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Association between gastroesophageal reflux disease and DMFT index in the PERSIAN Guilan Cohort Study
The mutagenic forces shaping the genomes of lung cancer in never smokers
Quantitation of the piezoelectric coefficients of room temperature ionic liquids
We report the development of a means to quantitatively evaluate the piezoelectric coefficient, d33, of room temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) and apply it to investigate how d33 varies with RTIL cation structure. The d33 quantitation method we developed also enables evaluation of the average size of pressure-induced, piezoelectrically active RTIL crystals. We evaluated d33 for RTILs composed of seven different cations and the common anion bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (TFSI−) and found that its magnitude varies predictably with the extent of conjugation and the length of the cation’s aliphatic chain. These findings offer insights into how the constituent ion structures of RTILs can be rationally optimized to enhance piezoelectric activity.
RNAi epimutations conferring antifungal drug resistance are inheritable
Abstract Epimutations modify gene expression and lead to phenotypic variation while the encoding DNA sequence remains unchanged. Epimutations mediated by RNA interference (RNAi) and/or chromatin modifications can confer antifungal drug resistance and may impact virulence traits in fungi. However, whether these epigenetic modifications can be transmitted across generations following sexual reproduction was unclear. This study demonstrates that RNAi epimutations conferring antifungal drug resistance are transgenerationally inherited in the human fungal pathogen Mucor circinelloides . Our research reveals that RNAi-based antifungal resistance follows a DNA sequence-independent, non-Mendelian inheritance pattern. Small RNAs (sRNAs) are the exclusive determinants of inheritance, transmitting drug resistance independently of other known repressive epigenetic modifications. Unique sRNA signature patterns can be traced through inheritance from parent to progeny, further supporting RNA as an alternative molecule for transmitting information across generations. Understanding how epimutations occur, propagate, and confer resistance may enable their detection in other eukaryotic pathogens, provide solutions for challenges posed by rising antimicrobial drug resistance, and advance research on phenotypic adaptability and its evolutionary implications.
Analysis of data on biosimilar prescription rates in rheumatology practice from a reference center in Turkey
Vibrational energy flow in adenosine triphosphate
Intermolecular vibrational energy transfer from H2O to adenosine triphosphate (ATP) molecules and intramolecular energy redistribution in ATP have been studied using the semiclassical Wentzel–Kramers–Brillouin procedure and quasiclassical trajectory calculations. The hydrogen bond interaction between the excited vibrational stretches of H2O (symmetric stretching mode in v = 1) and OH vibration of the γ-phosphate of the ground state ATP leads to efficient intermolecular energy flow, which is followed by intramolecular energy distribution in ATP. The phosphorus–oxygen chain functions as an efficient pathway for energy distribution to the ribose moiety and then ultimately to the terminal stretches of the adenine moiety, distributing most of the available energy to high-frequency OH, CH, and NH bonds on a sub-picosecond scale, while the hydrogen bond maintains its lifetime of ∼2 ps.
Efficacy of modified-vaccinia Ankara vaccine as pre- and post-exposure prophylaxis against monkeypox sexual transmission in non-human primate model
An investigation into the spatial patterns of invasive common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca L.) stands through the utilization of drone images
Abstract The phenomenon of biological invasions represents one of the most significant threats to biodiversity. A fundamental aspect of combating invasive plant species is the comprehension of the spatial and temporal alterations in their population dynamics. One of the important habitats of the European Union is the Pannon sand grasslands in Hungary, which are primarily threatened by the invasive common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca). The objective of this study was to ascertain the efficacy of drone imaging in examining the spatial patterns of milkweed shoots in comparison to ground survey data. To facilitate comparison, a survey was conducted on 12 milkweed populations in the Fülöpháza area of Kiskunság National Park. In each population, a 12-meter transect (comprising six contiguous 2 m × 2 m quadrats) was designated within which the positions of the shoots were recorded with centimeter accuracy through ground surveys. The individual shoots were marked on images captured from an altitude of 20 m using a drone. The results indicated that the number of shoots identified in the drone images was slightly lower than in the ground surveys; however, a positive correlation was observed between the two datasets (r = 0.9594). A strong positive correlation was evident between the ground and drone surveys in terms of both the average distance between shoots and the observed pattern (r = 0.933 and r = 0.9146). In light of these findings, it can be concluded that drone imaging represents an effective method for examining the size and pattern of populations. Consequently, it may prove to be a valuable tool for the accurate planning of invasive species management in conservation efforts and the monitoring of the effectiveness of treatments.
Fluctuations of driven probes reveal nonequilibrium transitions in complex fluids
Complex fluids subjected to localized microscopic energy inputs, typical of active microrheology setups, exhibit poorly understood nonequilibrium behaviors because of the intricate self-organization of their mesoscopic constituents. In this work, we show how to identify changes in the microstructural conformation of the fluid by monitoring the variance of the probe position, based on a general method grounded in the breakdown of the equipartition theorem. To illustrate our method, we perform large-scale Brownian dynamics simulations of an effective model of micellar solution and we link the different scaling regimes in the variance of the probe’s position to the transitions from diffusive to jump dynamics, where the fluid intermittently relaxes the accumulated stress. This suggests that stored elastic stress may be the physical mechanism behind the nonlinear friction curves recently measured in micellar solutions, pointing at a mechanism for the observed multi-step rheology. Our approach overcomes the limitations of continuum macroscopic descriptions and introduces an empirical method, applicable in experiments, to detect nonequilibrium transitions in the structure of complex fluids.
The efficacy and safety of inhaled peptide YKYY017 for COVID-19 patients with mild illness: a phase 2 randomized controlled trial
Parental social environment has transgenerational effects on zebrafish (Danio rerio) growth
The state-dependence of the diffusion-controlled transport: Transitions and relaxations
The transport through a medium is primarily identified with the rate of the process and population densities inside it. The environmental conditions, such as the viscosity and temperature of the system, effectively the diffusion coefficients, govern stochastic transports. In addition, the structure of the potential characterizing the medium plays a crucial role in determining the key features of the transitions and relaxations. Here, we explore the importance of detailed information about the medium of transport in terms of the diffusion coefficient and the position of the reference point at which the rate is measured. Our study reveals that the varying positions of the states considered and the diffusion coefficient characterizing them have significant impacts on the integrated understanding of the kinetics of the diffusion-limited processes. We consider the left-to-right well transition in a double-well potential. We vary the location of the reference point systematically in the right well to measure the state-dependent rate. Interestingly, we observe that the rate exhibits a power-law relation with the distance from the barrier top. Another important perspective of our study is to consider varying diffusion coefficients for the two wells to account for the state-dependent fluctuations and explore their effects in the determination of rates of the transport processes. The observations reveal some critical aspects regarding the fundamental roles of the originating and target states in transport. The results of the current study not only enrich the elemental understanding of diffusion-controlled kinetics but also indicate the paths in developing advantageous technologies based on optimizing the conditions of transport.
Murine hematopoietic progenitor cell lines with erythroid and megakaryocyte potential
Abstract Red blood cells and platelets derive from bi-potential bone marrow megakaryocyte-erythroid progenitors, but their study is constrained by cell scarcity and limited experimental systems. Here we show that conditional expression of a virally transduced, regulated form of Hoxa7 enables expansion of murine cells resembling megakaryocyte-erythroid progenitors (Hoxa7-TPO), which undergo erythro-megakaryocytic differentiation upon Hoxa7 inactivation. The close relationship of Hoxa7-TPO cells to megakaryocyte-erythroid progenitors is supported by genetic and phenotypic analyses, and mature Hoxa7-TPO-derived red blood cells and platelets are largely indistinguishable from their primary counterparts. Genetic knock-out studies in Hoxa7-TPO cells recapitulate the key function of Klf1 and Nfe2 in red blood cell and platelet development, respectively, while disruption of the von Willebrand receptor gene Gp1ba recapitulates features of human Bernard-Soulier syndrome. Hence, we developed a versatile experimental system for expansion and differentiation of megakaryocyte-erythroid progenitors to study red blood cell and platelet development and model human diseases.
Statistical inference and applications of a new transforming weibull distribution
Three-photon quantum cutting infrared emission based on two-step energy transfers in Er3+ doped bi-perovskite Ca2ScSbO6 phosphors: Mechanism and efficiency
Quantum cutting (QC) materials still attract significant attention due to their high quantum and energy efficiencies, which stem from the effective utilization of the excitation energy. In this study, a one-to-three QC 1544 nm emission was first developed in an Er3+ single-doped Ca2ScSbO6 phosphor system. The Ca2ScSbO6 host was selected since it possesses moderate maximum-phonon energy, which suppresses non-radiative relaxation while maintaining phonon-assisted energy transfers between Er3+ ions. Spectroscopic measurements elucidated the QC mechanisms that two-step energy transfers, including ET1: 4S3/2(2H11/2) + 4I15/2 → 4I9/2 + 4I13/2 and ET2: 4I9/2 + 4I15/2 → 4I13/2 + 4I13/2 processes, are responsible for the three-photon generation. The radiative transitions, non-radiative relaxations, and energy transfers of pertinent levels were taken into consideration when calculating the QC efficiencies for Er3+ doped Ca2ScSbO6 phosphors with varying Er3+ concentrations. The concerned radiative transition rates of Er3+ in Ca2ScSbO6 were calculated in the framework of Judd–Ofelt theory, while the non-radiative transition rates were derived based on the energy gap law. The maximum energy transfer efficiencies for ET1 and ET2 were determined to be 99% and 93%. Finally, the QC efficiencies for Er3+ doped Ca2ScSbO6 phosphors were calculated, and the maximum value was confirmed in the 20 mol. % Er3+ doped sample to be 232%. The primary reason for the deviation of the QC efficiencies from the theoretical maximum value of 300% was attributed to the fluorescence self-quenching of Er3+.
Effervescence in a binary mixture with nonlinear non-reciprocal interactions
Abstract Non-reciprocal interactions between scalar fields that represent the concentrations of two active species are known to break the parity and time-reversal (PT) symmetries of the equilibrium state, as manifested in the emergence of travelling waves. We explore the notion of nonlinear non-reciprocity and consider a model in which the non-reciprocal interactions can depend on the local values of the scalar fields in such a way that the non-reciprocity can change sign. For generic cases where such couplings exist, we observe the emergence of spatiotemporal chaos in the steady-state. We associate this chaotic behaviour with a local restoration of PT symmetry in fluctuating spatial domains, which leads to the coexistence of oscillating densities and phase-separated droplets that are spontaneously created and annihilated. We uncover that this phenomenon, which we denote as effervescence, can exist as a dynamical steady-state in large parts of the parameter space in two different incarnations, as characterised by the presence or absence of an accompanying travelling wave.
Inducing memristive behavior to MoSe2/graphene bilayer using plasma treatment
Oriented composition fluctuation domains of a two-dimensionally confined critical Ising fluid
A quasi-binary two-dimensional Ising critical system with the main components D2O and butyric acid confined by surfactant layers has been studied. The surfactant forms large planar layers and is the basis of the charge density waves with wave fronts aligned with the layers. To orient the domains in an external magnetic field, thulium ions were added to the system (replacing sodium in the surfactant with thulium and adding more TmCl3). The critical behavior of the forward scattering and the correlation length were observed to be more mean-field-like. This can be explained by the presence of the trivalent thulium ions mediating between water and butyric acid. The high-Q scattering could be distinguished in the different directions and the ideal two-dimensional critical composition fluctuation exponent ηxy = 1/4 was observed, while the other exponent ηz = −0.08 ± 0.06 was slightly negative due to a finite acceptance angle and the finite magnetic field. The orientationally averaged high-Q exponent x of this study is well-explained by ηxy = 1/4 of the two-dimensional Ising behavior and ηz = 0.