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For over two centuries, clinicians have been aware of various conditions affecting white matter which had come to be grouped under the umbrella term multiple sclerosis. Within the last 20 years, specific scientific advances have occurred leading to more accurate diagnosis and differentiation of several of these conditions including, neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders and myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody disease. This new understanding has been coupled with advances in disease-modifying therapies which must be accurately applied for maximum safety and efficacy.

Technological breakthroughs in photothermal microscopy have led to new discoveries in thermal transport at the cellular level. In the linear regime, heat transport is governed by the well-understood parabolic partial differential heat equation and its many extensions, with antecedents dating back to Fourier. The relaxation of the temperature from a point impulsive source of heat in a homogeneous medium in ddimensions is scale free and asymptotically follows a power law decay in time ∼t–d/2. It is therefore interesting that many recent experiments have used Newton’s law of cooling, an ordinary differential equation that yields exponential decays with a single time constant. We show that the observed apparent exponential decays in photothermal microscopy are set by externalities such as the sample cell design, experimental finite excitation pulse width, and spatial resolution and should still contain a power law prefactor. Combining analytical methods that include exact results and asymptotic analysis with experiments and numerical simulations, we show that the conditions for the emergence of Newton’s law of cooling are often not satisfied in experiments. These need to be reinterpreted to be consistent with the underlying Fourier theory at the microscopic subcellular length scales, taking into consideration the interfacial thermal conductance or equivalently the inverse Kapitza resistance at interfaces.

The cDNA-based start codon targeted polymorphism (SCoT) (cDNA-SCoT) approach has gained significant importance in gene discovery and molecular mechanisms prediction. The cDNA-SCoT profiling was used for the first time in this work to identify differentially expressed genes duringFusarium oxysporumf. sp. cicerisrace-4 infection of chickpea in resistant and susceptible cultivars. Pathogenicity test performed by root dip inoculation method showed 73.7% wilting in the susceptible cultivar at 16th day after inoculation. All SCoT primers were reproducible and expressed 77 amplicons including 63 polymorphic and 14 monomorphic. Functional characterization of DEFs was followed by Sanger sequencing and nBLASThomology search tool. Among the eight DEFs, two amplicons observed only in ‘WR-315’ showed 84% and 91% homology with Cicer arietinumcysteine rich PAK1 inhibitors like mRNA (LOC101498699) and annotated as a defensin-like peptide using other species information so far. This novel gene might be one of the key responsible genes in the activation of resistance against F. oxyporumin chickpea. In addition, string protein interaction revealed cysteine-rich PAK1 inhibitor-like mRNA interacted with Leucine-rich receptor protein kinase EXS-like, Chaperonin CPN60-2, Protein HOTHEAD and other proteins indicating that the defense mechanism regulation against F. oxyporumis governed by complex genetic factors. In summary, findings from this study are novel and would be used in the identification of candidate functional gene(s) in future chickpea research, which can be further employed in marker development, marker-assisted selection and to identify the genes’ regulatory functions.

We report a study investigating the effects of thermal annealing on the optical properties of Si-Ge alloy-core silica-cladded fibers. Low temperature fiber draw was performed with a laboratory-made draw tower at 1760 °C that minimizes impurity diffusion from cladding to the core. As a post-drawing process, Si–Ge core fibers were annealed in a box furnace to alter the core structure. Microstructural and optical properties of fibers were investigated, and transmission losses were measured as 28 dB/cm at 6.1 µm. Numerical studies were performed to analyze the experimental results and to find the optimum structure for low loss semiconductor-core glass-cladded fibers.

Mg batteries with halide-free electrolytes suffer from poor stability of the Mg metal anode due to electrolyte decomposition. Here, we report a low-cost zeolite membrane supported on Mg to address this challenge. It vastly reduces the population (hence decomposition) of free diglyme at the Mg/electrolyte interface, while allowing facile transport of Mg2+cations through the membrane. We demonstrate dendrite-free Mg plating/stripping performance in a magnesium tetrakis(hexafluoroisopropyloxy)borate/diglyme electrolyte with a 750-fold extended lifetime (over 6,000 h) and a high coulombic efficiency of ∼98%. The prototype Mo3S4cathode paired with the protected Mg anode shows 91% capacity retention over 200 cycles. Importantly, this membrane protects soluble species in a high-voltage organic polymer cathode from being reduced at the anode via shuttling, achieving a full cell with a 3.5 V cutoff voltage. This results in a high specific energy density of 320 Wh kg−1and a power density of 1,320 W kg−1based on cathode mass.

•ARID1B regulates chromatin accessibility and gene expression in hematopoietic cells, and its loss affects myeloid reconstitution in mice.•Concurrent loss of ARID1A and ARID1B in the murine hematopoietic compartment leads to rapid mortality because of bone marrow failure.

ABSTRACTSediment deposition is an inherent phenomenon of any reservoir which causes considerable storage loss thereby disturbing the economy of the community for which the reservoir is intended to serve. Failure to take adequate remedial measures to control sedimentation would result in huge loss in storage capacity. Present paper provides the analysis of the field studies using the hydrographic surveys which were conducted on the Wyra Project, a medium irrigation reservoir built across Wyra, a tributary of river Krishna. The surveys were conducted during the period when the reservoir receives good rains. The principal objectives of the study are to assess sedimentation status, annual sedimentation rate in the reservoir and to estimate the trap efficiency (Te) of the reservoir. The ‘Te’ is useful for predicting the remaining useful life span of the reservoir and the pattern of sediment deposition in the reservoir. Teis also useful in regulating the irrigation water, generation of hydroelectric power and management of sediment treatment plans. Analysis of the results showed that there is a loss of about 27.66 Mm3(39.47%) in the storage capacity of the reservoir. The sedimentation rate was about 6.86 ha.m/100 km2/year, which is higher than what was considered at the planning stage.

ABSTRACTThe decision making in diagnosis of breast cancer (BC) at the earliest is the necessity to decrease the mortality rate. The 5-minute electrocardiogram of 114 BC subjects and 13 age-matched healthy controls were recorded and spectral features of heart rate variability (HRV) were calculated. Fast Fourier transform (FFT) and autoregressive (AR) spectral methods were compared to analyse the frequency domain of HRV. Lavenberg–Marquardt algorithm-based artificial neural network (ANN) and support vector machine (SVM) classified all the spectral measures with maximum accuracy of 54.2% and 100%, respectively. ANOVA with Tukey’s HSD Posthoc test has also been employed to evaluate the significant variations in different parameters due to BC with respect to control subjects with the help of statistical analysis. The FFT and AR results were found almost similar. Clinicians can achieve an insight of the severity of the disease as per the findings of spectral measures as per Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status and improvise the quality of their patients.

Gadolinium-substituted magnesium nanoferrites with composition, MgGdxFe2−xO4(X= 0.0–1.0 with 0.025 variations), have been synthesized by citrate gel auto-combustion method. The effect of Gd3+substitution on the structural, photocatalytic, electrical and magnetic of Mg nanoferrites was investigated. XRD, SEM, FTIR, UV–vis, VSM, and dielectric transport measurements were employed to investigate the structural, optical, magnetic, and electrical properties of the synthesized materials. Crystalline sizes, lattice parameters, the volume of the unit cell, and X-ray densities of samples were calculated using the XRD analysis method. The crystalline size obtained was in the range of 15–19 nm determined by Scherrer’s formula. FTIR spectroscopy revealed the formation of spinel structure showing two signature absorption bands, nearby 400 cm−1and higher wave number at near 600 cm−1, at octahedral and tetrahedral positions, respectively. PL spectroscopy at 400 nm region peaks observed and exhibited fluorescence character. The photocatalytic activity of synthesized samples was analyzed with methylene blue and acid red, and pure Mg ferrite shows high degradation activity which contains low crystalline size. Sample changes from hard to soft magnetic materials could be revealed from VSM studies. The nanoferrites' frequency-dependent AC conductivity (ac) increased as a function of temperature. With increasing frequency, dielectric properties such as dielectric constant and dielectric loss (tan δ) decreased. The results of dielectric investigations show that dielectric dispersion occurs between Fe2+and Fe3+ions due to the hopping mechanism of electrons.

Aqueous zinc-metal batteries are plagued by poor Zn reversibility owing to zinc dendrite and layered double hydroxide (LDH) formation. Here, we introduce a novel additive—N,N-dimethylformamidium trifluoromethanesulfonate (DOTf)—in a low-cost aqueous electrolyte that can very effectively address these issues. The initial water-assisted dissociation of DOTf into triflic superacid creates a robust nanostructured solid-electrolyte interface (SEI)—revealed by operandospectroscopy and cryomicroscopy—which excludes water and enables dense Zn deposition. We demonstrate excellent Zn plating/stripping in a Zn||Cu asymmetric cell for more than 3,500 cycles. Furthermore, near 100% CE is realized at a combined high current density of 4 mA cm−2and an areal capacity of 4 mAh cm−2over long-term cycling. Zn||Zn0.25V2O5·nH2O full cells retain ∼83% of their capacity after 1,000 cycles with mass-limited Zn anodes. By restricting the depth of discharge, the cathodes exhibit less proton intercalation and LDH formation with an extended lifetime of 2,000 cycles.

Role of substrate type, gold or silver, and surface roughness on the parity odd–even effect in n-alkanethiolate (n= 10–16) self-assembled monolayers (SAMs), materials of potential importance to molecular scale electronics, is studied using vibrational sum-frequency generation (SFG) spectroscopy. An inverted odd–even effect is observed for SAMs on Ag substrates relative to SAMs on Au. The metal-specific SFG spectra in the methyl and methylene stretching regions provide a sensitive probe of the in situcant angle and molecular twist dependence of the interfacial group orientation. Within the precision of these measurements, disorder due to gauche defects is not evident in this spectral analysis. SFG methyl vibrational frequencies and line widths show parity and substrate dependence. Metal substrate roughness, an under-reported experimental parameter, affects the extent of odd–even methyl orientation anisotropy. Parity-dependent methyl orientation effects are seen on Ag beyond the roughness limit established by hydrophobicity data on Au. The SFG analysis predicts an ∼2.8 nm rms roughness limit for odd–even effects on Ag substrates. These SFG results further confirm the role competing pairwise short-range dispersive (∝1/r6) and longer range polar (∝1/rto 1/r4) interactions play in controlling the observed odd–even wetting behavior of SAMs on metal substrates as a function of surface roughness.

We present a method for acquiring a sequence of time-resolved images in a single shot, called single-shot non-synchronous array photography (SNAP). In SNAP, a pulsed laser beam is split by a diffractive optical element into an array of angled beamlets whose illumination fronts remain perpendicular to the optical axis. Different time delays are imparted to each beamlet by an echelon, enabling them to probe ultrafast dynamics in rapid succession. The beamlets are imaged onto different regions of a camera by a lenslet array. Because the illumination fronts remain flat (head-on) independently of beamlet angle, the exposure time in SNAP is fundamentally limited only by the laser pulse duration, akin to a “global shutter” in conventional imaging. We demonstrate SNAP by capturing the evolution of a laser induced plasma filament over 20 frames at an average rate of 4.2 trillion frames per second (Tfps) and a peak rate of 5.7 Tfps.

Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) is a rapidly fatal blood cancer that is characterised by the accumulation of immature myeloid cells in the blood and bone marrow as a result of blocked differentiation. Methods which identify master transcriptional regulators of AML subtype-specific leukaemia cell states and their combinations could be critical for discovering novel differentiation-inducing therapies. In this proof-of-concept study, we demonstrate a novel utility of the Mogrify®algorithm in identifying combinations of transcription factors (TFs) and drugs, which recapitulate granulocytic differentiation of the NB4 acute promyelocytic leukaemia (APL) cell line, using two different approaches. In the first approach, Connectivity Map (CMAP) analysis of these TFs and their target networks outperformed standard approaches, retrieving ATRA as the top hit. We identify dimaprit and mebendazole as a drug combination which induces myeloid differentiation. In the second approach, we show that genetic manipulation of specific Mogrify®-identified TFs (MYC and IRF1) leads to co-operative induction of APL differentiation, as does pharmacological targeting of these TFs using currently available compounds. We also show that loss of IRF1 blunts ATRA-mediated differentiation, and that MYC represses IRF1 expression through recruitment of PML-RARα, the driver fusion oncoprotein in APL, to the IRF1 promoter. Finally, we demonstrate that these drug combinations can also induce differentiation of primary patient-derived APL cells, and highlight the potential of targeting MYC and IRF1 in high-risk APL. Thus, these results suggest that Mogrify®could be used for drug discovery or repositioning in leukaemia differentiation therapy for other subtypes of leukaemia or cancers.

Research Question:Does the dose of gonadotropin used for superovulation in IVF affect the proportion of euploid blastocysts obtained after fertilization?Study Design:Multicentre randomized controlled trial recruiting 57 women who were treated with ovarian stimulation using either 150 or 300 IU Menopur per day. Both groups received GnRH antagonist from day 5 of ovarian stimulation and final oocyte maturation was induced using a leuprolide GnRH (gonadotropin releasing hormone) agonist trigger when three or more follicles reached 17 mm diameter. Oocyte collection was scheduled 36–38 hours post trigger. In vitro fertilization (IVF) or Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) were performed according to individual unit protocol and embryos were cultured to blastocyst stage. A trophectoderm biopsy was performed on day 5 of embryo culture and used for preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy. Euploid embryos were transferred in subsequent frozen embryo transfer cycles with appropriate endometrial preparation.Results:The number of oocytes obtained from women randomized to 150 IU Menopur was between 3 and 17 (mean = 9), whereas the number of oocytes obtained from women randomized to 300 IU Menopur was between 3 and 24 (mean = 11). There was a positive linear relationship between serum AMH concentration and oocyte yield in both the 150 and 300 IU Menopur groups (R= 0.3359, R2= 0.1129 and R= 0.3741, R2= 0.1399). The percentage of euploid to aneuploid embryos in the 150 IU Menopur group was 63% and in the 300 IU Menopur group, the proportion was 75%, which was not significantly different (p= 0.17).Conclusion:The higher dose ovarian stimulation protocol did not significantly increase the number of oocytes retrieved, nor did the higher dose protocol reduce the proportion of euploid embryos created. This study does not support the hypothesis that use of higher doses of gonadotropin for ovarian stimulation results in a reduction in the proportion of euploid embryos obtained after IVF.

Treatment of 2-aminophenol (or 2-aminothiophenol) with aromatic aldehydes in the presence of phosphomolybdic acid on silica at room temperature affords the corresponding benzoxazoles (or benzothiazoles) in excellent yields (88-96%) under heterogeneous conditions. Benzoxazoles and benzothiazoles are formed in less than 10 min.

Despite advances in behavioural economics, industrial and organisational psychology and other fields examining the impact of bias on hiring decisions and informing organisational practices to improve the quality and fairness of such decisions, not all human resources practitioners or managers know or implement such practices. There is, therefore, an opportunity to structure talent acquisition/hiring practices and systems in ways that change the default, convenient behaviour of these decision-makers (prone to bias) and shift them towards less biased decisions. From nudging decision-makers to be more accountable, to using automated tools that minimise the element of human error, from the language used in recruiting materials to signal inclusion, to the use of structure to promote fairness and accuracy—this article describes eight evidence-based ways to reduce the impact of bias (gender bias, as an illustration) in hiring decisions.

Micro, small and medium enterprises have prominent place in the growth of an economy, being considered as key drivers for employment generation and GDP growth, contributing to the balanced regional development. The sector plays an important role in the growth of the Indian pharmaceutical industry. In spite of its vital contribution to the economy, many firms in the sector are facing problems of funding crunch, high-interest rates, lack of government incentives and stringent regulatory barriers for business growth, and the biggest problem being perennially starving for funds. The article presents the results of the survey conducted to find out the challenges encountered by pharmaceutical small and medium enterprise in Hyderabad in procuring their financing needs with reference to banks using hypothesis testing. The study shows a significant relationship between ease of bank finance with interest charged, ownership of enterprise and percentage of bank finance in total finance.

Craniopharyngiomas are rare benign tumours located in the sellar and suprasellar region, with an incidence of 0.5 to 2 cases per million as reported in Western studies. Post-treatment, including surgery and/or radiotherapy, many patients develop significant obesity, primarily due to hypothalamic damage and associated complications such as hypopituitarism. In the South Asian population, genetic predisposition to obesity at lower BMIs, coupled with a carbohydrate-rich diet, may exacerbate obesity in craniopharyngioma patients, presenting a unique challenge.

Understanding Li-ion transport is key for the rational design of superionic solid electrolytes with exceptional ionic conductivities. LiNbOCl4is reported to be one of the most highly conducting materials in the recently realized new class of soft oxyhalide solid electrolytes, exhibiting an ionic conductivity of ∼11 mS·cm–1. Here, we apply X-ray/neutron diffraction and pair distribution function analysis─coupled with density functional theory/ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD)─to determine a structural model that provides a rationale for the high conductivity that we observe experimentally in this nanocrystalline solid. We show that it arises from unusually high framework flexibility at room temperature. This is due to isolated 1-D [NbOCl4]−anionic chains that exhibit energetically favorable orientational disorder that is─in turn─correlated to multiple, disordered, and equi-energetic Li+sites in the lattice. As the Li ions sample the 3-D energy landscape with a fast predicted diffusion coefficient of 5.1 × 10–7cm2/s at room temperature (σicalc= 17.4 mS·cm–1), the inorganic polymer chains can reorient or vice versa. The activation energy barrier for Li migration through the frustrated energy landscape is especially reduced by the elastic nature of the NbO2Cl4octahedra evident from very widely dispersed Cl–Nb–Cl bond angles in AIMD simulations at 300 K. The phonon spectra are predominantly influenced by Cl vibrations in the low energy range, and there is a strong overlap between the framework (Cl, Nb) and Li partial density of states in the region between 1.2 and 4.0 THz. The framework flexibility is also reflected in a relatively low bulk modulus of 22.7 GPa. Our findings pave the way for the investigation of future “flex-ion” inorganic solids and open up a new direction for the design of high-conductivity, soft solid electrolytes for all-solid-state batteries.

Recent reports of reversible calcium plating and stripping have rekindled interest in the development of Ca-ion batteries (CIBs) as next-generation energy storage devices. This technology has the potential to overcome the limitations of conventional Li-ion batteries, but CIBs are plagued by a paucity of suitable cathode materials. To date, NaSICON-structured NaV2(PO4)3has been demonstrated as a successful cathode candidate, exhibiting reversible (de)intercalation of 0.6 mol Ca2+along with stable cycling performance. However, a complex multiphase mixture forms on discharge so the Ca-ion charge storage mechanism in the NaSICON framework is poorly understood. In this work, we report on an investigation of the structure and/or Na+/Ca2+environment(s) of a variety of chemically prepared NaSICON CaxNayV2(PO4)3phases which were characterized using synchrotron XRD, SEM-EDS, 23Na NMR, and TEM. Highly calciated CaV2(PO4)3, Ca1.5V2(PO4)3, and CaNaV2(PO4)3phases can be prepared at high temperature, but─unlike Ca0.6NaV2(PO4)3─these materials are electrochemically inactive. To better understand the fundamental factors impacting successful Ca2+electrochemistry in this system, DFT was employed to examine the CaxNayV2(PO4)3phase diagram and Ca2+diffusion mechanism. Theoretical insights show that phase separation into Na-rich and Ca-rich phases is a reason for the capacity limitation and demonstrate that Na+ions in the host materials assist the migration of neighboring Ca2+ions, enabling reversible electrochemistry in CaxNayV2(PO4)3. This investigation of fundamental principles affecting reversible Ca2+(de)intercalation in CaxNayV2(PO4)3allows for the development of design principles to enable the discovery of a variety of successful cathodes for CIBs.

Toxic leukoencephalopathy and myelopathy are common neurologic complications of a wide range of chemotherapeutic and substance abuse agents. During the last decade, there has been a significant change in the profile of white matter toxins, primarily driven by the development and usage of new chemotherapeutic and immunotherapeutic agents and by the continuous increase in illicit drug abuse with contaminants. Neuroimaging in the form of MR imaging forms the cornerstone in the diagnosis of these entities, many of which are reversible and amenable to rapid correction. Chronic white matter changes are also seen with these toxins with gradually progressive clinicoradiological findings.

We report on a family of lithium fast ion conductors, Li3+x[SixP1–x]S4, that exhibit an entropically stabilized structure type in a solid solution regime (0.15 < x< 0.33) with superionic conductivity above 1 mS·cm–1. Exploration of the influence of aliovalent substitution in the thermodynamically unstable β-Li3PS4lattice using a combination of single crystal X-ray and powder neutron diffraction, the maximum entropy method, and impedance spectroscopy reveals that substitution induces structural splitting of the localized Li sites, effectively stabilizing bulk β-Li3PS4at room temperature and delocalizing lithium ion density. The optimal material, Li3.25[Si0.25P0.75]S4, exhibits inherent entropic site disorder and a frustrated energy landscape, resulting in a high conductivity of 1.22 mS·cm–1that represents an increase of three orders of magnitude compared to bulk β-Li3PS4and one order of magnitude higher than the nanoporous form. The enhanced ion conduction and lowered activation barrier with increasing site disorder as a result of aliovalent “tuning” reveals an important strategy toward the design of fast ion conductors that are vital as solid state electrolytes.

Precise regulation of chromatin architecture is vital to physiological processes including hematopoiesis. ARID1A is a core component of the mammalian SWI/SNF complex, which is one of the ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling complexes. To uncover the role of ARID1A in hematopoietic development, we utilized hematopoietic cell-specific deletion of Arid1ain mice. We demonstrate that ARID1A is essential for maintaining the frequency and function of hematopoietic stem cells and its loss impairs the differentiation of both myeloid and lymphoid lineages. ARID1A deficiency led to a global reduction in open chromatin and ensuing transcriptional changes affected key genes involved in hematopoietic development. We also observed that silencing of ARID1A affected ATRA-induced differentiation of NB4 cells, suggesting its role in granulocytic differentiation of human leukemic cells. Overall, our study provides a comprehensive elucidation of the function of ARID1A in hematopoiesis and highlights the central role of ARID1A-containing SWI/SNF complex in maintaining chromatin dynamics in hematopoietic cells.

CCAAT/enhancer binding protein e (CEBPE) is an essential transcription factor for granulocytic differentiation. Mutations of CEBPE occur in individuals with neutrophil-specific granule deficiency (SGD), which is characterized by defects in neutrophil maturation. Cebpe-knockout mice also exhibit defects in terminal differentiation of granulocytes, a phenotype reminiscent of SGD. Analysis of DNase I hypersensitive sites sequencing data revealed an open chromatin region 6 kb downstream of the transcriptional start site of Cebpe in murine myeloid cells. We identified an interaction between this +6-kb region and the core promoter of Cebpe using circular chromosome conformation capture sequencing (4C-seq). To understand the role of this putative enhancer in transcriptional regulation of Cebpe, we targeted it using catalytically inactive Cas9 fused to Krüppel-associated box (KRAB) domain and observed a significant downregulation of transcript and protein levels of CEBPE in cells expressing guide RNA targeting the +6-kb region. To further investigate the role of this novel enhancer further in myelopoiesis, we generated mice with deletion of this region using CRISPR/Cas9 technology. Germline deletion of the +6-kb enhancer resulted in reduced levels of CEBPE and its target genes and caused a severe block in granulocytic differentiation. We also identified binding of CEBPA and CEBPE to the +6-kb enhancer, which suggests their role in regulating the expression of Cebpe. In summary, we have identified a novel enhancer crucial for regulating expression of Cebpe and required for normal granulocytic differentiation.

CCAAT/enhancer binding protein ε (CEBPE) is an essential transcription factor for granulocytic differentiation. Mutations of CEBPEoccur in individuals with neutrophil-specific granule deficiency (SGD), which is characterized by defects in neutrophil maturation. Cebpe-knockout mice also exhibit defects in terminal differentiation of granulocytes, a phenotype reminiscent of SGD. Analysis of DNase I hypersensitive sites sequencing data revealed an open chromatin region 6 kb downstream of the transcriptional start site of Cebpein murine myeloid cells. We identified an interaction between this +6-kb region and the core promoter of Cebpeusing circular chromosome conformation capture sequencing (4C-seq). To understand the role of this putative enhancer in transcriptional regulation of Cebpe, we targeted it using catalytically inactive Cas9 fused to Krüppel-associated box (KRAB) domain and observed a significant downregulation of transcript and protein levels of CEBPE in cells expressing guide RNA targeting the +6-kb region. To further investigate the role of this novel enhancer further in myelopoiesis, we generated mice with deletion of this region using CRISPR/Cas9 technology. Germline deletion of the +6-kb enhancer resulted in reduced levels of CEBPE and its target genes and caused a severe block in granulocytic differentiation. We also identified binding of CEBPA and CEBPE to the +6-kb enhancer, which suggests their role in regulating the expression of Cebpe. In summary, we have identified a novel enhancer crucial for regulating expression of Cebpeand required for normal granulocytic differentiation.

Background: The Endometriosis Phenome and Biobanking Harmonisation Project has been set up to facilitate and advance global endometriosis research.Aim: To test the feasibility and practicality of using the Endometriosis Phenome and Biobanking Harmonisation Project standard surgical form in routine clinical practice.Materials and methods: Standard surgical form was filled out using a web-based application for 225 consecutive women who underwent surgery for suspected or known endometriosis.Results: Median age was 37 years. Half (49.8%) of the women had a previous surgical diagnosis of endometriosis. Endometriosis was found in 91.5% of patients in this cohort. Median operative time was 101 min. Operative photographs substantially assisted completion of the standard surgical form post-operatively. The median time required to fill out the questionnaire was 8 min (range, 2–17 min). This was mostly dependent on the severity and distribution of endometriosis lesions. The standard surgical form is very comprehensive and has the advantage of including both the American Society of Reproductive Medicine classification and the Endometriosis Fertility Index; however, characterisation of deep endometriosis is insufficient for some women. In addition, some sections such as the descriptive endometriosis table (section IX) remain subjective.Conclusion: Using the Endometriosis Phenome and Biobanking Harmonisation Project standard surgical form to collect research data is feasible, especially when using an electronic database entry tool. It is also practically manageable, although the time taken is more than originally estimated by the Endometriosis Phenome and Biobanking Harmonisation Project standard surgical form authors. Even though some sections of the standard surgical form may be subjective, it is comprehensive and we would recommend its adoption into routine clinical practice for endometriosis research.

We describe an efficient yet facile strategy to stabilize Li plating by forming a single Li+-ion solid electrolyte layer in vivoon the Li surface using a rationally designed electrolyte additive. This amorphous, homogeneous layer not only reduces the direct contact and parasitic reactions of Li with the liquid electrolyte but also avoids ion depletion and electric field inhomogeneity at the vicinity of the Li surface, thus eliminating dendrite formation. This is evidenced by a 50-fold lower interfacial charge transfer resistance and an 8-fold longer Sand time in Li|Li symmetric cells. The protection layer maintains chemical and electrochemical stability over repeated plating/stripping cycles. We demonstrate stable Li plating/stripping for 2,500 hr at 1 mA cm−2in symmetric cells, and efficient Li cycling at high current densities up to 8 mA cm−2. Over 400 cycles were achieved at 5-C rate in cells with a Li4Ti5O12counter electrode at close to 100% coulombic efficiency.