Anisotropic Structure of the Order Parameter in FeSe0.45Te0.55 Revealed by Angle Resolved Specific Heat

The symmetry and structure of the superconducting gap in the Fe-based superconductors are the central issue for understanding these novel materials. So far the experimental data and theoretical models have been highly controversial. Some experiments favor two or more constant or nearly-constant gaps, others indicate strong anisotropy and yet others suggest gap zeros ("nodes"). Theoretical models also vary, suggesting that the absence or presence of the nodes depends quantitatively on the model parameters. An opinion that has gained substantial currency is that the gap structure, unlike all other known superconductors, including cuprates, may be different in different compounds within the same family. A unique method for addressing this issue, one of the very few methods that are bulk and angle-resolved, calls for measuring the electronic specific heat in a rotating magnetic field, as a function of field orientation with respect to the crystallographic axes. In this Communication we present the first such measurement for an Fe-based high-Tc superconductor (FeBSC). We observed a fourfold oscillation of the specific heat as a function of the in-plane magnetic field direction, which allowed us to identify the locations of the gap minima (or nodes) on the Fermi surface. Our results are consistent with the expectations of an extended s-wave model with a significant gap anisotropy on the electron pockets and the gap minima along the \Gamma M (or Fe-Fe bond) direction.Comment: 32 pages, 7 figure

Myofibrillogenesis regulator 1 induces hypertrophy by promoting sarcomere organization in neonatal rat cardiomyocytes

Human myofibrillogenesis regulator 1, a novel 17-kDa protein, is closely involved in cardiac hypertrophy. We studied the molecular mechanism that links MR-1 to hypertrophic response. Hypertrophic hallmarks such as cell size and [3H]-leucine incorporation were significantly increased when MR-1 was transfected into cardiomyocytes for 48 h. However, sarcomere organization was promoted when MR-1 was transfected for 8 h. The finding that cardiac hypertrophy was induced long after increase of sarcomere organization indicates that the promoted sarcomere organization may be one of the crucial factors causing hypertrophy. Furthermore, when MR-1 was transfected into cardiomyocytes, the nuclear localization of myomesin-1 was shifted to the cytoplasm. Transfection with small ubiquitin-like modifier-1 (SUMO-1) mimicked the effect of MR-1 inducing translocation of myomesin-1. However, transfection with SUMO-1 in MR-1-silenced cardiomyocytes failed to induce translocation and sarcomere organization, even though SUMO-1 expression was at the same level. Overexpression of MR-1 may induce cardiomyocyte hypertrophy via myomesin-1-mediated sarcomere organization

Synthesis of Monodisperse Nanocrystals via Microreaction: Open-to-Air Synthesis with Oleylamine as a Coligand

Microreaction provides a controllable tool to synthesize CdSe nanocrystals (NCs) in an accelerated fashion. However, the surface traps created during the fast growth usually result in low photoluminescence (PL) efficiency for the formed products. Herein, the reproducible synthesis of highly luminescent CdSe NCs directly in open air was reported, with a microreactor as the controllable reaction tool. Spectra investigation elucidated that applying OLA both in Se and Cd stock solutions could advantageously promote the diffusion between the two precursors, resulting in narrow full-width-at-half maximum (FWHM) of PL (26 nm). Meanwhile, the addition of OLA in the source solution was demonstrated helpful to improve the reactivity of Cd monomer. In this case, the focus of size distribution was accomplished during the early reaction stage. Furthermore, if the volume percentage (vol.%) of OLA in the precursors exceeded a threshold of 37.5%, the resulted CdSe NCs demonstrated long-term fixing of size distribution up to 300 s. The observed phenomena facilitated the preparation of a size series of monodisperse CdSe NCs merely by the variation of residence time. With the volume percentage of OLA as 37.5% in the source solution, a 78 nm tuning of PL spectra (from 507 to 585) was obtained through the variation of residence time from 2 s to 160 s, while maintaining narrow FMWH of PL (26–31 nm) and high QY of PL (35–55%)

Influence of Cobalt Doping on the Physical Properties of Zn0.9Cd0.1S Nanoparticles

Zn0.9Cd0.1S nanoparticles doped with 0.005–0.24 M cobalt have been prepared by co-precipitation technique in ice bath at 280 K. For the cobalt concentration >0.18 M, XRD pattern shows unidentified phases along with Zn0.9Cd0.1S sphalerite phase. For low cobalt concentration (≤0.05 M) particle size, dXRDis ~3.5 nm, while for high cobalt concentration (>0.05 M) particle size decreases abruptly (~2 nm) as detected by XRD. However, TEM analysis shows the similar particle size (~3.5 nm) irrespective of the cobalt concentration. Local strain in the alloyed nanoparticles with cobalt concentration of 0.18 M increases ~46% in comparison to that of 0.05 M. Direct to indirect energy band-gap transition is obtained when cobalt concentration goes beyond 0.05 M. A red shift in energy band gap is also observed for both the cases. Nanoparticles with low cobalt concentrations were found to have paramagnetic nature with no antiferromagnetic coupling. A negative Curie–Weiss temperature of −75 K with antiferromagnetic coupling was obtained for the high cobalt concentration

The Genetics and Genomics of Virus Resistance in Maize

Viruses cause significant diseases on maize worldwide. Intensive agronomic practices, changes in vector distribution, and the introduction of vectors and viruses into new areas can result in emerging disease problems. Because deployment of resistant hybrids and cultivars is considered to be both economically viable and environmentally sustainable, genes and quantitative trait loci for most economically important virus diseases have been identified. Examination of multiple studies indicates the importance of regions of maize chromosomes 2, 3, 6, and 10 in virus resistance. An understanding of the molecular basis of virus resistance in maize is beginning to emerge, and two genes conferring resistance to sugarcane mosaic virus, Scmv1 and Scmv2, have been cloned and characterized. Recent studies provide hints of other pathways and genes critical to virus resistance in maize, but further work is required to determine the roles of these in virus susceptibility and resistance. This research will be facilitated by rapidly advancing technologies for functional analysis of genes in maize

The prevalence of hyperuricemia in China: a meta-analysis

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The prevalence of hyperuricemia varied in different populations and it appeared to be increasing in the past decades. Recent studies suggest that hyperuricemia is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease. However, there has not yet been a systematic analysis of the prevalence of hyperuricemia in China.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Epidemiological investigations on hyperuricemia in China published in journals were identified manually and on-line by using CBMDISC, Chongqing VIP database and CNKI database. Those Reported in English journals were identified using MEDLINE database. Selected studies had to describe an original study defined by strict screening and diagnostic criteria. The fixed effects model or random effects model was employed according to statistical test for homogeneity.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Fifty-nine studies were selected, the statistical information of which was collected for systematic analysis. The results showed that the pooled prevalence of hyperuricemia in male was 21.6% (95%CI: 18.9%-24.6%), but it was only 8.6% (95%CI: 8.2%-10.2%) in female. It was found that thirty years was the risk point age in male and it was fifty years in female.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The prevalence of hyperuricemia is different as the period of age and it increases after 30 years in male and 50 in female. Interventions are necessary to change the risk factors before the key age which is 30 years in male and 50 in female.</p

Genome-wide associations for birth weight and correlations with adult disease

Birth weight (BW) has been shown to be influenced by both fetal and maternal factors and in observational studies is reproducibly associated with future risk of adult metabolic diseases including type 2 diabetes (T2D) and cardiovascular disease. These life-course associations have often been attributed to the impact of an adverse early life environment. Here, we performed a multi-ancestry genome-wide association study (GWAS) meta-analysis of BW in 153,781 individuals, identifying 60 loci where fetal genotype was associated with BW ($\textit{P}$  < 5 × 10$^{-8}$). Overall, approximately 15% of variance in BW was captured by assays of fetal genetic variation. Using genetic association alone, we found strong inverse genetic correlations between BW and systolic blood pressure ($\textit{R}$ $_{g}$ = -0.22, $\textit{P}$  = 5.5 × 10$^{-13}$), T2D ($\textit{R}$ $_{g}$ = -0.27, $\textit{P}$  = 1.1 × 10$^{-6}$) and coronary artery disease ($\textit{R}$ $_{g}$ = -0.30, $\textit{P}$  = 6.5 × 10$^{-9}$). In addition, using large -cohort datasets, we demonstrated that genetic factors were the major contributor to the negative covariance between BW and future cardiometabolic risk. Pathway analyses indicated that the protein products of genes within BW-associated regions were enriched for diverse processes including insulin signalling, glucose homeostasis, glycogen biosynthesis and chromatin remodelling. There was also enrichment of associations with BW in known imprinted regions ($\textit{P}$ = 1.9 × 10$^{-4}$). We demonstrate that life-course associations between early growth phenotypes and adult cardiometabolic disease are in part the result of shared genetic effects and identify some of the pathways through which these causal genetic effects are mediated.For a full list of the funders pelase visit the publisher's website and look at the supplemetary material provided. Some of the funders are: British Heart Foundation, Cancer Research UK, Medical Research Council, National Institutes of Health, Royal Society and Wellcome Trust