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We study the effect of varying polymer concentration, measured by the dimensionless polymer viscosity partition function [Formula: see text], on the steady shear rheology of rigid particle suspensions using direct numerical simulation of the Oldroyd-B model. We compare the bulk rheology using immersed boundary simulations at [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] to body-fitted single-particle simulations and find that the per-particle viscosity and first normal stress difference coefficient are always shear-thickening at all values of [Formula: see text] considered. However, as [Formula: see text] decreases, the polymer stress transforms the flow field near each particle from closed concentric streamlines to helical streamlines that advect stretched polymers away from the particle surface. At low [Formula: see text], the polymer stress is diffuse, where the distribution of the particle induced fluid stress (PIFS) caused by the stretched polymers is spread out in the simulation domain rather than concentrated near the particle surface. Therefore in multiparticle simulations, the polymer stress can be significantly affected by particle-particle interactions. The stress generated by a given particle is disrupted by the presence of particles in its vicinity, leading to a significantly lower PIFS than that of the single-particle simulation. In addition, at increased volume fractions and low values of [Formula: see text], the polymer stress distribution on the particle surface shifts so as to increase the magnitude of the polymer stress moments, resulting in a shear-thickening stresslet contribution to the viscosity that is not seen in single particle or high [Formula: see text] simulations. This result indicates that for suspensions in highly viscoelastic suspending fluids that are characterized by a low [Formula: see text] parameter, hydrodynamic interactions are significant even at modest particle concentrations and fully resolved multiparticle simulations are necessary to understand the rheological behavior.

The shear rheology of particle suspensions in shear-thinning polymeric fluids is studied experimentally using parallel plate measurements and numerically using fully resolved, 3D finite volume simulations with the Giesekus fluid model. We show in our experiments that the steady shear viscosity and first normal stress difference coefficient of the suspension evolve from shear-thickening to substantially shear-thinning as the degree of shear-thinning of the suspending fluid increases. Moreover, in highly shear-thinning fluids, the suspension exhibits greater shear-thinning of the viscosity than the suspending fluid itself. Our dilute body-fitted simulations show that in the absence of hydrodynamic interactions, shear-thinning can arise from the particle-induced fluid stress (PIFS), which ceases to grow with increasing shear rate at low values of [Formula: see text] (solvent viscosity ratio) and finite values of [Formula: see text] (the Giesekus drag coefficient). In a Giesekus suspending fluid, the polymers surrounding the suspended particle are unable to stretch sufficiently at high Weissenberg numbers (Wi) and the reduced polymer stress results in a lower PIFS. When coupled with the shear-thinning stresslet, this effect creates an overall shear-thinning of the viscosity. We then explore the effects of particle-particle interactions on the suspension rheology using immersed boundary simulations. We show that multiparticle simulations are necessary to obtain the shear-thinning behavior of the per-particle viscosity of suspensions in shear-thinning fluids at moderate values of [Formula: see text]. Particle-particle interactions lead to a substantial decrease in the PIFS and an enhancement of the shear-thinning of the stresslet compared to the single particle simulations. This combination leads to the shear-thinning of the per-particle viscosity seen in experiments. We also find that very low values of [Formula: see text] and finite values of [Formula: see text] have opposing effects on the per-particle viscosity that can lead to a nonmonotonic per-particle viscosity versus shear rate in a highly shear-thinning fluid. Overall, the addition of rigid particles to highly shear-thinning fluids, such as joint synovial fluid, leads to increased viscosity and also increased shear-thinning at high shear rates.

Cations with suitable sizes to occupy an interstitial site of perovskite crystals have been widely used to inhibit ion migration and promote the performance and stability of perovskite optoelectronics. However, such interstitial doping inevitably leads to lattice microstrain that impairs the long-range ordering and stability of the crystals, causing a sacrificial trade-off. Here, we unravel the evident influence of the valence states of the interstitial cations on their efficacy to suppress the ion migration. Incorporation of a trivalent neodymium cation (Nd3+) effectively mitigates the ion migration in the perovskite lattice with a reduced dosage (0.08%) compared to a widely used monovalent cation dopant (Na+, 0.45%). The photovoltaic performances and operational stability of the prototypical perovskite solar cells are enhanced with a trace amount of Nd3+ doping while minimizing the sacrificial trade-off.

Band-to-band tunneling (BTBT) [1] and trap-assisted tunneling (TAT) [2] have been observed in the forward operation base current of SiGe HBTs [3], due to increasing emitter-base junction doping and decreasing bandgap from high Ge mole fraction. At present, a compact model for the BTBT base current in forward operation does not exist. The reverse bias BTBT current is modeled in Mextram for both emitter-base and collector-base junctions. A compact model of the forward TAT base current was developed by our group for wide temperature range operation [4]. In this work, we present a new compact model of BTBT and further develop the TAT compact model of [4] for commercial temperature range application, and demonstrate their effectiveness on SiGe HBTs with around 250 GHz peak fT and fmax. Fig. 1 shows measured IB-VBE characteristics at several temperatures, together with simulation using the latest version of Mextram, 505.3. VCB=0V. At moderate VBE, the IB-VBE slope starts to decrease, similar to high injection effect in diodes, when we know high injection has not occurred as IC-VBE slope remains its low injection value (not shown). Such behavior cannot be modeled with standard base current models. A newly developed neutral-base-recombination (NBR) model introduced in 505.3 is used to fit such high-injection like IB-VBE behavior [5]. In this work we focus on the low VBE regions. At VBEB first increases, then decreases, exhibiting a negative differential resistance, which is due to BTBT [3]. This BTBT region shows very weak temperature dependence. IB then slowly increases, with a large non-ideality factor of 3.78, which we believe is due to TAT [2] [3] [4]. Note that this should not be confused with the depletion-region recombination current, called IB2 in Mextram [5], with an ideality factor close to 2. The corresponding saturation current in this “TAT” region shows a temperature dependence much weaker than what one expects from the depletion region recombination current as well. Our BTBT model is based on the approach of Esaki [1] and Karlovsky [6], and has a simple functional form: IB,BTBT = kBTBTVBE,btbt(VBE,btbt – VBTBT)2, KBTBT and VBTBT are model parameters that can be extracted from the IB peak position and slope of IB-VBE followed by optimization. VBTBT has a physical meaning of VBTBT =[(Efn-Ec)|n-side+(Ev-Efp)|p-side]/q, with all symbols having their usual meanings in PN junctions. VBE,btbt is a smoothly limited version of VBE for modeling BTBT. When VBEBE is smoothly limited to 0, i.e. VBE,btbt->0, so that it does not interfere with the existing reverse bias BTBT model. When 0BE< VBTBT, VBE,btbt is essentially equal to VBE by design except at the boundaries. When VBE>VBTBT, VBE is smoothly limited to VBTBT, so that the BTBT current decays to zero, as there will be no aligned available states for BTBT. We observe that the BTBT current is insensitive to temperature, consistent with [3], and find that no temperature scaling is necessary for modeling the BTBT current. The TAT current is modeled as ITAT = ISTAT(exp(VBE,tat/VTUN)-1), with VTUN and ISTAT as model parameters [4]. VBE,tat is approximately VBE when VBE>0, and smoothly becomes zero when VBESTAT scales with temperature T according to ISTAT,T=ISTAT(T/Tref)1/2exp(kTAT(T-Tref)), where Tref is the reference temperature, and kTAT is a temperature scaling model parameter. VTUN is temperature independent. Fig. 2 shows the 25°C IB-VBE modeling result at low VBE using a linear current scale, to better illustrate the behavior of all IB components at low VBE. Fig. 3 shows a full range view on a logarithmic scale. Fig. 4 shows the modeling results at all four temperatures, with the insert showing the low bias details. Overall the proposed BTBT and TAT models do a good job fitting the forward operation IB-VBE characteristics, with an easy to use formulation, and a small number of model parameters, 2 for BTBT and 3 for TAT. References [1] L. Esaki, Phys. Rev., vol. 109, pp. 604–605, Jan. 1958. [2] A. G. Chynoweth et al., Phys. Rev., vol. 121, pp.684-694, Feb. 1961. [3] D. Lagarde et al., IEEE Electron Device Letters, vol. 27, no. 4, pp. 275-277, April 2006. [4] Z. Xu et al., ECS Transactions, vol. 33, no. 6, pp. 301-310, 2010. [5] G. Niu et al., The Mextram Bipolar Transistor Model Version 505.3.0, 2022. [6] J. Karlovsky, Phys. Rev., vol. 127, pp. 419–419, July 1962. Figure 1

WUSCHEL-related homeobox (WOX) genes have been shown to play important roles in the regulation of gene transcription involved in the early phases of embryogenesis. In this study, a total of 15 EgWOXs were identified from the oil palm genome and their physicochemical properties were analyzed. Phylogenetic analysis divided 15 EgWOXs into three different clades i.e. modern, ancient, and intermediate. EgWOXs contain ten conserved motifs and two conserved domains. Further, cis-acting elements analysis identified the presence of light, stress, and phytohormone responsive elements in the promoter regions of EgWOXs. RNA-seq analysis of EgWOX genes in different embryogenesis stages of oil palm embryogenic callus (EC), non-embryogenic callus (NEC), and somatic embryo (SE), indicated the significant expression of EgWOXs in EC and SE stages. Real-time PCR analysis results showed the significant expression of EgWOX2, EgWOX7, EgWOX8, EgWOX9, and EgWOX12 genes in somatic embryogenesis stage, indicating their roles in regulating oil palm somatic embryogenesis.

The rheology of suspensions of rigid particles in polymeric fluids is a particularly important field of study as these materials find applications in a variety of industries, such as consumer product applications (e.g., foods, pharmaceuticals, personal care products), materials design applications (e.g., injected composite materials, adhesives and coatings, paints), energy applications (e.g., fracking fluids), and biomedical devices. Understanding how these multi-phase materials respond to processing flow conditions helps in process optimization, such as designing more efficient processes that save time and energy and preserve the desired final properties. The rheology of these materials can be complex when compared to suspensions in a Newtonian fluid. In this context and as discussed in previous chapters, non-colloidal suspensions of rigid particles in Newtonian fluids exhibit no shear rate dependence in steady shear flow for particle volume fractions less than 30% (Chan and Powell, 1984; and Gadala-Maria and Acrivos, 1980), but this is not the case when the suspending fluid is polymeric. While the mechanics of suspended particles in Newtonian fluids enjoys a long and detailed history as discussed in previous chapters, the mechanics of suspended particles in non-Newtonian fluids is not nearly as complete or organized. The particle-fluid interactions in an elastic fluid, even in the dilute particle limit, are difficult to tackle analytically due to non-linearities in the governing equations that increase the system complexity. While this statement is true for almost all non-Newtonian fluids far fromthe “weak flow” or “nearlyNewtonian” limit, there has been rapid progress in understanding particle suspensions in polymeric solutions in the last few years. Note the difficulty here, succinctly put, is that the polymers in solution act as “other particles” in a very similar sense to the “other particles” in a non-dilute particle suspension. Thus, for example, the correction to the Einstein viscosity (i.e., the first correction to the effective viscosity for an infinitely dilute suspension of spherical particles) when the suspending fluid is viscoelastic was only very recently calculated (Einarsson et al., 2018), and most of the work in achieving this resultwas focussed on calculating the average response of the nonlinear fluid to the particle rather than the particle response to the nonlinear fluid. Moreover, many of the simple rheological quantities of these suspensions, as measured experimentally for relatively concentrated suspensions with different particle sizes or shapes (Ohl and Gleissle, 1992, 1993; Aral and Kalyon, 1997; Zarraga et al., 2001; Mall-Gleissle et al., 2002; Scirocco et al., 2005; Haleem and Nott, 2009; Tanner et al., 2013; and Dai et al., 2014), are largely different from either similar suspensions in Newtonian fluids or the elastic suspending fluid without particles as can be observed in Fig. 8.1. This points to a scientific research area where real impact can be envisaged.

Tedious trial-and-error procedures are commonly practiced for surface modification of the perovskite solar cell (PSC) active layers. A guideline to rationally choose the passivating functional groups of the polymeric structure that is eminently effective in passivating the charged defects and elongating the device lifetime is hence in urgent demand. Herein, three prototypical polymers, poly(vinyl acetate) (PVA), polyethylene glycol (PEG), and poly(9-vinylcarbazole) (PVK), are selected to investigate the structural effect of the polymeric modification agents on the PSCs. We found that PVA possesses the Lewis base functional group with the minimized steric hindrance and the strongest electron-donating ability, enabling the most effective defect passivation on the perovskite film surface and the most enhanced carrier diffusion capacity. It demonstrates a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 23.20% and noticeably enhanced operational stability. Our work provides important insights toward the selection of polymeric modification agents for high-performance and long-term stable PSCs.

BackgroundThe clinical spectrum of myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease (MOGAD) is expanding over time. However, the long-term management and prognosis of this disorder are still controversial. Therefore, this study aimed to report the clinical profiles and treatment outcomes of MOGAD in our center.MethodsThis was a single-center case-series study. Clinical and para-clinical data, along with treatment outcomes of patients with MOGAD were analyzed.ResultsA total of 27 patients were identified, of which 19 (70%) patients were women, and the median age at disease onset was 40 years (range 20–67). A total of 47 episodes were observed, with optic neuritis (53%) being the most frequent presentation and 60% of them were unilateral. Other presentations included rhombencephalitis (RE) (17%), limbic encephalitis (9%), simultaneous optic neuritis and myelitis (9%), acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM)-like presentation (6%), myelitis (4%), and ADEM (2%). One patient presenting with RE also met the diagnostic criteria of area postrema syndrome (APS). Another patient with RE presented with imaging characteristics of chronic lymphocytic inflammation with pontine perivascular enhancement responsive to steroids (CLIPPERS). A total of 29 lumbar punctures were recorded, among which an elevated protein level was found in 34% of the samples, pleocytosis was found in 14% of the samples, and positive intrathecal oligoclonal bands were found in 19% of the patients. One patient was found to have anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antibodies both in his serum and cerebrospinal fluid. Intravenous methylprednisolone (IVMP) was administrated for 85% of the attacks while both IVMP and intravenous immunoglobulin were for 6% of the attacks. Moreover, nine patients received maintenance therapy. Among them, six patients were treated with mycophenolate mofetil, three patients were treated with prednisone, rituximab, and teriflunomide, respectively. The median follow-up period was 20 months (range 6–127). At follow-up, twelve (44%) patients experienced a relapsing course, and the median time to the first relapse was 9.5 months (range 2–120). The median Expanded Disability Status Scale score at nadir was 3.5 (range 2–8) and was 0 (range 0–3) at the last follow-up.ConclusionThe clinical spectrum of MOGAD is heterogenous, wherein APS and CLIPPERS-form can occur. The long-term outcome of MOGAD seems benign. Further studies are warranted to determine the risk factors of relapse and identify the optimal steroid-sparing agents.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) coexisting with chorea is very rare.We present the case of a 48-year-old man with ALS and chorea; the diagnostic certainty was high based on clinical examination results. Combining the data from literature, we analyzed the characteristics of patients with ALS and chorea. We found that ALS coexisting with chorea is very rare, but is often hereditary with a genetic mutation. Most patients with ALS and chorea are caused by abnormal amplification of a CAG sequence in the HTT gene, and these patients have a mild course of disease. The FUS, VCP, and SETX genes also have low mutation frequencies in patients with ALS and chorea.The abnormal amplification of a CAG sequence in the HTT gene in ALS with chorea has an obvious familial genetic tendency, and most patients have a mild disease course.

Virtual panorama technology based on multi-source information fusion is a virtual reality technology based on image technology to generate realistic graphics. Panorama production software is used to generate panoramic images with a strong sense of scene and perspective effect that can be fully displayed at 720 degrees. Various kinds of voice, video, image and other hot spots are added in the virtual panorama image, and the step and front-end customized display are freely added, and multiple types of artificial intelligence graphic algorithms are applied to realize the virtual panorama platform of multi-source information fusion. The technology has been widely used in some businesses of the Yellow River, with strong practicability, large application and development space, and obvious advantages in investment benefit ratio.

Cations with suitable sizes to occupy an interstitial site of perovskite crystals have been widely used to inhibit ion migration and promote performance and stability of perovskite optoelectronics. However, the interstitial doping accompanies inevitable lattice strain to impair long-range ordering and stability of the crystals to cause a sacrificial trade-off. Here, we unravel the evident influence of the valence states of the interstitial cations on their efficacy to suppress the ion migration. Incorporation of a trivalent neodymium cation (Nd3+) effectively mitigates the ion migration in the perovskite lattice with significantly reduced dosage (0.08%) compared to a widely used monovalent cation dopant (Na+, 0.45%). Less but better, the prototypical perovskite solar cells incorporated with Nd3+ exhibits significantly enhanced photovoltaic performance and operational stability.

RNA processing mutants have been broadly implicated in genome stability, but mechanistic links are often unclear. Two predominant models have emerged: one involving changes in gene expression that perturb other genome maintenance factors and another in which genotoxic DNA:RNA hybrids, called R-loops, impair DNA replication. Here we characterize genome instability phenotypes in yeast splicing factor mutants and find that mitotic defects, and in some cases R-loop accumulation, are causes of genome instability. In both cases, alterations in gene expression, rather than direct cis effects, are likely to contribute to instability. Genome instability in splicing mutants is exacerbated by loss of the spindle-assembly checkpoint protein Mad1. Moreover, removal of the intron from the α-tubulin gene TUB1 restores genome integrity. Thus, differing penetrance and selective effects on the transcriptome can lead to a range of phenotypes in conditional mutants of the spliceosome, including multiple routes to genome instability.

Background Oil palm is the most efficient oil-producing crop in the world, and the yield of palm oil is associated with embryonic development. However, a comprehensive understanding of zygotic embryo development at the molecular level remains elusive. In order to address this issue, we report the transcriptomic analysis of zygotic embryo development in oil palm, specifically focusing on regulatory genes involved in important biological pathways. Results In this study, three cDNA libraries were prepared from embryos at S1 (early-stage), S2 (middle-stage), and S3 (late-stage). There were 16,367, 16,500, and 18,012 genes characterized at the S1, S2, and S3 stages of embryonic development, respectively. A total of 1522, 2698, and 142 genes were differentially expressed in S1 vs S2, S1 vs S3, and S2 vs S3, respectively. Using Gene Ontology (GO) term enrichment and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis to identify key genes and pathways. In the hormone signaling pathway, genes related to auxin antagonize the output of cytokinin which regulates the development of embryo meristem. The genes related to abscisic acid negatively regulating the synthesis of gibberellin were strongly up-regulated in the mid-late stage of embryonic development. The results were reported the early synthesis and mid-late degradation of sucrose, as well as the activation of the continuous degradation pathway of temporary starch, providing the nutrients needed for differentiation of the embryonic cell. Moreover, the transcripts of genes involved in fatty acid synthesis were also abundantly accumulated in the zygotic embryos. Conclusion Taken together, our research provides a new perspective on the developmental and metabolic regulation of zygotic embryo development at the transcriptional level in oil palm.

We review linearity of SiGe HBTs, from physics to RF measurements using X-parameter capable NVNA, to compact modeling using Mextram 505, an industry standard model. New models of high injection depletion capacitance and avalanche enable accurate linearity sweet spot modeling. Source distortion and port mismatches can be accounted for using X-parameters to significantly improve measurement accuracy, which also greatly simplifies circuit setup in modeling.

This paper experimentally extracts the extrinsic and intrinsic thermal noise γ factors in a 14-nm FinFET technology. The intrinsic γ in saturation operation is found to be close to 1 for the minimum L (16nm) transistors, which is surprisingly low compared to the long channel limit of 2/3. We attribute this low noise factor to the excellent gate control of these FinFETs that makes the transistor exhibit relatively long channel thermal noise behavior at minimum gate length.

Defect passivation constitutes one of the most commonly used strategies to fabricate highly efficient perovskite solar cells (PSCs). However, the durability of the passivation effects under harsh operational conditions has not been extensively studied regardless of the weak and vulnerable secondary bonding between the molecular passivation agents and perovskite crystals. Here, we incorporated strategically designed passivating agents to investigate the effect of their interaction energies on the perovskite crystals and correlated these with the performance and longevity of the passivation effects. We unraveled that the passivation agents with a stronger interaction energy are advantageous not only for effective defect passivation but also to suppress defect migration. The prototypical PSCs treated with the optimal passivation agent exhibited superior performance and operational stability, retaining 81.9 and 85.3% of their initial performance under continuous illumination or nitrogen at 85 °C after 1008 h, respectively, while the reference device completely degraded during that time. This work provides important insights into designing operationally durable defect passivation agents for perovskite optoelectronic devices.

Objective To analyze one clinical case of cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy(CADASIL), and to perform analysis of the related gene mutation for the proband and her family. Methods Analysis of clinical data from the patient diagnosed with CADASIL, including clinical manifestations, blood test results and brain imaging results, followed by high-throughput sequencing of blood samples. Pathogenicity assessment of the gene mutation, and first generation verification were performed on some family members according to genetic variation interpretation standards and guidelines of the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG). Results Onset of the proband occurred younger than 50-years-old with recurrent migraine attacks and positive family history of migraine and stroke, but without risk factors for cerebrovascular diseases. The craniocerebral magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) results showed diffusive white matter lesions and thus clinically met criteria for CADASIL diagnosis. NOTCH3 gene analysis showed a p.R578C mutation (1732 C > T) at the11th exon on chromosome 19 of the proband and some family members. Conclusions NOTCH3 mutation is related to CADASIL. In this study, we observed a rather rare familial NOTCH3 mutation in China. This report further support the mutation site is pathogenic.

Background: Cerebral amyloid angiopathy-related inflammation (CAA-I), a rare variant of cerebral amyloid angiopathy, is one of treatable causes of rapidly progressive dementia. CAA-I usually occurs in the elderly and corticosteroids are most often used for treatment. Thus it is more necessary to develop an individualized dosing regimen to maximize efficacy yet minimize adverse effects of corticosteroids. We report a CAA-I patient successfully treated by corticosteroid therapy guided by dynamic monitoring of peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) count. Case presentation: A 68-year-old female presented with subacute step-wise cognitive decline. Medical history and current examination revealed multiple risk factors for cerebral amyloid angiopathy, including apolipoprotein E ε4/ε4 genotype, hyperhomocysteinemia, hypertension, and chronic renal failure, while brain susceptibility-weighted magnetic resonance imaging revealed diffuse lobar microbleeds associated with extensive lesions disturbed throughout cerebral grey and white matter on T1- and T2-weighted MRI. The CD19+ B-cell fraction of PBMCs was markedly elevated, as were inflammatory markers such as erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein. Cerebrospinal fluid total protein and T-tau levels were also elevated, while Aβ42 was low and P-tau levels were normal. Corticosteroid treatment guided by dynamic CD19+ B-cell number monitoring reversed these inflammatory signs, imaging manifestations, and acute cognitive decline. Conclusions: Corticosteroid treatment individualized by dynamic monitoring of PBMC CD19+ B-cell fraction may provide for maximum therapeutic efficacy with minimal adverse effects in patients with CAA-I.

The effects of zinc precursors on the performance of bifunctinal Zn1Zr10Ox catalysts were investigated for direct conversion of bio-ethanol into isobutene (ETIB). The catalyst derived from zinc acetate precursor exhibited full ethanol conversion and 50% isobutene yield at a WHSV of 0.38 gethanol gcat−1 h−1 at 450 °C. Characterization results based on XRD, FT-IR, UV–vis, Raman, BET, CO2-TPD, NH3-TPD, H2-TPR, and XPS revealed that Zn1Zr10Ox catalyst prepared by zinc acetate precursor with large anion size possessed the highest zinc dispersion and the strong ZnO-ZrO2 interaction, and presented the highest ethanol reaction rate and isobutene yield under kinetic control regime. The beneficial effect of larger anion size was rationalized by the shielding effect in the incorporation model dominated by the size of capping anion in zinc precursors. Further durability test showed that the catalyst exhibited slow deactivation against coking formation while isobutene yield was maintained above 45% for 18 h.

We present a comprehensive 3D numerical study of particles with imposed velocities relative to the local bulk flow (termed “slip velocities”) in a viscoelastic shear flow. We consider the force on a spherical particle sedimenting, a spherical bubble rising, and a spherical neutral squirmer swimming in an imposed viscoelastic shear flow. We demonstrate that any particle moving with a slip velocity in the flow or gradient direction of the shear flow experience a lateral lift force. We calculate and compare the magnitude and direction of the lift force in all situations. At small Deborah (De) and Weissenberg (Wi) numbers, our results show good agreement with an existing perturbation theory for rigid particles (Einarsson and Mehlig, 2017 [1]) and new perturbation theories for drops and for squirmers respectively. Our simulations extend these results to higher De and Wi regimes. Through our simulations, we uncover the physical mechanism of the lateral force on all particles. For rigid particles, we find the lift force arises from an imbalance in polymer stress on either side of the particle, which in turn is due to the imbalance of polymer stretch surrounding the particle. If this lift force is not balanced by an external force, a lateral drift velocity arises. We further consider the implication of this lateral drift for rigid particles hydrodynamically forced in a viscoelastic Poiseuille flow, where particles can migrate either toward the channel center plane or toward the wall, depending on whether the direction of the applied force is in the direction aligned or opposite to the direction of the Poiseuille flow, respectively. We study both the migration of a single particle as well as a suspension of particles in channel flow. Even with the addition of hydrodynamic interactions, we show that particles forced in the direction of the Poiseuille flow migrate towards the channel center.

Plant immune regulation is a defensive strategy of plants for protection against pathogen invasion, and Chitosan-N (CTS-N) can induce plant autoimmunity regulation mechanisms. CTS-N was found to induce an immunomodulatory response in papaya against Papaya leaf-distortion mosaic virus (PLDMV). To date, the gene expression profile of CTS-N-induced papaya immunomodulatory response has not been reported. Here, the transcriptional map of papaya leaf genes were subjected to three treatments, viz., non-viral inoculation without CTS-N treatment (CK), virus inoculation without CTS-N treatment (CG), and virus inoculation of 1 g/L treatment (B). These were studied by pot culture experiment. Comparison of the B group with the CG group revealed 732 upregulated and 510 downregulated genes. Comparison of the CG group with the CK group revealed 909 upregulated and 1024 downregulated genes. To determine gene function, gene ontology (GO) analysis was performed, where 480 biological process genes, 256 molecular function genes, and 343 cell composition genes were differentially expressed. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) results revealed that the top three pathways were phenylpropane biosynthesis, starch and sucrose metabolism, and plant hormone signal transduction. Real-time Quantitative PCR (qPCR) results were consistent with the transcriptome results, with a correlation coefficient of 0.87. The results of the transcriptional group showed that genes associated with plant resistance were induced by CTS-N-treatment in papaya. The chitinase gene was related to the plant disease process. Related genes in plant hormone signal transduction pathways are associated with plant resistance, and six differentially expressed genes were correlated with enhanced immune resistance in papaya.

To achieve genome stability cells must coordinate the action of various DNA transactions including DNA replication, repair, transcription and chromosome segregation. How transcription and RNA processing enable genome stability is only partly understood. Two predominant models have emerged: one involving changes in gene expression that perturb other genome maintenance factors, and another in which genotoxic DNA:RNA hybrids, called R-loops, impair DNA replication. Here we characterize genome instability phenotypes in a panel yeast splicing factor mutants and find that mitotic defects, and in some cases R-loop accumulation, are causes of genome instability. Genome instability in splicing mutants is exacerbated by loss of the spindle-assembly checkpoint protein Mad1. Moreover, removal of the intron from the α-tubulin gene TUB1 restores genome integrity. Thus, while R-loops contribute in some settings, defects in yeast splicing predominantly lead to genome instability through effects on gene expression.

Initially, it was believed that Aquaporin-4 (AQP4)- immunoglobulin G (IgG) only affected the central nervous system (CNS), and peripheral AQP4-expressing organs were usually spared. However, in recent years, increasing evidence has demonstrated that AQP4-IgG causes damage to peripheral organs beyond the CNS such as skeletal muscle, vestibulocochlear nerves, gastrointestinal tract, blood system, kidney, lung and placenta. Recently, the term "autoimmune aquaporin-4 channelopathy" has been proposed to incorporate a wide range of diseases associated with AQP4-IgG, including neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders and AQP4-IgG-induced peripheral nerves system damage. Herein, we provide an overview of the clinical evidence of AQP4-IgG-associated peripheral organ damages and discuss the pathogenesis.

G-quadruplex DNAs form four-stranded helical structures and are proposed to play key roles in different cellular processes. Targeting G-quadruplex DNAs for cancer treatment is a very promising prospect. Here, we show that CX-5461 is a G-quadruplex stabilizer, with specific toxicity against BRCA deficiencies in cancer cells and polyclonal patient-derived xenograft models, including tumours resistant to PARP inhibition. Exposure to CX-5461, and its related drug CX-3543, blocks replication forks and induces ssDNA gaps or breaks. The BRCA and NHEJ pathways are required for the repair of CX-5461 and CX-3543-induced DNA damage and failure to do so leads to lethality. These data strengthen the concept of G4 targeting as a therapeutic approach, specifically for targeting HR and NHEJ deficient cancers and other tumours deficient for DNA damage repair. CX-5461 is now in advanced phase I clinical trial for patients with BRCA1/2 deficient tumours (Canadian trial, NCT02719977, opened May 2016)., Stabilization of DNA quadruplex structures (G4) is lethal for cells with a compromised DNA repair pathway. Here, the authors show that CX-5461, a small molecule in clinical trials as RNA polymerase inhibitor, has G4-stablization properties and can be repurposed to target DNA repair-defective cancers cells.

Particle suspension reactors for solar water splitting are capable of generating hydrogen at a cost that is competitive with hydrogen produced from steam methane reforming.1-3 Our team has validated a reactor design that resembles Nature’s Z-scheme where two stacked and connected photocatalyst particle suspension reactor beds together drive overall solar water splitting.3 Electron (and proton) management between the beds occurs by transport of a redox shuttle through a nanoporous separator. Efficient designs require that the redox shuttle is selectively oxidized and reduced at the particles that drive H2 evolution and O2 evolution, respectively. By device physics numerical simulations we showed that even for highly efficient reactor designs (10% STH efficiency) redox shuttle transport between the beds can be sustained with only passive diffusion.3 In my presentation I will report on our team’s recent progress on this design. Using finite-element numerical analyses we modelled and simulated the transient mass transport processes, light absorption, electrochemical kinetics, gas crossover, and thermal transport in the proposed reactor. Experimentally, we synthesized, characterized, and evaluated the photo(electro)chemical performance of the most promising photocatalyst nanocrystallites (BiVO4, WO3, and Rh-doped SrTiO3) as mesoporous thin films and as particles in model reactors, and in the presence of several different redox shuttles and at various pH values. For H2-evolving Rh-doped SrTiO3, we demonstrated that in the presence of Fe(II) the limiting rate of Fe(III) reduction decreases and the rate of H2 evolution increases; however, these desired processes occurred along with undesired Fe(III) reduction and undesired H2 oxidation. Introduction of Ru cocatalysts enhanced performance by increasing the rate of H2 evolution and to a lesser extent undesired Fe(III) reduction. For O2-evolving WO3, we showed that O2 does not interfere with collection of electrons and that selectivity toward Fe(III) reduction is possible at moderate concentrations of Fe(III). Overall, results from several studies using a series of redox shuttles and photocatalyst particles will be presented. Collectively, our efforts represent strides toward achieving a high-level of techno-economic viability in solar water splitting reactors. Acknowledgments: This work was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Fuel Cell Technologies Incubator Program under Award No. DE-EE0006963 and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory under Contract No. DE-AC02-05CH11231. References: D. James, G. N. Baum, J. Perez and K. N. Baum, Technoeconomic Analysis of Photoelectrochemical (PEC) Hydrogen Production, Directed Technologies Inc., (US DOE Contract no. GS-10F-009J), Arlington, VA, 2009. A. Pinaud, J. D. Benck, L. C. Seitz, A. J. Forman, Z. Chen, T. G. Deutsch, B. D. James, K. N. Baum, G. N. Baum, S. Ardo, H. Wang, E. Miller, and T. F. Jaramillo, Energy & Environmental Science, 2013, 6, 1983–2002. Bala Chandran, S. Breen, Y. Shao, S. Ardo, and A. Z. Weber, Energy & Environmental Science, 2017, Accepted Manuscript, DOI: 10.1039/C7EE01360D.

Contemporary organic chemists employ a broad range of catalytic and stoichiometric methods to construct molecules for applications in the material sciences, and as pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, and sensors. The utility of a synthetic method may be greatly reduced if it relies on a glove box to enable the use of air- and moisture-sensitive reagents or catalysts. Furthermore, many synthetic chemistry laboratories have numerous containers of partially used reagents that have been spoiled by exposure to the ambient atmosphere. This is exceptionally wasteful from both an environmental and a cost perspective. Here we report an encapsulation method for stabilizing and storing air- and moisture-sensitive compounds. We demonstrate this approach in three contexts, by describing single-use capsules that contain all of the reagents (catalysts, ligands, and bases) necessary for the glove-box-free palladium-catalysed carbon-fluorine, carbon-nitrogen, and carbon-carbon bond-forming reactions. This strategy should reduce the number of error-prone, tedious and time-consuming weighing procedures required for such syntheses and should be applicable to a wide range of reagents, catalysts, and substrate combinations.