Anisotropy of electrostatic interaction in free-standing smectic-C

The correlation function of the director fluctuations in a free-standing smectic ferroelectric film is calculated theoretically. In the functional of free energy, the anisotropy of the Coulomb interaction of polarization charges is taken into account. The results of calculations were used to obtain the angular dependences of scattered light intensity. It has been shown that for relatively thick films, the anisotropy of the Coulomb interaction of polarization charges can change significantly the scattered light intensity.

[Regulatory elements of the eukaryotic genome controlling transcription].

In this review, we discuss regulatory elements of the eukaryotic genome that control transcription. We describe the functional anatomy of tissue specific promoters and promoters of house-keeping genes; current methodologies for prediction and identification of enhancers; the role of insulators in the enhancer-promoter communication and maintenance of the epigenetic status of genomic domains; and briefly discuss the relationship between the interphase chromatin topology and regulation of transcription. Considering these questions, we pay particular attention to the new data obtained in works on the high-throughput sequencing of primary transcripts and the genome-wide analysis of histone modifications.

Anisotropy of electrostatic interaction in smectic-C

The contribution to the free energy of distortion of the ferroelectric smectic-C^{*} due to the electrostatic interaction of polarization charges is calculated. These calculations are performed by accounting for the anisotropy of the permittivity, which is essential for smectic-C^{*}. Fluctuations of the c director in an external electric field are considered. It is shown that the anisotropy of the permittivity strongly affects the interaction of the polarization charges, the spectrum orientation fluctuations, and the angular dependence of the light scattering intensity.