XUV lasing during strong-field assisted transient absorption in molecules

Using ab-initio non-Born-Oppenheimer simulations, we demonstrate amplification of XUV radiation in a high-harmonic generation type process using the example of the hydrogen molecular ion. A small fraction of the molecules is pumped to a dissociative Rydberg state from which IR-assisted XUV amplification is observed. We show that starting at sufficiently high IR driving field intensities the ground state molecules become quasi-transparent for XUV radiation, while due to stabilization gain from Rydberg states is maintained, thus leading to lasing from strongly driven Rydberg states. Further increase of the IR intensity even leads to gain by initially unexcited molecules, which are quickly excited by the driving IR pulse

Open cluster candidates in the VVVX area: VVVX CL 076 and CL 077

We are reporting some basic parameters of two newly discovered clusters, VVVX CL 076 and CL 077, recently discovered in the galactic disk area covered by the VISTA Variables in the Via Lactea eXtended (VVVX) ESO Public Survey. The preliminary analysis shows that both clusters are young and relatively close to the Sun.Peer reviewedFinal Published versio

Relationship between Atomic Structure, Composition, and Dielectric Constant in Zr-SiO2 Glasses

[EN]Computational methods, or computer-aided material design (CAMD), used for the analysis and design of materials have a relatively long history. However, the applicability of CAMD has been limited by the scales of computational resources generally available in the past. The surge in computational power seen in recent years is enabling the applicability of CAMD to unprecedented levels. Here, we focus on the CAMD for materials critical for the continued advancement of the complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) semiconductor technology. In particular, we apply CAMD to the engineering of high-permittivity dielectric materials. We developed a Reax forcefield that includes Si, O, Zr, and H. We used this forcefield in a series of simulations to compute the static dielectric constant of silica glasses for low Zr concentration using a classical molecular dynamics approach. Our results are compared against experimental values. Not only does our work reveal numerical estimations on ZrO2-doped silica dielectrics, it also provides a foundation and demonstration of how CAMD can enable the engineering of materials of critical importance for advanced CMOS technology nodes.This research was enabled in part by support provided by Compute Canada (www.computecanada.ca). Computations were performed on the Niagara supercomputer at the SciNet HPC Consortium. SciNet is funded by the Canada Foundation for Innovation, the Government of Ontario, Ontario Research Fund.Research Excellence, and the University of Toronto

Hybrid functional materials for tissue engineering : synthesis, in vivo drug release and SERS effect

The research presents the designing new hybrid biocompatible materials aimed to bone tissue engineering with enhanced osteoconductivity and functionality. The scaffolds consisted of electrospun polymeric matrix, modified with porous calcium carbonate (vaterite) coatings, were developed and studied. The subcutaneous implantation tests in vivo with white rats demonstrated the high degree of biocompatibility of vaterite-mineralized scaffolds. Moreover, the performed in vivo release of bioactive molecules, immobilized in mineral coating of scaffold, allowed to control the regeneration process in tissues in the implantation area. Also, the decoration of mineralized scaffold with silver nanoparticles exhibited the capability of exploiting these materials as effective substrates with providing surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) for precise detection of low concentrations of analyte. In this way, developed scaffolds can be promising materials with enhanced functionality of tissue regeneration, in vivo drug release and detection for designing novel smart devices for biomedicine

Magnetic Sensitivity and Entanglement Dynamics of the Chemical Compass

We present the quantum limits to the magnetic sensitivity of a new kind of magnetometer based on biochemical reactions. Radical-ion-pair reactions, the biochemical system underlying the chemical compass, are shown to offer a new and unique physical realization of a magnetic field sensor competitive to modern atomic or condensed matter magnetometers. We elaborate on the quantum coherence and entanglement dynamics of this sensor, showing that they provide the physical basis for testing our understanding of the fundamental quantum dynamics of radical-ion-pair reactions.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figure

Lysosome-mediated processing of chromatin in senescence

Cellular senescence is a stable proliferation arrest, a potent tumor suppressor mechanism, and a likely contributor to tissue aging. Cellular senescence involves extensive cellular remodeling, including of chromatin structure. Autophagy and lysosomes are important for recycling of cellular constituents and cell remodeling. Here we show that an autophagy/lysosomal pathway processes chromatin in senescent cells. In senescent cells, lamin A/C–negative, but strongly γ-H2AX–positive and H3K27me3-positive, cytoplasmic chromatin fragments (CCFs) budded off nuclei, and this was associated with lamin B1 down-regulation and the loss of nuclear envelope integrity. In the cytoplasm, CCFs were targeted by the autophagy machinery. Senescent cells exhibited markers of lysosomal-mediated proteolytic processing of histones and were progressively depleted of total histone content in a lysosome-dependent manner. In vivo, depletion of histones correlated with nevus maturation, an established histopathologic parameter associated with proliferation arrest and clinical benignancy. We conclude that senescent cells process their chromatin via an autophagy/lysosomal pathway and that this might contribute to stability of senescence and tumor suppression

Attributable deaths and disability-adjusted life-years caused by infections with antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the EU and the European Economic Area in 2015: a population-level modelling analysis

Background: Infections due to antibiotic-resistant bacteria are threatening modern health care. However, estimating their incidence, complications, and attributable mortality is challenging. We aimed to estimate the burden of infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria of public health concern in countries of the EU and European Economic Area (EEA) in 2015, measured in number of cases, attributable deaths, and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs). Methods: We estimated the incidence of infections with 16 antibiotic resistance–bacterium combinations from European Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Network (EARS-Net) 2015 data that was country-corrected for population coverage. We multiplied the number of bloodstream infections (BSIs) by a conversion factor derived from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control point prevalence survey of health-care-associated infections in European acute care hospitals in 2011–12 to estimate the number of non-BSIs. We developed disease outcome models for five types of infection on the basis of systematic reviews of the literature. Findings: From EARS-Net data collected between Jan 1, 2015, and Dec 31, 2015, we estimated 671 689 (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 583 148–763 966) infections with antibiotic-resistant bacteria, of which 63·5% (426 277 of 671 689) were associated with health care. These infections accounted for an estimated 33 110 (28 480–38 430) attributable deaths and 874 541 (768 837–989 068) DALYs. The burden for the EU and EEA was highest in infants (aged <1 year) and people aged 65 years or older, had increased since 2007, and was highest in Italy and Greece. Interpretation: Our results present the health burden of five types of infection with antibiotic-resistant bacteria expressed, for the first time, in DALYs. The estimated burden of infections with antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the EU and EEA is substantial compared with that of other infectious diseases, and has increased since 2007. Our burden estimates provide useful information for public health decision-makers prioritising interventions for infectious diseases

ENIGMA and global neuroscience: A decade of large-scale studies of the brain in health and disease across more than 40 countries.

This review summarizes the last decade of work by the ENIGMA (Enhancing NeuroImaging Genetics through Meta Analysis) Consortium, a global alliance of over 1400 scientists across 43 countries, studying the human brain in health and disease. Building on large-scale genetic studies that discovered the first robustly replicated genetic loci associated with brain metrics, ENIGMA has diversified into over 50 working groups (WGs), pooling worldwide data and expertise to answer fundamental questions in neuroscience, psychiatry, neurology, and genetics. Most ENIGMA WGs focus on specific psychiatric and neurological conditions, other WGs study normal variation due to sex and gender differences, or development and aging; still other WGs develop methodological pipelines and tools to facilitate harmonized analyses of "big data" (i.e., genetic and epigenetic data, multimodal MRI, and electroencephalography data). These international efforts have yielded the largest neuroimaging studies to date in schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance use disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorders, epilepsy, and 22q11.2 deletion syndrome. More recent ENIGMA WGs have formed to study anxiety disorders, suicidal thoughts and behavior, sleep and insomnia, eating disorders, irritability, brain injury, antisocial personality and conduct disorder, and dissociative identity disorder. Here, we summarize the first decade of ENIGMA's activities and ongoing projects, and describe the successes and challenges encountered along the way. We highlight the advantages of collaborative large-scale coordinated data analyses for testing reproducibility and robustness of findings, offering the opportunity to identify brain systems involved in clinical syndromes across diverse samples and associated genetic, environmental, demographic, cognitive, and psychosocial factors