Law in Disorder

A formal request by the theorists produces a stand-alone Solid-State Theory Group at Bell Labs. A summer visitor program leads several visiting theorists to conclude that localization occurred in Feher’s samples due to an electrostatic mechanism suggested by Nevill Mott. Anderson develops a theory for localization where the disorder in the positions of the dopants plays a crucial role. Mott champions Anderson’s theory and the Nobel Committee cites it when Anderson wins a share of the 1977 Nobel Prize with Mott and John Van Vleck. David Thouless re-ignites Anderson’s interest in localization and he leads the Gang of Four to develop a novel scaling theory of localization.

Cryo-EM structure of eastern equine encephalitis virus in complex with heparan sulfate analogues

Eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV), a mosquito-borne icosahedral alphavirus found mainly in North America, causes human and equine neurotropic infections. EEEV neurovirulence is influenced by the interaction of the viral envelope protein E2 with heparan sulfate (HS) proteoglycans from the host’s plasma membrane during virus entry. Here, we present a 5.8-Å cryoelectron microscopy (cryo-EM) structure of EEEV complexed with the HS analog heparin. “Peripheral” HS binding sites were found to be associated with the base of each of the E2 glycoproteins that form the 60 quasi-threefold spikes (q3) and the 20 sites associated with the icosahedral threefold axes (i3). In addition, there is one HS site at the vertex of each q3 and i3 spike (the “axial” sites). Both the axial and peripheral sites are surrounded by basic residues, suggesting an electrostatic mechanism for HS binding. These residues are highly conserved among EEEV strains, and therefore a change in these residues might be linked to EEEV neurovirulence.

Двухканальный электронный транспорт в подвешенных квантовых точечных контактах с боковыми затворами

The conductance of a suspended quantum point contact fabricated from GaAs/AlGaAs heterostructures with a two-dimensional electron gas, equipped with the in-plane side gates separated from the constriction using lithographical trenches, is studied. The conductance as a function of the gate voltages demonstrates unusual double-channel regime with independent channel’s conductance quantization: two side gates can drive the conductance of the separate channels independently. A possible electrostatic mechanism of the double-channel structure formation inside a single constriction is connected with the lateral redistribution of the low-mobility X-valley electrons contained in superlattice layers, resulting in the emergence of the potential barrier in the middle of quantum point contact, separating the conducting electrons into two channels, symmetrically shifted towards the lithographical trenches, defining the nanostructure geometry.

Polarimetric survey of main-belt asteroids

Aims. We present the results of a polarimetric survey of main-belt asteroids at Complejo Astronómico El Leoncito (CASLEO), San Juan, Argentina. The aims of this survey are to increase the database of asteroid polarimetry and to estimate the diversity in the polarimetric properties of asteroids. Methods. The survey began in 1995 and a second period began in 2013 using the CASPOL polarimeter with a more sensitive detector to study small asteroids, families, and special taxonomic groups. The data were obtained using this instrument at the 2.15 m telescope of CASLEO. Results. We present 128 observations for 82 asteroids of different taxonomic types. These results revealed phase-polarization curves and polarimetric parameters for 20 asteroids, amounting to a total of 135 objects with sufficient good data in the Catalogue of Asteroid Polarization Curves. Using the values obtained for the objects with a taxonomic classification, we obtained the mean polarimetric parameters for 19 taxonomic types and the Barbarians. The asteroids with large mean scatter separation distances have a minimum of the phase-polarization curve greater than − 1%, slopes at the inversion angle of less than 0.12−0.15% per degree, and perihelion distances 1.8 < q < 2.5 au; these measurements indicate the asteroids could have high or moderate albedos and that they are objects with perihelia in the inner asteroid belt. These large mean scatter separation distance values could be the result of an electrostatic mechanism acting on the small grains of the regolith, a manifestation of a coherent backscattering mechanism, or the result of a surface formed by a mixture of dark and bright particles.

Study of Methylene Blue Interaction with Human Serum Albumin

The thiosine dye methylene blue (MB) interaction with human serum albumin (HSA) has been studied. MB was revealed to stabilize the native structure of HSA, since the denaturation temperature of the complexes is shifted to higher values in relation to that of the pure protein. It was also revealed that the absorption spectra of the complexes do not change noticeably, while in the fluorescence spectra the maximal intensity of MB decreases with the albumin concentration enhancement. Analysis of the obtained data allows to conclude that the main binding mode of MB to HSA, providing the stabilization of the protein native structure, is the electrostatic mechanism.

Hidden symmetry of the anomalous bluetongue virus capsid and its role in the infection process

The simple structural model and electrostatic mechanism proposed explain the trimer detachment from the surface of the bluetongue capsid.