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1. How Do the Purcell Factor, the Q ‐Factor, and the Beta Factor Affect the Laser Threshold?

   https://doi.org/10.1002/lpor.202000250  

   Khurgin, Jacob B. ; Noginov, Mikhail A. ( February 2021 , Laser & Photonics Reviews)

   As lasers get more and more miniaturized and their dimensions become comparable to the wavelength, two interconnected phenomena take place: the fraction of spontaneous radiation going into a specific laser mode (β‐factor) increases and can ultimately reach unity, while the radiative lifetime gets shortened by the Purcell factorF_p. Often it is assumed that an increase of these two factors, along with the quality factor (Q‐factor), almost invariably causes reduction of the lasing threshold. This assumption is tested on various photonic and plasmonic lasers, demonstrating that, while there is obvious correlation between the aforementioned factors and the laser threshold, the dependence is far from being straightforward and omnipresent. Depending on specific laser material and geometry, the threshold can decrease, increase, or stay unchanged whenβ‐factor,Q‐factor, andF_pincrease. For the most part, the reduction of threshold is achieved simply by reducing the laser volume and this volume reduction can concurrently cause the increase inβ‐factor and/or Purcell factor, but it would be imprudent to say that the increase in either of these factors is the cause of the threshold reduction.

    

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2. Generalized fiducial factor: An alternative to the Bayes factor for forensic identification of source problems

   https://doi.org/10.1214/22-AOAS1632  

   Williams, Jonathan P. ; Ommen, Danica M. ; Hannig, Jan ( March 2023 , The Annals of Applied Statistics)
3. Molecular Targeting of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor (VEGFR)

   https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26041076  

   Kaufman, Nichole E. ; Dhingra, Simran ; Jois, Seetharama D. ; Vicente, Maria da ( February 2021 , Molecules)

   null (Ed.)

   Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) are two extensively studied membrane-bound receptor tyrosine kinase proteins that are frequently overexpressed in many cancers. As a result, these receptor families constitute attractive targets for imaging and therapeutic applications in the detection and treatment of cancer. This review explores the dynamic structure and structure-function relationships of these two growth factor receptors and their significance as it relates to theranostics of cancer, followed by some of the common inhibition modalities frequently employed to target EGFR and VEGFR, such as tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), antibodies, nanobodies, and peptides. A summary of the recent advances in molecular imaging techniques, including positron emission tomography (PET), single-photon emission computerized tomography (SPECT), computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and optical imaging (OI), and in particular, near-IR fluorescence imaging using tetrapyrrolic-based fluorophores, concludes this review. 

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4. The Hippo effector YAP1 biochemically and functionally interacts with the nuclear factor-kappa B/RELA transcription factor

   Cinar, B: Al-Mathkour ; Dwead, A ; Boston, A ; Alp, E. ( May 2021 , The FASEB journal)

   null (Ed.)

   The transcriptional co-activator YAP1 (yes-associated protein 1) is a critical nuclear effector of the Hippo pathway. The Hippo pathway regulates cell growth, cell motility, cell migration, and carcinogenesis, but poorly defined mechanism. We investigated biochemical and functional interactions between YAP1 and the nuclear factor (NF)-kappa B/RELA subunit in prostate cancer cell models. We demonstrated that endogenous YAP1 and RELA form protein complexes in the cell, as revealed by co-immunoprecipitation and western blotting. Compared with control, we found that combined treatment of cells with androgen and SDF-1a (stromal cell-derived factor-1 alpha) or RANKL (receptor activator of NF-kappa B ligand) enhanced the protein-protein interaction between YAP1 and RELA, as showed by proximity ligation assay. Our confocal microscopy experiment further showed that combined SDF-1aand androgen treatment promoted the YAP1 and RELA colocalization instead of single-agent treatment. Moreover, our promoter-reporter and RNAi experiments showed that knockdown of YAP1 or TEAD, a key mediator of the YAP transcription, significantly reduced the NF-Kappa B promoter-reporter gene activity. Also, disruption of YAP1 activity attenuated the TEAD-RELA interaction. Furthermore, the controlled expression of MST1/STK4, a potent inhibitor of YAP1, attenuated the NF-Kappa B-promoter reporter activity. Additionally, our unbiased bioinformatics analysis of the exiting ChIP-seq (chromatin immunoprecipitation-sequencing) data sets identified several genes that are likely co-regulated by the YAP1/TEAD and NF-Kappa B/RELA transcription factors. These findings suggest that cooperative androgen and cytokine signaling regulates Hippo/YAP and NF-Kappa B interaction. Thus, the YAP1/TEAD and NF-Kappa B/RELA interaction may have critical roles in cellular biology and human diseases. 

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5. Conserved and variable heat stress responses of the Heat Shock Factor transcription factor family in maize and Setaria viridis

   https://doi.org/10.1002/pld3.489  

   Myers, Zachary A. ; Wootan, Clair M. ; Liang, Zhikai ; Zhou, Peng ; Engelhorn, Julia ; Hartwig, Thomas ; Nathan, Springer M. ( April 2023 , Plant Direct)

   The Heat Shock Factor (HSF) transcription factor family is a central and required component of plant heat stress responses and acquired thermotolerance. The HSF family has dramatically expanded in plant lineages, often including a repertoire of 20 or more genes. Here we assess and compare the composition, heat responsiveness, and chromatin profiles of the HSF families in maize andSetaria viridis(Setaria), two model C4 panicoid grasses. Both species encode a similar number of HSFs, and examples of both conserved and variable expression responses to a heat stress event were observed between the two species. Chromatin accessibility and genome‐wide DNA‐binding profiles were generated to assess the chromatin of HSF family members with distinct responses to heat stress. We observed significant variability for both chromatin accessibility and promoter occupancy within similarly regulated sets of HSFs betweenSetariaand maize, as well as between syntenic pairs of maize HSFs retained following its most recent genome duplication event. Additionally, we observed the widespread presence of TF binding at HSF promoters in control conditions, even at HSFs that are only expressed in response to heat stress. TF‐binding peaks were typically near putative HSF‐binding sites in HSFs upregulated in response to heat stress, but not in stable or not expressed HSFs. These observations collectively support a complex scenario of expansion and subfunctionalization within this transcription factor family and suggest that within‐family HSF transcriptional regulation is a conserved, defining feature of the family.

    

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