Corner Junction as a Probe of Helical Edge States

We propose and analyze inter-edge tunneling in a quantum spin Hall corner junction as a means to probe the helical nature of the edge states. We show that electron-electron interactions in the one-dimensional helical edge states result in Luttinger parameters for spin and charge that are intertwined, and thus rather different than those for a quantum wire with spin rotation invariance. Consequently, we find that the four-terminal conductance in a corner junction has a distinctive form that could be used as evidence for the helical nature of the edge states.Comment: 4+ pages, 3 figure

The Effect of Nitrogen and Potassium Fertilizers and Soil Types on Rubber (Hevea Brasiliensis Muell. Arg.)

Five fertilizer trials were conducted from 1977 to 1987 to evaluate the effects of different rates of nitrogen (N) and potassium (K) fertilizers on rubber grown on five types of 80ils in Peninsular Malaysia. The treatments consisted of one control (unfertilized ) and nine factorial combinations of nitrogen and potassium fertilizers at three levels each. The levels of fertilizers used were 26.4 kg. 53.3 kg and 79.7 kg N ha-1 yr-1 in combination with 26.0 kg. 60.3 kg and 97.1 kg K ha-1 yr-1 The rubber clone used in these trials was RRIM 600. The five types of soils used were Sitiawan series (Aquoxic Tropudult). Rasau series (Oxic Oystropept). Durian series (Orthox ic Tropudult), Malacca series (Tropeptic Haplorthox) and Munchong series (Tropeptic Haplorthox). Data on growth, yield and leaf nutrient levels were recorded throughout the course of the trials. Soil analyses were undertaken at the beginning and at the end of the trials

Assessment of a liquid larval diet for rearing Dacus species and Bactrocera dorsalis (Diptera: Tephritidae)

Species of the genus Dacus are important insect pests of fruits and vegetables. Two Dacus species, Dacus punctatifrons Karsch and Dacus vertebratus Bezzi, as well as Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel), were reared on a liquid artificial diet, a carrot (Daucus carota L.)-based solid artificial diet, and a natural fruit host to assess the suitability of the liquid diet for small-scale rearing of these species. Egg hatch, pupal production, adult emergence and F1 productivity were recorded to evaluate performance of the three species on each diet. Egg hatch on the three diets was more than 50% for D. punctatifrons and B. dorsalis, but for D. vertebratus, egg hatch was less than 40% when they were introduced to the liquid artificial diet. Pupal production for both Dacus species was very low or nil on the liquid artificial diet and the carrot-based artificial diet, respectively. Adult emergence was low for D. punctatifrons and nil for D. vertebratus on the liquid artificial diet. This study showed that the two Dacus species did not develop well on either the liquid or solid carrot-based artificial diet whereas B. dorsalis performed well on the liquid diet. Cucumber, the natural host of both Dacus species, was better for small-scale rearing of these species than the liquid and carrot-based artificial diets. Nutrients found in cucumber need to be identified to formulate alternative rearing media for Dacus species that are economical and easy to use

Investigating Endocrine Disrupting Impacts of Nine Disinfection Byproducts on Human and Zebrafish Estrogen Receptor Alpha

Background: Disinfection byproducts (DBPs) cause endocrine disruption via estrogenic or anti-estrogenic effects on estrogen receptors. However, most studies have focused on human systems, with little experimental data being presented on aquatic biota. This study aimed to compare the effects of nine DBPs on zebrafish and human estrogen receptor alpha (zERα and hERα). Methods: In vitro enzyme response-based tests, including cytotoxicity and reporter gene assays, were performed. Additionally, statistical analysis and molecular docking studies were employed to compare ERα responses. Results: Iodoacetic acid (IAA), chloroacetonitrile (CAN), and bromoacetonitrile (BAN) showed robust estrogenic activity on hERα (maximal induction ratios of 108.7%, 50.3%, and 54.7%, respectively), while IAA strongly inhibited the estrogenic activity induced by 17β-estradiol (E2) in zERα (59.8% induction at the maximum concentration). Chloroacetamide (CAM) and bromoacetamide (BAM) also showed robust anti-estrogen effects in zERα (48.1% and 50.8% induction at the maximum concentration, respectively). These dissimilar endocrine disruption patterns were thoroughly assessed using Pearson correlation and distance-based analyses. Clear differences between the estrogenic responses of the two ERαs were observed, whereas no pattern of anti-estrogenic activities could be established. Some DBPs strongly induced estrogenic endocrine disruption as agonists of hERα, while others inhibited estrogenic activity as antagonists of zERα. Principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) showed similar correlation coefficients for estrogenic and anti-estrogenic responses. Reproducible results were obtained from computational analysis and the reporter gene assay. Conclusions: Overall, the effects of DBPs on both human and zebrafish highlight the importance of controlling their differences in responsiveness for estrogenic activities including the water quality monitoring and endocrine disruption, as DBPs have species-specific ligand-receptor interactions.Peer reviewe

Parent-Reported Symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in Children with Intermittent Exotropia before and after Strabismus Surgery

∙ The authors have no financial conflicts of interest. © Copyright: Yonsei University College of Medicine 2012 This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Licens

Abscopal effect in metastatic breast cancer treated with stereotactic body radiotherapy in the absence of immunotherapy

PurposeIn this study, we aimed to assess the abscopal effect (AE) after CyberKnife stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) in metastatic breast cancer patients without immunotherapy.MethodsWe reviewed breast cancer patients who received SBRT with a fraction size of ≥ 6 Gy for metastatic lesions between July 2008 and December 2021. We selected patients who had at least one measurable extracranial lesion in addition to SBRT target lesions and were not treated with immunotherapy. A total of 40 SBRT cases from 34 patients were included in the analysis. The AE was defined as occurring before the overall progression of the disease, regardless of the use of systemic treatment.ResultsThe median follow-up duration was 16.4 months. Among 40 SBRT cases, the AE was observed in 10 (25.0%) with a median interval of 2.1 months. Of these lesions, 70.0% did not progress for one year. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, no change in systemic treatment after SBRT was significantly associated with an increase in the AE (odds ratio [OR] = 1.428, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.108 – 1.841, p = 0.009). A post-SBRT neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) of < 2 marginally increased the AE (OR = 1.275, 95% CI = 0.998 – 1.629, p = 0.060). However, a high SBRT dose and large planning target volume did not (p = 0.858 and 0.152, respectively) in univariate analysis.ConclusionsOne out of four patients experienced the AE after SBRT in the absence of immunotherapy. The AE could occur more frequently when systemic treatment remains unchanged, and patients have a low NLR after SBRT