implementation-of-a-reference-interferometer-for-nanodetection

Implementation of a Reference Interferometer for Nanodetection

A thermally and mechanically stabilized fiber interferometer suited for examining ultra-high quality factor microcavities is fashioned. After assessing ...

University of Victoria

Closely related invasive species may often displace one another, but it is often difficult to determine mechanisms because of the historical nature of these events. The leafmining flies Liriomyza sativae and Liriomyza trifolii have become serious invasive agricultural pests throughout the world. Where both species have invaded the same region, one predominates over the other. Although L. sativae invaded Hainan Island of China first, it recently has been displaced by the newly invasive L. trifolii. We hypothesized that differential susceptibilities to insecticides could be causing this demographic shift.

Insecticide-mediated apparent displacement between two invasive species of leafminer fly.

Heat shock treatment induces tolerance to subsequent thermal stress and abrogates the response to alternative stimuli, including LPS and cytokines in vitro and in vivo. One of the mechanisms responsible for this phenomenon is inhibition of the nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) pathway via NF-κB inhibitor proteins (IκB-α). However, the underlying mechanisms involved in the effect of heat shock treatment on IκB-α expression remain unclear. In the present study, the effect of heat shock treatment on the production of IκB-α and the possible mechanisms involved were investigated. The results revealed a significant increase in the half-lives of IκB-α mRNA and proteins in RAW264.7 macrophages following heat shock treatment and IκB-α transcription levels also increased. In addition, RNA pull-down and RNA immunoprecipitation studies showed that the RNA-binding protein, HuR, may specifically bind to the IκB-α mRNA 3'UTR upon heat shock treatment. Overexpression of HuR in 3T3 cells caused an alteration in IκB-α protein expression leading to a change in NF-κB expression, however, IκB‑α mRNA expression levels were unchanged. The relocalization of HuR from the nucleus to the cytoplasm was observed following 1 h heat shock treatment and HuR was colocalized with the G3BP1 protein, the main content of stress granules. The results indicate that following heat shock treatment, HuR translocates from the nucleus to the cytoplasm, forming stress granules and regulating the translation of IκB‑α mRNA without affecting the half-life.

Heat shock-mediated regulation of IκB-α at the post-transcriptional level by HuR.

Phosphatase and tensin homologue on chromosome ten (PTEN) acts as a convergent nodal signalling point for cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, growth and survival. However, the role of PTEN in cardiac conditions such as right ventricular hypertrophy caused by chronic hypoxic pulmonary, hypertension remains unclear. This study preliminarily discussed the role of PTEN in the cardiac response to increased pulmonary vascular resistance using the hypoxia-induced PH rats.

Phosphorylation of PTEN increase in pathological right ventricular hypertrophy in rats with chronic hypoxia induced pulmonary hypertension.

We simulate light propagation in perturbed whispering-gallery mode microcavities using a two-dimensional finite-difference beam propagation method in a cylindrical coordinate system. Optical properties of whispering-gallery microcavities perturbed by polystyrene nanobeads are investigated through this formulation. The light perturbation as well as quality factor degradation arising from cavity ellipticity are also studied.

Cylindrical beam propagation modelling of perturbed whispering-gallery mode microcavities.

Liriomyza sativae and L. trifolii are highly invasive leafminer pests of vegetable crops that have invaded southern China in recent years. Liriomyza sativae was the first of these species to invade China, but it is now being displaced by L. trifolii. The rate and extent of this displacement vary across southern China. In Hainan, monocultures of highly valuable cowpea are planted and treated extensively with insecticides in attempts to control leafminer damage. In Guangdong, cowpea fields are interspersed with other less valuable crops, such as towel gourd (Luffa cylindrica), which receive significantly fewer insecticide applications than cowpea. To determine how differences in cropping systems influence the Liriomyza species composition, we conducted field trials in 2011 and 2012 in Guangdong where both species were present. We replicated conditions in Hainan by planting cowpea monocultures that were isolated from other agricultural fields, and we replicated conditions in Guangdong by planting cowpea in a mixed crop environment with towel gourd planted in neighboring plots. We then compared leafminer populations in cowpea treated with the insecticide avermectin and untreated cowpea. We also monitored leafminer populations in the untreated towel gourd. Untreated cowpea and towel gourd had comparatively low proportions of L. trifolii, which remained relatively stable over the course of each season. Avermectin applications led to increases in the proportions of L. trifolii, and after three weekly applications populations were >95% L. trifolii in both crop systems. However, the rate of change and persistence of L. trifolii in the mixed crop system were less than in the monocrop. These results indicate that L. trifolii is much less susceptible to avermectin than is L. sativae. Further, L. sativae was able to persist in the untreated towel gourd, which probably enabled it to recolonize treated cowpea.

Wenyan Yu

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

University of Victoria

Implementation of a Reference Interferometer for Nanodetection

Wenyan Yu

.css-o250i3{font-size:18px;font-family:Open Sans,sans-serif;line-height:21.6px;}Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

University of Victoria

Implementation of a Reference Interferometer for Nanodetection

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering