Small anisotropy of the lower critical field and s±s_\pm-wave two-gap feature in single crystal LiFeAs

The in- and out-of-plane lower critical fields and magnetic penetration depths for LiFeAs were examined. The anisotropy ratio $\gamma_{H_{c1}}(0)$ is smaller than the expected theoretical value, and increased slightly with increasing temperature from 0.6$T_c$ to $T_c$. This small degree of anisotropy was numerically confirmed by considering electron correlation effect. The temperature dependence of the penetration depths followed a power law($\sim$$T^n$) below 0.3$T_c$, with $n$$>$3.5 for both $\lambda_{ab}$ and $\lambda_c$. Based on theoretical studies of iron-based superconductors, these results suggest that the superconductivity of LiFeAs can be represented by an extended $s_\pm$-wave due to weak impurity scattering effect. And the magnitudes of the two gaps were also evaluted by fitting the superfluid density for both the in- and out-of-plane to the two-gap model. The estimated values for the two gaps are consistent with the results of angle resolved photoemission spectroscopy and specific heat experiments.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figure

Reaching back: the relative strength of the retroactive emotional attentional blink

Visual stimuli with emotional content appearing in close temporal proximity either before or after a target a stimulus can hinder conscious perceptual processing of the target via an emotional attentional blink (EAB). This occurs for targets that appear after the emotional stimulus (forward EAB) and for those appearing before the emotional stimulus (retroactive EAB). Additionally, the traditional attentional blink (AB) occurs because detection of any target hinders detection of a subsequent target. The present study investigated the relations between these different attentional processes. Rapid sequences of landscape images were presented to thirty-one male participants with occasional landscape targets (rotated images). For the forward EAB, emotional or neutral distractor images of people were presented before the target; for the retroactive EAB, such images were also targets and presented after the landscape target. In the latter case, this design allowed investigation of the AB as well. Erotic and gory images caused more EABs than neutral images, but there were no differential effects on the AB. This pattern is striking because while using different target categories (rotated landscapes, people) appears to have eliminated the AB, the retroactive EAB still occurred, offering additional evidence for the power of emotional stimuli over conscious attention

An overview of CRISPR-based tools and their improvements:new opportunities in understanding plant-pathogen interactions for better crop protection

Modern omics platforms have made the determination of susceptible/resistance genes feasible in any species generating huge numbers of potential targets for crop protection. However, the efforts to validate these targets have been hampered by the lack of a fast, precise and efficient gene targeting system in plants. Now, the repurposing of Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9) system has solved this problem. CRISPR/Cas9 is the latest synthetic endonuclease that has revolutionised basic research by allowing facile genome editing in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Gene knockout is now feasible at an unprecedented efficiency with the possibility of multiplexing several targets and even genome-wide mutagenesis screening. In a short time, this powerful tool has been engineered for an array of applications beyond gene editing. Here we briefly describe the CRISPR/Cas9 system, its recent improvements and applications in gene manipulation and single DNA/RNA molecule analysis. We summarise a few recent tests targeting plant pathogens and discuss further potential applications in pest control and plant–pathogen interactions that will inform plant breeding for crop protection

Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Pathway-Mediated Apoptosis in Macrophages Contributes to the Survival of Mycobacterium tuberculosis

BACKGROUND: Apoptosis is thought to play a role in host defenses against intracellular pathogens, including Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), by preventing the release of intracellular components and the spread of mycobacterial infection. This study aims to investigate the role of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress mediated apoptosis in mycobacteria infected macrophages. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Here, we demonstrate that ER stress-induced apoptosis is associated with Mtb H37Rv-induced cell death of Raw264.7 murine macrophages. We have shown that Mtb H37Rv induced apoptosis are involved in activation of caspase-12, which resides on the cytoplasmic district of the ER. Mtb infection increase levels of other ER stress indicators in a time-dependent manner. Phosphorylation of eIF2α was decreased gradually after Mtb H37Rv infection signifying that Mtb H37Rv infection may affect eIF2α phosphorylation in an attempt to survive within macrophages. Interestingly, the survival of mycobacteria in macrophages was enhanced by silencing CHOP expression. In contrast, survival rate of mycobacteria was reduced by phosphorylation of the eIF2α. Futhermore, the levels of ROS, NO or CHOP expression were significantly increased by live Mtb H37Rv compared to heat-killed Mtb H37Rv indicating that live Mtb H37Rv could induce ER stress response. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE: These findings indicate that eIF2α/CHOP pathway may influence intracellular survival of Mtb H37Rv in macrophages and only live Mtb H37Rv can induce ER stress response. The data support the ER stress pathway plays an important role in the pathogenesis and persistence of mycobacteria

The Caenorhabditis elegans HEN1 Ortholog, HENN-1, Methylates and Stabilizes Select Subclasses of Germline Small RNAs

Small RNAs regulate diverse biological processes by directing effector proteins called Argonautes to silence complementary mRNAs. Maturation of some classes of small RNAs involves terminal 2′-O-methylation to prevent degradation. This modification is catalyzed by members of the conserved HEN1 RNA methyltransferase family. In animals, Piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) and some endogenous and exogenous small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) are methylated, whereas microRNAs are not. However, the mechanisms that determine animal HEN1 substrate specificity have yet to be fully resolved. In Caenorhabditis elegans, a HEN1 ortholog has not been studied, but there is evidence for methylation of piRNAs and some endogenous siRNAs. Here, we report that the worm HEN1 ortholog, HENN-1 (HEN of Nematode), is required for methylation of C. elegans small RNAs. Our results indicate that piRNAs are universally methylated by HENN-1. In contrast, 26G RNAs, a class of primary endogenous siRNAs, are methylated in female germline and embryo, but not in male germline. Intriguingly, the methylation pattern of 26G RNAs correlates with the expression of distinct male and female germline Argonautes. Moreover, loss of the female germline Argonaute results in loss of 26G RNA methylation altogether. These findings support a model wherein methylation status of a metazoan small RNA is dictated by the Argonaute to which it binds. Loss of henn-1 results in phenotypes that reflect destabilization of substrate small RNAs: dysregulation of target mRNAs, impaired fertility, and enhanced somatic RNAi. Additionally, the henn-1 mutant shows a weakened response to RNAi knockdown of germline genes, suggesting that HENN-1 may also function in canonical RNAi. Together, our results indicate a broad role for HENN-1 in both endogenous and exogenous gene silencing pathways and provide further insight into the mechanisms of HEN1 substrate discrimination and the diversity within the Argonaute family

rs4919510 in hsa-mir-608 Is Associated with Outcome but Not Risk of Colorectal Cancer

Colorectal cancer is the third most incident cancer and cause of cancer-related death in the United States. MicroRNAs, a class of small non-coding RNAs, have been implicated in the pathogenesis and prognosis of colorectal cancer, although few studies have examined the relationship between germline mutation in the microRNAs with risk and prognosis. We therefore investigated the association between a SNP in hsa-mir-608, which lies within the 10q24 locus, and colorectal cancer.A cohort consisting of 245 cases and 446 controls was genotyped for rs4919510. The frequency of the GG genotype was significantly higher in African Americans (15%) compared to Caucasians (3%) controls. There was no significant association between rs4919510 and colorectal cancer risk (African American: OR(GG vs. CC) 0.89 [95% CI, 0.41-1.80]) (Caucasian: OR(GG vs. CC) 1.76, ([95% CI, 0.48-6.39]). However, we did observe an association with survival. The GG genotype was associated with an increased risk of death in Caucasians (HR(GG vs. CC) 3.54 ([95% CI, 1.38-9.12]) and with a reduced risk of death in African Americans (HR(GG vs. CC) 0.36 ([95% CI 0.12-1.07).These results suggest that rs4910510 may be associated with colorectal cancer survival in a manner that is dependent on race

Top-down control is not lost in the attentional blink: evidence from intact endogenous cuing.

The attentional blink (AB) refers to the finding that performance on the second of two targets (T1 and T2) is impaired when the targets are presented at a target onset asynchrony (TOA) of less than 500 ms. One account of the AB assumes that the processing load of T1 leads to a loss of top-down control over stimulus selection. The present study tested this account by examining whether an endogenous spatial cue that indicates the location of a following T2 can facilitate T2 report even when the cue and T2 occur within the time window of the AB. Results from three experiments showed that endogenous cuing had a significant effect on T2 report, both during and outside of the AB; this cuing effect was modulated by both the cue-target onset asynchrony and by cue validity, while it was invariant to the AB. These results suggest that top-down control over target selection is not lost during the AB. © 2007 Springer-Verlag

Whole-genome resequencing shows numerous genes with nonsynonymous SNPs in the Japanese native cattle Kuchinoshima-Ushi

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Because the Japanese native cattle <it>Kuchinoshima-Ushi </it>have been isolated in a small island and their lineage has been intensely protected, it has been assumed to date that numerous and valuable genomic variations are conserved in this cattle breed.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In this study, we evaluated genetic features of this breed, including single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) information, by whole-genome sequencing using a Genome Analyzer II. A total of 64.2 Gb of sequence was generated, of which 86% of the obtained reads were successfully mapped to the reference sequence (Btau 4.0) with BWA. On an average, 93% of the genome was covered by the reads and the number of mapped reads corresponded to 15.8-fold coverage across the covered region. From these data, we identified 6.3 million SNPs, of which more than 5.5 million (87%) were found to be new. Out of the SNPs annotated in the bovine sequence assembly, 20,432 were found in protein-coding regions containing 11,713 nonsynonymous SNPs in 4,643 genes. Furthermore, phylogenetic analysis using sequence data from 10 genes (more than 10 kbp) showed that <it>Kuchinoshima-Ushi </it>is clearly distinct from European domestic breeds of cattle.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>These results provide a framework for further genetic studies in the <it>Kuchinoshima-Ushi </it>population and research on functions of SNP-containing genes, which would aid in understanding the molecular basis underlying phenotypic variation of economically important traits in cattle and in improving intrinsic defects in domestic cattle breeds.</p