A two-way photonic interface for linking Sr+ transition at 422 nm to the telecommunications C-band

We report a single-stage bi-directional interface capable of linking Sr+ trapped ion qubits in a long-distance quantum network. Our interface converts photons between the Sr+ emission wavelength at 422 nm and the telecoms C-band to enable low-loss transmission over optical fiber. We have achieved both up- and down-conversion at the single photon level with efficiencies of 9.4% and 1.1% respectively. Furthermore we demonstrate noise levels that are low enough to allow for genuine quantum operation in the future.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Practice makes plasticity: 10-Hz rTMS enhances LTP-like plasticity in musicians and athletes

Motor skill learning has been linked to functional and structural changes in the brain. Musicians and athletes undergo intensive motor training through the practice of an instrument or sport and have demonstrated use-dependent plasticity that may be subserved by long-term potentiation (LTP) processes. We know less, however, about whether the brains of musicians and athletes respond to plasticity-inducing interventions, such as repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), differently than those without extensive motor training. In a pharmaco-rTMS study, we evaluated motor cortex excitability before and after an rTMS protocol in combination with oral administration of D-cycloserine (DCS) or placebo. In a secondary covariate analysis, we compared results between self-identified musicians and athletes (M&As) and non-musicians and athletes (non-M&As). Three TMS measures of cortical physiology were used to evaluate plasticity. We found that M&As did not have higher baseline corticomotor excitability. However, a plasticity-inducing protocol (10-Hz rTMS in combination with DCS) strongly facilitated motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) in M&As, but only weakly in non-M&As. Placebo and rTMS produced modest facilitation in both groups. Our findings suggest that motor practice and learning create a neuronal environment more responsive to plasticity-inducing events, including rTMS. These findings may explain one factor contributing to the high inter-individual variability found with MEP data. Greater capacity for plasticity holds implications for learning paradigms, such as psychotherapy and rehabilitation, by facilitating LTP-like activation of key networks, including recovery from neurological/mental disorders

A Candidate Young Massive Planet in Orbit around the Classical T Tauri Star CI Tau

The ~2 Myr old classical T Tauri star CI Tau shows periodic variability in its radial velocity (RV) variations measured at infrared (IR) and optical wavelengths. We find that these observations are consistent with a massive planet in a ~9-day period orbit. These results are based on 71 IR RV measurements of this system obtained over 5 years, and on 26 optical RV measurements obtained over 9 years. CI Tau was also observed photometrically in the optical on 34 nights over ~one month in 2012. The optical RV data alone are inadequate to identify an orbital period, likely the result of star spot and activity induced noise for this relatively small dataset. The infrared RV measurements reveal significant periodicity at ~9 days. In addition, the full set of optical and IR RV measurements taken together phase coherently and with equal amplitudes to the ~9 day period. Periodic radial velocity signals can in principle be produced by cool spots, hot spots, and reflection of the stellar spectrum off the inner disk, in addition to resulting from a planetary companion. We have considered each of these and find the planet hypothesis most consistent with the data. The radial velocity amplitude yields an Msin(i) of ~8.1 M_Jup; in conjunction with a 1.3 mm continuum emission measurement of the circumstellar disk inclination from the literature, we find a planet mass of ~11.3 M_Jup, assuming alignment of the planetary orbit with the disk.Comment: 61 pages, 13 figures, accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journa

Multi-event assessment of typhoon-triggered landslide susceptibility in the Philippines

There is a clear need to improve and update landslide susceptibility models across the Philippines. This is challenging, as landslides in this region are frequently triggered by temporally and spatially disparate typhoon events, and it remains unclear whether such spatially and/or temporally distinct typhoon events cause similar landslide responses, i.e. whether the landslide susceptibility for one typhoon event is similar for another. Here, we use logistic regression to develop four landslide susceptibility models based on three typhoon-triggered landslide inventories for the 2009 Typhoon Parma (local name Typhoon Pepeng), the 2018 Typhoon Mangkhut (local name Typhoon Ompong), and the 2019 Typhoon Kammuri (local name Typhoon Tisoy)

siRNA screen of the human signaling proteome identifies the PtdIns(3,4,5)P3-mTOR signaling pathway as a primary regulator of transferrin uptake

A survey of 1,804 human dicer-generated signaling siRNAs using automated quantitative imaging identified the phosphatidylinositol-3,4,5-trisphosphate-mTOR signaling pathway as a primary regulator of iron-transferrin uptake

The Transit Light Curve Project. IV. Five Transits of the Exoplanet OGLE-TR-10b

We present I and B photometry of five distinct transits of the exoplanet OGLE-TR-10b. By modeling the light curves, we find the planetary radius to be R_P = 1.06 +/- 0.08 R_Jup and the stellar radius to be R_S = 1.10 +/- 0.07 R_sun. The uncertainties are dominated by statistical errors in the photometry. Our estimate of the planetary radius is smaller than previous estimates that were based on lower-precision photometry, and hence the planet is not as anomalously large as was previously thought. We provide updated determinations of all the system parameters, including the transit ephemerides.Comment: Accepted in the Astrophysical Journal, 23 October 2006. Includes observations of additional transits to confirm earlier results. [15 pg, 6 figs

MARCKS phosphorylation is modulated by a peptide mimetic of MARCKS effector domain leading to increased radiation sensitivity in lung cancer cell lines

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-associated mortality in the United States. Kinase hyperactivation is a known mechanism of tumorigenesis. The phosphorylation status of the plasma membrane-associated protein myristoylated alanine rich C-kinase substrate (MARCKS) effector domain (ED) was previously established as being important in the sensitivity of lung cancer to radiation. Specifically, when MARCKS ED was in a non-phosphorylated state, lung cancer cells were more susceptible to ionizing radiation and experienced prolonged double-strand DNA breaks. Additional studies demonstrated that the phosphorylation status of MARCKS ED is important for gene expression and in vivo tumor growth. The present study used a peptide mimetic of MARCKS ED as a therapeutic intervention to modulate MARCKS phosphorylation. Culturing A549, H1792 and H1975 lung cancer cell lines with the MARCKS ED peptide led to reduced levels of phosphorylated MARCKS and phosphorylated Akt serine/threonine kinase 1. Further investigation demonstrated that the peptide therapy was able to reduce lung cancer cell proliferation and increase radiation sensitivity. In addition, the MARCKS peptide therapy was able to prolong double-strand DNA breaks following ionizing radiation exposure. The results of the present study demonstrate that a peptide mimetic of MARCKS ED is able to modulate MARCKS phosphorylation, leading to an increase in sensitivity to radiation. Keywords: lung cancer, myristoylated alanine rich C-kinase substrate, radiation sensitivity, effector domain, peptide mimeti

Lithium isotope evidence for enhanced weathering and erosion during the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum

The Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM; ~55.9 Ma) was a geologically rapid warming period associated with carbon release, which caused a marked increase in the hydrological cycle. Here, we use lithium (Li) isotopes to assess the global change in weathering regime, a critical carbon drawdown mechanism, across the PETM. We find a negative Li isotope excursion of ~3‰ in both global seawater (marine carbonates) and in local weathering inputs (detrital shales). This is consistent with a very large delivery of clays to the oceans or a shift in the weathering regime toward higher physical erosion rates and sediment fluxes. Our seawater records are best explained by increases in global erosion rates of ~2× to 3× over 100 ka, combined with model-derived weathering increases of 50 to 60% compared to prewarming values. Such increases in weathering and erosion would have supported enhanced carbon burial, as both carbonate and organic carbon, thereby stabilizing climate

Engineered neural tissue made using hydrogels derived from decellularised tissues for the regeneration of peripheral nerves

Engineered neural tissue (EngNT) promotes in vivo axonal regeneration. Decellularised materials (dECM) are complex biologic scaffolds that can improve the cellular environment and also encourage positive tissue remodelling in vivo. We hypothesised that we could incorporate a hydrogel derived from a decellularised tissue (dECMh) into EngNT, thereby providing an alternative to the currently used purified collagen I hydrogel for the first time. Decellularisation was carried out on bone (B-ECM), liver (LIV-ECM), and small intestinal (SIS-ECM) tissues and the resultant dECM was biochemically and mechanically characterised. dECMh differed in mechanical and biochemical properties that likely had an effect on Schwann cell behaviour observed in metabolic activity and contraction profiles. Cellular alignment was observed in tethered moulds within the B-ECM and SIS-ECM derived hydrogels only. No difference was observed in dorsal root ganglia (DRG) neurite extension between the dECMh groups and collagen I groups when applied as a coverslip coating, however, when DRG were seeded atop EngNT constructs, only the B-ECM derived EngNT performed similarly to collagen I derived EngNT. B-ECM EngNT further exhibited similar axonal regeneration to collagen I EngNT in a 10 mm gap rat sciatic nerve injury model after 4 weeks. Our results have shown that various dECMh can be utilised to produce EngNT that can promote neurite extension in vitro and axonal regeneration in vivo

The Transit Light Curve Project. IV. Five Transits of the Exoplanet OGLE-TR-10b

We present I and B photometry of five distinct transits of the exoplanet OGLE-TR-10b. By modeling the light curves, we find the planetary radius to be R_P = 1.06 +/- 0.08 R_Jup and the stellar radius to be R_S = 1.10 +/- 0.07 R_sun. The uncertainties are dominated by statistical errors in the photometry. Our estimate of the planetary radius is smaller than previous estimates that were based on lower-precision photometry, and hence the planet is not as anomalously large as was previously thought. We provide updated determinations of all the system parameters, including the transit ephemerides