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The role of microglial motility in the context of adult neurodegeneration is poorly understood. In the present work, we investigated the microanatomical details of microglia-neuron interactions in an experimental mouse model of Parkinson's disease following the intraperitoneal injection of MPTP. The specific intoxication of dopaminergic neurons induces the cellular polarization of microglia, leading to the formation of body-to-body neuron-glia contacts, called gliapses, which precede neuron elimination. Inhibiting ROCK/Cdc42-mediated microglial motility in vivo blocks the activating features of microglia, such as increased cell size and number of filopodia and diminishes their phagocyting/secreting domains, as the reduction of the Golgi apparatus and the number of microglia-neuron contacts has shown. High-resolution confocal images and three-dimensional rendering demonstrate that microglia engulf entire neurons at one-to-one ratio and the microglial cell body participates in the formation of the phagocytic cup, engulfing and eliminating neurons in areas of dopaminergic degeneration in adult mammals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thrombospondin-1 is a matricellular protein with potent antitumour activities, the levels of which determine the fate of many different tumours, including renal carcinomas. However, the factors that regulate this protein remain unclear. In renal carcinomas, hypoxic conditions enhance the expression of angiogenic factors that help adapt tumour cells to their hostile environment. Therefore, we hypothesized that anti-angiogenic factors should correspondingly be dampened. Indeed, we found that hypoxia decreased the thrombospondin-1 protein in several clear cell renal carcinoma cell lines (ccRCC), although no transcriptional regulation was observed. Furthermore, we proved that hypoxia stimulates multiple signals that independently contribute to diminish thrombospondin-1 in ccRCC, which include a decrease in the activity of oxygen-dependent prolylhydroxylases (PHDs) and activation of the PI3K/Akt signalling pathway. In addition, thrombospondin-1 regulation in hypoxia proved to be important for ccRCC cell migration and invasion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The conventional order parameters in quantum matters are often characterized by ‘spontaneous’ broken symmetries. However, sometimes the broken symmetries may blend with the invariant symmetries to lead to mysterious emergent phases. The heavy fermion metal URu2Si2 is one such example, where the order parameter responsible for a second-order phase transition at Th = 17.5 K has remained a long-standing mystery. Here we propose via ab-initio calculation and effective model that a novel spin-orbit density wave in the f-states is responsible for the hidden-order phase in URu2Si2. The staggered spin-orbit order spontaneously breaks rotational and translational symmetries while time-reversal symmetry remains intact. Thus it is immune to pressure, but can be destroyed by magnetic field even at T = 0 K, that means at a quantum critical point. We compute topological index of the order parameter to show that the hidden order is topologically invariant. Finally, some verifiable predictions are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coagulation/fibrinolysis system is essential for wound healing after vascular injury. According to the standard paradigm, the synthesis of most coagulation factors is restricted to liver, platelets and endothelium. We challenged this interpretation by measuring coagulation factors in nine human primary cell types. FX mRNA was expressed by fibroblasts, visceral preadipocytes/adipocytes and hepatocytes, but not in macrophages or other cells. All cells expressed FVIII except endothelial cells. Fibroblasts, endothelial cells and macrophages produced thrombomodulin but not FV. Interestingly, vascular-related cells (platelets/monocytes) that expressed FV did not express FX and vice versa. Monocytes expressed FV, FVIII and FXIIIA, which are positive regulators of clot formation, but these cells also contained thrombomodulin, a negative regulator of coagulation. Our data show that the expression of coagulation factors is much more complex than previously thought and we speculate that this intricate regulation of coagulation factor expression is necessary for correct fine-tuning of fibrinogenesis versus fibrinolysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using ab initio methods, we have investigated the structures and stabilities of SiN clusters (N ≤ 24) on Ag(111) surface as the initial stage of silicene growth. Unlike the dome-shaped graphene clusters, Si clusters prefer nearly flat structures with low buckling, more stable than directly deposition of the 3D freestanding Si clusters on Ag surface. The p-d hybridization between Ag and Si is revealed as well as sp2 characteristics in SiN@Ag(111). Three types of silicene superstructures on Ag(111) surface have been considered and the simulated STM images are compared with experimental observations. Molecular dynamic simulations show high thermal stability of silicene on Ag(111) surfaces, contrast to that on Rh(111). The present theoretical results constitute a comprehensive picture about the interaction mechanism of silicene on Ag(111) surface and explain the superiority of Ag substrate for silicene growth, which would be helpful for improving the experimentally epitaxial growth of silicene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anionic exchange resins are bona fide cholesterol-lowering agents with glycemia lowering actions in diabetic patients. Potentiation of intestinal GLP-1 secretion has been proposed to contribute to the glycemia lowering effect of these non-systemic drugs. Here, we show that resin exposure enhances GLP-1 secretion and improves glycemic control in diet-induced animal models of “diabesity”, effects which are critically dependent on TGR5, a G protein-coupled receptor that is activated by bile acids. We identified the colon as a major source of GLP-1 secretion after resin treatment. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the boost in GLP-1 release by resins is due to both enhanced TGR5-dependent production of the precursor transcript of GLP-1 as well as to the local enrichment of TGR5 agonists in the colon. Thus, TGR5 represents an essential component in the pathway mediating the enhanced GLP-1 release in response to anionic exchange resins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Translational GTPases (trGTPases) are involved in all four stages of protein biosynthesis: initiation, elongation, termination and ribosome recycling. The trGTPases Initiation Factor 2 (IF2) and Elongation Factor G (EF-G) respectively orchestrate initiation complex formation and translocation of the peptidyl-tRNA:mRNA complex through the bacterial ribosome. The ribosome regulates the GTPase cycle and efficiently discriminates between the GDP- and GTP-bound forms of these proteins. Using Isothermal Titration Calorimetry, we have investigated interactions of IF2 and EF-G with the sarcin-ricin loop of the 23S rRNA, a crucial element of the GTPase-associated center of the ribosome. We show that binding of IF2 and EF-G to a 27 nucleotide RNA fragment mimicking the sarcin-ricin loop is mutually exclusive with that of GDP, but not of GTP, providing a mechanism for destabilization of the ribosome-bound GDP forms of translational GTPases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exposure of human populations to chronically elevated levels of ambient particulate matter air pollution < 2.5 μm in diameter (PM2.5) has been associated with an increase in lung cancer incidence. Over 70% of lung cancer cell lines exhibit promoter methylation of the tumor suppressor p16, an epigenetic modification that reduces its expression. We exposed mice to concentrated ambient PM2.5 via inhalation, 8 hours daily for 3 weeks and exposed primary murine alveolar epithelial cells to daily doses of fine urban PM (5 µg/cm2). In both mice and alveolar epithelial cells, PM exposure increased ROS production, expression of the DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) and methylation of the p16 promoter. In alveolar epithelial cells, increased transcription of DNMT1 and methylation of the p16 promoter were inhibited by a mitochondrially targeted antioxidant and a JNK inhibitor. These findings provide a potential mechanism by which PM exposure increases the risk of lung cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantum interferometry uses quantum resources to improve phase estimation with respect to classical methods. Here we propose and theoretically investigate a new quantum interferometric scheme based on three-dimensional waveguide devices. These can be implemented by femtosecond laser waveguide writing, recently adopted for quantum applications. In particular, multiarm interferometers include “tritter” and “quarter” as basic elements, corresponding to the generalization of a beam splitter to a 3- and 4-port splitter, respectively. By injecting Fock states in the input ports of such interferometers, fringe patterns characterized by nonclassical visibilities are expected. This enables outperforming the quantum Fisher information obtained with classical fields in phase estimation. We also discuss the possibility of achieving the simultaneous estimation of more than one optical phase. This approach is expected to open new perspectives to quantum enhanced sensing and metrology performed in integrated photonics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as biomaterials is of wide interest and studies examining their application in medicine have had considerable significance. Biological safety is the most important factor when considering the clinical application of CNTs as biomaterials and various toxicity evaluations are required. Among these evaluations, carcinogenicity should be examined with the highest priority; however, no report using transgenic mice to evaluate the carcinogenicity of CNTs has been published to date. Here, we performed a carcinogenicity test by implanting multi-walled CNTs (MWCNTs) into the subcutaneous tissue of rasH2 mice, using the carbon black present in black tattoo ink as a reference material for safety. The rasH2 mice did not develop neoplasms after being injected with MWCNTs; instead, MWCNTs showed lower carcinogenicity than carbon black. Such evaluations should facilitate the clinical application and development of CNTs for use in important medical fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A highly efficient hydrogen generation from formic acid/sodium formate aqueous solution catalyzed by in situ synthesized Pd/C with citric acid has been successfully achieved at room temperature. Interestingly, the presence of citric acid during the formation and growth of the Pd nanoparticles on carbon can drastically enhance the catalytic property of the resulted Pd/C, on which the conversion and turnover frequency for decomposition of formic acid/sodium formate system can reach the highest values ever reported of 85% within 160 min and 64 mol H2 mol−1 catalyst h−1, respectively, at room temperature. The present simple, low cost, but highly efficient CO-free hydrogen generation system at room temperature is believed to greatly promote the practical application of formic acid system on fuel cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ascomycete fungus Beauveria bassiana is a pathogen of hundreds of insect species and is commercially produced as an environmentally friendly mycoinsecticide. We sequenced the genome of B. bassiana and a phylogenomic analysis confirmed that ascomycete entomopathogenicity is polyphyletic, but also revealed convergent evolution to insect pathogenicity. We also found many species-specific virulence genes and gene family expansions and contractions that correlate with host ranges and pathogenic strategies. These include B. bassiana having many more bacterial-like toxins (suggesting an unsuspected potential for oral toxicity) and effector-type proteins. The genome also revealed that B. bassiana resembles the closely related Cordyceps militaris in being heterothallic, although its sexual stage is rarely observed. A high throughput RNA-seq transcriptomic analysis revealed that B. bassiana could sense and adapt to different environmental niches by activating well-defined gene sets. The information from this study will facilitate further development of B. bassiana as a cost-effective mycoinsecticide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In mammalians, toll-like receptors (TLR) signal-transduction pathways induce the expression of a variety of immune-response genes, including inflammatory cytokines. It is therefore plausible to assume that TLRs are mediators in glial cells triggering the release of cytokines that ultimately kill DA neurons in the substantia nigra in Parkinson disease (PD). Accordingly, recent data indicate that TLR4 is up-regulated by 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) treatment in a mouse model of PD. Here, we wished to evaluate the role of TLR4 in the acute mouse MPTP model of PD: TLR4-deficient mice and wild-type littermates control mice were used for the acute administration way of MPTP or a corresponding volume of saline. We demonstrate that TLR4-deficient mice are less vulnerable to MPTP intoxication than wild-type mice and display a decreased number of Iba1+ and MHC II+ activated microglial cells after MPTP application, suggesting that the TLR4 pathway is involved in experimental PD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) could become the next generation antibiotic compounds which can overcome bacterial resistance by disrupting cell membranes and it is essential to determine the factors underlying its mechanism of action. Although high-resolution NMR and other biological studies have provided valuable insights, it has been a major challenge to follow the AMP-membrane interactions at physiologically-relevant low peptide concentrations. In this study, we demonstrate a novel approach to overcome this major limitation by performing Sum Frequency Generation (SFG) vibrational spectroscopic experiments on lipid bilayers containing an AMP, LL-37. Our results demonstrate the power of SFG to study non-linear helical peptides and also infer that lipid-peptide interaction and the peptide orientation depend on the lipid membrane composition. The observed SFG signal changes capture the aggregating process of LL-37 on membrane. In addition, our SFG results on cholesterol-containing lipid bilayers indicate the inhibition effect of cholesterol on peptide-induced membrane permeation process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From atomic level to understand the cluster-size-dependant behavior of dye-sensitized photocatalysts is very important and helpful to design new photocatalytic materials. Although the relationship between the photocatalytic behaviors and particles' size/shape has been widely investigated by theoretical scientists, the experimental evidences are much less. In this manuscript, we successfully synthesized three new ruthenium dye-sensitized polyoxometalates (POM-n, n relate to different size clusters) with different-sized POM clusters. Under visible-light illumination, all three complexes show the stable O2 evolution with the efficient order POM-3.POM-2.POM-1. This cluster-size-dependent catalytic behavior could be explained by the different numbers of M 5 Ot (terminal oxygen) bonds in each individual cluster because it is well-known that Mo5Ot groups are the catalytically active sites for photooxidation reaction. The proposed mechanism of water oxidation for the dye-sensitized POMs is radical reaction process. This research could open up new perspectives for developing new POM-based WOCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is an urgent need for rapid and highly sensitive detection of pathogen-derivedDNAin a point-of-care (POC) device for diagnostics in hospitals and clinics. This device needs to work in a 'sample-in-result-out' mode with minimum number of steps so that it can be completely integrated into a cheap and simple instrument. We have developed a method that directly detects unamplified DNA, and demonstrate its sensitivity on realistically sized 5 kbp targetDNA fragments of Micrococcus luteus in small sample volumes of 20 μL. The assay consists of capturing and accumulating of target DNA on magnetic beads with specific capture oligonucleotides, hybridization of complementary fluorescently labeled detection oligonucleotides, and fluorescence imaging on a miniaturized wide-field fluorescence microscope. Our simple method delivers results in less than 20 minutes with a limit of detection (LOD) of ∼5 pM and a linear detection range spanning three orders of magnitude. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The skyglow produced by artificial lights at night is one of the most dramatic anthropogenic modifications of Earth's biosphere. The GLOBE at Night citizen science project allows individual observers to quantify skyglow using star maps showing different levels of light pollution. We show that aggregated GLOBE at Night data depend strongly on artificial skyglow, and could be used to track lighting changes worldwide. Naked eye time series can be expected to be very stable, due to the slow pace of human eye evolution. The standard deviation of an individual GLOBE at Night observation is found to be 1.2 stellar magnitudes. Zenith skyglow estimates from the "First World Atlas of Artificial Night Sky Brightness" are tested using a subset of the GLOBE at Night data. Although we find the World Atlas overestimates sky brightness in the very center of large cities, its predictions for Milky Way visibility are accurate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We demonstrate the design, fabrication and characterization of a near-field plasmonic nanofocusing probe with a hybrid tip-plus-aperture design. By combining template stripping with focused ion beam lithography, a variety of aperture-based near-field probes can be fabricated with high optical performance. In particular, the combination of large transmission through a C-shaped aperture aligned to the sharp apex (<10 nm radius) of a template-stripped metallic pyramid allows the efficient delivery of light-via the C-shaped aperture-while providing a nanometric hotspot determined by the sharpness of the tip itself. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Searching and detecting in some harsh environments such as collapsed buildings, pipes, small cracks are crucial for human rescue and industrial detection, military surveillance etc. However, the drawbacks of traditional moving modes of current vehicles make them difficult to perform such tasks. So developing some new vehicles is urgent. Here, we report a Setaria viridis spike's interesting behavior on a vibrating track, and inspired by that phenomena we develop a concept for cargo delivery, and give a detailed discussion about its working mechanism. This vehicle can move on a wide range of smooth and rough surfaces. Moreover, its climbing capability in tilted and even vertical smooth pipe is also outstanding. These features make it suitable for search-rescue, military reconnaissance, etc. Finally, this vehicle can be reduced into micro/ nano-scale, which makes it would play an important role in target-drug delivery, micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nature of source rocks of basaltic magmas plays a fundamental role in understanding the composition, structure and evolution of the solid earth. However, identification of source lithology of basalts remains uncertainty. Using a parameterization of multi-decadal melting experiments on a variety of peridotite and pyroxenite, we show here that a parameter called FC3MS value (FeO/CaO-3"MgO/SiO2, all in wt%) can identify most pyroxenite-derived basalts. The continental oceanic island basalt-like volcanic rocks (MgO.7.5%) (C-OIB) in eastern China and Mongolia are too high in the FC3MS value to be derived from peridotite source. The majority of the C-OIB in phase diagrams are equilibrium with garnet and clinopyroxene, indicating that garnet pyroxenite is the dominant source lithology. Our results demonstrate that many reputed evolved low magnesian C-OIBs in fact represent primary pyroxenite melts, suggesting that many previous geological and petrological interpretations of basalts based on the single peridotite model need to be reconsidered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Functioning as sensors and propulsors, cilia are evolutionarily conserved organelles having a highly organized internal structure. How a paramecium's cilium produces off-propulsion-plane curvature during its return stroke for symmetry breaking and drag reduction is not known. We explain these cilium deformations by developing a torsional pendulum model of beat frequency dependence on viscosity and an olivo-cerebellar model of self-regulation of posture control. The phase dependence of cilia torsion is determined, and a bio-physical model of hardness control with predictive features is offered. Crossbridge links between the central microtubule pair harden the cilium during the power stroke; this stroke's end is a critical phase during which ATP molecules soften the crossbridge-microtubule attachment at the cilium inflection point where torsion is at its maximum. A precipitous reduction in hardness ensues, signaling the start of ATP hydrolysis that re-hardens the cilium. The cilium attractor basin could be used as reference for perturbation sensing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A major challenge for designing prophylactic cancer vaccines is to define immunogenic and safe cancer antigens. Given the striking similarity of antigen expression patterns between cancer and embryonic tissues, we defined a prototype strategy of using placenta-derived heat shock protein gp96, which induces prophylactic anti-tumor T cell responses. Immunization with placental gp96 provided partial protection and long-term (at least 3 months) anti-tumor immunity against growth of transplantable melanoma or breast tumors in mice, elicited total protection against 7, 12-dimethylbenz(a)-anthracene (DMBA)-induced mammary tumors in rats, and significantly reduced the occurrence and growth of autochthonous breast tumors in HER2 transgenic mice. Placental gp96 activated HER2- and MUC1-specific T cell responses through binding to tumor-associated antigens. Our results reveal the novel immunogenicity of placental gp96 and its potential use as a multivalent cancer vaccine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We isolated human epidermis-derived mesenchymal stem cell-like pluripotent cells (hEMSCPCs) and demonstrate efficient harvesting, maintenance in vitro for at least 30 passages, reprogramming into multiple phenotypes in vivo, and integration into adult host tissues after injection into the mouse blastocyst to create chimeras. Cell phenotype was examined by karyotyping, immunostaining, immunofluorescence, and flow cytometry. A nested PCR protocol using primers specific for human SRY genes was designed to detect hEMSCPC-derived cells in female chimeric mice. FISH was used to validate the results of nested PCR. Results indicated that hEMSCPCs were derived from epidermis but were distinct from epidermal cells; they resembled mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) morphologically and expressed the main markers of MSCs. About half of all female offspring of mice implanted with embryos injected with hEMSCPCs at the blastocyst stage harbored the human Y chromosome and tissue-specific human protein, thereby demonstrating the transdifferentiation of hEMSCPCs [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant-associated bacteria are important for the growth and health of their host, but little is known about its functional diversity and impact on ecosystem functioning. We studied bacterial nitrogen fixation and methane oxidation from indicator Sphagnum mosses in Alpine bogs to test a hypothesis that the plant microbiome contained different functional patterns depending on their functions within the ecosystem. A high abundance and diversity of nitrogenase genes were detected, mostly specific for each Sphagnum. In contrast, methanotrophs formed highly similar patterns despite a high abundance and diversity of methane monooxygenase genes. Our hypothesis was supported by these contrasting functional patterns together with the result that theSphagnum sporophyte contained a high proportion of specific diazotrophs (45.5%) but no potential methanotrophs. While essential for plant growth under nutrient-limited conditions, nitrogen-fixing bacteria were highly specific and transferred with the sporophyte unlike the ubiquitous methanotrophs which are important for the climate-relevant ecosystem itself. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although oxygen has been reported to regulate biofilm formation by several Shewanella species, the exact regulatory mechanism mostly remains unclear. Here, we identify a direct oxygen-sensing diguanylate cyclase (DosD) and reveal its regulatory role in biofilm formation by Shewanella putrefaciens CN32 under aerobic conditions. In vitro and in vivo analyses revealed that the activity of DosD culminates to synthesis of cyclic diguanylate (c-di-GMP) in the presence of oxygen. DosD regulates the transcription of bpfA operon which encodes seven proteins including a large repetitive adhesin BpfA and its cognate type I secretion system (TISS). Regulation of DosD in aerobic biofilms is heavily dependent on an adhesin BpfA and the TISS. This study offers an insight into the molecular mechanism of oxygen-stimulated biofilm formation by S. putrefaciens CN32. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resolution of inflammation is now held to be an active process where autacoids promote homeostasis. Using functional-metabololipidomics and in vivo systems, herein we report that endogenous n-3 docosapentaenoic (DPA) acid is converted during inflammation-resolution in mice and by human leukocytes to novel n-3 products congenerous to D-series resolvins (Rv), protectins (PD) and maresins (MaR), termed specialized pro-resolving mediators (SPM). The new n-3 DPA structures include 7,8,17-trihydroxy-9,11,13,15E,19Z-docosapentaenoic acid (RvD1n-3 DPA), 7,14-dihydroxy-8,10,12,16Z,19Z-docosapentaenoic acid (MaR1n-3 DPA) and related bioactive products. Each n-3 DPA-SPM displayed protective actions from second organ injury and reduced systemic inflammation in ischemia-reperfusion. The n-3 DPA-SPM, including RvD1n-3 DPA and MaR1n-3 DPA, each exerted potent leukocyte directed actions in vivo. With human leukocytes each n-3 DPA-SPM reduced neutrophil chemotaxis, adhesion and enhanced macrophage phagocytosis. Together, these findings demonstrate that n-3 DPA is converted to novel immunoresolvents with actions comparable to resolvins and are likely produced in humans when n-3 DPA is elevated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

State distillation is the process of taking a number of imperfect copies of a particular quantum state and producing fewer better copies. Until recently, the lowest overhead method of distilling states ∣A>=(∣0>+eiπ/4∣1>)/ √2 produced a single improved ∣A> state given 15 input copies. New block code state distillation methods can produce k improved ∣A> states given 3k + 8 input copies, potentially significantly reducing the overhead associated with state distillation. We construct an explicit surface code implementation of block code state distillation and quantitatively compare the overhead of this approach to the old. We find that, using the best available techniques, for parameters of practical interest, block code state distillation does not always lead to lower overhead, and, when it does, the overhead reduction is typically less than a factor of three. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The investigation of regular and irregular patterns in nonlinear oscillators is an outstanding problem in physics and in all natural sciences. In general, regularity is understood as tantamount to periodicity. However, there is now a flurry of works proving the existence of "antiperiodicity", an unfamiliar type of regularity. Here we report the experimental observation and numerical corroboration of antiperiodic oscillations. In contrast to the isolated solutions presently known, we report infinite hierarchies of antiperiodic waveforms that can be tuned continuously and that form wide spiral-shaped stability phases in the control parameter plane. The waveform complexity increases towards the focal point common to all spirals, a key hub interconnecting them all. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blood vessel endothelium forms a semi-permeable barrier and its permeability controls the traffics of plasma contents. Here we report an intravital evaluation system for vascular permeability in mice using two-photon microscopy. We used various sizes of fluorescein-conjugated dextran as a tracer and its efflux was quantified by measuring the changes of fluorescent intensity both on the blood vessel area and the interstitial space. Using this system, we demonstrated that skin blood vessels limited the passage of dextran larger than 70 kDa under homeostatic conditions. We evaluated the kinetics of vascular permeability in histamine- or IgE-induced type I allergic models and a hapten-induced type IV allergic model. In such inflammatory conditions, the hyperpermeability was selectively induced in the postcapillary venules and dextran as large as 2000-kDa leaked from the bloods. Taken together, our study provides a convenient method to characterize the skin blood vessels as a traffic barrier in physiological conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wereport a novel boiling heat transfer (NBHT) in reduced graphene oxide (RGO) suspended in water (RGO colloid) near critical heat flux (CHF), which is traditionally the dangerous limitation of nucleate boiling heat transfer because of heater failure. When the heat flux reaches the maximum value (CHF) in RGO colloid pool boiling, the wall temperature increases gradually and slowly with an almost constant heat flux, contrary to the rapid wall temperature increase found during water pool boiling. The gained time by NBHT would provide the safer margin of the heat transfer and the amazing impact on the thermal system as the first report of graphene application. In addition, the CHF and boiling heat transfer performance also increase. This novel boiling phenomenon can effectively prevent heater failure because of the role played by the self-assembled three-dimensional foam-like graphene network (SFG). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The manipulation of light propagation is a basic subject in optics and has many important applications. With the development of nano-optics, this area has been downscaled to wavelength or even subwavelength scales. One of the most efficient ways to control light propagation is to exploit interference effects. Here, by manipulating the interference between two nanogrooves on a metal surface, we realize a submicron broadband surface-plasmon-polariton (SPP) unidirectional coupler. More importantly, we find an anomalous bandwidth shrinking behavior in the proposed SPP unidirectional coupler as the groove separation is down to a subwavelength scale of one-quarter of the SPP wavelength. This abnormal behavior is well explained by considering the contribution of the near-field quasi-cylindrical waves in addition to the interference of propagating SPPs and the dispersion effects of individual grooves. Such near-field effects provide new opportunities for the design of ultracompact optical devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of edge-selectively halogenated (X 5 Cl, Br, I) graphene nanoplatelets (XGnPs 5 ClGnP, BrGnP, IGnP) were prepared simply by ball-milling graphite in the presence of Cl2, Br2 and I2, respectively. High BET surface areas of 471, 579 and 662 m2/g were observed for ClGnP, BrGnP and IGnP, respectively, indicating a significant extent of delamination during the ball-milling and subsequent workup processes. The newly-developed XGnPs can be well dispersed in various solvents, and hence are solution processable. Furthermore, XGnPs showed remarkable electrocatalytic activities toward oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) with a high selectivity, good tolerance to methanol crossover/CO poisoning effects, and excellent long-term cycle stability. First-principle density-functional calculations revealed that halogenated graphene edges could provide decent adsorption sites for oxygen molecules, in a good agreement with the experimental observations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rechargeable batteries made from low-cost and abundant materials operating in safe aqueous electrolytes are attractive for large-scale energy storage. Sodium-ion battery is considered as a potential alternative of current lithium-ion battery. As sodium-intercalation compounds suitable for aqueous batteries are limited, we adopt a novel concept of Li+/Na+ mixed-ion electrolytes to create two batteries (LiMn2O4/Na0.22MnO2 and Na0.44MnO2/TiP2O7), which relies on two electrochemical processes. One involves Li+ insertion/ extraction reaction, and the other mainly relates to Na+ extraction/insertion reaction. Two batteries exhibit specific energy of 17 Wh kg-1 and 25 Wh kg-1 based on the total weight of active electrode materials, respectively. As well, aqueous LiMn2O4/Na0.22MnO2 battery is capable of separating Li+ and Na+ due to its specific mechanism unlike the traditional "rocking-chair" lithium-ion batteries. Hence, the Li+/Na+ mixed-ion batteries offer promising applications in energy storage and Li+/Na+ separation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultrathin nanosheets are considered as one kind of the most promising candidates for the fabrication of flexible electrochromic devices (ECDs) due to their permeable channels, high specific surface areas, and good contact with the substrate. Herein, we first report the synthesis of large-area nanosheets of tungsten oxide dihydrate (WO3·2H2O) with a thickness of only about 1.4 nm, showing much higher Li1 diffusion coefficients than those of the bulk counterpart. The WO3·2H2O ultrathin nanosheets are successfully assembled into the electrode of flexible electrochromic device, which exhibits wide optical modulation, fast color-switching speed, high coloration efficiency, good cyclic stability and excellent flexibility. Moreover, the electrochromic mechanism of WO3·2H2O is further investigated by first-principle density functional theory (DFT) calculations, in which the relationship between structural features of ultrathin nanosheets and coloration/bleaching response speed is revealed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Astraightforward fabrication technique to obtain patterned substrates promoting ordered neuron growth is presented. Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) single layer graphene (SLG) was machined by means of single pulse UV laser ablation technique at the lowest effective laser fluence in order to minimize laser damage effects. Patterned substrates were then coated with poly-D-lysine by means of a simple immersion in solution. Primary embryonic hippocampal neurons were cultured on our substrate, demonstrating an ordered interconnected neuron pattern mimicking the pattern design. Surprisingly, the functionalization is more effective on the SLG, resulting in notably higher alignment for neuron adhesion and growth. Therefore the proposed technique should be considered a valuable candidate to realize a new generation of highly specialized biosensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tumour metabolism is an outstanding topic of cancer research, as it determines the growth rate and the global activity of tumours. Recently, by combining the diffusion of oxygen, nutrients, and metabolites in the extracellular environment, and the internal motions that mix live and dead cells, we derived a growth law of solid tumours which is linked to parameters at the cellular level1. Here we use this growth law to obtain a metabolic scaling law for solid tumours, which is obeyed by tumours of different histotypes both in vitro and in vivo, and we display its relation with the fractal dimension of the distribution of live cells in the tumour mass. The scaling behaviour is related to measurable parameters, with potential applications in the clinical practice [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Connectivity is the key process that characterizes the structural and functional properties of social networks. However, the bursty activity of dyadic interactions may hinder the discrimination of inactive ties from large interevent times in active ones. We develop a principled method to detect tie de-activation and apply it to a large longitudinal, cross-sectional communication dataset (≈19 months, ≈20 million people). Contrary to the perception of ever-growing connectivity, we observe that individuals exhibit a finite communication capacity, which limits the number of ties they can maintain active in time. On average men display higher capacity than women, and this capacity decreases for both genders over their lifespan. Separating communication capacity from activity reveals a diverse range of tie activation strategies, from stable to exploratory. This allows us to draw novel relationships between individual strategies for human interaction and the evolution of social networks at global scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have developed an algorithm for recording multiple gradated two-dimensional projection patterns in a single three-dimensional object. When a single pattern is observed, information from the other patterns can be treated as background noise. The proposed algorithm has two important features: the number of patterns that can be recorded is theoretically infinite and no meaningful information can be seen outside of the projection directions. We confirmed the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm by performing numerical simulations of two laser crystals: an octagonal prism that contained four patterns in four projection directions and a dodecahedron that contained six patterns in six directions. We also fabricated and demonstrated an actual prototype laser crystal from a glass cube engraved by a laser beam. This algorithm has applications in various fields, including media art, digital signage, and encryption technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since crystal phase dominantly affects the properties of nanocrystals, phase control is important for the applications. To demonstrate the size dependence in anatase-rutile phase transition of titania, we used quantum-size titania prepared from the restricted number of titanium ions within dendrimer templates for size precision purposes and optical wave guide spectroscopy for the detection. Contrary to some theoretical calculations, the observed irreversibility in the transition indicates the metastablity of anatase; thermodynamics cannot explain the formation of metastable states. Therefore, we take into account the kinetic control polymerization of TiO6 octahedral units to explain how the crystal phase of the crystal-nucleus-size titania is dependent on which coordination sites, cis- or trans-, react in the TiO6 octahedra, suggesting possibilities for the synthetic phase control of nanocrystals. In short, the dendrimer templates give access to crystal nucleation chemistry. The paper will also contribute to the creation of artificial metastable nanostructures with atomic-level precision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dynamic wetting on the flexible hydrophilic pillar-arrays is studied using large scale molecular dynamics simulations. For the first time, the combined effect of the surface topology, the intrinsic wettability and the elasticity of a solid on the wetting process is taken into consideration. The direction-dependent dynamics of both liquid and pillars, especially at the moving contact line (MCL), is revealed at atomic level. The flexible pillars accelerate the liquid when the liquid approaches, and pin the liquid when the liquid passes. The liquid deforms the pillars, resulting energy dissipation at the MCL. Scaling analysis is performed based on molecular kinetic theory and validated by our simulations. Our results may expand our knowledge of wetting on pillars and assisting the future design of active control of wetting in practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Myc levels are highly regulated and usually low in vivo. Dimerized with Max, it regulates most expressed genes and so directly and indirectly controls most cellular processes. Intranuclear diffusion of a functional c-Myc-eGFP, expressed from its native locus in murine fibroblasts and 3T3 cells or by transient transfection, was monitored using Two Photon Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy, revealing concentration and size (mobility) of complexes. With increased c-Myc-eGFP, a very immobile pool saturates as a 'mobile' pool increases. Both pools diffuse too slowly to be free Myc-Max dimers. Following serum stimulation, eGFP-c-Myc accumulated in the presence of the proteasome inhbitor MG132. Stimulating without MG132, Myc peaked at 2.5 hrs, and at steady was ~8 ± 1.3 nM. Inhbiting Myc-Max dimerization by Max-knockdown or drug treatment increased the 'mobile' c-Myc pool size. These results indicate that Myc populates macromolecular complexes of widely heterogenous size and mobility in vivo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intrinsic radiative lifetime is an essential physical property of low-dimensional excitons that represents their optical transition rate and wavefunction, which directly measures the probability of finding an electron and a hole at the same position in an exciton. However, the conventional method that is used to determine this property via measuring the temperature-dependent photoluminescence (PL) decay time involves uncertainty due to various extrinsic contributions at high temperatures. Here, we propose an alternative method to derive the intrinsic radiative lifetime via temperature-independent measurement of the absorption cross section and transformation using Einstein's A-B-coefficient equations derived for low-dimensional excitons. We experimentally verified our approach for one-dimensional (1D) excitons in high-quality 14 × 6 nm2 quantum wires by comparing it to the conventional approach. Both independent evaluations showed good agreement with each other and with theoretical predictions. This approach opens a promising path to studying low-dimensional exciton physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New hydrophilic 2D graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets with various oxygen functional groups were employed to maintain high sensitivity in highly unfavorable environments (extremely high humidity, strong acidic or basic). Novel one-headed polymer optical fiber sensor arrays using hydrophilic GO and hydrophobic reduced graphene oxide (rGO) were carefully designed, leading to the selective sensing of volatile organic gases for the first time. The two physically different surfaces of GO and rGO could provide the sensing ability to distinguish between tetrahydrofuran (THF) and dichloromethane (MC), respectively, which is the most challenging issue in the area of gas sensors. The eco-friendly physical properties of GO allowed for faster sensing and higher sensitivity when compared to previous results for rGO even under extreme environments of over 90% humidity, making it the best choice for an environmentally friendly gas sensor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Design and efficacy of bioactive drugs is restricted by their (in)ability to traverse cellular membranes. Therapy resistance, a major cause of ineffective cancer treatment, is frequently due to suboptimal intracellular accumulation of the drug. We report a molecular mechanism that promotes trans-membrane movement of a stereotypical, widely used anti-cancer agent to counteract resistance. Well-defined lipid analogues adapt to the amphiphilic drug doxorubicin, when co-inserted into the cell membrane, and assemble a transient channel that rapidly facilitates the translocation of the drug onto the intracellular membrane leaflet. Molecular dynamic simulations unveiled the structure and dynamics of membrane channel assembly. We demonstrate that this principle successfully addresses multi-drug resistance of genetically engineered mouse breast cancer models. Our results illuminate the role of the plasma membrane in restricting the efficacy of established therapies and drug resistance - and provide a mechanism to overcome ineffectiveness of existing and candidate drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a new method for fabricating magnetic tunnel junction nanopillars that uses polystyrene nanospheres as a lithographic template. Unlike the common approaches, which depend on electron beam lithography to sequentially fabricate each nanopillar, this method is capable of patterning a large number of nanopillars simultaneously. Both random and ordered nanosphere patterns have been explored for fabricating high quality tunneling junctions with magnetoresistance in excess of 100%, employing ferromagnetic layers with both out-of-plane and in-plane easy axis. Novel voltage induced switching has been observed in these structures. This method provides a cost-effective way of rapidly fabricating a large number of tunnel junction nanopillars in parallel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Porous carbon materials have numerous applications due to their thermal and chemical stability, high surface area and low densities. However, conventional preparing porous carbon through zeolite or silica templates casting has been criticized by the costly and/or toxic procedure. Creating three-dimensional (3D) carbon products is another challenge. Here, we report a facile way to prepare porous carbons from metal-organic gel (MOG) template, an extended metal-organic framework (MOF) structure. We surprisingly found that the carbon products inherit the highly porous nature of MOF and combine with gel's integrated character, which results in hierarchical porous architectures with ultrahigh surface areas and quite large pore volumes. They exhibit considerable hydrogen uptake and excellent electrochemical performance as cathode material for lithium-sulfur battery. This work provides a general method to fast and clean synthesis of porous carbon materials and opens new avenues for the application of metal-organic gel in energy storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The c-Myc oncogenic transcription factor is known to regulate microRNA (miRNA) expression at the transcriptional level. However, little is known about the function of c-Myc in miRNA processing. Here, we report that Drosha, one of the most important components of the miRNA processing machinery, is a c-Myc target gene. c-Myc transactivates drosha mRNA expression, thus upregulating the Drosha protein level. A chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) experiment revealed that c-Myc binds directly to the E-box of the drosha promoter. Both in vitro andin vivo microRNA processing assays demonstrated that c-Myc promotes miRNA processing by upregulating the Drosha expression level. Overall, our study reveals a previously unrecognised function of c-Myc in miRNA processing and provides valuable insight into a new aspect of how c-Myc regulates microRNA expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Not only from our daily experience but from learning experiments in animals, we know that the establishment of long-lasting memory requires repeated practice. However, cellular backgrounds underlying this repetition-dependent consolidation of memory remain largely unclear. We reported previously using organotypic slice cultures of rodent hippocampus that the repeated inductions of LTP (long-term potentiation) lead to a slowly developing long-lasting synaptic enhancement accompanied by synaptogenesis distinct from LTP itself, and proposed this phenomenon as a model system suitable for the analysis of the repetition-dependent consolidation of memory. Here we examined the dynamics of individual dendritic spines after repeated LTP-inductions and found the existence of two phases in the spines' stochastic behavior that eventually lead to the increase in spine density. This spine dynamics occurred preferentially in the dendritic segments having low pre-existing spine density. Our results may provide clues for understanding the cellular bases underlying the repetition-dependent consolidation of memory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Warming and drought pose a serious threat to tropical forest. Yet the extent of this threat is uncertain, given the lack of methods to evaluate the forest tree cover changes under future climate predicted by complex dynamic vegetation models. Here we develop an empirical approach based on the observed climate space of tropical trees to estimate the maximum potential tropical tree cover (MPTC) in equilibrium with a given climate. We show that compared to present-day (2000-2009) conditions, MPTC will be reduced by 1 to 15% in the tropical band under equilibrium future (2090-2099) climate conditions predicted by 19 IPCC climate models. Tropical forests are found to regress or disappear mainly in the current transition zones between forest and savanna ecosystems. This climate pressure on tropical forests, added to human-caused land use pressure, poses a grand challenge to the sustainability of the world's largest biomass carbon pool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the characteristics of a quantum systems when affected by noise is one of the biggest challenges for quantum technologies. The general Pauli error channel is an important lossless channel for quantum communication. In this work we consider the effects of a Pauli channel on a pure four-qubit state and simulate the Pauli channel experimentally by studying the action on polarization encoded entangled photons. When the noise channel acting on the photons is correlated, a set spanned by four orthogonal bound entangled states can be generated. We study this interesting case experimentally and demonstrate that products of Bell states can be brought into a bound entangled regime. We find states in the set of bound entangled states which experimentally violate the CHSH inequality while still possessing a positive partial transpose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]