Photonic crystal resonators for inverse-designed multi-dimensional optical interconnects.

We experimentally demonstrate a 400 Gbit/s optical communication link utilizing wavelength-division multiplexing and mode-division multiplexing for a total of 40 channels. This link utilizes a novel, to the best of our knowledge, 400 GHz frequency comb source based on a chip-scale photonic crystal resonator. Silicon-on-insulator photonic inverse-designed 4 × 4 mode-division multiplexer structures enable a fourfold increase in data capacity. We show less than -10 dBm of optical receiver power for error-free data transmission in 34 out of a total of 40 channels using a PRBS31 pattern.

[The study of the metabolism of iodotyrosines included in the iodized milk protein in rats].

In the course of evolution in animals and humans, a complex and effective system for providing the body with iodine in the form of various organic and inorganic compounds was developed. The metabolism of inorganic iodine has been studied quite well, in contrast to the mechanism of assimilation of its organic compounds. Among the latter, iodotyrosines, which are part of iodinated milk proteins, are of particular interest. To distinguish the peculiarities of the biotransformation of iodotyrosines in the animals' organism, their concentration and the concentration of tyrosine in blood plasma of rats after single administration of iodinated milk proteins were determined. For comparison, in parallel a group of animals received potassium iodide. The tested preparations were administered intragastrically with a probe in the form of aqueous solutions at a dose equivalent to 30 µg iodine per 1 kg of body weight. The level of mono- and diiodotyrosine in rat blood plasma was determined by HPLC with a mass spectrometer detector. The tyrosine content was determined on an automatic amino acid analyzer. The registration of the indices was carried out before the administration and 1, 4 and 24 hours after the administration of the substances. In the course of the conducted studies it was found that when iodinated milk proteins are once administered, a significant increase in the concentrations of monoiodotyrosine and diiodotyrosine is observed. The maximum level of iodinated amino acids, exceeding the control values by more than 6 fold, was recorded 4 hours after the ingestion of iodine-containing organic compounds into the body. At the same time interval, an increase in the concentration of tyrosine was observed in one of the experimental groups receiving iodinated milk protein. The simultaneous presence of tyrosine and its iodinated derivatives in blood plasma may indicate that monoiodotyrosine and diiodotyrosine are capable of being absorbed into the systemic bloodstream without metabolic transformations in the liver. Under introduction of potassium iodide, an increase in blood plasma concentration of monoiodotyrosine by 35% compared to the control was observed only after 24 hours, which may be a consequence of the activation of the thyroid gland due to the intake of an increased amount of iodine.

[Performance evaluation of integrated cytoprotective therapy of different duration in patients with cerebral infarction].

The paper reviews the preliminary results of a multicenter randomized clinical research. The aim of the study was to determine the optimal duration of different types of energy-correction therapy. 99 case report forms of patients with cerebral infarction were reviewed with their prior envelope randomization into three groups. Patients in the first group (experimental group), consisting of 32 patients, as part of combined therapy received ascorbic acid (5% solution twice a day in a recommended dosage of 20 ml/day for 20 days); the second group (37 patients) received 10 ml of cytoflavin intravenously by drop infusion twice a day for 10 days; the third group received cytoflavin for 20 days (from day 1 to day 10 - 20 ml a day, from day 11 to day 20 - 10 ml a day). The average NIH scale score on admission was 14.9 ± 2.6. Prescription of cytoflavin came with average 1.7 - 1.8 time regression (p < 0.05) of the volumes of cerebral ischemia in the of cases of the 10- and 20-day courses of treatment, while there were no significant morphologic changes in the ascorbic acid group. These results correlated with the best dynamics and outcomes of the neurological and performance status of patients receiving cytoflavin. Despite the lack of significant general differences in the clinical and morphological data of the second and third groups, the patients with underlying grave medical condition in the 20-day cytoflavin group (with NIH score of 14-20 points on admission) tended to have improved neurologic status parameters in comparison with the experimental group and the 10-day cytoflavin group. These results attest to the advantages of personalized antioxidant energy-correction therapy.

Posttranslational processing and differential glycosylation of Tractin, an Ig-superfamily member involved in regulation of axonal outgrowth.

Tractin is a novel member of the Ig-superfamily which has a highly unusual structure. It contains six Ig domains, four FNIII-like domains, an acidic domain, 12 repeats of a novel proline- and glycine-rich motif with sequence similarity to collagen, a transmembrane domain, and an intracellular tail with an ankyrin and a PDZ domain binding motif. By generating domain-specific antibodies, we show that Tractin is proteolytically processed at two cleavage sites, one located in the third FNIII domain, and a second located just proximal to the transmembrane domain resulting in the formation of four fragments. The most NH(2)-terminal fragment which is glycosylated with the Lan3-2, Lan4-2, and Laz2-369 glycoepitopes is secreted, and we present evidence which supports a model in which the remaining fragments combine to form a secreted homodimer as well as a transmembrane heterodimer. The extracellular domain of the dimers is mostly made up of the collagen-like PG/YG-repeat domain but also contains 11/2 FNIII domain and the acidic domain. The collagen-like PG/YG-repeat domain could be selectively digested by collagenase and we show by yeast two-hybrid analysis that the intracellular domain of Tractin can interact with ankyrin. Thus, the transmembrane heterodimer of Tractin constitutes a novel protein domain configuration where sequence that has properties similar to that of extracellular matrix molecules is directly linked to the cytoskeleton through interactions with ankyrin.

Glutathione synthesis is essential for mouse development but not for cell growth in culture.

Glutathione (GSH) is a major source of reducing equivalents in mammalian cells. To examine the role of GSH synthesis in development and cell growth, we generated mice deficient in GSH by a targeted disruption of the heavy subunit of gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase (gammaGCS-HS(tm1)), an essential enzyme in GSH synthesis. Embryos homozygous for gammaGCS-HS(tm1) fail to gastrulate, do not form mesoderm, develop distal apoptosis, and die before day 8.5. Lethality results from apoptotic cell death rather than reduced cell proliferation. We also isolated cell lines from homozygous mutant blastocysts in medium containing GSH. These cells also grow indefinitely in GSH-free medium supplemented with N-acetylcysteine and have undetectable levels of GSH; further, they show no changes in mitochondrial morphology as judged by electron microscopy. These data demonstrate that GSH is required for mammalian development but dispensable in cell culture and that the functions of GSH, not GSH itself, are essential for cell growth.