Predicted giant magnetic moment on non-{n0m} surfaces of d-wave superconductors

Journals published by the American Physical Society can be found at http://journals.aps.org/It has been noted that the sizable areal density of midgap states which must exist on any non-{n0m} surface of a d-wave superconductor can lead to a giant magnetic moment. Here we show that this effect is observable, and discuss two precise ways to observe it: (i) by directly measuring magnetic moment in a system with a large density of internal {110} surfaces, or (ii) by performing spin-polarized tunneling on a {110} surface. In both cases, a sufficiently large magnetic field should be applied in the [1 (1) over bar 0] direction. Observing these predictions in high-T(c) superconductors can provide a strong confirmation of the d-wave scenario for such materials. [S0163-1829(99)50942-9]

Ethanolic Extract of Aconiti Brachypodi Radix Attenuates Nociceptive Pain Probably Via Inhibition of Voltage-Dependent Na+ Channel

Aconiti Brachypodi Radix, belonging to the genus of Aconitum (Family Ranunculaceae), are used clinically as anti-rheumatic, anti-inflammatory and anti-nociceptive in traditional medicine of China. However, its mechanism and influence on nociceptive threshold are unknown and need further investigation. The analgesic effects of ethanolic extract of Aconiti Brachypodi Radix (EABR) were thus studied in vivo and in vitro. Three pain models in mice were used to assess the effect of EABR on nociceptive threshold. In vitro study was conducted to clarify the modulation of the extract on the tetrodotoxin-sensitive (TTX-S) sodium currents in rat’s dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons using whole-cell patch clamp technique. The results showed that EABR (5-20 mg/kg, i.g.) could produce dose-dependent analgesic effect on hot-plate tests as well as writhing response induced by acetic acid. In addition, administration of 2.5-10 mg/kg EABR (i.g.) caused significant decrease in pain responses in the first and second phases of formalin test without altering the PGE2 production in the hind paw of the mice. Moreover, EABR (10 μg/ml -1 mg/ml) could suppress TTX-S voltage-gated sodium currents in a dose-dependent way, indicating the underlying electrophysiological mechanism of the analgesic effect of the folk plant medicine. Collectively, our results indicated that EABR has analgesic property in three pain models and useful influence on TTX-S sodium currents in DRG neurons, suggesting that the interference with pain messages caused by the modulation of EABR on TTX-S sodium currents in DRG neurones may explain some of its analgesic effect

Bi-Functional Silica Nanoparticles Doped with Iron Oxide and CdTe Prepared by a Facile Method

Cadmium telluride (CdTe) and iron oxide nanoparticles doped silica nanospheres were prepared by a multistep method. Iron oxide nanoparticles were first coated with silica and then modified with amino group. Thereafter, CdTe nanoparticles were assembled on the particle surfaces by their strong interaction with amino group. Finally, an outer silica shell was deposited. The final products were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, vibration sample magnetometer, photoluminescence spectra, Fourier transform infrared spectra (FT-IR), and fluorescent microscopy. The characterization results showed that the final nanomaterial possessed a saturation magnetization of about 5.8 emu g−1and an emission peak at 588 nm when the excitation wavelength fixed at 380 nm

Authorship trends in software engineering

This paper aims to examine authorship trends in software engineering, especially those related to the number of authors, of scientific publications. We collected and mined around 70.000 entries from DBLP for 122 conferences and journals, for the period 1971–2012, in order to process several bibliometric indicators. We provide evidence that the number of authors of articles in software engineering is increasing on average around +0.40 authors/decade. The results also indicate that until 1980, the majority of the articles have a sole author, while nowadays articles with 3 or 4 authors represent almost half of the total.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT

Phylogeny of the Infraorder Pentatomomorpha Based on Fossil and Extant Morphology, with Description of a New Fossil Family from China

<div><h3>Background</h3><p>An extinct new family of Pentatomomorpha, Venicoridae Yao, Ren & Cai <b>fam. nov.</b>, with 2 new genera and 2 new species (<em>Venicoris solaris</em> Yao, Ren & Rider <b>gen. & sp. nov.</b> and <em>Clavaticoris zhengi</em> Yao, Ren & Cai <b>gen. & sp. nov.</b>) are described from the Early Cretaceous Yixian Formation in Northeast China.</p> <h3>Methodology/Principal Findings</h3><p>A cladistic analysis based on a combination of fossil and extant morphological characters clarified the phylogenetic status of the new family and has allowed the reconstruction of intersuperfamily and interfamily relationships within the Infraorder Pentatomomorpha. The fossil record and diversity of Pentatomomorpha during the Mesozoic is discussed.</p> <h3>Conclusions/Significance</h3><p>Pentatomomorpha is a monophyletic group; Aradoidea and the Trichophora are sister groups; these fossils belong to new family, treated as the sister group of remainder of Trichophora; Pentatomoidea is a monophyletic group; Piesmatidae should be separated as a superfamily, Piesmatoidea. Origin time of Pentatomomorpha should be tracked back to the Middle or Early Triassic.</p> </div

Enhanced electrochemical reduction of hydrogen peroxide by Co3O4 nanowire electrode

Crystalline Co3O4 nanowire arrays with different morphologies grown on Ni foam were investigated by varying the reaction temperature, the concentration of precursors, and reaction time. The Co3O4 nanowires synthesized under typical reaction condition had a diameter range of approximately 500–900 nm with a length of 17 µm. Electrochemical reduction of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) of the optimized Co3O4 nanowire electrode was studied by cyclic voltammetry. A high current density of 101.8 mA cm−2 was obtained at −0.4 V in a solution of 0.4 M H2O2 and 3.0 M NaOH at room temperature compared to 85.8 mA cm−2 at −0.35 V of the Co3O4 nanoparticle electrode. Results clearly indicated that the Ni foam supported Co3O4 nanowire electrode exhibited superior catalytic activity and mass transport kinetics for H2O2 electrochemical reduction

Expression of CD82 in Human Trophoblast and Its Role in Trophoblast Invasion

BACKGROUND: Well-controlled trophoblast invasion at maternal-fetal interface is a critical event for the normal development of placenta. CD82 is a member of transmembrane 4 superfamily, which showed important role in inhibiting tumor cell invasion and migration. We surmised that CD82 are participates in trophoblast differentiation during placenta development. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: CD82 was found to be strongly expressed in human first trimester placental villous and extravillous trophoblast cells as well as in trophoblast cell lines. To investigate whether CD82 plays a role in trophoblast invasion and migration, we further utilized human villous explants culture model on matrigel and invasion/migration assay of trophoblast cell line HTR8/SVneo. CD82 siRNA significantly promoted outgrowth of villous explants in vitro (P<0.01), as well as invasion and migration of HTR8/SVneo cells (P<0.05), whereas the trophoblast proliferation was not affected. The enhanced effect of CD82 siRNA on invasion and migration of trophoblast cells was found associated with increased gelatinolytic activities of matrix metalloproteinase MMP9 while over-expression of CD82 markedly decreased trphoblast cell invasion and migration as well as MMP9 activities. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: These findings suggest that CD82 is an important negative regulator at maternal-fetal interface during early pregnancy, inhibiting human trophoblast invasion and migration

Cortactin Phosphorylated by ERK1/2 Localizes to Sites of Dynamic Actin Regulation and Is Required for Carcinoma Lamellipodia Persistence

Tumor cell motility and invasion is governed by dynamic regulation of the cortical actin cytoskeleton. The actin-binding protein cortactin is commonly upregulated in multiple cancer types and is associated with increased cell migration. Cortactin regulates actin nucleation through the actin related protein (Arp)2/3 complex and stabilizes the cortical actin cytoskeleton. Cortactin is regulated by multiple phosphorylation events, including phosphorylation of S405 and S418 by extracellular regulated kinases (ERK)1/2. ERK1/2 phosphorylation of cortactin has emerged as an important positive regulatory modification, enabling cortactin to bind and activate the Arp2/3 regulator neuronal Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein (N-WASp), promoting actin polymerization and enhancing tumor cell movement.In this report we have developed phosphorylation-specific antibodies against phosphorylated cortactin S405 and S418 to analyze the subcellular localization of this cortactin form in tumor cells and patient samples by microscopy. We evaluated the interplay between cortactin S405 and S418 phosphorylation with cortactin tyrosine phosphorylation in regulating cortactin conformational forms by Western blotting. Cortactin is simultaneously phosphorylated at S405/418 and Y421 in tumor cells, and through the use of point mutant constructs we determined that serine and tyrosine phosphorylation events lack any co-dependency. Expression of S405/418 phosphorylation-null constructs impaired carcinoma motility and adhesion, and also inhibited lamellipodia persistence monitored by live cell imaging.Cortactin phosphorylated at S405/418 is localized to sites of dynamic actin assembly in tumor cells. Concurrent phosphorylation of cortactin by ERK1/2 and tyrosine kinases enables cells with the ability to regulate actin dynamics through N-WASp and other effector proteins by synchronizing upstream regulatory pathways, confirming cortactin as an important integration point in actin-based signal transduction. Reduced lamellipodia persistence in cells with S405/418A expression identifies an essential motility-based process reliant on ERK1/2 signaling, providing additional understanding as to how this pathway impacts tumor cell migration