First-principles design and subsequent synthesis of a material to search for the permanent electric dipole moment of the electron

We describe the first-principles design and subsequent synthesis of a new material with the specific functionalities required for a solid-state-based search for the permanent electric dipole moment of the electron. We show computationally that perovskite-structure europium barium titanate should exhibit the required large and pressure-dependent ferroelectric polarization, local magnetic moments, and absence of magnetic ordering even at liquid helium temperature. Subsequent synthesis and characterization of Eu$_{0.5}$Ba$_{0.5}$TiO$_3$ ceramics confirm the predicted desirable properties.Comment: Nature Materials, in pres

Potential application of mesh-free SPH method in turbulent river flows

A comprehensive review has been completed on the simulation of turbulent flow over rough beds using mesh-free particle models. Based on the outcomes of this review, an improved Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) method has been developed for open channel flows over a rough bed, in which a mixing length model is used for modeling the 2D turbulence and a drag force equation is proposed for treating the boundary shear. The proposed model was applied to simulate a depth-limited open channel flow over a rough bed surface. The results of the velocity profile and shear stress distribution show a good agreement with the experimental data and existing analytical solutions. This work reveals that in order to correctly model turbulent open channel flow over a rough bed, the treatment of both flow turbulence and bed roughness effect is equally important

Pleosporales

One hundred and five generic types of Pleosporales are described and illustrated. A brief introduction and detailed history with short notes on morphology, molecular phylogeny as well as a general conclusion of each genus are provided. For those genera where the type or a representative specimen is unavailable, a brief note is given. Altogether 174 genera of Pleosporales are treated. Phaeotrichaceae as well as Kriegeriella, Zeuctomorpha and Muroia are excluded from Pleosporales. Based on the multigene phylogenetic analysis, the suborder Massarineae is emended to accommodate five families, viz. Lentitheciaceae, Massarinaceae, Montagnulaceae, Morosphaeriaceae and Trematosphaeriaceae

Mortality rate of patients with asymptomatic primary biliary cirrhosis diagnosed at age 55 years or older is similar to that of the general population

Recent routine testing for liver function and anti-mitochondrial antibodies has increased the number of newly diagnosed patients with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC). This study investigated the prognosis of asymptomatic PBC patients, focusing on age difference, to clarify its effect on the prognosis of PBC patients. The study was a systematic cohort analysis of 308 consecutive patients diagnosed with asymptomatic PBC. We compared prognosis between the elderly (55 years or older at the time of diagnosis) and the young patients (< 55 years). The mortality rate of the patients was also compared with that of an age- and gender-matched general population. The elderly patients showed a higher aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio, and lower alanine aminotransferase level than the young patients (P < 0.01 and P = 0.03, respectively). The two groups showed similar values for alkaline phosphatase and immunoglobulin M. Death in the young patients was more likely to be due to liver failure (71%), while the elderly were likely to die from other causes before the occurrence of liver failure (88%; P < 0.01), especially from malignancies (35%). The mortality rate of the elderly patients was not different from that of the age- and gender-matched general population (standardized mortality ratio, 1.1; 95% confidence interval, 0.6-1.7), although this rate was significantly higher than that of the young patients (P = 0.044). PBC often presents as more advanced disease in elderly patients than in the young. However, the mortality rate of the elderly patients is not different from that of an age- and gender-matched general population

The Impact of Social Disparity on Prefrontal Function in Childhood

The prefrontal cortex (PFC) develops from birth through late adolescence. This extended developmental trajectory provides many opportunities for experience to shape the structure and function of the PFC. To date, a few studies have reported links between parental socioeconomic status (SES) and prefrontal function in childhood, raising the possibility that aspects of environment associated with SES impact prefrontal function. Considering that behavioral measures of prefrontal function are associated with learning across multiple domains, this is an important area of investigation. In this study, we used fMRI to replicate previous findings, demonstrating an association between parental SES and PFC function during childhood. In addition, we present two hypothetical mechanisms by which SES could come to affect PFC function of this association: language environment and stress reactivity. We measured language use in the home environment and change in salivary cortisol before and after fMRI scanning. Complexity of family language, but not the child's own language use, was associated with both parental SES and PFC activation. Change in salivary cortisol was also associated with both SES and PFC activation. These observed associations emphasize the importance of both enrichment and adversity-reduction interventions in creating good developmental environments for all children

Expression and Putative Function of Innate Immunity Genes under in situ Conditions in the Symbiotic Hydrothermal Vent Tubeworm Ridgeia piscesae

The relationships between hydrothermal vent tubeworms and sulfide-oxidizing bacteria have served as model associations for understanding chemoautotrophy and endosymbiosis. Numerous studies have focused on the physiological and biochemical adaptations that enable these symbioses to sustain some of the highest recorded carbon fixation rates ever measured. However, far fewer studies have explored the molecular mechanisms underlying the regulation of host and symbiont interactions, specifically those mediated by the innate immune system of the host. To that end, we conducted a series of studies where we maintained the tubeworm, Ridgeia piscesae, in high-pressure aquaria and examined global and quantitative changes in gene expression via high-throughput transcriptomics and quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR). We analyzed over 32,000 full-length expressed sequence tags as well as 26 Mb of transcript sequences from the trophosome (the organ that houses the endosymbiotic bacteria) and the plume (the gas exchange organ in contact with the free-living microbial community). R. piscesae maintained under conditions that promote chemoautotrophy expressed a number of putative cell signaling and innate immunity genes, including pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), often associated with recognizing microbe-associated molecular patterns (MAMPs). Eighteen genes involved with innate immunity, cell signaling, cell stress and metabolite exchange were further analyzed using qPCR. PRRs, including five peptidoglycan recognition proteins and a Toll-like receptor, were expressed significantly higher in the trophosome compared to the plume. Although PRRs are often associated with mediating host responses to infection by pathogens, the differences in expression between the plume and trophosome also implicate similar mechanisms of microbial recognition in interactions between the host and symbiont. We posit that regulation of this association involves a molecular “dialogue” between the partners that includes interactions between the host’s innate immune system and the symbiont

Light regulation of metabolic pathways in fungi

Light represents a major carrier of information in nature. The molecular machineries translating its electromagnetic energy (photons) into the chemical language of cells transmit vital signals for adjustment of virtually every living organism to its habitat. Fungi react to illumination in various ways, and we found that they initiate considerable adaptations in their metabolic pathways upon growth in light or after perception of a light pulse. Alterations in response to light have predominantly been observed in carotenoid metabolism, polysaccharide and carbohydrate metabolism, fatty acid metabolism, nucleotide and nucleoside metabolism, and in regulation of production of secondary metabolites. Transcription of genes is initiated within minutes, abundance and activity of metabolic enzymes are adjusted, and subsequently, levels of metabolites are altered to cope with the harmful effects of light or to prepare for reproduction, which is dependent on light in many cases. This review aims to give an overview on metabolic pathways impacted by light and to illustrate the physiological significance of light for fungi. We provide a basis for assessment whether a given metabolic pathway might be subject to regulation by light and how these properties can be exploited for improvement of biotechnological processes

Understanding Novel Superconductors with Ab Initio Calculations

This chapter gives an overview of the progress in the field of computational superconductivity. Following the MgB2 discovery (2001), there has been an impressive acceleration in the development of methods based on Density Functional Theory to compute the critical temperature and other physical properties of actual superconductors from first-principles. State-of-the-art ab-initio methods have reached predictive accuracy for conventional (phonon-mediated) superconductors, and substantial progress is being made also for unconventional superconductors. The aim of this chapter is to give an overview of the existing computational methods for superconductivity, and present selected examples of material discoveries that exemplify the main advancements.Comment: 38 pages, 10 figures, Contribution to Springer Handbook of Materials Modellin

Man and the Last Great Wilderness: Human Impact on the Deep Sea

The deep sea, the largest ecosystem on Earth and one of the least studied, harbours high biodiversity and provides a wealth of resources. Although humans have used the oceans for millennia, technological developments now allow exploitation of fisheries resources, hydrocarbons and minerals below 2000 m depth. The remoteness of the deep seafloor has promoted the disposal of residues and litter. Ocean acidification and climate change now bring a new dimension of global effects. Thus the challenges facing the deep sea are large and accelerating, providing a new imperative for the science community, industry and national and international organizations to work together to develop successful exploitation management and conservation of the deep-sea ecosystem. This paper provides scientific expert judgement and a semi-quantitative analysis of past, present and future impacts of human-related activities on global deep-sea habitats within three categories: disposal, exploitation and climate change. The analysis is the result of a Census of Marine Life – SYNDEEP workshop (September 2008). A detailed review of known impacts and their effects is provided. The analysis shows how, in recent decades, the most significant anthropogenic activities that affect the deep sea have evolved from mainly disposal (past) to exploitation (present). We predict that from now and into the future, increases in atmospheric CO2 and facets and consequences of climate change will have the most impact on deep-sea habitats and their fauna. Synergies between different anthropogenic pressures and associated effects are discussed, indicating that most synergies are related to increased atmospheric CO2 and climate change effects. We identify deep-sea ecosystems we believe are at higher risk from human impacts in the near future: benthic communities on sedimentary upper slopes, cold-water corals, canyon benthic communities and seamount pelagic and benthic communities. We finalise this review with a short discussion on protection and management methods

Measurement of the branching fraction for the decay B→K∗(892)ℓ+ℓ−B \to K^{\ast}(892)\ell^+\ell^- at Belle II

We report a measurement of the branching fraction of $B \to K^{\ast}(892)\ell^+\ell^-$ decays, where $\ell^+\ell^- = \mu^+\mu^-$ or $e^+e^-$, using electron-positron collisions recorded at an energy at or near the $\Upsilon(4S)$ mass and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of $189$ fb$^{-1}$. The data was collected during 2019--2021 by the Belle II experiment at the SuperKEKB $e^{+}e^{-}$ asymmetric-energy collider. We reconstruct $K^{\ast}(892)$ candidates in the $K^+\pi^-$, $K_{S}^{0}\pi^+$, and $K^+\pi^0$ final states. The signal yields with statistical uncertainties are $22\pm 6$, $18 \pm 6$, and $38 \pm 9$ for the decays $B \to K^{\ast}(892)\mu^+\mu^-$, $B \to K^{\ast}(892)e^+e^-$, and $B \to K^{\ast}(892)\ell^+\ell^-$, respectively. We measure the branching fractions of these decays for the entire range of the dilepton mass, excluding the very low mass region to suppress the $B \to K^{\ast}(892)\gamma(\to e^+e^-)$ background and regions compatible with decays of charmonium resonances, to be \begin{equation} {\cal B}(B \to K^{\ast}(892)\mu^+\mu^-) = (1.19 \pm 0.31 ^{+0.08}_{-0.07}) \times 10^{-6}, {\cal B}(B \to K^{\ast}(892)e^+e^-) = (1.42 \pm 0.48 \pm 0.09)\times 10^{-6}, {\cal B}(B \to K^{\ast}(892)\ell^+\ell^-) = (1.25 \pm 0.30 ^{+0.08}_{-0.07}) \times 10^{-6}, \end{equation} where the first and second uncertainties are statistical and systematic, respectively. These results, limited by sample size, are the first measurements of $B \to K^{\ast}(892)\ell^+\ell^-$ branching fractions from the Belle II experiment