High-throughput cloning and expression in recalcitrant bacteria

We developed a generic method for high-throughput cloning in bacteria that are less amenable to conventional DNA manipulations. The method involves ligation-independent cloning in an intermediary Escherichia coli vector, which is rapidly converted via vector-backbone exchange (VBEx) into an organism-specific plasmid ready for high-efficiency transformation. We demonstrated VBEx proof of principle for Lactococcus lactis, but the method can be adapted to all organisms for which plasmids are available

Migration of carbon nanotubes from liquid phase to vapor phase in the refrigerant-based nanofluid pool boiling

The migration characteristics of carbon nanotubes from liquid phase to vapor phase in the refrigerant-based nanofluid pool boiling were investigated experimentally. Four types of carbon nanotubes with the outside diameters from 15 to 80 nm and the lengths from 1.5 to 10 μm were used in the experiments. The refrigerants include R113, R141b and n-pentane. The oil concentration is from 0 to 10 wt.%, the heat flux is from 10 to 100 kW·m-2, and the initial liquid-level height is from 1.3 to 3.4 cm. The experimental results indicate that the migration ratio of carbon nanotube increases with the increase of the outside diameter or the length of carbon nanotube. For the fixed type of carbon nanotube, the migration ratio decreases with the increase of the oil concentration or the heat flux, and increases with the increase of the initial liquid-level height. The migration ratio of carbon nanotube increases with the decrease of dynamic viscosity of refrigerant or the increase of liquid phase density of refrigerant. A model for predicting the migration ratio of carbon nanotubes in the refrigerant-based nanofluid pool boiling is proposed, and the predictions agree with 92% of the experimental data within a deviation of ±20%

Search for new phenomena in final states with an energetic jet and large missing transverse momentum in pp collisions at √ s = 8 TeV with the ATLAS detector

Results of a search for new phenomena in final states with an energetic jet and large missing transverse momentum are reported. The search uses 20.3 fb−1 of √ s = 8 TeV data collected in 2012 with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. Events are required to have at least one jet with pT > 120 GeV and no leptons. Nine signal regions are considered with increasing missing transverse momentum requirements between Emiss T > 150 GeV and Emiss T > 700 GeV. Good agreement is observed between the number of events in data and Standard Model expectations. The results are translated into exclusion limits on models with either large extra spatial dimensions, pair production of weakly interacting dark matter candidates, or production of very light gravitinos in a gauge-mediated supersymmetric model. In addition, limits on the production of an invisibly decaying Higgs-like boson leading to similar topologies in the final state are presente

虚拟参考站技术中对流层误差建模方法研究

Author name used in this publication: 黄丁发Author name used in this publication: 丁晓利, DING Xiao-liAuthor name used in this publication: 殷海涛Title in Traditional Chinese: 虛擬參考站技術中對流層誤差建模方法研究Journal title in Traditional Chinese: 測繪學報2006-2007 > Academic research: refereed > Publication in refereed journalVersion of RecordPublishe

Measurement of the top quark mass using the matrix element technique in dilepton final states

We present a measurement of the top quark mass in pp¯ collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 1.96 TeV at the Fermilab Tevatron collider. The data were collected by the D0 experiment corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 9.7  fb−1. The matrix element technique is applied to tt¯ events in the final state containing leptons (electrons or muons) with high transverse momenta and at least two jets. The calibration of the jet energy scale determined in the lepton+jets final state of tt¯ decays is applied to jet energies. This correction provides a substantial reduction in systematic uncertainties. We obtain a top quark mass of mt=173.93±1.84  GeV

Data driven discovery of cyber physical systems

Abstract: Cyber-physical systems embed software into the physical world. They appear in a wide range of applications such as smart grids, robotics, and intelligent manufacturing. Cyber-physical systems have proved resistant to modeling due to their intrinsic complexity arising from the combination of physical and cyber components and the interaction between them. This study proposes a general framework for discovering cyber-physical systems directly from data. The framework involves the identification of physical systems as well as the inference of transition logics. It has been applied successfully to a number of real-world examples. The novel framework seeks to understand the underlying mechanism of cyber-physical systems as well as make predictions concerning their state trajectories based on the discovered models. Such information has been proven essential for the assessment of the performance of cyber-physical systems; it can potentially help debug in the implementation procedure and guide the redesign to achieve the required performance

Measurement of spin correlation between top and antitop quarks produced in pp- collisions at √s = 1.96 TeV

We present a measurement of the correlation between the spins of t and t- quarks produced in proton-antiproton collisions at the Tevatron Collider at a center-of-mass energy of 1.96 TeV. We apply a matrix element technique to dilepton and single-lepton+jets final states in data accumulated with the D0 detector that correspond to an integrated luminosity of 9.7 fb-1. The measured value of the correlation coefficient in the off-diagonal basis, Ooff=0.89±0.22(stat+syst), is in agreement with the standard model prediction, and represents evidence for a top-antitop quark spin correlation difference from zero at a level of 4.2 standard deviations

VEGF-A isoforms differentially regulate ATF-2-dependent VCAM-1 gene expression and endothelial-leukocyte interactions

Vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) regulates many aspects of vascular physiology. VEGF-A stimulates signal transduction pathways that modulate endothelial outputs such as cell migration, proliferation, tubulogenesis, and cell-cell interactions. Multiple VEGF-A isoforms exist, but the biological significance of this is unclear. Here we analyzed VEGF-A isoform-specific stimulation of VCAM-1 gene expression, which controls endothelial-leukocyte interactions, and show that this is dependent on both ERK1/2 and activating transcription factor-2 (ATF-2). VEGF-A isoforms showed differential ERK1/2 and p38 MAPK phosphorylation kinetics. A key feature of VEGF-A isoform-specific ERK1/2 activation and nuclear translocation was increased phosphorylation of ATF-2 on threonine residue 71 (T71). Using reverse genetics, we showed ATF-2 to be functionally required for VEGF-A-stimulated endothelial VCAM-1 gene expression. ATF-2 knockdown blocked VEGF-A-stimulated VCAM-1 expression and endothelial-leukocyte interactions. ATF-2 was also required for other endothelial cell outputs, such as cell migration and tubulogenesis. In contrast, VCAM-1 was essential only for promoting endothelial-leukocyte interactions. This work presents a new paradigm for understanding how soluble growth factor isoforms program complex cellular outputs and responses by modulating signal transduction pathways

QCD and strongly coupled gauge theories : challenges and perspectives

We highlight the progress, current status, and open challenges of QCD-driven physics, in theory and in experiment. We discuss how the strong interaction is intimately connected to a broad sweep of physical problems, in settings ranging from astrophysics and cosmology to strongly coupled, complex systems in particle and condensed-matter physics, as well as to searches for physics beyond the Standard Model. We also discuss how success in describing the strong interaction impacts other fields, and, in turn, how such subjects can impact studies of the strong interaction. In the course of the work we offer a perspective on the many research streams which flow into and out of QCD, as well as a vision for future developments.Peer reviewe

Increment of Skeletal Muscle Mass Predicts Survival Benefit for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Treated with Transarterial Chemoembolization Combining Molecular Targeted Agents and Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors

Wen Chen,1,&ast; Hai-Tao Yan,1,&ast; Jin-Xing Zhang,1 Xiao Shen,1 Jin Liu,2 Sheng Liu,1 Hai-Bin Shi,1 Ye Ding,3 Qing-Quan Zu1 1Department of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210029, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Clinical Medicine Research Institution, The First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210029, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, People’s Republic of China&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Ye Ding, Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86-025-8686-8459, Email [email protected] Qing-Quan Zu, Department of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University, No. 300, Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, 210029, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86-13913807470, Email [email protected]: To assess the relationship between clinical prognosis and changes of skeletal muscle mass for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (uHCC) patients who received transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) with molecular-targeted agents and immune checkpoint inhibitors (TACE-MTAs-ICIs).Methods: From June 2019 to June 2023, a total of 92 uHCC patients who received TACE-MTAs-ICIs therapy were included. Skeletal muscle mass was assessed before and 6 months after treatment. Skeletal muscle index (SMI) is calculated as skeletal muscle area at the L3 vertebra divided by the square of height, then the change rate of SMI (ΔSMI) is calculated. Patients were stratified based on ΔSMI as muscle gain and non-muscle gain groups. Overall survival (OS) was compared between groups and prognostic factors for OS were analyzed. Progression-free survival (PFS) was also recorded.Results: The median OS in the muscle gain group was significantly longer than that in the non-muscle gain group (Not reach vs 25.2 months, P < 0.001). The median PFS did not reach significant between two groups (16.2 vs 9.1 months, P = 0.101). Multivariate analyses revealed that skeletal muscle gain (HR = 0.20; 95% CI, 0.06– 0.68; P = 0.010) and Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stage (HR = 1.94; 95% CI, 1.02– 3.69; P = 0.044) were independent prognostic factors for OS.Conclusion: SMI increment appeared as a favorable predictor for these uHCC patients who received TACE-MTAs-ICIs therapy.Keywords: hepatocellular carcinoma, immune checkpoint inhibitors, molecular targeted therapy, sarcopenia, transarterial chemoembolizatio