2,112 research outputs found
Staggered local density-of-states around the vortex in underdoped cuprates
We have studied a single vortex with the staggered flux (SF) core based on
the SU(2) slave-boson theory of high superconductors. We find that
whereas the center in the vortex core is a SF state, as one moves away from the
core center, a correlated staggered modulation of the hopping amplitude
and pairing amplitude becomes predominant. We predict that in this
region, the local density-of-states (LDOS) exhibits staggered modulation when
measured on the bonds, which may be directly detected by STM experiments.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure
Optical Control of Mammalian Endogenous Transcription and Epigenetic States
The dynamic nature of gene expression enables cellular programming, homeostasis, and environmental adaptation in living systems. Dissection of causal gene functions in cellular and organismal processes therefore necessitates approaches that enable spatially and temporally precise modulation of gene expression. Recently, a variety of microbial and plant-derived light-sensitive proteins have been engineered as optogenetic actuators, enabling high precision spatiotemporal control of many cellular functions1-11. However, versatile and robust technologies that enable optical modulation of transcription in the mammalian endogenous genome remain elusive. Here, we describe the development of Light-Inducible Transcriptional Effectors (LITEs), an optogenetic two-hybrid system integrating the customizable TALE DNA-binding domain12-14 with the light-sensitive cryptochrome 2 protein and its interacting partner CIB1 from Arabidopsis thaliana. LITEs do not require additional exogenous chemical co-factors, are easily customized to target many endogenous genomic loci, and can be activated within minutes with reversibility3,4,6,7,15. LITEs can be packaged into viral vectors and genetically targeted to probe specific cell populations. We have applied this system in primary mouse neurons, as well as in the brain of awake mice in vivo to mediate reversible modulation of mammalian endogenous gene expression as well as targeted epigenetic chromatin modifications. The LITE system establishes a novel mode of optogenetic control of endogenous cellular processes and enables direct testing of the causal roles of genetic and epigenetic regulation in normal biological processes and disease states
Optical control of mammalian endogenous transcription and epigenetic states
A theoretical underpinning of the standard model of fundamental particles and interactions is CPT invariance, which requires that the laws of physics be invariant under the combined discrete operations of charge conjugation, parity and time reversal. Antimatter, the existence of which was predicted by Dirac, can be used to test the CPT theorem—experimental investigations involving comparisons of particles with antiparticles are numerous. Cold atoms and anti-atoms, such as hydrogen and antihydrogen, could form the basis of a new precise test, as CPT invariance implies that they must have the same spectrum. Observations of antihydrogen in small quantities and at high energies have been reported at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) and at Fermilab, but these experiments were not suited to precision comparison measurements. Here we demonstrate the production of antihydrogen atoms at very low energy by mixing trapped antiprotons and positrons in a cryogenic environment. The neutral anti-atoms have been detected directly when they escape the trap and annihilate, producing a characteristic signature in an imaging particle detector
Baryogenesis from Primordial Blackholes after Electroweak Phase Transition
Incorporating a realistic model for accretion of ultra-relativistic particles
by primordial blackholes (PBHs), we study the evolution of an Einstein-de
Sitter universe consisting of PBHs embedded in a thermal bath from the epoch
sec to sec. In this paper we use Barrow
et al's ansatz to model blackhole evaporation in which the modified Hawking
temperature goes to zero in the limit of the blackhole attaining a relic state
with mass . Both single mass PBH case as well as the case in which
blackhole masses are distributed in the range gm
have been considered in our analysis. Blackholes with mass larger than gm appear to survive beyond the electroweak phase transition and,
therefore, successfully manage to create baryon excess via
emissions, averting the baryon number wash-out due to sphalerons. In this
scenario, we find that the contribution to the baryon-to-entropy ratio by PBHs
of initial mass is given by , where
and are the CP-violating parameter and the initial mass
fraction of the PBHs, respectively. For larger than ,
the observed matter-antimatter asymmetry in the universe can be attributed to
the evaporation of PBHs.Comment: Latex2e file with seven figures included as postscript file
Structure and Engineering of Francisella novicida Cas9
Summary The RNA-guided endonuclease Cas9 cleaves double-stranded DNA targets complementary to the guide RNA and has been applied to programmable genome editing. Cas9-mediated cleavage requires a protospacer adjacent motif (PAM) juxtaposed with the DNA target sequence, thus constricting the range of targetable sites. Here, we report the 1.7 Å resolution crystal structures of Cas9 from Francisella novicida (FnCas9), one of the largest Cas9 orthologs, in complex with a guide RNA and its PAM-containing DNA targets. A structural comparison of FnCas9 with other Cas9 orthologs revealed striking conserved and divergent features among distantly related CRISPR-Cas9 systems. We found that FnCas9 recognizes the 5′-NGG-3′ PAM, and used the structural information to create a variant that can recognize the more relaxed 5′-YG-3′ PAM. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the FnCas9-ribonucleoprotein complex can be microinjected into mouse zygotes to edit endogenous sites with the 5′-YG-3′ PAM, thus expanding the target space of the CRISPR-Cas9 toolbox
Signature of the staggered flux state around a superconducting vortex in underdoped cuprates
Based on the SU(2) lattice gauge theory formulation of the t-J model, we
discuss possible signature of the unit cell doubling associated with the
staggered flux (SF) state in the lightly doped spin liquid. Although the SF
state appears only dynamically in a uniform d-wave superconducting (SC) state,
a topological defect [SU(2) vortex] freezes the SF state inside the vortex
core. Consequently, the unit cell doubling shows up in the hopping
() and pairing () order parameters of physical
electrons. We find that whereas the center in the vortex core is a SF state, as
one moves away from the core center, a correlated staggered modulation of
and becomes predominant. We predict that over the
region outside the core and inside the internal gauge field penetration depth
around a vortex center, the local density-of-states (LDOS) exhibits staggered
peak-dip (SPD) structure inside the V-shaped profile when measured on the
bonds. The SPD structure has its direct origin in the unit cell doubling
associated with the SF core and the robust topological texture, which has
little to do with the symmetry of the d-wave order parameter. Therefore the
structure may survive the tunneling matrix element effects and easily be
detected by STM experiment.Comment: 27 pages, 14 figures in GIF format, typo correcte
An SU(2) Formulation of the t-J model: Application to Underdoped Cuprates
We develop a slave-boson theory for the t-J model at finite doping which
respect a SU(2) symmetry -- a symmetry previously known to be important at half
filling. The mean field phase diagram is found to be consistent with the phases
observed in the cuprate superconductors, which contains d-wave superconductor,
spin gap, strange metal, and Fermi liquid phases. The spin gap phase is best
understood as the staggered flux phase, which is nevertheless translationally
invariant for physical quantities. The physical electron spectral function
shows small Fermi segments at low doping which continuously evolve into the
large Fermi surface at high doping concentrations. The close relation between
the SU(2) and the U(1) slave-boson theory is discussed. The low energy
effective theory for the low lying fluctuations is derived, and new lying modes
(which were over looked in the U(1) theory) are identified.Comment: 28 pages, 8 figures, RevTe
Staggered flux state of electron in two-dimensional t-J model
The competition between the staggered flux state, or the d-density wave
state, and the d-wave pairing state is analyzed in two-dimensional t-J model
based on the U(1) slave boson mean-field theory. Not only staggered flux of
spinon but also staggered flux of holon are considered. In this formalism, the
hopping order parameter of electron is described by the product of
hopping order parameters of spinon and holon. The staggered flux amplitude of
electron is the difference of staggered flux amplitude of spinon and that of
holon. In -flux phase of spinon, staggered fluxes of spinon and holon
cancel completely and staggered flux order of electron does not exist. However,
in staggered flux phase of spinon whose staggered flux amplitude is not ,
fluxes does not cancel completely and staggered flux amplitude of electron
remains. Thus, the phase transition between these two phases, -flux phase
and staggered flux phase of spinon, becomes a second order transition in
electron picture. The order parameter which characterizes this
transition is staggered flux order parameter of electron. A mean-field phase
diagram is shown. It is proved analytically that there is no coexisistence of
staggered flux and d-wave pairing. The temperature dependences of Fermi surface
and excitation gap at are shown. These behaviors are consistent with
angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) experiments.Comment: 10 pages, 8 figure
The Surgical Infection Society revised guidelines on the management of intra-abdominal infection
Background: Previous evidence-based guidelines on the management of intra-abdominal infection (IAI) were published by the Surgical Infection Society (SIS) in 1992, 2002, and 2010. At the time the most recent guideline was released, the plan was to update the guideline every five years to ensure the timeliness and appropriateness of the recommendations.
Methods: Based on the previous guidelines, the task force outlined a number of topics related to the treatment of patients with IAI and then developed key questions on these various topics. All questions were approached using general and specific literature searches, focusing on articles and other information published since 2008. These publications and additional materials published before 2008 were reviewed by the task force as a whole or by individual subgroups as to relevance to individual questions. Recommendations were developed by a process of iterative consensus, with all task force members voting to accept or reject each recommendation. Grading was based on the GRADE (Grades of Recommendation Assessment, Development, and Evaluation) system; the quality of the evidence was graded as high, moderate, or weak, and the strength of the recommendation was graded as strong or weak. Review of the document was performed by members of the SIS who were not on the task force. After responses were made to all critiques, the document was approved as an official guideline of the SIS by the Executive Council.
Results: This guideline summarizes the current recommendations developed by the task force on the treatment of patients who have IAI. Evidence-based recommendations have been made regarding risk assessment in individual patients; source control; the timing, selection, and duration of antimicrobial therapy; and suggested approaches to patients who fail initial therapy. Additional recommendations related to the treatment of pediatric patients with IAI have been included.
Summary: The current recommendations of the SIS regarding the treatment of patients with IAI are provided in this guideline
Hormone receptor status of a first primary breast cancer predicts contralateral breast cancer risk in the WECARE study population
Abstract
Background
Previous population-based studies have described first primary breast cancer tumor characteristics and their association with contralateral breast cancer (CBC) risk. However, information on influential covariates such as treatment, family history of breast cancer, and BRCA1/2 mutation carrier status was not available. In a large, population-based, case-control study, we evaluated whether tumor characteristics of the first primary breast cancer are associated with risk of developing second primary asynchronous CBC, overall and in subgroups of interest, including among BRCA1/2 mutation non-carriers, women who are not treated with tamoxifen, and women without a breast cancer family history.
Methods
The Women’s Environmental Cancer and Radiation Epidemiology Study is a population-based case-control study of 1521 CBC cases and 2212 individually-matched controls with unilateral breast cancer. Detailed information about breast cancer risk factors, treatment for and characteristics of first tumors, including estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) status, was obtained by telephone interview and medical record abstraction. Multivariable risk ratios (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated in conditional logistic regression models, adjusting for demographics, treatment, and personal medical and family history. A subset of women was screened for BRCA1/2 mutations.
Results
Lobular histology of the first tumor was associated with a 30% increase in CBC risk (95% CI 1.0–1.6). Compared to women with ER+/PR+ first tumors, those with ER-/PR- tumors had increased risk of CBC (RR = 1.4, 95% CI 1.1–1.7). Notably, women with ER-/PR- first tumors were more likely to develop CBC with the ER-/PR- phenotype (RR = 5.4, 95% CI 3.0–9.5), and risk remained elevated in multiple subgroups: BRCA1/2 mutation non-carriers, women younger than 45 years of age, women without a breast cancer family history, and women who were not treated with tamoxifen.
Conclusions
Having a hormone receptor negative first primary breast cancer is associated with increased risk of CBC. Women with ER-/PR- primary tumors were more likely to develop ER-/PR- CBC, even after excluding BRCA1/2 mutation carriers. Hormone receptor status, which is routinely evaluated in breast tumors, may be used clinically to determine treatment protocols and identify patients who may benefit from increased surveillance for CBC
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