Threshold criterion for wetting at the triple point

Grand canonical simulations are used to calculate adsorption isotherms of various classical gases on alkali metal and Mg surfaces. Ab initio adsorption potentials and Lennard-Jones gas-gas interactions are used. Depending on the system, the resulting behavior can be nonwetting for all temperatures studied, complete wetting, or (in the intermediate case) exhibit a wetting transition. An unusual variety of wetting transitions at the triple point is found in the case of a specific adsorption potential of intermediate strength. The general threshold for wetting near the triple point is found to be close to that predicted with a heuristic model of Cheng et al. This same conclusion was drawn in a recent experimental and simulation study of Ar on CO_2 by Mistura et al. These results imply that a dimensionless wetting parameter w is useful for predicting whether wetting behavior is present at and above the triple temperature. The nonwetting/wetting crossover value found here is w circa 3.3.Comment: 15 pages, 8 figure

Histone H3.3 beyond cancer: Germline mutations in Histone 3 Family 3A and 3B cause a previously unidentified neurodegenerative disorder in 46 patients

Although somatic mutations in Histone 3.3 (H3.3) are well-studied drivers of oncogenesis, the role of germline mutations remains unreported. We analyze 46 patients bearing de novo germline mutations in histone 3 family 3A (H3F3A) or H3F3B with progressive neurologic dysfunction and congenital anomalies without malignancies. Molecular modeling of all 37 variants demonstrated clear disruptions in interactions with DNA, other histones, and histone chaperone proteins. Patient histone posttranslational modifications (PTMs) analysis revealed notably aberrant local PTM patterns distinct from the somatic lysine mutations that cause global PTM dysregulation. RNA sequencing on patient cells demonstrated up-regulated gene expression related to mitosis and cell division, and cellular assays confirmed an increased proliferative capacity. A zebrafish model showed craniofacial anomalies and a defect in Foxd3-derived glia. These data suggest that the mechanism of germline mutations are distinct from cancer-associated somatic histone mutations but may converge on control of cell proliferation

Inference of switched biochemical reaction networks using sparse bayesian learning

This paper proposes an algorithm to identify biochemical reaction networks with time-varying kinetics. We formulate the problem as a nonconvex optimisation problem casted in a sparse Bayesian learning framework. The nonconvex problem can be efficiently solved using Convex-Concave programming. We test the effectiveness of the method on a simulated example of DNA circuit realising a switched chaotic Lorenz oscillator

Thelazia callipaeda in mustelids from Romania with the European badger, Meles meles, as a new host for this parasite

Background: Thelazia callipaeda (Spirurida, Thelaziidae) is a vector-borne zoonotic eye worm with a broad host spectrum. In Europe, it is an emerging threat, having greatly expanded its geographical distribution during the past two decades. In Romania, T. callipaeda has been previously reported in domestic and wild canids and felids. The aim of the present study was to assess the occurrence of T. callipaeda in mustelids in the country. Methods: Between March 2015 and April 2019, 77 road-killed mustelids (3 pine martens, Martes martes; 6 European polecats, Mustela putorius; 13 beech martens, Martes foina; and 55 European badgers, Meles meles) were examined by necropsy. If present, all ocular nematodes were collected and stored in absolute ethanol, for subsequent morphological and molecular identification. Results: Two animals were found to be infected with T. callipaeda: one European badger and one beech marten. The molecular analysis revealed a 100% nucleotide similarity to T. callipaeda haplotype h1 for all the sequenced specimens. Conclusions: To our knowledge, the present study demonstrates for the first time the occurrence of T. callipaeda in mustelids from Romania, records the easternmost locality of the parasite in Europe, and represents the first report of T. callipaeda in the European badger, Meles meles, extending the known host range for this parasite in Europe. © 2019 The Author(s)

Design-to-Device Approach Affords Panchromatic Co-Sensitized Solar Cells

Data-driven materials discovery has become increasingly important in identifying materials that exhibit specific, desirable properties from a vast chemical search space. Synergic prediction and experimental validation are needed to accelerate scientific advances related to critical societal applications. A design-to-device study that uses high-throughput screens with algorithmic encodings of structure–property relationships is reported to identify new materials with panchromatic optical absorption, whose photovoltaic device applications are then experimentally verified. The data-mining methods source 9431 dye candidates, which are auto-generated from the literature using a custom text-mining tool. These candidates are sifted via a data-mining workflow that is tailored to identify optimal combinations of organic dyes that have complementary optical absorption properties such that they can harvest all available sunlight when acting as co-sensitizers for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Six promising dye combinations are shortlisted for device testing, whereupon one dye combination yields co-sensitized DSSCs with power conversion efficiencies comparable to those of the high-performance, organometallic dye, N719. These results demonstrate how data-driven molecular engineering can accelerate materials discovery for panchromatic photovoltaic or other applications