Brownian Entanglement

We show that for two classical brownian particles there exists an analog of continuous-variable quantum entanglement: The common probability distribution of the two coordinates and the corresponding coarse-grained velocities cannot be prepared via mixing of any factorized distributions referring to the two particles in separate. This is possible for particles which interacted in the past, but do not interact in the present. Three factors are crucial for the effect: 1) separation of time-scales of coordinate and momentum which motivates the definition of coarse-grained velocities; 2) the resulting uncertainty relations between the coordinate of the brownian particle and the change of its coarse-grained velocity; 3) the fact that the coarse-grained velocity, though pertaining to a single brownian particle, is defined on a common context of two particles. The brownian entanglement is a consequence of a coarse-grained description and disappears for a finer resolution of the brownian motion. We discuss possibilities of its experimental realizations in examples of macroscopic brownian motion.Comment: 18 pages, no figure

Age evolution of lipid accretion rate in boars selected for lean meat and duroc barrows

Fatty acid (FA) deposition in growing-fattening pigs is mainly based on endogenous lipid synthesis, but also direct FA incorporation from the diet. To evaluate the direct fat incorporation rates and the endogenous desaturation action of the stearoyl‐CoA desaturase (SCD) enzyme, a deu‐ terium (D)‐labeled saturated FA (d 35‐C18:0) was added to the diet. Sixteen three‐way (3W) crossbred boars, and thirty‐two purebred Duroc barrows homozygous for the SCD single nucleotide poly‐ morphism rs80912566 (16 CC/16 TT), were used. Half of the animals of each genotype belonged to the growing and fattening phases. The fractional incorporation rate (FIR) of dietary fat in growing pigs was generally higher in adipose tissues, whereas in fattening pigs it was higher in the liver. Duroc pigs exhibited lower FIRs than 3W pigs, suggesting lower rates of endogenous synthesis by 3W pigs. Real fractional unsaturation rates (FURs) increased with age by the higher FIRs in 3W pigs and the de novo synthesis pathway in Duroc genotypes. Moreover, pigs carrying the SCD_T allele showed more enhanced oleic acid biosynthesis than Duroc CC pigs. In conclusion, suitable feeding protocols should be designed for each pig type to optimize production traits, considering that the metabolic pathway of FA for its deposition may differ.This study was a part of the Feed-a-Gene project and received funding from the EuropeanUnion’s H2020 program under National Institutes of Health (grant number 633531), as well as SpanishNational funding by the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (AGL2017-89289-R). L. Sarri isthe recipient of a research training grant from the Generalitat de Catalunya-European Social Funds(2019 FI_B 0041

Dna methylation changes in fibromyalgia suggest the role of the immune‐inflammatory response and central sensitization

Fibromyalgia (FM) has been explained as a result of gene‐environment interactions. The present study aims to verify DNA methylation differences in eleven candidate genome regions previously associated to FM, evaluating DNA methylation patterns as potential disease biomarkers. DNA methylation was analyzed through bisulfite sequencing, comparing 42 FM women and their 42 healthy sisters. The associations between the level of methylation in these regions were further explored through a network analysis. Lastly, a logistic regression model investigated the regions potentially associated with FM, when controlling for sociodemographic variables and depressive symptoms. The analysis highlighted significant differences in the GCSAML region methylation between patients and controls. Moreover, seventeen single CpGs, belonging to other genes, were significantly different, however, only one cytosine related to GCSAML survived the correction for multiple comparisons. The network structure of methylation sites was different for each group; GRM2 methylation represented a central node only for FM patients. Logistic regression revealed that depressive symptoms and DNA methylation in the GRM2 region were significantly associated with FM risk. Our study encourages better exploration of GCSAML and GRM2 functions and their possible role in FM affecting immune, inflammatory response, and central sensitization of pain

Eastern Mediterranean water outflow during the Younger Dryas was twice that of the present day

Eastern Mediterranean deep-intermediate convection was highly sensitive to varying inputs of fresh water fluxes associated with increased rainfall during the African Humid period (15-6 kyr Before Present). Here we investigate changes in the water-outflow from the Eastern Mediterranean Sea since the last deglaciation using neodymium isotope ratios. Our results indicate enhanced outflow during the Younger Dryas, two times higher than present-day outflow and about three times higher than during the last Sapropel. We propose that the increased outflow into the western Mediterranean over the Younger Dryas was the result of the combined effect of 1) enhanced climate-driven convection in the Aegean Sea and 2) reduced convection of western deep water during this period. Our results provide solid evidence for an enhanced Younger Dryas westward flow of Eastern Mediterranean sourced waters in consonance with an intensification of Mediterranean water-outflow during a weakened state of the Atlantic circulatio

Influence of Ti doping on the incommensurate charge density wave in 1T-TaS2

We report temperature-dependent transport and x-ray diffraction measurements of the influence of Ti hole doping on the charge density wave (CDW) in 1T-Ta(1-x)Ti(x)S(2). Confirming past studies, we find that even trace impurities eliminate the low-temperature commensurate (C) phase in this system. Surprisingly, the magnitude of the in-plane component of the CDW wave vector in the nearly commensurate (NC) phase does not change significantly with Ti concentration, as might be expected from a changing Fermi surface volume. Instead, the angle of the CDW in the basal plane rotates, from 11.9 deg at x=0 to 16.4 deg at x=0.12. Ti substitution also leads to an extended region of coexistence between incommensurate (IC) and NC phases, indicating heterogeneous nucleation near the transition. Finally, we explain a resistive anomaly originally observed by DiSalvo [F. J. DiSalvo, et al., Phys. Rev. B {\bf 12}, 2220 (1975)] as arising from pinning of the CDW on the crystal lattice. Our study highlights the importance of commensuration effects in the NC phase, particularly at x ~ 0.08

Deglacial and Holocene changes in Mediterranean Thermohaline Circulation: A joint perspective from Eastern and Western basins

The dominant arid climate conditions over the Mediterranean (Med) control water properties and the formation processes of intermediate and deep water masses. Deep convection cells occur in both the E- and W-Med basins and there are interconnected through the intermediate waters mostly formed in the easternmost area of the Med. Model projections anticipate that the current situation of climate change will led to an overall weakening of this circulation system during the current century. But the natural range of variability in the intensity of individual cells, the drivers and the inter-connection patterns between the cells is not well stablished. During the recent past (las deglaciation and current Holocene) both E- and W-Med had experienced periods of major disruptions in convection. The last organic layer (ORL1) formed in the W-Med during the deglacial period and later the last sapropel (S1) in the E-Med. Both enhanced productivity and weakening in convection are regarded as the causes in the two events but due to different drivers, the deglacial freshening in the case of the ORL1 and the African monsoon flooding for the S1. Here we present U/Mn ratios measured in the foraminifera diagenetic coatings from sediment cores from both E- and W-Med. The nature of this proxy, that provides information of the oxygen water content, allows its application in a wide range of oceanographical/oxygen conditions, a situation that limits other proxies whose carrier is very sensitive to oxygen content. This approach allows us, by the first time, to compare the oxygen evolution of individual basins and at different water depths by means of the same tool. The comparison with other available proxies let us to interpret the drivers of the changes and analyze the evolution of Med deep and intermediate convection along the ORL1 and S1. This new view advocates for a very close link between these two events but with very distinctive response of the individual cells to the dominant forcings

A Collaborative Effort to Define Classification Criteria for ATM Variants in Hereditary Cancer Patients

Background Gene panel testing by massive parallel sequencing has increased the diagnostic yield but also the number of variants of uncertain significance. Clinical interpretation of genomic data requires expertise for each gene and disease. Heterozygous ATM pathogenic variants increase the risk of cancer, particularly breast cancer. For this reason, ATM is included in most hereditary cancer panels. It is a large gene, showing a high number of variants, most of them of uncertain significance. Hence, we initiated a collaborative effort to improve and standardize variant classification for the ATM gene. Methods Six independent laboratories collected information from 766 ATM variant carriers harboring 283 different variants. Data were submitted in a consensus template form, variant nomenclature and clinical information were curated, and monthly team conferences were established to review and adapt American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics/Association for Molecular Pathology (ACMG/AMP) criteria to ATM, which were used to classify 50 representative variants. Results Amid 283 different variants, 99 appeared more than once, 35 had differences in classification among laboratories. Refinement of ACMG/AMP criteria to ATM involved specification for twenty-one criteria and adjustment of strength for fourteen others. Afterwards, 50 variants carried by 254 index cases were classified with the established framework resulting in a consensus classification for all of them and a reduction in the number of variants of uncertain significance from 58% to 42%. Conclusions Our results highlight the relevance of data sharing and data curation by multidisciplinary experts to achieve improved variant classification that will eventually improve clinical management.FEDER funds-a way to build Europe PI19/00553 PI16/00563 PI16/01898 SAF2015-68016-RGeneralitat de Catalunya 2017SGR1282 2017SGR496CERCA Program: Government of CataloniaXunta de GaliciaInstituto de Salud Carlos III. AES PI19/00340Spanish Government SAF2016-80255-REuropean Commission EFA086/15Instituto de Salud Carlos III European Commissio

The Tc amplification by quantum interference effects in diborides

The model of two (s and p) channel superconductivity known to be necessary to explain the superconductivity in MgB2 has been applied to the Al1-xMgxB2 diborides by tuning x from MgB2 to AlMgB4. The evolution of the interband coupling parameter (probing the strength of the interchannel pairing due to quantum interference effects) and the two gaps in the s and p channel as a function of x have been calculated. While in MgB2 the quantum interference effects give an amplification of Tc by a factor of 1.5 in comparison with the dominant intra s band single channel pairing, in AlMgB4 the amplification is about 100, in comparison with the dominant intra p band single channel pairing.Comment: 7 pages, 6 figure

Substrate translocation involves specific lysine residues of the central channel of the conjugative coupling protein TrwB

Conjugative transfer of plasmid R388 requires the coupling protein TrwB for protein and DNA transport, but their molecular role in transport has not been deciphered. We investigated the role of residues protruding into the central channel of the TrwB hexamer by a mutational analysis. Mutations affecting lysine residues K275, K398, and K421, and residue S441, all facing the internal channel, affected transport of both DNA and the relaxase protein in vivo. The ATPase activity of the purified soluble variants was affected significantly in the presence of accessory protein TrwA or DNA, correlating with their behaviour in vivo. Alteration of residues located at the cytoplasmic or the inner membrane interface resulted in lower activity in vivo and in vitro, while variants affecting residues in the central region of the channel showed increased DNA and protein transfer efficiency and higher ATPase activity, especially in the absence of TrwA. In fact, these variants could catalyze DNA transfer in the absence of TrwA under conditions in which the wild-type system was transfer deficient. Our results suggest that protein and DNA molecules have the same molecular requirements for translocation by Type IV secretion systems, with residues at both ends of the TrwB channel controlling the opening?closing mechanism, while residues embedded in the channel would set the pace for substrate translocation (both protein and DNA) in concert with TrwA

The synergistic action of imidacloprid and flumethrin and their release kinetics from collars applied for ectoparasite control in dogs and cats

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The control of tick and flea burdens in dogs and cats has become essential to the control of important and emerging vector borne diseases, some of which are zoonoses. Flea worry and flea bite hypersensitivity are additionally a significant disease entity in dogs and cats. Owner compliance in maintaining the pressure of control measures has been shown to be poor. For these reasons efforts are continuously being made to develop ectoparasiticides and application methods that are safe, effective and easy to apply for pet owners. A new polymer matrix collar has recently been developed which is registered for 8 months use in cats and dogs. The basic properties of this collar have been investigated in several <it>in vitro </it>and <it>in vivo </it>studies.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The effects of imidacloprid, flumethrin and the combination were evaluated in vitro by means of whole cell voltage clamp measurement experiments conducted on isolated neuron cells from <it>Spodoptera frugiperda</it>. The in vitro efficacy of the two compounds and the combination against three species of ticks and their life stages and fleas were evaluated in a dry surface glass vial assay. The kinetics of the compounds over time in the collar were evaluated by the change in mass of the collar and measurement of the surface concentrations and concentrations of the actives in the collar matrix by HPLC. Hair clipped from collar treated dogs and cats, collected at various time points, was used to assess the acaricidal efficacy of the actives ex vivo.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>An <it>in vitro </it>isolated insect nerve model demonstrated the synergistic neurotoxic effects of the pyrethroid flumethrin and the neonicotinoid imidacloprid. An <it>in vitro </it>glass vial efficacy and mortality study against various life stages of the ticks <it>Ixodes ricinus, Rhipicephalus sanguineus </it>and <it>Dermacentor reticulatus </it>and against the flea (<it>Ctenocephalides felis</it>) demonstrated that the combination of these products was highly effective against these parasites. The release kinetics of these actives from a neck collar (compounded with 10% imidacloprid and 4.5% flumethrin) was extensively studied in dogs and cats under laboratory and field conditions. Acaricidal concentrations of the actives were found to be consistently released from the collar matrix for 8 months. None of the collar studies in dogs or cats were associated with any significant collar related adverse event.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Here we demonstrated the synergism between the pyrethroid flumethrin and the neonicotinoid imidacloprid, both provided in therapeutically relevant doses by a slow release collar matrix system over 8 months. This collar is therefore a convenient and safe tool for a long-term protection against ectoparasites.</p