Critical role of magnetic moments on lattice dynamics in YBa2{}_{2}Cu3{}_{3}O6{}_{6}

The role of lattice dynamics in unconventional high-temperature superconductivity is still vigorously debated. Theoretical insights into this problem have long been prevented by the absence of an accurate first-principles description of the combined electronic, magnetic, and lattice degrees of freedom. Utilizing the recently constructed r$^2$SCAN density functional that stabilizes the antiferromagnetic (AFM) state of the pristine oxide YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_6$, we faithfully reproduce the experimental dispersion of key phonon modes. We further find significant magnetoelastic coupling in numerous high energy Cu-O bond stretching optical branches, where the AFM results improve over the soft non-magnetic phonon bands

Complexidade e escala na investigação da eficácia do ensino: reflexões do estudo MET

Researchers and policymakers in the US and beyond increasingly seek to identify teaching qualities that are associated with academic achievement gains for K-12 students through effectiveness studies. Yet teaching quality varies with academic content and social contexts, involves multiple participants, and requires a range of skills, knowledge, and dispositions. In this essay, we address the inescapable tension between complexity and scale in research on teaching effectiveness. We provide five recommendations to study designers and analysts to manage this tension to enhance effectiveness research, drawing on our recent experiences as the first external analysts of the Measures of Effective Teaching (MET) study. Our recommendations address conceptual framing, the measurement of teaching (e.g., observation protocols, student surveys), sampling, classroom videoing, and the use and interpretation of value-added models.Investigadores y legisladores en los Estados Unidos y en otros países buscan identificar las cualidades de la enseñanza que se asocian con incrementos de desempeño académico para alumnos de primaria y secundaria a través de estudios de eficacia. Sin embargo, la calidad de la enseñanza varía según el contenido académico y los contextos sociales, involucra a múltiples participantes y requiere una variedad de habilidades, conocimientos y disposiciones. En este ensayo, abordamos la ineludible tensión entre la complejidad y la escala en la investigación sobre la eficacia de la enseñanza. Proveemos cinco recomendaciones a los diseñadores de estudios y analistas para manejar esta tensión y mejorar la investigación de eficacia, aprovechando nuestras experiencias recientes como los primeros analistas externos del estudio Measures of Effective Teaching (MET). Nuestras recomendaciones abordan el marco conceptual, la medición de la enseñanza (por ej., protocolos de observación, encuestas de estudiantes), el muestreo, el video en el aula y el uso e interpretación de modelos de valor agregado.Pesquisadores e legisladores nos Estados Unidos e em outros países buscam identificar as qualidades de ensino associadas ao aumento do desempenho acadêmico de alunos do ensino fundamental e médio por meio de estudos de eficácia. No entanto, a qualidade do ensino varia de acordo com o conteúdo acadêmico e os contextos sociais, envolve múltiplos participantes e requer uma variedade de habilidades, conhecimentos e disposições. Neste ensaio, abordamos a tensão inescapável entre complexidade e escala na pesquisa sobre a eficácia do ensino. Fornecemos cinco recomendações para projetistas e analistas de estudo para gerenciar essa tensão e melhorar a pesquisa sobre eficácia, alavancando nossas experiências recentes como os primeiros analistas externos do estudo Measures of Effective Teaching (MET). Nossas recomendações abordam a estrutura conceitual, a medição do ensino (por exemplo, protocolos de observação, pesquisas com estudantes), amostragem, vídeo em sala de aula e o uso e interpretação de modelos de valor agregado

Chemoautotrophic production of gaseous hydrocarbons, bioplastics and osmolytes by a novel <i>Halomonas</i> species

BackgroundProduction of relatively low value, bulk commodity chemicals and fuels by microbial species requires a step-change in approach to decrease the capital and operational costs associated with scaled fermentation. The utilisation of the robust and halophilic industrial host organisms of the genus Halomonas could dramatically decrease biomanufacturing costs owing to their ability to grow in seawater, using waste biogenic feedstocks, under non-sterile conditions.ResultsWe describe the isolation of Halomonas rowanensis, a novel facultative chemoautotrophic species of Halomonas from a natural brine spring. We investigated the ability of this species to produce ectoine, a compound of considerable industrial interest, under heterotrophic conditions. Fixation of radiolabelled NaH14CO3 by H. rowanensis was confirmed in mineral medium supplied with thiosulfate as an energy source. Genome sequencing suggested carbon fixation proceeds via a reductive tricarboxylic acid cycle, and not the Calvin-Bensen-Bassham cycle. The mechanism of energy generation to support chemoautotrophy is unknown owing to the absence of an annotated SOX-based thiosulfate-mediated energy conversion system. We investigated further the biotechnological potential of the isolated H. rowanensis by demonstrating production of the gaseous hydrocarbon (bio-propane), bioplastics (poly-3-hydroxybutyrate) and osmolytes (ectoine) under heterotrophic and autotrophic CO2 fixation growth conditions.ConclusionsThis proof-of-concept study illustrates the value of recruiting environmental isolates as industrial hosts for chemicals biomanufacturing, where CO2 utilisation could replace, or augment, the use of biogenic feedstocks in non-sterile, industrialised bioreactors

Development and characterisation of novel electrospun polylactic acid/tubular clay nanocomposites

A novel material formulation method of polylactic acid /tubular clay nanocomposites via electrospinning was introduced and the important processing parameters such as solution concentration, clay loading, material feed rate were particularly investigated. The hybrid fibre diameter, the clay dispersability and the thermal properties of such nanocomposites were then characterised by using the scanning electron microscopy, wide-angle X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry, respectively, to establish a fundamental structure–property relationship for the future application

Patterns and functional implications of rare germline variants across 12 cancer types

Large-scale cancer sequencing data enable discovery of rare germline cancer susceptibility variants. Here we systematically analyse 4,034 cases from The Cancer Genome Atlas cancer cases representing 12 cancer types. We find that the frequency of rare germline truncations in 114 cancer-susceptibility-associated genes varies widely, from 4% (acute myeloid leukaemia (AML)) to 19% (ovarian cancer), with a notably high frequency of 11% in stomach cancer. Burden testing identifies 13 cancer genes with significant enrichment of rare truncations, some associated with specific cancers (for example, RAD51C, PALB2 and MSH6 in AML, stomach and endometrial cancers, respectively). Significant, tumour-specific loss of heterozygosity occurs in nine genes (ATM, BAP1, BRCA1/2, BRIP1, FANCM, PALB2 and RAD51C/D). Moreover, our homology-directed repair assay of 68 BRCA1 rare missense variants supports the utility of allelic enrichment analysis for characterizing variants of unknown significance. The scale of this analysis and the somatic-germline integration enable the detection of rare variants that may affect individual susceptibility to tumour development, a critical step toward precision medicine

Nomogram-based Prediction of Overall Survival in Patients with Metastatic Urothelial Carcinoma Receiving First-line Platinum-based Chemotherapy: Retrospective International Study of Invasive/Advanced Cancer of the Urothelium (RISC)

The available prognostic models for overall survival (OS) in patients with metastatic urothelial carcinoma (UC) have been derived from clinical trial populations of cisplatin-treated patients

Impaired LXRa phosphorylation attenuates progression of fatty liver disease

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a very common indication for liver transplantation. How fat-rich diets promote progression from fatty liver to more damaging inflammatory and fibrotic stages is poorly understood. Here, we show that disrupting phosphorylation at Ser196 (S196A) in the liver X receptor alpha (LXRα, NR1H3) retards NAFLD progression in mice on a high-fat-high-cholesterol diet. Mechanistically, this is explained by key histone acetylation (H3K27) and transcriptional changes in pro-fibrotic and pro-inflammatory genes. Furthermore, S196A-LXRα expression reveals the regulation of novel diet-specific LXRα-responsive genes, including the induction of Ces1f, implicated in the breakdown of hepatic lipids. This involves induced H3K27 acetylation and altered LXR and TBLR1 cofactor occupancy at the Ces1f gene in S196A fatty livers. Overall, impaired Ser196-LXRα phosphorylation acts as a novel nutritional molecular sensor that profoundly alters the hepatic H3K27 acetylome and transcriptome during NAFLD progression placing LXRα phosphorylation as an alternative anti-inflammatory or anti-fibrotic therapeutic target

Assessing and Refining Myocardial Infarction Risk Estimation Among Patients With Human Immunodeficiency Virus: A Study by the Centers for AIDS Research Network of Integrated Clinical Systems

Persons with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) treated with antiretroviral therapy (ART) have improved longevity but are at elevated risk for myocardial infarction (MI) due to common MI risk factors and HIV-specific factors. Despite these elevated MI rates, optimal methods to predict MI risks for HIV-infected persons remain unclear