Various biological processes involve the translocation of macromolecules across nanopores; these pores are basically protein channels embedded in membranes. Understanding the mechanism of translocation is crucial to a range of technological applications, including DNA sequencing, single molecule detection, and controlled drug delivery. In this spirit, numerous efforts have been made to develop polymer translocation-based sequencing devices, these efforts include findings and insights from theoretical modeling, simulations, and experimental studies. As much as the past and ongoing studies have added to the knowledge, the practical realization of low-cost, high-throughput sequencing devices, however, has still not been realized. There are challenges, the foremost of which is controlling the speed of translocation at the single monomer level, which remain to be addressed in order to use polymer translocation-based methods for sensing applications. In this article, we review the recent studies aimed at developing control over the dynamics of polymer translocation through nanopores.

No abstract

The lesions presenting in the oral cavity of neonates are considerably significant in pediatric dentistry. Although they pertain to the oral cavity they may reflect an underlying systemic condition. These may be clinically misdiagnosed or left untreated owing to lack of parental education, awareness and resources. Their managementrequires thorough knowledge of the various lesions and accurate clinical assessment for diagnosis, prognosis, reatment and parental counselling. Majority lesions are asymptomatic and benign hence resolve without any intervention. This review article is an overview for recognition and management of oral lesions prevalent in neonates.

The equilibrium properties of a finite-length linear polymer chain confined in an infinite wedge composed of two perfectly reflecting hard walls meeting at variable apex angle (α) are presented. One end of the polymer is anchored a distance y from the apex on the conical axis of symmetry, while the other end is free. We report here, for the first time the non-monotonic behaviour of θ-temperature as a function of y for a finite-length chain. Data-collapse for different chain lengths indicates that such behaviour will exist for all finite lengths. We delineate the origin of such nonmonotonic behaviour, which may have potential applications in understanding the cellular process occurring in nano-confined geometries.

No abstract