The well-coordinated linkage between acidogenicity and aciduricity via insoluble glucans on the surface of Streptococcus mutans.

Streptococcus mutans is considered the principal cariogenic bacterium for dental caries. Despite the recognition of their importance for cariogenesis, the possible coordination among S. mutans' main virulence factors, including glucan production, acidogenicity and aciduricity, has been less well studied. In the present study, using S. mutans strains with surface-displayed pH-sensitive pHluorin, we revealed sucrose availability- and Gtf functionality-dependent proton accumulation on S. mutans surface. Consistent with this, using a pH-sensitive dye, we demonstrated that both in vivo cell-produced and in vitro enzymatically synthesized insoluble glucans displayed proton-concentrating ability. Global transcriptomics revealed proton accumulation triggers the up-regulation of genes encoding functions involved in acid tolerance response in a glucan-dependent manner. Our data suggested that this proton enrichment around S. mutans could pre-condition the bacterium for acid-stress. Consistent with this hypothesis, we found S. mutans strains defective in glucan production were more acid sensitive. Our study revealed for the first time that insoluble glucans is likely an essential factor linking acidogenicity with aciduricity. The coordination of these key virulence factors could provide new insights on how S. mutans may have become a major cariogenic pathogen

Investigating Neural Substrates of Individual Independence and Interdependence Orientations via Efficiency-based Dynamic Functional Connectivity : A Machine Learning Approach

Fundings: Beihang University and Capital Medical University Advanced Innovation Center for Big DataBased Precision Medicine Plan; 10.13039/501100001809-National Natural Science Foundation of China; 10.13039/501100000275-Leverhulme Trust;Peer reviewedPostprin

The divided brain : Functional brain asymmetry underlying self-construal

Acknowledgments This research is partly supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (62071049, 61801026) & Capital Medical University Advanced Innovation Center for Big Data-Based Precision Medicine Plan (BHME-201907), and the Leverhulme Trust (RPG-2019-010).Peer reviewedPublisher PD

ESDA2008-59373 AN INVESTIGATION INTO EFFECT OF TRAIN CURVING ON WEAR AND CONTACT STRESSES OF WHEEL AND RAIL

ABSTRACT Some important papers concerning the studies on rail wear and wheel/rail contact stresses are reviewed. The present paper utilizes a numerical method to analyze the effect of railway vehicle curving on the wear and contact stresses of wheel/rail. The numerical method considers a combination of Kalker's non-Hertzian rolling contact theory, a material wear model and a vertical and lateral coupling dynamics model of a half vehicle and a curved track. The present analysis investigates the influence of the curving speed, the curved track super-elevation and the rail cant on the wear and the contact stresses. Through the detailed numerical analysis, it is found that the maximum contact stress depends greatly not only on the curving speed but also on the profiles of the wheel/rail. The curving speed increasing leads to increase the normal load of the wheel rolling over the high curved rail, but, decrease the normal contact stress level under the condition of the optimum match of wheel/rail profiles. The track super elevation increasing efficiently lowers the contact stresses and the wear at a constant curving speed. The rail cant has a great influence on the low rail wear of the curved track. Increasing the rail cant leads to the great growth of the low curved rail wear, the reduction in the high rail wear. The results are very useful in the maintenance of the track

Polarized electron-beam acceleration driven by vortex laser pulses

We propose a new approach based on an all-optical set-up for generating relativistic polarized electron beams via vortex Laguerre-Gaussian (LG) laser-driven wakefield acceleration. Using a pre-polarized gas target, we find that the topology of the vortex wakefield resolves the depolarization issue of the injected electrons. In full three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations, incorporating the spin dynamics via the Thomas-Bargmann Michel Telegdi equation, the LG laser preserves the electron spin polarization by more than 80% at high beam charge and flux. The method releases the limit on beam flux for polarized electron acceleration and promises more than an order of magnitude boost in peak flux, as compared to Gaussian beams. These results suggest a promising table-top method to produce energetic polarized electron beams.Comment: We replace some results and revise some description