Controlling the polarization of nitrogen ion lasing

Air lasing provides a promising technique to remotely produce coherent radiation in the atmosphere and attracts continuous attention. However, the polarization properties of N2+ lasing with seeding has not been understood since it was discovered ten years ago, in which the behaviors appear disordered and confusing. Here, we performed an experimental and theoretical investigation on the polarization properties of N2+ lasing and successfully revealed its underlying physical mechanism. We found that the optical gain is anisotropic owing to the permanent alignment of N2+ induced by the preferential ionization of the pump light. As a result, the polarization of N2+ lasing tends to align with that of the pump light after amplification, which becomes more pronounced with increasing amplification factor. Based on the permanent alignment of N2+, we built a theoretical model that analytically interpreted and numerically reproduced the experimental observations, which points out the key factors for controlling the polarization of N2+ lasing.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figure

High Expression of DEPDC1 Promotes Malignant Phenotypes of Breast Cancer Cells and Predicts Poor Prognosis in Patients With Breast Cancer

DEP domain containing 1 (DEPDC1) is a novel tumor-associated gene, which is aberrantly expressed in multiple types of cancer and involves in tumorigenesis and cancer progression. Here, we examined the functional involvement and underlying mechanism of DEPDC1 in breast cancer. In this study, the immunohistochemistry results demonstrated that DEPDC1 was high-expressed in breast cancer tissues compared with the paired adjacent normal breast tissues, and its tendency at protein level was consistent with mRNA level from TCGA data. Moreover, DEPDC1 mRNA level revealed the strongest association with poor prognosis and development in breast cancer. In vitro assays showed that DEPDC1 overexpression resulted in significant promotion of proliferation by regulating cell cycle in MCF-7 cells, whilst an opposite effect was found in the MDA-MB-231 cells with DEPDC1 deletion. Notably, further investigation indicated DEPDC1's ability of promoting breast cancer cells migration and invasion. In addition, we discovered that DEPDC1 caused hyper-activation of PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling in breast cancer cells. Therefore, the increased DEPDC1 expression in breast cancer is correlated with disease progression and poor survival, which suggested that DEPDC1 might be a potential therapeutic target against this disease

Biocontrol endophytes Bacillus subtilis R31 influence the quality, transcriptome and metabolome of sweet corn

During colonization of soil and plants, biocontrol bacteria can effectively regulate the physiological metabolism of plants and induce disease resistance. To illustrate the influence of Bacillus subtilis R31 on the quality, transcriptome and metabolome of sweet corn, field studies were conducted at a corn experimental base in Zhuhai City. The results show that, after application of B. subtilis R31, sweet corn was more fruitful, with a 18.3 cm ear length, 5.0 cm ear diameter, 0.4 bald head, 403.9 g fresh weight of single bud, 272.0 g net weight of single ear, and 16.5 kernels sweetness. Combined transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses indicate that differentially expressed genes related to plant-pathogen interactions, MAPK signaling pathway-plant, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, and flavonoid biosynthesis were significantly enriched. Moreover, the 110 upregulated DAMs were mainly involved in the flavonoid biosynthesis and flavone and flavonol biosynthesis pathways. Our study provides a foundation for investigating the molecular mechanisms by which biocontrol bacteria enhance crop nutrition and taste through biological means or genetic engineering at the molecular level

Is Asthma Related to Choroidal Neovascularization?

BACKGROUND: Age-related degeneration (AMD) and asthma are both diseases that are related to the activation of the complement system. The association between AMD and asthma has been debated in previous studies. The authors investigated the relationship between AMD and asthma systemically. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: The epidemiological study showed that asthma was related to choroidal neovascularization (CNV) subtype (OR = 1.721, P = 0.023). However, the meta-analysis showed there was no association between AMD and asthma. In an animal model, we found more fluoresce in leakage of CNV lesions by FA analysis and more angiogenesis by histological analysis in rats with asthma. Western blot demonstrated an elevated level of C3α-chain, C3α'-chain and VEGF. After compstatin was intravitreally injected, CNV leakage decreased according to FA analysis, with the level of C3 and VEGF protein decreasing at the same time. SIGNIFICANCE: This study first investigated the relationship between AMD and asthma systematically, and it was found that asthma could be a risk factor for the development of AMD. The study may provide a better understanding of the disease, which may advance the potential for screening asthma patients in clinical practice

Size-based scheduling and its application in computer networks

Bibliography: p. 178-19