The evolution of construction waste sorting on-site

postprin

Scalable high-precision trimming of photonic resonances by polymer exposure to energetic beams

Integrated photonic circuits (PICs) have seen an explosion in interest, through to commercialization in the past decade. Most PICs rely on sharp resonances to modulate, steer, and multiplex signals. However, the spectral characteristics of high-quality resonances are highly sensitive to small variations in fabrication and material constants, which limits their applicability. Active tuning mechanisms are commonly employed to account for such deviations, consuming energy and occupying valuable chip real estate. Readily employable, accurate, and highly scalable mechanisms to tailor the modal properties of photonic integrated circuits are urgently required. Here, we present an elegant and powerful solution to achieve this in a scalable manner during the semiconductor fabrication process using existing lithography tools: by exploiting the volume shrinkage exhibited by certain polymers to permanently modulate the waveguide’s effective index. This technique enables broadband and lossless tuning with immediate applicability in wide-ranging applications in optical computing, telecommunications, and free-space optics

Identification and Validation of Novel Metastasis-Related Immune Gene Signature in Breast Cancer

Shen Ma,1,* Ran Hao,2,* Yi-Wei Lu,1 Hui-Po Wang,1 Jie Hu,2,3 Yi-Xin Qi1 1Department of Breast Center, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050035, People’s Republic of China; 2Institutes of Health Research, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050017, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Science and Technology, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050017, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Yi-Xin Qi; Jie Hu, Tel +86-13932153600 ; +86-311-86266321, Email [email protected]; [email protected]: Distant metastasis remains the leading cause of death among patients with breast cancer (BRCA). The process of cancer metastasis involves multiple mechanisms, including compromised immune system. However, not all genes involved in immune function have been comprehensively identified.Methods: Firstly 1623 BRCA samples, including transcriptome sequencing and clinical information, were acquired from Gene Expression Omnibus (GSE102818, GSE45255, GSE86166) and The Cancer Genome Atlas-BRCA (TCGA-BRCA) dataset. Subsequently, weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was performed using the GSE102818 dataset to identify the most relevant module to the metastasis of BRCA. Besides, ConsensusClusterPlus was applied to divide TCGA-BRCA patients into two subgroups (G1 and G2). In the meantime, the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression analysis was used to construct a metastasis-related immune genes (MRIGs)_score to predict the metastasis and progression of cancer. Importantly, the expression of vital genes was validated through reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and immunohistochemistry (IHC).Results: The expression pattern of 76 MRIGs screened by WGCNA divided TCGA-BRCA patients into two subgroups (G1 and G2), and the prognosis of G1 group was worse. Also, G1 exhibited a higher mRNA expression level based on stemness index score and Tumor Immune Dysfunction and Exclusion score. In addition, higher MRIGs_score represented the higher probability of progression in BRCA patients. It was worth mentioning that the patients in the G1 group had a high MRIGs_score than those in the G2 group. Importantly, the results of RT-qPCR and IHC demonstrated that fasciculation and elongation protein zeta 1 (FEZ1) and insulin-like growth factor 2 receptor (IGF2R) were risk factors, while interleukin (IL)-1 receptor antagonist (IL1RN) was a protective factor.Conclusion: Our study revealed a prognostic model composed of eight immune related genes that could predict the metastasis and progression of BRCA. Higher score represented higher metastasis probability. Besides, the consistency of key genes in BRCA tissue and bioinformatics analysis results from mRNA and protein levels was verified.Keywords: breast cancer, metastasis, immune genes, weighted gene co-expression network analysis, prognostic mod

Estimation of cancer incidence and mortality attributable to alcohol drinking in china

Background. Cancer constitutes a serious burden of disease worldwide and has become the second leading cause of death in China. Alcohol consumption is causally associated with the increased risk of certain cancers. Due to the current lack of data and the imperative need to guide policymakers on issues of cancer prevention and control, we aim to estimate the role of alcohol on the cancer burden in China in 2005. Methods. We calculated the proportion of cancers attributable to alcohol use to estimate the burden of alcohol-related cancer. The population attributable fraction was calculated based on the assumption of no alcohol drinking. Data on alcohol drinking prevalence were from two large-scale national surveys of representative samples of the Chinese population. Data on relative risk were obtained from meta-analyses and large-scale studies. Results. We found that a total of 78,881 cancer deaths were attributable to alcohol drinking in China in 2005, representing 4.40% of all cancers (6.69% in men, 0.42% in women). The corresponding figure for cancer incidence was 93,596 cases (3.63% of all cancer cases). Liver cancer was the main alcohol-related cancer, contributing more than 60% of alcohol-related cancers. Conclusions. Particular attention needs to be paid to the harm of alcohol as well as its potential benefits when making public health recommendations on alcohol drinking. \ua9 2010 Liang et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd

Critical analysis of the Bennett-Riedel attack on secure cryptographic key distributions via the Kirchhoff-law-Johnson-noise scheme

Recently, Bennett and Riedel (BR) (http://arxiv.org/abs/1303.7435v1) argued that thermodynamics is not essential in the Kirchhoff-law–Johnson-noise (KLJN) classical physical cryptographic exchange method in an effort to disprove the security of the KLJN scheme. They attempted to demonstrate this by introducing a dissipation-free deterministic key exchange method with two batteries and two switches. In the present paper, we first show that BR's scheme is unphysical and that some elements of its assumptions violate basic protocols of secure communication. All our analyses are based on a technically unlimited Eve with infinitely accurate and fast measurements limited only by the laws of physics and statistics. For non-ideal situations and at active (invasive) attacks, the uncertainly principle between measurement duration and statistical errors makes it impossible for Eve to extract the key regardless of the accuracy or speed of her measurements. To show that thermodynamics and noise are essential for the security, we crack the BR system with 100% success via passive attacks, in ten different ways, and demonstrate that the same cracking methods do not function for the KLJN scheme that employs Johnson noise to provide security underpinned by the Second Law of Thermodynamics. We also present a critical analysis of some other claims by BR; for example, we prove that their equations for describing zero security do not apply to the KLJN scheme. Finally we give mathematical security proofs for each BR-attack against the KLJN scheme and conclude that the information theoretic (unconditional) security of the KLJN method has not been successfully challenged.Laszlo B. Kish, Derek Abbott, Claes G. Granqvis

A meta-analysis of long-term effects of conservation agriculture on maize grain yield under rain-fed conditions

Conservation agriculture involves reduced tillage, permanent soil cover and crop rotations to enhance soil fertility and to supply food from a dwindling land resource. Recently, conservation agriculture has been promoted in Southern Africa, mainly for maize-based farming systems. However, maize yields under rain-fed conditions are often variable. There is therefore a need to identify factors that influence crop yield under conservation agriculture and rain-fed conditions. Here, we studied maize grain yield data from experiments lasting 5 years and more under rain-fed conditions. We assessed the effect of long-term tillage and residue retention on maize grain yield under contrasting soil textures, nitrogen input and climate. Yield variability was measured by stability analysis. Our results show an increase in maize yield over time with conservation agriculture practices that include rotation and high input use in low rainfall areas. But we observed no difference in system stability under those conditions. We observed a strong relationship between maize grain yield and annual rainfall. Our meta-analysis gave the following findings: (1) 92% of the data show that mulch cover in high rainfall areas leads to lower yields due to waterlogging; (2) 85% of data show that soil texture is important in the temporal development of conservation agriculture effects, improved yields are likely on well-drained soils; (3) 73% of the data show that conservation agriculture practices require high inputs especially N for improved yield; (4) 63% of data show that increased yields are obtained with rotation but calculations often do not include the variations in rainfall within and between seasons; (5) 56% of the data show that reduced tillage with no mulch cover leads to lower yields in semi-arid areas; and (6) when adequate fertiliser is available, rainfall is the most important determinant of yield in southern Africa. It is clear from our results that conservation agriculture needs to be targeted and adapted to specific biophysical conditions for improved impact

Amino Acid Availability Controls TRB3 Transcription in Liver through the GCN2/eIF2α/ATF4 Pathway

In mammals, plasma amino acid concentrations are markedly affected by dietary or pathological conditions. It has been well established that amino acids are involved in the control of gene expression. Up to now, all the information concerning the molecular mechanisms involved in the regulation of gene transcription by amino acid availability has been obtained in cultured cell lines. The present study aims to investigate the mechanisms involved in transcriptional activation of the TRB3 gene following amino acid limitation in mice liver. The results show that TRB3 is up-regulated in the liver of mice fed a leucine-deficient diet and that this induction is quickly reversible. Using transient transfection and chromatin immunoprecipitation approaches in hepatoma cells, we report the characterization of a functional Amino Acid Response Element (AARE) in the TRB3 promoter and the binding of ATF4, ATF2 and C/EBPβ to this AARE sequence. We also provide evidence that only the binding of ATF4 to the AARE plays a crucial role in the amino acid-regulated transcription of TRB3. In mouse liver, we demonstrate that the GCN2/eIF2α/ATF4 pathway is essential for the induction of the TRB3 gene transcription in response to a leucine-deficient diet. Therefore, this work establishes for the first time that the molecular mechanisms involved in the regulation of gene transcription by amino acid availability are functional in mouse liver

A mathematical and computational review of Hartree-Fock SCF methods in Quantum Chemistry

We present here a review of the fundamental topics of Hartree-Fock theory in Quantum Chemistry. From the molecular Hamiltonian, using and discussing the Born-Oppenheimer approximation, we arrive to the Hartree and Hartree-Fock equations for the electronic problem. Special emphasis is placed in the most relevant mathematical aspects of the theoretical derivation of the final equations, as well as in the results regarding the existence and uniqueness of their solutions. All Hartree-Fock versions with different spin restrictions are systematically extracted from the general case, thus providing a unifying framework. Then, the discretization of the one-electron orbitals space is reviewed and the Roothaan-Hall formalism introduced. This leads to a exposition of the basic underlying concepts related to the construction and selection of Gaussian basis sets, focusing in algorithmic efficiency issues. Finally, we close the review with a section in which the most relevant modern developments (specially those related to the design of linear-scaling methods) are commented and linked to the issues discussed. The whole work is intentionally introductory and rather self-contained, so that it may be useful for non experts that aim to use quantum chemical methods in interdisciplinary applications. Moreover, much material that is found scattered in the literature has been put together here to facilitate comprehension and to serve as a handy reference.Comment: 64 pages, 3 figures, tMPH2e.cls style file, doublesp, mathbbol and subeqn package

Epstein-Barr Virus-Encoded LMP1 Interacts with FGD4 to Activate Cdc42 and Thereby Promote Migration of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Cells

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is closely associated with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), a human malignancy notorious for its highly metastatic nature. Among EBV-encoded genes, latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1) is expressed in most NPC tissues and exerts oncogenicity by engaging multiple signaling pathways in a ligand-independent manner. LMP1 expression also results in actin cytoskeleton reorganization, which modulates cell morphology and cell motility— cellular process regulated by RhoGTPases, such as Cdc42. Despite the prominent association of Cdc42 activation with tumorigenesis, the molecular basis of Cdc42 activation by LMP1 in NPC cells remains to be elucidated. Here using GST-CBD (active Cdc42-binding domain) as bait in GST pull-down assays to precipitate active Cdc42 from cell lysates, we demonstrated that LMP1 acts through its transmembrane domains to preferentially induce Cdc42 activation in various types of epithelial cells, including NPC cells. Using RNA interference combined with re-introduction experiments, we identified FGD4 (FYVE, RhoGEF and PH domain containing 4) as the GEF (guanine nucleotide exchange factor) responsible for the activation of Cdc42 by LMP1. Serial deletion experiments and co-immunoprecipitation assays further revealed that ectopically expressed FGD4 modulated LMP1-mediated Cdc42 activation by interacting with LMP1. Moreover, LMP1, through its transmembrane domains, directly bound FGD4 and enhanced FGD4 activity toward Cdc42, leading to actin cytoskeleton rearrangement and increased motility of NPC cells. Depletion of FGD4 or Cdc42 significantly reduced (∼50%) the LMP1-stimulated cell motility, an effect that was partially reversed by expression of a constitutively active mutant of Cdc42. Finally, quantitative RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry analyses showed that FGD4 and LMP1 were expressed in NPC tissues, supporting the potential physiologically relevance of this mechanism in NPC. Collectively, our results not only uncover a novel mechanism underlying LMP1-mediated Cdc42 activation, namely LMP1 interaction with FGD4, but also functionally link FGD4 to NPC tumorigenesis

Recent advances in the genetics of SDH-related paraganglioma and pheochromocytoma

The last 10 years have seen enormous progress in the field of paraganglioma and pheochromocytoma genetics. The identification of the first gene related to paraganglioma, SDHD, encoding a subunit of mitochondrial succinate dehydrogenase (SDH), was quickly followed by the identification of mutations in SDHC and SDHB. Very recently several new SDH-related genes have been discovered. The SDHAF2 gene encodes an SDH co-factor related to the function of the SDHA subunit, and is currently exclusively associated with head and neck paragangliomas. SDHA itself has now also been identified as a paraganglioma gene, with the recent identification of the first mutation in a patient with extra-adrenal paraganglioma. Another SDH-related co-factor, SDHAF1, is not currently known to be a tumor suppressor, but may shed some light on the mechanisms of tumorigenesis. An entirely novel gene associated with adrenal pheochromocytoma, TMEM127, suggests that other new paraganglioma susceptibility genes may await discovery. In addition to these recent discoveries, new techniques related to mutation analysis, including genetic analysis algorithms, SDHB immunohistochemistry, and deletion analysis by MLPA have improved the efficiency and accuracy of genetic analysis. However, many intriguing questions remain, such as the striking differences in the clinical phenotype of genes that encode proteins with an apparently very close functional relationship, and the lack of expression of SDHD and SDHAF2 mutations when inherited via the maternal line. Little is still known of the origins and causes of truly sporadic tumors, and the role of oxygen in the relationships between high-altitude, familial and truly sporadic paragangliomas remains to be elucidated