4,675 research outputs found
Self-similar transmission properties of aperiodic Cantor potentials in gapped graphene
We investigate the transmission properties of quasiperiodic or aperiodic
structures based on graphene arranged according to the Cantor sequence. In
particular, we have found self-similar behaviour in the transmission spectra,
and most importantly, we have calculated the scalability of the spectra. To do
this, we implement and propose scaling rules for each one of the fundamental
parameters: generation number, height of the barriers and length of the system.
With this in mind we have been able to reproduce the reference transmission
spectrum, applying the appropriate scaling rule, by means of the scaled
transmission spectrum. These scaling rules are valid for both normal and
oblique incidence, and as far as we can see the basic ingredients to obtain
self-similar characteristics are: relativistic Dirac electrons, a self-similar
structure and the non-conservation of the pseudo-spin. This constitutes a
reduction of the number of conditions needed to observe self-similarity in
graphene-based structures, see D\'iaz-Guerrero et al. [D. S. D\'iaz-Guerrero,
L. M. Gaggero-Sager, I. Rodr\'iguez-Vargas, and G. G. Naumis,
arXiv:1503.03412v1, 2015]
SUMOylation regulates LKB1 localization and its oncogenic activity in liver cancer
BACKGROUND:
Even though liver kinase B1 (LKB1) is usually described as a tumor suppressor in a wide variety of tissues, it has been shown that LKB1 aberrant expression is associated with bad prognosis in Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC).
METHODS:
Herein we have overexpressed LKB1 in human hepatoma cells and by using histidine pull-down assay we have investigated the role of the hypoxia-related post-translational modification of Small Ubiquitin-related Modifier (SUMO)ylation in the regulation of LKB1 oncogenic role. Molecular modelling between LKB1 and its interactors, involved in regulation of LKB1 nucleocytoplasmic shuttling and LKB1 activity, was performed. Finally, high affinity SUMO binding entities-based technology were used to validate our findings in a pre-clinical mouse model and in clinical HCC.
FINDINGS:
We found that in human hepatoma cells under hypoxic stress, LKB1 overexpression increases cell viability and aggressiveness in association with changes in LKB1 cellular localization. Moreover, by using site-directed mutagenesis, we have shown that LKB1 is SUMOylated by SUMO-2 at Lys178 hampering LKB1 nucleocytoplasmic shuttling and fueling hepatoma cell growth. Molecular modelling of SUMO modified LKB1 further confirmed steric impedance between SUMOylated LKB1 and the STe20-Related ADaptor cofactor (STRADα), involved in LKB1 export from the nucleus. Finally, we provide evidence that endogenous LKB1 is modified by SUMO in pre-clinical mouse models of HCC and clinical HCC, where LKB1 SUMOylation is higher in fast growing tumors.
INTERPRETATION:
Overall, SUMO-2 modification of LKB1 at Lys178 mediates LKB1 cellular localization and its oncogenic role in liver cancer. FUND: This work was supported by grants from NIH (US Department of Health and Human services)-R01AR001576-11A1 (J.M.M and M.L.M-C.), Gobierno Vasco-Departamento de Salud 2013111114 (to M.L.M.-C), ELKARTEK 2016, Departamento de Industria del Gobierno Vasco (to M.L.M.-C), MINECO: SAF2017-87301-R and SAF2014-52097-R integrado en el Plan Estatal de Investigación Cientifica y Técnica y Innovación 2013-2016 cofinanciado con Fondos FEDER (to M.L.M.-C and J.M.M., respectively), BFU2015-71017/BMC MINECO/FEDER, EU (to A.D.Q. and I.D.M.), BIOEF (Basque Foundation for Innovation and Health Research): EITB Maratoia BIO15/CA/014; Instituto de Salud Carlos III:PIE14/00031, integrado en el Plan Estatal de Investigación Cientifica y Técnica y Innovacion 2013-2016 cofinanciado con Fondos FEDER (to M.L.M.-C and J.M.M), Asociación Española contra el Cáncer (T.C.D, P·F-T and M.L.M-C), Daniel Alagille award from EASL (to T.C.D), Fundación CientÃfica de la Asociación Española Contra el Cancer (AECC Scientific Foundation) Rare Tumor Calls 2017 (to M.L.M and M.A), La Caixa Foundation Program (to M.L.M), Programma di Ricerca Regione-Università 2007-2009 and 2011-2012, Regione Emilia-Romagna (to E.V.), Ramón Areces Foundation and the Andalusian Government (BIO-198) (A.D.Q. and I.D.M.), ayudas para apoyar grupos de investigación del sistema Universitario Vasco IT971-16 (P.A.), MINECO:SAF2015-64352-R (P.A.), Institut National du Cancer, FRANCE, INCa grant PLBIO16-251 (M.S.R.), MINECO - BFU2016-76872-R to (E.B.). Work produced with the support of a 2017 Leonardo Grant for Researchers and Cultural Creators, BBVA Foundation (M.V-R). Finally, Ciberehd_ISCIII_MINECO is funded by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III. We thank MINECO for the Severo Ochoa Excellence Accreditation to CIC bioGUNE (SEV-2016-0644). Funding sources had no involvement in study design; in the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data; in the writing of the report; and in the decision to submit the paper for publication
Una nova torre d'accés entre el recinte de culte i la plaça de representació del fòrum provincial de Tà rraco
Analysis and test of the central-blue-spot infall hallmark
The infall of material onto a protostar, in the case of optically thick line
emission, produces an asymmetry in the blue- and red-wing line emission. For an
angularly resolved emission, this translates in a blue central spot in the
first-order moment (intensity weighted velocity) map. An analytical expression
for the first-order moment intensity as a function of the projected distance
was derived, for the cases of infinite and finite infall radius. The effect of
a finite angular resolution, which requires the numerical convolution with the
beam, was also studied. This method was applied to existing data of several
star-forming regions, namely G31.41+0.31 HMC, B335, and LDN 1287, obtaining
good fits to the first-order moment intensity maps, and deriving values of the
central masses onto which the infall is taking place (G31.41+0.31 HMC: 70-120
; B335: 0.1 ; Guitar Core of LDN 1287: 4.8 ). The
central-blue-spot infall hallmark appears to be a robust and reliable indicator
of infall.Comment: Accepted for publication in A&
Inner and outer star forming regions over the disks of spiral galaxies. I. Sample characterization
Context. The knowledge of abundance distributions is central to understanding
the formation and evolution of galaxies. Most of the relations employed for the
derivation of gas abundances have so far been derived from observations of
outer disk HII regions, despite the known differences between inner and outer
regions. Aims. Using integral field spectroscopy (IFS) observations we aim to
perform a systematic study and comparison of two inner and outer HII regions
samples. The spatial resolution of the IFS, the number of objects and the
homogeneity and coherence of the observations allow a complete characterization
of the main observational properties and differences of the regions. Methods.
We analyzed a sample of 725 inner HII regions and a sample of 671 outer HII
regions, all of them detected and extracted from the observations of a sample
of 263 nearby, isolated, spiral galaxies observed by the CALIFA survey.
Results. We find that inner HII regions show smaller equivalent widths, greater
extinction and luminosities, along with greater values of
[NII]{\lambda}6583/H{\alpha} and [OII]{\lambda}3727/[OIII]{\lambda}5007
emission-line ratios, indicating higher metallicites and lower ionization
parameters. Inner regions have also redder colors and higher photometric and
ionizing masses, although Mion/Mphot is slighty higher for the outer regions.
Conclusions. This work shows important observational differences between inner
and outer HII regions in star forming galaxies not previously studied in
detail. These differences indicate that inner regions have more evolved stellar
populations and are in a later evolution state with respect to outer regions,
which goes in line with the inside-out galaxy formation paradigm.Comment: 16 page
Personal Agenda-Public Agenda Congruency: A Contingent Condition for Agenda-setting Effects
This paper focuses on the concept of the impact area as the intersection between the common issues of the personal agenda and the public agenda. Expanding the concept of agenda-setting effects, which focuses mainly on the relation between the public and media agendas, we have examined the congruity of the public agenda and the personal agenda as a contingent condition for the strength of these effects. The concept also distinguishes between the top-priority issues of the public and personal agendas, setting out that the general public’s search for information about these top-priority issues highlights the need for orientation. We used data from Spain to focus on the national elections (2011, 2015 and 2019), plus the beginning of the pandemic (2020). The study includes a content analysis of the El PaÃs daily newspaper for the four periods and a variety of surveys and representative electoral barometers. To those data we have added an analysis of the main search topics on Google Trends for each of the four years. The results reveal that variations in the relationship between the public and personal agendas are linked to the strength of the agenda-setting effect between the media and public agendas
Characterization of Trypsin-like activity from Pyloric Caeca of the Red Hind Grouper, Epinephelus guttatus: considerations of use as an environmental indicator
Pasture Production After Sewage Sludge and Liming Application on Highlands in North West Spain
In recent years, a sewage sludge surplus has been created in the EU countries, due to the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive 91/271/CEE. Therefore, it is necessary to find adequate disposal for these residues in accordance with EU policy. Organic matter and nutrient sewage sludge contain principally N, indicating that it could be used as fertiliser. The main risk of this residue is its heavy metal content, whose solubility is usually increased as soil pH declines. The objective of this experiment was to determine the effect of liming and sewage sludge application on pasture production in a silvopastoral system located on acid soi
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