12,767 research outputs found
In Situ SiRNA Assembly in Living Cells for Gene Therapy with MicroRNA Triggered Cascade Reactions Templated by Nucleic Acids
The in situ generation of siRNAs in living cells can greatly enhance the specificity and efficiency of gene therapy. Inspired by the natural molecular machines that organize different compartments sequentially in a limited space to facilitate cellular process, this work constructs a DNA nanomachine (DNM) by alternately hybridizing two pairs of DNA/RNA hybrids to a DNA scaffold generated by rolling circle amplification for highly efficient in situ siRNA assembly in living cells. After target cell-specific delivery of DNM, intracellular specific microRNA can work as a trigger to operate the DNM by initiating DNA cascade displacement reaction between DNA/RNA hybrids along the scaffold for continuous generation of siRNAs. Using miR-21 as a model, efficient siRNAs generation is achieved via DNA templated cascade reaction, which demonstrated impressive suppressions to VEGF mRNA and protein expressions in cells and in vivo tumor growth and indicated promising application of the designed strategy in gene therapy
Cost of preventing workplace heat-related illness through worker breaks and the benefit of climate-change mitigation
The exposure of workers to hot environments is expected to increase as a result of climate change. In order to prevent heat-related illness, it is recommended that workers take breaks during working hours. However, this would lead to reductions in worktime and labor productivity. In this study, we estimate the economic cost of heat-related illness prevention through worker breaks associated with climate change under a wide range of climatic and socioeconomic conditions. We calculate the worktime reduction based on the recommendation of work/rest ratio and the estimated future wet bulb glove temperature, which is an index of heat stresses. Corresponding GDP losses (cost of heat-related illness prevention through worker breaks) are estimated using a computable general equilibrium model throughout this century. Under the highest emission scenario, GDP losses in 2100 will range from 2.6 to 4.0% compared to the current climate conditions. On the other hand, GDP losses will be less than 0.5% if the 2.0 °C goal is achieved. The benefit of climate-change mitigation for avoiding worktime loss is comparable to the cost of mitigation (cost of the greenhouse gas emission reduction) under the 2.0 °C goal. The relationship between the cost of heat-related illness prevention through worker breaks and global average temperature rise is approximately linear, and the difference in economic loss between the 1.5 °C goal and the 2.0 °C goal is expected to be approximately 0.3% of global GDP in 2100. Although climate mitigation and socioeconomic development can limit the vulnerable regions and sectors, particularly in developing countries, outdoor work is still expected to be affected. The effectiveness of some adaptation measures such as additional installation of air conditioning devices or shifting the time of day for working are also suggested. In order to reduce the economic impacts, adaptation measures should also be implemented as well as pursing ambitious climate change mitigation targets
Stabilization of a Fabry-Perot interferometer using a suspension-point interferometer
A suspension-point interferometer (SPI) is an auxiliary interferometer for
active vibration isolation, implemented at the suspension points of the mirrors
of an interferometric gravitational wave detector. We constructed a prototype
Fabry-Perot interferometer equipped with an SPI and observed vibration
isolation in both the spectrum and transfer function. The noise spectrum of the
main interferometer was reduced by 40 dB below 1 Hz. Transfer function
measurements showed that the SPI also produced good vibration suppression above
1 Hz. These results indicate that SPI can improve both the sensitivity and the
stability of the interferometer.Comment: 14 pages, 8 figures; added discussion; to be published in Physics
Letters
EM Decay of X(3872) as the charmonium
The recently BaBar results raise the possibility that X(3872) has negative
parity. This makes people reconsider assigning X(3872) to the state. In this paper we give a general form of the wave function of
mesons. By solving the instantaneous Bethe-Salpeter equation, we get
the mass spectrum and corresponding wave functions. We calculate
electromagnetic decay widths of the first state which we assume to be
the X(3872) particle. The results are keV, eV and keV. The ratio of branch fractions
of the second and first channel is about 0.002, which is inconsistent with the
experimental value . So X(3872) is unlikely to be a
charmonium state. In addition, we obtain a relatively large decay width for
channel which is keV.Comment: Revised versio
The Snakeskin-Mesh Complex of Smooth Septate Junction Restricts Yorkie to Regulate Intestinal Homeostasis in Drosophila
Tight junctions in mammals and septate junctions in insects are essential for epithelial integrity. We show here that, in the Drosophila intestine, smooth septate junction proteins provide barrier and signaling functions. During an RNAi screen for genes that regulate adult midgut tissue growth, we found that loss of two smooth septate junction components, Snakeskin and Mesh, caused a hyperproliferation phenotype. By examining epitope-tagged endogenous Snakeskin and Mesh, we demonstrate that the two proteins are present in the cytoplasm of differentiating enteroblasts and in cytoplasm and septate junctions of mature enterocytes. In both enteroblasts and enterocytes, loss of Snakeskin and Mesh causes Yorkie-dependent expression of the JAK-STAT pathway ligand Upd3, which in turn promotes proliferation of intestinal stem cells. Snakeskin and Mesh form a complex with each other, with other septate junction proteins and with Yorkie. Therefore, the Snakeskin-Mesh complex has both barrier and signaling function to maintain stem cell-mediated tissue homeostasis
Production and optical properties of liquid scintillator for the JSNS experiment
The JSNS (J-PARC Sterile Neutrino Search at J-PARC Spallation Neutron
Source) experiment will search for neutrino oscillations over a 24 m short
baseline at J-PARC. The JSNS inner detector will be filled with 17 tons
of gadolinium-loaded liquid scintillator (LS) with an additional 31 tons of
unloaded LS in the intermediate -catcher and outer veto volumes.
JSNS has chosen Linear Alkyl Benzene (LAB) as an organic solvent because
of its chemical properties. The unloaded LS was produced at a refurbished
facility, originally used for scintillator production by the RENO experiment.
JSNS plans to use ISO tanks for the storage and transportation of the LS.
In this paper, we describe the LS production, and present measurements of its
optical properties and long term stability. Our measurements show that storing
the LS in ISO tanks does not result in degradation of its optical properties.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures
Calorimetric Evidence for Nodes in the Overdoped Ba(FeCo)As
We present low-temperature specific heat of the electron-doped
Ba(FeCo)As, which does not show any indication of
an upturn down to 400 mK, the lowest measuring temperature. The lack of a
Schottky-like feature at low temperatures or in magnetic fields up to 9 Tesla
enables us to identify enhanced low-temperature quasiparticle excitations and
to study anisotropy in the linear term of the specific heat. Our results can
not be explained by a single or multiple isotropic superconducting gap, but are
consistent with multi-gap superconductivity with nodes on at least one Fermi
surface sheet.Comment: 5 pages 4 figure
Structural study on hole-doped superconductors Pr1-xSrxFeAsO
The structural details in Pr1-xSrxFeAsO (1111) superconducting system are
analyzed using data obtained from synchrotron X-ray diffraction and the
structural parameters are carefully studied as the system is moving from
non-superconducting to hole-doped superconducting with the Sr concentration.
Superconductivity emerges when the Sr doping amount reaches 0.221. The linear
increase of the lattice constants proves that Sr is successfully introduced
into the system and its concentration can accurately be determined by the
electron density analyses. The evolution of structural parameters with Sr
concentration in Pr1-xSrxFeAsO and their comparison to other similar structural
parameters of the related Fe-based superconductors suggest that the interlayer
space between the conducting As-Fe-As layer and the insulating Pr-O-Pr layer is
important for improving Tc in the hole-doped (1111) superconductors, which
seems to be different from electron-doped systems.Comment: 17 pages, 7 figures, 1 tabl
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