts and determination of universal scaling functions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shepard, J. R.

    2007-01-01

    Three-body recombination rates for cold 4 He are calculated with a method which exploits the simple relationship between the imaginary part of the atom-dimer elastic scattering phase shift and the S-matrix for recombination. The elastic phase shifts are computed above breakup threshold by solving a three-body Faddeev equation in momentum space with inputs based on a variety of modern atom-atom potentials. Recombination coefficients for the HFD-B3-FCII potential agree very well with the only previously published results. Since the elastic scattering and recombination processes for 4 He are governed by 'Efimov physics', they depend on universal functions of a scaling variable. The computed recombination coefficients for potentials other than HFD-B3-FCII make it possible to determine these universal functions

  20. A comparative theoretical study of exciton-dissociation and charge-recombination processes in oligothiophene/fullerene and oligothiophene/perylenediimide complexes for organic solar cells

    KAUST Repository

    Yi, Yuanping

    2011-01-01

    The exciton-dissociation and charge-recombination processes in donor-acceptor complexes found in α-sexithienyl/C60 and α-sexithienyl/perylenetetracarboxydiimide (PDI) solar cells are investigated by means of quantum-chemical methods. The electronic couplings and exciton-dissociation and charge-recombination rates have been evaluated for various configurations of the complexes. The results suggest that the decay of the lowest charge-transfer state to the ground state in the PDI-based devices: (i) is faster than that in the fullerene-based devices and (ii) in most cases, can compete with the dissociation of the charge-transfer state into mobile charge carriers. This faster charge-recombination process is consistent with the lower performance observed experimentally for the devices using PDI derivatives as the acceptor. © 2011 The Royal Society of Chemistry.

  1. High Rydberg resonances in dielectronic recombination of pb(79+).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brandau, C; Bartsch, T; Hoffknecht, A; Knopp, H; Schippers, S; Shi, W; Müller, A; Grün, N; Scheid, W; Steih, T; Bosch, F; Franzke, B; Kozhuharov, C; Mokler, P H; Nolden, F; Steck, M; Stöhlker, T; Stachura, Z

    2002-07-29

    Dielectronic recombination resonances of Pb (79+) associated with 2s(1/2)-->2p(1/2) excitations were measured at the heavy-ion storage ring ESR at GSI. The fine structure of the energetically lowest resonance manifold Pb (78+)(1s(2)2p(1/2)20l(j)) at around 18 eV could partially be resolved, and rate coefficients on an absolute scale were obtained. A comparison of the experimental data with results of a fully relativistic theoretical approach shows that high-angular-momentum components up to j=31/2 significantly contribute to the total resonance strength demonstrating the necessity to revise the widespread notion of negligible high-angular-momentum contributions at least for very highly charged ions.

  2. Exceptionally high levels of recombination across the honey bee genome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beye, Martin; Gattermeier, Irene; Hasselmann, Martin; Gempe, Tanja; Schioett, Morten; Baines, John F; Schlipalius, David; Mougel, Florence; Emore, Christine; Rueppell, Olav; Sirviö, Anu; Guzmán-Novoa, Ernesto; Hunt, Greg; Solignac, Michel; Page, Robert E

    2006-11-01

    The first draft of the honey bee genome sequence and improved genetic maps are utilized to analyze a genome displaying 10 times higher levels of recombination (19 cM/Mb) than previously analyzed genomes of higher eukaryotes. The exceptionally high recombination rate is distributed genome-wide, but varies by two orders of magnitude. Analysis of chromosome, sequence, and gene parameters with respect to recombination showed that local recombination rate is associated with distance to the telomere, GC content, and the number of simple repeats as described for low-recombining genomes. Recombination rate does not decrease with chromosome size. On average 5.7 recombination events per chromosome pair per meiosis are found in the honey bee genome. This contrasts with a wide range of taxa that have a uniform recombination frequency of about 1.6 per chromosome pair. The excess of recombination activity does not support a mechanistic role of recombination in stabilizing pairs of homologous chromosome during chromosome pairing. Recombination rate is associated with gene size, suggesting that introns are larger in regions of low recombination and may improve the efficacy of selection in these regions. Very few transposons and no retrotransposons are present in the high-recombining genome. We propose evolutionary explanations for the exceptionally high genome-wide recombination rate.

  3. SequenceLDhot: detecting recombination hotspots.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fearnhead, Paul

    2006-12-15

    There is much local variation in recombination rates across the human genome--with the majority of recombination occurring in recombination hotspots--short regions of around approximately 2 kb in length that have much higher recombination rates than neighbouring regions. Knowledge of this local variation is important, e.g. in the design and analysis of association studies for disease genes. Population genetic data, such as that generated by the HapMap project, can be used to infer the location of these hotspots. We present a new, efficient and powerful method for detecting recombination hotspots from population data. We compare our method with four current methods for detecting hotspots. It is orders of magnitude quicker, and has greater power, than two related approaches. It appears to be more powerful than HotspotFisher, though less accurate at inferring the precise positions of the hotspot. It was also more powerful than LDhot in some situations: particularly for weaker hotspots (10-40 times the background rate) when SNP density is lower (maths.lancs.ac.uk/~fearnhea/Hotspot.

  4. Recombination: the good, the bad and the variable.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stapley, Jessica; Feulner, Philine G D; Johnston, Susan E; Santure, Anna W; Smadja, Carole M

    2017-12-19

    Recombination, the process by which DNA strands are broken and repaired, producing new combinations of alleles, occurs in nearly all multicellular organisms and has important implications for many evolutionary processes. The effects of recombination can be good , as it can facilitate adaptation, but also bad when it breaks apart beneficial combinations of alleles, and recombination is highly variable between taxa, species, individuals and across the genome. Understanding how and why recombination rate varies is a major challenge in biology. Most theoretical and empirical work has been devoted to understanding the role of recombination in the evolution of sex-comparing between sexual and asexual species or populations. How recombination rate evolves and what impact this has on evolutionary processes within sexually reproducing organisms has received much less attention. This Theme Issue focusses on how and why recombination rate varies in sexual species, and aims to coalesce knowledge of the molecular mechanisms governing recombination with our understanding of the evolutionary processes driving variation in recombination within and between species. By integrating these fields, we can identify important knowledge gaps and areas for future research, and pave the way for a more comprehensive understanding of how and why recombination rate varies. © 2017 The Authors.

  5. Very low recombination phosphorus emitters for high efficiency crystalline silicon solar cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ortega, P; Vetter, M; Bermejo, S; Alcubilla, R

    2008-01-01

    This work studies low recombination phosphorus emitters on c-Si. The emitters are fabricated by diffusion from solid sources and then passivated by thermal oxide yielding sheet resistances between 15 and 280 Ω/sq. Emitter saturation current densities lie in the 2.5–110 fA cm −2 range, leading to implicit open-circuit voltages between 674 and 725 mV. Bulk lifetime is limited by intrinsic recombination mechanisms. Surface recombination velocities between 80 and 300 cm s −1 have been obtained, appearing among the lowest reported in this range of emitter sheet resistances

  6. Rate constant of free electrons and holes recombination in thin films CdSe

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Radychev, N.A.; Novikov, G.F.

    2006-01-01

    Destruction kinetics of electrons generated in thin films CdSe by laser impulse (wave length is 337 nm, period of impulse - 8 nc) is studied by the method of microwave photoconductivity (36 GHz) at 295 K. Model of the process was suggested using the analysis of kinetics of photo-responses decay, and it allowed determination of rate constant of recombination of free electrons and holes in cadmium selenide - (4-6)x10 -11 cm 3 s -1 [ru

  7. Propargyl Recombination: Estimation of the High Temperature, Low Pressure Rate Constant from Flame Measurements

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rasmussen, Christian Lund; Skjøth-Rasmussen, Martin Skov; Jensen, Anker

    2005-01-01

    The most important cyclization reaction in hydrocarbon flames is probably recombination of propargyl radicals. This reaction may, depending on reaction conditions, form benzene, phenyl or fulvene, as well as a range of linear products. A number of rate measurements have been reported for C3H3 + C3H......3 at temperatures below 1000 K, while data at high temperature and low pressure only can be obtained from flames. In the present work, an estimate of the rate constant for the reaction at 1400 +/- 50 K and 20 Torr is obtained from analysis of the fuel-rich acetylene flame of Westmoreland, Howard...

  8. Analysis of the auger recombination rate in P+N-n-N-N HgCdTe detectors for HOT applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schuster, J.; Tennant, W. E.; Bellotti, E.; Wijewarnasuriya, P. S.

    2016-05-01

    Infrared (IR) photon detectors must be cryogenically cooled to provide the highest possible performance, usually to temperatures at or below ~ 150K. Such low operating temperatures (Top) impose very stringent requirements on cryogenic coolers. As such, there is a constant push in the industry to engineer new detector architectures that operate at higher temperatures, so called higher operating temperature (HOT) detectors. The ultimate goal for HOT detectors is room temperature operation. While this is not currently possibly for photon detectors, significant increases in Top are nonetheless beneficial in terms of reduced size, weight, power and cost (SWAP-C). The most common HgCdTe IR detector architecture is the P+n heterostructure photodiode (where a capital letter indicates a wide band gap relative to the active layer or "AL"). A variant of this architecture, the P+N-n-N-N heterostructure photodiode, should have a near identical photo-response to the P+n heterostructure, but with significantly lower dark diffusion current. The P+N-n-N-N heterostructure utilizes a very low doped AL, surrounded on both sides by wide-gap layers. The low doping in the AL, allows the AL to be fully depleted, which drastically reduces the Auger recombination rate in that layer. Minimizing the Auger recombination rate reduces the intrinsic dark diffusion current, thereby increasing Top. Note when we use the term "recombination rate" for photodiodes, we are actually referring to the net generation and recombination of minority carriers (and corresponding dark currents) by the Auger process. For these benefits to be realized, these devices must be intrinsically limited and well passivated. The focus of this proceeding is on studying the fundamental physics of the intrinsic dark currents in ideal P+N-n-N-N heterostructures, namely Auger recombination. Due to the complexity of these devices, specifically the presence of multiple heterojunctions, numerical device modeling techniques must be

  9. Nuclear Spin Effect on Recombination of H3+ Ions with Electrons at 77 K

    Science.gov (United States)

    Varju, J.; Hejduk, M.; Dohnal, P.; Jílek, M.; Kotrík, T.; Plašil, R.; Gerlich, D.; Glosík, J.

    2011-05-01

    Utilizing different ratios of para to ortho H2 in normal and para enriched hydrogen, we varied the population of para-H3+ in an H3+ dominated plasma at 77 K. Absorption spectroscopy was used to measure the densities of the two lowest rotational states of H3+. Monitoring plasma decays at different populations of para-H3+ allowed us to determine the rate coefficients for binary recombination of H3+ and ortho-H3+ ions: αbinp(77K)=(1.9±0.4)×10-7cm3s-1 and αbino(77K)=(0.2±0.2)×10-7cm3s-1.

  10. Application of the two-dose-rate method for general recombination correction for liquid ionization chambers in continuous beams

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Andersson, Jonas; Toelli, Heikki

    2011-01-01

    A method to correct for the general recombination losses for liquid ionization chambers in continuous beams has been developed. The proposed method has been derived from Greening's theory for continuous beams and is based on measuring the signal from a liquid ionization chamber and an air filled monitor ionization chamber at two different dose rates. The method has been tested with two plane parallel liquid ionization chambers in a continuous radiation x-ray beam with a tube voltage of 120 kV and with dose rates between 2 and 13 Gy min -1 . The liquids used as sensitive media in the chambers were isooctane (C 8 H 18 ) and tetramethylsilane (Si(CH 3 ) 4 ). The general recombination effect was studied using chamber polarizing voltages of 100, 300, 500, 700 and 900 V for both liquids. The relative standard deviation of the results for the collection efficiency with respect to general recombination was found to be a maximum of 0.7% for isooctane and 2.4% for tetramethylsilane. The results are in excellent agreement with Greening's theory for collection efficiencies over 90%. The measured and corrected signals from the liquid ionization chambers used in this work are in very good agreement with the air filled monitor chamber with respect to signal to dose linearity.

  11. Voltage Losses in Organic Solar Cells: Understanding the Contributions of Intramolecular Vibrations to Nonradiative Recombinations

    KAUST Repository

    Chen, Xiankai

    2017-12-18

    The large voltage losses usually encountered in organic solar cells significantly limit the power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of these devices, with the result that the current highest PCE values in single-junction organic photovoltaic remain smaller than for other solar cell technologies, such as crystalline silicon or perovskite solar cells. In particular, the nonradiative recombinations to the electronic ground state from the lowest-energy charge-transfer (CT) states at the donor-acceptor interfaces in the active layer of organic devices, are responsible for a significant part of the voltage losses. Here, to better comprehend the nonradiative voltage loss mechanisms, a fully quantum-mechanical rate formula is employed within the framework of time-dependent perturbation theory, combined with density functional theory. The objective is to uncover the specific contributions of intramolecular vibrations to the CT-state nonradiative recombinations in several model systems, which include small-molecule and polymer donors as well as fullerene and nonfullerene acceptors.

  12. Variation in recombination frequency and distribution across eukaryotes: patterns and processes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feulner, Philine G. D.; Johnston, Susan E.; Santure, Anna W.; Smadja, Carole M.

    2017-01-01

    Recombination, the exchange of DNA between maternal and paternal chromosomes during meiosis, is an essential feature of sexual reproduction in nearly all multicellular organisms. While the role of recombination in the evolution of sex has received theoretical and empirical attention, less is known about how recombination rate itself evolves and what influence this has on evolutionary processes within sexually reproducing organisms. Here, we explore the patterns of, and processes governing recombination in eukaryotes. We summarize patterns of variation, integrating current knowledge with an analysis of linkage map data in 353 organisms. We then discuss proximate and ultimate processes governing recombination rate variation and consider how these influence evolutionary processes. Genome-wide recombination rates (cM/Mb) can vary more than tenfold across eukaryotes, and there is large variation in the distribution of recombination events across closely related taxa, populations and individuals. We discuss how variation in rate and distribution relates to genome architecture, genetic and epigenetic mechanisms, sex, environmental perturbations and variable selective pressures. There has been great progress in determining the molecular mechanisms governing recombination, and with the continued development of new modelling and empirical approaches, there is now also great opportunity to further our understanding of how and why recombination rate varies. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Evolutionary causes and consequences of recombination rate variation in sexual organisms’. PMID:29109219

  13. Population inversion in recombining hydrogen plasma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Furukane, Utaro; Yokota, Toshiaki; Oda, Toshiatsu.

    1978-11-01

    The collisional-radiative model is applied to a recombining hydrogen plasma in order to investigate the plasma condition in which the population inversion between the energy levels of hydrogen can be generated. The population inversion is expected in a plasma where the three body recombination has a large contribution to the recombining processes and the effective recombination rate is beyond a certain value for a given electron density and temperature. Calculated results are presented in figures and tables. (author)

  14. Photoionization and electron-ion recombination of Cr I

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nahar, Sultana N.

    2009-01-01

    Using the unified method, the inverse processes of photoionization and electron-ion recombination are studied in detail for neutral chromium, (CrI+hν↔CrII+e), for the ground and excited states. The unified method based on close-coupling approximation and R-matrix method (i) subsumes both the radiative recombination (RR) and dielectronic recombination (DR) for the total rate and (ii) provides self-consistent sets of photoionization cross sections σ PI and recombination rates α RC . The present results show in total photoionization of the ground and excited states an enhancement in the background at the first excited threshold, 3d 4 4s 5 D state of the core. One prominent phot-excitation-of-core (PEC) resonance due to one dipole allowed transition ( 6 S- 6 P o ) in the core is found in the photoionization cross sections of most of the valence electron excited states. Structures in the total and partial photoionization, for ionization into various excited core states and ground state only, respectively, are demonstrated. Results are presented for the septet and quintet states with n≤10 and l≤9 of Cr I. These states couple to the core ground state 6 S and contribute to the recombination rates. State-specific recombination rates are also presented for these states and their features are illustrated. The total recombination rate shows two DR peaks, one at a relatively low temperature, at 630 K, and the other around 40,000 K. This can explain existence of neutral Cr in interstellar medium. Calculations were carried out in LS coupling using a close-coupling wave function expansion of 40 core states. The results illustrate the features in the radiative processes of Cr I and provide photoionization cross sections and recombination rates with good approximation for this astrophysically important ion.

  15. A Glance at Recombination Hotspots in the Domestic Cat.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hasan Alhaddad

    Full Text Available Recombination has essential roles in increasing genetic variability within a population and in ensuring successful meiotic events. The objective of this study is to (i infer the population-scaled recombination rate (ρ, and (ii identify and characterize regions of increased recombination rate for the domestic cat, Felis silvestris catus. SNPs (n = 701 were genotyped in twenty-two East Asian feral cats (random bred. The SNPs covered ten different chromosomal regions (A1, A2, B3, C2, D1, D2, D4, E2, F2, X with an average region size of 850 Kb and an average SNP density of 70 SNPs/region. The Bayesian method in the program inferRho was used to infer regional population recombination rates and hotspots localities. The regions exhibited variable population recombination rates and four decisive recombination hotspots were identified on cat chromosome A2, D1, and E2 regions. As a description of the identified hotspots, no correlation was detected between the GC content and the locality of recombination spots, and the hotspots enclosed L2 LINE elements and MIR and tRNA-Lys SINE elements.

  16. Electron - ion recombination processes - an overview

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hahn, Yukap

    1997-01-01

    , presence of an external or intrinsic electric field in the vicinity of the target ions can seriously affect the ionic states involved and the resulting reaction rates. Such perturbative fields can be intrinsic, as in the case of the plasma ion field, or externally imposed. A proper theoretical treatment of this difficult problem is crucial in understanding the recombination process which takes place in a field contaminated environment. The simple off-shell dressing procedure of high Rydberg states by a time-dependent field is reviewed, and the possibility of an anomalously large enhancement in the rates, due to the momentum coherence effect (MCE), is discussed. The presently available data on recombination rates are summarized, and several important deficiencies and future directions for further research are pointed out. Based on the detailed calculations for a number of cases, several empirical rate formulae for RR and DR processes have been generated to summarize the data for ready applications. As the collection of atoms is cooled to very low temperatures, T 8 Ryd, and the bound electrons are ionized by laser irradiation to states of very precisely controlled energies, the prospect for accurate experimental measurements of very-low-energy recombination rates is considered, where the electron temperature can be very low. Therefore, it is of interest to reconsider theoretically some new phenomena which may occur at such cold environments, in which the electron de Broglie wavelength can be very large, and both the density and coherent effects, as well as possible field effects, must be properly taken into account. Finally, a broader understanding of the various recombination processes may be achieved by studying their relationships to other reactions initiated by electron, ion and photon impact. (author)

  17. Oxygen-hydrogen recombination system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sato, Shuichiro; Takejima, Masaki.

    1981-01-01

    Purpose: To avoid reduction in the performance of catalyst used for an oxygen-hydrogen recombiner in the off gas processing system of a nuclear reactor. Constitution: A thermometer is provided for the detection of temperature in an oxygen-hydrogen recombiner. A cooling pipe is provided in the recombiner and cooling medium is introduced externally. The cooling medium may be water or air. In accordance with the detection value from the thermometer, ON-OFF control is carried out for a valve to control the flow rate of the cooling medium thereby rendering the temperature in the recombiner to a predetermined value. This can prevent the catalyst from being exposed to high temperature and avoid the reduction in the performance of the catalyst. (Ikeda, J.)

  18. Radiative and three-body recombination in the Alcator C-Mod divertor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lumma, D.; Terry, J.L.; Lipschultz, B.

    1997-01-01

    Significant recombination of the majority ion species has been observed in the divertor region of Alcator C-Mod [I. H. Hutchinson et al., Phys. Plasmas 1, 1511 (1994)] under detached conditions. This determination is made by analysis of the visible spectrum from the divertor, in particular the Balmer series line emission and the observed recombination continuum, including an apparent recombination edge at ∼375 nm. The analysis shows that the electron temperature in the recombining plasma is 0.8 endash 1.5 eV. The measured volume recombination rate is comparable to the rate of ion collection at the divertor plates. The dominant recombination mechanism is three-body recombination into excited states (e+e+D + Right-arrow D 0 +e), although radiative recombination (e+D + Right-arrow D 0 +hν) contributes ∼5% to the total rate. Analysis of the Balmer series line intensities (from n upper =3 through 10) shows that the upper levels of these transitions are populated primarily by recombination. Thus the brightnesses of the Balmer series (and Lyman series) are directly related to the recombination rate. copyright 1997 American Institute of Physics

  19. Study of volume recombination and radiation opacity effects in Alcator C-Mod

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Terry, J.L.; Lipschultz, B.; Pigarov, A.Y.; Boswell, C.; Krasheninnikov, S.I.; LaBombard, B.; Pappas, D.A.

    1998-01-01

    Observations of significant volume recombination within the Alcator C-Mod divertor plasma and in the edge plasma (MARFE) are described. The recombination occurs in regions where T e approx-lt 1 eV and n e approx-gt 1x10 21 m -3 . The determinations of the recombination rates are made by measuring the D 0 Lyman and/or Balmer spectra and by using a collisional radiative model describing the level populations, ionization and recombination of D 0 . In regions of strong recombination the upper levels (n approx-gt 4) populations are close to those determined by Saha-Boltzmann distribution and are independent of the ground state density. Thus the intensities of lines from these levels are related to the recombination rate, and curves determining the number of open-quote recombinations per photon close-quote are calculated. Ly β line emission is shown to be trapped in some cases, meaning that Ly α can be strongly trapped. Since opacity affects the recombination rates, the effects of the trapping of Ly α,β photons on the open-quote recombinations per photon close-quote curves are calculated and considered in the recombination rate determinations. Total recombination rates in the detached divertor plasma and in MARFEs located at the periphery of the main plasma are determined. Recombination can be a significant sink for ions. copyright 1998 American Institute of Physics

  20. Interface recombination influence on carrier transport

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Konin, A

    2013-01-01

    A theory of interface recombination in the semiconductor–semiconductor junction is developed. The interface recombination rate dependence on the nonequilibrium carrier densities is derived on the basis of a model in which the interface recombination occurs through the mechanism of trapping. The general relation between the interface recombination parameters at small carrier density deviation from the equilibrium ones is obtained. The validity of this relation is proved considering the generation of the Hall electric field in the extrinsic semiconductor sample. The anomalous Hall electromotive force in a weak magnetic field was investigated and interpreted by means of a new interface recombination model. The experimental data corroborate the developed theory. (paper)

  1. The extent and importance of intragenic recombination

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    de Silva Eric

    2004-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract We have studied the recombination rate behaviour of a set of 140 genes which were investigated for their potential importance in inflammatory disease. Each gene was extensively sequenced in 24 individuals of African descent and 23 individuals of European descent, and the recombination process was studied separately in the two population samples. The results obtained from the two populations were highly correlated, suggesting that demographic bias does not affect our population genetic estimation procedure. We found evidence that levels of recombination correlate with levels of nucleotide diversity. High marker density allowed us to study recombination rate variation on a very fine spatial scale. We found that about 40 per cent of genes showed evidence of uniform recombination, while approximately 12 per cent of genes carried distinct signatures of recombination hotspots. On studying the locations of these hotspots, we found that they are not always confined to introns but can also stretch across exons. An investigation of the protein products of these genes suggested that recombination hotspots can sometimes separate exons belonging to different protein domains; however, this occurs much less frequently than might be expected based on evolutionary studies into the origins of recombination. This suggests that evolutionary analysis of the recombination process is greatly aided by considering nucleotide sequences and protein products jointly.

  2. The Recombination Landscape in Wild House Mice Inferred Using Population Genomic Data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Booker, Tom R; Ness, Rob W; Keightley, Peter D

    2017-09-01

    Characterizing variation in the rate of recombination across the genome is important for understanding several evolutionary processes. Previous analysis of the recombination landscape in laboratory mice has revealed that the different subspecies have different suites of recombination hotspots. It is unknown, however, whether hotspots identified in laboratory strains reflect the hotspot diversity of natural populations or whether broad-scale variation in the rate of recombination is conserved between subspecies. In this study, we constructed fine-scale recombination rate maps for a natural population of the Eastern house mouse, Mus musculus castaneus We performed simulations to assess the accuracy of recombination rate inference in the presence of phase errors, and we used a novel approach to quantify phase error. The spatial distribution of recombination events is strongly positively correlated between our castaneus map, and a map constructed using inbred lines derived predominantly from M. m. domesticus Recombination hotspots in wild castaneus show little overlap, however, with the locations of double-strand breaks in wild-derived house mouse strains. Finally, we also find that genetic diversity in M. m. castaneus is positively correlated with the rate of recombination, consistent with pervasive natural selection operating in the genome. Our study suggests that recombination rate variation is conserved at broad scales between house mouse subspecies, but it is not strongly conserved at fine scales. Copyright © 2017 by the Genetics Society of America.

  3. Nuclear Spin Effect on Recombination of H3+ Ions with Electrons at 77 K

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Varju, J.; Hejduk, M.; Dohnal, P.; Jilek, M.; Kotrik, T.; Plasil, R.; Gerlich, D.; Glosik, J.

    2011-01-01

    Utilizing different ratios of para to ortho H 2 in normal and para enriched hydrogen, we varied the population of para-H 3 + in an H 3 + dominated plasma at 77 K. Absorption spectroscopy was used to measure the densities of the two lowest rotational states of H 3 + . Monitoring plasma decays at different populations of para-H 3 + allowed us to determine the rate coefficients for binary recombination of H 3 + and ortho-H 3 + ions: p α bin (77 K)=(1.9±0.4)x10 -7 cm 3 s -1 and o α bin (77 K)=(0.2±0.2)x 10 -7 cm 3 s -1 .

  4. Exciton-dissociation and charge-recombination processes in pentacene/C60 solar cells: theoretical insight into the impact of interface geometry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yi, Yuanping; Coropceanu, Veaceslav; Brédas, Jean-Luc

    2009-11-04

    The exciton-dissociation and charge-recombination processes in organic solar cells based on pentacene/C(60) heterojunctions are investigated by means of quantum-mechanical calculations. The electronic couplings and the rates of exciton dissociation and charge recombination have been evaluated for several geometrical configurations of the pentacene/C(60) complex, which are relevant to bilayer and bulk heterojunctions. The results suggest that, irrespective of the actual pentacene-fullerene orientation, both pentacene-based and C(60)-based excitons are able to dissociate efficiently. Also, in the case of parallel configurations of the molecules at the pentacene/C(60) interface, the decay of the lowest charge-transfer state to the ground state is calculated to be very fast; as a result, it can compete with the dissociation process into mobile charge carriers. Since parallel configurations are expected to be found more frequently in bulk heterojunctions than in bilayer heterojunctions, the performance of pentacene/C(60) bulk-heterojunction solar cells is likely to be more affected by charge recombination than that of bilayer devices.

  5. Exciton-Dissociation and Charge-Recombination Processes in Pentacene/C 60 Solar Cells: Theoretical Insight into the Impact of Interface Geometry

    KAUST Repository

    Yi, Yuanping

    2009-11-04

    The exciton-dissociation and charge-recombination processes in organic solar cells based on pentacene/C60 heterojunctions are investigated by means of quantum-mechanical calculations. The electronic couplings and the rates of exciton dissociation and charge recombination have been evaluated for several geometrical configurations of the pentacene/C60 complex, which are relevant to bilayer and bulk heterojunctions. The results suggest that, irrespective of the actual pentacene-fullerene orientation, both pentacene-based and C60-based excitons are able to dissociate efficiently. Also, in the case of parallel configurations of the molecules at the pentacene/C60 interface, the decay of the lowest charge-transfer state to the ground state is calculated to be very fast; as a result, it can compete with the dissociation process into mobile charge carriers. Since parallel configurations are expected to be found more frequently in bulk heterojunctions than in bilayer heterojunctions, the performance of pentacene/C60 bulk-heterojunction solar cells is likely to be more affected by charge recombination than that of bilayer devices. © 2009 American Chemical Society.

  6. Three-particle recombination at low temperature: QED approach

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bhattacharyya, S.; Roy, A.

    2001-01-01

    A theoretical study of three-body recombination of proton in presence of a spectator electron with electronic beam at near-zero temperature is presented using field theory and invariant Lorentz gauge. Contributions from the Feynman diagrams of different orders give an insight into the physics of the phenomena. Recombination rate coefficient is obtained for low lying principal quantum number n = 1 to 10. At a fixed ion beam temperature (300 K) recombination rate coefficient is found to increase in general with n, having a flat and a sharp peak at quantum states 3 to 5, respectively. In absence of any theoretical and experimental results for low temperature formation of H-atom by three-body recombination at low lying quantum states, we have presented the theoretical results of Stevefelt and group for three-body recombination of deuteron with electron along with the present results. Three-body recombination of antihydrogen in antiproton-positron plasma is expected to yield similar result as that for three-body recombination of hydrogen formation in proton-electron plasma. The necessity for experimental investigation of low temperature three-body recombination at low quantum states is stressed. (author)

  7. Electromagnetic structure of the lowest-lying decuplet resonances in covariant chiral perturbation theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Geng, L. S.; Camalich, J. Martin; Vacas, M. J. Vicente

    2009-01-01

    We present a calculation of the leading SU(3)-breaking O(p 3 ) corrections to the electromagnetic moments and charge radius of the lowest-lying decuplet resonances in covariant chiral perturbation theory. In particular, the magnetic dipole moment of the members of the decuplet is predicted fixing the only low-energy constant (LEC) present up to this order with the well-measured magnetic dipole moment of the Ω - . We predict μ Δ ++ =6.04(13) and μ Δ + =2.84(2), which agree well with the current experimental information. For the electric quadrupole moment and the charge radius, we use state-of-the-art lattice QCD results to determine the corresponding LECs, whereas for the magnetic octupole moment there is no unknown LEC up to the order considered here, and we obtain a pure prediction. We compare our results with those reported in large N c , lattice QCD, heavy-baryon chiral perturbation theory, and other models.

  8. Bayesian inference of shared recombination hotspots between humans and chimpanzees.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Ying; Rannala, Bruce

    2014-12-01

    Recombination generates variation and facilitates evolution. Recombination (or lack thereof) also contributes to human genetic disease. Methods for mapping genes influencing complex genetic diseases via association rely on linkage disequilibrium (LD) in human populations, which is influenced by rates of recombination across the genome. Comparative population genomic analyses of recombination using related primate species can identify factors influencing rates of recombination in humans. Such studies can indicate how variable hotspots for recombination may be both among individuals (or populations) and over evolutionary timescales. Previous studies have suggested that locations of recombination hotspots are not conserved between humans and chimpanzees. We made use of the data sets from recent resequencing projects and applied a Bayesian method for identifying hotspots and estimating recombination rates. We also reanalyzed SNP data sets for regions with known hotspots in humans using samples from the human and chimpanzee. The Bayes factors (BF) of shared recombination hotspots between human and chimpanzee across regions were obtained. Based on the analysis of the aligned regions of human chromosome 21, locations where the two species show evidence of shared recombination hotspots (with high BFs) were identified. Interestingly, previous comparative studies of human and chimpanzee that focused on the known human recombination hotspots within the β-globin and HLA regions did not find overlapping of hotspots. Our results show high BFs of shared hotspots at locations within both regions, and the estimated locations of shared hotspots overlap with the locations of human recombination hotspots obtained from sperm-typing studies. Copyright © 2014 by the Genetics Society of America.

  9. Electronic recombination in some physics problems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guzman, O.

    1988-01-01

    This work is related to calculations of electronic recombination rates, as a function of electronic density, electronic temperature, and ion nuclear charge. Recombination times can be calculated and compared to cooling time, in cooling processes of ion beans by electrons from storage rings. (A.C.A.S.) [pt

  10. Polyploidization increases meiotic recombination frequency in Arabidopsis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rehmsmeier Marc

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Polyploidization is the multiplication of the whole chromosome complement and has occurred frequently in vascular plants. Maintenance of stable polyploid state over generations requires special mechanisms to control pairing and distribution of more than two homologous chromosomes during meiosis. Since a minimal number of crossover events is essential for correct chromosome segregation, we investigated whether polyploidy has an influence on the frequency of meiotic recombination. Results Using two genetically linked transgenes providing seed-specific fluorescence, we compared a high number of progeny from diploid and tetraploid Arabidopsis plants. We show that rates of meiotic recombination in reciprocal crosses of genetically identical diploid and autotetraploid Arabidopsis plants were significantly higher in tetraploids compared to diploids. Although male and female gametogenesis differ substantially in meiotic recombination frequency, both rates were equally increased in tetraploids. To investigate whether multivalent formation in autotetraploids was responsible for the increased recombination rates, we also performed corresponding experiments with allotetraploid plants showing strict bivalent pairing. We found similarly increased rates in auto- and allotetraploids, suggesting that the ploidy effect is independent of chromosome pairing configurations. Conclusions The evolutionary success of polyploid plants in nature and under domestication has been attributed to buffering of mutations and sub- and neo-functionalization of duplicated genes. Should the data described here be representative for polyploid plants, enhanced meiotic recombination, and the resulting rapid creation of genetic diversity, could have also contributed to their prevalence.

  11. The influence of recombination on human genetic diversity.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chris C A Spencer

    2006-09-01

    Full Text Available In humans, the rate of recombination, as measured on the megabase scale, is positively associated with the level of genetic variation, as measured at the genic scale. Despite considerable debate, it is not clear whether these factors are causally linked or, if they are, whether this is driven by the repeated action of adaptive evolution or molecular processes such as double-strand break formation and mismatch repair. We introduce three innovations to the analysis of recombination and diversity: fine-scale genetic maps estimated from genotype experiments that identify recombination hotspots at the kilobase scale, analysis of an entire human chromosome, and the use of wavelet techniques to identify correlations acting at different scales. We show that recombination influences genetic diversity only at the level of recombination hotspots. Hotspots are also associated with local increases in GC content and the relative frequency of GC-increasing mutations but have no effect on substitution rates. Broad-scale association between recombination and diversity is explained through covariance of both factors with base composition. To our knowledge, these results are the first evidence of a direct and local influence of recombination hotspots on genetic variation and the fate of individual mutations. However, that hotspots have no influence on substitution rates suggests that they are too ephemeral on an evolutionary time scale to have a strong influence on broader scale patterns of base composition and long-term molecular evolution.

  12. Inhomogeneous bimolecular recombination in partially crystallised tri-methylphenyl diamine glasses

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Goldie, D.M.

    2013-01-01

    The rise and fall dynamics of transient photocurrents induced by exposure to ultraviolet radiation have been analysed for a series of glassy tri-methylphenyl diamine films that have been partially crystallised by ageing under ambient conditions following vapour deposition. An inhomogeneous bimolecular recombination model that uses coupled rate equations is found to provide a consistent fit for the observed photocurrent dynamics provided the recombination rate of holes in the crystallised regions of the films is lower compared to the amorphous regions. Parameters returned by the bimolecular model are investigated as a function of the film age but are observed to be highly sensitive to the initial experimental estimates that are supplied for the effective hole recombination time. The effective hole recombination time generated by the model is found to be relatively independent of film age, however, and has a value of around 0.16 s for a carrier generation rate of 7 × 10 14 cm −3 s −1 . The effective recombination time and steady-state photoconductivity magnitudes are found to be consistent with experimental hole mobility and photo-carrier generation efficiency values that are obtained using complementary time-of-flight and charge collection experiments. - Highlights: ► Transient photocurrents in evaporated diamine films have fast and slow components. ► Transient photocurrents are modelled using inhomogeneous bimolecular recombination. ► Recombination rates differ between crystallised and amorphous film regions. ► Recombination parameters evolve with film age as the films crystallise

  13. The rate of quasiparticle recombination probes the onset of coherence in cuprate superconductors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hinton, J P; Thewalt, E; Alpichshev, Z; Mahmood, F; Koralek, J D; Chan, M K; Veit, M J; Dorow, C J; Barišić, N; Kemper, A F; Bonn, D A; Hardy, W N; Liang, Ruixing; Gedik, N; Greven, M; Lanzara, A; Orenstein, J

    2016-04-13

    In the underdoped copper-oxides, high-temperature superconductivity condenses from a nonconventional metallic "pseudogap" phase that exhibits a variety of non-Fermi liquid properties. Recently, it has become clear that a charge density wave (CDW) phase exists within the pseudogap regime. This CDW coexists and competes with superconductivity (SC) below the transition temperature Tc, suggesting that these two orders are intimately related. Here we show that the condensation of the superfluid from this unconventional precursor is reflected in deviations from the predictions of BSC theory regarding the recombination rate of quasiparticles. We report a detailed investigation of the quasiparticle (QP) recombination lifetime, τqp, as a function of temperature and magnetic field in underdoped HgBa2CuO(4+δ) (Hg-1201) and YBa2Cu3O(6+x) (YBCO) single crystals by ultrafast time-resolved reflectivity. We find that τqp(T) exhibits a local maximum in a small temperature window near Tc that is prominent in underdoped samples with coexisting charge order and vanishes with application of a small magnetic field. We explain this unusual, non-BCS behavior by positing that Tc marks a transition from phase-fluctuating SC/CDW composite order above to a SC/CDW condensate below. Our results suggest that the superfluid in underdoped cuprates is a condensate of coherently-mixed particle-particle and particle-hole pairs.

  14. Limiting factors in Escherichia colifed-batch production of recombinant proteins

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sanden, A.M.; Prytz, I.; Tubelekas, I.

    2003-01-01

    recombinant protein production, fed-batch, specific growth rate, feed profile, induction, mRNA, transcription, translation, acetic acid formation......recombinant protein production, fed-batch, specific growth rate, feed profile, induction, mRNA, transcription, translation, acetic acid formation...

  15. Three-body recombination of cold fermionic atoms

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Suno, H; Esry, B D; Greene, Chris H

    2003-01-01

    Recombination of identical, spin-polarized fermions in cold three-body collisions is investigated. We parametrize the mechanisms for recombination in terms of the 'scattering volume' V p and another length scale r 0 . Model two-body interactions were used within the framework of the adiabatic hyperspherical representation. We examine the recombination rate K 3 as a function of the collision energy E for various values of V p . Not only do we consider the dominant J Π = 1 + case, but also the next-leading order contributions from J Π = 1 - and 3 - . We discuss the behaviour near a two-body resonance and the expected universality of fermionic recombination. Comparisons with boson recombination are considered in detail

  16. Ionization balance for Ti and Cr ions: effects of uncertainty in dielectronic recombination rate

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Seon, Kwang-Il; Nam, Uk-Won; Park, Il H

    2003-01-01

    The available electron-impact ionization cross sections for Ti and Cr ions are reviewed, and calculations of the ionization balance for the ions under coronal equilibrium are presented. The calculated ionic abundance fractions are compared with those of previous works. The effects of modelling uncertainty in dielectronic recombination on isoelectronic line ratios, which are formed using the same spectral line from two elements of slightly different atomic numbers, are discussed concentrating on high temperature ranges. Also discussed are the effects of modelling uncertainty on inter-ionization stage line ratios formed from adjacent ionization stages. It is demonstrated that the modelling uncertainty in dielectronic recombination tends to cancel out only when the isoelectronic line ratio of He-like ions is considered, and that the sensitivity of the isoelectronic line ratios to the modelling uncertainty tends to increase for less ionized stages. It is also found that the interstage line ratios are less sensitive to the typical ∼20% uncertainties of dielectronic rates than the isoelectronic line ratios, and that the interstage line ratio of He-to Li-like ions in Ti and Cr plasmas is a better choice for a temperature diagnostic in the temperature ranges from ∼0.6 to ∼1.5 keV in which Li-like ions have maximum ionic abundances

  17. Dielectronic recombination of Xe8+ ions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang Guoding; Fu Yanbiao; Dong Chenzhong; Zhang Yizhao

    2012-01-01

    Based on the fully relativistic configuration interaction method, theoretical calculations are carried out for the dielectronic recombination (DR) rate coefficients of Xe 8+ ions in the temperature region from 0.1 to 1 650 eV. The comparison of the DR rate coefficients from 4s, 4p and 4d subshell excitations shows that 4d subshell excitation dominates in the whole temperature region. The contribution from 4p subshell excitation is very important at temperature above 10 eV and the contributions from 4s subshell ex- citation is lower than 7.5% in the whole temperature region. Similarly, the comparison of the DR rate coefficients through △n= 0, I and 2 core excitation shows that the contribution from △n= 2 core excitation can not be neglected, the contributions from n'>15 can also not be neglected. The DR rate coefficients of △n=0, 1 and 2 core excitation and the total DR rate coefficients are fitted with some parameters, which are in good agreement with theoretical calculations values (within 1 % difference)The total DR rate coefficients are greater than radiative recombination (RR) and three-body recombination (TBR) rate coefficients at temperature above 1 eV. Therefore, the DR process can strongly influence the ionization balance of laser produced xenon plasmas. (authors)

  18. Effect of interface roughness on Auger recombination in semiconductor quantum wells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tan, Chee-Keong; Sun, Wei; Wierer, Jonathan J.; Tansu, Nelson

    2017-03-01

    Auger recombination in a semiconductor is a three-carrier process, wherein the energy from the recombination of an electron and hole pair promotes a third carrier to a higher energy state. In semiconductor quantum wells with increased carrier densities, the Auger recombination becomes an appreciable fraction of the total recombination rate and degrades luminescence efficiency. Gaining insight into the variables that influence Auger recombination in semiconductor quantum wells could lead to further advances in optoelectronic and electronic devices. Here we demonstrate the important role that interface roughness has on Auger recombination within quantum wells. Our computational studies find that as the ratio of interface roughness to quantum well thickness is increased, Auger recombination is significantly enhanced. Specifically, when considering a realistic interface roughness for an InGaN quantum well, the enhancement in Auger recombination rate over a quantum well with perfect heterointerfaces can be approximately four orders of magnitude.

  19. Molecular requirements for radiation-activated recombination

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stevens, Craig W.; Zeng Ming; Stamato, Thomas; Cerniglia, George

    1997-01-01

    Purpose/Objective: The major stumbling block to successful gene therapy today is poor gene transfer. We hypothesized that ionizing radiation might activate cellular recombination, and so improve stable gene transfer. We further hypothesized that known DNA-damage-repair proteins might also be important in radiation-activated recombination. Materials and Methods: The effect of irradiation on stable gene transfer efficiency was determined in human (A549 and 39F) and rodent (NIH/3T3) cell lines. Continuous low dose rate and multiple radiation fractions were also tested. Nuclear extracts were made and the effect of irradiation on inter-plasmid recombination/ligation determined. Multiple DNA damage-repair deficient cell lines were tested for radiation-activated recombination. Results: A significant radiation dose-dependent improvement in stable plasmid transfection (by as much as 1300 fold) is demonstrated in neoplastic and primary cells. An improvement in transient plasmid transfection is also seen, with as much as 85% of cells transiently expressing b-galactosidase (20-50 fold improvement). Stable transfection is only improved for linearized or nicked plasmids. Cells have improved gene transfer for at least 96 hours after irradiation. Both fractionated and continuous low dose rate irradiation are effective at improving stable gene transfer in mammalian cells, thus making relatively high radiation dose delivery clinically feasible. Inter-plasmid recombination is radiation dose dependent in nuclear extract assays, and the type of overhang (3', 5' or blunt end) significantly affects recombination efficiency and the type of product. The most common end-joining activity involves filling-in of the overhang followed by blunt end ligation. Adenovirus is a linear, double stranded DNA virus. We demonstrate that adenoviral infection efficiency is increased by irradiation. The duration of transgene expression is lengthened because the virus integrates with high efficiency (∼10

  20. The Impact of Recombination Hotspots on Genome Evolution of a Fungal Plant Pathogen.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Croll, Daniel; Lendenmann, Mark H; Stewart, Ethan; McDonald, Bruce A

    2015-11-01

    Recombination has an impact on genome evolution by maintaining chromosomal integrity, affecting the efficacy of selection, and increasing genetic variability in populations. Recombination rates are a key determinant of the coevolutionary dynamics between hosts and their pathogens. Historic recombination events created devastating new pathogens, but the impact of ongoing recombination in sexual pathogens is poorly understood. Many fungal pathogens of plants undergo regular sexual cycles, and sex is considered to be a major factor contributing to virulence. We generated a recombination map at kilobase-scale resolution for the haploid plant pathogenic fungus Zymoseptoria tritici. To account for intraspecific variation in recombination rates, we constructed genetic maps from two independent crosses. We localized a total of 10,287 crossover events in 441 progeny and found that recombination rates were highly heterogeneous within and among chromosomes. Recombination rates on large chromosomes were inversely correlated with chromosome length. Short accessory chromosomes often lacked evidence for crossovers between parental chromosomes. Recombination was concentrated in narrow hotspots that were preferentially located close to telomeres. Hotspots were only partially conserved between the two crosses, suggesting that hotspots are short-lived and may vary according to genomic background. Genes located in hotspot regions were enriched in genes encoding secreted proteins. Population resequencing showed that chromosomal regions with high recombination rates were strongly correlated with regions of low linkage disequilibrium. Hence, genes in pathogen recombination hotspots are likely to evolve faster in natural populations and may represent a greater threat to the host. Copyright © 2015 by the Genetics Society of America.

  1. Theoretical investigation of dielectronic recombination of Sn12+ ions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fu, Y. B.; Dong, C. Z.; Su, M. G.; Koike, F.; O'Sullivan, G.; Wang, J. G.

    2011-01-01

    Theoretical calculations have been made for the dielectronic recombination (DR) rate coefficients of Sn 12+ ion using a relativistic flexible atomic code with configuration interaction. Comparison of the rate coefficients for 4s, 4p, and 4d subshell excitation shows that while the 4p subshell excitation dominates over the whole temperature region, 4d subshell excitation at low temperature and 4s subshell excitation at high temperature cannot be neglected. In order to facilitate simple applications, the calculated DR rate coefficients are fitted to an empirical formula. The total DR rate coefficient is greater than either the radiative recombination or three-body recombination coefficients for electron temperatures greater than 1 eV. Therefore, DR can strongly influence the ionization balance of laser-produced tin plasmas.

  2. Nuclear spin effect on recombination of H₃⁺ ions with electrons at 77 K.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Varju, J; Hejduk, M; Dohnal, P; Jílek, M; Kotrík, T; Plašil, R; Gerlich, D; Glosík, J

    2011-05-20

    Utilizing different ratios of para to ortho H₂ in normal and para enriched hydrogen, we varied the population of para-H₃⁺ in an H₃⁺ dominated plasma at 77 K. Absorption spectroscopy was used to measure the densities of the two lowest rotational states of H₃⁺. Monitoring plasma decays at different populations of para-H₃⁺ allowed us to determine the rate coefficients for binary recombination of para-H₃⁺ and ortho-H₃⁺ ions: (p)α(bin)(77 K) = (1.9 ± 0.4) × 10⁻⁷ cm³ s⁻¹ and (o)α(bin)(77 K) = (0.2 ± 0.2) × 10⁻⁷ cm³ s⁻¹.

  3. Recombination epoch revisited

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Krolik, J.H.

    1989-01-01

    Previous studies of cosmological recombination have shown that this process produces as a by-product a highly superthermal population of Ly-alpha photons which retard completion of recombination. Cosmological redshifting was thought to determine the frequency distribution of the photons, while two-photon decay of hydrogen's 2s state was thought to control their numbers. It is shown here that frequency diffusion due to photon scattering dominate the cosmological redshift in the frequency range near line center which fixes the ratio of ground state to excited state population, while incoherent scattering into the far-red damping wing effectively destroys Ly-alpha photons as a rate which is competitive with two-photon decay. The former effect tends to hold back recombination, while the latter tends to accelerate it; the net results depends on cosmological parameters, particularly the combination Omega(b) h/sq rt (2q0), where Omega(b) is the fraction of the critical density provided by baryons. 18 references

  4. Effects of the rad52 gene on recombination in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Prakash, S.; Prakash, L.; Burke, W.; Montelone, B.A.

    1980-01-01

    Effects of the rad 52 mutation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae on meiotic, γ-ray-induced, uv-induced and spontaneous mitotic recombination were studied. The rad52/rad52 diploids undergo premeiotic DNA synthesis; sporulation occurs but inviable spores are produced. Both intra and intergenic recombination during meiosis were examined in cells transferred from sporulation medium to vegetative medium at different time intervals. No intragenic recombination was observed at the his1-1/his1-315 and trp-5-2/trp5-48 heteroalleles. Gene-centromere recombination also was not observed in rad/52/rad52 diploids. No γ-ray- or uv-induced intragenic mitotic recombination is seen in rad52/rad52 diploids. The rate of spontaneous mitotic recombination is lowered five-fold at the his1-1/his1-315 and leu1-c/leu1-12 heteroalleles. Spontaneous reversion rates of both his1-1 and his1-315 were elevated 10 to 20 fold in rad52/rad52 diploids. The RAD52 gene function is required for spontaneous mitotic recombination, uv- and γ-ray-induced mitotic recombination and mitotic recombination

  5. Recombination of KrD+ and KrH+ ions in afterglow plasma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Korolov, I; Kotrik, T; Plasil, R; Hejduk, M; Varju, J; Dohnal, P; Glosik, J

    2009-01-01

    Reported is flowing afterglow (FALP) study of recombination of KrH + and KrD + ions with electrons at 250 K in mixtures of He/Kr/H 2 and He/Kr/D 2 , respectively. The influence of fast recombining cluster ions formation on apparent effective recombination rate coefficients (α eff ) was measured and used in data analysis. The obtained binary rate coefficients for recombination of KrH + and KrD + are α KrH+ = 2x10 -8 cm 3 s -1 and α KrD+ = 1x10 -8 cm 3 s -1 .

  6. Recombination of KrD+ and KrH+ ions in afterglow plasma

    Science.gov (United States)

    Korolov, I.; Kotrik, T.; Plasil, R.; Hejduk, M.; Varju, J.; Dohnal, P.; Glosik, J.

    2009-11-01

    Reported is flowing afterglow (FALP) study of recombination of KrH+ and KrD+ ions with electrons at 250 K in mixtures of He/Kr/H2 and He/Kr/D2, respectively. The influence of fast recombining cluster ions formation on apparent effective recombination rate coefficients (αeff) was measured and used in data analysis. The obtained binary rate coefficients for recombination of KrH+ and KrD+ are αKrH+ = 2×10-8 cm3s-1 and αKrD+ = 1×10-8 cm3s-1.

  7. Recombination and its impact on the genome of the haplodiploid parasitoid wasp Nasonia.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Oliver Niehuis

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Homologous meiotic recombination occurs in most sexually reproducing organisms, yet its evolutionary advantages are elusive. Previous research explored recombination in the honeybee, a eusocial hymenopteran with an exceptionally high genome-wide recombination rate. A comparable study in a non-social member of the Hymenoptera that would disentangle the impact of sociality from Hymenoptera-specific features such as haplodiploidy on the evolution of the high genome-wide recombination rate in social Hymenoptera is missing. Utilizing single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs between two Nasonia parasitoid wasp genomes, we developed a SNP genotyping microarray to infer a high-density linkage map for Nasonia. The map comprises 1,255 markers with an average distance of 0.3 cM. The mapped markers enabled us to arrange 265 scaffolds of the Nasonia genome assembly 1.0 on the linkage map, representing 63.6% of the assembled N. vitripennis genome. We estimated a genome-wide recombination rate of 1.4-1.5 cM/Mb for Nasonia, which is less than one tenth of the rate reported for the honeybee. The local recombination rate in Nasonia is positively correlated with the distance to the center of the linkage groups, GC content, and the proportion of simple repeats. In contrast to the honeybee genome, gene density in the parasitoid wasp genome is positively associated with the recombination rate; regions of low recombination are characterized by fewer genes with larger introns and by a greater distance between genes. Finally, we found that genes in regions of the genome with a low recombination frequency tend to have a higher ratio of non-synonymous to synonymous substitutions, likely due to the accumulation of slightly deleterious non-synonymous substitutions. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that recombination reduces interference between linked sites and thereby facilitates adaptive evolution and the purging of deleterious mutations. Our results imply

  8. Cattle Sex-Specific Recombination and Genetic Control from a Large Pedigree Analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Li; O'Connell, Jeffrey R; VanRaden, Paul M; Shen, Botong; Padhi, Abinash; Sun, Chuanyu; Bickhart, Derek M; Cole, John B; Null, Daniel J; Liu, George E; Da, Yang; Wiggans, George R

    2015-11-01

    Meiotic recombination is an essential biological process that generates genetic diversity and ensures proper segregation of chromosomes during meiosis. From a large USDA dairy cattle pedigree with over half a million genotyped animals, we extracted 186,927 three-generation families, identified over 8.5 million maternal and paternal recombination events, and constructed sex-specific recombination maps for 59,309 autosomal SNPs. The recombination map spans for 25.5 Morgans in males and 23.2 Morgans in females, for a total studied region of 2,516 Mb (986 kb/cM in males and 1,085 kb/cM in females). The male map is 10% longer than the female map and the sex difference is most pronounced in the subtelomeric regions. We identified 1,792 male and 1,885 female putative recombination hotspots, with 720 hotspots shared between sexes. These hotspots encompass 3% of the genome but account for 25% of the genome-wide recombination events in both sexes. During the past forty years, males showed a decreasing trend in recombination rate that coincided with the artificial selection for milk production. Sex-specific GWAS analyses identified PRDM9 and CPLX1 to have significant effects on genome-wide recombination rate in both sexes. Two novel loci, NEK9 and REC114, were associated with recombination rate in both sexes, whereas three loci, MSH4, SMC3 and CEP55, affected recombination rate in females only. Among the multiple PRDM9 paralogues on the bovine genome, our GWAS of recombination hotspot usage together with linkage analysis identified the PRDM9 paralogue on chromosome 1 to be associated in the U.S. Holstein data. Given the largest sample size ever reported for such studies, our results reveal new insights into the understanding of cattle and mammalian recombination.

  9. Differences in meiotic recombination rates in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia at an MHC class II hotspot close to disease associated haplotypes.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pamela Thompson

    Full Text Available Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL is a malignant lymphoid disease of which B-cell precursor- (BCP and T-cell- (T ALL are subtypes. The role of alleles encoded by major histocompatibility loci (MHC have been examined in a number of previous studies and results indicating weak, multi-allele associations between the HLA-DPB1 locus and BCP-ALL suggested a role for immunosusceptibility and possibly infection. Two independent SNP association studies of ALL identified loci approximately 37 kb from one another and flanking a strong meiotic recombination hotspot (DNA3, adjacent to HLA-DOA and centromeric of HLA-DPB1. To determine the relationship between this observation and HLA-DPB1 associations, we constructed high density SNP haplotypes of the 316 kb region from HLA-DMB to COL11A2 in childhood ALL and controls using a UK GWAS data subset and the software PHASE. Of four haplotype blocks identified, predicted haplotypes in Block 1 (centromeric of DNA3 differed significantly between BCP-ALL and controls (P = 0.002 and in Block 4 (including HLA-DPB1 between T-ALL and controls (P = 0.049. Of specific common (>5% haplotypes in Block 1, two were less frequent in BCP-ALL, and in Block 4 a single haplotype was more frequent in T-ALL, compared to controls. Unexpectedly, we also observed apparent differences in ancestral meiotic recombination rates at DNA3, with BCP-ALL showing increased and T-ALL decreased levels compared to controls. In silico analysis using LDsplit sotware indicated that recombination rates at DNA3 are influenced by flanking loci, including SNPs identified in childhood ALL association studies. The observed differences in rates of meiotic recombination at this hotspot, and potentially others, may be a characteristic of childhood leukemia and contribute to disease susceptibility, alternatively they may reflect interactions between ALL-associated haplotypes in this region.

  10. Weakly Deleterious Mutations and Low Rates of Recombination Limit the Impact of Natural Selection on Bacterial Genomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Price, Morgan N; Arkin, Adam P

    2015-12-15

    Free-living bacteria are usually thought to have large effective population sizes, and so tiny selective differences can drive their evolution. However, because recombination is infrequent, "background selection" against slightly deleterious alleles should reduce the effective population size (Ne) by orders of magnitude. For example, for a well-mixed population with 10(12) individuals and a typical level of homologous recombination (r/m = 3, i.e., nucleotide changes due to recombination [r] occur at 3 times the mutation rate [m]), we predict that Ne is selection should be sufficient to drive evolution if Ne × s is >1, where s is the selection coefficient. We found that this remains approximately correct if background selection is occurring or when population structure is present. Overall, we predict that even for free-living bacteria with enormous populations, natural selection is only a significant force if s is above 10(-7) or so. Because bacteria form huge populations with trillions of individuals, the simplest theoretical prediction is that the better allele at a site would predominate even if its advantage was just 10(-9) per generation. In other words, virtually every nucleotide would be at the local optimum in most individuals. A more sophisticated theory considers that bacterial genomes have millions of sites each and selection events on these many sites could interfere with each other, so that only larger effects would be important. However, bacteria can exchange genetic material, and in principle, this exchange could eliminate the interference between the evolution of the sites. We used simulations to confirm that during multisite evolution with realistic levels of recombination, only larger effects are important. We propose that advantages of less than 10(-7) are effectively neutral. Copyright © 2015 Price and Arkin.

  11. Reduced genetic distance and high replication levels increase the RNA recombination rate of hepatitis delta virus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Chia-Chi; Yang, Zhi-Wei; Iang, Shan-Bei; Chao, Mei

    2015-01-02

    Hepatitis delta virus (HDV) replication is carried out by host RNA polymerases. Since homologous inter-genotypic RNA recombination is known to occur in HDV, possibly via a replication-dependent process, we hypothesized that the degree of sequence homology and the replication level should be related to the recombination frequency in cells co-expressing two HDV sequences. To confirm this, we separately co-transfected cells with three different pairs of HDV genomic RNAs and analyzed the obtained recombinants by RT-PCR followed by restriction fragment length polymorphism and sequencing analyses. The sequence divergence between the clones ranged from 24% to less than 0.1%, and the difference in replication levels was as high as 100-fold. As expected, significant differences were observed in the recombination frequencies, which ranged from 0.5% to 47.5%. Furthermore, varying the relative amounts of parental RNA altered the dominant recombinant species produced, suggesting that template switching occurs frequently during the synthesis of genomic HDV RNA. Taken together, these data suggest that during the host RNA polymerase-driven RNA recombination of HDV, both inter- and intra-genotypic recombination events are important in shaping the genetic diversity of HDV. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. The population and evolutionary dynamics of homologous gene recombination in bacterial populations.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bruce R Levin

    2009-08-01

    Full Text Available In bacteria, recombination is a rare event, not a part of the reproductive process. Nevertheless, recombination -- broadly defined to include the acquisition of genes from external sources, i.e., horizontal gene transfer (HGT -- plays a central role as a source of variation for adaptive evolution in many species of bacteria. Much of niche expansion, resistance to antibiotics and other environmental stresses, virulence, and other characteristics that make bacteria interesting and problematic, is achieved through the expression of genes and genetic elements obtained from other populations of bacteria of the same and different species, as well as from eukaryotes and archaea. While recombination of homologous genes among members of the same species has played a central role in the development of the genetics and molecular biology of bacteria, the contribution of homologous gene recombination (HGR to bacterial evolution is not at all clear. Also, not so clear are the selective pressures responsible for the evolution and maintenance of transformation, the only bacteria-encoded form of HGR. Using a semi-stochastic simulation of mutation, recombination, and selection within bacterial populations and competition between populations, we explore (1 the contribution of HGR to the rate of adaptive evolution in these populations and (2 the conditions under which HGR will provide a bacterial population a selective advantage over non-recombining or more slowly recombining populations. The results of our simulation indicate that, under broad conditions: (1 HGR occurring at rates in the range anticipated for bacteria like Streptococcus pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, Haemophilus influenzae, and Bacillus subtilis will accelerate the rate at which a population adapts to environmental conditions; (2 once established in a population, selection for this capacity to increase rates of adaptive evolution can maintain bacteria-encoded mechanisms of recombination and prevent

  13. Mechanisms and factors that influence high frequency retroviral recombination

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Delviks-Frankenberry, Krista; Galli, Andrea; Nikolaitchik, Olga

    2011-01-01

    With constantly changing environmental selection pressures, retroviruses rely upon recombination to reassort polymorphisms in their genomes and increase genetic diversity, which improves the chances for the survival of their population. Recombination occurs during DNA synthesis, whereby reverse...... transcriptase undergoes template switching events between the two copackaged RNAs, resulting in a viral recombinant with portions of the genetic information from each parental RNA. This review summarizes our current understanding of the factors and mechanisms influencing retroviral recombination, fidelity...... of the recombination process, and evaluates the subsequent viral diversity and fitness of the progeny recombinant. Specifically, the high mutation rates and high recombination frequencies of HIV-1 will be analyzed for their roles in influencing HIV-1 global diversity, as well as HIV-1 diagnosis, drug treatment...

  14. Collisional-radiative model including recombination processes for W27+ ion★

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murakami, Izumi; Sasaki, Akira; Kato, Daiji; Koike, Fumihiro

    2017-10-01

    We have constructed a collisional-radiative (CR) model for W27+ ions including 226 configurations with n ≤ 9 and ł ≤ 5 for spectroscopic diagnostics. We newly include recombination processes in the model and this is the first result of extreme ultraviolet spectrum calculated for recombining plasma component. Calculated spectra in 40-70 Å range in ionizing and recombining plasma components show similar 3 strong lines and 1 line weak in recombining plasma component at 45-50 Å and many weak lines at 50-65 Å for both components. Recombination processes do not contribute much to the spectrum at around 60 Å for W27+ ion. Dielectronic satellite lines are also minor contribution to the spectrum of recombining plasma component. Dielectronic recombination (DR) rate coefficient from W28+ to W27+ ions is also calculated with the same atomic data in the CR model. We found that larger set of energy levels including many autoionizing states gave larger DR rate coefficients but our rate agree within factor 6 with other works at electron temperature around 1 keV in which W27+ and W28+ ions are usually observed in plasmas. Contribution to the Topical Issue "Atomic and Molecular Data and their Applications", edited by Gordon W.F. Drake, Jung-Sik Yoon, Daiji Kato, and Grzegorz Karwasz.

  15. Dissociative recombination of rare gas hydride ions: II. ArH+

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mitchell, J B A; Novotny, O; LeGarrec, J L; Florescu-Mitchell, A; Rebrion-Rowe, C; Stolyarov, A V; Child, M S; Svendsen, A; Ghazaly, M A El; Andersen, L H

    2005-01-01

    A storage ring measurement of the rate coefficient for the production of neutral Ar in e + ArH + collisions is described. It is found that the recombination rate is too small to measure at low centre-of-mass energies but the combined rate coefficient for dissociative recombination and dissociative excitation increases above 2.5 eV displaying peaks centred at 7.5 eV, 16 and 26 eV. Calculated potential energy curves for the ground and excited states of ArH + are presented and these aid in the elucidation of the recombination and excitation processes observed at higher energies. The implications for plasma modelling are discussed. (letter to the editor)

  16. The model of recombination process in TlBr

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Grigorjeva, L.; Millers, D.

    2002-01-01

    The time-resolved luminescence was used as a tool in the study of recombination process in several undoped TlBr crystals. The spectra and decay kinetics observed under electron beam excitation were investigated. Observation of several luminescence bands with different decay rates shows that more than one recombination center is involved and the recombination process is quite complicated. The band at ∼2.5 eV is dominant under 10 ns excitation pulse (electron beam or nitrogen laser pulses). The results of short-lived absorption and luminescence are used for analysis of possible mechanisms of recombination processes in TlBr

  17. Mechanisms and Factors that Influence High Frequency Retroviral Recombination

    Science.gov (United States)

    Delviks-Frankenberry, Krista; Galli, Andrea; Nikolaitchik, Olga; Mens, Helene; Pathak, Vinay K.; Hu, Wei-Shau

    2011-01-01

    With constantly changing environmental selection pressures, retroviruses rely upon recombination to reassort polymorphisms in their genomes and increase genetic diversity, which improves the chances for the survival of their population. Recombination occurs during DNA synthesis, whereby reverse transcriptase undergoes template switching events between the two copackaged RNAs, resulting in a viral recombinant with portions of the genetic information from each parental RNA. This review summarizes our current understanding of the factors and mechanisms influencing retroviral recombination, fidelity of the recombination process, and evaluates the subsequent viral diversity and fitness of the progeny recombinant. Specifically, the high mutation rates and high recombination frequencies of HIV-1 will be analyzed for their roles in influencing HIV-1 global diversity, as well as HIV-1 diagnosis, drug treatment, and vaccine development. PMID:21994801

  18. Detecting Recombination Hotspots from Patterns of Linkage Disequilibrium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wall, Jeffrey D; Stevison, Laurie S

    2016-08-09

    With recent advances in DNA sequencing technologies, it has become increasingly easy to use whole-genome sequencing of unrelated individuals to assay patterns of linkage disequilibrium (LD) across the genome. One type of analysis that is commonly performed is to estimate local recombination rates and identify recombination hotspots from patterns of LD. One method for detecting recombination hotspots, LDhot, has been used in a handful of species to further our understanding of the basic biology of recombination. For the most part, the effectiveness of this method (e.g., power and false positive rate) is unknown. In this study, we run extensive simulations to compare the effectiveness of three different implementations of LDhot. We find large differences in the power and false positive rates of these different approaches, as well as a strong sensitivity to the window size used (with smaller window sizes leading to more accurate estimation of hotspot locations). We also compared our LDhot simulation results with comparable simulation results obtained from a Bayesian maximum-likelihood approach for identifying hotspots. Surprisingly, we found that the latter computationally intensive approach had substantially lower power over the parameter values considered in our simulations. Copyright © 2016 Wall and Stevison.

  19. Mixing of the lowest-lying qqq configurations with JP =1/2- in different hyperfine interaction models

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Jia; An, Chunsheng; Chen, Hong

    2018-02-01

    We investigate mixing of the lowest-lying qqq configurations with JP = 1/2- caused by the hyperfine interactions between quarks mediated by Goldstone Boson Exchange, One Gluon Exchange, and both Goldstone Boson and One Gluon exchange, respectively. The first orbitally excited nucleon, Σ, Λ and Ξ states are considered. Contributions of both the contact term and tensor term are taken into account. Our numerical results show that mixing of the studied configurations in the two employed hyperfine interaction models are very different. Therefore, the present results, which should affect the strong and electromagnetic decays of baryon resonances, may be used to examine the present employed hyperfine interaction models. Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (11675131,11645002), Chongqing Natural Science Foundation (cstc2015jcyjA00032) and Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (SWU115020)

  20. Effects of emission layer doping on the spatial distribution of charge and host recombination rate density in organic light emitting devices: A numerical study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Yanli; Zhou, Maoqing; Zheng, Tingcai; Yao, Bo; Peng, Yingquan

    2013-12-01

    Based on drift-diffusion theory, a numerical model of the doping of a single energy level trap in the emission layer of an organic light emitting device (OLED) was developed, and the effects of doping of this single energy level trap on the distribution of the charge density, the recombination rate density, and the electric field in single- and double-layer OLEDs were studied numerically. The results show that by doping the n-type (p-type) emission layer with single energy electron (hole) traps, the distribution of the recombination rate density can be tuned and shifted, which is useful for improvement of the device performance by reduced electrode quenching or for realization of desirable special functions, e.g., emission spectrum tuning in multiple dye-doped white OLEDs.

  1. Effects of emission layer doping on the spatial distribution of charge and host recombination rate density in organic light emitting devices: A numerical study

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li, Yanli; Zhou, Maoqing; Zheng, Tingcai; Yao, Bo [Institute of Microelectronics, School of Physical Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000 (China); Peng, Yingquan, E-mail: yqpeng@lzu.edu.cn [Institute of Microelectronics, School of Physical Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000 (China); Key Laboratory for Magnetism and Magnetic Materials of the Ministry of Education, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000 (China)

    2013-12-28

    Based on drift-diffusion theory, a numerical model of the doping of a single energy level trap in the emission layer of an organic light emitting device (OLED) was developed, and the effects of doping of this single energy level trap on the distribution of the charge density, the recombination rate density, and the electric field in single- and double-layer OLEDs were studied numerically. The results show that by doping the n-type (p-type) emission layer with single energy electron (hole) traps, the distribution of the recombination rate density can be tuned and shifted, which is useful for improvement of the device performance by reduced electrode quenching or for realization of desirable special functions, e.g., emission spectrum tuning in multiple dye-doped white OLEDs.

  2. Effects of emission layer doping on the spatial distribution of charge and host recombination rate density in organic light emitting devices: A numerical study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li, Yanli; Zhou, Maoqing; Zheng, Tingcai; Yao, Bo; Peng, Yingquan

    2013-01-01

    Based on drift-diffusion theory, a numerical model of the doping of a single energy level trap in the emission layer of an organic light emitting device (OLED) was developed, and the effects of doping of this single energy level trap on the distribution of the charge density, the recombination rate density, and the electric field in single- and double-layer OLEDs were studied numerically. The results show that by doping the n-type (p-type) emission layer with single energy electron (hole) traps, the distribution of the recombination rate density can be tuned and shifted, which is useful for improvement of the device performance by reduced electrode quenching or for realization of desirable special functions, e.g., emission spectrum tuning in multiple dye-doped white OLEDs

  3. The remarkable frequency of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 genetic recombination.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Onafuwa-Nuga, Adewunmi; Telesnitsky, Alice

    2009-09-01

    The genetic diversity of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) results from a combination of point mutations and genetic recombination, and rates of both processes are unusually high. This review focuses on the mechanisms and outcomes of HIV-1 genetic recombination and on the parameters that make recombination so remarkably frequent. Experimental work has demonstrated that the process that leads to recombination--a copy choice mechanism involving the migration of reverse transcriptase between viral RNA templates--occurs several times on average during every round of HIV-1 DNA synthesis. Key biological factors that lead to high recombination rates for all retroviruses are the recombination-prone nature of their reverse transcription machinery and their pseudodiploid RNA genomes. However, HIV-1 genes recombine even more frequently than do those of many other retroviruses. This reflects the way in which HIV-1 selects genomic RNAs for coencapsidation as well as cell-to-cell transmission properties that lead to unusually frequent associations between distinct viral genotypes. HIV-1 faces strong and changeable selective conditions during replication within patients. The mode of HIV-1 persistence as integrated proviruses and strong selection for defective proviruses in vivo provide conditions for archiving alleles, which can be resuscitated years after initial provirus establishment. Recombination can facilitate drug resistance and may allow superinfecting HIV-1 strains to evade preexisting immune responses, thus adding to challenges in vaccine development. These properties converge to provide HIV-1 with the means, motive, and opportunity to recombine its genetic material at an unprecedented high rate and to allow genetic recombination to serve as one of the highest barriers to HIV-1 eradication.

  4. L-shell dielectronic recombination for 0-like ions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Omar, G.; Semedal, R.; Shahin, F.; El-Sherbini, T.H.

    2007-01-01

    In electron-Ion (e/I) collisions, a free electron may be captured by a positively charged ion having bound electrons with a simultaneous, excitation. This radiationless capture, most probably, creates resonance (d) states. These d- states may stabilize by emission of radiation (x-rays). This two-step process is known as Dielectronic recombination (D R). At high incident-electron energy, D R dominates over the radiative recombination (R R) and three- body recombination (Tbr) processes. Thus, D R is one of the most effective recombination for ionisation balance in solar corona and artificial plasma . In addition, the D R rates are needed for the development of nuclear fusion plasma. Thus, D R is still an interesting process m both experimental and theoretical research. Previously we have done the D R rates for 0-like AL 5+ , Cl 9+ Ti 14+ and Zn 22+ ions with K-shell excitation. In this work, the D R rates are calculated for the same ions, but with L-shell excitation. It is found that, the peak values of the D R rates for L-shell excitation are 1000 times larger than that for K-shell excitation. This means that, D R process is the most efficient mechanism for outer-shell excitations. It is found also that, the Dr rates for L-shell excitation peak at Kt = 6 Ry, 22 Ry for AL 5+ and Ti 14+ ions respectively. These Kt values are much smaller than that for for K-shell excitation

  5. Estimating diversifying selection and functional constraint in the presence of recombination.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilson, Daniel J; McVean, Gilean

    2006-03-01

    Models of molecular evolution that incorporate the ratio of nonsynonymous to synonymous polymorphism (dN/dS ratio) as a parameter can be used to identify sites that are under diversifying selection or functional constraint in a sample of gene sequences. However, when there has been recombination in the evolutionary history of the sequences, reconstructing a single phylogenetic tree is not appropriate, and inference based on a single tree can give misleading results. In the presence of high levels of recombination, the identification of sites experiencing diversifying selection can suffer from a false-positive rate as high as 90%. We present a model that uses a population genetics approximation to the coalescent with recombination and use reversible-jump MCMC to perform Bayesian inference on both the dN/dS ratio and the recombination rate, allowing each to vary along the sequence. We demonstrate that the method has the power to detect variation in the dN/dS ratio and the recombination rate and does not suffer from a high false-positive rate. We use the method to analyze the porB gene of Neisseria meningitidis and verify the inferences using prior sensitivity analysis and model criticism techniques.

  6. Comprehensive characterization of glutamine synthetase-mediated selection for the establishment of recombinant CHO cells producing monoclonal antibodies

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Noh, Soo Min; Shin, Seunghyeon; Min Lee, Gyun

    2018-01-01

    To characterize a glutamine synthetase (GS)-based selection system, monoclonal antibody (mAb) producing recombinant CHO cell clones were generated by a single round of selection at various methionine sulfoximine (MSX) concentrations (0, 25, and 50 μM) using two different host cell lines (CHO-K1...... and GS-knockout CHO). Regardless of the host cell lines used, the clones selected at 50 μM MSX had the lowest average specific growth rate and the highest average specific production rates of toxic metabolic wastes, lactate and ammonia. Unlike CHO-K1, high producing clones could be generated...... in the absence of MSX using GS-knockout CHO with an improved selection stringency. Regardless of the host cell lines used, the clones selected at various MSX concentrations showed no significant difference in the GS, heavy chain, and light chain gene copies (P > 0.05). Furthermore, there was no correlation...

  7. Recent and historical recombination in the admixed Norwegian Red cattle breed

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Grove Harald

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Comparison of recent patterns of recombination derived from linkage maps to historical patterns of recombination from linkage disequilibrium (LD could help identify genomic regions affected by strong artificial selection, appearing as reduced recent recombination. Norwegian Red cattle (NRF make an interesting case study for investigating these patterns as it is an admixed breed with an extensively recorded pedigree. NRF have been under strong artificial selection for traits such as milk and meat production, fertility and health. While measures of LD is also crucial for determining the number of markers required for association mapping studies, estimates of recombination rate can be used to assess quality of genomic assemblies. Results A dataset containing more than 17,000 genome-wide distributed SNPs and 2600 animals was used to assess recombination rates and LD in NRF. Although low LD measured by r2 was observed in NRF relative to some of the breeds from which this breed originates, reports from breeds other than those assessed in this study have described more rapid decline in r2 at short distances than what was found in NRF. Rate of decline in r2 for NRF suggested that to obtain an expected r2 between markers and a causal polymorphism of at least 0.5 for genome-wide association studies, approximately one SNP every 15 kb or a total of 200,000 SNPs would be required. For well known quantitative trait loci (QTLs for milk production traits on Bos Taurus chromosomes 1, 6 and 20, map length based on historic recombination was greater than map length based on recent recombination in NRF. Further, positions for 130 previously unpositioned contigs from assembly of the bovine genome sequence (Btau_4.0 found using comparative sequence analysis were validated by linkage analysis, and 28% of these positions corresponded to extreme values of population recombination rate. Conclusion While LD is reduced in NRF compared to some of the

  8. Recombination of H3+ and D3+ ions with electrons in low temperature plasma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Glosik, J; Plasil, R.; Pysanenko, A.; Poterya, V.; Kudrna, P.; Zakouril, P.

    2002-01-01

    From the decaying plasma (stationary afterglow) in the mixture of He, Ar and H 2 (or D 2 ) we determined the overall recombination rate constant (α eff ) of the recombination of H 3 + and D 3 + ions with electrons at thermal energies. We observed dependence of recombination rate coefficients on partial pressure of hydrogen (and deuterium), which indicates that observed recombination is the three-body process proceeding most probably via formation of long lived intermediate state. From the obtained data we conclude that binary dissociative recombination of H 3 + and D 3 + ions with electrons is very slow with rate coefficient α DR -9 cm 3 s -1 and α DR -9 cm 3 s -1 , respectively. (author)

  9. Excited state redox properties of phthalocyanines: influence of the axial ligand on the rates of relaxation and electron-transfer quenching of the lowest /sup 3/. pi pi. /sup */ excited state

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ferraudi, G J; Prasad, D R

    1874-01-01

    Laser flash excitations at 640 nm have been used to generate the transient spectra of the lowest-lying /sup 3/..pi pi../sup */ state of phthalocyaninatoruthenium(II) complexes. The properties of this excited state such as the properties of the maxima, lambda/sub max/ = 500 +/- 30 nm, and lifetimes, t/sub 1/2/ = 70-4500 ns, exhibit a large dependence on the electron-accepting and electron-withdrawing tendencies of the axial ligands. A similar influence was observed upon the rate of electron-transfer quenching of the /sup 3/..pi pi../sup */ state. Values between 10/sup 6/ and 10/sup 7/ dm/sup 3/ mol/sup -1/ s/sup -1/ for the self-exchange rate constant have been obtained, according to Marcus-Hush theoretical treatments, for (Ru(pc.)LL')/sup +//(/sup 3/..pi pi../sup */)(Ru(pc)LL') (L and L' = neutral axial ligands; pc = phthalocyaninate (2-)) and isoelectronic cobalt(III) and rhodium(III) couples. The redox properties of the ground and excited states are correlated with axial ligand-induced perturbations of the electronic structure.

  10. Diversity, Mutation and Recombination Analysis of Cotton Leaf Curl Geminiviruses.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Huma Saleem

    Full Text Available The spread of cotton leaf curl disease in China, India and Pakistan is a recent phenomenon. Analysis of available sequence data determined that there is a substantial diversity of cotton-infecting geminiviruses in Pakistan. Phylogenetic analyses indicated that recombination between two major groups of viruses, cotton leaf curl Multan virus (CLCuMuV and cotton leaf curl Kokhran virus (CLCuKoV, led to the emergence of several new viruses. Recombination detection programs and phylogenetic analyses showed that CLCuMuV and CLCuKoV are highly recombinant viruses. Indeed, CLCuKoV appeared to be a major donor virus for the coat protein (CP gene, while CLCuMuV donated the Rep gene in the majority of recombination events. Using recombination free nucleotide datasets the substitution rates for CP and Rep genes were determined. We inferred similar nucleotide substitution rates for the CLCuMuV-Rep gene (4.96X10-4 and CLCuKoV-CP gene (2.706X10-4, whereas relatively higher substitution rates were observed for CLCuMuV-CP and CLCuKoV-Rep genes. The combination of sequences with equal and relatively low substitution rates, seemed to result in the emergence of viral isolates that caused epidemics in Pakistan and India. Our findings also suggest that CLCuMuV is spreading at an alarming rate, which can potentially be a threat to cotton production in the Indian subcontinent.

  11. Hydrogen recombiner development at AECL

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dewit, W.A.; Koroll, G.W.; Loesel Sitar, J.; Graham, W.R.C.

    1997-01-01

    pressure of hydrogen. The recombiner also reacts carbon monoxide, in the presence of hydrogen, at approximately the same rate as the hydrogen. The catalyst materials and wet-proofing are unaffected by radiation or high temperatures. Large scale tests confirm self-start behavior and demonstrate strong mixing, irrespective of recombiner placement. (author)

  12. Effect of sex, age, and breed on genetic recombination features in cattle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meiotic recombination is a fundamental biological process which generates genetic diversity, affects fertility, and influences evolvability. Here we investigate the roles of sex, age, and breed in cattle recombination features, including recombination rate, location and crossover interference. Usin...

  13. Recombinant Programming

    OpenAIRE

    Pawlak , Renaud; Cuesta , Carlos; Younessi , Houman

    2004-01-01

    This research report presents a promising new approach to computation called Recombinant Programming. The novelty of our approach is that it separates the program into two layers of computation: the recombination and the interpretation layer. The recombination layer takes sequences as inputs and allows the programmer to recombine these sequences through the definition of cohesive code units called extensions. The output of such recombination is a mesh that can be used by the interpretation la...

  14. Temperature dependence of binary and ternary recombination of H3+ ions with electrons

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Glosik, J.; Plasil, R.; Korolov, I.; Kotrik, T.; Novotny, O.; Hlavenka, P.; Dohnal, P.; Varju, J.; Kokoouline, V.; Greene, Chris H.

    2009-01-01

    We study binary and the recently discovered process of ternary He-assisted recombination of H 3 + ions with electrons in a low-temperature afterglow plasma. The experiments are carried out over a broad range of pressures and temperatures of an afterglow plasma in a helium buffer gas. Binary and He-assisted ternary recombination are observed and the corresponding recombination rate coefficients are extracted for temperatures from 77 to 330 K. We describe the observed ternary recombination as a two-step mechanism: first, a rotationally excited long-lived neutral molecule H 3 * is formed in electron-H 3 + collisions. Second, the H 3 * molecule collides with a helium atom that leads to the formation of a very long-lived Rydberg state with high orbital momentum. We present calculations of the lifetimes of H 3 * and of the ternary recombination rate coefficients for para- and ortho-H 3 + . The calculations show a large difference between the ternary recombination rate coefficients of ortho- and para-H 3 + at temperatures below 300 K. The measured binary and ternary rate coefficients are in reasonable agreement with the calculated values.

  15. Temperature dependence of binary and ternary recombination of H3+ ions with electrons

    Science.gov (United States)

    Glosík, J.; Plašil, R.; Korolov, I.; Kotrík, T.; Novotný, O.; Hlavenka, P.; Dohnal, P.; Varju, J.; Kokoouline, V.; Greene, Chris H.

    2009-05-01

    We study binary and the recently discovered process of ternary He-assisted recombination of H3+ ions with electrons in a low-temperature afterglow plasma. The experiments are carried out over a broad range of pressures and temperatures of an afterglow plasma in a helium buffer gas. Binary and He-assisted ternary recombination are observed and the corresponding recombination rate coefficients are extracted for temperatures from 77 to 330 K. We describe the observed ternary recombination as a two-step mechanism: first, a rotationally excited long-lived neutral molecule H3∗ is formed in electron- H3+ collisions. Second, the H3∗ molecule collides with a helium atom that leads to the formation of a very long-lived Rydberg state with high orbital momentum. We present calculations of the lifetimes of H3∗ and of the ternary recombination rate coefficients for para- and ortho- H3+ . The calculations show a large difference between the ternary recombination rate coefficients of ortho- and para- H3+ at temperatures below 300 K. The measured binary and ternary rate coefficients are in reasonable agreement with the calculated values.

  16. Binary and ternary recombination of D3+ ions with electrons in He-D2 plasma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Glosik, J.; Korolov, I.; Plasil, R.; Kotrik, T.; Dohnal, P.; Novotny, O.; Varju, J.; Roucka, S.; Greene, Chris H.; Kokoouline, V.

    2009-01-01

    An experimental study is reported about the recombination of D 3 + ions with electrons in a low-temperature plasma (200-300 K) consisting of He with a small admixture of D 2 . At several temperatures, the pressure dependence of the apparent binary recombination rate coefficient (α eff ) was measured over a broad range of helium pressures (200-2000 Pa). The binary and ternary recombination rate coefficients were obtained from measured pressure dependences of α eff . The binary recombination rate coefficient obtained α bin (300 K)=(2.7±0.9)x10 -8 cm 3 s -1 is in agreement with recent theory. The ternary recombination rate coefficient obtained is K He (300 K)=(1.8±0.6)x10 -25 cm 6 s -1 . In analogy with the recently described process of helium-assisted ternary recombination of H 3 + ions, it is suggested that the ternary helium-assisted recombination of D 3 + ions proceeds through the formation of a neutral long-lived highly excited Rydberg molecule D 3 followed by a collision with a He atom.

  17. Binary and ternary recombination of D3+ ions with electrons in He-D2 plasma

    Science.gov (United States)

    Glosík, J.; Korolov, I.; Plašil, R.; Kotrík, T.; Dohnal, P.; Novotný, O.; Varju, J.; Roučka, Š.; Greene, Chris H.; Kokoouline, V.

    2009-10-01

    An experimental study is reported about the recombination of D3+ ions with electrons in a low-temperature plasma (200-300 K) consisting of He with a small admixture of D2 . At several temperatures, the pressure dependence of the apparent binary recombination rate coefficient (αeff) was measured over a broad range of helium pressures (200-2000 Pa). The binary and ternary recombination rate coefficients were obtained from measured pressure dependences of αeff . The binary recombination rate coefficient obtained αbin(300K)=(2.7±0.9)×10-8cm3s-1 is in agreement with recent theory. The ternary recombination rate coefficient obtained is KHe(300K)=(1.8±0.6)×10-25cm6s-1 . In analogy with the recently described process of helium-assisted ternary recombination of H3+ ions, it is suggested that the ternary helium-assisted recombination of D3+ ions proceeds through the formation of a neutral long-lived highly excited Rydberg molecule D3 followed by a collision with a He atom.

  18. Recombiner

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kikuchi, Nobuo.

    1983-01-01

    Purpose: To shorten the pre-heating time for a recombiner and obtain a uniform temperature distribution for the charged catalyst layer in a BWR type reactor. Constitution: A pre-heating heater is disposed to the outer periphery of a vessel for a recombiner packed with catalysts for recombining hydrogen and oxygen in gases flowing through a radioactive gaseous wastes processing system. Heat pipes for transmitting the heat applied to said container to the catalyst are disposed vertically and horizontally within the container. Different length of the heat pipes are combined. In this way, pre-heating time for the recombiner before the operation start and before the system switching can be shortened and the uniform pre-heating for the inside of the recombiner is also made possible. Further, heater control in the pre-heating can be carried out effectively and with ease. (Moriyama, K.)

  19. Photoionization and electron-ion recombination of Fe XVII for high temperature plasmas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nahar, Sultana N.

    2012-01-01

    Earlier studies on electron-ion recombination of Fe XVII, e+FeXVIII→FeXVII, concentrated on low temperature region. However, due to its higher abundance, recombination in the high temperature region is of great importance. Total and level-specific recombination cross sections and rates of Fe XVII are presented from the detailed study in the high temperature. The calculations were carried out using the unified method which incorporates both the radiative recombination (RR) and dielectronic recombination (DR) including the interference effects. The method also yields self-consistent set of recombination rates and photoionization cross sections. Unified method is implemented through relativistic Breit-Pauli R-matrix (BPRM) method and close coupling (CC) approximation. For the details of the high energy and high temperature features a CC wave function expansion consisting of 60 levels from n=2 and 3 complexes of the core Fe XVIII was considered. Earlier study included core excitations to n=2 levels only. It is found that the resonances due to core excitations to n=3 levels are much more extensive and stronger than those to n=2 levels and increase the recombination considerably in the high temperature region. While earlier study of 3-level calculations agree very well with the experimentally derived low temperature recombination, the high temperature rate shows a broad peak at about 5×10 6 K, near the maximum abundance of the ion, due to dominance of DR via PEC (photo-excitation-of-core) resonances of n=3 levels. Level-specific recombination rate coefficients, which include both the RR and DR, are presented for 454 levels (n≤10, l≤9, 0 ≤J≤8 with even and odd parities) of Fe XVII. This is the first large-scale BPRM calculations for recombination of a complex atomic system beyond He- and Li-like ions. The results are expected to be accurate with 10-20% uncertainty and provide accurate modelings of ultraviolet to X-ray spectra.

  20. Giant angular resonance and the structure of the lowest-lying nuclear states

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mikhajlov, I.N.; Usmanov, P.N.; Yuldashbaeva, Eh.Kh.

    1987-01-01

    The analysis is given of the Hamiltonian of the two-rotor model, which is based on the assumption that the giant angular resonance exists, i.e. that it is possible to rotate the neutron component of a deformed nucleus as a whole with respect to the proton component. The realization of the projections on the intrinsic axes of the angular momentum operators is found, the Hamiltonian matrix is determined in the basis convenient for the case of strong neutron-proton coupling. The spectrum of the two-rotor model is determined taking into account the nondiagonal matrix elements in the lowest order of the perturbation theory. The g factors and the probabilities of the M1 transitions are discussed

  1. Lowest order Virtual Element approximation of magnetostatic problems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beirão da Veiga, L.; Brezzi, F.; Dassi, F.; Marini, L. D.; Russo, A.

    2018-04-01

    We give here a simplified presentation of the lowest order Serendipity Virtual Element method, and show its use for the numerical solution of linear magneto-static problems in three dimensions. The method can be applied to very general decompositions of the computational domain (as is natural for Virtual Element Methods) and uses as unknowns the (constant) tangential component of the magnetic field $\\mathbf{H}$ on each edge, and the vertex values of the Lagrange multiplier $p$ (used to enforce the solenoidality of the magnetic induction $\\mathbf{B}=\\mu\\mathbf{H}$). In this respect the method can be seen as the natural generalization of the lowest order Edge Finite Element Method (the so-called "first kind N\\'ed\\'elec" elements) to polyhedra of almost arbitrary shape, and as we show on some numerical examples it exhibits very good accuracy (for being a lowest order element) and excellent robustness with respect to distortions.

  2. Recombination clumping factor during cosmic reionization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kaurov, Alexander A.; Gnedin, Nickolay Y.

    2014-01-01

    We discuss the role of recombinations in the intergalactic medium, and the related concept of the clumping factor, during cosmic reionization. The clumping factor is, in general, a local quantity that depends on both the local overdensity and the scale below which the baryon density field can be assumed smooth. That scale, called the filtering scale, depends on over-density and local thermal history. We present a method for building a self-consistent analytical model of inhomogeneous reionization, assuming the linear growth rate of the density fluctuation, which simultaneously accounts for these effects. We show that taking into account the local clumping factor introduces significant corrections to the total recombination rate, compared to the model with a globally uniform clumping factor.

  3. Improved film morphology reduces charge carrier recombination into the triplet excited state in a small bandgap polymer-fullerene photovoltaic cell

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Di Nuzzo, D.; Aguirre de Miguel, A.; Shahid, M.; Gevaerts, Veronique; Meskers, S.C.J.; Janssen, R.A.J.

    2010-01-01

    The use of diiodooctane as processing additive for construction of PCPDTBT:PCBM solar cells results in a profound change in photophysical behavior of this blend. In the improved morphology obtained with the additive, recombination of charge carriers to the lowest triplet excited state is suppressed.

  4. Interface Recombination in Depleted Heterojunction Photovoltaics based on Colloidal Quantum Dots

    KAUST Repository

    Kemp, Kyle W.

    2013-03-26

    Interface recombination was studied in colloidal quantum dot photovoltaics. Optimization of the TiO2 -PbS interface culminated in the introduction of a thin ZnO buffer layer deposited with atomic layer deposition. Transient photovoltage measurements indicated a nearly two-fold decrease in the recombination rate around 1 sun operating conditions. Improvement to the recombination rate led to a device architecture with superior open circuit voltage (VOC) and photocurrent extraction. Overall a 10% improvement in device efficiency was achieved with Voc enhancements up to 50 mV being realized. © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  5. Theory of surface recombination of spin-polarized hydrogen

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Christou, C.T.; Haftel, M.I.

    1989-01-01

    A theory is presented, based on the Faddeev equations, for direct two-body recombination of hydrogen atoms on a liquid helium surface. The equations developed are applicable to hydrogen or deuterium atoms in any spin state, but are applied in particular to dipolar recombination of b state hydrogen atoms. The equations yield terms corresponding to one- and two-step processes. These terms are calculated for low temperatures (T = 0.1 to 1.1 K) and high field strengths (B = 4 to 14 T). The one-step term increases slowly with B, while the two-step term is rapidly decreasing. While the overall rate is quite small (∼5 x 10 -18 cm 2 /s) compared to recombination by two-body spin-relaxation, the results have important consequences in understanding the experimentally measured three-atom dipolar surface recombination rates. In three-atom recombination, where the role of spin-relaxation and the two-atom one-step processes are repressed, the role of the underlying two-atom, two-step process is enhanced. The field dependence of the process relevant to the three-atom system is calculated and found to be in fairly good agreement with the experimental three-atom data. The role of possible liquid excitations in enhancing the contribution of the two-step processes is also discussed. 33 refs.; 1 figure; 6 tabs

  6. Recombination Promoted by DNA Viruses: Phage λ to Herpes Simplex Virus

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weller, Sandra K.; Sawitzke, James A.

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of this review is to explore recombination strategies in DNA viruses. Homologous recombination is a universal genetic process that plays multiple roles in the biology of all organisms, including viruses. Recombination and DNA replication are interconnected, with recombination being essential for repairing DNA damage and supporting replication of the viral genome. Recombination also creates genetic diversity, and viral recombination mechanisms have important implications for understanding viral origins as well as the dynamic nature of viral-host interactions. Both bacteriophage λ and herpes simplex virus (HSV) display high rates of recombination, both utilizing their own proteins and commandeering cellular proteins to promote recombination reactions. We focus primarily on λ and HSV, as they have proven amenable to both genetic and biochemical analysis and have recently been shown to exhibit some surprising similarities that will guide future studies. PMID:25002096

  7. ARG-walker: inference of individual specific strengths of meiotic recombination hotspots by population genomics analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Hao; Yang, Peng; Guo, Jing; Kwoh, Chee Keong; Przytycka, Teresa M; Zheng, Jie

    2015-01-01

    Meiotic recombination hotspots play important roles in various aspects of genomics, but the underlying mechanisms for regulating the locations and strengths of recombination hotspots are not yet fully revealed. Most existing algorithms for estimating recombination rates from sequence polymorphism data can only output average recombination rates of a population, although there is evidence for the heterogeneity in recombination rates among individuals. For genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of recombination hotspots, an efficient algorithm that estimates the individualized strengths of recombination hotspots is highly desirable. In this work, we propose a novel graph mining algorithm named ARG-walker, based on random walks on ancestral recombination graphs (ARG), to estimate individual-specific recombination hotspot strengths. Extensive simulations demonstrate that ARG-walker is able to distinguish the hot allele of a recombination hotspot from the cold allele. Integrated with output of ARG-walker, we performed GWAS on the phased haplotype data of the 22 autosome chromosomes of the HapMap Asian population samples of Chinese and Japanese (JPT+CHB). Significant cis-regulatory signals have been detected, which is corroborated by the enrichment of the well-known 13-mer motif CCNCCNTNNCCNC of PRDM9 protein. Moreover, two new DNA motifs have been identified in the flanking regions of the significantly associated SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms), which are likely to be new cis-regulatory elements of meiotic recombination hotspots of the human genome. Our results on both simulated and real data suggest that ARG-walker is a promising new method for estimating the individual recombination variations. In the future, it could be used to uncover the mechanisms of recombination regulation and human diseases related with recombination hotspots.

  8. Testing of a passive autocatalytic recombiner in the Surtsey facility

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Blanchat, T.K.; Malliakos, A.C.

    2000-01-01

    Passive autocatalytic recombiners (PARs) have been under consideration in the US as a combustible gas control system in operating plants and advanced light water reactor containments for design-basis accidents. Here, performance tests of a scaled passive autocatalytic recombiner (PAR) were performed in the Surtsey test vessel at Sandia National laboratories. Measured hydrogen depletion rate data were obtained and compared with previous work. Depletion rate is most likely proportional to PAR scale. PAR performance in steamy environments (with and without hydrophobic coating) was investigated. The tests determined that the PAR startup delay times decrease with increasing hydrogen concentrations in steamy environments. Tests with placement of the PAR near a wall (as opposed to a center location) yielded reduced depletion rates. Tests at low oxygen concentrations also showed a reduced recombination rate. The PAR repeatedly ignited hydrogen at ∼6 mol% concentration with a catalyst temperature near 940 K. Velocity data at the PAR exhaust were used to calculate the volumetric flow rate through the PAR as a function of the vessel hydrogen concentration

  9. Characterization of recombination features and the genetic basis in multiple cattle breeds.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shen, Botong; Jiang, Jicai; Seroussi, Eyal; Liu, George E; Ma, Li

    2018-04-27

    Crossover generated by meiotic recombination is a fundamental event that facilitates meiosis and sexual reproduction. Comparative studies have shown wide variation in recombination rate among species, but the characterization of recombination features between cattle breeds has not yet been performed. Cattle populations in North America count millions, and the dairy industry has genotyped millions of individuals with pedigree information that provide a unique opportunity to study breed-level variations in recombination. Based on large pedigrees of Jersey, Ayrshire and Brown Swiss cattle with genotype data, we identified over 3.4 million maternal and paternal crossover events from 161,309 three-generation families. We constructed six breed- and sex-specific genome-wide recombination maps using 58,982 autosomal SNPs for two sexes in the three dairy cattle breeds. A comparative analysis of the six recombination maps revealed similar global recombination patterns between cattle breeds but with significant differences between sexes. We confirmed that male recombination map is 10% longer than the female map in all three cattle breeds, consistent with previously reported results in Holstein cattle. When comparing recombination hotspot regions between cattle breeds, we found that 30% and 10% of the hotspots were shared between breeds in males and females, respectively, with each breed exhibiting some breed-specific hotspots. Finally, our multiple-breed GWAS found that SNPs in eight loci affected recombination rate and that the PRDM9 gene associated with hotspot usage in multiple cattle breeds, indicating a shared genetic basis for recombination across dairy cattle breeds. Collectively, our results generated breed- and sex-specific recombination maps for multiple cattle breeds, provided a comprehensive characterization and comparison of recombination patterns between breeds, and expanded our understanding of the breed-level variations in recombination features within an

  10. Retroviral Vectors for Analysis of Viral Mutagenesis and Recombination

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jonathan M.O. Rawson

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available Retrovirus population diversity within infected hosts is commonly high due in part to elevated rates of replication, mutation, and recombination. This high genetic diversity often complicates the development of effective diagnostics, vaccines, and antiviral drugs. This review highlights the diverse vectors and approaches that have been used to examine mutation and recombination in retroviruses. Retroviral vectors for these purposes can broadly be divided into two categories: those that utilize reporter genes as mutation or recombination targets and those that utilize viral genes as targets of mutation or recombination. Reporter gene vectors greatly facilitate the detection, quantification, and characterization of mutants and/or recombinants, but may not fully recapitulate the patterns of mutagenesis or recombination observed in native viral gene sequences. In contrast, the detection of mutations or recombination events directly in viral genes is more biologically relevant but also typically more challenging and inefficient. We will highlight the advantages and disadvantages of the various vectors and approaches used as well as propose ways in which they could be improved.

  11. Recombination of KrD{sup +} and KrH{sup +} ions in afterglow plasma

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Korolov, I; Kotrik, T; Plasil, R; Hejduk, M; Varju, J; Dohnal, P; Glosik, J, E-mail: juraj.glosik@mff.cuni.c [Department of Surface and Plasma Science, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Charles University in Prague (Czech Republic)

    2009-11-15

    Reported is flowing afterglow (FALP) study of recombination of KrH{sup +} and KrD{sup +} ions with electrons at 250 K in mixtures of He/Kr/H{sub 2} and He/Kr/D{sub 2}, respectively. The influence of fast recombining cluster ions formation on apparent effective recombination rate coefficients ({alpha}{sub eff}) was measured and used in data analysis. The obtained binary rate coefficients for recombination of KrH{sup +} and KrD{sup +} are {alpha}{sub KrH+} = 2x10{sup -8} cm{sup 3}s{sup -1} and {alpha}{sub KrD+} = 1x10{sup -8} cm{sup 3}s{sup -1}.

  12. Tunable recombinant protein expression with E. coli in a mixed-feed environment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sagmeister, Patrick; Schimek, Clemens; Meitz, Andrea; Herwig, Christoph; Spadiut, Oliver

    2014-04-01

    Controlling the recombinant protein production rate in Escherichia coli is of utmost importance to ensure product quality and quantity. Up to now, only the genetic construct, introduced into E. coli, and the specific growth rate of the culture were used to influence and stir the productivity. However, bioprocess technological means to control or even tune the productivity of E. coli are scarce. Here, we present a novel method for the process-technological control over the recombinant protein expression rate in E. coli. A mixed-feed fed-batch bioprocess based on the araBAD promoter expression system using both D-glucose and L-arabinose as assimilable C-sources was designed. Using the model product green fluorescent protein, we show that the specific product formation rate can be efficiently tuned even on the cellular level only via the uptake rate of L-arabinose. This novel approach introduces an additional degree of freedom for the design of recombinant bioprocesses with E. coli. We anticipate that the presented method will result in significant quality and robustness improvement as well as cost and process time reduction for recombinant bacterial bioprocesses in the future.

  13. Ion recombination characteristics of the MDH 10X5-6 ionisation chamber under continuous exposure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cerra, F.

    1982-01-01

    Volume recombination of the induced ionization in an X-ray ionization chamber is an important factor affecting the collection efficiency of the charge when such chambers are operated at atmospheric pressure. The volume recombination process is also dependent on the X-ray exposure rate. The theory for recombination in a cylindrical ionization chamber is shown to be in agreement with experimental measurements. For the MDH 10X5-6 cylindrical ionization chamber, the recombination loss is unimportant at exposure rates consistent with its intended usage. (U.K.)

  14. Fine-scale variation in meiotic recombination in Mimulus inferred from population shotgun sequencing

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hellsten, Uffe [USDOE Joint Genome Inst., Walnut Creek, CA (United States); Wright, Kevin M. [Harvard Univ., Cambridge, MA (United States); Jenkins, Jerry [USDOE Joint Genome Inst., Walnut Creek, CA (United States); HudsonAlpha Inst. of Biotechnology, Huntsville, AL (United States); Shu, Shengqiang [USDOE Joint Genome Inst., Walnut Creek, CA (United States); Yuan, Yao-Wu [Univ. of Connecticut, Storrs, CT (United States); Wessler, Susan R. [Univ. of California, Riverside, CA (United States); Schmutz, Jeremy [USDOE Joint Genome Inst., Walnut Creek, CA (United States); HudsonAlpha Inst. of Biotechnology, Huntsville, AL (United States); Willis, John H. [Duke Univ., Durham, NC (United States); Rokhsar, Daniel S. [USDOE Joint Genome Inst., Walnut Creek, CA (United States); Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)

    2013-11-13

    Meiotic recombination rates can vary widely across genomes, with hotspots of intense activity interspersed among cold regions. In yeast, hotspots tend to occur in promoter regions of genes, whereas in humans and mice hotspots are largely defined by binding sites of the PRDM9 protein. To investigate the detailed recombination pattern in a flowering plant we use shotgun resequencing of a wild population of the monkeyflower Mimulus guttatus to precisely locate over 400,000 boundaries of historic crossovers or gene conversion tracts. Their distribution defines some 13,000 hotspots of varying strengths, interspersed with cold regions of undetectably low recombination. Average recombination rates peak near starts of genes and fall off sharply, exhibiting polarity. Within genes, recombination tracts are more likely to terminate in exons than in introns. The general pattern is similar to that observed in yeast, as well as in PRDM9-knockout mice, suggesting that recombination initiation described here in Mimulus may reflect ancient and conserved eukaryotic mechanisms

  15. Mechanisms and impact of genetic recombination in the evolution of Streptococcus pneumoniae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chaguza, Chrispin; Cornick, Jennifer E; Everett, Dean B

    2015-01-01

    Streptococcus pneumoniae (the pneumococcus) is a highly recombinogenic bacterium responsible for a high burden of human disease globally. Genetic recombination, a process in which exogenous DNA is acquired and incorporated into its genome, is a key evolutionary mechanism employed by the pneumococcus to rapidly adapt to selective pressures. The rate at which the pneumococcus acquires genetic variation through recombination is much higher than the rate at which the organism acquires variation through spontaneous mutations. This higher rate of variation allows the pneumococcus to circumvent the host innate and adaptive immune responses, escape clinical interventions, including antibiotic therapy and vaccine introduction. The rapid influx of whole genome sequence (WGS) data and the advent of novel analysis methods and powerful computational tools for population genetics and evolution studies has transformed our understanding of how genetic recombination drives pneumococcal adaptation and evolution. Here we discuss how genetic recombination has impacted upon the evolution of the pneumococcus.

  16. Binary and ternary recombination of [image omitted] and [image omitted] ions with electrons in low temperature plasma

    Science.gov (United States)

    Glosík, J.; Plašil, R.; Kotrík, T.; Dohnal, P.; Varju, J.; Hejduk, M.; Korolov, I.; Roučka, Š.; Kokoouline, V.

    2010-09-01

    Measurements of recombination rate coefficients of binary and ternary recombination of ? and ? ions with electrons in a low temperature plasma are described. The experiments were carried out in the afterglow plasma in helium with a small admixture of Ar and parent gas (H2 or D2). For both ions a linear increase of measured apparent binary recombination rate coefficients (αeff) with increasing helium density was observed: αeff = αBIN + K He[He]. From the measured dependencies, we have obtained for both ions the binary (αBIN) and the ternary (K He) rate coefficients and their temperature dependence. For the description of observed ternary recombination a mechanism with two subsequent rate determining steps is proposed. In the first step, in ? + e- (or ? + e-) collision, a rotationally excited long-lived Rydberg molecule ? (or ? ) is formed. In the following step ? (or ? ) collides with a He atom of the buffer gas and this collision prevents autoionization of ? (or ? ). Lifetimes of the formed ? (or ? ) and corresponding ternary recombination rate coefficients have been calculated. The theoretical and measured binary and ternary recombination rate coefficients obtained for ? and ? ions are in good agreement.

  17. Extreme Recombination Frequencies Shape Genome Variation and Evolution in the Honeybee, Apis mellifera

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wallberg, Andreas; Glémin, Sylvain; Webster, Matthew T.

    2015-01-01

    Meiotic recombination is a fundamental cellular process, with important consequences for evolution and genome integrity. However, we know little about how recombination rates vary across the genomes of most species and the molecular and evolutionary determinants of this variation. The honeybee, Apis mellifera, has extremely high rates of meiotic recombination, although the evolutionary causes and consequences of this are unclear. Here we use patterns of linkage disequilibrium in whole genome resequencing data from 30 diploid honeybees to construct a fine-scale map of rates of crossing over in the genome. We find that, in contrast to vertebrate genomes, the recombination landscape is not strongly punctate. Crossover rates strongly correlate with levels of genetic variation, but not divergence, which indicates a pervasive impact of selection on the genome. Germ-line methylated genes have reduced crossover rate, which could indicate a role of methylation in suppressing recombination. Controlling for the effects of methylation, we do not infer a strong association between gene expression patterns and recombination. The site frequency spectrum is strongly skewed from neutral expectations in honeybees: rare variants are dominated by AT-biased mutations, whereas GC-biased mutations are found at higher frequencies, indicative of a major influence of GC-biased gene conversion (gBGC), which we infer to generate an allele fixation bias 5 – 50 times the genomic average estimated in humans. We uncover further evidence that this repair bias specifically affects transitions and favours fixation of CpG sites. Recombination, via gBGC, therefore appears to have profound consequences on genome evolution in honeybees and interferes with the process of natural selection. These findings have important implications for our understanding of the forces driving molecular evolution. PMID:25902173

  18. Radiative and interfacial recombination in CdTe heterostructures

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Swartz, C. H., E-mail: craig.swartz@txstate.edu; Edirisooriya, M.; LeBlanc, E. G.; Noriega, O. C.; Jayathilaka, P. A. R. D.; Ogedengbe, O. S.; Hancock, B. L.; Holtz, M.; Myers, T. H. [Materials Science, Engineering, and Commercialization Program, Texas State University, 601 University Dr., San Marcos, Texas 78666 (United States); Zaunbrecher, K. N. [National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 15013 Denver West Parkway, Mississippi RSF200, Golden, Colorado 80401 (United States)

    2014-12-01

    Double heterostructures (DH) were produced consisting of a CdTe film between two wide band gap barriers of CdMgTe alloy. A combined method was developed to quantify radiative and non-radiative recombination rates by examining the dependence of photoluminescence (PL) on both excitation intensity and time. The measured PL characteristics, and the interface state density extracted by modeling, indicate that the radiative efficiency of CdMgTe/CdTe DHs is comparable to that of AlGaAs/GaAs DHs, with interface state densities in the low 10{sup 10 }cm{sup −2} and carrier lifetimes as long as 240 ns. The radiative recombination coefficient of CdTe is found to be near 10{sup −10} cm{sup 3}s{sup −1}. CdTe film growth on bulk CdTe substrates resulted in a homoepitaxial interface layer with a high non-radiative recombination rate.

  19. Radiative recombination channels in Si/Si1−xGex nanostructures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Berashevich, Yu. A.; Panfilenok, A. S.; Borisenko, V. E.

    2008-01-01

    Using the solution of the 2D Schrödinger equation, systematic features of distribution of charge carriers in the Si/Si 1−x Ge x nanostructures and variations in the efficiency of radiative recombination when pyramidal 2D clusters are transformed into 3D dome clusters with increasing thickness of nanolayers are established. The effect of the composition of the layers on the efficiency of the elastic stress in the structure and, as a consequence, the variation in conduction bands and valence band of the Si 1−x Ge x nanostructures is taken into account. On realization of the suggested kinetics model, which describes recombination processes in crystalline structures, saturation of radiation intensity with increasing the pump intensity caused by an increase in the contribution of the Auger recombination is observed. A decrease in the contribution of the nonradiative Auger recombination is attained by decreasing the injection rate of carriers into the clusters, and more precisely, by an increase in the cluster concentration and an increase in the rate of radiative recombination.

  20. Comparison of poliovirus recombinants: accumulation of point mutations provides further advantages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Savolainen-Kopra, Carita; Samoilovich, Elena; Kahelin, Heidi; Hiekka, Anna-Kaisa; Hovi, Tapani; Roivainen, Merja

    2009-08-01

    The roles of recombination and accumulation of point mutations in the origin of new poliovirus (PV) characteristics have been hypothesized, but it is not known which are essential to evolution. We studied phenotypic differences between recombinant PV strains isolated from successive stool specimens of an oral PV vaccine recipient. The studied strains included three PV2/PV1 recombinants with increasing numbers of mutations in the VP1 gene, two of the three with an amino acid change I-->T in the DE-loop of VP1, their putative PV1 parent and strains Sabin 1 and 2. Growth of these viruses was examined in three cell lines: colorectal adenocarcinoma, neuroblastoma and HeLa. The main observation was a higher growth rate between 4 and 6 h post-infection of the two recombinants with the I-->T substitution. All recombinants grew at a higher rate than parental strains in the exponential phase of the replication cycle. In a temperature sensitivity test, the I-->T-substituted recombinants replicated equally well at an elevated temperature. Complete genome sequencing of the three recombinants revealed 12 (3), 19 (3) and 27 (3) nucleotide (amino acid) differences from Sabin. Mutations were located in regions defining attenuation, temperature sensitivity, antigenicity and the cis-acting replicating element. The recombination site was in the 5' end of 3D. In a competition assay, the most mutated recombinant beat parental Sabin in all three cell lines, strongly suggesting that this virus has an advantage. Two independent intertypic recombinants, PV3/PV1 and PV3/PV2, also showed similar growth advantages, but they also contained several point mutations. Thus, our data defend the hypothesis that accumulation of certain advantageous mutations plays a key role in gaining increased fitness.

  1. Theory of dielectronic recombination and plasma effects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yukap Hahn

    2000-01-01

    Current status of the various theoretical approaches to calculation of dielectronic recombination rates is summarized, with emphasis on the available data base and on the plasma effects of both the plasma ion (and external) fields and plasma electron collisional effects which seriously affect the rates and complicate compilation of data. (author)

  2. Dielectronic recombination into excited levels of Ne-like titanium from F-like low-lying states

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Qiu Yanghui; Li Shichang; Sun Yongsheng

    1993-01-01

    The energy levels, wavelengths, oscillator strengths, Auger rates and level-to-level dielectronic recombination rate coefficients describing dielectronic recombination into excited levels of Ne-like titanium from F-like low-lying states are calculated. Our calculations are based on Dr. R.D. Cowan's semi-relativistic mass-velocity and Darwin corrections are included in the Hamiltonian, and the distorted-wave model is used for the calculation of free electron wavefunctions. In order to set the recombination rate coefficients on a level by level basis, in a manner compatible with detailed level population kinetics modelling of highly-stripped ions in plasma, the dielectronic recombination rate coefficients as a function of free electron temperatures are given in an analytical form, which is not only very convenient in practice, but also hopefully accurate compared with the exactly calculated numerical results. (orig.)

  3. Dissociative recombination of dications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Seiersen, K.; Heber, O.; Jensen, M.J.; Safvan, C.P.; Andersen, L. H.

    2003-01-01

    Dissociative recombination (DR) of doubly-charged positive ions has been studied at the heavy ion storage ring ASTRID. Low-energy electrons were scattered on the dication of the N 2 molecule, and the absolute cross section was measured in the energy range of 10 -4 -50 eV. From the measured cross section, a thermal rate coefficient of 5.8x10 -7 cm 3 s -1 at 300 K was extracted. Furthermore, we present new results on the CO 2+ DR rate, and a summary and comparison of measured DR rate coefficients for both the singly and doubly-charged ions of CO, CO 2 , and N 2 is presented

  4. PROGENITORS OF RECOMBINING SUPERNOVA REMNANTS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Moriya, Takashi J., E-mail: takashi.moriya@ipmu.jp [Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe, Todai Institutes for Advanced Study, University of Tokyo, Kashiwanoha 5-1-5, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8583 (Japan)

    2012-05-01

    Usual supernova remnants have either ionizing plasma or plasma in collisional ionization equilibrium, i.e., the ionization temperature is lower than or equal to the electron temperature. However, the existence of recombining supernova remnants, i.e., supernova remnants with ionization temperature higher than the electron temperature, has been recently confirmed. One suggested way to have recombining plasma in a supernova remnant is to have a dense circumstellar medium at the time of the supernova explosion. If the circumstellar medium is dense enough, collisional ionization equilibrium can be established in the early stage of the evolution of the supernova remnant and subsequent adiabatic cooling, which occurs after the shock wave gets out of the dense circumstellar medium, makes the electron temperature lower than the ionization temperature. We study the circumstellar medium around several supernova progenitors and show which supernova progenitors can have a circumstellar medium dense enough to establish collisional ionization equilibrium soon after the explosion. We find that the circumstellar medium around red supergiants (especially massive ones) and the circumstellar medium dense enough to make Type IIn supernovae can establish collisional ionization equilibrium soon after the explosion and can evolve to become recombining supernova remnants. Wolf-Rayet stars and white dwarfs have the possibility to be recombining supernova remnants but the fraction is expected to be very small. As the occurrence rate of the explosions of red supergiants is much higher than that of Type IIn supernovae, the major progenitors of recombining supernova remnants are likely to be red supergiants.

  5. Recombiner

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Osumi, Morimichi.

    1979-01-01

    Purpose: To provide a recombiner which is capable of converting hydrogen gas into water by use of high-frequency heating at comparatively low temperatures and is safe and cheap in cost. Constitution: Hydrogen gas is introduced from an outer pipeline to the main structure of a recombiner, and when it passes through the vicinity of the central part of the recombiner, it is reacted with copper oxide (CuO 2 ) heated to a temperature more than 300 0 C by a high-frequency heater, and converted gently into water by reduction operation (2H 2 + CuO 2 → Cu + 2H 2 O). The thus prepared water is exhausted through the outer pipeline to a suppression pool. A part of hydrogen gas which has not been converted completely into water by the reaction and is remaining as hydrogen is recovered through exhaust nozzles and again introduced into the main structure of the recombiner. (Yoshino, Y.)

  6. Polysome profiling of mAb producing CHO cell lines links translational control of cell proliferation and recombinant mRNA loading onto ribosomes with global and recombinant protein synthesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Godfrey, Charlotte L; Mead, Emma J; Daramola, Olalekan; Dunn, Sarah; Hatton, Diane; Field, Ray; Pettman, Gary; Smales, C Mark

    2017-08-01

    mRNA translation is a key process determining growth, proliferation and duration of a Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell culture and influences recombinant protein synthesis rate. During bioprocessing, CHO cells can experience stresses leading to reprogramming of translation and decreased global protein synthesis. Here we apply polysome profiling to determine reprogramming and translational capabilities in host and recombinant monoclonal antibody-producing (mAb) CHO cell lines during batch culture. Recombinant cell lines with the fastest cell specific growth rates were those with the highest global translational efficiency. However, total ribosomal capacity, determined from polysome profiles, did not relate to the fastest growing or highest producing mAb cell line, suggesting it is the ability to utilise available machinery that determines protein synthetic capacity. Cell lines with higher cell specific productivities tended to have elevated recombinant heavy chain transcript copy numbers, localised to the translationally active heavy polysomes. The highest titre cell line was that which sustained recombinant protein synthesis and maintained high recombinant transcript copy numbers in polysomes. Investigation of specific endogenous transcripts revealed a number that maintained or reprogrammed into heavy polysomes, identifying targets for potential cell engineering or those with 5' untranslated regions that might be utilised to enhance recombinant transcript translation. © 2017 The Authors. Biotechnology Journal published by WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  7. Modelling of a passive autocatalytic hydrogen recombiner – a parametric study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rożeń Antoni

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available Operation of a passive autocatalytic hydrogen recombiner (PAR has been investigated by means of computational fluid dynamics methods (CFD. The recombiner is a self-active and self-adaptive device used to remove hydrogen from safety containments of light water nuclear reactors (LWR by means of a highly exothermic reaction with oxygen at the surface of a platinum or palladium catalyst. Different turbulence models (k-ω, k-ɛ, intermittency, RSM were applied in numerical simulations of: gas flow, heat and mass transport and chemical surface reactions occurring in PAR. Turbulence was found to improve mixing and mass transfer and increase hydrogen recombination rate for high gas flow rates. At low gas flow rates, simulation results converged to those obtained for the limiting case of laminar flow. The large eddy simulation technique (LES was used to select the best RANS (Reynolds average stress model. Comparison of simulation results obtained for two- and three-dimensional computational grids showed that heat and mass transfer occurring in PAR were virtually two-dimensional processes. The effect of hydrogen thermal diffusion was also discussed in the context of possible hydrogen ignition inside the recombiner.

  8. Radiative recombination of excitons in amorphous semiconductors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Singh, Jai [School of Engineering and Logistics, Faculty Technology, B-41, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT 0909 (Australia)]. E-mail: jai.singh@cdu.edu.au

    2005-04-15

    A theory for calculating the radiative lifetime of excitons in amorphous semiconductors is presented. Four possibilities of excitonic radiative recombination are considered and the corresponding rates are derived at thermal equilibrium. The radiative lifetime is calculated from the inverse of the maximum rate for all the four possibilities. Results agree very well with experiments.

  9. Radiative recombination of excitons in amorphous semiconductors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Singh, Jai

    2005-01-01

    A theory for calculating the radiative lifetime of excitons in amorphous semiconductors is presented. Four possibilities of excitonic radiative recombination are considered and the corresponding rates are derived at thermal equilibrium. The radiative lifetime is calculated from the inverse of the maximum rate for all the four possibilities. Results agree very well with experiments

  10. Recombination in diverse maize is stable, predictable, and associated with genetic load.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodgers-Melnick, Eli; Bradbury, Peter J; Elshire, Robert J; Glaubitz, Jeffrey C; Acharya, Charlotte B; Mitchell, Sharon E; Li, Chunhui; Li, Yongxiang; Buckler, Edward S

    2015-03-24

    Among the fundamental evolutionary forces, recombination arguably has the largest impact on the practical work of plant breeders. Varying over 1,000-fold across the maize genome, the local meiotic recombination rate limits the resolving power of quantitative trait mapping and the precision of favorable allele introgression. The consequences of low recombination also theoretically extend to the species-wide scale by decreasing the power of selection relative to genetic drift, and thereby hindering the purging of deleterious mutations. In this study, we used genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) to identify 136,000 recombination breakpoints at high resolution within US and Chinese maize nested association mapping populations. We find that the pattern of cross-overs is highly predictable on the broad scale, following the distribution of gene density and CpG methylation. Several large inversions also suppress recombination in distinct regions of several families. We also identify recombination hotspots ranging in size from 1 kb to 30 kb. We find these hotspots to be historically stable and, compared with similar regions with low recombination, to have strongly differentiated patterns of DNA methylation and GC content. We also provide evidence for the historical action of GC-biased gene conversion in recombination hotspots. Finally, using genomic evolutionary rate profiling (GERP) to identify putative deleterious polymorphisms, we find evidence for reduced genetic load in hotspot regions, a phenomenon that may have considerable practical importance for breeding programs worldwide.

  11. Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) env recombinants are common in natural infections.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bęczkowski, Paweł M; Hughes, Joseph; Biek, Roman; Litster, Annette; Willett, Brian J; Hosie, Margaret J

    2014-09-17

    Recombination is a common feature of retroviral biology and one of the most important factors responsible for generating viral diversity at both the intra-host and the population levels. However, relatively little is known about rates and molecular processes of recombination for retroviruses other than HIV, including important model viruses such as feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV). We investigated recombination in complete FIV env gene sequences (n = 355) isolated from 43 naturally infected cats. We demonstrated that recombination is abundant in natural FIV infection, with over 41% of the cats being infected with viruses containing recombinant env genes. In addition, we identified shared recombination breakpoints; the most significant hotspot occurred between the leader/signal fragment and the remainder of env. Our results have identified the leader/signal fragment of env as an important site for recombination and highlight potential limitations of the current phylogenetic classification of FIV based on partial env sequences. Furthermore, the presence of abundant recombinant FIV in the USA poses a significant challenge for commercial diagnostic tests and should inform the development of the next generation of FIV vaccines.

  12. Theoretical models for recombination in expanding gas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Avron, Y.; Kahane, S.

    1978-09-01

    In laser isotope separation of atomic uranium, one is confronted with the theoretical problem of estimating the concentration of thermally ionized uranium atoms. To investigate this problem theoretical models for recombination in an expanding gas and in the absence of local thermal equilibrium have been constructed. The expansion of the gas is described by soluble models of the hydrodynamic equation, and the recombination by rate equations. General results for the freezing effect for the suitable ranges of the gas parameters are obtained. The impossibility of thermal equilibrium in expanding two-component systems is proven

  13. A recombination hotspot in a schizophrenia-associated region of GABRB2.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Siu-Kin Ng

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Schizophrenia is a major disorder with complex genetic mechanisms. Earlier, population genetic studies revealed the occurrence of strong positive selection in the GABRB2 gene encoding the beta(2 subunit of GABA(A receptors, within a segment of 3,551 bp harboring twenty-nine single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs and containing schizophrenia-associated SNPs and haplotypes. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In the present study, the possible occurrence of recombination in this 'S1-S29' segment was assessed. The occurrence of hotspot recombination was indicated by high resolution recombination rate estimation, haplotype diversity, abundance of rare haplotypes, recurrent mutations and torsos in haplotype networks, and experimental haplotyping of somatic and sperm DNA. The sub-segment distribution of relative recombination strength, measured by the ratio of haplotype diversity (H(d over mutation rate (theta, was indicative of a human specific Alu-Yi6 insertion serving as a central recombining sequence facilitating homologous recombination. Local anomalous DNA conformation attributable to the Alu-Yi6 element, as suggested by enhanced DNase I sensitivity and obstruction to DNA sequencing, could be a contributing factor of the increased sequence diversity. Linkage disequilibrium (LD analysis yielded prominent low LD points that supported ongoing recombination. LD contrast revealed significant dissimilarity between control and schizophrenic cohorts. Among the large array of inferred haplotypes, H26 and H73 were identified to be protective, and H19 and H81 risk-conferring, toward the development of schizophrenia. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The co-occurrence of hotspot recombination and positive selection in the S1-S29 segment of GABRB2 has provided a plausible contribution to the molecular genetics mechanisms for schizophrenia. The present findings therefore suggest that genome regions characterized by the co-occurrence of positive selection and

  14. High-Resolution Patterns of Meiotic Recombination across the Human Major Histocompatibility Complex

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cullen, Michael; Perfetto, Stephen P.; Klitz, William; Nelson, George; Carrington, Mary

    2002-01-01

    Definitive characteristics of meiotic recombination events over large (i.e., >1 Mb) segments of the human genome remain obscure, yet they are essential for establishing the haplotypic structure of the genome and for efficient mapping of complex traits. We present a high-resolution map of recombination at the kilobase level across a 3.3-Mb interval encompassing the major histocompatibility complex (MHC). Genotyping of 20,031 single sperm from 12 individuals resulted in the identification and fine mapping of 325 recombinant chromosomes within genomic intervals as small as 7 kb. Several principal characteristics of recombination in this region were observed: (1) rates of recombination can differ significantly between individuals; (2) intense hot spots of recombination occur at least every 0.8 Mb but are not necessarily evenly spaced; (3) distribution in the location of recombination events can differ significantly among individuals; (4) between hot spots, low levels of recombination occur fairly evenly across 100-kb segments, suggesting the presence of warm spots of recombination; and (5) specific sequence motifs associate significantly with recombination distribution. These data provide a plausible model for recombination patterns of the human genome overall. PMID:12297984

  15. The effect of N2/+/ recombination on the aeronomic determination of the charge exchange rate coefficient of O/+//2D/ with N2

    Science.gov (United States)

    Torr, D. G.; Orsini, N.

    1978-01-01

    The Atmosphere Explorer (AE) data are reexamined in the light of new laboratory measurements of the N2(+) recombination rate coefficient alpha. The new measurements support earlier measurements which yielded values of alpha significantly lower than the AE values. It is found that the values for alpha determined from the satellite data can be reconciled with the laboratory measurements, if the charge exchange rate coefficient for O(+)(2D) with N2 is less than one-quarter of that derived in the laboratory by Rutherford and Vroom (1971).

  16. Recombination of H+3 ions in the afterglow of a He-Ar-H2 plasma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Glosik, J; Korolov, I; Plasil, R; Novotny, O; Kotrik, T; Hlavenka, P; Varju, J; Mikhailov, I A; Kokoouline, V; Greene, Chris H

    2008-01-01

    Recombination of H + 3 with electrons is studied in a low-temperature plasma containing He, H 2 and Ar at different He and H 2 densities. The effective plasma recombination rate is driven by binary, H + 3 + e - , and ternary, H + 3 + e - + He, processes with the rate coefficients 7.5 x 10 -8 cm 3 s -1 and 2.8 x 10 -25 cm 6 s -1 respectively at 260 K. We suggest that the ternary recombination involves formation of neutral highly excited Rydberg H 3 followed by an l-changing collision with He. The difference between recombination of para- and ortho-H + 3 is discussed. (fast track communication)

  17. Recombination facilitates neofunctionalization of duplicate genes via originalization

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Huang Ren

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Recently originalization was proposed to be an effective way of duplicate-gene preservation, in which recombination provokes the high frequency of original (or wild-type allele on both duplicated loci. Because the high frequency of wild-type allele might drive the arising and accumulating of advantageous mutation, it is hypothesized that recombination might enlarge the probability of neofunctionalization (Pneo of duplicate genes. In this article this hypothesis has been tested theoretically. Results Results show that through originalization recombination might not only shorten mean time to neofunctionalizaiton, but also enlarge Pneo. Conclusions Therefore, recombination might facilitate neofunctionalization via originalization. Several extensive applications of these results on genomic evolution have been discussed: 1. Time to nonfunctionalization can be much longer than a few million generations expected before; 2. Homogenization on duplicated loci results from not only gene conversion, but also originalization; 3. Although the rate of advantageous mutation is much small compared with that of degenerative mutation, Pneo cannot be expected to be small.

  18. Meiotic recombination, synapsis, meiotic inactivation and sperm aneuploidy in a chromosome 1 inversion carrier.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kirkpatrick, Gordon; Chow, Victor; Ma, Sai

    2012-01-01

    Disrupted meiotic behaviour of inversion carriers may be responsible for suboptimal sperm parameters in these carriers. This study investigated meiotic recombination, synapsis, transcriptional silencing and chromosome segregation effects in a pericentric inv(1) carrier. Recombination (MLH1), synapsis (SYCP1, SYCP3) and transcriptional inactivation (γH2AX, BRCA1) were examined by fluorescence immunostaining. Chromosome specific rates of recombination were determined by fluorescence in-situ hybridization. Furthermore, testicular sperm was examined for aneuploidy and segregation of the inv(1). Our findings showed that global recombination rates were similar to controls. Recombination on the inv(1) and the sex chromosomes were reduced. The inv(1) associated with the XY body in 43.4% of cells, in which XY recombination was disproportionately absent, and 94.3% of cells displayed asynapsed regions which displayed meiotic silencing regardless of their association with the XY body. Furthermore, a low frequency of chromosomal imbalance was observed in spermatozoa (3.4%). Our results suggest that certain inversion carriers may display unimpaired global recombination and impaired recombination on the involved and the sex chromosomes during meiosis. Asynapsis or inversion-loop formation in the inverted region may be responsible for impaired spermatogenesis and may prevent sperm-chromosome imbalance. Copyright © 2011 Reproductive Healthcare Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Dielectronic recombination theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    LaGattuta, K.J.

    1991-01-01

    A theory now in wide use for the calculation of dielectronic recombination cross sections (σ DR ) and rate coefficients (α DR ) was one introduced originally by Feshbach for nuclear physics applications, and then later adapted for atomic scattering problems by Hahn. In the following, we briefly review this theory in a very general form, which allows one to account for the effects of overlapping and interacting resonances, as well as continuum-continuum coupling. An extension of our notation will then also allow for the inclusion of the effects of direct radiative recombination, along with a treatment of the interference between radiative and dielectronic recombination. Other approaches to the calculation of σ DR have been described by Fano and by Seaton. We will not consider those theories here. Calculations of α DR have progressed considerably over the last 25 years, since the early work of Burgess. Advances in the reliability of theoretical predictions have also been promoted recently b a variety of direct laboratory measurements of σ DR . While the measurements of σ DR for δn ≠ 0 excitations have tended to agree very well with calculations, the case of δn = 0 has been much problematic. However, by invoking a mechanism originally proposed by Jacobs, which takes into account the effect of stray electric fields on high Rydberg states (HRS) participating in the DR process, new calculations have improved the agreement between theory and experiment for these cases. Nevertheless, certain discrepancies still remain

  20. A microsatellite linkage map for Drosophila montana shows large variation in recombination rates, and a courtship song trait maps to an area of low recombination.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schäfer, M A; Mazzi, D; Klappert, K; Kauranen, H; Vieira, J; Hoikkala, A; Ritchie, M G; Schlötterer, C

    2010-03-01

    Current advances in genetic analysis are opening up our knowledge of the genetics of species differences, but challenges remain, particularly for out-bred natural populations. We constructed a microsatellite-based linkage map for two out-bred lines of Drosophila montana derived from divergent populations by taking advantage of the Drosophila virilis genome and available cytological maps of both species. Although the placement of markers was quite consistent with cytological predictions, the map indicated large heterogeneity in recombination rates along chromosomes. We also performed a quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis on a courtship song character (carrier frequency), which differs between populations and is subject to strong sexual selection. Linkage mapping yielded two significant QTLs, which explained 3% and 14% of the variation in carrier frequency, respectively. Interestingly, as in other recent studies of traits which can influence speciation, the strongest QTL mapped to a genomic region partly covered by an inversion polymorphism.

  1. Using an electrocautery strategy or recombinant follicle stimulating hormone to induce ovulation in polycystic ovary syndrome: randomised controlled trial

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bayram, Neriman; van Wely, Madelon; Kaaijk, Eugenie M; Bossuyt, Patrick M M; van der Veen, Fulco

    2004-01-01

    Objective To compare the effectiveness of an electrocautery strategy with ovulation induction using recombinant follicle stimulating hormone in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome. Design Randomised controlled trial. Setting Secondary and tertiary hospitals in the Netherlands. Participants 168 patients with clomiphene citrate resistant polycystic ovary syndrome: 83 were allocated electrocautery and 85 were allocated recombinant follicle stimulating hormone. Intervention Laparoscopic electrocautery of the ovaries followed by clomiphene citrate and recombinant follicle stimulating hormone if anovulation persisted, or induction of ovulation with recombinant follicle stimulating hormone. Main outcome measure Ongoing pregnancy within 12 months. Results. The cumulative rate of ongoing pregnancy after recombinant follicle stimulating hormone was 67%. With only electrocautery it was 34%, which increased to 49% after clomiphene citrate was given. Subsequent recombinant follicle stimulating hormone increased the rate to 67% at 12 months (rate ratio 1.01, 95% confidence interval 0.81 to 1.24). No complications occurred from electrocautery with or without clomiphene citrate. Patients allocated to electrocautery had a significantly lower risk of multiple pregnancy (0.11, 0.01 to 0.86). Conclusion The ongoing pregnancy rate from ovulation induction with laparoscopic electrocautery followed by clomiphene citrate and recombinant follicle stimulating hormone if anovulation persisted, or recombinant follicle stimulating hormone, seems equivalent to ovulation induction with recombinant follicle stimulating hormone, but the former procedure carries a lower risk of multiple pregnancy. PMID:14739186

  2. Report of recombinant norovirus GII.g/GII.12 in Beijing, China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sang, Shaowei; Zhao, Zhongtang; Suo, Jijiang; Xing, Yubin; Jia, Ning; Gao, Yan; Xie, Lijun; Du, Mingmei; Liu, Bowei; Ren, Shiwang; Liu, Yunxi

    2014-01-01

    Norovirus (NoV) has been recognized as the most important cause of nonbacterial acute gastroenteritis affecting all age group people in the world. Genetic recombination is a common occurance in RNA viruses and many recombinant NoV strains have been described since it was first reported in 1997. However, the knowledge of recombinant NoV in China is extremely limited. A total of 685 stool specimens were tested for NoV infection from the acute gastroenteritis patients who visited one general hospital in Beijing from April 2009 to November 2011. The virus recombination was identified by constructing phylogenetic trees of two genes, further SimPlot and the maximum chi-square analysis. The overall positive rate was 9.6% (66/685). GII.4 New Orleans 2009 and GII.4 2006b variants were the dominant genotype. Four GII.g/GII.12 and one GII.12/GII.3 recombinant strains were confirmed, and all derived from adult outpatients. The predictive recombination point occurred at the open reading frame (ORF)1/ORF2 overlap. The GII.g ORF1/GII.12ORF2 recombinant has been reported in several countries and it was the first report of this recombinant in China.

  3. Polarization mechanism for Bremsstrahlung and radiative recombination in a plasma with heavy ions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Astapenko, V.A.; Bureeva, L.A.; Lisitsa, V.S.

    2002-01-01

    Contribution of polarization channel into radiation and recombination of electrons in plasma with heavy ions is investigated. Cases of hot plasma with temperature T e = 0.5 keV and Fe, Mo, W, U ions and relatively cold plasma with temperature 0.1-10 eV are considered. Calculations of spectral characteristics, full cross sections and recombination rates in plasma are made, bearing in mind its real ionization equilibrium. The calculations are made on the basis of quasiclassical approximation for electron scattering and statistical model of ions. It is shown that contribution of polarization channel is essential both for effective radiation and full rate of radiative recombination [ru

  4. Development and characterization of recombinant ovine coagulation factor VIII.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Philip M Zakas

    Full Text Available Animal models of the bleeding disorder, hemophilia A, have been an integral component of the biopharmaceutical development process and have facilitated the development of recombinant coagulation factor VIII (fVIII products capable of restoring median survival of persons with hemophilia A to that of the general population. However, there remain several limitations to recombinant fVIII as a biotherapeutic, including invasiveness of intravenous infusion, short half-life, immunogenicity, and lack of availability to the majority of the world's population. The recently described ovine model of hemophilia A is the largest and most accurate phenocopy. Affected sheep die prematurely due to bleeding-related pathogenesis and display robust adaptive humoral immunity to non-ovine fVIII. Herein, we describe the development and characterization of recombinant ovine fVIII (ofVIII to support further the utility of the ovine hemophilia A model. Full-length and B-domain deleted (BDD ofVIII cDNAs were generated and demonstrated to facilitate greater biosynthetic rates than their human fVIII counterparts while both BDD constructs showed greater expression rates than the same-species full-length versions. A top recombinant BDD ofVIII producing baby hamster kidney clone was identified and used to biosynthesize raw material for purification and biochemical characterization. Highly purified recombinant BDD ofVIII preparations possess a specific activity nearly 2-fold higher than recombinant BDD human fVIII and display a differential glycosylation pattern. However, binding to the carrier protein, von Willebrand factor, which is critical for stability of fVIII in circulation, is indistinguishable. Decay of thrombin-activated ofVIIIa is 2-fold slower than human fVIII indicating greater intrinsic stability. Furthermore, intravenous administration of ofVIII effectively reverses the bleeding phenotype in the murine model of hemophilia A. Recombinant ofVIII should facilitate

  5. Sleep Duration Associated with the Lowest Risk of Depression/Anxiety in Adolescents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ojio, Yasutaka; Nishida, Atsushi; Shimodera, Shinji; Togo, Fumiharu; Sasaki, Tsukasa

    2016-08-01

    To investigate sleep duration associated with the least depression/anxiety in adolescence. Grades 7-12 Japanese students (n = 18,250, aged 12-18 y) from public junior high/high schools were studied in a cross-sectional design. Due to missing/implausible data, 15,637 out of the 18,250 students were statistically analyzed. Relationship between sleep duration on school nights and depression/anxiety, measured using self-report questionnaires, including the General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12), were studied by sex and grade, controlling for bedtime regularity. When sleep duration was classified by 1-h intervals, rate of adolescents with a GHQ-12 score ≥ 4 was the lowest in males and females who slept 8.5-9.5 h and 7.5-8.5 h, respectively, (designated "references") in both grades 7-9 and 10-12. The rate was significantly higher than the references in both males and females who slept Sleep duration for the minimum GHQ-12 score was estimated to be 8.8 and 8.5 h in males, and 8.0 and 7.5 h in females, in grades 7-9 and 10-12, respectively, using the General Additive Model. Sleep duration of ≥ 8.5 h on school nights may be associated with the lowest risk of depression/anxiety on average in male adolescents. Although the duration was estimated to be shorter in females (≥ 7.5 h) than males, this should be interpreted carefully. Most adolescents may currently be sleeping less than the optimal duration. A commentary on this article appears in this issue on page 1491. © 2016 Associated Professional Sleep Societies, LLC.

  6. Recombination in deuterium plasma at cryogenic temperatures (down to 130 K)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Novotny, O.; Glosik, J.; Pysanenko, A.; Zakouril, P.; Plasil, R.; Tichy, M. [Prague Charles Univ., Faculty of Mathematics and Physics (Czech Republic)

    2004-07-01

    The ions H{sub 3}{sup +} and D{sub 3}{sup +} play an important role in the kinetics of media of astrophysical interest but also in laboratory produced plasmas (discharges, fusion plasmas). In the presented study variable temperature flowing afterglow with Langmuir probe (VT-FALP) was used to study plasma decay in D{sub 2}/He mixture at temperatures down to 130 K and total pressure up to 10 Torr. Large extend of partial number densities of D{sub 2} (10{sup 12} - 3 x 10{sup 15} cm{sup -3}) were used in the experiments. Langmuir probes and mass spectrometers were applied to monitor decay of the plasma during the afterglow. The study is a continuation of our previous measurements of recombination rate coefficients of D{sub 3}{sup +} and D{sub 5}{sup +} ions. In these studies we observed dependence of the recombination rate coefficient on partial pressure of deuterium indicating that third-body assisted recombination is efficient and significantly contributes to recombination in decaying deuterium-containing plasma. (authors)

  7. The Red Queen model of recombination hot-spot evolution: a theoretical investigation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Latrille, Thibault; Duret, Laurent; Lartillot, Nicolas

    2017-12-19

    In humans and many other species, recombination events cluster in narrow and short-lived hot spots distributed across the genome, whose location is determined by the Zn-finger protein PRDM9. To explain these fast evolutionary dynamics, an intra-genomic Red Queen model has been proposed, based on the interplay between two antagonistic forces: biased gene conversion, mediated by double-strand breaks, resulting in hot-spot extinction, followed by positive selection favouring new PRDM9 alleles recognizing new sequence motifs. Thus far, however, this Red Queen model has not been formalized as a quantitative population-genetic model, fully accounting for the intricate interplay between biased gene conversion, mutation, selection, demography and genetic diversity at the PRDM9 locus. Here, we explore the population genetics of the Red Queen model of recombination. A Wright-Fisher simulator was implemented, allowing exploration of the behaviour of the model (mean equilibrium recombination rate, diversity at the PRDM9 locus or turnover rate) as a function of the parameters (effective population size, mutation and erosion rates). In a second step, analytical results based on self-consistent mean-field approximations were derived, reproducing the scaling relations observed in the simulations. Empirical fit of the model to current data from the mouse suggests both a high mutation rate at PRDM9 and strong biased gene conversion on its targets.This article is part of the themed issue 'Evolutionary causes and consequences of recombination rate variation in sexual organisms'. © 2017 The Authors.

  8. Recombination in the human Pseudoautosomal region PAR1.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anjali G Hinch

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available The pseudoautosomal region (PAR is a short region of homology between the mammalian X and Y chromosomes, which has undergone rapid evolution. A crossover in the PAR is essential for the proper disjunction of X and Y chromosomes in male meiosis, and PAR deletion results in male sterility. This leads the human PAR with the obligatory crossover, PAR1, to having an exceptionally high male crossover rate, which is 17-fold higher than the genome-wide average. However, the mechanism by which this obligatory crossover occurs remains unknown, as does the fine-scale positioning of crossovers across this region. Recent research in mice has suggested that crossovers in PAR may be mediated independently of the protein PRDM9, which localises virtually all crossovers in the autosomes. To investigate recombination in this region, we construct the most fine-scale genetic map containing directly observed crossovers to date using African-American pedigrees. We leverage recombination rates inferred from the breakdown of linkage disequilibrium in human populations and investigate the signatures of DNA evolution due to recombination. Further, we identify direct PRDM9 binding sites using ChIP-seq in human cells. Using these independent lines of evidence, we show that, in contrast with mouse, PRDM9 does localise peaks of recombination in the human PAR1. We find that recombination is a far more rapid and intense driver of sequence evolution in PAR1 than it is on the autosomes. We also show that PAR1 hotspot activities differ significantly among human populations. Finally, we find evidence that PAR1 hotspot positions have changed between human and chimpanzee, with no evidence of sharing among the hottest hotspots. We anticipate that the genetic maps built and validated in this work will aid research on this vital and fascinating region of the genome.

  9. Three-Body Recombination near a Narrow Feshbach Resonance in Li 6

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Jiaming; Liu, Ji; Luo, Le; Gao, Bo

    2018-05-01

    We experimentally measure and theoretically analyze the three-atom recombination rate, L3, around a narrow s -wave magnetic Feshbach resonance of Li 6 - Li 6 at 543.3 G. By examining both the magnetic field dependence and, especially, the temperature dependence of L3 over a wide range of temperatures from a few μ K to above 200 μ K , we show that three-atom recombination through a narrow resonance follows a universal behavior determined by the long-range van der Waals potential and can be described by a set of rate equations in which three-body recombination proceeds via successive pairwise interactions. We expect the underlying physical picture to be applicable not only to narrow s wave resonances, but also to resonances in nonzero partial waves, and not only at ultracold temperatures, but also at much higher temperatures.

  10. Genetic Recombination

    Science.gov (United States)

    Whitehouse, H. L. K.

    1973-01-01

    Discusses the mechanisms of genetic recombination with particular emphasis on the study of the fungus Sordaria brevicollis. The study of recombination is facilitated by the use of mutants of this fungus in which the color of the ascospores is affected. (JR)

  11. LDsplit: screening for cis-regulatory motifs stimulating meiotic recombination hotspots by analysis of DNA sequence polymorphisms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Peng; Wu, Min; Guo, Jing; Kwoh, Chee Keong; Przytycka, Teresa M; Zheng, Jie

    2014-02-17

    As a fundamental genomic element, meiotic recombination hotspot plays important roles in life sciences. Thus uncovering its regulatory mechanisms has broad impact on biomedical research. Despite the recent identification of the zinc finger protein PRDM9 and its 13-mer binding motif as major regulators for meiotic recombination hotspots, other regulators remain to be discovered. Existing methods for finding DNA sequence motifs of recombination hotspots often rely on the enrichment of co-localizations between hotspots and short DNA patterns, which ignore the cross-individual variation of recombination rates and sequence polymorphisms in the population. Our objective in this paper is to capture signals encoded in genetic variations for the discovery of recombination-associated DNA motifs. Recently, an algorithm called "LDsplit" has been designed to detect the association between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and proximal meiotic recombination hotspots. The association is measured by the difference of population recombination rates at a hotspot between two alleles of a candidate SNP. Here we present an open source software tool of LDsplit, with integrative data visualization for recombination hotspots and their proximal SNPs. Applying LDsplit on SNPs inside an established 7-mer motif bound by PRDM9 we observed that SNP alleles preserving the original motif tend to have higher recombination rates than the opposite alleles that disrupt the motif. Running on SNP windows around hotspots each containing an occurrence of the 7-mer motif, LDsplit is able to guide the established motif finding algorithm of MEME to recover the 7-mer motif. In contrast, without LDsplit the 7-mer motif could not be identified. LDsplit is a software tool for the discovery of cis-regulatory DNA sequence motifs stimulating meiotic recombination hotspots by screening and narrowing down to hotspot associated SNPs. It is the first computational method that utilizes the genetic variation of

  12. Report of recombinant norovirus GII.g/GII.12 in Beijing, China.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shaowei Sang

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Norovirus (NoV has been recognized as the most important cause of nonbacterial acute gastroenteritis affecting all age group people in the world. Genetic recombination is a common occurance in RNA viruses and many recombinant NoV strains have been described since it was first reported in 1997. However, the knowledge of recombinant NoV in China is extremely limited. METHODS: A total of 685 stool specimens were tested for NoV infection from the acute gastroenteritis patients who visited one general hospital in Beijing from April 2009 to November 2011. The virus recombination was identified by constructing phylogenetic trees of two genes, further SimPlot and the maximum chi-square analysis. RESULTS: The overall positive rate was 9.6% (66/685. GII.4 New Orleans 2009 and GII.4 2006b variants were the dominant genotype. Four GII.g/GII.12 and one GII.12/GII.3 recombinant strains were confirmed, and all derived from adult outpatients. The predictive recombination point occurred at the open reading frame (ORF1/ORF2 overlap. CONCLUSIONS: The GII.g ORF1/GII.12ORF2 recombinant has been reported in several countries and it was the first report of this recombinant in China.

  13. Genetic recombination is associated with intrinsic disorder in plant proteomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yruela, Inmaculada; Contreras-Moreira, Bruno

    2013-11-09

    Intrinsically disordered proteins, found in all living organisms, are essential for basic cellular functions and complement the function of ordered proteins. It has been shown that protein disorder is linked to the G + C content of the genome. Furthermore, recent investigations have suggested that the evolutionary dynamics of the plant nucleus adds disordered segments to open reading frames alike, and these segments are not necessarily conserved among orthologous genes. In the present work the distribution of intrinsically disordered proteins along the chromosomes of several representative plants was analyzed. The reported results support a non-random distribution of disordered proteins along the chromosomes of Arabidopsis thaliana and Oryza sativa, two model eudicot and monocot plant species, respectively. In fact, for most chromosomes positive correlations between the frequency of disordered segments of 30+ amino acids and both recombination rates and G + C content were observed. These analyses demonstrate that the presence of disordered segments among plant proteins is associated with the rates of genetic recombination of their encoding genes. Altogether, these findings suggest that high recombination rates, as well as chromosomal rearrangements, could induce disordered segments in proteins during evolution.

  14. Genetic recombination is targeted towards gene promoter regions in dogs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Auton, Adam; Rui Li, Ying; Kidd, Jeffrey; Oliveira, Kyle; Nadel, Julie; Holloway, J Kim; Hayward, Jessica J; Cohen, Paula E; Greally, John M; Wang, Jun; Bustamante, Carlos D; Boyko, Adam R

    2013-01-01

    The identification of the H3K4 trimethylase, PRDM9, as the gene responsible for recombination hotspot localization has provided considerable insight into the mechanisms by which recombination is initiated in mammals. However, uniquely amongst mammals, canids appear to lack a functional version of PRDM9 and may therefore provide a model for understanding recombination that occurs in the absence of PRDM9, and thus how PRDM9 functions to shape the recombination landscape. We have constructed a fine-scale genetic map from patterns of linkage disequilibrium assessed using high-throughput sequence data from 51 free-ranging dogs, Canis lupus familiaris. While broad-scale properties of recombination appear similar to other mammalian species, our fine-scale estimates indicate that canine highly elevated recombination rates are observed in the vicinity of CpG rich regions including gene promoter regions, but show little association with H3K4 trimethylation marks identified in spermatocytes. By comparison to genomic data from the Andean fox, Lycalopex culpaeus, we show that biased gene conversion is a plausible mechanism by which the high CpG content of the dog genome could have occurred.

  15. Recombination processes in 3 to 5 μm HgCdTe

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Calas, J.; Allegre, J.; Fau, C.

    1981-01-01

    An analysis of the decay of the excess majority carriers created by a photon beam with an energy higher than the energy gap is given. The recombination processes as well as the radiative process and also the Auger process are studied for Hgsub(1-x)Cdsub(x)Te when x is nearly equal to 0.30, and their range of validity versus temperature is defined. From the continuity equations, the change of nsub(e) versus time is deduced when the recombination takes place in deep levels for a given injection rate nsub(e0). The capture cross section Nsub(R)tausub(n0) of a given level at weak injection rate and at low temperature is obtained from the slope of ln(nsub(e)(t)). At higher temperature, the population of the recombination level and the ionisation energy with respect to the valence band are determined from the slope of nsub(e)(t) at high injection rate and from the slope of ln(nsub(e)(t)) at weak injection. (author)

  16. The rates of charge separation and energy destructive charge recombination processes within an organic dyad in presence of metal-semiconductor core shell nanocomposites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mandal, Gopa; Bhattacharya, Sudeshna; Das, Subrata; Ganguly, Tapan

    2012-01-01

    Steady state and time resolved spectroscopic measurements were made at the ambient temperature on an organic dyad, 1-(4-Chloro-phenyl)-3-(4-methoxy-naphthalen-1-yl)-propenone (MNCA), where the donor 1-methoxynaphthalene (1 MNT) is connected with the acceptor p-chloroacetophenone (PCA) by an unsaturated olefinic bond, in presence of Ag@TiO2 nanoparticles. Time resolved fluorescence and absorption measurements reveal that the rate parameters associated with charge separation, k(CS), within the dyad increases whereas charge recombination rate k(CR) reduces significantly when the surrounding medium is changed from only chloroform to mixture of chloroform and Ag@TiO2 (noble metal-semiconductor) nanocomposites. The observed results indicate that the dyad being combined with core-shell nanocomposites may form organic-inorganic nanocomposite system useful for developing light energy conversion devices. Use of metal-semiconductor nanoparticles may provide thus new ways to modulate charge recombination processes in light energy conversion devices. From comparison with the results obtained in our earlier investigations with only TiO2 nanoparticles, it is inferred that much improved version of light energy conversion device, where charge-separated species could be protected for longer period of time of the order of millisecond, could be designed by using metal-semiconductor core-shell nanocomposites rather than semiconductor nanoparticles only.

  17. Electron cooling and recombination experiments with an adiabatically expanded electron beam

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pastuszka, S.; Heidelberg Univ.; Schramm, U.; Heidelberg Univ.; Grieser, M.; Heidelberg Univ.; Broude, C.; Heidelberg Univ.; Grimm, R.; Heidelberg Univ.; Habs, D.; Heidelberg Univ.; Kenntner, J.; Heidelberg Univ.; Miesner, H.J.; Heidelberg Univ.; Schuessler, T.; Heidelberg Univ.; Schwalm, D.; Heidelberg Univ.; Wolf, A.; Heidelberg Univ.

    1996-01-01

    Magnetically guided electron beams with transverse temperatures reduced with respect to the cathode temperature by a factor of more than 7 were realized in the electron cooling device of the heavy-ion storage ring TSR and the effect of the reduced transverse temperature in recombination and electron cooling experiments was studied. Measured dielectronic recombination resonances at low relative energy and spectra of laser-stimulated recombination indicate that transverse electron temperatures of about 17 meV have been obtained at cathode temperatures of about 110 meV. The temperature dependence of the spontaneous electron-ion recombination rate during electron cooling was investigated and found to follow the inverse square-root law expected from the theory of radiative recombination, although the measured absolute rates are higher than predicted. A new method based on analyzing the intensity of the fluorescence light emitted during simultaneous laser and electron cooling is used to measure the longitudinal electron cooling force in a range of relative velocities extending over two orders of magnitude (10 5 -10 7 cm/s). The results confirm the occurrence of 'magnetized electron cooling' also at the reduced transverse temperature and show that, compared to earlier measurements at the high transverse temperature, the cooling force increases by about a factor of 2; a considerably larger increase by a factor of ∼5 would be expected if 'magnetized electron cooling' would not exist. (orig.)

  18. Excitation of lowest electronic states of thymine by slow electrons

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chernyshova, I. V.; Kontros, E. J.; Markush, P. P.; Shpenik, O. B.

    2013-11-01

    Excitation of lowest electronic states of the thymine molecules in the gas phase is studied by elec- tron energy loss spectroscopy. In addition to dipole-allowed transitions to singlet states, transitions to the lowest triplet states were observed. The low-energy features of the spectrum at 3.66 and 4.61 eV are identified with the excitation of the first triplet states 13 A' (π → π*) and 13 A″ ( n → π*). The higher-lying features at 4.96, 5.75, 6.17, and 7.35 eV are assigned mainly to the excitation of the π → π* transitions to the singlet states of the molecule. The excitation dynamics of the lowest states is studied. It is found that the first triplet state 13 A'(π → π*) is most efficiently excited at a residual energy close to zero, while the singlet 21 A'(π → π*) state is excited with almost identical efficiency at different residual energies.

  19. Blueberry Galaxies: The Lowest Mass Young Starbursts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Huan; Malhotra, Sangeeta; Rhoads, James E.; Wang, Junxian

    2017-09-01

    Searching for extreme emission line galaxies allows us to find low-mass metal-poor galaxies that are good analogs of high redshift Lyα emitting galaxies. These low-mass extreme emission line galaxies are also potential Lyman-continuum leakers. Finding them at very low redshifts (z≲ 0.05) allows us to be sensitive to even lower stellar masses and metallicities. We report on a sample of extreme emission line galaxies at z≲ 0.05 (blueberry galaxies). We selected them from SDSS broadband images on the basis of their broadband colors and studied their properties with MMT spectroscopy. From the entire SDSS DR12 photometric catalog, we found 51 photometric candidates. We spectroscopically confirm 40 as blueberry galaxies. (An additional seven candidates are contaminants, and four remain without spectra.) These blueberries are dwarf starburst galaxies with very small sizes (<1 kpc) and very high ionization ([O III]/[O II] ˜ 10-60). They also have some of the lowest stellar masses ({log}(M/{M}⊙ )˜ 6.5{--}7.5) and lowest metallicities (7.1< 12+{log}({{O}}/{{H}})< 7.8) of starburst galaxies. Thus, they are small counterparts to green pea galaxies and high redshift Lyα emitting galaxies.

  20. Using Three-Body Recombination to Extract Electron Temperatures of Ultracold Plasmas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fletcher, R. S.; Zhang, X. L.; Rolston, S. L.

    2007-01-01

    Three-body recombination, an important collisional process in plasmas, increases dramatically at low electron temperatures, with an accepted scaling of T e -9/2 . We measure three-body recombination in an ultracold neutral xenon plasma by detecting recombination-created Rydberg atoms using a microwave-ionization technique. With the accepted theory (expected to be applicable for weakly coupled plasmas) and our measured rates, we extract the plasma temperatures, which are in reasonable agreement with previous measurements early in the plasma lifetime. The resulting electron temperatures indicate that the plasma continues to cool to temperatures below 1 K

  1. Evaluation of the recombination in somatic cells induced by radiation in different stages of Drosophila larval development

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cruces, M.P.; Morales R, P.

    1997-01-01

    The mitotic recombination can happen spontaneously and its frequency is very low, however the recombination rate of a cell can be increased by the exposure to agents which cause damage to DNA. This type of agents are knew commonly as recombinogens. The ionizing radiation and a numerous chemical agents can be mentioned (Vogel, 1992). The objective of this work is to determine if the mutation/recombination rate induced by gamma rays varies with the development stage. In order to realize this investigation it was used the mutation and somatic recombination test of Drosophila wing (Graf and col. 1984). The mwh/ mwh and flr 3 /TM3, Ser stocks were used. (Author)

  2. The role of bulk recombination in the theory of void swelling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hayns, M.R.

    1978-01-01

    Bulk point defect recombination in the rate theory of void swelling is considered in two ways. First the importance of recombination in the overall void swelling problem is assessed in the light of current experimental data on the temperature dependence of the sink densities. It is found that the assumption that recombination is negligible at and above the peak swelling temperature is not generally true, and is often the reverse of this. Secondly recombination is included in the sink strengths themselves very much in the same spirit as the interactive correction terms have been for losses to other sinks. An approximate numerical procedure has been used to evaluate the resulting coupled sink strengths. Using only the corrections to the cavity sink strengths we have shown that these new terms are only significant at temperatures well in excess of the swelling peak in ST316 under HVEM irradiations and that they need not be included as a general rule in rate theory calculations. Comparisons with a mathematical, perturbation theory treatment of the same problem and with full numerical cellular model results confirm the usefulness of the prsent method. (author)

  3. Dielectronic recombination of Be-like Fe ion

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moribayashi, Kengo; Kato, Takako.

    1996-04-01

    Energy level(E), radiative transition probability(Ar), and autoionization rate(Aa) for Be-like Fe 22+ ion are calculated with use of Cowan's code. Using these atomic data, the dielectronic recombination rate coefficient(α) to the excited states and the intensity factor(Qd) of the dielectronic satellite lines have been calculated. The doubly excited states 1s 2 3lnl' as well as the 1s 2 2pnl of Fe 22+ ion are considered. The results are given in tables and figures. The n- and l-dependence for Ar, Aa, and α is studied. With use of it, Aa and Ar at large n are extrapolated. The dielectronic recombination processes from the 1s 2 2pnl and those from the 1s 2 3lnl' dominate at low and at high temperature, respectively. The qualitative different behaviors for E, Ar, and α between Be-like ions and He-like ions are discussed with use of atomic nuclear charge scaling. (author)

  4. Supplementation with a recombinant human chorionic gonadotropin microdose leads to similar outcomes in ovarian stimulation with recombinant follicle-stimulating hormone using either a gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist or antagonist for pituitary suppression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cavagna, Mario; Maldonado, Luiz Guilherme Louzada; de Souza Bonetti, Tatiana Carvalho; de Almeida Ferreira Braga, Daniela Paes; Iaconelli, Assumpto; Borges, Edson

    2010-06-01

    To compare the outcomes of protocols for ovarian stimulation with recombinant hCG microdose, with GnRH agonists and antagonists for pituitary suppression. Prospective nonrandomized clinical trial. A private assisted reproduction center. We studied 182 patients undergoing intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles, allocated into two groups: GnRH agonist group, in which patients received a GnRH agonist (n = 73), and a GnRH antagonist group, in which patients were administered a GnRH antagonist for pituitary suppression (n = 109). Pituitary suppression with GnRH agonist or GnRH antagonist. Ovarian stimulation carried out with recombinant FSH and supplemented with recombinant hCG microdose. Total dose of recombinant FSH and recombinant hCG administered; E(2) concentrations and endometrial width on the day of hCG trigger; number of follicles aspirated, oocytes and mature oocytes retrieved; fertilization, pregnancy (PR), implantation, and miscarriage rates. The total dose of recombinant FSH and recombinant hCG administered were similar between groups, as were the E(2) concentrations and endometrial width. The number of follicles aspirated, oocytes, and metaphase II oocytes collected were also comparable. There were no statistically significant differences in fertilization, PR, implantation, and miscarriage rates in the GnRH agonist and GnRH antagonist groups. When using recombinant hCG microdose supplementation for controlled ovarian stimulation (COS), there are no differences in laboratory or clinical outcomes with the use of either GnRH antagonist or agonist for pituitary suppression. Copyright (c) 2010 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Is action potential threshold lowest in the axon?

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kole, Maarten H. P.; Stuart, Greg J.

    2008-01-01

    Action potential threshold is thought to be lowest in the axon, but when measured using conventional techniques, we found that action potential voltage threshold of rat cortical pyramidal neurons was higher in the axon than at other neuronal locations. In contrast, both current threshold and voltage

  6. Simulation of hydrogen mitigation in catalytic recombiner. Part-II: Formulation of a CFD model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Prabhudharwadkar, Deoras M.; Iyer, Kannan N.

    2011-01-01

    Research highlights: → Hydrogen transport in containment with recombiners is a multi-scale problem. → A novel methodology worked out to lump the recombiner characteristics. → Results obtained using commercial code FLUENT are cast in the form of correlations. → Hence, coarse grids can obtain accurate distribution of H 2 in containment. → Satisfactory working of the methodology is clearly demonstrated. - Abstract: This paper aims at formulation of a model compatible with CFD code to simulate hydrogen distribution and mitigation using a Passive Catalytic Recombiner in the Nuclear power plant containments. The catalytic recombiner is much smaller in size compared to the containment compartments. In order to fully resolve the recombination processes during the containment simulations, it requires the geometric details of the recombiner to be modelled and a very fine mesh size inside the recombiner channels. This component when integrated with containment mixing calculations would result in a large number of mesh elements which may take large computational times to solve the problem. This paper describes a method to resolve this simulation difficulty. In this exercise, the catalytic recombiner alone was first modelled in detail using the best suited option to describe the reaction rate. A detailed parametric study was conducted, from which correlations for the heat of reaction (hence the rate of reaction) and the heat transfer coefficient were obtained. These correlations were then used to model the recombiner channels as single computational cells providing necessary volumetric sources/sinks to the energy and species transport equations. This avoids full resolution of these channels, thereby allowing larger mesh size in the recombiners. The above mentioned method was successfully validated using both steady state and transient test problems and the results indicate very satisfactory modelling of the component.

  7. The lowest surface brightness disc galaxy known

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Davies, J.I.; Phillipps, S.; Disney, M.J.

    1988-01-01

    The discovery of a galaxy with a prominent bulge and a dominant extremely low surface brightness disc component is reported. The profile of this galaxy is very similar to the recently discovered giant low surface brightness galaxy Malin 1. The disc central surface brightness is found to be ∼ 26.4 Rμ, some 1.5 mag fainter than Malin 1 and thus by far the lowest yet observed. (author)

  8. Modelling of the operational behaviour of passive autocatalytic recombiners

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schwarz, Ulrich

    2011-01-01

    Due to severe accidents in nuclear power plants, a significant amount of hydrogen can be produced. In pressurized water reactors, a possible and wide-spread measurement is the use of auto-catalytic recombiners. There are numerous numerical models describing the operational behaviour of recombiners for containment codes. The numerical model REKO-DIREKT was developed at the Forschungszentrum Juelich. This model describes the chemical reaction on the catalytic sheets by a physical model, as opposed to the usual codes based on empirical correlations. Additionally, there have been experimental studies concerning the catalytic recombination of hydrogen since the 1990s. The aim of this work is the further development of the program REKO-DIREKT to an independent recombiner model for severe accident and containment codes. Therefore, the catalyst model already existed has been submitted by a parameter optimization with an experimental database expanded during this work. In addition, a chimney model has been implemented which allows the calculation of the free convection flow through the recombiner housing due to the exothermal reaction. This model has been tested by experimental data gained by a recently built test facility. The complete recombiner model REKO-DIREKT has been validated by data from literature. Another aim of this work is the derivation of the reaction kinetics for recombiner designs regarding future reactor concepts. Therefore, experimental studies both on single catalytic coated meshes as well as on two meshes installed in a row have been performed in laboratory scale. By means of the measured data, a theoretical approach for the determination of the reaction rate has been derived.

  9. Tailoring Charge Recombination in Photoelectrodes Using Oxide Nanostructures

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Iandolo, Beniamino; Wickman, Björn; Svensson, Elin

    2016-01-01

    Optimizing semiconductor devices for solar energy conversion requires an explicit control of the recombination of photogenerated electron−hole pairs. Here we show how the recombination of charge carriers can be controlled in semiconductor thin films by surface patterning with oxide nanodisks....... The control mechanism relies on the formation of dipole-like electric fields at the interface that, depending on the field direction, attract or repel minority carriers from underneath the disks. The charge recombination rate can be controlled through the choice of oxide material and the surface coverage...... of nanodisks. We provide proof-of-principle demonstration of this approach by patterning the surface of Fe2O3, one of the most studied semiconductors for light-driven water splitting, with TiO2 and Cu2O nanodisks. We expect this method to be generally applicable to a range of semiconductor-based solar energy...

  10. FAST TRACK COMMUNICATION: Recombination of H+3 ions in the afterglow of a He Ar H2 plasma

    Science.gov (United States)

    Glosik, J.; Korolov, I.; Plasil, R.; Novotny, O.; Kotrik, T.; Hlavenka, P.; Varju, J.; Mikhailov, I. A.; Kokoouline, V.; Greene, Chris H.

    2008-10-01

    Recombination of H+3 with electrons is studied in a low-temperature plasma containing He, H2 and Ar at different He and H2 densities. The effective plasma recombination rate is driven by binary, H+3 + e-, and ternary, H+3 + e-+ He, processes with the rate coefficients 7.5 × 10-8 cm3 s-1 and 2.8 × 10-25 cm6 s-1 respectively at 260 K. We suggest that the ternary recombination involves formation of neutral highly excited Rydberg H3 followed by an l-changing collision with He. The difference between recombination of para- and ortho-H+3 is discussed.

  11. The effect of solvent relaxation time constants on free energy gap law for ultrafast charge recombination following photoinduced charge separation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mikhailova, Valentina A; Malykhin, Roman E; Ivanov, Anatoly I

    2018-05-16

    To elucidate the regularities inherent in the kinetics of ultrafast charge recombination following photoinduced charge separation in donor-acceptor dyads in solutions, the simulations of the kinetics have been performed within the stochastic multichannel point-transition model. Increasing the solvent relaxation time scales has been shown to strongly vary the dependence of the charge recombination rate constant on the free energy gap. In slow relaxing solvents the non-equilibrium charge recombination occurring in parallel with solvent relaxation is very effective so that the charge recombination terminates at the non-equilibrium stage. This results in a crucial difference between the free energy gap laws for the ultrafast charge recombination and the thermal charge transfer. For the thermal reactions the well-known Marcus bell-shaped dependence of the rate constant on the free energy gap is realized while for the ultrafast charge recombination only a descending branch is predicted in the whole area of the free energy gap exceeding 0.2 eV. From the available experimental data on the population kinetics of the second and first excited states for a series of Zn-porphyrin-imide dyads in toluene and tetrahydrofuran solutions, an effective rate constant of the charge recombination into the first excited state has been calculated. The obtained rate constant being very high is nearly invariable in the area of the charge recombination free energy gap from 0.2 to 0.6 eV that supports the theoretical prediction.

  12. Assessment of eight HPV vaccination programs implemented in lowest income countries

    OpenAIRE

    Ladner, Joël; Besson, Marie-Hélène; Hampshire, Rachel; Tapert, Lisa; Chirenje, Mike; Saba, Joseph

    2012-01-01

    Abstract Background Cervix cancer, preventable, continues to be the third most common cancer in women worldwide, especially in lowest income countries. Prophylactic HPV vaccination should help to reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with cervical cancer. The purpose of the study was to describe the results of and key concerns in eight HPV vaccination programs conducted in seven lowest income countries through the Gardasil Access Program (GAP). Methods The GAP provides free HPV vaccin...

  13. The Kinetics of Oxygen Atom Recombination in the Presence of Carbon Dioxide

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jamieson, C. S.; Garcia, R. M.; Pejakovic, D.; Kalogerakis, K.

    2009-12-01

    Understanding processes involving atomic oxygen is crucial for the study and modeling of composition, energy transfer, airglow, and transport dynamics in planetary atmospheres. Significant gaps and uncertainties exist in the understanding of these processes and often the relevant input from laboratory measurements is missing or outdated. We are conducting laboratory experiments to measure the rate coefficient for O + O + CO2 recombination and investigating the O2 excited states produced following the recombination. These measurements will provide key input for a quantitative understanding and reliable modeling of the atmospheres of the CO2 planets and their airglow. An excimer laser providing pulsed output at either 193 nm or 248 nm is employed to produce O atoms by dissociating carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, or ozone. In an ambient-pressure background of CO2, O atoms recombine in a time scale of a few milliseconds. Detection of laser-induced fluorescence at 845 nm following two-photon excitation near 226 nm monitors the decay of the oxygen atom population. From the temporal evolution of the signal the recombination rate coefficient is extracted. Fluorescence spectroscopy is used to detect the products of O-atom recombination and subsequent relaxation in CO2. This work is supported by the US National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Planetary Astronomy Program. Rosanne Garcia’s participation was funded by the NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Program.

  14. Effects of nuclear mutations for recombination and repair functions and of caffeine on mitochondrial recombination

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fraenkel, A.H.M.

    1974-01-01

    Studies of both prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms indicate that pathways governing repair of damage to nuclear DNA caused by x-ray or ultraviolet irradiation overlap with those controlling recombination. Fourteen nuclear mutants of Saccharomyces cerevisiae were tested in order to determine whether these mutant genes affected mitochondrial recombination. None of the mutations studied significantly affected mitochondrial recombination. The nuclear recombination and repair pathways studied do not overlap with the nuclear pathway which controls recombination of mitochondrial DNA. A second set of experiments was designed to test the effect of caffeine on both nuclear and mitochondrial recombination in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. (U.S.)

  15. Temperature and carrier-density dependence of Auger and radiative recombination in nitride optoelectronic devices

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kioupakis, Emmanouil; Yan, Qimin; Steiauf, Daniel; Van de Walle, Chris G

    2013-01-01

    Nitride light-emitting diodes are a promising solution for efficient solid-state lighting, but their performance at high power is affected by the efficiency-droop problem. Previous experimental and theoretical work has identified Auger recombination, a three-particle nonradiative carrier recombination mechanism, as the likely cause of the droop. In this work, we use first-principles calculations to elucidate the dependence of the radiative and Auger recombination rates on temperature, carrier density and quantum-well confinement. Our calculated data for the temperature dependence of the recombination coefficients are in good agreement with experiment and provide further validation on the role of Auger recombination in the efficiency reduction. Polarization fields and phase-space filling negatively impact device efficiency because they increase the operating carrier density at a given current density and increase the fraction of carriers lost to Auger recombination. (paper)

  16. Sink strengths of dislocations taking into account bulk recombination effects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Steinbach, E.

    1988-01-01

    The applicability of the rate theory to describe radiation damage processes is closely associated with the calculation of the various sink strengths. In this connection the effect of bulk recombination is usually neglected, because of the complexity of the problem. For this reason we present in this paper, for the first time, by means of the rigorous elastic-field model of a dislocation embedded in a lossy continuum, analytic expressions for the diffusion flux of irradiation-induced point defects into a dislocation, taking into account the elastic interaction, additional sinks and higher order bulk recombination effects. The resulting self-consistent formulae for the dislocation sink strengths clearly demonstrate the importance of the bulk recombination for the micro-structures of irradiated materials. In conjunction with the Harwell computer code VS5 it became clear that this new dislocation bias also leads to a change in the macrostructural observables. The order of magnitude of this effect emphasizes that neglecting bulk recombination as a general principle is not justified

  17. A Nestin-cre transgenic mouse is insufficient for recombination in early embryonic neural progenitors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Huixuan Liang

    2012-09-01

    Nestin-cre transgenic mice have been widely used to direct recombination to neural stem cells (NSCs and intermediate neural progenitor cells (NPCs. Here we report that a readily utilized, and the only commercially available, Nestin-cre line is insufficient for directing recombination in early embryonic NSCs and NPCs. Analysis of recombination efficiency in multiple cre-dependent reporters and a genetic mosaic line revealed consistent temporal and spatial patterns of recombination in NSCs and NPCs. For comparison we utilized a knock-in Emx1cre line and found robust recombination in NSCs and NPCs in ventricular and subventricular zones of the cerebral cortices as early as embryonic day 12.5. In addition we found that the rate of Nestin-cre driven recombination only reaches sufficiently high levels in NSCs and NPCs during late embryonic and early postnatal periods. These findings are important when commercially available cre lines are considered for directing recombination to embryonic NSCs and NPCs.

  18. Recombination efficiency of molecular hydrogen on interstellar grains - II: A numerical study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chakrabarti, S.K.; Ankan, Das; Kinsuk, Acharyya; Sonali, Chakrabarti

    2006-05-01

    Knowledge of the recombination time on the grain surfaces has been a major obstacle in deciding the production rate of molecular hydrogen and other molecules in the interstellar medium. We present a numerical study to compute this time for molecular hydrogen for various cloud and grain parameters. We also find the time dependence, particularly when a grain is freshly injected into the system. Apart from the fact that the recombination times seem to be functions of the grain parameters such as the activation barrier energy, temperature etc., our result also shows the dependence on the number of sites in the grain S and the effective accretion rate per site a s of atomic hydrogen. To put simply the average time that a pair of atomic hydrogens will take to produce one molecular hydrogen depends on how heavily the grain is already populated by atomic and molecular hydrogens and how fast the hopping and desorption times are. We show that if we write the average recombination time as T r ∼ S α /A H , where, A H is the hopping rate, then α could be much greater than 1 for all astrophysically relevant accretion rates. Thus the average formation rate of H 2 is also dependent on the grain parameters, temperature and the accretion rate. We believe that our results will affect the overall rate of the formation of complex molecules such as methanol which requires successive hydrogenation on the grain surfaces in the interstellar medium. (author)

  19. Therapeutic Recombinant Monoclonal Antibodies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bakhtiar, Ray

    2012-01-01

    During the last two decades, the rapid growth of biotechnology-derived techniques has led to a myriad of therapeutic recombinant monoclonal antibodies with significant clinical benefits. Recombinant monoclonal antibodies can be obtained from a number of natural sources such as animal cell cultures using recombinant DNA engineering. In contrast to…

  20. Population Demographic History Can Cause the Appearance of Recombination Hotspots

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnston, Henry R.; Cutler, David J.

    2012-01-01

    Although the prevailing view among geneticists suggests that recombination hotspots exist ubiquitously across the human genome, there is only limited experimental evidence from a few genomic regions to support the generality of this claim. A small number of true recombination hotspots are well supported experimentally, but the vast majority of hotspots have been identified on the basis of population genetic inferences from the patterns of linkage disequilibrium (LD) seen in the human population. These inferences are made assuming a particular model of human history, and one of the assumptions of that model is that the effective population size of humans has remained constant throughout our history. Our results show that relaxation of the constant population size assumption can create LD and variation patterns that are qualitatively and quantitatively similar to human populations without any need to invoke localized hotspots of recombination. In other words, apparent recombination hotspots could be an artifact of variable population size over time. Several lines of evidence suggest that the vast majority of hotspots identified on the basis of LD information are unlikely to have elevated recombination rates. PMID:22560089

  1. Increase in the rate of recombinants in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum L.) after in vitro regeneration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sibi, M; Biglary, M; Demarly, Y

    1984-07-01

    Modification to the cross-over (C. O.) rate of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) was attempted by using in vitro plant regeneration. F1 hybrids with the same genetical homozygous background were compared at two loci: "bs-ms32" on chromosome I, and "aa-d" on chromosome II. For each, the genetic distance separating the two markers was about 20 to 30 map units. One cotyledon of each F2 hybrid seedling was used as in vitro tissue culture material, while the rest of the plantlet was grown as a control. Recombination rates of the selfed progenies from each regenerated and matched control couple were compared. For the first set of markers 59,000 seeds were analysed (5 controls' and 7 regenerated progenies), and for the second, 11,000 (5 controls' and 8 regenerated progenies). There were significant increases in the genetic distance between markers in about half the regenerated individuals. For the first set the increases ranged from 6.07 to 6.91 units out of a control distance of the 19.84 to 25.65, corresponding to lengthenings of 30.59 to 35.29%. For the second set they ranged from 4.92 to 6.04 out of a control distance of 25.05 to 26.57, representing increases of 19.64 to 22.75%. Such a phenomenon can be important either from a fundamental or practical viewpoint, regarding selection efficiency in plants, and potential for gene reassortment.

  2. Pricing strategies for combination pediatric vaccines based on the lowest overall cost formulary.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Behzad, Banafsheh; Jacobson, Sheldon H; Sewell, Edward C

    2012-10-01

    This paper analyzes pricing strategies for US pediatric combination vaccines by comparing the lowest overall cost formularies (i.e., formularies that have the lowest overall cost). Three pharmaceutical companies compete pairwise over the sale of monovalent and combination vaccines. Particular emphasis is placed on examining the price of Sanofi Pasteur's DTaP-IPV/HIb under different conditions. The main contribution of the paper is to provide the lowest overall cost formularies for different prices of DTaP-IPV/HIb and other Sanofi Pasteur vaccines. The resulting analysis shows that DTaP-IPV/HIb could have been more competitively priced compared with the combination vaccine DTaP-HepB-IPV, for federal contract prices in 2009, 2010 and 2011. This study also proposes the lowest overall cost formularies when shortages of monovalent vaccines occur.

  3. The lowest Landau level in QCD

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bruckmann Falk

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The thermodynamics of Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD in external (electro-magnetic fields shows some unexpected features like inverse magnetic catalysis, which have been revealed mainly through lattice studies. Many effective descriptions, on the other hand, use Landau levels or approximate the system by just the lowest Landau level (LLL. Analyzing lattice configurations we ask whether such a picture is justified. We find the LLL to be separated from the rest by a spectral gap in the two-dimensional Dirac operator and analyze the corresponding LLL signature in four dimensions. We determine to what extent the quark condensate is LLL dominated at strong magnetic fields.

  4. The consequences of sequence erosion in the evolution of recombination hotspots.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tiemann-Boege, Irene; Schwarz, Theresa; Striedner, Yasmin; Heissl, Angelika

    2017-12-19

    Meiosis is initiated by a double-strand break (DSB) introduced in the DNA by a highly controlled process that is repaired by recombination. In many organisms, recombination occurs at specific and narrow regions of the genome, known as recombination hotspots, which overlap with regions enriched for DSBs. In recent years, it has been demonstrated that conversions and mutations resulting from the repair of DSBs lead to a rapid sequence evolution at recombination hotspots eroding target sites for DSBs. We still do not fully understand the effect of this erosion in the recombination activity, but evidence has shown that the binding of trans -acting factors like PRDM9 is affected. PRDM9 is a meiosis-specific, multi-domain protein that recognizes DNA target motifs by its zinc finger domain and directs DSBs to these target sites. Here we discuss the changes in affinity of PRDM9 to eroded recognition sequences, and explain how these changes in affinity of PRDM9 can affect recombination, leading sometimes to sterility in the context of hybrid crosses. We also present experimental data showing that DNA methylation reduces PRDM9 binding in vitro Finally, we discuss PRDM9-independent hotspots, posing the question how these hotspots evolve and change with sequence erosion.This article is part of the themed issue 'Evolutionary causes and consequences of recombination rate variation in sexual organisms'. © 2017 The Authors.

  5. [Construction and immunogenicity of recombinant porcine parvovirus-like particles with somatostatin].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Xuehua; Zheng, Qisheng; Chen, Jin; Xue, Gang; Hou, Hongyan; Hou, Jibo

    2010-08-01

    In order to obtain a virus-like particle vaccine both for porcine parvovirus (PPV) prevention and growth-promotion, VP2 gene of PPV NJ-a strain was amplified with PCR, and four copies of synthetic somatostatin gene were fused to the N-terminal of VP2 gene. The fused gene was cloned into pFast-HT A to construct the recombinant plasmid pFast-SS4-VP2, then the pFast-SS4-VP2 was transformed into DH10Bac competent cells and recombined with shuttle vector Bacmid, followed by identification with blue-white screening and PCR analysis for three cycles, and the positive recombinant was named as rBacmid-SS4-VP2. The positive Sf-9 cells were transfected with rBacmid-SS4-VP2 by Lipofectamine to produce recombinant baculovirus. When the cytopathic effect (CPE) was obvious, the transfected Sf-9 cell was harvested, and the positive recombinant virus was named as rBac-SS4-VP2. The insertion for the target gene into baculovirus genome was confirmed with PCR. SDS-PAGE and Western blotting revealed that the calculated protein of approximately 68 kDa was in the expressed in the insect cells. The Sf-9 cells infected with rBac-SS4-VP2 were stained positive against PPV antibody using the indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA). Moreover, the virus particle self-assembly was observed under electron microscopy. 90 four-week-old mice were immunized by the recombinant protein coupled with different adjuvants alhydrogel, IMS and oil. VP2-specific ELISA antibodies, PPV-specific neutralizing antibody, somatostatin antibody and growth hormone levels were examined to evaluate the immunogenicity of this virus like particle. Results indicated that mice groups immunized rSS4-VP2 protein with alhydrogel and IMS developed similar humoral immune response comparing with inactived PPV vaccine. Mice group immunized with rSS4-VP2 generated higher level of SS antibody and growth hormone comparing with negative control, mice receiving rSS4-VP2 with alhydrogel developed the highest antibody titre than all

  6. Minimal Contribution of APOBEC3-Induced G-to-A Hypermutation to HIV-1 Recombination and Genetic Variation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Delviks-Frankenberry, Krista A; Nikolaitchik, Olga A; Burdick, Ryan C; Gorelick, Robert J; Keele, Brandon F; Hu, Wei-Shau; Pathak, Vinay K

    2016-05-01

    Although the predominant effect of host restriction APOBEC3 proteins on HIV-1 infection is to block viral replication, they might inadvertently increase retroviral genetic variation by inducing G-to-A hypermutation. Numerous studies have disagreed on the contribution of hypermutation to viral genetic diversity and evolution. Confounding factors contributing to the debate include the extent of lethal (stop codon) and sublethal hypermutation induced by different APOBEC3 proteins, the inability to distinguish between G-to-A mutations induced by APOBEC3 proteins and error-prone viral replication, the potential impact of hypermutation on the frequency of retroviral recombination, and the extent to which viral recombination occurs in vivo, which can reassort mutations in hypermutated genomes. Here, we determined the effects of hypermutation on the HIV-1 recombination rate and its contribution to genetic variation through recombination to generate progeny genomes containing portions of hypermutated genomes without lethal mutations. We found that hypermutation did not significantly affect the rate of recombination, and recombination between hypermutated and wild-type genomes only increased the viral mutation rate by 3.9 × 10-5 mutations/bp/replication cycle in heterozygous virions, which is similar to the HIV-1 mutation rate. Since copackaging of hypermutated and wild-type genomes occurs very rarely in vivo, recombination between hypermutated and wild-type genomes does not significantly contribute to the genetic variation of replicating HIV-1. We also analyzed previously reported hypermutated sequences from infected patients and determined that the frequency of sublethal mutagenesis for A3G and A3F is negligible (4 × 10-21 and1 × 10-11, respectively) and its contribution to viral mutations is far below mutations generated during error-prone reverse transcription. Taken together, we conclude that the contribution of APOBEC3-induced hypermutation to HIV-1 genetic

  7. Experimental evolution of recombination and crossover interference in Drosophila caused by directional selection for stress-related traits.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aggarwal, Dau Dayal; Rashkovetsky, Eugenia; Michalak, Pawel; Cohen, Irit; Ronin, Yefim; Zhou, Dan; Haddad, Gabriel G; Korol, Abraham B

    2015-11-27

    Population genetics predicts that tight linkage between new and/or pre-existing beneficial and deleterious alleles should decrease the efficiency of natural selection in finite populations. By decoupling beneficial and deleterious alleles and facilitating the combination of beneficial alleles, recombination accelerates the formation of high-fitness genotypes. This may impose indirect selection for increased recombination. Despite the progress in theoretical understanding, interplay between recombination and selection remains a controversial issue in evolutionary biology. Even less satisfactory is the situation with crossover interference, which is a deviation of double-crossover frequency in a pair of adjacent intervals from the product of recombination rates in the two intervals expected on the assumption of crossover independence. Here, we report substantial changes in recombination and interference in three long-term directional selection experiments with Drosophila melanogaster: for desiccation (~50 generations), hypoxia, and hyperoxia tolerance (>200 generations each). For all three experiments, we found a high interval-specific increase of recombination frequencies in selection lines (up to 40-50% per interval) compared to the control lines. We also discovered a profound effect of selection on interference as expressed by an increased frequency of double crossovers in selection lines. Our results show that changes in interference are not necessarily coupled with increased recombination. Our results support the theoretical predictions that adaptation to a new environment can promote evolution toward higher recombination. Moreover, this is the first evidence of selection for different recombination-unrelated traits potentially leading, not only to evolution toward increased crossover rates, but also to changes in crossover interference, one of the fundamental features of recombination.

  8. Frequent sgRNA-barcode recombination in single-cell perturbation assays.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shiqi Xie

    Full Text Available Simultaneously detecting CRISPR-based perturbations and induced transcriptional changes in the same cell is a powerful approach to unraveling genome function. Several lentiviral approaches have been developed, some of which rely on the detection of distally located genetic barcodes as an indirect proxy of sgRNA identity. Since barcodes are often several kilobases from their corresponding sgRNAs, viral recombination-mediated swapping of barcodes and sgRNAs is feasible. Using a self-circularization-based sgRNA-barcode library preparation protocol, we estimate the recombination rate to be ~50% and we trace this phenomenon to the pooled viral packaging step. Recombination is random, and decreases the signal-to-noise ratio of the assay. Our results suggest that alternative approaches can increase the throughput and sensitivity of single-cell perturbation assays.

  9. HH 1158: THE LOWEST LUMINOSITY EXTERNALLY IRRADIATED HERBIG–HARO JET

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Riaz, B.; Whelan, E. T.

    2015-01-01

    We have identified a new externally irradiated Herbig–Haro (HH) jet, HH 1158, within ∼2 pc of the massive OB type stars in the σ Orionis cluster. At an L bol  ∼ 0.1 L ⊙ , HH 1158 is the lowest luminosity irradiated HH jet identified to date in any cluster. Results from the analysis of high-resolution optical spectra indicate asymmetries in the brightness, morphology, electron density, velocity, and the mass outflow rates for the blue and redshifted lobes. We constrain the position angle of the HH 1158 jet at 102° ± 5°. The mass outflow rate and the mean accretion rate for HH 1158 using multiple diagnostics are estimated to be (5.2 ± 2.6) × 10 −10 M ⊙ yr −1 and (3.0 ± 1.0) × 10 −10 M ⊙ yr −1 , respectively. The properties for HH 1158 are notably similar to the externally irradiated HH 444–HH 447 jets previously identified in σ Orionis. In particular, the morphology is such that the weaker jet beam is tilted toward the massive stars, indicating a higher extent of photo-evaporation. The high value for the Hα/[S ii] ratio is also consistent with the ratios measured in other irradiated jets, including HH 444–HH 447. The presence of an extended collimated jet that is bipolar and the evidence of shocked emission knots make HH 1158 the first unique case of irradiated HH jets at the very low-luminosity end, and provides an opportunity to learn the physical properties of very faint HH jet sources

  10. Plasma-neutral gas interaction in a tokamak divertor: effects of hydrogen molecules and plasma recombination

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Krasheninnikov, S.I.; Pigarov, A.Yu.; Soboleva, T.K.; Sigmar, D.J.

    1997-01-01

    We investigate the influence of hydrogen molecules on plasma recombination using a collisional-radiative model for multispecies hydrogen plasmas and tokamak detached divertor parameters. The rate constant found for molecular activated recombination of a plasma can be as high as 2 x 10 -10 cm 3 /s, confirming our pervious estimates. We investigate the effects of hydrogen molecules and plasma recombination on self-consistent plasma-neutral gas interactions in the recycling region of a tokamak divertor. We treat the plasma flow in a fluid approximation retaining the effects of plasma recombination and employing a Knudsen neutral transport model for a 'gas box' divertor geometry. For the model of plasma-neutral interactions we employ we find: (a) molecular activated recombination is a dominant channel of divertor plasma recombination; and (b) plasma recombination is a key element leading to a decrease in the plasma flux onto the target and substantial plasma pressure drop which are the main features of detached divertor regimes. (orig.)

  11. Recombination difference between sexes: a role for haploid selection.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Thomas Lenormand

    2005-03-01

    Full Text Available Why the autosomal recombination rate differs between female and male meiosis in most species has been a genetic enigma since the early study of meiosis. Some hypotheses have been put forward to explain this widespread phenomenon and, up to now, only one fact has emerged clearly: In species in which meiosis is achiasmate in one sex, it is the heterogametic one. This pattern, known as the Haldane-Huxley rule, is thought to be a side effect, on autosomes, of the suppression of recombination between the sex chromosomes. However, this rule does not hold for heterochiasmate species (i.e., species in which recombination is present in both sexes but varies quantitatively between sexes and does not apply to species lacking sex chromosomes, such as hermaphroditic plants. In this paper, we show that in plants, heterochiasmy is due to a male-female difference in gametic selection and is not influenced by the presence of heteromorphic sex chromosomes. This finding provides strong empirical support in favour of a population genetic explanation for the evolution of heterochiasmy and, more broadly, for the evolution of sex and recombination.

  12. Regulation of Meiotic Recombination

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gregory p. Copenhaver

    2011-11-09

    Meiotic recombination results in the heritable rearrangement of DNA, primarily through reciprocal exchange between homologous chromosome or gene conversion. In plants these events are critical for ensuring proper chromosome segregation, facilitating DNA repair and providing a basis for genetic diversity. Understanding this fundamental biological mechanism will directly facilitate trait mapping, conventional plant breeding, and development of genetic engineering techniques that will help support the responsible production and conversion of renewable resources for fuels, chemicals, and the conservation of energy (1-3). Substantial progress has been made in understanding the basal recombination machinery, much of which is conserved in organisms as diverse as yeast, plants and mammals (4, 5). Significantly less is known about the factors that regulate how often and where that basal machinery acts on higher eukaryotic chromosomes. One important mechanism for regulating the frequency and distribution of meiotic recombination is crossover interference - or the ability of one recombination event to influence nearby events. The MUS81 gene is thought to play an important role in regulating the influence of interference on crossing over. The immediate goals of this project are to use reverse genetics to identify mutants in two putative MUS81 homologs in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, characterize those mutants and initiate a novel forward genetic screen for additional regulators of meiotic recombination. The long-term goal of the project is to understand how meiotic recombination is regulated in higher eukaryotes with an emphasis on the molecular basis of crossover interference. The ability to monitor recombination in all four meiotic products (tetrad analysis) has been a powerful tool in the arsenal of yeast geneticists. Previously, the qrt mutant of Arabidopsis, which causes the four pollen products of male meiosis to remain attached, was developed as a facile system

  13. Assessment of eight HPV vaccination programs implemented in lowest income countries

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ladner Joël

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Cervix cancer, preventable, continues to be the third most common cancer in women worldwide, especially in lowest income countries. Prophylactic HPV vaccination should help to reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with cervical cancer. The purpose of the study was to describe the results of and key concerns in eight HPV vaccination programs conducted in seven lowest income countries through the Gardasil Access Program (GAP. Methods The GAP provides free HPV vaccine to organizations and institutions in lowest income countries. The HPV vaccination programs were entirely developed, implemented and managed by local institutions. Institutions submitted application forms with institution characteristics, target population, communication delivery strategies. After completion of the vaccination campaign (3 doses, institutions provided a final project report with data on doses administered and vaccination models. Two indicators were calculated, the program vaccination coverage and adherence. Qualitative data were also collected in the following areas: government and community involvement; communication, and sensitization; training and logistics resources, and challenges. Results A total of eight programs were implemented in seven countries. The eight programs initially targeted a total of 87,580 girls, of which 76,983 received the full 3-dose vaccine course, with mean program vaccination coverage of 87.8%; the mean adherence between the first and third doses of vaccine was 90.9%. Three programs used school-based delivery models, 2 used health facility-based models, and 3 used mixed models that included schools and health facilities. Models that included school-based vaccination were most effective at reaching girls aged 9-13 years. Mixed models comprising school and health facility-based vaccination had better overall performance compared with models using just one of the methods. Increased rates of program coverage and

  14. Assessment of eight HPV vaccination programs implemented in lowest income countries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ladner, Joël; Besson, Marie-Hélène; Hampshire, Rachel; Tapert, Lisa; Chirenje, Mike; Saba, Joseph

    2012-05-23

    Cervix cancer, preventable, continues to be the third most common cancer in women worldwide, especially in lowest income countries. Prophylactic HPV vaccination should help to reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with cervical cancer. The purpose of the study was to describe the results of and key concerns in eight HPV vaccination programs conducted in seven lowest income countries through the Gardasil Access Program (GAP). The GAP provides free HPV vaccine to organizations and institutions in lowest income countries. The HPV vaccination programs were entirely developed, implemented and managed by local institutions. Institutions submitted application forms with institution characteristics, target population, communication delivery strategies. After completion of the vaccination campaign (3 doses), institutions provided a final project report with data on doses administered and vaccination models. Two indicators were calculated, the program vaccination coverage and adherence. Qualitative data were also collected in the following areas: government and community involvement; communication, and sensitization; training and logistics resources, and challenges. A total of eight programs were implemented in seven countries. The eight programs initially targeted a total of 87,580 girls, of which 76,983 received the full 3-dose vaccine course, with mean program vaccination coverage of 87.8%; the mean adherence between the first and third doses of vaccine was 90.9%. Three programs used school-based delivery models, 2 used health facility-based models, and 3 used mixed models that included schools and health facilities. Models that included school-based vaccination were most effective at reaching girls aged 9-13 years. Mixed models comprising school and health facility-based vaccination had better overall performance compared with models using just one of the methods. Increased rates of program coverage and adherence were positively correlated with the number of

  15. Effects of Demographic History on the Detection of Recombination Hotspots from Linkage Disequilibrium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dapper, Amy L; Payseur, Bret A

    2018-02-01

    In some species, meiotic recombination is concentrated in small genomic regions. These "recombination hotspots" leave signatures in fine-scale patterns of linkage disequilibrium, raising the prospect that the genomic landscape of hotspots can be characterized from sequence variation. This approach has led to the inference that hotspots evolve rapidly in some species, but are conserved in others. Historic demographic events, such as population bottlenecks, are known to affect patterns of linkage disequilibrium across the genome, violating population genetic assumptions of this approach. Although such events are prevalent, demographic history is generally ignored when making inferences about the evolution of recombination hotspots. To determine the effect of demography on the detection of recombination hotspots, we use the coalescent to simulate haplotypes with a known recombination landscape. We measure the ability of popular linkage disequilibrium-based programs to detect hotspots across a range of demographic histories, including population bottlenecks, hidden population structure, population expansions, and population contractions. We find that demographic events have the potential to greatly reduce the power and increase the false positive rate of hotspot discovery. Neither the power nor the false positive rate of hotspot detection can be predicted without also knowing the demographic history of the sample. Our results suggest that ignoring demographic history likely overestimates the power to detect hotspots and therefore underestimates the degree of hotspot sharing between species. We suggest strategies for incorporating demographic history into population genetic inferences about recombination hotspots. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution.

  16. 48 CFR 47.306-2 - Lowest overall transportation costs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... transportation costs. 47.306-2 Section 47.306-2 Federal Acquisition Regulations System FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION CONTRACT MANAGEMENT TRANSPORTATION Transportation in Supply Contracts 47.306-2 Lowest overall transportation costs. (a) For the evaluation of offers, the transportation officer shall give to the contracting...

  17. Dielectronic recombination data for dynamic finite-density plasmas. XV. The silicon isoelectronic sequence

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaur, Jagjit; Gorczyca, T. W.; Badnell, N. R.

    2018-02-01

    Context. We aim to present a comprehensive theoretical investigation of dielectronic recombination (DR) of the silicon-like isoelectronic sequence and provide DR and radiative recombination (RR) data that can be used within a generalized collisional-radiative modelling framework. Aims: Total and final-state level-resolved DR and RR rate coefficients for the ground and metastable initial levels of 16 ions between P+ and Zn16+ are determined. Methods: We carried out multi-configurational Breit-Pauli DR calculations for silicon-like ions in the independent processes, isolated resonance, distorted wave approximation. Both Δnc = 0 and Δnc = 1 core excitations are included using LS and intermediate coupling schemes. Results: Results are presented for a selected number of ions and compared to all other existing theoretical and experimental data. The total dielectronic and radiative recombination rate coefficients for the ground state are presented in tabulated form for easy implementation into spectral modelling codes. These data can also be accessed from the Atomic Data and Analysis Structure (ADAS) OPEN-ADAS database. This work is a part of an assembly of a dielectronic recombination database for the modelling of dynamic finite-density plasmas.

  18. Optimisation of culture conditions with respect to biotin requirement for the production of recombinant avidin in Pichia pastoris.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jungo, Carmen; Urfer, Julien; Zocchi, Andrea; Marison, Ian; von Stockar, Urs

    2007-01-20

    Due to its very high affinity to biotin, avidin is one of the most widely exploited proteins in modern biotechnological and biomedical applications. Since biotin is an essential vitamin for the growth of many microorganisms, we examined the effect of biotin deficiency on growth for a recombinant Pichia pastoris strain expressing and secreting a recombinant glycosylated avidin. The results showed that biotin deficiency lowers growth rate and biomass yield for P. pastoris. Substitution of biotin in the medium by the two structurally unrelated compounds, aspartic acid and oleic acid, which do not bind to recombinant avidin was analyzed quantitatively. These two compounds had a growth promoting effect in biotin-deficient medium, but did not replace biotin completely. Indeed, in chemostat culture, wash-out occurred after about six liquid residence times and recombinant avidin productivity was lowered. However, addition of low amounts of biotin (20 microg L(-1) of biotin for a cell density of 8 g L(-1)) resulted in stable chemostat cultures on methanol with the production of recombinant biotin-free avidin. The specific avidin production rate was 22 microg g(-1) h(-1) at a dilution rate of 0.06 h(-1).

  19. Recombination of cluster ions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnsen, Rainer

    1993-01-01

    Some of our recent work on molecular band emissions from recombination of molecular dimer ions (N4(+) and CO(+) CO) is discussed. Much of the experimental work was done by Y. S. Cao; the results on N4(+) recombination have been published. A brief progress report is given on our ongoing measurements of neutral products of recombination using the flowing-afterglow Langmuir-probe technique in conjunction with laser-induced fluorescence.

  20. Ethanol production by recombinant and natural xylose-utilising yeasts

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Eliasson, Anna

    2000-07-01

    from P. stipitis and the endogenous XKS1 gene under control of the PGKI promoter, into the HIS3 locus of S. cerevisiae CEN.PK 113-7A. The strain was stable for more than forty generations in continuous fermentation. The metabolic fluxes during xylose metabolism were quantitatively analysed and anaerobic ethanol formation from xylose in recombinant S. cerevisiae was demonstrated for the first time. The xylose uptake rate increased with increasing xylose concentration in the feed. However, with a feed of 15 g/l xylose and 5 g/l glucose, the xylose flux was 2.2 times lower than the glucose flux, indicating that transport limits the xylose flux. The role of mitochondria in ethanol formation from xylose was investigated using cells of recombinant xylose-utilising S. cerevisiae with two different respiratory capacities and cells from P. stipitis grown under conditions of optimal ethanol formation. Different inhibitors were used either to inhibit the electron transport chain and simulate oxygen limitation, or to inhibit the tricarboxylic acid cycle while not disturbing the electron transport chain. The response to the inhibitors differed significantly for glucose and xylose and the effect was more pronounced for S. cerevisiae. The results indicate that mitochondria play a significant role in the maintenance of the cytoplasmic redox balance during xylose fermentation, through the action of cytoplasmically directed NADH dehydrogenase activity. Thus, more carbon was directed towards ethanol in chemostat cultivations of xylose/glucose mixtures by S. cerevisiae TMB 3001, in the presence of low amounts of oxygen. P. stipitis possesses a second, cyanide-insensitive terminal oxidase, the alternative oxidase, which seems to be of particular importance for efficient ethanol formation from xylose. The highest activity of cyanide-insensitive respiration (CIR), the highest ethanol productivity and lowest xylitol formation were all observed with cells grown under oxygen-limited conditions

  1. In vivo production of recombinant proteins using occluded recombinant AcMNPV-derived baculovirus vectors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guijarro-Pardo, Eva; Gómez-Sebastián, Silvia; Escribano, José M

    2017-12-01

    Trichoplusia ni insect larvae infected with vectors derived from the Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV), are an excellent alternative to insect cells cultured in conventional bioreactors to produce recombinant proteins because productivity and cost-efficiency reasons. However, there is still a lot of work to do to reduce the manual procedures commonly required in this production platform that limit its scalability. To increase the scalability of this platform technology, a current bottleneck to be circumvented in the future is the need of injection for the inoculation of larvae with polyhedrin negative baculovirus vectors (Polh-) because of the lack of oral infectivity of these viruses, which are commonly used for production in insect cell cultures. In this work we have developed a straightforward alternative to obtain orally infective vectors derived from AcMNPV and expressing recombinant proteins that can be administered to the insect larvae (Trichoplusia ni) by feeding, formulated in the insect diet. The approach developed was based on the use of a recombinant polyhedrin protein expressed by a recombinant vector (Polh+), able to co-occlude any recombinant Polh- baculovirus vector expressing a recombinant protein. A second alternative was developed by the generation of a dual vector co-expressing the recombinant polyhedrin protein and the foreign gene of interest to obtain the occluded viruses. Additionally, by the incorporation of a reporter gene into the helper Polh+ vector, it was possible the follow-up visualization of the co-occluded viruses infection in insect larvae and will help to homogenize infection conditions. By using these methodologies, the production of recombinant proteins in per os infected larvae, without manual infection procedures, was very similar in yield to that obtained by manual injection of recombinant Polh- AcMNPV-based vectors expressing the same proteins. However, further analyses will be required for a

  2. Renal haemodynamics, sodium and water reabsorption during continuous intravenous infusion of recombinant interleukin-2

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Geertsen, P F; von der Maase, H; Olsen, Niels Vidiendal

    1998-01-01

    1. Renal haemodynamics, lithium and sodium clearance were measured in 14 patients treated with recombinant interleukin-2 for metastatic renal cell carcinoma. 2. Patients were studied before and after 72 h of continuous intravenous infusion of recombinant interleukin-2 (18x10(6) i.u..24 h-1.m-2) a...... effect. Changes in renal prostaglandin synthesis may contribute to the decrease in renal blood flow. The lithium clearance data suggest that an increased proximal tubular reabsorption rate may contribute to the decreased sodium clearance during recombinant interleukin-2 treatment....

  3. Spontaneous recombination volumes of Frenkel defects in neutron-irradiated non-fcc metals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nakagawa, M.; Mansel, W.; Boening, K.; Rosner, P.; Vogl, G.

    1979-01-01

    Production and production-rate curves for the non-fcc metals Fe, Mo, Ta, W, Zr, and Sn are obtained by electrical-resistivity measurements taken at 4.6 K during reactor neutron irradiations. The saturation concentration of Frenkel defects, c/sub s/, and the recombination volume v/sub o/ are evaluated. A parabolic relation between the spontaneous recombination volume v 0 and the compressibility kappa for a series of bcc metals is found

  4. Recombination pattern reanalysis of some HIV-1 circulating recombination forms suggest the necessity and difficulty of revision.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lei Jia

    Full Text Available Recombination is one of the major mechanisms underlying the generation of HIV-1 variability. Currently 61 circulating recombinant forms of HIV-1 have been identified. With the development of recombination detection techniques and accumulation of HIV-1 reference stains, more accurate mosaic structures of circulating recombinant forms (CRFs, like CRF04 and CRF06, have undergone repeated analysis and upgrades. Such revisions may also be necessary for other CRFs. Unlike previous studies, whose results are based primarily on a single recombination detection program, the current study was based on multiple recombination analysis, which may have produced more impartial results.Representative references of 3 categories of intersubtype recombinants were selected, including BC recombinants (CRF07 and CRF08, BG recombinants (CRF23 and CRF24, and BF recombinants (CRF38 and CRF44. They were reanalyzed in detail using both the jumping profile hidden Markov model and RDP3.The results indicate that revisions and upgrades are very necessary and the entire re-analysis suggested 2 types of revision: (i length of inserted fragments; and (ii number of inserted fragments. The reanalysis also indicated that determination of small regions of about 200 bases or fewer should be performed with more caution.Results indicated that the involvement of multiple recombination detection programs is very necessary. Additionally, results suggested two major challenges, one involving the difficulty of accurately determining the locations of breakpoints and the second involving identification of small regions of about 200 bases or fewer with greater caution. Both indicate the complexity of HIV-1 recombination. The resolution would depend critically on development of a recombination analysis algorithm, accumulation of HIV-1 stains, and a higher sequencing quality. With the changes in recombination pattern, phylogenetic relationships of some CRFs may also change. All these results may

  5. Multiple barriers to recombination between divergent HIV-1 variants revealed by a dual-marker recombination assay

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nikolaitchik, Olga A; Galli, Andrea; Moore, Michael D

    2011-01-01

    Recombination is a major force for generating human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) diversity and produces numerous recombinants circulating in the human population. We previously established a cell-based system using green fluorescent protein gene (gfp) as a reporter to study the mechanisms...... of HIV-1 recombination. We now report an improved system capable of detecting recombination using authentic viral sequences. Frameshift mutations were introduced into the gag gene so that parental viruses do not express full-length Gag; however, recombination can generate a progeny virus that expresses...

  6. Detailed modelling of processes inside a catalytic recombiner for hydrogen removal

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Heitsch, M.

    1999-01-01

    Under accidental conditions, considerable amounts of hydrogen may be released into the containment. Catalytic reacting surfaces in recombiners are a reliable method to recombine this hydrogen and other burnable gases like carbon monoxide from the atmosphere in a passive way. Many experiments have been carried out to study the main phenomena occurring inside recombiners, like the efficiency of hydrogen removal, the start-up conditions, poisoning, oxygen starvation, steam and water impact, and others. In addition, the global behavior of a given recombiner device in a larger environment has been investigated in order to demonstrate the effectiveness and to facilitate the derivation of simplified models for long term, severe accident analyses. These long-term severe accident models are complemented by detailed investigations to understand the interaction of chemistry and flow inside a recombiner box. This helps to provide the dependencies of non-measurable variables (e.g. the reaction rate distribution), of local surface temperatures etc. to make long-term or system models more reliable. It also offers possibilities for increasing the chemical efficiency by optimising the geometric design properly. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) codes are available for use as development tools to include the specifics of catalytic surface reactors. The present paper describes the use of the code system CFX [1] for creating a recombiner model. Some model predictions are compared to existing test data. (author)

  7. Recombination of H{sup +}{sub 3} ions in the afterglow of a He-Ar-H{sub 2} plasma

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Glosik, J; Korolov, I; Plasil, R; Novotny, O; Kotrik, T; Hlavenka, P; Varju, J [Mathematics and Physics Faculty, Charles University in Prague, Prague 8 (Czech Republic); Mikhailov, I A; Kokoouline, V [Department of Physics, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL 32816 (United States); Greene, Chris H [Department of Physics and JILA, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309-0440 (United States)], E-mail: Juraj.Glosik@mff.cuni.cz

    2008-10-14

    Recombination of H{sup +}{sub 3} with electrons is studied in a low-temperature plasma containing He, H{sub 2} and Ar at different He and H{sub 2} densities. The effective plasma recombination rate is driven by binary, H{sup +}{sub 3} + e{sup -}, and ternary, H{sup +}{sub 3} + e{sup -}+ He, processes with the rate coefficients 7.5 x 10{sup -8} cm{sup 3} s{sup -1} and 2.8 x 10{sup -25} cm{sup 6} s{sup -1} respectively at 260 K. We suggest that the ternary recombination involves formation of neutral highly excited Rydberg H{sub 3} followed by an l-changing collision with He. The difference between recombination of para- and ortho-H{sup +}{sub 3} is discussed. (fast track communication)

  8. Molecular Evolution at a Meiosis Gene Mediates Species Differences in the Rate and Patterning of Recombination.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brand, Cara L; Cattani, M Victoria; Kingan, Sarah B; Landeen, Emily L; Presgraves, Daven C

    2018-04-23

    Crossing over between homologous chromosomes during meiosis repairs programmed DNA double-strand breaks, ensures proper segregation at meiosis I [1], shapes the genomic distribution of nucleotide variability in populations, and enhances the efficacy of natural selection among genetically linked sites [2]. Between closely related Drosophila species, large differences exist in the rate and chromosomal distribution of crossing over. Little, however, is known about the molecular genetic changes or population genetic forces that mediate evolved differences in recombination between species [3, 4]. Here, we show that a meiosis gene with a history of rapid evolution acts as a trans-acting modifier of species differences in crossing over. In transgenic flies, the dicistronic gene, mei-217/mei-218, recapitulates a large part of the species differences in the rate and chromosomal distribution of crossing over. These phenotypic differences appear to result from changes in protein sequence not gene expression. Our population genetics analyses show that the protein-coding sequence of mei-218, but not mei-217, has a history of recurrent positive natural selection. By modulating the intensity of centromeric and telomeric suppression of crossing over, evolution at mei-217/-218 has incidentally shaped gross differences in the chromosomal distribution of nucleotide variability between species. We speculate that recurrent bouts of adaptive evolution at mei-217/-218 might reflect a history of coevolution with selfish genetic elements. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Biochemical and genetic analysis of the role of the viral polymerase in enterovirus recombination.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Woodman, Andrew; Arnold, Jamie J; Cameron, Craig E; Evans, David J

    2016-08-19

    Genetic recombination in single-strand, positive-sense RNA viruses is a poorly understand mechanism responsible for generating extensive genetic change and novel phenotypes. By moving a critical cis-acting replication element (CRE) from the polyprotein coding region to the 3' non-coding region we have further developed a cell-based assay (the 3'CRE-REP assay) to yield recombinants throughout the non-structural coding region of poliovirus from dually transfected cells. We have additionally developed a defined biochemical assay in which the only protein present is the poliovirus RNA dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), which recapitulates the strand transfer events of the recombination process. We have used both assays to investigate the role of the polymerase fidelity and nucleotide turnover rates in recombination. Our results, of both poliovirus intertypic and intratypic recombination in the CRE-REP assay and using a range of polymerase variants in the biochemical assay, demonstrate that RdRp fidelity is a fundamental determinant of recombination frequency. High fidelity polymerases exhibit reduced recombination and low fidelity polymerases exhibit increased recombination in both assays. These studies provide the basis for the analysis of poliovirus recombination throughout the non-structural region of the virus genome and provide a defined biochemical assay to further dissect this important evolutionary process. © The Author(s) 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

  10. Ion-recombination correction factor κsat for spherical ion chambers irradiated by continuous photom beams

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Piermattei, A.; Azario, L.; Arcovito, G.

    1996-01-01

    The large range of reference air kerma rates of brachytherapy sources involves the use of large-volume ionization chambers. When such ionization chambers are used the ion-recombination correction factor k sat has to be determined. In this paper three spherical ion chambers with volume ranging from 30 to 10 4 cm 3 have been irradiated by photons of a 192 Ir source to determine the k sat factors. The ionization currents of the ion chambers as a function of the applied voltage and the air kerma rate have been analysed to determine the contribution of the initial and general ion recombination. The k sat values for large-volume ionization chambers obtained by considering the general ion recombination as predominant (Almond's approach) are in disagreement with the results obtained using methods that consider both initial and general ion-recombination contributions (Niatel's approach). Such disagreement can reach 0.7% when high currents are measured for a high-activity source calibration in terms of reference air kerma rate. In this study a new 'two-voltage' method, independent of the voltage ratio given by a dosimetry system, is proposed for practical dosimetry of continuous x-and gamma-radiation beams. In the case where the Almond approach is utilized, the voltage ratio V 1 /V 2 should be less than 2 instead of Almond's limit of V 1 /V 2 <5. (Author)

  11. An isotope dependent study of acetone in its lowest excited triplet state

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gehrtz, M.; Brauchle, C.; Voitlaender, J.

    1984-01-01

    The lowest excited triplet state T 1 of acetone-h 6 and acetone-d 6 was investigated with a pulsed dye laser equipped ODMR spectrometer. Acetone is found to be bent in T 1 and the out-of-plane distortion angle is estimated to be approx.= 38 0 . The observed zero-field splitting (ZFS) is surprisingly small. Both the spin-spin and the spin-orbit (SO) contribution to the ZFS are evaluated. The SO tensor contribution is calculated from a correlation between the deuterium effects on the ZFS parameters and the population rates. The sub-level selective kinetics of the acetone T 1 is largely determined by the mixing of the x- and z-level characteristics owing to magnetic axis rotation caused by the excited state out-of-plane distortion. Considerable deuterium effects are observed on the kinetic data and on the microwave transition frequencies. In all cases the spin-specific isotope effects (due to the promoting modes) and the global effects (due to the Franck-Condon factors) are specified. For the population rates and the SO contribution to ZFS, the inverse global isotope effects (deuterium factor > 1) was found for the first time. Based on the isotope dependence of the rates, the mechanisms of (vibrationally induced) SO coupling in acetone are discussed. It is concluded that non-adiabatic contributions have to be taken into account for the smallest population rate only, but that otherwise the adiabatic SO coupling mechanisms by far dominates in the acetone photophysics. (author)

  12. The rate of nonallelic homologous recombination in males is highly variable, correlated between monozygotic twins and independent of age.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jacqueline A L MacArthur

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available Nonallelic homologous recombination (NAHR between highly similar duplicated sequences generates chromosomal deletions, duplications and inversions, which can cause diverse genetic disorders. Little is known about interindividual variation in NAHR rates and the factors that influence this. We estimated the rate of deletion at the CMT1A-REP NAHR hotspot in sperm DNA from 34 male donors, including 16 monozygotic (MZ co-twins (8 twin pairs aged 24 to 67 years old. The average NAHR rate was 3.5 × 10(-5 with a seven-fold variation across individuals. Despite good statistical power to detect even a subtle correlation, we observed no relationship between age of unrelated individuals and the rate of NAHR in their sperm, likely reflecting the meiotic-specific origin of these events. We then estimated the heritability of deletion rate by calculating the intraclass correlation (ICC within MZ co-twins, revealing a significant correlation between MZ co-twins (ICC = 0.784, p = 0.0039, with MZ co-twins being significantly more correlated than unrelated pairs. We showed that this heritability cannot be explained by variation in PRDM9, a known regulator of NAHR, or variation within the NAHR hotspot itself. We also did not detect any correlation between Body Mass Index (BMI, smoking status or alcohol intake and rate of NAHR. Our results suggest that other, as yet unidentified, genetic or environmental factors play a significant role in the regulation of NAHR and are responsible for the extensive variation in the population for the probability of fathering a child with a genomic disorder resulting from a pathogenic deletion.

  13. Lowest-order constrained variational method for simple many-fermion systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alexandrov, I.; Moszkowski, S.A.; Wong, C.W.

    1975-01-01

    The authors study the potential energy of many-fermion systems calculated by the lowest-order constrained variational (LOCV) method of Pandharipande. Two simple two-body interactions are used. For a simple hard-core potential in a dilute Fermi gas, they find that the Huang-Yang exclusion correction can be used to determine a healing distance. The result is close to the older Pandharipande prescription for the healing distance. For a hard core plus attractive exponential potential, the LOCV result agrees closely with the lowest-order separation method of Moszkowski and Scott. They find that the LOCV result has a shallow minimum as a function of the healing distance at the Moszkowski-Scott separation distance. The significance of the absence of a Brueckner dispersion correction in the LOCV result is discussed. (Auth.)

  14. Recombination in liquid filled ionisation chambers with multiple charge carrier species: Theoretical and numerical results

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aguiar, P.; González-Castaño, D.M.; Gómez, F.; Pardo-Montero, J.

    2014-01-01

    Liquid-filled ionisation chambers (LICs) are used in radiotherapy for dosimetry and quality assurance. Volume recombination can be quite important in LICs for moderate dose rates, causing non-linearities in the dose rate response of these detectors, and needs to be corrected for. This effect is usually described with Greening and Boag models for continuous and pulsed radiation respectively. Such models assume that the charge is carried by two different species, positive and negative ions, each of those species with a given mobility. However, LICs operating in non-ultrapure mode can contain different types of electronegative impurities with different mobilities, thus increasing the number of different charge carriers. If this is the case, Greening and Boag models can be no longer valid and need to be reformulated. In this work we present a theoretical and numerical study of volume recombination in parallel-plate LICs with multiple charge carrier species, extending Boag and Greening models. Results from a recent publication that reported three different mobilities in an isooctane-filled LIC have been used to study the effect of extra carrier species on recombination. We have found that in pulsed beams the inclusion of extra mobilities does not affect volume recombination much, a behaviour that was expected because Boag formula for charge collection efficiency does not depend on the mobilities of the charge carriers if the Debye relationship between mobilities and recombination constant holds. This is not the case in continuous radiation, where the presence of extra charge carrier species significantly affects the amount of volume recombination. - Highlights: • Analytical extension of Greening and Boag theories to multiple charge carriers. • Detailed numerical study of process of volume recombination in LICs. • Recombination in pulsed beams is independent of number and mobilities of carriers. • Multiple charge carriers have a significant effect in continuous

  15. Multi-level computational chemistry study on hydrogen recombination catalyst of off-gas treatment system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hatakeyama, Nozomu; Ise, Mariko; Inaba, Kenji

    2011-01-01

    In order to reveal the deactivation mechanism of the hydrogen recombination catalyst of off-gas treatment system, we investigate by using multi-level computational chemistry simulation methods. The recombiner apparatus is modeled by the numerical mesh system in the axial coordinates, and unsteady, advection and reaction rate equations are solved by using a finite difference method. The chemical reactions are formulated to represent adsorption-desorption of hydrogen and oxygen on Pt catalyst, and time developments of the coverage factors of Pt are solved numerically. The computational simulations successfully reproduce the very similar behaviors observed by experiments, such as increasing of the inversion rates of H 2 to H 2 O, the temperatures distributions along the flow direction, dependencies of experimental condition, and so on. Thus Pt poisoning is considered to cause the deactivation of the hydrogen recombination catalyst. To clarify the poisoning mechanism, the molecular level simulation is applied to the system of Pt on boehmite attacked by a cyclic siloxane which has been detected by experiments and considered as one of poisoning spices. The simulation shows ring-opening reaction of the cyclic siloxane on Pt, then attachment of two ends of the chain-like siloxane to Pt and boehmite, respectively, and that finally the recombination reaction is prevented. This may be the first study to find out the detailed dynamical mechanism of hydrogen recombination catalyst poisoning with cyclic siloxane. (author)

  16. Carrier recombination in mid-wave infrared InAs/InAsSb superlattices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aytac, Yigit; Olson, Benjamin Varberg; Kim, Jin K.; Shaner, Eric A.; Hawkins, Sam D.; Klem, John F.; Flatté, Michael E.; Boggess, Thomas F.

    2014-03-01

    Measurements of carrier recombination rates using a temperature-dependent time-resolved differential transmission technique are reported for mid-wave infrared InAs / InAs1 - x Sbx type-2 superlattices (T2SLs). By engineering the layer widths and antimony compositions a 16K band-gap of ~ 238 meV was achieved for all five unintentionally doped T2SLs. Carrier recombination rates were determined for all five samples by fitting a rate equation model to the density and temperature dependent data. Minority-carrier lifetimes as long as 22 μs were measured at 14K, while lifetimes in excess of 2 μs were measured for all five samples at 200K. The minority-carrier lifetimes were observed to generally increase with increasing antimony content. While minority-carrier lifetimes are much longer than those observed in InAs/Ga(In)Sb T2SLs, Auger recombination processes were found to be more prominent in the Ga-free T2SLs. Sandia National Laboratories is a multi-program laboratory managed and operated by Sandia Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation, for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration under Contract No. DE-AC04-94AL85000. This research was funded by the U.S. Government.

  17. On the relict recombination lines

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bershtejn, I.N.; Bernshtejn, D.N.; Dubrovich, V.K.

    1977-01-01

    Accurate numerical calculation of intensities and profiles of hydrogen recombination lines of cosmological origin is made. Relie radiation distortions stipulated by recombination quantum release at the irrevocable recombination are investigated. Mean number calculation is given for guantums educing for one irrevocably-lost electron. The account is taken of the educed quantums interraction with matter. The main quantum-matter interrraction mechanisms are considered: electronic blow broadening; free-free, free-bound, bound-bound absorptions Recombination dynamics is investigated depending on hydrogen density and total density of all the matter kinds in the Universe

  18. Mutations in the RNA-binding domains of tombusvirus replicase proteins affect RNA recombination in vivo

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Panaviene, Zivile; Nagy, Peter D.

    2003-01-01

    RNA recombination, which is thought to occur due to replicase errors during viral replication, is one of the major driving forces of virus evolution. In this article, we show evidence that the replicase proteins of Cucumber necrosis virus, a tombusvirus, are directly involved in RNA recombination in vivo. Mutations within the RNA-binding domains of the replicase proteins affected the frequency of recombination observed with a prototypical defective-interfering (DI) RNA, a model template for recombination studies. Five of the 17 replicase mutants tested showed delay in the formation of recombinants when compared to the wild-type helper virus. Interestingly, two replicase mutants accelerated recombinant formation and, in addition, these mutants also increased the level of subgenomic RNA synthesis (Virology 308 (2003), 191-205). A trans-complementation system was used to demonstrate that mutation in the p33 replicase protein resulted in altered recombination rate. Isolated recombinants were mostly imprecise (nonhomologous), with the recombination sites clustered around a replication enhancer region and a putative cis-acting element, respectively. These RNA elements might facilitate the proposed template switching events by the tombusvirus replicase. Together with data in the article cited above, results presented here firmly establish that the conserved RNA-binding motif of the replicase proteins is involved in RNA replication, subgenomic RNA synthesis, and RNA recombination

  19. Genome engineering for improved recombinant protein expression in Escherichia coli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mahalik, Shubhashree; Sharma, Ashish K; Mukherjee, Krishna J

    2014-12-19

    A metabolic engineering perspective which views recombinant protein expression as a multistep pathway allows us to move beyond vector design and identify the downstream rate limiting steps in expression. In E.coli these are typically at the translational level and the supply of precursors in the form of energy, amino acids and nucleotides. Further recombinant protein production triggers a global cellular stress response which feedback inhibits both growth and product formation. Countering this requires a system level analysis followed by a rational host cell engineering to sustain expression for longer time periods. Another strategy to increase protein yields could be to divert the metabolic flux away from biomass formation and towards recombinant protein production. This would require a growth stoppage mechanism which does not affect the metabolic activity of the cell or the transcriptional or translational efficiencies. Finally cells have to be designed for efficient export to prevent buildup of proteins inside the cytoplasm and also simplify downstream processing. The rational and the high throughput strategies that can be used for the construction of such improved host cell platforms for recombinant protein expression is the focus of this review.

  20. Contract Source Selection: An Analysis of Lowest Price Technically Acceptable and Tradeoff Strategies

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-06-15

    using- spss - statistics.php Lamoureux, J., Murrow, M., & Walls, C. (2015). Relationship of source selection methods to contract outcomes: an analysis ...Contract Source Selection: an Analysis of Lowest Price Technically Acceptable and Tradeoff Strategies 15 June 2016 LCDR Jamal M. Osman, USN...ACQUISITION RESEARCH PROGRAM SPONSORED REPORT SERIES Contract Source Selection: an Analysis of Lowest Price Technically Acceptable and Tradeoff

  1. Plasmid transfer by conjugation as a possible route of horizontal gene transfer and recombination in Xylella fastidiosa

    Science.gov (United States)

    Horizontal gene transfer is an important component of evolution and adaptation of bacterial species. Xylella fastidiosa has the ability to incorporate exogenous DNA into its genome by homologous recombination at relatively high rates. This genetic recombination is believed to play a role in adaptati...

  2. Rating mutual funds

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bechmann, Ken L.; Rangvid, Jesper

    2007-01-01

    We develop a new rating of mutual funds: the atpRating. The atpRating assigns crowns to each individual mutual fund based upon the costs an investor pays when investing in the fund in relation to what it would cost to invest in the fund's peers. Within each investment category, the rating assigns...... the return of a fund in a certain year generally contains only little information about the future return that the fund will generate. Finally, we have information on the investments in different mutual funds made by a small subgroup of investors known to have been exposed to both the atp...... five crowns to funds with the lowest costs and one crown to funds with the highest costs. We investigate the ability of the atpRating to predict the future performance of a fund. We find that an investor who has invested in the funds with the lowest costs within an investment category would have...

  3. Rating Mutual Funds

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bechmann, Ken L.; Rangvid, Jesper

    We develop a new rating of mutual funds: the atpRating. The atpRating assigns crowns to each individual mutual fund based upon the costs an investor pays when investing in the fund in relation to what it would cost to invest in the fund’s peers. Within each investment category, the rating assigns......, whereas the return of a fund in a certain year generally contains only little information about the future return that the fund will generate. Finally, we have information on the investments in different mutual funds made by a small subgroup of investors known to have been exposed to both the atp...... five crowns to funds with the lowest costs and one crown to funds with the highest costs. We investigate the ability of the atpRating to predict the future performance of a fund. We find that an investor who has invested in the funds with the lowest costs within an investment category would have...

  4. Recombination: An important effect in multigap resistive plate chambers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Doroud, K.; Afarideh, H.; Hatzifotiadou, D.; Rahighi, J.; Williams, M.C.S.; Zichichi, A.

    2009-01-01

    We have simulated the gas avalanche in a multigap resistive plate chamber (MRPC). The results were then compared with our data from the MRPC . Up to now, the total amount of charge produced in a gas gap is considered to be given by the total number of positive ions generated by the gas avalanches. However, the total charge generated by the simulation program is much too large and is in conflict with our data. Our data indicate that nearly 100% of the negative ions recombine with the positive ions. The recombination effect dramatically reduces the amount of charge in the gas gap: a very important feature for MRPC technology especially for the rate capability.

  5. Auger recombination in sodium iodide

    Science.gov (United States)

    McAllister, Andrew; Kioupakis, Emmanouil; Åberg, Daniel; Schleife, André

    2014-03-01

    Scintillators are an important tool used to detect high energy radiation - both in the interest of national security and in medicine. However, scintillator detectors currently suffer from lower energy resolutions than expected from basic counting statistics. This has been attributed to non-proportional light yield compared to incoming radiation, but the specific mechanism for this non-proportionality has not been identified. Auger recombination is a non-radiative process that could be contributing to the non-proportionality of scintillating materials. Auger recombination comes in two types - direct and phonon-assisted. We have used first-principles calculations to study Auger recombination in sodium iodide, a well characterized scintillating material. Our findings indicate that phonon-assisted Auger recombination is stronger in sodium iodide than direct Auger recombination. Computational resources provided by LLNL and NERSC. Funding provided by NA-22.

  6. Regulation of homologous recombination in eukaryotes

    OpenAIRE

    Heyer, Wolf-Dietrich; Ehmsen, Kirk T.; Liu, Jie

    2010-01-01

    Homologous recombination is required for accurate chromosome segregation during the first meiotic division and constitutes a key repair and tolerance pathway for complex DNA damage including DNA double-stranded breaks, interstrand crosslinks, and DNA gaps. In addition, recombination and replication are inextricably linked, as recombination recovers stalled and broken replication forks enabling the evolution of larger genomes/replicons. Defects in recombination lead to genomic instability and ...

  7. All Electron ab initio Investigations of the Three Lowest Lying Electronic States of the RuC Molecule

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Shim, Irene; Gingerich, K. A.

    2000-01-01

    The three lowest-lying electronic states of RuC, (1)Sigma(+), (3)Delta, and (1)Delta, have been investigated by performing all-electron ab initio multi-configuration self-consistent-field (CASSCF) and multi-reference configuration interaction (MRCI) calculations including relativistic corrections....... The electronic ground state is derived as (1)Sigma(+) with the spectroscopic constants r(e) = 1.616 Angstrom and omega(e) = 1085 cm(-1). The lowest-lying excited state, (3)Delta, has r(e) = 1.632 Angstrom, omega(e) = 1063 cm(-1), and T-e = 912 cm(-1). These results are consistent with recent spectroscopic values....... The chemical bonds in all three lowest-lying states are triple bonds composed of one sigma and two pi bonds. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved....

  8. A novel computational method identifies intra- and inter-species recombination events in Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pneumoniae.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lisa Sanguinetti

    Full Text Available Advances in high-throughput DNA sequencing technologies have determined an explosion in the number of sequenced bacterial genomes. Comparative sequence analysis frequently reveals evidences of homologous recombination occurring with different mechanisms and rates in different species, but the large-scale use of computational methods to identify recombination events is hampered by their high computational costs. Here, we propose a new method to identify recombination events in large datasets of whole genome sequences. Using a filtering procedure of the gene conservation profiles of a test genome against a panel of strains, this algorithm identifies sets of contiguous genes acquired by homologous recombination. The locations of the recombination breakpoints are determined using a statistical test that is able to account for the differences in the natural rate of evolution between different genes. The algorithm was tested on a dataset of 75 genomes of Staphylococcus aureus and 50 genomes comprising different streptococcal species, and was able to detect intra-species recombination events in S. aureus and in Streptococcus pneumoniae. Furthermore, we found evidences of an inter-species exchange of genetic material between S. pneumoniae and Streptococcus mitis, a closely related commensal species that colonizes the same ecological niche. The method has been implemented in an R package, Reco, which is freely available from supplementary material, and provides a rapid screening tool to investigate recombination on a genome-wide scale from sequence data.

  9. Decrease of back recombination rate in CdS quantum dots sensitized solar cells using reduced graphene oxide

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Badawi Ali

    2015-01-01

    The photovoltaic performance of CdS quantum dots sensitized solar cells (QDSSCs) using the 0.2 wt% of reduced graphene oxide and TiO 2 nanoparticles (RGO+TiO 2 nanocomposite) photoanode is investigated. CdS QDs are adsorbed onto RGO+TiO 2 nanocomposite films by the successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) technique for several cycles. The current density–voltage (J–V) characteristic curves of the assembled QDSSCs are measured at AM1.5 simulated sunlight. The optimal photovoltaic performance for CdS QDSSC was achieved for six SILAR cycles. Solar cells based on the RGO+TiO 2 nanocomposite photoanode achieve a 33% increase in conversion efficiency (η) compared with those based on plain TiO 2 nanoparticle (NP) photoanodes. The electron back recombination rates decrease significantly for CdS QDSSCs based on RGO+TiO 2 nanocomposite photoanodes. The lifetime constant (τ) for CdS QDSSC based on the RGO+TiO 2 nanocomposite photoanode is at least one order of magnitude larger than that based on the bare TiO 2 NPs photoanode. (paper)

  10. Dissociative recombination and excitation in ion storage rings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Larsson, Mats

    2000-01-01

    The application of ion storage rings to the study of electron-molecular ion interaction has led to an experimental breakthrough. The development since the first experiments with molecular ions in storage rings about seven years ago, which in themselves represented a big leap forward, has been striking, and was impossible to envision at the outset. The development has been driven by advances in accelerator physics, detector technology, challenging applications in astrophysics and atmospheric physics, and by a close interplay with theory. Despite the remarkable progress, many important questions remain unanswered. For example, even for someone with a good knowledge of molecular physics it may come as a surprise that it is far from understood how the simplest polyatomic molecule H 3 + recombines with electrons, and it remains an experimental controversy at what rate it recombines

  11. Three-Body Collision Contributions to Recombination and Collision-Induced Dissociation. II. Kinetics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kendrick, Brian; Pack, Russell T.; Walker, Robert B.

    1998-01-01

    Detailed rate constants for the reaction Ne + Ne + H r e quilibrium Ne 2 + H are generated, and the master equations governing collision-induced dissociation (CID) and recombination are accurately solved numerically. The temperature and pressure dependence are explored. At all pressures, three-body (3B) collisions dominate. The sequential two-body energy-transfer (ET) mechanism gives a rate that is more than a factor of two too small at low pressures and orders of magnitude too small at high pressures. Simpler models are explored; to describe the kinetics they must include direct 3B rates connecting the continuum to the bound states and to the quasibound states. The relevance of the present reaction to more general CID/recombination reactions is discussed. For atomic fragments, the 3B mechanism usually dominates. For diatomic fragments,the 3B and ET mechanism are competitive, and for polyatomic fragments the ET mechanism usually dominates

  12. Recombination coefficients in extrinsic n-InSb

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schneider, W.; Groh, H.; Huebner, K.

    1976-01-01

    The bulk recombination coefficients for linear recombination via recombination centers as well as for direct recombination have been determined measuring the conductivity decay after two-photon absorption with a CO 2 laser. The Suhl effect was applied to measure the surface recombination velocity. The corresponding literature is discussed and compared with our results. We conclude that two different kinds of recombination centers are possible in n-InSb, with energy levels (0.1-0.12)eV above the valence band, or (0.14-0.2)eV respectively. (orig.) [de

  13. Ion-ion Recombination and Chemiion Concentrations In Aircraft Exhaust

    Science.gov (United States)

    Turco, R. P.; Yu, F.

    Jet aircraft emit large quantities of ultrafine volatile aerosols, as well as soot parti- cles, into the environment. To determine the long-term effects of these emissions, a better understanding of the mechanisms that control particle formation and evolution is needed, including the number and size dispersion. A recent explanation for aerosol nucleation in a jet wake involves the condensation of sulfuric acid vapor, and cer- tain organic compounds, onto charged molecular clusters (chemiions) generated in the engine combustors (Yu and Turco, 1997). Massive charged aggregates, along with sulfuric acid and organic precursor vapors, have been detected in jet plumes under cruise conditions. In developing the chemiion nucleation theory, Yu and Turco noted that ion-ion recombination in the engine train and jet core should limit the chemiion emission index to 1017/kg-fuel. This value is consistent with ion-ion recombination coefficients of 1×10-7 cm3/s over time scales of 10-2 s. However, the evolution of the ions through the engine has not been adequately studied. The conditions at the combustor exit are extreme-temperatures approach 1500 K, and pressures can reach 30 atmospheres. In this presentation, we show that as the combustion gases expand and cool, two- and three-body ion-ion recombination processes control the chemiion concentration. The concepts of mutual neutralization and Thomson recombination are first summarized, and appropriate temperature and pressure dependent recombination rate coefficients are derived for the aircraft problem. A model for ion losses in jet exhaust is then formulated using an "invariance" principle discussed by Turco and Yu (1997) in the context of a coagulating aerosol in an expanding plume. This recombina- tion model is applied to estimate chemiion emission indices for a range of operational engine conditions. The predicted ion emission rates are found to be consistent with observations. We discuss the sources of variance in chemiion

  14. Asymmetric recombination and electron spin relaxation in the semiclassical theory of radical pair reactions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lewis, Alan M.; Manolopoulos, David E.; Hore, P. J.

    2014-01-01

    We describe how the semiclassical theory of radical pair recombination reactions recently introduced by two of us [D. E. Manolopoulos and P. J. Hore, J. Chem. Phys. 139, 124106 (2013)] can be generalised to allow for different singlet and triplet recombination rates. This is a non-trivial generalisation because when the recombination rates are different the recombination process is dynamically coupled to the coherent electron spin dynamics of the radical pair. Furthermore, because the recombination operator is a two-electron operator, it is no longer sufficient simply to consider the two electrons as classical vectors: one has to consider the complete set of 16 two-electron spin operators as independent classical variables. The resulting semiclassical theory is first validated by comparison with exact quantum mechanical results for a model radical pair containing 12 nuclear spins. It is then used to shed light on the spin dynamics of a carotenoid-porphyrin-fullerene triad containing considerably more nuclear spins which has recently been used to establish a “proof of principle” for the operation of a chemical compass [K. Maeda, K. B. Henbest, F. Cintolesi, I. Kuprov, C. T. Rodgers, P. A. Liddell, D. Gust, C. R. Timmel, and P. J. Hore, Nature (London) 453, 387 (2008)]. We find in particular that the intriguing biphasic behaviour that has been observed in the effect of an Earth-strength magnetic field on the time-dependent survival probability of the photo-excited C ·+ PF ·− radical pair arises from a delicate balance between its asymmetric recombination and the relaxation of the electron spin in the carotenoid radical

  15. A Network Approach to Analyzing Highly Recombinant Malaria Parasite Genes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Larremore, Daniel B.; Clauset, Aaron; Buckee, Caroline O.

    2013-01-01

    The var genes of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum present a challenge to population geneticists due to their extreme diversity, which is generated by high rates of recombination. These genes encode a primary antigen protein called PfEMP1, which is expressed on the surface of infected red blood cells and elicits protective immune responses. Var gene sequences are characterized by pronounced mosaicism, precluding the use of traditional phylogenetic tools that require bifurcating tree-like evolutionary relationships. We present a new method that identifies highly variable regions (HVRs), and then maps each HVR to a complex network in which each sequence is a node and two nodes are linked if they share an exact match of significant length. Here, networks of var genes that recombine freely are expected to have a uniformly random structure, but constraints on recombination will produce network communities that we identify using a stochastic block model. We validate this method on synthetic data, showing that it correctly recovers populations of constrained recombination, before applying it to the Duffy Binding Like-α (DBLα) domain of var genes. We find nine HVRs whose network communities map in distinctive ways to known DBLα classifications and clinical phenotypes. We show that the recombinational constraints of some HVRs are correlated, while others are independent. These findings suggest that this micromodular structuring facilitates independent evolutionary trajectories of neighboring mosaic regions, allowing the parasite to retain protein function while generating enormous sequence diversity. Our approach therefore offers a rigorous method for analyzing evolutionary constraints in var genes, and is also flexible enough to be easily applied more generally to any highly recombinant sequences. PMID:24130474

  16. A network approach to analyzing highly recombinant malaria parasite genes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Larremore, Daniel B; Clauset, Aaron; Buckee, Caroline O

    2013-01-01

    The var genes of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum present a challenge to population geneticists due to their extreme diversity, which is generated by high rates of recombination. These genes encode a primary antigen protein called PfEMP1, which is expressed on the surface of infected red blood cells and elicits protective immune responses. Var gene sequences are characterized by pronounced mosaicism, precluding the use of traditional phylogenetic tools that require bifurcating tree-like evolutionary relationships. We present a new method that identifies highly variable regions (HVRs), and then maps each HVR to a complex network in which each sequence is a node and two nodes are linked if they share an exact match of significant length. Here, networks of var genes that recombine freely are expected to have a uniformly random structure, but constraints on recombination will produce network communities that we identify using a stochastic block model. We validate this method on synthetic data, showing that it correctly recovers populations of constrained recombination, before applying it to the Duffy Binding Like-α (DBLα) domain of var genes. We find nine HVRs whose network communities map in distinctive ways to known DBLα classifications and clinical phenotypes. We show that the recombinational constraints of some HVRs are correlated, while others are independent. These findings suggest that this micromodular structuring facilitates independent evolutionary trajectories of neighboring mosaic regions, allowing the parasite to retain protein function while generating enormous sequence diversity. Our approach therefore offers a rigorous method for analyzing evolutionary constraints in var genes, and is also flexible enough to be easily applied more generally to any highly recombinant sequences.

  17. A network approach to analyzing highly recombinant malaria parasite genes.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daniel B Larremore

    Full Text Available The var genes of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum present a challenge to population geneticists due to their extreme diversity, which is generated by high rates of recombination. These genes encode a primary antigen protein called PfEMP1, which is expressed on the surface of infected red blood cells and elicits protective immune responses. Var gene sequences are characterized by pronounced mosaicism, precluding the use of traditional phylogenetic tools that require bifurcating tree-like evolutionary relationships. We present a new method that identifies highly variable regions (HVRs, and then maps each HVR to a complex network in which each sequence is a node and two nodes are linked if they share an exact match of significant length. Here, networks of var genes that recombine freely are expected to have a uniformly random structure, but constraints on recombination will produce network communities that we identify using a stochastic block model. We validate this method on synthetic data, showing that it correctly recovers populations of constrained recombination, before applying it to the Duffy Binding Like-α (DBLα domain of var genes. We find nine HVRs whose network communities map in distinctive ways to known DBLα classifications and clinical phenotypes. We show that the recombinational constraints of some HVRs are correlated, while others are independent. These findings suggest that this micromodular structuring facilitates independent evolutionary trajectories of neighboring mosaic regions, allowing the parasite to retain protein function while generating enormous sequence diversity. Our approach therefore offers a rigorous method for analyzing evolutionary constraints in var genes, and is also flexible enough to be easily applied more generally to any highly recombinant sequences.

  18. Electron-ion recombination at low energy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Andersen, L.H.

    1993-01-01

    The work is based on results obtained with a merged-beams experiment. A beam of electronics with a well characterized density and energy distribution was merged with a fast, monoenergetic ion beam. Results have been obtained for radiative recombination and dielectronic recombination at low relative energies (0 to ∼70eV). The obtained energy resolution was improved by about a factor of 30. High vacuum technology was used to suppress interactions with electrons from the environments. The velocity distribution of the electron beam was determined. State-selective dielectronic-recombination measurements were performable. Recombination processes were studied. The theoretical background for radiative recombination and Kramers' theory are reviewed. The quantum mechanical result and its relation to the semiclassical theory is discussed. Radiative recombination was also measured with several different non-bare ions, and the applicability of the semiclassical theory to non-bare ions was investigated. The use of an effective charge is discussed. For dielectronic recombination, the standard theoretical approach in the isolated resonance and independent-processes approximation is debated. The applicability of this method was tested. The theory was able to reproduce most of the experimental data except when the recombination process was sensitive to couplings between different electronic configurations. The influence of external perturbing electrostatic fields is discussed. (AB) (31 refs.)

  19. Ultrafast and band-selective Auger recombination in InGaN quantum wells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Williams, Kristopher W.; Monahan, Nicholas R.; Zhu, X.-Y.; Koleske, Daniel D.; Crawford, Mary H.

    2016-01-01

    In InGaN quantum well based light-emitting diodes, Auger recombination is believed to limit the quantum efficiency at high injection currents. Here, we report the direct observation of carrier loss from Auger recombination on a sub-picosecond timescale in a single InGaN quantum well using time-resolved photoemission. Selective excitations of different valence sub-bands reveal that the Auger rate constant decreases by two orders of magnitude as the effective hole mass decreases, confirming the critical role of momentum conservation.

  20. Recombinant Innovation and Endogenous Transitions

    OpenAIRE

    Koen Frenken; Luis R. Izquierdo; Paolo Zeppini

    2012-01-01

    We propose a model of technological transitions based on two different types of innovations. Branching innovations refer to technological improvements along a particular path, while recombinant innovations represent fusions of multiple paths. Recombinant innovations create “short-cuts” which reduce switching costs allowing agents to escape a technological lock-in. As a result, recombinant innovations speed up technological progress allowing transitions that are impossible with only branching ...

  1. YAP:Ce and CsI(Tl) detectors for dielectronic recombination experiment at the CSRm

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wen, W.Q.; Ma, X.; Xu, W.Q.; Meng, L.J.; Zhu, X.L.; Gao, Y.; Wang, S.L.; Zhang, P.J.; Zhao, D.M.; Liu, H.P.; Zhu, L.F.; Yang, X.D.; Li, J.; Ma, X.M.; Yan, T.L.; Yang, J.C.; Yuan, Y.J.; Xia, J.W.; Xu, H.S.; Xiao, G.Q.

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: • YAP:Ce and CsI(Tl) scintillation detectors are developed to detect heavy ions at the storage ring. • A high count rate of ∼10 7 s −1 is obtained with the YAP:Ce detector for heavy ion detection. • YAP:Ce detector shows good performance for DR experiment with 3.7 MeV/u 112 Sn 35+ . -- Abstract: The storage ring CSRm in Lanzhou provides good possibilities for electron-ion collision studies with cooled ion beams. To carry on the recombination experiment at the CSRm, a scintillation detector CsI(Tl) to detect the recombined ions was developed and tested. In addition, a YAP:Ce detector has been developed and installed at CSRm and capability of handling a high count rate of ∼10 7 s −1 has been obtained which is sufficient for the future dielectronic recombination experiment at the CSRm. The comparison of the characteristics of these two detectors is presented

  2. Radiative Recombination and Photoionization Data for Tungsten Ions. Electron Structure of Ions in Plasmas

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Malvina B. Trzhaskovskaya

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available Theoretical studies of tungsten ions in plasmas are presented. New calculations of the radiative recombination and photoionization cross-sections, as well as radiative recombination and radiated power loss rate coefficients have been performed for 54 tungsten ions for the range W6+–W71+. The data are of importance for fusion investigations at the reactor ITER, as well as devices ASDEX Upgrade and EBIT. Calculations are fully relativistic. Electron wave functions are found by the Dirac–Fock method with proper consideration of the electron exchange. All significant multipoles of the radiative field are taken into account. The radiative recombination rates and the radiated power loss rates are determined provided the continuum electron velocity is described by the relativistic Maxwell–Jüttner distribution. The impact of the core electron polarization on the radiative recombination cross-section is estimated for the Ne-like iron ion and for highly-charged tungsten ions within an analytical approximation using the Dirac–Fock electron wave functions. The effect is shown to enhance the radiative recombination cross-sections by ≲20%. The enhancement depends on the photon energy, the principal quantum number of polarized shells and the ion charge. The influence of plasma temperature and density on the electron structure of ions in local thermodynamic equilibrium plasmas is investigated. Results for the iron and uranium ions in dense plasmas are in good agreement with previous calculations. New calculations were performed for the tungsten ion in dense plasmas on the basis of the average-atom model, as well as for the impurity tungsten ion in fusion plasmas using the non-linear self-consistent field screening model. The temperature and density dependence of the ion charge, level energies and populations are considered.

  3. Regions of homozygosity in the porcine genome: consequence of demography and the recombination landscape.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mirte Bosse

    Full Text Available Inbreeding has long been recognized as a primary cause of fitness reduction in both wild and domesticated populations. Consanguineous matings cause inheritance of haplotypes that are identical by descent (IBD and result in homozygous stretches along the genome of the offspring. Size and position of regions of homozygosity (ROHs are expected to correlate with genomic features such as GC content and recombination rate, but also direction of selection. Thus, ROHs should be non-randomly distributed across the genome. Therefore, demographic history may not fully predict the effects of inbreeding. The porcine genome has a relatively heterogeneous distribution of recombination rate, making Sus scrofa an excellent model to study the influence of both recombination landscape and demography on genomic variation. This study utilizes next-generation sequencing data for the analysis of genomic ROH patterns, using a comparative sliding window approach. We present an in-depth study of genomic variation based on three different parameters: nucleotide diversity outside ROHs, the number of ROHs in the genome, and the average ROH size. We identified an abundance of ROHs in all genomes of multiple pigs from commercial breeds and wild populations from Eurasia. Size and number of ROHs are in agreement with known demography of the populations, with population bottlenecks highly increasing ROH occurrence. Nucleotide diversity outside ROHs is high in populations derived from a large ancient population, regardless of current population size. In addition, we show an unequal genomic ROH distribution, with strong correlations of ROH size and abundance with recombination rate and GC content. Global gene content does not correlate with ROH frequency, but some ROH hotspots do contain positive selected genes in commercial lines and wild populations. This study highlights the importance of the influence of demography and recombination on homozygosity in the genome to understand

  4. Optimizing the feeding operation of recombinant Escherichia coli ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Recombinant Escherichia coli BL21 was used to produce human-like collagen in fed-batch culture. After building and analyzing the kinetic models of fed-batch cultures, the maximum specific growth rate, Yx/s and Yp/s were 0.411 h-1 , 0.428 g·g-1 and 0.0716 g/g, respectively. The square error of cell growth models, glucose ...

  5. Caenorhabditis briggsae recombinant inbred line genotypes reveal inter-strain incompatibility and the evolution of recombination.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Joseph A Ross

    2011-07-01

    Full Text Available The nematode Caenorhabditis briggsae is an emerging model organism that allows evolutionary comparisons with C. elegans and exploration of its own unique biological attributes. To produce a high-resolution C. briggsae recombination map, recombinant inbred lines were generated from reciprocal crosses between two strains and genotyped at over 1,000 loci. A second set of recombinant inbred lines involving a third strain was also genotyped at lower resolution. The resulting recombination maps exhibit discrete domains of high and low recombination, as in C. elegans, indicating these are a general feature of Caenorhabditis species. The proportion of a chromosome's physical size occupied by the central, low-recombination domain is highly correlated between species. However, the C. briggsae intra-species comparison reveals striking variation in the distribution of recombination between domains. Hybrid lines made with the more divergent pair of strains also exhibit pervasive marker transmission ratio distortion, evidence of selection acting on hybrid genotypes. The strongest effect, on chromosome III, is explained by a developmental delay phenotype exhibited by some hybrid F2 animals. In addition, on chromosomes IV and V, cross direction-specific biases towards one parental genotype suggest the existence of cytonuclear epistatic interactions. These interactions are discussed in relation to surprising mitochondrial genome polymorphism in C. briggsae, evidence that the two strains diverged in allopatry, the potential for local adaptation, and the evolution of Dobzhansky-Muller incompatibilities. The genetic and genomic resources resulting from this work will support future efforts to understand inter-strain divergence as well as facilitate studies of gene function, natural variation, and the evolution of recombination in Caenorhabditis nematodes.

  6. Recombinant pinoresinol/lariciresinol reductase, recombinant dirigent protein, and methods of use

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lewis, Norman G.; Davin, Laurence B.; Dinkova-Kostova, Albena T.; Fujita, Masayuki; Gang, David R.; Sarkanen, Simo; Ford, Joshua D.

    2001-04-03

    Dirigent proteins and pinoresinol/lariciresinol reductases have been isolated, together with cDNAs encoding dirigent proteins and pinoresinol/lariciresinol reductases. Accordingly, isolated DNA sequences are provided which code for the expression of dirigent proteins and pinoresinol/lariciresinol reductases. In other aspects, replicable recombinant cloning vehicles are provided which code for dirigent proteins or pinoresinol/lariciresinol reductases or for a base sequence sufficiently complementary to at least a portion of dirigent protein or pinoresinol/lariciresinol reductase DNA or RNA to enable hybridization therewith. In yet other aspects, modified host cells are provided that have been transformed, transfected, infected and/or injected with a recombinant cloning vehicle and/or DNA sequence encoding dirigent protein or pinoresinol/lariciresinol reductase. Thus, systems and methods are provided for the recombinant expression of dirigent proteins and/or pinoresinol/lariciresinol reductases.

  7. Genetic Characterization of a Novel HIV-1 Circulating Recombinant Form (CRF74_01B) Identified among Intravenous Drug Users in Malaysia: Recombination History and Phylogenetic Linkage with Previously Defined Recombinant Lineages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheong, Hui Ting; Chow, Wei Zhen; Takebe, Yutaka; Chook, Jack Bee; Chan, Kok Gan; Al-Darraji, Haider Abdulrazzaq Abed; Koh, Clayton; Kamarulzaman, Adeeba; Tee, Kok Keng

    2015-01-01

    In many parts of Southeast Asia, the HIV-1 epidemic has been driven by the sharing of needles and equipment among intravenous drug users (IDUs). Over the last few decades, many studies have proven time and again that the diversity of HIV-1 epidemics can often be linked to the route of infection transmission. That said, the diversity and complexity of HIV-1 molecular epidemics in the region have been increasing at an alarming rate, due in part to the high tendency of the viral RNA to recombine. This scenario was exemplified by the discovery of numerous circulating recombinant forms (CRFs), especially in Thailand and Malaysia. In this study, we characterized a novel CRF designated CRF74_01B, which was identified in six epidemiologically unlinked IDUs in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The near-full length genomes were composed of CRF01_AE and subtype B', with eight breakpoints dispersed in the gag-pol and nef regions. Remarkably, this CRF shared four and two recombination hotspots with the previously described CRF33_01B and the less prevalent CRF53_01B, respectively. Genealogy-based Bayesian phylogenetic analysis of CRF74_01B genomic regions showed that it is closely related to both CRF33_01B and CRF53_01B. This observation suggests that CRF74_01B was probably a direct descendent from specific lineages of CRF33_01B, CRF53_01B and subtype B' that could have emerged in the mid-1990s. Additionally, it illustrated the active recombination processes between prevalent HIV-1 subtypes and recombinants in Malaysia. In summary, we report a novel HIV-1 genotype designated CRF74_01B among IDUs in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The characterization of the novel CRF74_01B is of considerable significance towards the understanding of the genetic diversity and population dynamics of HIV-1 circulating in the region.

  8. Genetic Characterization of a Novel HIV-1 Circulating Recombinant Form (CRF74_01B Identified among Intravenous Drug Users in Malaysia: Recombination History and Phylogenetic Linkage with Previously Defined Recombinant Lineages.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hui Ting Cheong

    Full Text Available In many parts of Southeast Asia, the HIV-1 epidemic has been driven by the sharing of needles and equipment among intravenous drug users (IDUs. Over the last few decades, many studies have proven time and again that the diversity of HIV-1 epidemics can often be linked to the route of infection transmission. That said, the diversity and complexity of HIV-1 molecular epidemics in the region have been increasing at an alarming rate, due in part to the high tendency of the viral RNA to recombine. This scenario was exemplified by the discovery of numerous circulating recombinant forms (CRFs, especially in Thailand and Malaysia. In this study, we characterized a novel CRF designated CRF74_01B, which was identified in six epidemiologically unlinked IDUs in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The near-full length genomes were composed of CRF01_AE and subtype B', with eight breakpoints dispersed in the gag-pol and nef regions. Remarkably, this CRF shared four and two recombination hotspots with the previously described CRF33_01B and the less prevalent CRF53_01B, respectively. Genealogy-based Bayesian phylogenetic analysis of CRF74_01B genomic regions showed that it is closely related to both CRF33_01B and CRF53_01B. This observation suggests that CRF74_01B was probably a direct descendent from specific lineages of CRF33_01B, CRF53_01B and subtype B' that could have emerged in the mid-1990s. Additionally, it illustrated the active recombination processes between prevalent HIV-1 subtypes and recombinants in Malaysia. In summary, we report a novel HIV-1 genotype designated CRF74_01B among IDUs in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The characterization of the novel CRF74_01B is of considerable significance towards the understanding of the genetic diversity and population dynamics of HIV-1 circulating in the region.

  9. Comprehensive characterization of glutamine synthetase-mediated selection for the establishment of recombinant CHO cells producing monoclonal antibodies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Noh, Soo Min; Shin, Seunghyeon; Lee, Gyun Min

    2018-03-29

    To characterize a glutamine synthetase (GS)-based selection system, monoclonal antibody (mAb) producing recombinant CHO cell clones were generated by a single round of selection at various methionine sulfoximine (MSX) concentrations (0, 25, and 50 μM) using two different host cell lines (CHO-K1 and GS-knockout CHO). Regardless of the host cell lines used, the clones selected at 50 μM MSX had the lowest average specific growth rate and the highest average specific production rates of toxic metabolic wastes, lactate and ammonia. Unlike CHO-K1, high producing clones could be generated in the absence of MSX using GS-knockout CHO with an improved selection stringency. Regardless of the host cell lines used, the clones selected at various MSX concentrations showed no significant difference in the GS, heavy chain, and light chain gene copies (P > 0.05). Furthermore, there was no correlation between the specific mAb productivity and these three gene copies (R 2  ≤ 0.012). Taken together, GS-mediated gene amplification does not occur in a single round of selection at a MSX concentration up to 50 μM. The use of the GS-knockout CHO host cell line facilitates the rapid generation of high producing clones with reduced production of lactate and ammonia in the absence of MSX.

  10. Change in Body Mass Index Associated With Lowest Mortality in Denmark, 1976-2013.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Afzal, Shoaib; Tybjærg-Hansen, Anne; Jensen, Gorm B; Nordestgaard, Børge G

    2016-05-10

    Research has shown a U-shaped pattern in the association of body mass index (BMI) with mortality. Although average BMI has increased over time in most countries, the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors may also be decreasing among obese individuals over time. Thus, the BMI associated with lowest all-cause mortality may have changed. To determine whether the BMI value that is associated with the lowest all-cause mortality has increased in the general population over a period of 3 decades. Three cohorts from the same general population enrolled at different times: the Copenhagen City Heart Study in 1976-1978 (n = 13,704) and 1991-1994 (n = 9482) and the Copenhagen General Population Study in 2003-2013 (n = 97,362). All participants were followed up from inclusion in the studies to November 2014, emigration, or death, whichever came first. For observational studies, BMI was modeled using splines and in categories defined by the World Health Organization. Body mass index was calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared. Main outcome was all-cause mortality and secondary outcomes were cause-specific mortality. The number of deaths during follow-up was 10,624 in the 1976-1978 cohort (78% cumulative mortality; mortality rate [MR], 30/1000 person-years [95%CI, 20-46]), 5025 in the 1991-1994 cohort (53%; MR, 16/1000 person-years [95%CI, 9-30]), and 5580 in the 2003-2013 cohort (6%;MR, 4/1000 person-years [95%CI, 1-10]). Except for cancer mortality, the association of BMI with all-cause, cardiovascular, and other mortality was curvilinear (U-shaped). The BMI associated with the lowest all-cause mortality increased by 3.3 from the 1976-1978 cohort compared with the 2003-2013 cohort. [table: see text] The multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios for all-cause mortality for BMI of 30 or more vs BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 were 1.31 (95%CI, 1.23-1.39;MR, 46/1000 person-years [95%CI, 32-66] vs 28/1000 person-years [95%CI, 18-45]) in the 1976

  11. Dissociative Recombination and Excitation of CH+5 : Absolute Cross Sections and Branching Fractions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Semaniak, J.; Larson, A.; Le Padellec, A.; Stroemholm, C.; Larsson, M.; Rosen, S.; Peverall, R.; Danared, H.; Djuric, N.; Dunn, G.H.; Datz, S.

    1998-01-01

    The heavy-ion storage ring CRYRING was used to measure the absolute dissociative recombination and dissociative excitation cross sections for collision energies below 50 eV. Deduced thermal rates coefficients are consistent with previous beams data but are lower by a factor of 3 than the rates measured by means of the flowing afterglow Langmuir probe technique. A resonant structure in dissociative recombination cross section was found at 9 eV. We have determined the branching fractions in DR of CH + 5 below 0.2 eV. The branching is dominated by three-body CH 3 + H + H and CH 2 + H 2 + H dissociation channels, which occur with branching ratios of ∼0.7 and ∼0.2, respectively; thus methane is a minor species among dissociation products. Both the measured absolute cross sections and branching in dissociative recombination of CH + 5 can have important implications for the models of dense interstellar clouds and abundance of CH 2 , CH 3 and CH 4 in these media. copyright copyright 1998. The American Astronomical Society

  12. Recombinant protein expression in Pichia pastoris strains with an engineered methanol utilization pathway

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-01-01

    Βackground The methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris has become an important host organism for recombinant protein production and is able to use methanol as a sole carbon source. The methanol utilization pathway describes all the catalytic reactions, which happen during methanol metabolism. Despite the importance of certain key enzymes in this pathway, so far very little is known about possible effects of overexpressing either of these key enzymes on the overall energetic behavior, the productivity and the substrate uptake rate in P. pastoris strains. Results A fast and easy-to-do approach based on batch cultivations with methanol pulses was used to characterize different P. pastoris strains. A strain with MutS phenotype was found to be superior over a strain with Mut+ phenotype in both the volumetric productivity and the efficiency in expressing recombinant horseradish peroxidase C1A. Consequently, either of the enzymes dihydroxyacetone synthase, transketolase or formaldehyde dehydrogenase, which play key roles in the methanol utilization pathway, was co-overexpressed in MutS strains harboring either of the reporter enzymes horseradish peroxidase or Candida antarctica lipase B. Although the co-overexpression of these enzymes did not change the stoichiometric yields of the recombinant MutS strains, significant changes in the specific growth rate, the specific substrate uptake rate and the specific productivity were observed. Co-overexpression of dihydroxyacetone synthase yielded a 2- to 3-fold more efficient conversion of the substrate methanol into product, but also resulted in a reduced volumetric productivity. Co-overexpression of formaldehyde dehydrogenase resulted in a 2-fold more efficient conversion of the substrate into product and at least similar volumetric productivities compared to strains without an engineered methanol utilization pathway, and thus turned out to be a valuable strategy to improve recombinant protein production. Conclusions Co

  13. Recombinant protein expression in Pichia pastoris strains with an engineered methanol utilization pathway

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Krainer Florian W

    2012-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Βackground The methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris has become an important host organism for recombinant protein production and is able to use methanol as a sole carbon source. The methanol utilization pathway describes all the catalytic reactions, which happen during methanol metabolism. Despite the importance of certain key enzymes in this pathway, so far very little is known about possible effects of overexpressing either of these key enzymes on the overall energetic behavior, the productivity and the substrate uptake rate in P. pastoris strains. Results A fast and easy-to-do approach based on batch cultivations with methanol pulses was used to characterize different P. pastoris strains. A strain with MutS phenotype was found to be superior over a strain with Mut+ phenotype in both the volumetric productivity and the efficiency in expressing recombinant horseradish peroxidase C1A. Consequently, either of the enzymes dihydroxyacetone synthase, transketolase or formaldehyde dehydrogenase, which play key roles in the methanol utilization pathway, was co-overexpressed in MutS strains harboring either of the reporter enzymes horseradish peroxidase or Candida antarctica lipase B. Although the co-overexpression of these enzymes did not change the stoichiometric yields of the recombinant MutS strains, significant changes in the specific growth rate, the specific substrate uptake rate and the specific productivity were observed. Co-overexpression of dihydroxyacetone synthase yielded a 2- to 3-fold more efficient conversion of the substrate methanol into product, but also resulted in a reduced volumetric productivity. Co-overexpression of formaldehyde dehydrogenase resulted in a 2-fold more efficient conversion of the substrate into product and at least similar volumetric productivities compared to strains without an engineered methanol utilization pathway, and thus turned out to be a valuable strategy to improve recombinant protein

  14. Relativistic calculation of dielectronic recombination for He-like krypton

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Shi Xi-Heng; Wang Yan-Sen; Chen Chong-Yang; Gu Ming-Feng

    2005-01-01

    Dielectronic recombination (DR) cross sections and rate coefficients of He-like Kr are calculated employing the relativistic flexible atomic code, in which autoionization rates are calculated based on the relativistic distorted-wave approximation and the configuration interaction is considered. The Auger and total radiative rates of some strong resonances are listed and compared with the results from multiconfiguration Dirac-Fock and Hebrew University Lawrence Livermore Atomic Code methods. The n-3 scaling law is checked and used to extrapolate rate coefficients. We also show the variation of DR branching ratio with different DR resonances or atomic number Z. The effect of radiative cascades on DR cross sections are studied.

  15. Consequences of recombination on traditional phylogenetic analysis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Schierup, M H; Hein, J

    2000-01-01

    We investigate the shape of a phylogenetic tree reconstructed from sequences evolving under the coalescent with recombination. The motivation is that evolutionary inferences are often made from phylogenetic trees reconstructed from population data even though recombination may well occur (mt......DNA or viral sequences) or does occur (nuclear sequences). We investigate the size and direction of biases when a single tree is reconstructed ignoring recombination. Standard software (PHYLIP) was used to construct the best phylogenetic tree from sequences simulated under the coalescent with recombination....... With recombination present, the length of terminal branches and the total branch length are larger, and the time to the most recent common ancestor smaller, than for a tree reconstructed from sequences evolving with no recombination. The effects are pronounced even for small levels of recombination that may...

  16. Kinetic model of a Ne-H2 Penning Recombination Laser operating in the hollow cathode discharge

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pramatarov, P.M.; Stefanova, M.S.; Petrov, G.M.

    1995-01-01

    The Penning Recombination Laser (PRL) requires the presence of both a recombination plasma populating the upper laser level (ULL) and a gas component efficiently depopulating the lower laser level (LLL) by Penning reactions. Such requirements are met in the negative glow plasma of a pulsed high voltage Ne-H 2 discharge with a helical hollow cathode. High rates of ionizations followed by recombinations are reached due to the beam component of non-Maxwellian electrons of 1-2 keV energy present in the tail of the electron energy distribution function. The H 2 , on the one hand plays the role of Penning component and on the other hand effectively cools the electrons by rotational and vibrational levels excitation. The latter contributes to the effectiveness of the recombination processes. A kinetic model of the physical processes determining the inversion population on the NeI(2p 1 -1s 2 ) transition (the 585.3 nm line) in a Ne-H 2 PRL operating in a high voltage hollow cathode discharge at intermediate pressures is proposed. About 60 plasma-chemical reactions are considered in the model. These include: two-electron recombination of Ne + ; dissociative recombination of Ne 2 + , NeH + and H 2 + ; ion-ion recombination of Ne + and H - ; Ne and H 2 direct ionization by fast electrons; Ne stepwise ionization; Penning ionization; Ne excitation by fast electrons; Ne stepwise excitation and de-excitation; radiative transitions; electron mixing between Ne excited states; H 2 rotational and vibrational levels excitation; H 2 dissociative attachment; elastic electron collisions with H 2 and Ne. The rate constants for the reactions are either taken from the literature or calculated in this work

  17. Rationality, irrationality and escalating behavior in lowest unique bid auctions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Radicchi, Filippo; Baronchelli, Andrea; Amaral, Luís A N

    2012-01-01

    Information technology has revolutionized the traditional structure of markets. The removal of geographical and time constraints has fostered the growth of online auction markets, which now include millions of economic agents worldwide and annual transaction volumes in the billions of dollars. Here, we analyze bid histories of a little studied type of online auctions--lowest unique bid auctions. Similarly to what has been reported for foraging animals searching for scarce food, we find that agents adopt Lévy flight search strategies in their exploration of "bid space". The Lévy regime, which is characterized by a power-law decaying probability distribution of step lengths, holds over nearly three orders of magnitude. We develop a quantitative model for lowest unique bid online auctions that reveals that agents use nearly optimal bidding strategies. However, agents participating in these auctions do not optimize their financial gain. Indeed, as long as there are many auction participants, a rational profit optimizing agent would choose not to participate in these auction markets.

  18. Exploiting translational coupling for the selection of cells producing toxic recombinant proteins from expression vectors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tagliavia, Marcello; Cuttitta, Angela

    2016-01-01

    High rates of plasmid instability are associated with the use of some expression vectors in Escherichia coli, resulting in the loss of recombinant protein expression. This is due to sequence alterations in vector promoter elements caused by the background expression of the cloned gene, which leads to the selection of fast-growing, plasmid-containing cells that do not express the target protein. This phenomenon, which is worsened when expressing toxic proteins, results in preparations containing very little or no recombinant protein, or even in clone loss; however, no methods to prevent loss of recombinant protein expression are currently available. We have exploited the phenomenon of translational coupling, a mechanism of prokaryotic gene expression regulation, in order to select cells containing plasmids still able to express recombinant proteins. Here we designed an expression vector in which the cloned gene and selection marker are co-expressed. Our approach allowed for the selection of the recombinant protein-expressing cells and proved effective even for clones encoding toxic proteins.

  19. Central role of the Holliday junction helicase RuvAB in vlsE recombination and infectivity of Borrelia burgdorferi.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tao Lin

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available Antigenic variation plays a vital role in the pathogenesis of many infectious bacteria and protozoa including Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease. VlsE, a 35 kDa surface-exposed lipoprotein, undergoes antigenic variation during B. burgdorferi infection of mammalian hosts, and is believed to be a critical mechanism by which the spirochetes evade immune clearance. Random, segmental recombination between the expressed vlsE gene and adjacent vls silent cassettes generates a large number of different VlsE variants within the infected host. Although the occurrence and importance of vlsE sequence variation is well established, little is known about the biological mechanism of vlsE recombination. To identify factors important in antigenic variation and vlsE recombination, we screened transposon mutants of genes known to be involved in DNA recombination and repair for their effects on infectivity and vlsE recombination. Several mutants, including those in BB0023 (ruvA, BB0022 (ruvB, BB0797 (mutS, and BB0098 (mutS-II, showed reduced infectivity in immunocompetent C3H/HeN mice. Mutants in ruvA and ruvB exhibited greatly reduced rates of vlsE recombination in C3H/HeN mice, as determined by restriction fragment polymorphism (RFLP screening and DNA sequence analysis. In severe combined immunodeficiency (C3H/scid mice, the ruvA mutant retained full infectivity; however, all recovered clones retained the 'parental' vlsE sequence, consistent with low rates of vlsE recombination. These results suggest that the reduced infectivity of ruvA and ruvB mutants is the result of ineffective vlsE recombination and underscores the important role that vlsE recombination plays in immune evasion. Based on functional studies in other organisms, the RuvAB complex of B. burgdorferi may promote branch migration of Holliday junctions during vlsE recombination. Our findings are consistent with those in the accompanying article by Dresser et al., and together

  20. In vitro recombination of bacteriophage T7 DNA damaged by uv radiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Masker, W.E.; Kuemmerle, N.B.

    1980-01-01

    A system capable of in vitro packaging of exogenous bacteriophage T7 DNA has been used to monitor the biological activity of DNA replicated in vitro. This system has been used to follow the effects of uv radiation on in vitro replication and recombination. During the in vitro replication process, a considerable exchange of genetic information occurs between T7 DNA molecules present in the reaction mixture. This in vitro recombination is reflected in the genotype of the T7 phage produced after in vitro encapsulation; depending on the genetic markers selected, recombinants can comprise nearly 20% of the total phage production. When uv-irradiated DNA is incubated in this system, the amount of in vitro synthesis is reduced and the total amount of viable phage produced after in vitro packaging is diminished. In vitro recombination rates are also lower when the participating DNA molecules have been exposed to uv. However, biochemical and genetic measurements confirmed that there is little or no transfer of pyrimidine dimers from irradiated DNA into undamaged molecules

  1. Biochemical characterization of Aspergillus oryzae recombinant α-l-rhamnosidase expressed in Pichia pastoris.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ishikawa, Mai; Shiono, Yoshihito; Koseki, Takuya

    2017-12-01

    An α-l-rhamnosidase-encoding gene from Aspergillus oryzae, which belongs to the glycoside hydrolase family 78, was cloned and expressed in Pichia pastoris. SDS-PAGE of the purified recombinant α-l-rhamnosidase protein revealed smeared bands with apparent molecular mass of 90-130 kDa. After N-deglycosylation, the recombinant enzyme showed a molecular mass of 70 kDa. The enzyme exhibited optimal activity at a pH of 5.0 and a temperature of 70 °C. Specific activity of the enzyme was higher toward hesperidin than toward naringin, which consist of α-1,6 and α-1,2 linkages, respectively. The activity was also higher toward hesperidin than toward rutin, which consist of 7-O- and 3-O-glycosyl linkages of flavonoids, respectively. Kinetic analysis of the enzyme showed that the Michaelis constant (K m ) was lowest toward rutin, moderate toward naringin, and higher toward p-nitrophenyl-α-l-rhamnopyranoside and hesperidin. Its high catalytic efficiency (k cat /K m ) toward rutin was results of its low K m value while its high catalytic efficiency toward hesperidin was results of a considerably high k cat value. Copyright © 2017 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Pathways of low carbon transition at the lowest cost. Pathways of low carbon transition in France at the lowest cost - Dynamics and average abatement costs (MACC)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Perrissin Fabert, Baptiste; Foussard, Alexis

    2016-11-01

    The objective to divide greenhouse gas emissions in France by a factor four by 2050 implies the mobilisation at the lowest cost of the whole set of known sources of reduction of emissions in all economic sectors. In this context, this report is based on a methodology (D-CAM in French for dynamics - average abatement costs, MACC in English for Medium Abatement Cost Curves) which relies on a theoretical business-as-usual scenario, on a database on the potential, rate of development, and cost of mobilizable sources, and on a dynamic model of cost minimisation. The MACC tool is used to explore, for each sector, scenarios of de-carbonation which allow objectives of reduction of greenhouse gas emissions to be reached at different time horizons. An aggregated approach of this tool modifies the distribution of efforts of emission reduction between sectors with respect to a sector-based approach. Thus, a macro-assessment of low carbon transition does not reveal any obvious over-cost with respect to the business-as-usual scenario. A second document is a Power Point presentation which contains the same information, curves and graphs

  3. Low-frequency Carbon Radio Recombination Lines. I. Calculations of Departure Coefficients

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Salgado, F.; Morabito, L. K.; Oonk, J. B. R.; Salas, P.; Toribio, M. C.; Röttgering, H. J. A.; Tielens, A. G. G. M. [Leiden Observatory, University of Leiden, P.O. Box 9513, 2300 RA Leiden (Netherlands)

    2017-03-10

    In the first paper of this series, we study the level population problem of recombining carbon ions. We focus our study on high quantum numbers, anticipating observations of carbon radio recombination lines to be carried out by the Low Frequency Array. We solve the level population equation including angular momentum levels with updated collision rates up to high principal quantum numbers. We derive departure coefficients by solving the level population equation in the hydrogenic approximation and including low-temperature dielectronic capture effects. Our results in the hydrogenic approximation agree well with those of previous works. When comparing our results including dielectronic capture, we find differences that we ascribe to updates in the atomic physics (e.g., collision rates) and to the approximate solution method of the statistical equilibrium equations adopted in previous studies. A comparison with observations is discussed in an accompanying article, as radiative transfer effects need to be considered.

  4. Using Whole Genome Analysis to Examine Recombination across Diverse Sequence Types of Staphylococcus aureus.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elizabeth M Driebe

    Full Text Available Staphylococcus aureus is an important clinical pathogen worldwide and understanding this organism's phylogeny and, in particular, the role of recombination, is important both to understand the overall spread of virulent lineages and to characterize outbreaks. To further elucidate the phylogeny of S. aureus, 35 diverse strains were sequenced using whole genome sequencing. In addition, 29 publicly available whole genome sequences were included to create a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP-based phylogenetic tree encompassing 11 distinct lineages. All strains of a particular sequence type fell into the same clade with clear groupings of the major clonal complexes of CC8, CC5, CC30, CC45 and CC1. Using a novel analysis method, we plotted the homoplasy density and SNP density across the whole genome and found evidence of recombination throughout the entire chromosome, but when we examined individual clonal lineages we found very little recombination. However, when we analyzed three branches of multiple lineages, we saw intermediate and differing levels of recombination between them. These data demonstrate that in S. aureus, recombination occurs across major lineages that subsequently expand in a clonal manner. Estimated mutation rates for the CC8 and CC5 lineages were different from each other. While the CC8 lineage rate was similar to previous studies, the CC5 lineage was 100-fold greater. Fifty known virulence genes were screened in all genomes in silico to determine their distribution across major clades. Thirty-three genes were present variably across clades, most of which were not constrained by ancestry, indicating horizontal gene transfer or gene loss.

  5. A storage ring study of dissociative excitation and recombination of D3+

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Le Padellec, A.; Larson, Aa.; Semaniak, J.; Stroemholm, C.; Larsson, M.; Rosen, S.; Danared, H.; Peterson, J.R.

    1998-01-01

    Dissociative recombination and excitation of D 3 + have been studied in CRYRING, a heavy-ion storage ring at the Manne Siegbahn laboratory at Stockholm University. The measured cross section for dissociative recombination was used to deduce a 300 K rate constant of 2.7 x 10 -8 cm 3 s -1 . This is a factor of four smaller than the corresponding value for H 3 + measured earlier in CRYRING. Dissociative excitation into both the D and 2D channels (D + D or D 2 ) were studied. The 2D channel occurs at energies below threshold for the ion's dissociative states, which indicates that resonant enhanced dissociative excitation via autoionizing resonances takes place. No measurable effect could be observed for the dissociative recombination cross sections when an electric field of 30 V/cm was applied to the electron-ion interaction region. (orig.)

  6. Dependence of the anomalous fading of the TL and blue-OSL of fluorapatite on the occupancy of the tunnelling recombination sites

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tsirliganis, N.C.; Polymeris, G.S.; Kitis, G.; Pagonis, V.

    2007-01-01

    The anomalous fading (AF) of thermoluminescence (TL) and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) signals in Durango apatite is attributed to tunnelling effects. Electrons from the TL and OSL traps in this material are transferred, via a tunnelling effect, to the recombination sites. The availability of recombination sites for tunnelled electrons is of major importance for the degree of AF rate observed in this material. It is expected that a variation of the number of the electron recombination sites will be reflected in the experimentally measured AF rate. In the present work an investigation of the recombination sites for the tunnelled electrons is attempted by studying the AF effect using a special technique, in which the anomalously faded TL (OSL) is replaced by an equal amount of TL (OSL) induced by a beta dose

  7. Charge recombination process in X-ray irradiated pyrene-doped polystyrene as studied by optically detected electron spin resonance and magnetic field dependence of the recombination fluorescence

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Okazaki, Masaharu; Tai, Yutaka; Toriyama, Kazumi

    1993-01-01

    The optically-detected ESR (ODESR) spectrum and magnetic field dependence on recombination fluorescence were observed for X-ray irradiated pyrene-doped polystyrene at temperatures of 242-348 K. The ODESR intensity as a function of the pyrene concentration, 0.1-8.9 wt%, showed an unusual minimum at about 1.0%. Two phases were separated in the magnetic field dependence of the fluorescence: one was sharp and saturates at fields of over 50 mT, while the other was broad with a dip at around 60-150 mT. The cause of this dip was naturally attributed to the ST -1 level crossing. The sharp magnetic field effect also showed a minimum at around a concentration of 1.0 wt%. These novel findings have been interpreted using a recombination model modified from the previous one for pyrene-doped ethylene-propylene rubber and polyethylene. The essential points of the present model are: (1) although electron hopping within the polystyrene molecule is rapid, electron transfer at the last step of recombination between the polystyrene anion and the pyrene cation proceeds at a moderate rate; (2) the hole-transfer rate in the polymer chain is moderate; (3) electron hopping between the doped pyrene molecules is very much dependent on the concentration; (4) hole hopping between the pyrenes is inhibited. (author)

  8. Effect of recombination on the open-circuit voltage of a silicon solar cell

    Science.gov (United States)

    Von Roos, O.; Landsberg, P. T.

    1985-01-01

    A theoretical study of the influence of band-band Auger, band-trap Auger, and the ordinary Shockley-Read-Hall mechanism for carrier recombination on the open-circuit voltage VOC of a solar cell is presented. Under reasonable assumptions for the magnitude of rate constants and realistic values for trap densities, surface recombination velocities and band-gap narrowing, the maximum VOC for typical back surface field solar cells is found to lie in the range between 0.61 and 0.72 V independent of base width.

  9. The impact of respiration and oxidative stress response on recombinant α-amylase production by Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martínez, José L; Meza, Eugenio; Petranovic, Dina; Nielsen, Jens

    2016-12-01

    Studying protein production is important for fundamental research on cell biology and applied research for biotechnology. Yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is an attractive workhorse for production of recombinant proteins as it does not secrete many endogenous proteins and it is therefore easy to purify a secreted product. However, recombinant production at high rates represents a significant metabolic burden for the yeast cells, which results in oxidative stress and ultimately affects the protein production capacity. Here we describe a method to reduce the overall oxidative stress by overexpressing the endogenous HAP1 gene in a S. cerevisiae strain overproducing recombinant α-amylase. We demonstrate how Hap1p can activate a set of oxidative stress response genes and meanwhile contribute to increase the metabolic rate of the yeast strains, therefore mitigating the negative effect of the ROS accumulation associated to protein folding and hence increasing the production capacity during batch fermentations.

  10. Recombination of Globally Circulating Varicella-Zoster Virus

    Science.gov (United States)

    Depledge, Daniel P.; Kundu, Samit; Atkinson, Claire; Brown, Julianne; Haque, Tanzina; Hussaini, Yusuf; MacMahon, Eithne; Molyneaux, Pamela; Papaevangelou, Vassiliki; Sengupta, Nitu; Koay, Evelyn S. C.; Tang, Julian W.; Underhill, Gillian S.; Grahn, Anna; Studahl, Marie; Breuer, Judith; Bergström, Tomas

    2015-01-01

    ABSTRACT Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) is a human herpesvirus, which during primary infection typically causes varicella (chicken pox) and establishes lifelong latency in sensory and autonomic ganglia. Later in life, the virus may reactivate to cause herpes zoster (HZ; also known as shingles). To prevent these diseases, a live-attenuated heterogeneous vaccine preparation, vOka, is used routinely in many countries worldwide. Recent studies of another alphaherpesvirus, infectious laryngotracheitis virus, demonstrate that live-attenuated vaccine strains can recombine in vivo, creating virulent progeny. These findings raised concerns about using attenuated herpesvirus vaccines under conditions that favor recombination. To investigate whether VZV may undergo recombination, which is a prerequisite for VZV vaccination to create such conditions, we here analyzed 115 complete VZV genomes. Our results demonstrate that recombination occurs frequently for VZV. It thus seems that VZV is fully capable of recombination if given the opportunity, which may have important implications for continued VZV vaccination. Although no interclade vaccine-wild-type recombinant strains were found, intraclade recombinants were frequently detected in clade 2, which harbors the vaccine strains, suggesting that the vaccine strains have already been involved in recombination events, either in vivo or in vitro during passages in cell culture. Finally, previous partial and complete genomic studies have described strains that do not cluster phylogenetically to any of the five established clades. The additional VZV strains sequenced here, in combination with those previously published, have enabled us to formally define a novel sixth VZV clade. IMPORTANCE Although genetic recombination has been demonstrated to frequently occur for other human alphaherpesviruses, herpes simplex viruses 1 and 2, only a few ancient and isolated recent recombination events have hitherto been demonstrated for VZV. In the

  11. HPLC detection of loss rate and cell migration of HUVECs in a proanthocyanidin cross-linked recombinant human collagen-peptide (RHC)–chitosan scaffold

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, Jing; Deng, Aipeng [School of Environmental and Biological Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing 210094 (China); Yang, Yang [Faculty of Engineering, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD (United Kingdom); Gao, Lihu; Xu, Na; Liu, Xin; Hu, Lunxiang; Chen, Junhua [School of Environmental and Biological Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing 210094 (China); Yang, Shulin, E-mail: yshulin@njust.edu.cn [School of Environmental and Biological Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing 210094 (China)

    2015-11-01

    Porous scaffolds with appropriate pore structure, biocompatibility, mechanical property and processability play an important role in tissue engineering. In this paper, we fabricated a recombinant human collagen-peptide (RHC)–chitosan scaffold cross-linked by premixing 30% proanthocyanidin (PA) in one-step freeze-drying. To remove the residual acetic acid, optimized 0.2 M phosphate buffer of pH 6.24 with 30% ethanol (PBSE) was selected to neutralize the lyophilized scaffold followed by three times deionized water rinse. Ninhydrin assay was used to characterize the components loss during the fabrication process. To detect the exact RHC loss under optimized neutralization condition, high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) equipped size exclusion chromatography column was used and the total RHC loss rate through PBSE rinse was 19.5 ± 5.08%. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) indicated hydrogen bonding among RHC, chitosan and PA, it also presented a probative but not strong hydrophobic interaction between phenyl rings of polyphenols and pyrrolidine rings of proline in RHC. Further, human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) viability analyzed by a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and acridine orange/ethidium bromide (AO/EB) fluorescence staining exhibited that this scaffold could not only promote cell proliferation on scaffold surface but also permit cells migration into the scaffold. qRT-PCR exhibited that the optimized scaffold could stimulate angiogenesis associated genes VEGF and CD31 expression. These characterizations indicated that this scaffold can be considered as an ideal candidate for tissue engineering. - Highlights: • PA cross-linked recombinant human collagen–chitosan scaffold. • Fabrication in one-step lyophilization with neutralization. • HPLC detection of RHC loss rate • HUVEC proliferation and migration in scaffold • Angiogenesis associated gene expressions were increased in scaffold cell culturing.

  12. BIOTECHNOLOGY OF RECOMBINANT HORMONES IN DOPING

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Biljana Vitošević

    2011-09-01

    Full Text Available Recombinant DNA technology has allowed rapid progress in creating biosynthetic gene products for the treatment of many diseases. In this way it can produce large amounts of hormone, which is intended for the treatment of many pathological conditions. Recombinant hormones that are commonly used are insulin, growth hormone and erythropoietin. Precisely because of the availability of these recombinant hormones, it started their abuse by athletes. Experiments in animal models confirmed the potential effects of some of these hormones in increasing physical abilities, which attracted the attention of athletes who push the limits of their competitive capability by such manipulation. The risks of the use of recombinant hormones in doping include serious consequences for the health of athletes. Methods of detection of endogenous hormones from recombined based on the use of a monoclonal antibodies, capillary zone electrophoresis and protein biomarkers

  13. Rationality, irrationality and escalating behavior in lowest unique bid auctions.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Filippo Radicchi

    Full Text Available Information technology has revolutionized the traditional structure of markets. The removal of geographical and time constraints has fostered the growth of online auction markets, which now include millions of economic agents worldwide and annual transaction volumes in the billions of dollars. Here, we analyze bid histories of a little studied type of online auctions--lowest unique bid auctions. Similarly to what has been reported for foraging animals searching for scarce food, we find that agents adopt Lévy flight search strategies in their exploration of "bid space". The Lévy regime, which is characterized by a power-law decaying probability distribution of step lengths, holds over nearly three orders of magnitude. We develop a quantitative model for lowest unique bid online auctions that reveals that agents use nearly optimal bidding strategies. However, agents participating in these auctions do not optimize their financial gain. Indeed, as long as there are many auction participants, a rational profit optimizing agent would choose not to participate in these auction markets.

  14. Rationality, Irrationality and Escalating Behavior in Lowest Unique Bid Auctions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Radicchi, Filippo; Baronchelli, Andrea; Amaral, Luís A. N.

    2012-01-01

    Information technology has revolutionized the traditional structure of markets. The removal of geographical and time constraints has fostered the growth of online auction markets, which now include millions of economic agents worldwide and annual transaction volumes in the billions of dollars. Here, we analyze bid histories of a little studied type of online auctions – lowest unique bid auctions. Similarly to what has been reported for foraging animals searching for scarce food, we find that agents adopt Lévy flight search strategies in their exploration of “bid space”. The Lévy regime, which is characterized by a power-law decaying probability distribution of step lengths, holds over nearly three orders of magnitude. We develop a quantitative model for lowest unique bid online auctions that reveals that agents use nearly optimal bidding strategies. However, agents participating in these auctions do not optimize their financial gain. Indeed, as long as there are many auction participants, a rational profit optimizing agent would choose not to participate in these auction markets. PMID:22279553

  15. Delayed recombination and cosmic parameters

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Galli, Silvia; Melchiorri, Alessandro; Bean, Rachel; Silk, Joseph

    2008-01-01

    Current cosmological constraints from cosmic microwave background anisotropies are typically derived assuming a standard recombination scheme, however additional resonance and ionizing radiation sources can delay recombination, altering the cosmic ionization history and the cosmological inferences drawn from the cosmic microwave background data. We show that for recent observations of the cosmic microwave background anisotropy, from the Wilkinson microwave anisotropy probe satellite mission (WMAP) 5-year survey and from the arcminute cosmology bolometer array receiver experiment, additional resonance radiation is nearly degenerate with variations in the spectral index, n s , and has a marked effect on uncertainties in constraints on the Hubble constant, age of the universe, curvature and the upper bound on the neutrino mass. When a modified recombination scheme is considered, the redshift of recombination is constrained to z * =1078±11, with uncertainties in the measurement weaker by 1 order of magnitude than those obtained under the assumption of standard recombination while constraints on the shift parameter are shifted by 1σ to R=1.734±0.028. From the WMAP5 data we obtain the following constraints on the resonance and ionization sources parameters: ε α i <0.058 at 95% c.l.. Although delayed recombination limits the precision of parameter estimation from the WMAP satellite, we demonstrate that this should not be the case for future, smaller angular scales measurements, such as those by the Planck satellite mission.

  16. Meiotic recombination in human oocytes.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Edith Y Cheng

    2009-09-01

    Full Text Available Studies of human trisomies indicate a remarkable relationship between abnormal meiotic recombination and subsequent nondisjunction at maternal meiosis I or II. Specifically, failure to recombine or recombination events located either too near to or too far from the centromere have been linked to the origin of human trisomies. It should be possible to identify these abnormal crossover configurations by using immunofluorescence methodology to directly examine the meiotic recombination process in the human female. Accordingly, we initiated studies of crossover-associated proteins (e.g., MLH1 in human fetal oocytes to analyze their number and distribution on nondisjunction-prone human chromosomes and, more generally, to characterize genome-wide levels of recombination in the human female. Our analyses indicate that the number of MLH1 foci is lower than predicted from genetic linkage analysis, but its localization pattern conforms to that expected for a crossover-associated protein. In studies of individual chromosomes, our observations provide evidence for the presence of "vulnerable" crossover configurations in the fetal oocyte, consistent with the idea that these are subsequently translated into nondisjunctional events in the adult oocyte.

  17. Contrasted patterns of crossover and non-crossover at Arabidopsis thaliana meiotic recombination hotspots.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jan Drouaud

    2013-11-01

    Full Text Available The vast majority of meiotic recombination events (crossovers (COs and non-crossovers (NCOs cluster in narrow hotspots surrounded by large regions devoid of recombinational activity. Here, using a new molecular approach in plants, called "pollen-typing", we detected and characterized hundreds of CO and NCO molecules in two different hotspot regions in Arabidopsis thaliana. This analysis revealed that COs are concentrated in regions of a few kilobases where their rates reach up to 50 times the genome average. The hotspots themselves tend to cluster in regions less than 8 kilobases in size with overlapping CO distribution. Non-crossover (NCO events also occurred in the two hotspots but at very different levels (local CO/NCO ratios of 1/1 and 30/1 and their track lengths were quite small (a few hundred base pairs. We also showed that the ZMM protein MSH4 plays a role in CO formation and somewhat unexpectedly we also found that it is involved in the generation of NCOs but with a different level of effect. Finally, factors acting in cis and in trans appear to shape the rate and distribution of COs at meiotic recombination hotspots.

  18. A novel recombinant pseudorabies virus expressing parvovirus VP2 gene: Immunogenicity and protective efficacy in swine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Yang; Guo, Wanzhu; Xu, Zhiwen; Yan, Qigui; Luo, Yan; Shi, Qian; Chen, Dishi; Zhu, Ling; Wang, Xiaoyu

    2011-06-16

    Porcine parvovirus (PPV) VP2 gene has been successfully expressed in many expression systems resulting in self-assembly of virus-like particles (VLPs) with similar morphology to the native capsid. Here, a pseudorabies virus (PRV) system was adopted to express the PPV VP2 gene. A recombinant PRV SA215/VP2 was obtained by homologous recombination between the vector PRV viral DNA and a transfer plasmid. Then recombinant virus was purified with plaque purification, and its identity confirmed by PCR amplification, Western blot and indirect immunofluorescence (IFA) analyses. Electronic microscopy of PRV SA215/VP2 confirmed self-assembly of both pseudorabies virus and VLPs from VP2 protein. Immunization of piglets with recombinant virus elicited PRV-specific and PPV-specific humoral immune responses and provided complete protection against a lethal dose of PRV challenges. Gilts immunized with recombinant viruses induced PPV-specific antibodies, and significantly reduced the mortality rate of (1 of 28) following virulent PPV challenge compared with the control (7 of 31). Furthermore, PPV virus DNA was not detected in the fetuses of recombinant virus immunized gilts. In this study, a recombinant PRV SA215/VP2 virus expressing PPV VP2 protein was constructed using PRV SA215 vector. The safety, immunogenicity, and protective efficacy of the recombinant virus were demonstrated in piglets and primiparous gilts. This recombinant PRV SA215/VP2 represents a suitable candidate for the development of a bivalent vaccine against both PRV and PPV infection.

  19. Recombination channels in 2.4–3.2 µm GaInAsSb quantum-well lasers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gadedjisso-Tossou, K S; Belahsene, S; Tournié, E; Rouillard, Y; Mohou, M A

    2013-01-01

    Spontaneous emission has been used to evaluate the proportion of the different recombination channels in 2.4–3.2 µm type I- GaInAsSb quantum-well lasers operating at room temperature. The method consists in using the square root of the integrated spontaneous emission rate as a value proportional to the carrier density. A second-degree polynomial relationship can then be used to determine the proportion of the different recombination currents (monomolecular, radiative and Auger) in a laser diode operated below threshold. A notable increase of the Auger recombination has been observed with increasing wavelength. Auger recombination currents account for only 26% of the total current at threshold at 2.4 µm, while the proportion reaches 55% at 2.8 µm and 64% at 3.2 µm. (paper)

  20. Controlled Release from Recombinant Polymers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Price, Robert; Poursaid, Azadeh; Ghandehari, Hamidreza

    2014-01-01

    Recombinant polymers provide a high degree of molecular definition for correlating structure with function in controlled release. The wide array of amino acids available as building blocks for these materials lend many advantages including biorecognition, biodegradability, potential biocompatibility, and control over mechanical properties among other attributes. Genetic engineering and DNA manipulation techniques enable the optimization of structure for precise control over spatial and temporal release. Unlike the majority of chemical synthetic strategies used, recombinant DNA technology has allowed for the production of monodisperse polymers with specifically defined sequences. Several classes of recombinant polymers have been used for controlled drug delivery. These include, but are not limited to, elastin-like, silk-like, and silk-elastinlike proteins, as well as emerging cationic polymers for gene delivery. In this article, progress and prospects of recombinant polymers used in controlled release will be reviewed. PMID:24956486

  1. Live recombinant BHV/BRSV vaccine

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Keil, G.M.; Rijsewijk, F.A.M.

    1998-01-01

    The present invention refers to synthetic Bovine Respiratory Syncytium virus genes. Also the invention relates to live attenuated Bovine Herpesvirus recombinants carrying such synthetic genes. Furthermore, the invention relates to vaccines based on these live attenuated recombinants, for the

  2. LDSplitDB: a database for studies of meiotic recombination hotspots in MHC using human genomic data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guo, Jing; Chen, Hao; Yang, Peng; Lee, Yew Ti; Wu, Min; Przytycka, Teresa M; Kwoh, Chee Keong; Zheng, Jie

    2018-04-20

    Meiotic recombination happens during the process of meiosis when chromosomes inherited from two parents exchange genetic materials to generate chromosomes in the gamete cells. The recombination events tend to occur in narrow genomic regions called recombination hotspots. Its dysregulation could lead to serious human diseases such as birth defects. Although the regulatory mechanism of recombination events is still unclear, DNA sequence polymorphisms have been found to play crucial roles in the regulation of recombination hotspots. To facilitate the studies of the underlying mechanism, we developed a database named LDSplitDB which provides an integrative and interactive data mining and visualization platform for the genome-wide association studies of recombination hotspots. It contains the pre-computed association maps of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) region in the 1000 Genomes Project and the HapMap Phase III datasets, and a genome-scale study of the European population from the HapMap Phase II dataset. Besides the recombination profiles, related data of genes, SNPs and different types of epigenetic modifications, which could be associated with meiotic recombination, are provided for comprehensive analysis. To meet the computational requirement of the rapidly increasing population genomics data, we prepared a lookup table of 400 haplotypes for recombination rate estimation using the well-known LDhat algorithm which includes all possible two-locus haplotype configurations. To the best of our knowledge, LDSplitDB is the first large-scale database for the association analysis of human recombination hotspots with DNA sequence polymorphisms. It provides valuable resources for the discovery of the mechanism of meiotic recombination hotspots. The information about MHC in this database could help understand the roles of recombination in human immune system. DATABASE URL: http://histone.scse.ntu.edu.sg/LDSplitDB.

  3. First-principles study of Frenkel pair recombination in tungsten

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Qin, Shi-Yao; Jin, Shuo; Li, Yu-Hao; Zhou, Hong-Bo; Zhang, Ying; Lu, Guang-Hong

    2017-01-01

    The recombination of one Frenkel pair in tungsten has been investigated through first-principles simulation. Two different recombination types have been identified: instantaneous and thermally activated. The small recombination barriers for thermally activated recombination cases indicate that recombination can occur easily with a slightly increased temperature. For both of the two recombination types, recombination occurs through the self-interstitial atom moving towards the vacancy. The recombination process can be direct or through replacement sequences, depending on the vertical distance between the vacancy and the 〈1 1 1〉 line of self-interstitial atom pair.

  4. Containment air circulation for optimal hydrogen recombination

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Spinks, N.; Krause, M.

    1997-01-01

    An accepted first-line defense for hydrogen mitigation is to design for the hydrogen to be rapidly mixed with the containment atmosphere and diluted to below flammability concentrations. Then, as hydrogen continues to be produced in the longer term, recombiners can be used to remove hydrogen: recombiners can be located in forced-air ducts or passive recombiners can be distributed within containment and the heat of recombination used to promote local air circulation. However, this principle does not eliminate the possibility of high hydrogen concentrations at locations removed from the recombiners. An improvement on this strategy is to arrange for a specific, buoyancy-driven, overall circulation of the containment atmosphere such that the recombiners can be located within the recirculation flow, immediately downstream of the hydrogen source. This would make the mixing process more predictable and solve the mass-transfer problem associated with distributed recombiners. Ideally, the recombiners would be located just above the hydrogen source so that the heat of recombination would assist the overall circulation. In this way, the hydrogen would be removed as close as possible to the source, thereby minimizing the amount of hydrogen immediately downstream of the source and reducing the hydrogen concentration to acceptable levels at other locations. Such a strategy requires the containment volume to be divided into an upflow path, past the hydrogen source and the recombiner, and a downflow path to complete the circuit. The flow could be generated actively using fans or passively using buoyancy forces arising from the difference in density of gases in the upfiow and downflow paths; the gases in the downflow path being cooled at an elevated heat sink. (author)

  5. Frequency of intrachromosomal homologous recombination induced by UV radiation in normally repairing and excision repair-deficient human cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tsujimura, T.; Maher, V.M.; McCormick, J.J.; Godwin, A.R.; Liskay, R.M.

    1990-01-01

    To investigate the role of DNA damage and nucleotide excision repair in intrachromosomal homologous recombination, a plasmid containing duplicated copies of the gene coding for hygromycin resistance was introduced into the genome of a repair-proficient human cell line, KMST-6, and two repair-deficient lines, XP2OS(SV) from xeroderma pigmentosum complementation group A and XP2YO(SV) from complementation group F. Neither hygromycin-resistance gene codes for a functional enzyme because each contains an insertion/deletion mutation at a unique site, but recombination between the two defective genes can yield hygromycin-resistant cells. The rates of spontaneous recombination in normal and xeroderma pigmentosum cell strains containing the recombination substrate were found to be similar. The frequency of UV-induced recombination was determined for three of these cell strains. At low doses, the group A cell strain and the group F cell strain showed a significant increase in frequency of recombinants. The repair-proficient cell strain required 10-to 20-fold higher doses of UV to exhibit comparable increases in frequency of recombinants. These results suggest that unexcised DNA damage, rather than the excision repair process per se, stimulates such recombination

  6. Recombination properties of dislocations in GaN

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yakimov, Eugene B.; Polyakov, Alexander Y.; Lee, In-Hwan; Pearton, Stephen J.

    2018-04-01

    The recombination activity of threading dislocations in n-GaN with different dislocation densities and different doping levels was studied using electron beam induced current (EBIC). The recombination velocity on a dislocation, also known as the dislocation recombination strength, was calculated. The results suggest that dislocations in n-GaN giving contrast in EBIC are charged and surrounded by a space charge region, as evidenced by the observed dependence of dislocation recombination strength on dopant concentration. For moderate (below ˜108 cm-2) dislocation densities, these defects do not primarily determine the average diffusion length of nonequilibrium charge carriers, although locally, dislocations are efficient recombination sites. In general, it is observed that the effect of the growth method [standard metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD), epitaxial lateral overgrowth versions of MOCVD, and hydride vapor phase epitaxy] on the recombination activity of dislocations is not very pronounced, although the average diffusion lengths can widely differ for various samples. The glide of basal plane dislocations at room temperature promoted by low energy electron irradiation does not significantly change the recombination properties of dislocations.

  7. Electron mobility on the surface of liquid Helium: influence of surface level atoms and depopulation of lowest subbands

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Grigoriev, P. D.; Dyugaev, A. M.; Lebedeva, E. V.

    2008-01-01

    The temperature dependence of electron mobility is examined. We calculate the contribution to the electron scattering rate from the surface level atoms (SLAs), proposed in [10]. This contribution is substantial at low temperatures T < 0.5, when the He vapor concentration is exponentially small. We also study the effect of depopulation of the lowest energy subband, which leads to an increase in the electron mobility at high temperature. The results explain certain long-standing discrepancies between the existing theory and experiment on electron mobility on the surface of liquid helium

  8. State variation in rates of cesarean and VBAC delivery: 1989 and 1993.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clarke, S C; Taffel, S M

    1996-01-01

    There is wide variation among states in rates of cesarean and vaginal births after cesarean (VBAC) deliveries. In general, states in the South have the highest cesarean rates, states in the West have the lowest, and states in the Northeast and Midwest are intermediate. Louisiana had the highest overall rate in 1993 (27.7 per 100 births) while Alaska had the lowest rate (15.2). The majority of states had declines in their cesarean rate between 1989 and 1993. Patterns in primary cesarean rates are similar to those of the overall rate-states in the South generally have the highest rates while states in the West have the lowest rates. Primary cesarean rates ranged between a high of 19.6 in Louisiana to a low of 10.6 in Wisconsin. In general, states with low cesarean rates have among the highest rates of VBAC delivery. Alaska had the highest VBAC rate (40.0), which was almost quadruple the rate of Louisiana (11.2), the state with the lowest rate. Most states had substantial increases in VBAC rates between 1989 and 1993. When examining cesarean rates by maternal age and birth order, states with the highest overall rates also have among the highest age/birth order-specific rates. Cesarean rates were lowest for mothers under 25 years of age having a second or higher order birth in Alaska, 10.4, and highest for mothers 35 years of age or over having a first birth in Mississippi, 51.3. Standardized cesarean rates which were adjusted for differences between states in maternal age and birth order distributions did not diminish the variation among areas.

  9. The Dependence of the Dose Response Supralinearity of Peak 5 in TLD-100 on Recombination Temperature

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Horowitz, Y.S.; Satinger, D.; Oster, L.

    1999-01-01

    Isothermal readout of LiF:Mg,Ti (TLD-700) has recently been used to study the dependence of the supralinearity of peak 5 on recombination temperature. The results were interpreted to be in conflict with earlier results which investigated the effect of readout heating rate on the supralinearity of peak 5 in TLD-100. In this work the two experiments are inspected in greater detail. It is illustrated that the isothermal decay data is not in conflict with the heating rate data. However, the heating rate results do apparently indicate a strong transition in the temperature dependence of the relative strengths of the recombination and competitive cross sections at approximately 235 deg. C, which requires further study and analysis. (author)

  10. A revised formula for 3-body recombination that cannot exceed the unitarity limit

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Greene, Chris H.; Esry, B.D.; Suno, H.

    2004-01-01

    We discuss the recent developments in theory and experiment that bear on our understanding of three-body recombination at ultracold temperatures. Some of these predictions include the fourth-power dependence of the three-body rate on the two-body scattering lenght a, the appearance of quantum mechanical shape resonance and Feshbach resonances, and the existence of destructive interference minima at large positive scattering lenghts. At very large scattering lenghts, however, the a 4 dependence of the recombination rate eventually will exceed the unitarity limit. We propose in this paper a simple way to correct this problem, permitting an approximate extension of previous predictions to slightly higher energies above the three-body fragmentation threshold. A preliminary comparison is carried out with a very recent experiment by Grimm and coworkers, showing reasonable agreement

  11. Oligonucleotide recombination enabled site-specific mutagenesis in bacteria

    Science.gov (United States)

    Recombineering refers to a strategy for engineering DNA sequences using a specialized mode of homologous recombination. This technology can be used for rapidly constructing precise changes in bacterial genome sequences in vivo. Oligo recombination is one type of recombineering that uses ssDNA olig...

  12. Genetic recombination of the hepatitis C virus: clinical implications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morel, V; Fournier, C; François, C; Brochot, E; Helle, F; Duverlie, G; Castelain, S

    2011-02-01

    Genetic recombination is a well-known feature of RNA viruses that plays a significant role in their evolution. Although recombination is well documented for Flaviviridae family viruses, the first natural recombinant strain of hepatitis C virus (HCV) was identified as recently as 2002. Since then, a few other natural inter-genotypic, intra-genotypic and intra-subtype recombinant HCV strains have been described. However, the frequency of recombination may have been underestimated because not all known HCV recombinants are screened for in routine practice. Furthermore, the choice of treatment regimen and its predictive outcome remain problematic as the therapeutic strategy for HCV infection is genotype dependent. HCV recombination also raises many questions concerning its mechanisms and effects on the epidemiological and physiopathological features of the virus. This review provides an update on recombinant HCV strains, the process that gives rise to recombinants and clinical implications of recombination. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  13. The 8p23 inversion polymorphism determines local recombination heterogeneity across human populations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alves, Joao M; Chikhi, Lounès; Amorim, António; Lopes, Alexandra M

    2014-04-01

    For decades, chromosomal inversions have been regarded as fascinating evolutionary elements as they are expected to suppress recombination between chromosomes with opposite orientations, leading to the accumulation of genetic differences between the two configurations over time. Here, making use of publicly available population genotype data for the largest polymorphic inversion in the human genome (8p23-inv), we assessed whether this inhibitory effect of inversion rearrangements led to significant differences in the recombination landscape of two homologous DNA segments, with opposite orientation. Our analysis revealed that the accumulation of genetic differentiation is positively correlated with the variation in recombination profiles. The observed recombination dissimilarity between inversion types is consistent across all populations analyzed and surpasses the effects of geographic structure, suggesting that both structures (orientations) have been evolving independently over an extended period of time, despite being subjected to the very same demographic history. Aside this mainly independent evolution, we also identified a short segment (350 kb, inversion) in the central region of the inversion where the genetic divergence between the two structural haplotypes is diminished. Although it is difficult to demonstrate it, this could be due to gene flow (possibly via double-crossing over events), which is consistent with the higher recombination rates surrounding this segment. This study demonstrates for the first time that chromosomal inversions influence the recombination landscape at a fine-scale and highlights the role of these rearrangements as drivers of genome evolution.

  14. Cell biology of mitotic recombination

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lisby, Michael; Rothstein, Rodney

    2015-01-01

    Homologous recombination provides high-fidelity DNA repair throughout all domains of life. Live cell fluorescence microscopy offers the opportunity to image individual recombination events in real time providing insight into the in vivo biochemistry of the involved proteins and DNA molecules as w...

  15. Test tube systems with cutting/recombination operations

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Freund, R. [Technische Universitaet Wien (Austria); Csuhaj-Varju, E. [Computer and Automation Institute, Budapest (Hungary); Wachtler, F. [Universitaet Wien (Austria)

    1996-12-31

    We introduce test tube systems based on operations that are closely related to the splicing operations, i.e. we consider the operations of cutting a string at a specific site into two pieces with marking them at the cut ends and of recombining two strings with specifically marked endings. Whereas in the splicing of two strings these strings are cut at specific sites and the cut pieces are recombined immediately in a crosswise way, in CR(cutting/recombination)-schemes cutting can happen independently from recombining the cut pieces. Test tube systems based on these operations of cutting and recombination turn out to have maximal generative power even if only very restricted types of input filters for the test tubes are used for the redistribution of the contents of the test tubes after a period of cuttings and recombinations in the test tubes. 10 refs.

  16. Atomic excitation and recombination in external fields

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nayfeh, M.H.; Clark, C.W.

    1985-01-01

    This volume offers a timely look at Rydberg states of atoms in external fields and dielectronic recombination. Each topic provides authoritative coverage, presents a fresh account of a flourishing field of current atomic physics and introduces new opportunities for discovery and development. Topics considered include electron-atom scattering in external fields; observations of regular and irregular motion as exemplified by the quadratic zeeman effect and other systems; Rydberg atoms in external fields and the Coulomb geometry; crossed-field effects in the absorption spectrum of lithium in a magnetic field; precise studies of static electric field ionization; widths and shapes of stark resonances in sodium above the saddle point; studies of electric field effects and barium autoionizing resonances; autoionization and dielectronic recombination in plasma electric microfields; dielectronic recombination measurements on multicharged ions; merged beam studies of dielectronic recombination; Rydberg atoms and dielectronic recombination in astrophysics; and observations on dielectronic recombination

  17. Investigation of the recombination losses in a three-electrode cylindrical ionization chamber developed for gamma ray dosimetry of fission product activity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ahmad, N.; Matiullah

    1995-01-01

    A three-electrode ionization chamber has been designed and developed for the gamma ray dosimetry of fission product activity and reported elsewhere. In this paper, the (I, V) characteristics of the chamber filled, with argon gas at 1.24 MPa (180 psi) pressure, for fission product gamma rays from spent fuel have been studied. To do so, the chamber was irradiated with gamma rays using different numbers of (i.e. up to 4) spent fuel elements. The plateau region is reached above 1200 V and the detector operating voltage is found to be 2 kV. It is observed that in the plateau region the slope increases with an increase in the exposure rate. The (1/I, 1/V) and (I, 1/V 2 ) characteristic curves reveal the presence of the initial and volume recombination losses. The volume recombination losses are found to be smaller than the initial recombination losses. Both these losses increase with the increasing exposure rate but the increase in the volume recombination losses is slightly greater than that of the initial recombination losses. (orig.)

  18. Specific modifications of histone tails, but not DNA methylation, mirror the temporal variation of mammalian recombination hotspots.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zeng, Jia; Yi, Soojin V

    2014-10-16

    Recombination clusters nonuniformly across mammalian genomes at discrete genomic loci referred to as recombination hotspots. Despite their ubiquitous presence, individual hotspots rapidly lose their activities, and the molecular and evolutionary mechanisms underlying such frequent hotspot turnovers (the so-called "recombination hotspot paradox") remain unresolved. Even though some sequence motifs are significantly associated with hotspots, multiple lines of evidence indicate that factors other than underlying sequences, such as epigenetic modifications, may affect the evolution of recombination hotspots. Thus, identifying epigenetic factors that covary with recombination at fine-scale is a promising step for this important research area. It was previously reported that recombination rates correlate with indirect measures of DNA methylation in the human genome. Here, we analyze experimentally determined DNA methylation and histone modification of human sperms, and show that the correlation between DNA methylation and recombination in long-range windows does not hold with respect to the spatial and temporal variation of recombination at hotspots. On the other hand, two histone modifications (H3K4me3 and H3K27me3) overlap extensively with recombination hotspots. Similar trends were observed in mice. These results indicate that specific histone modifications rather than DNA methylation are associated with the rapid evolution of recombination hotspots. Furthermore, many human recombination hotspots occupy "bivalent" chromatin regions that harbor both active (H3K4me3) and repressive (H3K27me3) marks. This may explain why human recombination hotspots tend to occur in nongenic regions, in contrast to yeast and Arabidopsis hotspots that are characterized by generally active chromatins. Our results highlight the dynamic epigenetic underpinnings of recombination hotspot evolution. © The Author(s) 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for

  19. Genetic evidence for inducibility of recombination competence in yeast

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fabre, F.; Roman, H.

    1977-01-01

    Recombination between unirradiated chromosomes was induced by UV or x-ray irradiation of haploids followed by a mating with heteroallelic diploids of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The selected event of intragenic recombination did not involve the participation of the irradiated chromosome and apparently was not caused by lesions introduced into the unirradiated chromosomes by some indirect process. The results favor the idea that recombination is repressed in the majority of vegetative cells and that one effect of radiation is the release of some factor(s) necessary for recombination. Consequently, the proportion of competent cells (i.e., cells able to recombine) in the population increases. This competent state seems necessary not only for the recombinational repair of radiation-induced lesions but also, since recombinants are produced in the absence of such lesions, for spontaneous recombination. Photoreactivation of the UV-irradiated haploids led to a decrease in the production of recombinants. Hence, lesions in the DNA appear to be responsible for the induction of the recombinational ability

  20. Recombinational repair: workshop summary

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Howard-Flanders, P.

    1983-01-01

    Recombinational repair may or may not be synonymous with postreplication repair. Considerable progress has been made in the study of the relevant enzymes, particularly those from bacteria. In this workshop we focus on the recombination enzyme RecA protein. What structural changes take place in the protein and in DNA during repair. How does homologous pairing take place. How is ATP hydrolysis coupled to the stand exchange reaction and the formation of heteroduplx DNA. Turning to another enzyme needed for certain kinds of bacterial recombination, we will ask whether the purified recB protein and recC protein complement each other and are sufficient for exonuclease V activity. In higher cells, we would like to know whether sister exchanges, which occur in bacteria after uv irradiation, are also seen in animal cells

  1. Fine structure of the lowest Landau level in suspended trilayer graphene

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Elferen, H. J.; Veligura, A.; Tombros, N.; Kurganova, E. V.; van Wees, B. J.; Maan, J. C.; Zeitler, U.

    2013-01-01

    Magnetotransport experiments on ABC-stacked suspended trilayer graphene reveal a complete splitting of the 12-fold degenerated lowest Landau level, and, in particular, the opening of an exchange-driven gap at the charge neutrality point. A quantitative analysis of distinctness of the quantum Hall

  2. Isotope and Electric Field Effects in Dissociative Recombination of D3+

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Larsson, M.; Rosen, S.; Danared, H.; Larson, A.; Le Padellec, A.; Semaniak, J.; Stroemholm, C.; Peterson, J.R.

    1997-01-01

    The cross section for dissociative recombination of vibrationally cold D 3 + has been measured at the ion storage ring CRYRING. The rate constant at 300K, α=2.7x10 -8 cm 3 s -1 , is a factor of 4.3 smaller than the corresponding value for H 3 + measured earlier in CRYRING. An electric field of 30V/cm was introduced in the electron-ion interaction region. This had no measurable effect on the dissociative recombination cross section. This suggests that the cross sections measured in storage rings for H 3 + and its isotopic variants can be directly compared with theoretical results once such results become available. copyright 1997 The American Physical Society

  3. Recombinant vaccines: experimental and applied aspects

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lorenzen, Niels

    1999-01-01

    Development of vaccines for aquaculture fish represent an important applied functional aspect of fish immunology research. Particularly in the case of recombinant vaccines, where a single antigen is usually expected to induce immunity to a specific pathogen, knowledge of mechanisms involved...... in induction of a protective immune response may become vital. The few recombinant vaccines licensd so far, despite much research during the last decade, illustrate that this is not a straightforward matter. However, as vaccine technology as well as our knowledge of the fish immune system is steadily improved......, these fields will open up a number of interesting research objectives of mutual benefit. Recent aspects of recombinant protein vaccines, live recombinant vaccines and DNA vaccines are discussed....

  4. Mitigating Mitochondrial Genome Erosion Without Recombination.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Radzvilavicius, Arunas L; Kokko, Hanna; Christie, Joshua R

    2017-11-01

    Mitochondria are ATP-producing organelles of bacterial ancestry that played a key role in the origin and early evolution of complex eukaryotic cells. Most modern eukaryotes transmit mitochondrial genes uniparentally, often without recombination among genetically divergent organelles. While this asymmetric inheritance maintains the efficacy of purifying selection at the level of the cell, the absence of recombination could also make the genome susceptible to Muller's ratchet. How mitochondria escape this irreversible defect accumulation is a fundamental unsolved question. Occasional paternal leakage could in principle promote recombination, but it would also compromise the purifying selection benefits of uniparental inheritance. We assess this tradeoff using a stochastic population-genetic model. In the absence of recombination, uniparental inheritance of freely-segregating genomes mitigates mutational erosion, while paternal leakage exacerbates the ratchet effect. Mitochondrial fusion-fission cycles ensure independent genome segregation, improving purifying selection. Paternal leakage provides opportunity for recombination to slow down the mutation accumulation, but always at a cost of increased steady-state mutation load. Our findings indicate that random segregation of mitochondrial genomes under uniparental inheritance can effectively combat the mutational meltdown, and that homologous recombination under paternal leakage might not be needed. Copyright © 2017 by the Genetics Society of America.

  5. A novel recombinant pseudorabies virus expressing parvovirus VP2 gene: Immunogenicity and protective efficacy in swine

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chen Dishi

    2011-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Porcine parvovirus (PPV VP2 gene has been successfully expressed in many expression systems resulting in self-assembly of virus-like particles (VLPs with similar morphology to the native capsid. Here, a pseudorabies virus (PRV system was adopted to express the PPV VP2 gene. Methods A recombinant PRV SA215/VP2 was obtained by homologous recombination between the vector PRV viral DNA and a transfer plasmid. Then recombinant virus was purified with plaque purification, and its identity confirmed by PCR amplification, Western blot and indirect immunofluorescence (IFA analyses. Electronic microscopy of PRV SA215/VP2 confirmed self-assembly of both pseudorabies virus and VLPs from VP2 protein. Results Immunization of piglets with recombinant virus elicited PRV-specific and PPV-specific humoral immune responses and provided complete protection against a lethal dose of PRV challenges. Gilts immunized with recombinant viruses induced PPV-specific antibodies, and significantly reduced the mortality rate of (1 of 28 following virulent PPV challenge compared with the control (7 of 31. Furthermore, PPV virus DNA was not detected in the fetuses of recombinant virus immunized gilts. Conclusions In this study, a recombinant PRV SA215/VP2 virus expressing PPV VP2 protein was constructed using PRV SA215 vector. The safety, immunogenicity, and protective efficacy of the recombinant virus were demonstrated in piglets and primiparous gilts. This recombinant PRV SA215/VP2 represents a suitable candidate for the development of a bivalent vaccine against both PRV and PPV infection.

  6. Effect of low dose radiation on somatic intrachromosomal recombination in vivo and in vitro

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hooker, A.M.; Cormack, J.; Morley, A.A.; Sykes, P.J.; Bhat, M.

    2003-01-01

    Full text: High doses of ionising radiation are mutagenic in a wide range of mutation assays. The majority of radiation exposure studies in in vivo mouse mutation assays have been performed at high doses, eg greater than 1 Gy. However, these doses are not relevant to the low doses of ionising radiation that the majority of the population might likely come into contact with. Radiation protection levels tend to be based on a simple linear no-threshold model which suggests that any radiation above zero is potentially harmful. The pKZ1 recombination mutagenesis mouse model has proven to be a sensitive assay for the detection of mutations caused by low doses of chemical agents. In pKZ1 mice, somatic intrachromosomal recombination (SICR) inversion events can be detected in cells using histochemistry for the E. coli LacZ transgene. We exposed pKZ1 mice to a single radiation dose ranging from 0.001 to 2 Gy. A significant increase in SICR was observed in spleen at the two highest doses of 0.1 and 2 Gy and a significant reduction in SICR below the endogenous frequency was observed at the two lowest doses of 0.01 and 0.001 Gy. After exposing a pKZ1 cell line to the same dose range, a similar J curve response was observed with significant increases in SICR observed at the 3 highest doses and a significant decrease below the endogenous frequency at the lowest dose (0.001 Gy). The next experiments will be to determine the dose where the SICR frequency returns to the endogenous level. The important question posed by these results is 'Is a reduction below the endogenous SICR level caused by low doses of ionising radiation anti-mutagenic?' Studies now need to be performed to investigate the effect of low doses of radiation on other mutation end-points, and the mechanism for the reduction in SICR

  7. The effect of a single recombination event

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Schierup, Mikkel Heide; Jensen, Thomas Mailund; Wiuf, Carsten

    We investigate the variance in how visible a single recombination event is in a SNP data set as a function of the type of recombination event and its age. Data is simulated under the coalescent with recombination and inference is by the popular composite likelihood methods. The major determinant...

  8. Probing Temperature-Dependent Recombination Kinetics in Polymer:Fullerene Solar Cells by Electric Noise Spectroscopy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Giovanni Landi

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available The influence of solvent additives on the temperature behavior of both charge carrier transport and recombination kinetics in bulk heterojunction solar cells has been investigated by electric noise spectroscopy. The observed differences in charge carrier lifetime and mobility are attributed to a different film ordering and donor-acceptor phase segregation in the blend. The measured temperature dependence indicates that bimolecular recombination is the dominant loss mechanism in the active layer, affecting the device performance. Blend devices prepared with a high-boiling-point solvent additive show a decreased recombination rate at the donor-acceptor interface as compared to the ones prepared with the reference solvent. A clear correlation between the device performance and the morphological properties is discussed in terms of the temperature dependence of the mobility-lifetime product.

  9. Recombination and propagation of quasiparticles in cuprate superconductors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gedik, Nuh

    2004-01-01

    Rapid developments in time-resolved optical spectroscopy have led to renewed interest in the nonequilibrium state of superconductors and other highly correlated electron materials. In these experiments, the nonequilibrium state is prepared by the absorption of short (less than 100 fs) laser pulses, typically in the near-infrared, that perturb the density and energy distribution of quasiparticles. The evolution of the nonequilibrium state is probed by time resolving the changes in the optical response functions of the medium that take place after photoexcitation. Ultimately, the goal of such experiments is to understand not only the nonequilibrium state, but to shed light on the still poorly understood equilibrium properties of these materials. We report nonequilibrium experiments that have revealed aspects of the cup rates that have been inaccessible by other techniques. Namely, the diffusion and recombination coefficients of quasiparticles have been measured in both YBa 2 Cu 3 O 6.5 and Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 8+x using time-resolved optical spectroscopy. Dependence of these measurements on doping, temperature and laser intensity is also obtained. To study the recombination of quasiparticles, we measure the change in reflectivity ΔR which is directly proportional to the nonequilibrium quasiparticle density created by the laser. From the intensity dependence, we estimate β, the inelastic scattering coefficient and γ th thermal equilibrium quasiparticle decay rate. We also present the dependence of recombination measurements on doping in Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 8+x . Going from underdoped to overdoped regime, the sign of ΔR changes from positive to negative right at the optimal doping. This is accompanied by a change in dynamics. The decay of ΔR stops being intensity dependent exactly at the optimal doping. We provide possible interpretations of these two observations. To study the propagation of quasiparticles, we interfered two laser pulses to introduce a spatially

  10. Recombination in Streptococcus pneumoniae Lineages Increase with Carriage Duration and Size of the Polysaccharide Capsule

    Science.gov (United States)

    Andam, Cheryl P.; Harris, Simon R.; Cornick, Jennifer E.; Yang, Marie; Bricio-Moreno, Laura; Kamng’ona, Arox W.; French, Neil; Heyderman, Robert S.; Kadioglu, Aras; Everett, Dean B.; Bentley, Stephen D.

    2016-01-01

    ABSTRACT Streptococcus pneumoniae causes a high burden of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) globally, especially in children from resource-poor settings. Like many bacteria, the pneumococcus can import DNA from other strains or even species by transformation and homologous recombination, which has allowed the pneumococcus to evade clinical interventions such as antibiotics and pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs). Pneumococci are enclosed in a complex polysaccharide capsule that determines the serotype; the capsule varies in size and is associated with properties including carriage prevalence and virulence. We determined and quantified the association between capsule and recombination events using genomic data from a diverse collection of serotypes sampled in Malawi. We determined both the amount of variation introduced by recombination relative to mutation (the relative rate) and how many individual recombination events occur per isolate (the frequency). Using univariate analyses, we found an association between both recombination measures and multiple factors associated with the capsule, including duration and prevalence of carriage. Because many capsular factors are correlated, we used multivariate analysis to correct for collinearity. Capsule size and carriage duration remained positively associated with recombination, although with a reduced P value, and this effect may be mediated through some unassayed additional property associated with larger capsules. This work describes an important impact of serotype on recombination that has been previously overlooked. While the details of how this effect is achieved remain to be determined, it may have important consequences for the serotype-specific response to vaccines and other interventions. PMID:27677790

  11. Recombination in Streptococcus pneumoniae Lineages Increase with Carriage Duration and Size of the Polysaccharide Capsule

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chrispin Chaguza

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Streptococcus pneumoniae causes a high burden of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD globally, especially in children from resource-poor settings. Like many bacteria, the pneumococcus can import DNA from other strains or even species by transformation and homologous recombination, which has allowed the pneumococcus to evade clinical interventions such as antibiotics and pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs. Pneumococci are enclosed in a complex polysaccharide capsule that determines the serotype; the capsule varies in size and is associated with properties including carriage prevalence and virulence. We determined and quantified the association between capsule and recombination events using genomic data from a diverse collection of serotypes sampled in Malawi. We determined both the amount of variation introduced by recombination relative to mutation (the relative rate and how many individual recombination events occur per isolate (the frequency. Using univariate analyses, we found an association between both recombination measures and multiple factors associated with the capsule, including duration and prevalence of carriage. Because many capsular factors are correlated, we used multivariate analysis to correct for collinearity. Capsule size and carriage duration remained positively associated with recombination, although with a reduced P value, and this effect may be mediated through some unassayed additional property associated with larger capsules. This work describes an important impact of serotype on recombination that has been previously overlooked. While the details of how this effect is achieved remain to be determined, it may have important consequences for the serotype-specific response to vaccines and other interventions.

  12. Recombination analysis based on the complete genome of bocavirus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chen Shengxia

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Bocavirus include bovine parvovirus, minute virus of canine, porcine bocavirus, gorilla bocavirus, and Human bocaviruses 1-4 (HBoVs. Although recent reports showed that recombination happened in bocavirus, no systematical study investigated the recombination of bocavirus. The present study performed the phylogenetic and recombination analysis of bocavirus over the complete genomes available in GenBank. Results confirmed that recombination existed among bocavirus, including the likely inter-genotype recombination between HBoV1 and HBoV4, and intra-genotype recombination among HBoV2 variants. Moreover, it is the first report revealing the recombination that occurred between minute viruses of canine.

  13. Dielectronic and radiative recombination of Si- to N-like tungsten ions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Biedermann, C; Radtke, R; Seidel, R; Behar, E

    2009-01-01

    We have performed x-ray spectroscopic measurements of the dielectronic recombination resonance strength for the LMn (n = 3, ..., 10) series of Si-like W 60+ to N-like W 67+ tungsten ions. Highly charged tungsten ions were produced, stored and excited with the Berlin electron beam ion trap and the emitted radiation was analyzed with a solid state detector. Information on the charge state abundance in the trap was extracted from a fit of the theoretical radiative recombination intensity to measured values. The fit procedure was only feasible when the fine structure, angular momentum of the recombination channels is taken into account. Our measurement of x-rays from n = 2-3, 2-4 and higher DR resonance transitions was compared to relativistic calculations of the DR cross sections and rate coefficients calculated with the Hebrew University Lawrence Livermore Atomic Code (HULLAC). The previous theoretical predictions for Ne-like tungsten (W 64+ ) were extended with calculations for ions in adjacent charge states and compare well with the observed DR resonance structure.

  14. FASEB Summer Research Conference. Genetic Recombination and Chromosome Rearrangements

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jinks-Robertson, Sue

    2002-02-01

    The 2001 meeting entitled ''Genetic Recombination and Genome Rearrangements'' was held July 21-26 in Snowmass, Colorado. The goal of the meeting was to bring together scientists using diverse approaches to study all aspects of genetic recombination. This goal was achieved by integrating talks covering the genetics, biochemistry and structural biology of homologous recombination, site-specific recombination, and nonhomologous recombination. The format of the meeting consisted of a keynote address on the opening evening, two formal plenary sessions on each of the four full meeting days, a single afternoon workshop consisting of short talks chosen from among submitted abstracts, and afternoon poster sessions on each of the four full meeting days. The eight plenary session were entitled: (1) Recombination Mechanisms, (2) Prokaryotic Recombination, (3) Repair and Recombination, (4) Site-specific Recombination and Transposition, (5) Eukaryotic Recombination I, (6) Genome Rearrangements, (7) Meiosis, and (8) Eukaryotic Recombination II. Each session included a mix of genetic, biochemical and structural talks; talks were limited to 20 minutes, followed by 10 minutes of very lively, general discussion. Much of the data presented in the plenary sessions was unpublished, thus providing attendees with the most up-to-date knowledge of this rapidly-moving field.

  15. Hadron Correlations and Parton Recombination

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fries, R.J. [School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455 (United States)]. E-mail: rjfries@comp.tamu.edu

    2007-02-15

    Parton recombination has been found to be an extremely useful model to understand hadron production at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. It is particularly important to explore its connections with hard processes. This article reviews some of the aspects of the quark recombination model and places particular emphasis on hadron correlations.

  16. Chern-Simons field theory of two-dimensional electrons in the lowest Landau level

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, L.

    1996-01-01

    We propose a fermion Chern-Simons field theory describing two-dimensional electrons in the lowest Landau level. This theory is constructed with a complete set of states, and the lowest-Landau-level constraint is enforced through a δ functional described by an auxiliary field λ. Unlike the field theory constructed directly with the states in the lowest Landau level, this theory allows one, utilizing the physical picture of open-quote open-quote composite fermion,close-quote close-quote to study the fractional quantum Hall states by mapping them onto certain integer quantum Hall states; but, unlike its application in the unconstrained theory, such a mapping is sensible only when interactions between electrons are present. An open-quote open-quote effective mass,close-quote close-quote which characterizes the scale of low energy excitations in the fractional quantum Hall systems, emerges naturally from our theory. We study a Gaussian effective theory and interpret physically the dressed stationary point equation for λ as an equation for the open-quote open-quote mass renormalization close-quote close-quote of composite fermions. copyright 1996 The American Physical Society

  17. Search for the lowest irradiation dose from literatures on radiation-induced breast cancer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yoshizawa, Y; Kusama, T [Tokyo Univ. (Japan). Faculty of Medicine

    1975-12-01

    A survey of past case reports concerning radiation-induced breast cancer was carried out in order to find the lowest irradiation dose. The search of literature published since 1951 revealed 10 cases of radiation-induced breast cancer. Only 5 cases had precise descriptions of the irradiation dose. The lowest irradiation dose was estimated at 1470 rads in the case of external X-ray irradiation for tuberous angioma. All of cases of radiation-induced breast cancer had received radiation for the treatment of nonmalignant tumors, such as pulmonary tuberculosis, mastitis, and tuberous angioma. There also were three statistical studies. The first concerned atomic bomb survivors, the second, pulmoanry tuberculous patients subjected to frequent fluoroscopies, and the third, patients of acute post partum mastitis. These statistical studies had revealed a significant increase in the incidence of breast cancer in the irradiated group, but there was little information about the lowest irradiation dose. It was noticed that radiation-induced breast cancer was more numerous in the upper inner quadrant of the breast. Most histopathological findings of radiation-induced breast cancer involved duct cell carcinoma. The latent period was about 15 years.

  18. Evidence for weak genetic recombination at the PTP2 locus of Nosema ceranae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gómez-Moracho, Tamara; Bartolomé, Carolina; Martín-Hernández, Raquel; Higes, Mariano; Maside, Xulio

    2015-04-01

    The microsporidian Nosema ceranae is an emergent pathogen that threatens the health of honeybees and other pollinators all over the world. Its recent rapid spread across a wide variety of host species and environments demonstrated an enhanced ability of adaptation, which seems to contradict the lack of evidence for genetic recombination and the absence of a sexual stage in its life cycle. Here we retrieved fresh data of the patterns of genetic variation at the PTP2 locus in naturally infected Apis mellifera colonies, by means of single genome amplification. This technique, designed to prevent the formation of chimeric haplotypes during polymerase chain reaction (PCR), provides more reliable estimates of the diversity levels and haplotype structure than standard PCR-cloning methods. Our results are consistent with low but significant rates of recombination in the history of the haplotypes detected: estimates of the population recombination rate are of the order of 30 and support recent evidence for unexpectedly high levels of variation of the parasites within honeybee colonies. These observations suggest the existence of a diploid stage at some point in the life cycle of this parasite and are relevant for our understanding of the dynamics of its expanding population. © 2014 Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  19. Recombinant Human Acidic Fibroblast Growth Factor (aFGF) Expressed in Nicotiana benthamiana Potentially Inhibits Skin Photoaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ha, Jang-Ho; Kim, Ha-Neul; Moon, Ki-Beom; Jeon, Jae-Heung; Jung, Dai-Hyun; Kim, Su-Jung; Mason, Hugh S; Shin, Seo-Yeon; Kim, Hyun-Soon; Park, Kyung-Mok

    2017-07-01

    Responding to the need for recombinant acidic fibroblast growth factor in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries, we established a scalable expression system for recombinant human aFGF using transient and a DNA replicon vector expression in Nicotiana benthamiana . Recombinant human-acidic fibroblast growth factor was recovered following Agrobacterium infiltration of N. benthamiana . The optimal time point at which to harvest recombinant human acidic fibroblast growth factor expressing leaves was found to be 4 days post-infiltration, before necrosis was evident. Commassie-stained SDS-PAGE gels of His-tag column eluates, concentrated using a 10 000 molecular weight cut-off column, showed an intense band at the expected molecular weight for recombinant human acidic fibroblast growth factor. An immunoblot confirmed that this band was recombinant human acidic fibroblast growth factor. Up to 10 µg recombinant human-acidic fibroblast growth factor/g of fresh leaves were achieved by a simple affinity purification protocol using protein extract from the leaves of agroinfiltrated N. benthamiana . The purified recombinant human acidic fibroblast growth factor improved the survival rate of UVB-irradiated HaCaT and CCD-986sk cells approximately 89 and 81 %, respectively. N. benthamiana -derived recombinant human acidic fibroblast growth factor showed similar effects on skin cell proliferation and UVB protection compared to those of Escherichia coli -derived recombinant human acidic fibroblast growth factor. Additionally, N. benthamiana- derived recombinant human acidic fibroblast growth factor increased type 1 procollagen synthesis up to 30 % as well as reduced UVB-induced intracellular reactive oxygen species generation in fibroblast (CCD-986sk) cells.UVB is a well-known factor that causes various types of skin damage and premature aging. Therefore, the present study demonstrated that N. benthamiana -derived recombinant human acidic fibroblast growth factor

  20. Effect of Molecular Packing and Charge Delocalization on the Nonradiative Recombination of Charge-Transfer States in Organic Solar Cells

    KAUST Repository

    Chen, Xiankai

    2016-09-05

    In organic solar cells, a major source of energy loss is attributed to nonradiative recombination from the interfacial charge transfer states to the ground state. By taking pentacene–C60 complexes as model donor–acceptor systems, a comprehensive theoretical understanding of how molecular packing and charge delocalization impact these nonradiative recombination rates at donor–acceptor interfaces is provided.

  1. Scavenging and recombination kinetics in radiation chemistry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Al-Samra, Eyad H; Green, Nicholas J B

    2017-08-02

    This work describes stochastic models developed to study the competition between radical scavenging and recombination for simple model systems typical of radiation chemistry, where the reactive particles are tightly clustered and reactions are assumed fully diffusion limited. Three models are developed: a Monte Carlo random flights model with a periodic boundary condition for scavengers, Monte Carlo simulations in which the scavenging rate is calculated from the Smoluchowski theory for diffusion-limited reactions and a modification of the independent reaction times method where the scavengers close to the spur are explicitly included and the scavengers further away are treated as a continuum. The results indicate that the Smoluchowski theory makes a systematic overestimate of the scavenging rate when such competition is present. A correction for the Smoluchowski rate constant is suggested, an analytical justification is presented and it is tested against the simulations, and shown to be a substantial improvement.

  2. Binary and ternary recombination of para-H3(+) and ortho-H3(+) with electrons: state selective study at 77-200 K.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dohnal, Petr; Hejduk, Michal; Varju, Jozef; Rubovič, Peter; Roučka, Štěpán; Kotrík, Tomáš; Plašil, Radek; Glosík, Juraj; Johnsen, Rainer

    2012-06-28

    Measurements in H(3)(+) afterglow plasmas with spectroscopically determined relative abundances of H(3)(+) ions in the para-nuclear and ortho-nuclear spin states provide clear evidence that at low temperatures (77-200 K) para-H(3)(+) ions recombine significantly faster with electrons than ions in the ortho state, in agreement with a recent theoretical prediction. The cavity ring-down absorption spectroscopy used here provides an in situ determination of the para/ortho abundance ratio and yields additional information on the translational and rotational temperatures of the recombining ions. The results show that H(3)(+) recombination with electrons occurs by both binary recombination and third-body (helium) assisted recombination, and that both the two-body and three-body rate coefficients depend on the nuclear spin states. Electron-stabilized (collisional-radiative) recombination appears to make only a small contribution.

  3. Binary and ternary recombination of para-H3+ and ortho-H3+ with electrons: State selective study at 77-200 K

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dohnal, Petr; Hejduk, Michal; Varju, Jozef; Rubovič, Peter; Roučka, Štěpán; Kotrík, Tomáš; Plašil, Radek; Glosík, Juraj; Johnsen, Rainer

    2012-06-01

    Measurements in H_3^+ afterglow plasmas with spectroscopically determined relative abundances of H_3^+ ions in the para-nuclear and ortho-nuclear spin states provide clear evidence that at low temperatures (77-200 K) para-H_3^+ ions recombine significantly faster with electrons than ions in the ortho state, in agreement with a recent theoretical prediction. The cavity ring-down absorption spectroscopy used here provides an in situ determination of the para/ortho abundance ratio and yields additional information on the translational and rotational temperatures of the recombining ions. The results show that H_3^+ recombination with electrons occurs by both binary recombination and third-body (helium) assisted recombination, and that both the two-body and three-body rate coefficients depend on the nuclear spin states. Electron-stabilized (collisional-radiative) recombination appears to make only a small contribution.

  4. Evidence for positive selection and recombination hotspots in Deformed wing virus (DWV).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dalmon, A; Desbiez, C; Coulon, M; Thomasson, M; Le Conte, Y; Alaux, C; Vallon, J; Moury, B

    2017-01-25

    Deformed wing virus (DWV) is considered one of the most damaging pests in honey bees since the spread of its vector, Varroa destructor. In this study, we sequenced the whole genomes of two virus isolates and studied the evolutionary forces that act on DWV genomes. The isolate from a Varroa-tolerant bee colony was characterized by three recombination breakpoints between DWV and the closely related Varroa destructor virus-1 (VDV-1), whereas the variant from the colony using conventional Varroa management was similar to the originally described DWV. From the complete sequence dataset, nine independent DWV-VDV-1 recombination breakpoints were detected, and recombination hotspots were found in the 5' untranslated region (5' UTR) and the conserved region encoding the helicase. Partial sequencing of the 5' UTR and helicase-encoding region in 41 virus isolates suggested that most of the French isolates were recombinants. By applying different methods based on the ratio between non-synonymous (dN) and synonymous (dS) substitution rates, we identified four positions that showed evidence of positive selection. Three of these positions were in the putative leader protein (Lp), and one was in the polymerase. These findings raise the question of the putative role of the Lp in viral evolution.

  5. Single-Molecule Tethered Particle Motion: Stepwise Analyses of Site-Specific DNA Recombination

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hsiu-Fang Fan

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available Tethered particle motion/microscopy (TPM is a biophysical tool used to analyze changes in the effective length of a polymer, tethered at one end, under changing conditions. The tether length is measured indirectly by recording the Brownian motion amplitude of a bead attached to the other end. In the biological realm, DNA, whose interactions with proteins are often accompanied by apparent or real changes in length, has almost exclusively been the subject of TPM studies. TPM has been employed to study DNA bending, looping and wrapping, DNA compaction, high-order DNA–protein assembly, and protein translocation along DNA. Our TPM analyses have focused on tyrosine and serine site-specific recombinases. Their pre-chemical interactions with DNA cause reversible changes in DNA length, detectable by TPM. The chemical steps of recombination, depending on the substrate and the type of recombinase, may result in a permanent length change. Single molecule TPM time traces provide thermodynamic and kinetic information on each step of the recombination pathway. They reveal how mechanistically related recombinases may differ in their early commitment to recombination, reversibility of individual steps, and in the rate-limiting step of the reaction. They shed light on the pre-chemical roles of catalytic residues, and on the mechanisms by which accessory proteins regulate recombination directionality.

  6. Improved xylose and arabinose utilization by an industrial recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain using evolutionary engineering

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sanchez, R.G.; Karhumaa, Kaisa; Fonseca, C.

    2010-01-01

    Background: Cost-effective fermentation of lignocellulosic hydrolysate to ethanol by Saccharomyces cerevisiae requires efficient mixed sugar utilization. Notably, the rate and yield of xylose and arabinose co-fermentation to ethanol must be enhanced. Results: Evolutionary engineering was used...... to improve the simultaneous conversion of xylose and arabinose to ethanol in a recombinant industrial Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain carrying the heterologous genes for xylose and arabinose utilization pathways integrated in the genome. The evolved strain TMB3130 displayed an increased consumption rate...... of our knowledge, this is the first report that characterizes the molecular mechanisms for improved mixed-pentose utilization obtained by evolutionary engineering of a recombinant S. cerevisiae strain. Increased transport of pentoses and increased activities of xylose converting enzymes contributed...

  7. Activated recombinant adenovirus proteinases

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anderson, Carl W.; Mangel, Walter F.

    1999-08-10

    This application describes methods and expression constructs for producing activatable recombinant adenovirus proteinases. Purified activatable recombinant adenovirus proteinases and methods of purification are described. Activated adenovirus proteinases and methods for obtaining activated adenovirus proteinases are further included. Isolated peptide cofactors of adenovirus proteinase activity, methods of purifying and identifying said peptide cofactors are also described. Antibodies immunoreactive with adenovirus proteinases, immunospecific antibodies, and methods for preparing them are also described. Other related methods and materials are also described.

  8. Hadron correlations from recombination

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fries, Rainer J [School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455 (United States)

    2005-01-01

    Quark recombination is a successful model to describe the hadronization of a deconfined quark gluon plasma. Jet-like dihadron correlations measured at RHIC provide a challenge for this picture. We discuss how correlations between hadrons can arise from correlations between partons before hadronization. An enhancement of correlations through the recombination process, similar to the enhancement of elliptic flow is found. Hot spots from completely or partially quenched jets are a likely source of such parton correlations.

  9. X-ray- and TEM-induced mitotic recombination in Drosophila melanogaster: Unequal and sister-strand recombination

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Becker, H.J.

    1975-01-01

    Twin mosaic spots of dark-apricot and light-apricot ommatidia were found in the eyes of wsup(a)/wsup(a) females, of wsup(a) males, of females homozygous for In(1)sc 4 , wsup(a) and of attached-X females homozygous for wsup(a). The flies were raised from larvae which had been treated with 1,630 R of X-rays at the age of 48-52 hours. An additional group of wsup(a)/wsup(a) females and wsup(a) males came from larvae that had been fed with triethylene melamine (TEM) at the age of 22-24 hours. The twin spots apparently were the result of induced unequal mitotic recombination, i.e. from unequal sister-strand recombination in the males and from unequal sister-strand recombination as well as, possibly, unequal recombination between homologous strands in the females. That is, a duplication resulted in wsup(a)Dpwsup(a)/wsup(a) dark-apricto ommatidia and the corresponding deficiency in an adjacent area of wsup(a)/Dfwsup(a) light-apricot ommatidia. In an additional experiment sister-strand mitotic recombination in the ring-X chromosome of ring-X/rod-X females heterozygous for w and wsup(co) is believed to be the cause for X-ray induced single mosaic spots that show the phenotype of the rod-X marker. (orig.) [de

  10. Two novel porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) recombinants from a natural recombinant and distinct subtypes of PEDV variants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Nanhua; Li, Shuangjie; Zhou, Rongyun; Zhu, Meiqin; He, Shan; Ye, Mengxue; Huang, Yucheng; Li, Shuai; Zhu, Cong; Xia, Pengpeng; Zhu, Jianzhong

    2017-10-15

    Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) causes devastating impact on global pig-breeding industry and current vaccines have become not effective against the circulating PEDV variants since 2011. During the up-to-date investigation of PEDV prevalence in Fujian China 2016, PEDV was identified in vaccinated pig farms suffering severe diarrhea while other common diarrhea-associated pathogens were not detected. Complete genomes of two PEDV representatives (XM1-2 and XM2-4) were determined. Genomic comparison showed that these two viruses share the highest nucleotide identities (99.10% and 98.79%) with the 2011 ZMDZY strain, but only 96.65% and 96.50% nucleotide identities with the attenuated CV777 strain. Amino acid alignment of spike (S) proteins indicated that they have the similar mutation, insertion and deletion pattern as other Chinese PEDV variants but also contain several unique substitutions. Phylogenetic analysis showed that 2016 PEDV variants belong to the cluster of recombination strains but form a new branch. Recombination detection suggested that both XM1-2 and XM2-4 are inter-subgroup recombinants with breakpoints within ORF1b. Remarkably, the natural recombinant HNQX-3 isolate serves as a parental virus for both natural recombinants identified in this study. This up-to-date investigation provides the direct evidence that natural recombinants may serve as parental viruses to generate recombined PEDV progenies that are probably associated with the vaccination failure. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  11. Rapid generation of markerless recombinant MVA vaccines by en passant recombineering of a self-excising bacterial artificial chromosome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cottingham, Matthew G; Gilbert, Sarah C

    2010-09-01

    The non-replicating poxviral vector modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA) is currently a leading candidate for development of novel recombinant vaccines against globally important diseases. The 1980s technology for making recombinant MVA (and other poxviruses) is powerful and robust, but relies on rare recombination events in poxviral-infected cells. In the 21st century, it has become possible to apply bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) technology to poxviruses, as first demonstrated by B. Moss' lab in 2002 for vaccinia virus. A similar BAC clone of MVA was subsequently derived, but while recombination-mediated genetic engineering for rapid production was used of deletion mutants, an alternative method was required for efficient insertion of transgenes. Furthermore "markerless" viruses, which carry no trace of the selectable marker used for their isolation, are increasingly required for clinical trials, and the viruses derived via the new method contained the BAC sequence in their genomic DNA. Two methods are adapted to MVA-BAC to provide more rapid generation of markerless recombinants in weeks rather than months. "En passant" recombineering is applied to the insertion of a transgene expression cassette and the removal of the selectable marker in bacteria; and a self-excising variant of MVA-BAC is constructed, in which the BAC cassette region is rapidly and efficiently lost from the viral genome following rescue of the BAC into infectious virus. These methods greatly facilitate and accelerate production of recombinant MVA, including markerless constructs. Copyright 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. Rosa26-GFP direct repeat (RaDR-GFP mice reveal tissue- and age-dependence of homologous recombination in mammals in vivo.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michelle R Sukup-Jackson

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available Homologous recombination (HR is critical for the repair of double strand breaks and broken replication forks. Although HR is mostly error free, inherent or environmental conditions that either suppress or induce HR cause genomic instability. Despite its importance in carcinogenesis, due to limitations in our ability to detect HR in vivo, little is known about HR in mammalian tissues. Here, we describe a mouse model in which a direct repeat HR substrate is targeted to the ubiquitously expressed Rosa26 locus. In the Rosa26 Direct Repeat-GFP (RaDR-GFP mice, HR between two truncated EGFP expression cassettes can yield a fluorescent signal. In-house image analysis software provides a rapid method for quantifying recombination events within intact tissues, and the frequency of recombinant cells can be evaluated by flow cytometry. A comparison among 11 tissues shows that the frequency of recombinant cells varies by more than two orders of magnitude among tissues, wherein HR in the brain is the lowest. Additionally, de novo recombination events accumulate with age in the colon, showing that this mouse model can be used to study the impact of chronic exposures on genomic stability. Exposure to N-methyl-N-nitrosourea, an alkylating agent similar to the cancer chemotherapeutic temozolomide, shows that the colon, liver and pancreas are susceptible to DNA damage-induced HR. Finally, histological analysis of the underlying cell types reveals that pancreatic acinar cells and liver hepatocytes undergo HR and also that HR can be specifically detected in colonic somatic stem cells. Taken together, the RaDR-GFP mouse model provides new understanding of how tissue and age impact susceptibility to HR, and enables future studies of genetic, environmental and physiological factors that modulate HR in mammals.

  13. Induction of homologous recombination in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Simon, J R; Moore, P D

    1988-09-01

    We have investigated the effects of UV irradiation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae in order to distinguish whether UV-induced recombination results from the induction of enzymes required for homologous recombination, or the production of substrate sites for recombination containing regions of DNA damage. We utilized split-dose experiments to investigate the induction of proteins required for survival, gene conversion, and mutation in a diploid strain of S. cerevisiae. We demonstrate that inducing doses of UV irradiation followed by a 6 h period of incubation render the cells resistant to challenge doses of UV irradiation. The effects of inducing and challenge doses of UV irradiation upon interchromosomal gene conversion and mutation are strictly additive. Using the yeast URA3 gene cloned in non-replicating single- and double-stranded plasmid vectors that integrate into chromosomal genes upon transformation, we show that UV irradiation of haploid yeast cells and homologous plasmid DNA sequences each stimulate homologous recombination approximately two-fold, and that these effects are additive. Non-specific DNA damage has little effect on the stimulation of homologous recombination, as shown by studies in which UV-irradiated heterologous DNA was included in transformation/recombination experiments. We further demonstrate that the effect of competing single- and double-stranded heterologous DNA sequences differs in UV-irradiated and unirradiated cells, suggesting an induction of recombinational machinery in UV-irradiated S. cerevisiae cells.

  14. Spectrum Recombination.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Greenslade, Thomas B., Jr.

    1984-01-01

    Describes several methods of executing lecture demonstrations involving the recombination of the spectrum. Groups the techniques into two general classes: bringing selected portions of the spectrum together using lenses or mirrors and blurring the colors by rapid movement or foreshortening. (JM)

  15. Genetic analysis of variation in human meiotic recombination.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Reshmi Chowdhury

    2009-09-01

    Full Text Available The number of recombination events per meiosis varies extensively among individuals. This recombination phenotype differs between female and male, and also among individuals of each gender. In this study, we used high-density SNP genotypes of over 2,300 individuals and their offspring in two datasets to characterize recombination landscape and to map the genetic variants that contribute to variation in recombination phenotypes. We found six genetic loci that are associated with recombination phenotypes. Two of these (RNF212 and an inversion on chromosome 17q21.31 were previously reported in the Icelandic population, and this is the first replication in any other population. Of the four newly identified loci (KIAA1462, PDZK1, UGCG, NUB1, results from expression studies provide support for their roles in meiosis. Each of the variants that we identified explains only a small fraction of the individual variation in recombination. Notably, we found different sequence variants associated with female and male recombination phenotypes, suggesting that they are regulated by different genes. Characterization of genetic variants that influence natural variation in meiotic recombination will lead to a better understanding of normal meiotic events as well as of non-disjunction, the primary cause of pregnancy loss.

  16. Recombination in Avian Gamma-Coronavirus Infectious Bronchitis Virus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mark W. Jackwood

    2011-09-01

    Full Text Available Recombination in the family Coronaviridae has been well documented and is thought to be a contributing factor in the emergence and evolution of different coronaviral genotypes as well as different species of coronavirus. However, there are limited data available on the frequency and extent of recombination in coronaviruses in nature and particularly for the avian gamma-coronaviruses where only recently the emergence of a turkey coronavirus has been attributed solely to recombination. In this study, the full-length genomes of eight avian gamma-coronavirus infectious bronchitis virus (IBV isolates were sequenced and along with other full-length IBV genomes available from GenBank were analyzed for recombination. Evidence of recombination was found in every sequence analyzed and was distributed throughout the entire genome. Areas that have the highest occurrence of recombination are located in regions of the genome that code for nonstructural proteins 2, 3 and 16, and the structural spike glycoprotein. The extent of the recombination observed, suggests that this may be one of the principal mechanisms for generating genetic and antigenic diversity within IBV. These data indicate that reticulate evolutionary change due to recombination in IBV, likely plays a major role in the origin and adaptation of the virus leading to new genetic types and strains of the virus.

  17. The unconventional xer recombination machinery of Streptococci/Lactococci

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Le Bourgeois, Pascal; Bugarel, Marie; Campo, Nathalie; Daveran-Mingot, Marie-Line; Labonte, Jessica; Lanfranchi, Daniel; Lautier, Thomas; Pages, Carine; Ritzenthaler, Paul

    Homologous recombination between circular sister chromosomes during DNA replication in bacteria can generate chromosome dimers that must be resolved into monomers prior to cell division. In Escherichia coli, dimer resolution is achieved by site-specific recombination, Xer recombination, involving

  18. Graded Recombination Layers for Multijunction Photovoltaics

    KAUST Repository

    Koleilat, Ghada I.; Wang, Xihua; Sargent, Edward H.

    2012-01-01

    it to achieve multicolor and spectrally tunable behavior. In series-connected current-matched multijunction devices, the recombination layers must allow the hole current from one cell to recombine, with high efficiency and low voltage loss, with the electron

  19. V(D)J recombination frequency is affected by the sequence interposed between a pair of recombination signals: sequence comparison reveals a putative recombinational enhancer element

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Roch, F A; Hobi, R; Berchtold, M W

    1997-01-01

    respectively, can markedly affect the frequency of V(D)J recombination. We report that the entire Emu, the Emu core as well as its flanking 5' and 3' matrix associated regions (5' and 3' MARs) upregulate V(D)J recombination while the downstream section of the 3' MAR of Emu does not. Also, prokaryotic sequences...

  20. Bio-equivalent doses of recombinent HCG and recombinent LH during ovarian stimulation result in similar oestradiol output

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Alsbjerg, Birgit; Elbaek, Helle Olesen; Laursen, Rita Jakubcionyte

    2017-01-01

    In nature, HCG is secreted by the implanting embryo from peri-implantation and onwards. In contrast, LH is mandatory for steroidogenesis and follicular development during the follicular phase, working in synergy with FSH. Moreover, LH is mandatory for the function of the corpus luteum. Although LH...... and HCG bind to the same receptor, significant molecular, structural and functional differences exist, inducing differences in bioactivity. This randomized controlled study compared the effect of recombinant FSH stimulation combined with daily either micro-dose recombinant HCG or recombinant LH...

  1. Effect of regioregularity on recombination dynamics in inverted bulk heterojunction organic solar cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chandrasekaran, Naresh; Liu, Amelia C. Y.; Kumar, Anil; McNeill, Christopher R.; Kabra, Dinesh

    2018-01-01

    The effect of polymer regioregularity on the charge transport properties and bimolecular recombination rates of polymer-based solar cells is studied in detail using transient photovoltaic techniques. We compare organic solar cells fabricated with an ITO/ZnO/PEIE/P3HT:PCBM/MoO3/Ag structure using either 100% regioregular poly(3-hexylthiophene) (DF-P3HT) yielding an average power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 3.8  ±  0.3% or 92% regioregular P3HT (rr-P3HT) that yields an average PCE of 3.28  ±  0.4%. Transient photocurrent measurements reveal the presence of less mobile photoinduced charges in rr-P3HT:PCBM cells when compared to DF-P3HT:PCBM solar cells. Transient photovoltage measurements are used to establish the relationship between regioregularity and bimolecular recombination rate constant (k) finding that under 1 Sun, devices with high regioregularity have a longer τ despite having a higher k. The high value of k for the DF-P3HT:PCBM system as compared to the rr-P3HT:PCBM system is attributed to enhanced mobility and better charge transport of mobile charges in the DF-P3HT:PCBM system, consistent with enhanced fibrillar order in DF-P3HT films observed with transmission electron microscopy. We also note a slight decrease in cell open circuit voltage with increase in polymer regioregularity, which is due to the increase in k. Other recombination mechanisms such as trap-assisted recombination are found to be important in the lower regioregular P3HT device compounded by the reduced mobility and poor inter-chain ordering.

  2. Recombinant innovation and endogenous technological transitions

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Frenken, K.; Izquierdo, L.R.; Zeppini, P.

    2012-01-01

    We propose a model of technological transitions based on two different types of innovations. Branching innovations refer to technological improvements along a particular path, while recombinant innovations represent fusions of multiple paths. Recombinant innovations create "short-cuts" which reduce

  3. The consumption discount rate for the distant future (if we do not die out)

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Vermeylen, K.

    2013-01-01

    Gollier and Weitzman (2010) show that if future consumption discount rates are uncertain and persistent, the consumption discount rate should decline to its lowest possible value for events in the most distant future. In this paper, I argue that the lowest possible growth rate of consumption per

  4. Charge exchange as a recombination mechanism in high-temperature plasmas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hulse, R.A.; Post, D.E.; Mikkelsen, D.R.

    1980-03-01

    Charge exchange with neutral hydrogen is examined as a recombination mechanism for multi-charged impurity ions present in high-temperature fusion plasmas. At sufficiently low electron densities, fluxes of atomic hydrogen produced by either the injection of neutral heating beams or the background of thermal neutrals can yield an important or even dominant recombination process for such ions. Equilibrium results are given for selected impurity elements showing the altered ionization balance and radiative cooling rate produced by the presence of various neutral populations. A notable result is that the stripping of impurities to relatively non-radiative ionization states with increasing electron temperature can be postponed or entirely prevented by the application of intense neutral beam heating power. A time dependent calculation modelling the behavior of iron in recent PLT tokamak high power neutral beam heating experiments is also presented

  5. Experimental study on the effects of recombinant adenoviral-mediated mIκBα gene combined with irradiation on the treatment of hepatocarcinoma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang Kejun; Li Dechun; Zhu Dongming; Song Caixia

    2007-01-01

    Objective: To explore the effect of recombinant adenovirus vector mediated mutant IκBα (mIκBα) combined with radiation on the hepatocarcinoma. Methods: Limited dilution method was used to test the virus titer in 293 cells. The HCC9204 cells were infected with MOI 10,20,30 and 50 for 48 h, respectively. The expression of p65 and mIκBα protein was analyzed by Western blot. Transfected HCC9204 cells and controls were treated with 4 Gy γ rays. The inhibition rate of HCC9204 cells was examined by MTT. Rat models of HCC9204 was constructed. AdmIκBα plasmids were injected into tumor tissue and the tumors were administered with 6 Gy γ irradiation 48 hours later. Tumor growth at different time points was recorded during 28 days. Results: The titer of AdmIκBΑ is 1.252 x 10 9 pfu/ml. The expression of mIκBα protein was increased with titer of AdmIκBα, and p65 protein began to decrease when MOI was 10, and reached the lowest when MOI was 50, they were all dose-dependent. The proliferation of HCC9204 cell lines were suppressed, as was more significant combined with radiation, and the effect was in a viral dose-dependent manner. From days 7 to 28 after AdmIκBα gene and radiotherapy, the tumor growth was significantly slower than after irradiation or gene therapy alone. Conclusions: Recombinant adenoviral-mediated mIκBα gene, combined with irradiation, can increase the cell-killing effect. It is better than that of either one alone. (authors)

  6. Bimolecular recombination in ambipolar organic field effect transistors

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Charrier, D. S. H.; de Vries, T.; Mathijssen, S. G. J.; Geluk, E. -J.; Smits, E. C. P.; Kemerink, M.; Janssen, R. A. J.

    In ambipolar organic field effect transistors (OFET) the shape of the channel potential is intimately related to the recombination zone width W, and hence to the electron-hole recombination strength. Experimentally, the recombination profile can be assessed by scanning Kelvin probe microscopy

  7. Bimolecular recombination in ambipolar organic field effect transistors

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Charrier, D.S.H.; Vries, T. de; Mathijssen, S.G.J.; Geluk, E.-J.; Smits, E.C.P.; Kemerink, M.; Janssen, R.A.J.

    2009-01-01

    In ambipolar organic field effect transistors (OFET) the shape of the channel potential is intimately related to the recombination zone width W, and hence to the electron–hole recombination strength. Experimentally, the recombination profile can be assessed by scanning Kelvin probe microscopy

  8. The passive autocatalytic recombiner test program at Sandia National Laboratories

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Blanchat, T.K.; Malliakos, A.

    1998-01-01

    Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) has developed systems and methodologies to measure the amount of hydrogen that can be depleted in a containment by a passive autocatalytic recombiner (PAR). Experiments were performed that determined the hydrogen depletion rate of a PAR in the presence of steam and also evaluated the effect of scale (number of cartridges) on the PAR performance at both low and high hydrogen concentrations. (author)

  9. Induction of intrachromosomal homologous recombination in whole plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Puchta, H.; Swoboda, P.; Hohn, B.

    1995-01-01

    The influence of different factors on frequencies of intrachromosomal homologous recombination in whole Arabidopsis thaliana and tobacco plants was analyzed using a disrupted β-glucuronidase marker gene. Recombination frequencies were enhanced several fold by DNA damaging agents like UV-light or MMS (methyl methanesulfonate). Applying 3-methoxybenzamide (3-MB), an inhibitor of poly(ADP)ribose polymerase (PARP), an enzyme that is postulated to be involved in DNA repair, enhanced homologous recombination frequencies strongly. These findings indicate that homologous recombination is involved in DNA repair and can (at least partially) compensate for other DNA repair pathways. Indications that recombination in plants can be induced by environmental stress factors that are not likely to be involved in DNA metabolism were also found; Arabidopsis plants growing in a medium containing 0.1 M NaCl exhibited elevated recombination frequencies. The possible general effects of ‘environmental’ challenges on genome flexibility are discussed. (author)

  10. Metal binding proteins, recombinant host cells and methods

    Science.gov (United States)

    Summers, Anne O.; Caguiat, Jonathan J.

    2004-06-15

    The present disclosure provides artificial heavy metal binding proteins termed chelons by the inventors. These chelons bind cadmium and/or mercuric ions with relatively high affinity. Also disclosed are coding sequences, recombinant DNA molecules and recombinant host cells comprising those recombinant DNA molecules for expression of the chelon proteins. In the recombinant host cells or transgenic plants, the chelons can be used to bind heavy metals taken up from contaminated soil, groundwater or irrigation water and to concentrate and sequester those ions. Recombinant enteric bacteria can be used within the gastrointestinal tracts of animals or humans exposed to toxic metal ions such as mercury and/or cadmium, where the chelon recombinantly expressed in chosen in accordance with the ion to be rededicated. Alternatively, the chelons can be immobilized to solid supports to bind and concentrate heavy metals from a contaminated aqueous medium including biological fluids.

  11. Electric hydrogen recombiner special tests

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wilson, J.F.

    1975-12-01

    Westinghouse has produced an electric hydrogen recombiner to control hydrogen levels in reactor containments following a postulated loss-of-coolant accident. The recombiner underwent extensive testing for NRC qualification (see WCAP 7709-L and Supplements 1, 2, 3, 4). As a result, WCAP 7709-L and Supplements 1, 2, 3, and 4 have been accepted by the NRC for reference in applications not committed to IEEE-323-1974. Supplement 5 and the next supplement will demonstrate conformance to IEEE-323-1974. This supplement describes additional tests, beyond those necessary to qualify the system, which will be referenced in supplement 6. Each test has demonstrated a considerable margin of safety over required performance. Concurrently, the test results increased the fund of technical information on the electric hydrogen recombiner

  12. Geminate electron--cation recombination in disordered solids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Berlin, Y.A.; Chekunaev, N.I.; Goldanskii, V.I.

    1990-01-01

    A theory of a geminate electron--cation recombination has been developed using the percolation approach to the description of the electron transport in disordered solids. Following this approach all trapping sites are separated into two groups. The first group forms a diffusion cluster responsible for the macroscopic charge transfer in disordered media whilethe second group consists of isolated traps playing the role of origins and sinks for mobile electrons. In the framework of such a model an equation has been derived describing the electron motion in the Coulomb field of a parent cation. The solution of this equation in the long time limit shows that the recombination rate decreases vs time as t -(1+α/2) with α being a positive constant or a very weak function of t. In the particular case of Gaussian diffusion α=1 and the kinetic law obtained reduces to that predicted by the well-known Onsager--Smoluchowski theory. However for the dispersive (non-Gaussian) transport in highly disordered systems α<1 and its value depends on the type of disorder, on the energy level structure of trapped electrons and on the specific mechanism of electron migration through the medium

  13. Frequent intra-subtype recombination among HIV-1 circulating in Tanzania.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ireen E Kiwelu

    Full Text Available The study estimated the prevalence of HIV-1 intra-subtype recombinant variants among female bar and hotel workers in Tanzania. While intra-subtype recombination occurs in HIV-1, it is generally underestimated. HIV-1 env gp120 V1-C5 quasispecies from 45 subjects were generated by single-genome amplification and sequencing (median (IQR of 38 (28-50 sequences per subject. Recombination analysis was performed using seven methods implemented within the recombination detection program version 3, RDP3. HIV-1 sequences were considered recombinant if recombination signals were detected by at least three methods with p-values of ≤0.05 after Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons. HIV-1 in 38 (84% subjects showed evidence for intra-subtype recombination including 22 with HIV-1 subtype A1, 13 with HIV-1 subtype C, and 3 with HIV-1 subtype D. The distribution of intra-patient recombination breakpoints suggested ongoing recombination and showed selective enrichment of recombinant variants in 23 (60% subjects. The number of subjects with evidence of intra-subtype recombination increased from 29 (69% to 36 (82% over one year of follow-up, although the increase did not reach statistical significance. Adjustment for intra-subtype recombination is important for the analysis of multiplicity of HIV infection. This is the first report of high prevalence of intra-subtype recombination in the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Tanzania, a region where multiple HIV-1 subtypes co-circulate. HIV-1 intra-subtype recombination increases viral diversity and presents additional challenges for HIV-1 vaccine design.

  14. Construction and characterization of a recombinant invertebrate iridovirus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ozgen, Arzu; Muratoglu, Hacer; Demirbag, Zihni; Vlak, Just M; van Oers, Monique M; Nalcacioglu, Remziye

    2014-08-30

    Chilo iridescent virus (CIV), officially named Insect iridescent virus 6 (IIV6), is the type species of the genus Iridovirus (family Iridoviridae). In this paper we constructed a recombinant CIV, encoding the green fluorescent protein (GFP). This recombinant can be used to investigate viral replication dynamics. We showed that homologous recombination is a valid method to make CIV gene knockouts and to insert foreign genes. The CIV 157L gene, putatively encoding a non-functional inhibitor of apoptosis (IAP), was chosen as target for foreign gene insertion. The gfp open reading frame preceded by the viral mcp promoter was inserted into the 157L locus by homologous recombination in Anthonomus grandis BRL-AG-3A cells. Recombinant virus (rCIV-Δ157L-gfp) was purified by successive rounds of plaque purification. All plaques produced by the purified recombinant virus emitted green fluorescence due to the presence of GFP. One-step growth curves for recombinant and wild-type CIV were similar and the recombinant was fully infectious in vivo. Hence, CIV157L can be inactivated without altering the replication kinetics of the virus. Consequently, the CIV 157L locus can be used as a site for insertion of foreign DNA, e.g. to modify viral properties for insect biocontrol. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. High dose-per-pulse electron beam dosimetry - A model to correct for the ion recombination in the Advanced Markus ionization chamber.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Petersson, Kristoffer; Jaccard, Maud; Germond, Jean-François; Buchillier, Thierry; Bochud, François; Bourhis, Jean; Vozenin, Marie-Catherine; Bailat, Claude

    2017-03-01

    The purpose of this work was to establish an empirical model of the ion recombination in the Advanced Markus ionization chamber for measurements in high dose rate/dose-per-pulse electron beams. In addition, we compared the observed ion recombination to calculations using the standard Boag two-voltage-analysis method, the more general theoretical Boag models, and the semiempirical general equation presented by Burns and McEwen. Two independent methods were used to investigate the ion recombination: (a) Varying the grid tension of the linear accelerator (linac) gun (controls the linac output) and measuring the relative effect the grid tension has on the chamber response at different source-to-surface distances (SSD). (b) Performing simultaneous dose measurements and comparing the dose-response, in beams with varying dose rate/dose-per-pulse, with the chamber together with dose rate/dose-per-pulse independent Gafchromic™ EBT3 film. Three individual Advanced Markus chambers were used for the measurements with both methods. All measurements were performed in electron beams with varying mean dose rate, dose rate within pulse, and dose-per-pulse (10 -2  ≤ mean dose rate ≤ 10 3 Gy/s, 10 2  ≤ mean dose rate within pulse ≤ 10 7  Gy/s, 10 -4  ≤ dose-per-pulse ≤ 10 1  Gy), which was achieved by independently varying the linac gun grid tension, and the SSD. The results demonstrate how the ion collection efficiency of the chamber decreased as the dose-per-pulse increased, and that the ion recombination was dependent on the dose-per-pulse rather than the dose rate, a behavior predicted by Boag theory. The general theoretical Boag models agreed well with the data over the entire investigated dose-per-pulse range, but only for a low polarizing chamber voltage (50 V). However, the two-voltage-analysis method and the Burns & McEwen equation only agreed with the data at low dose-per-pulse values (≤ 10 -2 and ≤ 10 -1  Gy, respectively). An empirical

  16. Poliovirus Polymerase Leu420 Facilitates RNA Recombination and Ribavirin Resistance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kempf, Brian J.; Peersen, Olve B.

    2016-01-01

    ABSTRACT RNA recombination is important in the formation of picornavirus species groups and the ongoing evolution of viruses within species groups. In this study, we examined the structure and function of poliovirus polymerase, 3Dpol, as it relates to RNA recombination. Recombination occurs when nascent RNA products exchange one viral RNA template for another during RNA replication. Because recombination is a natural aspect of picornavirus replication, we hypothesized that some features of 3Dpol may exist, in part, to facilitate RNA recombination. Furthermore, we reasoned that alanine substitution mutations that disrupt 3Dpol-RNA interactions within the polymerase elongation complex might increase and/or decrease the magnitudes of recombination. We found that an L420A mutation in 3Dpol decreased the frequency of RNA recombination, whereas alanine substitutions at other sites in 3Dpol increased the frequency of recombination. The 3Dpol Leu420 side chain interacts with a ribose in the nascent RNA product 3 nucleotides from the active site of the polymerase. Notably, the L420A mutation that reduced recombination also rendered the virus more susceptible to inhibition by ribavirin, coincident with the accumulation of ribavirin-induced G→A and C→U mutations in viral RNA. We conclude that 3Dpol Leu420 is critically important for RNA recombination and that RNA recombination contributes to ribavirin resistance. IMPORTANCE Recombination contributes to the formation of picornavirus species groups and the emergence of circulating vaccine-derived polioviruses (cVDPVs). The recombinant viruses that arise in nature are occasionally more fit than either parental strain, especially when the two partners in recombination are closely related, i.e., members of characteristic species groups, such as enterovirus species groups A to H or rhinovirus species groups A to C. Our study shows that RNA recombination requires conserved features of the viral polymerase. Furthermore, a

  17. UV DRIVEN EVAPORATION OF CLOSE-IN PLANETS: ENERGY-LIMITED, RECOMBINATION-LIMITED, AND PHOTON-LIMITED FLOWS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Owen, James E.; Alvarez, Marcelo A.

    2016-01-01

    We have investigated the evaporation of close-in exoplanets irradiated by ionizing photons. We find that the properties of the flow are controlled by the ratio of the recombination time to the flow timescale. When the recombination timescale is short compared to the flow timescale, the flow is in approximate local ionization equilibrium with a thin ionization front where the photon mean free path is short compared to the flow scale. In this “recombination-limited” flow the mass-loss scales roughly with the square root of the incident flux. When the recombination time is long compared to the flow timescale the ionization front becomes thick and encompasses the entire flow with the mass-loss rate scaling linearly with flux. If the planet's potential is deep, then the flow is approximately “energy-limited”; however, if the planet's potential is shallow, then we identify a new limiting mass-loss regime, which we term “photon-limited.” In this scenario, the mass-loss rate is purely limited by the incoming flux of ionizing photons. We have developed a new numerical approach that takes into account the frequency dependence of the incoming ionizing spectrum and performed a large suite of 1D simulations to characterize UV driven mass-loss around low-mass planets. We find that the flow is “recombination-limited” at high fluxes but becomes “energy-limited” at low fluxes; however, the transition is broad occurring over several orders of magnitude in flux. Finally, we point out that the transitions between the different flow types do not occur at a single flux value but depend on the planet's properties, with higher-mass planets becoming “energy-limited” at lower fluxes

  18. Genome-wide recombination dynamics are associated with phenotypic variation in maize.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pan, Qingchun; Li, Lin; Yang, Xiaohong; Tong, Hao; Xu, Shutu; Li, Zhigang; Li, Weiya; Muehlbauer, Gary J; Li, Jiansheng; Yan, Jianbing

    2016-05-01

    Meiotic recombination is a major driver of genetic diversity, species evolution, and agricultural improvement. Thus, an understanding of the genetic recombination landscape across the maize (Zea mays) genome will provide insight and tools for further study of maize evolution and improvement. Here, we used c. 50 000 single nucleotide polymorphisms to precisely map recombination events in 12 artificial maize segregating populations. We observed substantial variation in the recombination frequency and distribution along the ten maize chromosomes among the 12 populations and identified 143 recombination hot regions. Recombination breakpoints were partitioned into intragenic and intergenic events. Interestingly, an increase in the number of genes containing recombination events was accompanied by a decrease in the number of recombination events per gene. This kept the overall number of intragenic recombination events nearly invariable in a given population, suggesting that the recombination variation observed among populations was largely attributed to intergenic recombination. However, significant associations between intragenic recombination events and variation in gene expression and agronomic traits were observed, suggesting potential roles for intragenic recombination in plant phenotypic diversity. Our results provide a comprehensive view of the maize recombination landscape, and show an association between recombination, gene expression and phenotypic variation, which may enhance crop genetic improvement. © 2015 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2015 New Phytologist Trust.

  19. RNAi and heterochromatin repress centromeric meiotic recombination

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ellermeier, Chad; Higuchi, Emily C; Phadnis, Naina

    2010-01-01

    During meiosis, the formation of viable haploid gametes from diploid precursors requires that each homologous chromosome pair be properly segregated to produce an exact haploid set of chromosomes. Genetic recombination, which provides a physical connection between homologous chromosomes, is essen......During meiosis, the formation of viable haploid gametes from diploid precursors requires that each homologous chromosome pair be properly segregated to produce an exact haploid set of chromosomes. Genetic recombination, which provides a physical connection between homologous chromosomes....... Surprisingly, one mutant derepressed for recombination in the heterochromatic mating-type region during meiosis and several mutants derepressed for centromeric gene expression during mitotic growth are not derepressed for centromeric recombination during meiosis. These results reveal a complex relation between...... types of repression by heterochromatin. Our results also reveal a previously undemonstrated role for RNAi and heterochromatin in the repression of meiotic centromeric recombination and, potentially, in the prevention of birth defects by maintenance of proper chromosome segregation during meiosis....

  20. Effects of UV radiation on genetic recombination

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vlahovic, K.; Zahradka, D.; Petranovic, M.; Petranovic, D.

    1996-01-01

    We have used the model consisting of Escherichia coli cells and l phage to study the effects of UV radiation on genetic recombination. We found two radiation induced processes that reduce or inhibit genetic recombination. One such process leads to the inability of prophage to excise itself from the irradiated bacterial chromosome by the site-specific recombination. The other process was shown to inhibit a type of general recombination by which the prophage transfers one of its genetic markers to the infecting homologous phage. Loss of the prophage ability to take part in both site-specific and general recombination was shown to develop in recB + but not in recB cells. From this we infer that the loss of prophage recombinogenicity in irradiated cells is a consequence of one process in which RecBCD enzyme (the product of recB, recC and recD genes) plays an essential role. (author)

  1. Temporally-controlled site-specific recombination in zebrafish.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stefan Hans

    Full Text Available Conventional use of the site-specific recombinase Cre is a powerful technology in mouse, but almost absent in other vertebrate model organisms. In zebrafish, Cre-mediated recombination efficiency was previously very low. Here we show that using transposon-mediated transgenesis, Cre is in fact highly efficient in this organism. Furthermore, temporal control of recombination can be achieved by using the ligand-inducible CreER(T2. Site-specific recombination only occurs upon administration of the drug tamoxifen (TAM or its active metabolite, 4-hydroxy-tamoxifen (4-OHT. Cre-mediated recombination is detectable already 4 or 2 hours after administration of TAM or 4-OHT, demonstrating fast recombination kinetics. In addition, low doses of TAM allow mosaic labeling of single cells. Combined, our results show that conditional Cre/lox will be a valuable tool for both, embryonic and adult zebrafish studies. Furthermore, single copy insertion transgenesis of Cre/lox constructs suggest a strategy suitable also for other organisms.

  2. Diagnostic value of recombinant Tp0821 protein in serodiagnosis for syphilis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xie, Y; Xu, M; Wang, C; Xiao, J; Xiao, Y; Jiang, C; You, X; Zhao, F; Zeng, T; Liu, S; Kuang, X; Wu, Y

    2016-04-01

    Syphilis is a multistage sexually transmitted disease that remains a serious public health concern worldwide. The coexistence of Treponema pallidum with other closely related members of spirochaeta, such as Leptospira spp. and Borrelia burgdorferi, has complicated the serodiagnosis due to cross-reactive antigens. In this study, recombinant Tp0821 protein was expressed in Escherichia coli and purified by metal affinity chromatography. Then enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) based on Tp0821 for the detection of specific antibodies were established. The relative positive rates of the IgM ELISA and the IgG ELISA were found to be 91·0 and 98·3%, respectively, when screening 578 syphilis specimens. The specificities were 94·3 and 100%, respectively, when cross-checking with serum samples obtained from 30 patients with Lyme disease, five patients with leptospirosis, and 52 uninfected controls. In addition, relative positive rates and specificities of Tp0821 for human sera were all 100% in Western blotting. When compared to the syphilis diagnostic tests commonly used in clinical settings, we found that the results of Tp0821-based ELISAs correlated well with the results of the treponemal tests, specifically the T. pallidum particle agglutination (TP-PA) test and the chemiluminescent immunoassay (CIA). Thus, these findings identify Tp0821 as a novel serodiagnostic candidate for syphilis. In this study, we expressed and purified the Treponema pallidum protein Tp0821 and developed Tp0821-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) for the detection of specific antibodies. The serodiagnostic performance of the recombinant protein was then evaluated. When compared to the results of syphilis diagnostic tests commonly used in clinical settings, we found that the reactivities of syphilitic sera with the recombinant antigen correlated well with the results of the treponemal tests, specifically the T. pallidum particle agglutination (TP-PA) test and the

  3. Algae-based oral recombinant vaccines

    Science.gov (United States)

    Specht, Elizabeth A.; Mayfield, Stephen P.

    2014-01-01

    Recombinant subunit vaccines are some of the safest and most effective vaccines available, but their high cost and the requirement of advanced medical infrastructure for administration make them impractical for many developing world diseases. Plant-based vaccines have shifted that paradigm by paving the way for recombinant vaccine production at agricultural scale using an edible host. However, enthusiasm for “molecular pharming” in food crops has waned in the last decade due to difficulty in developing transgenic crop plants and concerns of contaminating the food supply. Microalgae could be poised to become the next candidate in recombinant subunit vaccine production, as they present several advantages over terrestrial crop plant-based platforms including scalable and contained growth, rapid transformation, easily obtained stable cell lines, and consistent transgene expression levels. Algae have been shown to accumulate and properly fold several vaccine antigens, and efforts are underway to create recombinant algal fusion proteins that can enhance antigenicity for effective orally delivered vaccines. These approaches have the potential to revolutionize the way subunit vaccines are made and delivered – from costly parenteral administration of purified protein, to an inexpensive oral algae tablet with effective mucosal and systemic immune reactivity. PMID:24596570

  4. Recombination in hepatitis C virus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    González-Candelas, Fernando; López-Labrador, F Xavier; Bracho, María Alma

    2011-10-01

    Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a Flavivirus with a positive-sense, single-stranded RNA genome of about 9,600 nucleotides. It is a major cause of liver disease, infecting almost 200 million people all over the world. Similarly to most RNA viruses, HCV displays very high levels of genetic diversity which have been used to differentiate six major genotypes and about 80 subtypes. Although the different genotypes and subtypes share basic biological and pathogenic features they differ in clinical outcomes, response to treatment and epidemiology. The first HCV recombinant strain, in which different genome segments derived from parentals of different genotypes, was described in St. Petersburg (Russia) in 2002. Since then, there have been only a few more than a dozen reports including descriptions of HCV recombinants at all levels: between genotypes, between subtypes of the same genotype and even between strains of the same subtype. Here, we review the literature considering the reasons underlying the difficulties for unequivocally establishing recombination in this virus along with the analytical methods necessary to do it. Finally, we analyze the potential consequences, especially in clinical practice, of HCV recombination in light of the coming new therapeutic approaches against this virus.

  5. Algae-based oral recombinant vaccines

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elizabeth A Specht

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available Recombinant subunit vaccines are some of the safest and most effective vaccines available, but their high cost and the requirement of advanced medical infrastructure for administration make them impractical for many developing world diseases. Plant-based vaccines have shifted that paradigm by paving the way for recombinant vaccine production at agricultural scale using an edible host. However, enthusiasm for molecular pharming in food crops has waned in the last decade due to difficulty in developing transgenic crop plants and concerns of contaminating the food supply. Microalgae are poised to become the next candidate in recombinant subunit vaccine production, and they present several advantages over terrestrial crop plant-based platforms including scalable and contained growth, rapid transformation, easily obtained stable cell lines, and consistent transgene expression levels. Algae have been shown to accumulate and properly fold several vaccine antigens, and efforts are underway to create recombinant algal fusion proteins that can enhance antigenicity for effective orally-delivered vaccines. These approaches have the potential to revolutionize the way subunit vaccines are made and delivered – from costly parenteral administration of purified protein, to an inexpensive oral algae tablet with effective mucosal and system immune reactivity.

  6. Semiclassical wave packet treatment of scattering resonances: application to the delta zero-point energy effect in recombination reactions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vetoshkin, Evgeny; Babikov, Dmitri

    2007-09-28

    For the first time Feshbach-type resonances important in recombination reactions are characterized using the semiclassical wave packet method. This approximation allows us to determine the energies, lifetimes, and wave functions of the resonances and also to observe a very interesting correlation between them. Most important is that this approach permits description of a quantum delta-zero-point energy effect in recombination reactions and reproduces the anomalous rates of ozone formation.

  7. Enhanced defects recombination in ion irradiated SiC

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Izzo, G.; Litrico, G.; Grassia, F.; Calcagno, L.; Foti, G.

    2010-01-01

    Point defects induced in SiC by ion irradiation show a recombination at temperatures as low as 320 K and this process is enhanced after running current density ranging from 80 to 120 A/cm 2 . Ion irradiation induces in SiC the formation of different defect levels and low-temperature annealing changes their concentration. Some levels (S 0 , S x and S 2 ) show a recombination and simultaneously a new level (S 1 ) is formed. An enhanced recombination of defects is besides observed after running current in the diode at room temperature. The carriers introduction reduces the S 2 trap concentration, while the remaining levels are not modified. The recombination is negligible up to a current density of 50 A/cm 2 and increases at higher current density. The enhanced recombination of the S 2 trap occurs at 300 K, which otherwise requires a 400 K annealing temperature. The process can be related to the electron-hole recombination at the associated defect.

  8. Dissociation of recombinant prion autocatalysis from infectivity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Noble, Geoffrey P; Supattapone, Surachai

    2015-01-01

    Within the mammalian prion field, the existence of recombinant prion protein (PrP) conformers with self-replicating (ie. autocatalytic) activity in vitro but little to no infectious activity in vivo challenges a key prediction of the protein-only hypothesis of prion replication--that autocatalytic PrP conformers should be infectious. To understand this dissociation of autocatalysis from infectivity, we recently performed a structural and functional comparison between a highly infectious and non-infectious pair of autocatalytic recombinant PrP conformers derived from the same initial prion strain. (1) We identified restricted, C-terminal structural differences between these 2 conformers and provided evidence that these relatively subtle differences prevent the non-infectious conformer from templating the conversion of native PrP(C) substrates containing a glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchor. (1) In this article we discuss a model, consistent with these findings, in which recombinant PrP, lacking post-translational modifications and associated folding constraints, is capable of adopting a wide variety of autocatalytic conformations. Only a subset of these recombinant conformers can be adopted by post-translationally modified native PrP(C), and this subset represents the recombinant conformers with high specific infectivity. We examine this model's implications for the generation of highly infectious recombinant prions and the protein-only hypothesis of prion replication.

  9. A method of calorimetric detection of two-dimensional atomic hydrogen using an induced two-body exchange recombination

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Frolov, A.V.; Safonov, A.I.; Vasilyev, S.A.; Lukashevich, I.I.

    1994-01-01

    We propose a novel method to detect hydrogen atoms in the pure hyperfine state b at the small dense spot of the sample cell surface by injecting in pulses small controlled amounts of atoms in the reactive mixed state a into the cell volume. The total recombination rate inferred from a carbon bolometer overheating will display pronounced peaks due to two-body ab recombination. The relaxation rate of these peaks to the original value of the bolometer signal will be proportional to b-atoms' density at the spot. This method can be applied to measure the surface density of polarized H in the experiments with the field compression and with the cold spot as well. 14 refs., 4 figs

  10. A Finite-Rate-Catalytic Model For Hypersonic Flows Informed By Molecular Dynamics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schwartzentruber, T. E.; Valentini, P.; Norman, P.; Sorensen, C.

    2011-05-01

    The implementation of a finite-rate catalytic (FRC) wall boundary condition within a general 3D unstructured CFD solver is described. A set of one-step gas-surface chemical equations and atomistic parameters that deter- mine the reaction rates must be prescribed as input to the model. The chemical rate equations are solved at each wall face in the CFD simulation and result in a net production of species at the wall. In order for a finite- rate gas-surface reaction model to be consistent at equilibrium, it is determined that not all forward and back- ward rates can be specified arbitrarily. Provided that the forward rates for each surface recombination are as- signed, the backward rates must be determined using equilibrium constants that are consistent with the gas- phase chemistry model and thermodynamics. Reactive molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are performed us- ing the ReaxFFSiO potential to investigate oxygen-silica interactions. β-quartz and amorphous SiO2 surfaces are accommodated to a high temperature gas via MD simulation and reach a steady-state surface coverage. In addition to stable surface reconstructions a number of active sites are observed on which recombination occurs. Single collision MD simulations are performed where gas-phase oxygen atoms interact with the most dominant active site. Probabilities of recombination are found to have an exponential trend with gas-surface system temperature. The MD simulations are used to determine the activation energy for Eley-Rideal recombination of oxygen on a specific silica active site which is an important input parameter for the FRC model.

  11. Composition, morphology and surface recombination rate of HCl-isopropanol treated and vacuum annealed InAs(1 1 1)A surfaces

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kesler, V.G., E-mail: kesler@isp.nsc.ru [Institute of Semiconductor Physics SB RAS, Lavrentiev av., 13, Novosibirsk 630090 (Russian Federation); Seleznev, V.A.; Kovchavtsev, A.P.; Guzev, A.A. [Institute of Semiconductor Physics SB RAS, Lavrentiev av., 13, Novosibirsk 630090 (Russian Federation)

    2010-05-01

    X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy were used to examine the chemical composition and surface morphology of InAs(1 1 1)A surface chemically etched in isopropanol-hydrochloric acid solution (HCl-iPA) and subsequently annealed in vacuum in the temperature range 200-500 deg. C. Etching for 2-30 min resulted in the formation of 'pits' and 'hillocks' on the sample surface, respectively 1-2 nm deep and high, with lateral dimensions 50-100 nm. The observed local formations, whose density was up to 3 x 10{sup 8} cm{sup -2}, entirely vanished from the surface after the samples were vacuum-annealed at temperatures above 300 deg. C. Using a direct method, electron beam microanalysis, we have determined that the defects of the hillock type includes oxygen and excessive As, while the 'pits' proved to be identical in their chemical composition to InAs. Vacuum anneals were found to cause a decrease in As surface concentration relative to In on InAs surface, with a concomitant rise of surface recombination rate.

  12. Composition, morphology and surface recombination rate of HCl-isopropanol treated and vacuum annealed InAs(1 1 1)A surfaces

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kesler, V. G.; Seleznev, V. A.; Kovchavtsev, A. P.; Guzev, A. A.

    2010-05-01

    X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy were used to examine the chemical composition and surface morphology of InAs(1 1 1)A surface chemically etched in isopropanol-hydrochloric acid solution (HCl-iPA) and subsequently annealed in vacuum in the temperature range 200-500 °C. Etching for 2-30 min resulted in the formation of "pits" and "hillocks" on the sample surface, respectively 1-2 nm deep and high, with lateral dimensions 50-100 nm. The observed local formations, whose density was up to 3 × 10 8 cm -2, entirely vanished from the surface after the samples were vacuum-annealed at temperatures above 300 °C. Using a direct method, electron beam microanalysis, we have determined that the defects of the hillock type includes oxygen and excessive As, while the "pits" proved to be identical in their chemical composition to InAs. Vacuum anneals were found to cause a decrease in As surface concentration relative to In on InAs surface, with a concomitant rise of surface recombination rate.

  13. Composition, morphology and surface recombination rate of HCl-isopropanol treated and vacuum annealed InAs(1 1 1)A surfaces

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kesler, V.G.; Seleznev, V.A.; Kovchavtsev, A.P.; Guzev, A.A.

    2010-01-01

    X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy were used to examine the chemical composition and surface morphology of InAs(1 1 1)A surface chemically etched in isopropanol-hydrochloric acid solution (HCl-iPA) and subsequently annealed in vacuum in the temperature range 200-500 deg. C. Etching for 2-30 min resulted in the formation of 'pits' and 'hillocks' on the sample surface, respectively 1-2 nm deep and high, with lateral dimensions 50-100 nm. The observed local formations, whose density was up to 3 x 10 8 cm -2 , entirely vanished from the surface after the samples were vacuum-annealed at temperatures above 300 deg. C. Using a direct method, electron beam microanalysis, we have determined that the defects of the hillock type includes oxygen and excessive As, while the 'pits' proved to be identical in their chemical composition to InAs. Vacuum anneals were found to cause a decrease in As surface concentration relative to In on InAs surface, with a concomitant rise of surface recombination rate.

  14. Multiple recombinants in two dengue virus, serotype-2 isolates from patients from Oaxaca, Mexico.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perez-Ramirez, Gerardo; Diaz-Badillo, Alvaro; Camacho-Nuez, Minerva; Cisneros, Alejandro; Munoz, Maria de Lourdes

    2009-12-15

    Dengue (DEN) is a serious cause of mortality and morbidity in the world including Mexico, where the infection is endemic. One of the states with the highest rate of dengue cases is Oaxaca. The cause of DEN is a positive-sense RNA virus, the dengue virus (DENV) that evolves rapidly increasing its variability due to the absence of a repair mechanism that leads to approximately one mutational event per genome replication; which results in enhancement of viral adaptation, including the escape from host immune responses. Additionally, recombination may play a role in driving the evolution of DENV, which may potentially affect virulence and cause host tropism changes. Recombination in DENV has not been described in Mexican strains, neither has been described the relevance in virus evolution in an endemic state such as Oaxaca where the four serotypes of DENV are circulating. To study whether there are isolates from Oaxaca having recombination, we obtained the sequence of 6 different isolates of DENV-2 Asian/American genotype from the outbreak 2005-6, one clone of the C(91)-prM-E-NS1(2400) structural genes, and 10 clones of the E gene from the isolate MEX_OAX_1656_05. Evidence of recombination was found by using different methods along with two softwares: RDP3 and GARD. The Oaxaca MEX_OAX_1656_05 and MEX_OAX_1038_05 isolates sequenced in this study were recombinant viruses that incorporate the genome sequence from the Cosmopolitan genotype. Furthermore, the clone of the E gene namely MEX_OAX_165607_05 from this study was also recombinant, incorporating genome sequence from the American genotype. This is the first report of recombination in DENV-2 in Mexico. Given such a recombinant activity new genomic combinations were produced, this could play a significant role in the DENV evolution and must be considered as a potentially important mechanism generating genetic variation in this virus with serious implications for the vaccines and drugs formulation as occurs for other

  15. Multiple recombinants in two dengue virus, serotype-2 isolates from patients from Oaxaca, Mexico

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cisneros Alejandro

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Dengue (DEN is a serious cause of mortality and morbidity in the world including Mexico, where the infection is endemic. One of the states with the highest rate of dengue cases is Oaxaca. The cause of DEN is a positive-sense RNA virus, the dengue virus (DENV that evolves rapidly increasing its variability due to the absence of a repair mechanism that leads to approximately one mutational event per genome replication; which results in enhancement of viral adaptation, including the escape from host immune responses. Additionally, recombination may play a role in driving the evolution of DENV, which may potentially affect virulence and cause host tropism changes. Recombination in DENV has not been described in Mexican strains, neither has been described the relevance in virus evolution in an endemic state such as Oaxaca where the four serotypes of DENV are circulating. Results To study whether there are isolates from Oaxaca having recombination, we obtained the sequence of 6 different isolates of DENV-2 Asian/American genotype from the outbreak 2005-6, one clone of the C(91-prM-E-NS1(2400 structural genes, and 10 clones of the E gene from the isolate MEX_OAX_1656_05. Evidence of recombination was found by using different methods along with two softwares: RDP3 and GARD. The Oaxaca MEX_OAX_1656_05 and MEX_OAX_1038_05 isolates sequenced in this study were recombinant viruses that incorporate the genome sequence from the Cosmopolitan genotype. Furthermore, the clone of the E gene namely MEX_OAX_165607_05 from this study was also recombinant, incorporating genome sequence from the American genotype. Conclusions This is the first report of recombination in DENV-2 in Mexico. Given such a recombinant activity new genomic combinations were produced, this could play a significant role in the DENV evolution and must be considered as a potentially important mechanism generating genetic variation in this virus with serious implications for

  16. Recombiner

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saalfrank, H.

    1985-01-01

    Air containing hydrogen can be oxidized by heating in a container called a recombiner, in order to avoid the collection of hydrogen. The container is long and a large number of straight heating bars are arranged in parallel in it and they are flanged to a lid. The heating bars are surrounded by tubes, in order to obtain good heat transfer by a narrow annular gap. (orig.) [de

  17. Anti-proliferative activity of recombinant melittin expressed in ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Recombinant melittin was then successfully expressed in Escherichia coli. The activity of affinity-purified recombinant melittin was determined in human leukemic U937 cells. Results show that the recombinant melittin had the same anti-proliferative activity in human leukemic U937 cells in vitro as natural one. This shows the ...

  18. Radiative decay rates in Si crystallites with a donor ion

    Science.gov (United States)

    Derbenyova, Natalia V.; Burdov, Vladimir A.

    2018-04-01

    Within the framework of the time-dependent density functional theory, the radiative recombination rates have been calculated for small, ˜1 nm in diameter, hydrogen-passivated silicon crystallites with a single lithium or phosphorus ion. Sharp increase of the radiative recombination rates with increasing temperature was revealed for the crystallites with the lithium ion. No temperature effect was found for the crystallites with the ion of P. It was also shown that the presence of ionized donors in Si crystallites can substantially accelerate the radiative decay compared to the case of pure crystallites.

  19. Co-production of hydrogen and ethanol by Escherichia coli SS1 and its recombinant

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chiu-Shyan Soo

    2017-11-01

    Conclusions: HybC could improve glycerol consumption rate and ethanol productivity of E. coli despite lower hydrogen and ethanol yields. Higher glycerol consumption rate of recombinant hybC could be an advantage for bioconversion of glycerol into biofuels. This study could serve as a useful guidance for dissecting the role of hydrogenase in glycerol metabolism and future development of effective strain for biofuels production.

  20. Site directed recombination

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jurka, Jerzy W.

    1997-01-01

    Enhanced homologous recombination is obtained by employing a consensus sequence which has been found to be associated with integration of repeat sequences, such as Alu and ID. The consensus sequence or sequence having a single transition mutation determines one site of a double break which allows for high efficiency of integration at the site. By introducing single or double stranded DNA having the consensus sequence flanking region joined to a sequence of interest, one can reproducibly direct integration of the sequence of interest at one or a limited number of sites. In this way, specific sites can be identified and homologous recombination achieved at the site by employing a second flanking sequence associated with a sequence proximal to the 3'-nick.

  1. Recombination and dissociative recombination of H2+ and H3+ ions on surfaces with application to hydrogen negative ion sources

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hiskes, J.R.; Karo, A.M.

    1988-12-01

    A four-step model for recombination and dissociative recombination of H 2 + and H 3 + ions on metal surfaces is discussed. Vibrationally excited molecules, H 2 (v''), from H 3 + recombination are produced in a broad spectrum that enhances the excited level distribution. The application of this latter process to hydrogen negative ion discharges is discussed. 5 refs., 3 figs., 1 tab

  2. Live recombinant BHV/BRSV vaccine

    OpenAIRE

    Keil, G.M.; Rijsewijk, F.A.M.

    1998-01-01

    The present invention refers to synthetic Bovine Respiratory Syncytium virus genes. Also the invention relates to live attenuated Bovine Herpesvirus recombinants carrying such synthetic genes. Furthermore, the invention relates to vaccines based on these live attenuated recombinants, for the protection of cattle against both Bovine herpesvirus infection and against Bovine Respiratory Syncytium virus infection. Also the invention relates to methods for the preparation of such live attenuated r...

  3. Recombinant snake venom prothrombin activators

    OpenAIRE

    L?vgren, Ann

    2012-01-01

    Three prothrombin activators; ecarin, which was originally isolated from the venom of the saw-scaled viper Echis carinatus, trocarin from the rough-scaled snake Tropidechis carinatus, and oscutarin from the Taipan snake Oxyuranus scutellatus, were expressed in mammalian cells with the purpose to obtain recombinant prothrombin activators that could be used to convert prothrombin to thrombin. We have previously reported that recombinant ecarin can efficiently generate thrombin without the need ...

  4. Short-term effects of recombinant human growth hormone and feeding on gluconeogenesis in humans

    Science.gov (United States)

    After a short-term fast, lactating women have increased rates of glucose production but not gluconeogenesis (GNG) despite relative hypoinsulinemia. We explored the effects of non-insulin-dependent increase in glucose utilization and recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) on glucose production, glyc...

  5. Expression and purification of recombinant hemoglobin in Escherichia coli.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chandrasekhar Natarajan

    Full Text Available Recombinant DNA technologies have played a pivotal role in the elucidation of structure-function relationships in hemoglobin (Hb and other globin proteins. Here we describe the development of a plasmid expression system to synthesize recombinant Hbs in Escherichia coli, and we describe a protocol for expressing Hbs with low intrinsic solubilities. Since the α- and β-chain Hbs of different species span a broad range of solubilities, experimental protocols that have been optimized for expressing recombinant human HbA may often prove unsuitable for the recombinant expression of wildtype and mutant Hbs of other species.As a test case for our expression system, we produced recombinant Hbs of the deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus, a species that has been the subject of research on mechanisms of Hb adaptation to hypoxia. By experimentally assessing the combined effects of induction temperature, induction time and E. coli expression strain on the solubility of recombinant deer mouse Hbs, we identified combinations of expression conditions that greatly enhanced the yield of recombinant protein and which also increased the efficiency of post-translational modifications.Our protocol should prove useful for the experimental study of recombinant Hbs in many non-human animals. One of the chief advantages of our protocol is that we can express soluble recombinant Hb without co-expressing molecular chaperones, and without the need for additional reconstitution or heme-incorporation steps. Moreover, our plasmid construct contains a combination of unique restriction sites that allows us to produce recombinant Hbs with different α- and β-chain subunit combinations by means of cassette mutagenesis.

  6. Expression and purification of recombinant hemoglobin in Escherichia coli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Natarajan, Chandrasekhar; Jiang, Xiaoben; Fago, Angela; Weber, Roy E; Moriyama, Hideaki; Storz, Jay F

    2011-01-01

    Recombinant DNA technologies have played a pivotal role in the elucidation of structure-function relationships in hemoglobin (Hb) and other globin proteins. Here we describe the development of a plasmid expression system to synthesize recombinant Hbs in Escherichia coli, and we describe a protocol for expressing Hbs with low intrinsic solubilities. Since the α- and β-chain Hbs of different species span a broad range of solubilities, experimental protocols that have been optimized for expressing recombinant human HbA may often prove unsuitable for the recombinant expression of wildtype and mutant Hbs of other species. As a test case for our expression system, we produced recombinant Hbs of the deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus), a species that has been the subject of research on mechanisms of Hb adaptation to hypoxia. By experimentally assessing the combined effects of induction temperature, induction time and E. coli expression strain on the solubility of recombinant deer mouse Hbs, we identified combinations of expression conditions that greatly enhanced the yield of recombinant protein and which also increased the efficiency of post-translational modifications. Our protocol should prove useful for the experimental study of recombinant Hbs in many non-human animals. One of the chief advantages of our protocol is that we can express soluble recombinant Hb without co-expressing molecular chaperones, and without the need for additional reconstitution or heme-incorporation steps. Moreover, our plasmid construct contains a combination of unique restriction sites that allows us to produce recombinant Hbs with different α- and β-chain subunit combinations by means of cassette mutagenesis.

  7. A q-Schroedinger algebra, its lowest weight representations and generalized q-deformed heat equations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dobrev, V.K.; Doebner, H.D.; Mrugalla, C.

    1995-12-01

    We give a q-deformation S-perpendicular q of the centrally extended Schroedinger algebra. We construct the lowest weight representations of S-perpendicular q , starting from the Verma modules over S-perpendicular q , finding their singular vectors and factoring the Verma submodules built on the singular vectors. We also give a vector-field realization of S-perpendicular q which provides polynomial realization of the lowest weight representations and an infinite hierarchy of q-difference equations which may be called generalized q-deformed heat equations. We also apply our methods to the on-shell q-Schroedinger algebra proposed by Floreanini and Vinet. (author). 12 refs

  8. Stabilizing additives added during cell lysis aid in the solubilization of recombinant proteins.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    David J Leibly

    Full Text Available Insoluble recombinant proteins are a major issue for both structural genomics and enzymology research. Greater than 30% of recombinant proteins expressed in Escherichia coli (E. coli appear to be insoluble. The prevailing view is that insolubly expressed proteins cannot be easily solubilized, and are usually sequestered into inclusion bodies. However, we hypothesize that small molecules added during the cell lysis stage can yield soluble protein from insoluble protein previously screened without additives or ligands. We present a novel screening method that utilized 144 additive conditions to increase the solubility of recombinant proteins expressed in E. coli. These selected additives are natural ligands, detergents, salts, buffers, and chemicals that have been shown to increase the stability of proteins in vivo. We present the methods used for this additive solubility screen and detailed results for 41 potential drug target recombinant proteins from infectious organisms. Increased solubility was observed for 80% of the recombinant proteins during the primary and secondary screening of lysis with the additives; that is 33 of 41 target proteins had increased solubility compared with no additive controls. Eleven additives (trehalose, glycine betaine, mannitol, L-Arginine, potassium citrate, CuCl(2, proline, xylitol, NDSB 201, CTAB and K(2PO(4 solubilized more than one of the 41 proteins; these additives can be easily screened to increase protein solubility. Large-scale purifications were attempted for 15 of the proteins using the additives identified and eight (40% were prepared for crystallization trials during the first purification attempt. Thus, this protocol allowed us to recover about a third of seemingly insoluble proteins for crystallography and structure determination. If recombinant proteins are required in smaller quantities or less purity, the final success rate may be even higher.

  9. Investigations for the implementation of catalytic recombiners in large dry containments in Germany

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rohde, J.; Tiltmann, M.; Froehmel, T.

    1997-01-01

    During the past few years, several concepts of mitigation have been developed and tested to limit the hydrogen concentrations in the containment atmosphere during the course of a severe accident. Extensive efforts have been given, especially in Germany and Canada, to investigate the use of catalytic recombiners. Based on the outcome of these research efforts in Germany it was recommended by the Reactor Safety Commission (RSK) in June 1994 to implement a hydrogen mitigation system, based on catalytic recombiners in large dry containments of PWR plants. Investigations are carried out at GRS, sponsored by the German Ministry of Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU), to develop basic requirements for the implementation of a catalytic recombiner system in large dry containments. Severe accidents scenarios were calculated with the system code MELCOR to determine the mass- and energy release rates from the primary system into the containment, necessary to prepare the input data for the containment code calculations. A detailed nodalisation of the containment system of a German PWR plant (Konvoi-type) was developed for the code RA-LOC MOD4 to investigate the effectiveness of a catalytic recombiner system which consists of 53 of such devices, being distributed in the complex room arrangement. The effectiveness of such a system is demonstrated by comparing a representative severe accident sequence without and with the catalytic recombination of hydrogen. The results showed, that only in some limited areas in the containment combustible gas mixtures were formed for a limited time span and that at the end of the first day after the onset of the accident the catalytic reaction is limited due to oxygen depletion. The work is still in progress while additional severe accident sequences have to be analyzed to develop some generic guidelines for the implementation of a catalytic recombiner system in large dry containments. (author)

  10. Putative recombination events and evolutionary history of five economically important viruses of fruit trees based on coat protein-encoding gene sequence analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boulila, Moncef

    2010-06-01

    To enhance the knowledge of recombination as an evolutionary process, 267 accessions retrieved from GenBank were investigated, all belonging to five economically important viruses infecting fruit crops (Plum pox, Apple chlorotic leaf spot, Apple mosaic, Prune dwarf, and Prunus necrotic ringspot viruses). Putative recombinational events were detected in the coat protein (CP)-encoding gene using RECCO and RDP version 3.31beta algorithms. Based on RECCO results, all five viruses were shown to contain potential recombination signals in the CP gene. Reconstructed trees with modified topologies were proposed. Furthermore, RECCO performed better than the RDP package in detecting recombination events and exhibiting their evolution rate along the sequences of the five viruses. RDP, however, provided the possible major and minor parents of the recombinants. Thus, the two methods should be considered complementary.

  11. Expression and purification of recombinant hemoglobin in Escherichia coli

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Natarajan, Chandrasekhar; Jiang, Xiaoben; Fago, Angela

    2011-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Recombinant DNA technologies have played a pivotal role in the elucidation of structure-function relationships in hemoglobin (Hb) and other globin proteins. Here we describe the development of a plasmid expression system to synthesize recombinant Hbs in Escherichia coli, and we describe...... a protocol for expressing Hbs with low intrinsic solubilities. Since the alpha- and beta-chain Hbs of different species span a broad range of solubilities, experimental protocols that have been optimized for expressing recombinant human HbA may often prove unsuitable for the recombinant expression......-translational modifications. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE: Our protocol should prove useful for the experimental study of recombinant Hbs in many non-human animals. One of the chief advantages of our protocol is that we can express soluble recombinant Hb without co-expressing molecular chaperones, and without the need...

  12. Recombination between vaccine and field strains of canine parvovirus is revealed by isolation of virus in canine and feline cell cultures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mochizuki, Masami; Ohshima, Takahisa; Une, Yumi; Yachi, Akiko

    2008-12-01

    Canine parvovirus type 2 (CPV) is a pathogen that causes severe hemorrhagic gastroenteritis with a high fatality rate in pups worldwide. Since CPV emerged in the late 1970s, its origin has been explored with the conclusion that CPV originated from feline panleukopenia virus or a closely related virus. Both high mutation rate and recombination are assumed to be key factors in the evolution of parvoviruses. Here we provide evidence for natural recombination in CPV isolated from dogs in cell culture. Antigenic and genetic properties of isolates from 10 diseased pups were elucidated. Six pups had been vaccinated beforehand with live combined vaccine containing original antigenic type CPV (CPV-2). Six isolates recovered from 4 vaccinated pups in cell cultures were found to contain either CPV-2 or CPV-2-like viruses. The other isolates, including all those from non-vaccinated pups, were CPV-2b viruses. Antigenic typing of two CPV-2-like isolates, 03-029/M and 1887/f, with a monoclonal antibody panel suggested they were a mixture of CPV-2 and CPV-2a (03-029/M) and a recombinant of CPV-2 and CPV-2b (1887/f). Genetic analysis of the VP1 gene indicated that isolate 03-029/M was a mixture of CPV-2, CPV-2a and a recombinant of CPV-2 and CPV-2a viruses, while isolate 1887/f was composed of a recombinant of CPV-2 and CPV-2b viruses. This is the first demonstration of natural CPV recombination in the field and suggests that recombination in the evolution of CPV is a more frequent and important process than previously believed.

  13. Effects of the rad52 gene on recombination in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Prakash, S.; Prakash, L.; Burke, W.; Montelone, B.A.

    1979-01-01

    Effects of the rad52 mutation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae on meiotic, γ-ray-induced, uv-induced, and spontaneous mitotic recombination were studied. The rad52/rad52 diploids undergo premeiotic DNA synthesis; sporulation occurs but inviable spores are produced. Intra- and intergenic recombination during meiosis were examined in cells transferred from sporulation medium to vegetative medium at different time intervals. No intragenic recombination was observed at the hisl-1/hisl-315 and trp5-2/trp5-48 heteroalleles. Gene-centromere recombination was also not observed in rad52/rad52 diploids. No γ-ray-induced intragenic mitotic recombination is seen in rad52/rad52 diploids and uv-induced intragenic recombination is greatly reduced. However, spontaneous mitotic recombination is not similarly affected. The RAD52 gene thus functions in recombination in meiosis and in γ-ray and uv-induced mitotic recombination but not in spontaneous mitotic recombination

  14. Elevated mutation rate during meiosis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rattray, Alison; Santoyo, Gustavo; Shafer, Brenda; Strathern, Jeffrey N

    2015-01-01

    Mutations accumulate during all stages of growth, but only germ line mutations contribute to evolution. While meiosis contributes to evolution by reassortment of parental alleles, we show here that the process itself is inherently mutagenic. We have previously shown that the DNA synthesis associated with repair of a double-strand break is about 1000-fold less accurate than S-phase synthesis. Since the process of meiosis involves many programmed DSBs, we reasoned that this repair might also be mutagenic. Indeed, in the early 1960's Magni and Von Borstel observed elevated reversion of recessive alleles during meiosis, and found that the revertants were more likely to be associated with a crossover than non-revertants, a process that they called "the meiotic effect." Here we use a forward mutation reporter (CAN1 HIS3) placed at either a meiotic recombination coldspot or hotspot near the MAT locus on Chromosome III. We find that the increased mutation rate at CAN1 (6 to 21 -fold) correlates with the underlying recombination rate at the locus. Importantly, we show that the elevated mutation rate is fully dependent upon Spo11, the protein that introduces the meiosis specific DSBs. To examine associated recombination we selected for random spores with or without a mutation in CAN1. We find that the mutations isolated this way show an increased association with recombination (crossovers, loss of crossover interference and/or increased gene conversion tracts). Polζ appears to contribute about half of the mutations induced during meiosis, but is not the only source of mutations for the meiotic effect. We see no difference in either the spectrum or distribution of mutations between mitosis and meiosis. The correlation of hotspots with elevated mutagenesis provides a mechanism for organisms to control evolution rates in a gene specific manner.

  15. Effect of methanol feeding strategies on production and yield of recombinant mouse endostatin from Pichia pastoris.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trinh, L B; Phue, J N; Shiloach, Joseph

    2003-05-20

    Pichia pastoris, a methylotrophic yeast, is an efficient producer of recombinant proteins in which the heterologous gene is under the control of the methanol-induced AOX1 promoter. Hence, the accepted production procedure has two phases: In the first phase, the yeast utilizes glycerol and biomass is accumulated; in the second phase, the yeast utilizes methanol which is used both as an inducer for the expression of the recombinant protein and as a carbon source. Since the yeast is sensitive to methanol concentration, the methanol is supplied gradually to the growing culture. Three methanol addition strategies were evaluated for the purpose of optimizing recombinant endostatin production. Two strategies were based on the yeast metabolism; one responding to the methanol consumption using a methanol sensor, and the other responding to the oxygen consumption. In these two strategies, the methanol supply is unlimited. The third strategy was based on a predetermined exponential feeding rate, controling the growth rate at 0.02 h(-1), in this strategy the methanol supply is limited. Throughout the induction phase glycerol, in addition to methanol, was continuously added at a rate of 1 g L h(-1). Total endostatin production was similar in all three strategies, (400 mg was obtained from 3 L initial volume), but the amount of methanol added and the biomass produced were lower in the predetermined rate method. This caused the specific production of endostatin per biomass and per methanol to be 2 times higher in the predetermined rate than in the other two methods, making the growth control strategy not only more efficient but also more convenient for downstream processing. Copyright 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biotechnol Bioeng 82: 438-444, 2003.

  16. Graded Recombination Layers for Multijunction Photovoltaics

    KAUST Repository

    Koleilat, Ghada I.

    2012-06-13

    Multijunction devices consist of a stack of semiconductor junctions having bandgaps tuned across a broad spectrum. In solar cells this concept is used to increase the efficiency of photovoltaic harvesting, while light emitters and detectors use it to achieve multicolor and spectrally tunable behavior. In series-connected current-matched multijunction devices, the recombination layers must allow the hole current from one cell to recombine, with high efficiency and low voltage loss, with the electron current from the next cell. We recently reported a tandem solar cell in which the recombination layer was implemented using a progression of n-type oxides whose doping densities and work functions serve to connect, with negligible resistive loss at solar current densities, the constituent cells. Here we present the generalized conditions for design of efficient graded recombination layer solar devices. We report the number of interlayers and the requirements on work function and doping of each interlayer, to bridge an work function difference as high as 1.6 eV. We also find solutions that minimize the doping required of the interlayers in order to minimize optical absorption due to free carriers in the graded recombination layer (GRL). We demonstrate a family of new GRL designs experimentally and highlight the benefits of the progression of dopings and work functions in the interlayers. © 2012 American Chemical Society.

  17. Review of Parton Recombination Models

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bass, Steffen A

    2006-01-01

    Parton recombination models have been very successful in explaining data taken at RHIC on hadron spectra and emission patterns in Au+Au collisions at transverse momenta above 2 GeV/c, which have exhibited features which could not be understood in the framework of basic perturbative QCD. In this article I will review the current status on recombination models and outline which future challenges need to be addressed by this class of models

  18. Affinity purification of recombinant human plasminogen activator ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Affinity purification of recombinant human plasminogen activator from ... Screening antibody was performed using rhPA milk in an ELISA-elution assay. ... useful for purifying other tPA mutants or other novel recombinant milkderived proteins.

  19. Enrichment of intersubtype HIV-1 recombinants in a dual infection system using HIV-1 strain-specific siRNAs

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-01-01

    Background Intersubtype HIV-1 recombinants in the form of unique or stable circulating recombinants forms (CRFs) are responsible for over 20% of infections in the worldwide epidemic. Mechanisms controlling the generation, selection, and transmission of these intersubtype HIV-1 recombinants still require further investigation. All intersubtype HIV-1 recombinants are generated and evolve from initial dual infections, but are difficult to identify in the human population. In vitro studies provide the most practical system to study mechanisms, but the recombination rates are usually very low in dual infections with primary HIV-1 isolates. This study describes the use of HIV-1 isolate-specific siRNAs to enrich intersubtype HIV-1 recombinants and inhibit the parental HIV-1 isolates from a dual infection. Results Following a dual infection with subtype A and D primary HIV-1 isolates and two rounds of siRNA treatment, nearly 100% of replicative virus was resistant to a siRNA specific for an upstream target sequence in the subtype A envelope (env) gene as well as a siRNA specific for a downstream target sequence in the subtype D env gene. Only 20% (10/50) of the replicating virus had nucleotide substitutions in the siRNA-target sequence whereas the remaining 78% (39/50) harbored a recombination breakpoint that removed both siRNA target sequences, and rendered the intersubtype D/A recombinant virus resistant to the dual siRNA treatment. Since siRNAs target the newly transcribed HIV-1 mRNA, the siRNAs only enrich intersubtype env recombinants and do not influence the recombination process during reverse transcription. Using this system, a strong bias is selected for recombination breakpoints in the C2 region, whereas other HIV-1 env regions, most notably the hypervariable regions, were nearly devoid of intersubtype recombination breakpoints. Sequence conservation plays an important role in selecting for recombination breakpoints, but the lack of breakpoints in many conserved

  20. Recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein induces bone formation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, E.A.; Rosen, V.; D'Alessandro, J.S.; Bauduy, M.; Cordes, P.; Harada, T.; Israel, D.I.; Hewick, R.M.; Kerns, K.M.; LaPan, P.; Luxenberg, D.P.; McQuaid, D.; Moutsatsos, I.K.; Nove, J.; Wozney, J.M.

    1990-01-01

    The authors have purified and characterized active recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) 2A. Implantation of the recombinant protein in rats showed that a single BMP can induce bone formation in vivo. A dose-response and time-course study using the rat ectopic bone formation assay revealed that implantation of 0.5-115 μg of partially purified recombinant human BMP-2A resulted in cartilage by day 7 and bone formation by day 14. The time at which bone formation occurred was dependent on the amount of BMP-2A implanted; at high doses bone formation could be observed at 5 days. The cartilage- and bone-inductive activity of the recombinant BMP-2A is histologically indistinguishable from that of bone extracts. Thus, recombinant BMP-2A has therapeutic potential to promote de novo bone formation in humans

  1. Anti-tumor effect of a recombinant plasmid expressing human interleukin-12: an initial research

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zheng Chuansheng; Xia Xiangwen; Feng Gansheng; Li Xin; Liang Huimin; Liang Bin

    2010-01-01

    Objective: To study the anti-tumor effect of a recombinant plasmid expressing human interleukin-12 (pEGFP-CI I L- 12) in vivo and in vitro. Methods: We transduct the recombinant gene (pEGFP-CI I L-12) to liver cancer cell HepG 2 in vitro, and detect reproductive activity of the cell using MTT and the activity of expressing vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF) using semiquantitative PCR. And then, we deliver the gene to rabbit liver tumor tissue intraarterial and combine with chemoembolization to observe the anti- tumor effect to VX 2 tumor in vivo. Results: There are no statistical difference compared With control group in activity of reproductive and expressing VEGF in vitro. In vivo, tumor growth rate significantly reduce in gene therapy combined with chemoembolization group. Conclusion: Recombinant gene (pEGFP-Cl I L-12) exhibit significant anti-tumor effect in vivo but not in vitro, perhaps the anti-tumor effect is associated with an indirect pathway instead of a direct pathway. (authors)

  2. Ultra-violet recombination continuum electron temperature measurements in a non-equilibrium atmospheric argon plasma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gordon, M.H.; Kruger, C.H.

    1991-01-01

    Emission measurements of temperature and electron density have been made downstream of a 50 kW induction plasma torch at temperatures and electron densities ranging between 6000 K and 8500 K and 10 to the 20th and 10 to the 21st/cu cm, respectively. Absolute and relative atomic line intensities, and absolute recombination continuum in both the visible and the UV were separately interpreted in order to characterize a recombining atmospheric argon plasma. Continuum measurements made in the UV at 270 nm were used to directly determine the kinetic electron temperature, independent of a Boltzmann equilibrium, assuming only that the electron velocity distribution is Maxwellian. The data indicate that a nonequilibrium condition exists in which the bound-excited and free electrons are nearly in mutual equilibrium down to the 4P level for electron densities as low as 2 x 10 to the 20th/cu m but that both are overpopulated with respect to the ground state due to finite recombination rates. 13 refs

  3. Inference of Ancestral Recombination Graphs through Topological Data Analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cámara, Pablo G.; Levine, Arnold J.; Rabadán, Raúl

    2016-01-01

    The recent explosion of genomic data has underscored the need for interpretable and comprehensive analyses that can capture complex phylogenetic relationships within and across species. Recombination, reassortment and horizontal gene transfer constitute examples of pervasive biological phenomena that cannot be captured by tree-like representations. Starting from hundreds of genomes, we are interested in the reconstruction of potential evolutionary histories leading to the observed data. Ancestral recombination graphs represent potential histories that explicitly accommodate recombination and mutation events across orthologous genomes. However, they are computationally costly to reconstruct, usually being infeasible for more than few tens of genomes. Recently, Topological Data Analysis (TDA) methods have been proposed as robust and scalable methods that can capture the genetic scale and frequency of recombination. We build upon previous TDA developments for detecting and quantifying recombination, and present a novel framework that can be applied to hundreds of genomes and can be interpreted in terms of minimal histories of mutation and recombination events, quantifying the scales and identifying the genomic locations of recombinations. We implement this framework in a software package, called TARGet, and apply it to several examples, including small migration between different populations, human recombination, and horizontal evolution in finches inhabiting the Galápagos Islands. PMID:27532298

  4. Planar versus bulk heterojunction perovskite microstructures: Impact of morphology on photovoltaic properties and recombination dynamics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Ranbir; Shukla, Vivek Kumar

    2018-05-01

    In this work, we compare the planar and bulk heterojunction (BHJ) perovskite thin films for their morphologies, photovoltaic properties, and recombination dynamics. The BHJ perovskite thin films were prepared with the addition of fullerene derivative [6, 6]-Phenyl-C60 butyric acid methyl ester (PC60BM). The addition of PC60BM in perovskite provides a pinhole free film with high absorption coefficient and better charge transfer. The solar cells fabricated with BHJ perovskite exhibits power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 13.5%, with remarkably increased short-circuit current density (JSC) of 20.1 mAcm-2 and reduced recombination rate.

  5. Evolutionary rate of a gene affected by chromosomal position.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perry, J; Ashworth, A

    1999-09-09

    Genes evolve at different rates depending on the strength of selective pressure to maintain their function. Chromosomal position can also have an influence [1] [2]. The pseudoautosomal region (PAR) of mammalian sex chromosomes is a small region of sequence identity that is the site of an obligatory pairing and recombination event between the X and Y chromosomes during male meiosis [3] [4] [5] [6]. During female meiosis, X chromosomes can pair and recombine along their entire length. Recombination in the PAR is therefore approximately 10 times greater in male meiosis compared with female meiosis [4] [5] [6]. The gene Fxy (also known as MID1 [7]) spans the pseudoautosomal boundary (PAB) in the laboratory mouse (Mus musculus domesticus, C57BL/6) such that the 5' three exons of the gene are located on the X chromosome but the seven exons encoding the carboxy-terminal two-thirds of the protein are located within the PAR and are therefore present on both the X and Y chromosomes [8]. In humans [7] [9], the rat, and the wild mouse species Mus spretus, the gene is entirely X-unique. Here, we report that the rate of sequence divergence of the 3' end of the Fxy gene is much higher (estimated at 170-fold higher for synonymous sites) when pseudoautosomal (present on both the X and Y chromosomes) than when X-unique. Thus, chromosomal position can directly affect the rate of evolution of a gene. This finding also provides support for the suggestion that regions of the genome with a high recombination frequency, such as the PAR, may have an intrinsically elevated rate of sequence divergence.

  6. Cell-penetrating peptide-driven Cre recombination in porcine primary cells and generation of marker-free pigs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kang, Qianqian; Sun, Zhaolin; Zou, Zhiyuan; Wang, Ming; Li, Qiuyan; Hu, Xiaoxiang; Li, Ning

    2018-01-01

    Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) have been increasingly used to deliver various molecules, both in vitro and in vivo. However, there are no reports of CPPs being used in porcine fetal fibroblasts (PFFs). The increased use of transgenic pigs for basic research and biomedical applications depends on the availability of technologies for efficient genetic-modification of PFFs. Here, we report that three CPPs (CPP5, TAT, and R9) can efficiently deliver active Cre recombinase protein into PFFs via an energy-dependent endocytosis pathway. The three CPP-Cre proteins can enter PFFs and subsequently perform recombination with different efficiencies. The recombination efficacy of CPP5-Cre was found to be nearly 90%. The rate-limiting step for CPP-Cre-mediated recombination was the step of endosome escape. HA2 and chloroquine were found to improve the recombination efficiency of TAT-Cre. Furthermore, we successfully obtained marker-free transgenic pigs using TAT-Cre and CPP5-Cre. We provide a framework for the development of CPP-based farm animal transgenic technologies that would be beneficial to agriculture and biomedicine.

  7. Steroidogenic disruptive effects of the serotonin-noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors duloxetine, venlafaxine and tramadol in the H295R cell assay and in a recombinant CYP17 assay

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Islin, Julie; Munkboel, Cecilie Hurup; Styrishave, Bjarne

    2018-01-01

    The aim of this study was to determine the steroidogenic endocrine disrupting effect of the three most widely used serotonin-noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors duloxetine, venlafaxine and tramadol, using two in vitro models, the H295R assay and a recombinant CYP17 enzyme assay. Steroid hormones were...... quantified using LC-MS/MS. Duloxetine showed endocrine disrupting effects at 5-20μM with CYP17 being the main target. Venlafaxine also affected the steroidogenesis, mainly by affecting the CYP17 lyase reaction, although at much higher concentrations i.e. 100μM. Tramadol only exerted minor effects...... on the steroidogenesis with the lowest observed effect at 314μM. Based on the H295R results, the inhibition of CYP17 by duloxetine and venlafaxine was investigated in a recombinant CYP17 assay with the use of the 4 major CYP17 substrates pregnenolone, progesterone, 17α-hydroxypregnenolone and 17α...

  8. Hadron production at RHIC: recombination of quarks

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fries, Rainer J [School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455 (United States)

    2005-01-01

    We discuss quark recombination applied to the hadronization of a quark gluon plasma. It has been shown that the quark recombination model can explain essential features of hadron production measured in high energy heavy ion collisions.

  9. Catalytic hydrogen recombination for nuclear containments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Koroll, G.W.; Lau, D.W.P.; Dewit, W.A.; Graham, W.R.C.

    1994-01-01

    Catalytic recombiners appear to be a credible option for hydrogen mitigation in nuclear containments. The passive operation, versatility and ease of back fitting are appealing for existing stations and new designs. Recently, a generation of wet-proofed catalyst materials have been developed at AECL which are highly specific to H 2 -O 2 , are active at ambient temperatures and are being evaluated for containment applications. Two types of catalytic recombiners were evaluated for hydrogen removal in containments based on the AECL catalyst. The first is a catalytic combustor for application in existing air streams such as provided by fans or ventilation systems. The second is an autocatalytic recombiner which uses the enthalpy of reaction to produce natural convective flow over the catalyst elements. Intermediate-scale results obtained in 6 m 3 and 10 m 3 spherical and cylindrical vessels are given to demonstrate self-starting limits, operating limits, removal capacity, scaling parameters, flow resistance, mixing behaviour in the vicinity of an operating recombiner and sensitivity to poisoning, fouling and radiation. (author). 13 refs., 10 figs

  10. The study of neutralization of Po-218 ions by small ion recombination in O2, Ar and N2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shi, Baolan.

    1989-05-01

    Three mechanisms of neutralization of Po + , electron transfer, electron scavenging and small ion recombination, have been suggested. Considerable work has been conducted on the first two mechanisms. However, little information about the small ion recombination is available. In the present research, this mechanism was studied by examining the neutralization rates in different radon concentrations in N 2 , Ar, and O 2 with the aid of a continuous monitoring of radon and progency experimental system. The results showed that the neutralization rates in the three gases are around 2 to 4 sec/sup /minus/1/. A linear relationship between the neutralization rate and the square root of radon concentration was obtained. It was also found that the neutralization rates are higher in the gas with lower ionization potential. The charged fraction of polonium in all cases was measured to be 0.88. Further, the existence of the neutralization rate plateau at high radon concentrations was strongly suggested. 24 refs

  11. [Improvement of thermal adaptability and fermentation of industrial ethanologenic yeast by genomic DNA mutagenesis-based genetic recombination].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Xiuying; He, Xiuping; Lu, Ying; Zhang, Borun

    2011-07-01

    Ethanol is an attractive alternative to fossil fuels. Saccharomyces cerevisiae is the most important ethanol producer. However, in the process of industrial production of ethanol, both cell growth and fermentation of ethanologenic S. cerevisiae are dramatically affected by environmental stresses, such as thermal stress. In this study, we improved both the thermotolerance and fermentation performance of industrial ethanologenic S. cerevisiae by combined usage of chemical mutagenesis and genomic DNA mutagenesis-based genetic recombination method. The recombinant S. cerevisiae strain T44-2 could grow at 44 degrees C, 3 degrees C higher than that of the original strain CE6. The survival rate of T44-2 was 1.84 and 1.87-fold of that of CE6 when heat shock at 48 degrees C and 52 degrees C for 1 h respectively. At temperature higher than 37 degrees C, recombinant strain T44-2 always gave higher cell growth and ethanol production than those of strain CE6. Meanwhile, from 30 degrees C to 40 degrees C, recombinant strain T44-2 produces 91.2-83.8 g/L of ethanol from 200 g/L of glucose, which indicated that the recombinant strain T44-2 had both thermotolerance and broad thermal adaptability. The work offers a novel method, called genomic DNA mutagenesis-based genetic recombination, to improve the physiological functions of S. cerevisiae.

  12. Recombination Processes and Nonlinear Markov Chains.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pirogov, Sergey; Rybko, Alexander; Kalinina, Anastasia; Gelfand, Mikhail

    2016-09-01

    Bacteria are known to exchange genetic information by horizontal gene transfer. Since the frequency of homologous recombination depends on the similarity between the recombining segments, several studies examined whether this could lead to the emergence of subspecies. Most of them simulated fixed-size Wright-Fisher populations, in which the genetic drift should be taken into account. Here, we use nonlinear Markov processes to describe a bacterial population evolving under mutation and recombination. We consider a population structure as a probability measure on the space of genomes. This approach implies the infinite population size limit, and thus, the genetic drift is not assumed. We prove that under these conditions, the emergence of subspecies is impossible.

  13. High-resolution recombination patterns in a region of human chromosome 21 measured by sperm typing.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Irene Tiemann-Boege

    2006-05-01

    Full Text Available For decades, classical crossover studies and linkage disequilibrium (LD analysis of genomic regions suggested that human meiotic crossovers may not be randomly distributed along chromosomes but are focused instead in "hot spots." Recent sperm typing studies provided data at very high resolution and accuracy that defined the physical limits of a number of hot spots. The data were also used to test whether patterns of LD can predict hot spot locations. These sperm typing studies focused on several small regions of the genome already known or suspected of containing a hot spot based on the presence of LD breakdown or previous experimental evidence of hot spot activity. Comparable data on target regions not specifically chosen using these two criteria is lacking but is needed to make an unbiased test of whether LD data alone can accurately predict active hot spots. We used sperm typing to estimate recombination in 17 almost contiguous ~5 kb intervals spanning 103 kb of human Chromosome 21. We found two intervals that contained new hot spots. The comparison of our data with recombination rates predicted by statistical analyses of LD showed that, overall, the two datasets corresponded well, except for one predicted hot spot that showed little crossing over. This study doubles the experimental data on recombination in men at the highest resolution and accuracy and supports the emerging genome-wide picture that recombination is localized in small regions separated by cold areas. Detailed study of one of the new hot spots revealed a sperm donor with a decrease in recombination intensity at the canonical recombination site but an increase in crossover activity nearby. This unique finding suggests that the position and intensity of hot spots may evolve by means of a concerted mechanism that maintains the overall recombination intensity in the region.

  14. Recombination radius of a Frenkel pair and capture radius of a self-interstitial atom by vacancy clusters in bcc Fe

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nakashima, Kenichi; Stoller, Roger E; Xu, Haixuan

    2015-01-01

    The recombination radius of a Frenkel pair is a fundamental parameter for the object kinetic Monte Carlo (OKMC) and mean field rate theory (RT) methods that are used to investigate irradiation damage accumulation in irradiated materials. The recombination radius in bcc Fe has been studied both experimentally and numerically, however there is no general consensus about its value. The detailed atomistic processes of recombination also remain uncertain. Values from 1.0a 0 to 3.3a 0 have been employed as a recombination radius in previous studies using OKMC and RT. The recombination process of a Frenkel pair is investigated at the atomic level using the self-evolved atomistic kinetic Monte Carlo (SEAKMC) method in this paper. SEAKMC calculations reveal that a self-interstitial atom recombines with a vacancy in a spontaneous reaction from several nearby sites following characteristic pathways. The recombination radius of a Frenkel pair is estimated to be 2.26a 0 by taking the average of the recombination distances from 80 simulation cases. In addition, we apply these procedures to the capture radius of a self-interstitial atom by a vacancy cluster. The capture radius is found to gradually increase with the size of the vacancy cluster. The fitting curve for the capture radius is obtained as a function of the number of vacancies in the cluster. (paper)

  15. [Construction and expression of a recombinant adenovirus with LZP3].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Bang-dang; Zhang, Fu-chun; Sun, Mei-yu; Li, Yi-jie; Ma, Zheng-hai

    2007-08-01

    To explore a new immunocontraceptive vaccine and construct an attenuated recombinant adenoviral vaccine against Lagurus lagurus zona pellucida 3(LZP3). LZP3 gene was subcloned into the shuttle vector pShuttle-CMV, and then a two-step transformation procedure was employed to construct a recombinant adenoviral plasmid with LZP3, which was digested with Pac I and transfected into HEK293 cells to package recombinant adenovirus particles. Finally, HeLa cells were infected by the recombinant adenovirus. LZP3 gene was detected from the recombinant virus by PCR, and its transcription and expression were analyzed by RT-PCR and Western blot. Recombinant adenovirus vector pAd-LZP3 with LZP3 gene was constructed by homologous recombination in E.coli, and a recombinant adenovirus was obtained by transfecting HEK293 cells with pAd-LZP3. PCR test indicated that LZP3 gene was successfully integrated into the adenoviral genome, and the titer of the recombinant adenovirus reached 1.2x10(10) pfu/L. The transcription and expression of LZP3 gene in the infected HeLa cells were confirmed by RT-PCR and Western blot. The recombinant adenovirus RAd-LZP3 can be successfully expressed in the infected HeLa cells, which lays the foundation for further researches into immunizing animals with RAd-LZP3.

  16. Genetic characterization of somatic recombination in Trichoderma pseudokoningii

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Barcellos Fernando Gomes

    2003-01-01

    Full Text Available Crossing experiments via hyphal anastomosis between two strains contrasting for auxotrophic markers of Trichoderma pseudokoningii were conducted to characterize the somatic recombination process in this specie. Four crossings were made and a total of 1052 colonies obtained from conidial suspensions of the heterokaryotic colonies were analyzed. Sixty-eight recombinant colonies, from four growing generations, were analyzed for the auxotrophic markers. Of the 68 colonies analyzed, 58 were stable after four generations and the remainders were unstable, reverting to one of the parentals. Most of the recombinant colonies were unstable through subculture and after four growing generations they showed the leu ino met markers (auxotrophic for leucin, inositol and metionin respectively. The unstable recombinant colonies showed irregular growing borders, sparse sporulation and frequent sector formation. The results suggest the occurrence of recombination mechanisms in the heterokaryon (somatic recombination, different from those described for the parasexual cycle or parameiosis. Therefore, we proposed the ocurrence of nuclei degradation from one parental (non prevalent parental in the heterokaryon and that the resulting chromosomal fragments may be incorporated into whole nuclei of the another parental (prevalent parental. However the parameiosis as originally described cannot be excluded.

  17. N-terminal processing of affinity-tagged recombinant proteins purified by IMAC procedures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mooney, Jane T; Fredericks, Dale P; Christensen, Thorkild; Bruun Schiødt, Christine; Hearn, Milton T W

    2015-07-01

    The ability of a new class of metal binding tags to facilitate the purification of recombinant proteins, exemplified by the tagged glutathione S-transferase and human growth hormone, from Escherichia coli fermentation broths and lysates has been further investigated. These histidine-containing tags exhibit high affinity for borderline metal ions chelated to the immobilised ligand, 1,4,7-triazacyclononane (tacn). The use of this tag-tacn immobilised metal ion affinity chromatography (IMAC) system engenders high selectivity with regard to host cell protein removal and permits facile tag removal from the E. coli-expressed recombinant protein. In particular, these tags were specifically designed to enable their efficient removal by the dipeptidyl aminopeptidase 1 (DAP-1), thus capturing the advantages of high substrate specificity and rates of cleavage. MALDI-TOF MS analysis of the cleaved products from the DAP-1 digestion of the recombinant N-terminally tagged proteins confirmed the complete removal of the tag within 4-12 h under mild experimental conditions. Overall, this study demonstrates that the use of tags specifically designed to target tacn-based IMAC resins offers a comprehensive and flexible approach for the purification of E. coli-expressed recombinant proteins, where complete removal of the tag is an essential prerequisite for subsequent application of the purified native proteins in studies aimed at delineating the molecular and cellular basis of specific biological processes. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  18. Dissociative recombination in reactive flows related to planetary atmospheric entries

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bultel Arnaud

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The Dissociative Recombination (DR processes play a significant role in plasma chemistry. This article illustrates this role from the modeling point of view in the case of reactive flows related to atmospheric entry plasmas. Two situations are investigated, for which the studied plasma is nitrogen. The first configuration corresponds to the relaxation process behind a strong shock wave moving at high Mach number in a shock tube, the second one to the recombination taking place in an expanding plasma flowing in a diverging nozzle. In both cases, the collisional-radiative model CoRaM-N2, involving N2, N, N2+, N+ and electrons, is implemented in an Eulerian 1D code able to compute the aerodynamic fields; calculations are performed in standard conditions. We show that, according to the rate coefficients used for the DR processes, the population density of the charged species especially N2+ is strongly modified only for the post-shock flow.

  19. In vitro V(D)J recombination: signal joint formation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cortes, P; Weis-Garcia, F; Misulovin, Z; Nussenzweig, A; Lai, J S; Li, G; Nussenzweig, M C; Baltimore, D

    1996-11-26

    The first step of V(D)J recombination, specific cleavage at the recombination signal sequence (RSS), can be carried out by the recombination activating proteins RAG1 and RAG2. In vivo, the cleaved coding and signal ends must be rejoined to generate functional antigen receptors and maintain chromosomal integrity. We have investigated signal joint formation using deletion and inversion substrates in a cell free system. RAG1 and RAG2 alone or in combination were unable to generate signal joints. However, RAG1 and RAG2 complemented with nuclear extracts were able to recombine an extrachromosomal substrate and form precise signal joints. The in vitro reaction resembled authentic V(D)J recombination in being Ku-antigen-dependent.

  20. Inactivated Recombinant Rabies Viruses Displaying Canine Distemper Virus Glycoproteins Induce Protective Immunity against Both Pathogens.

    Science.gov (United States)

    da Fontoura Budaszewski, Renata; Hudacek, Andrew; Sawatsky, Bevan; Krämer, Beate; Yin, Xiangping; Schnell, Matthias J; von Messling, Veronika

    2017-04-15

    The development of multivalent vaccines is an attractive methodology for the simultaneous prevention of several infectious diseases in vulnerable populations. Both canine distemper virus (CDV) and rabies virus (RABV) cause lethal disease in wild and domestic carnivores. While RABV vaccines are inactivated, the live-attenuated CDV vaccines retain residual virulence for highly susceptible wildlife species. In this study, we developed recombinant bivalent vaccine candidates based on recombinant vaccine strain rabies virus particles, which concurrently display the protective CDV and RABV glycoprotein antigens. The recombinant viruses replicated to near-wild-type titers, and the heterologous glycoproteins were efficiently expressed and incorporated in the viral particles. Immunization of ferrets with beta-propiolactone-inactivated recombinant virus particles elicited protective RABV antibody titers, and animals immunized with a combination of CDV attachment protein- and fusion protein-expressing recombinant viruses were protected from lethal CDV challenge. However, animals that were immunized with only a RABV expressing the attachment protein of CDV vaccine strain Onderstepoort succumbed to infection with a more recent wild-type strain, indicating that immune responses to the more conserved fusion protein contribute to protection against heterologous CDV strains. IMPORTANCE Rabies virus and canine distemper virus (CDV) cause high mortality rates and death in many carnivores. While rabies vaccines are inactivated and thus have an excellent safety profile and high stability, live-attenuated CDV vaccines can retain residual virulence in highly susceptible species. Here we generated recombinant inactivated rabies viruses that carry one of the CDV glycoproteins on their surface. Ferrets immunized twice with a mix of recombinant rabies viruses carrying the CDV fusion and attachment glycoproteins were protected from lethal CDV challenge, whereas all animals that received