No abstract

The coherent Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) combined with Scanning Near-Field Optical Microscopy (SNOM) are proposed for the creation of complex and nonlocal entangled states involving hundreds of atoms. Micro-and millisecond decoherence times of the electron excitation occur for rare-earth dopant ions in crystals at low temperatures, and we show that the characteristic coherent FRET distances for such systems are of the order of 20 nm. Thus, both position and time precision necessary for the quantum manipulation can be attained by modern SNOM technology. Potential applications for quantum computing are discussed.

Recombinant polypeptide containing the 260-466 amino acid sequence of West Nile virus (WNV) strain LEIV-Vlg99-27889-human glycoprotein E (gpE, E(260-466)) was constructed. Immunochemical similarity between the E(260-466) and gpE of WNV was proven by enzyme immunoassay (EIA), immunoblot, competitive EIA, hemagglutination inhibition, and neutralization tests using polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies against the viral gpE and recombinant E(260-466). Polypeptide E(260-466) induced formation of virus neutralizing and cross-reactive antibodies that were interactive with various epitopes of this recombinant protein. It is shown by evaluation of the interaction of E(260-466) with one of the proposed cell receptors of WNV that average E(260-466)-alphaVbeta3 integrin-specific interaction force measured using atomic force spectroscopy was 80 and 140 pN for single and double interactions, correspondingly. Taken together with previously described interaction between laminin-binding protein (LBP) and WNV gpE domain II, it is proposed that WNV gpE can interact specifically with two cellular proteins (LBP and alphaVbeta3 integrin) during virus entry.

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract