Antimony-doped graphene nanoplatelets

Heteroatom doping into the graphitic frameworks have been intensively studied for the development of metal-free electrocatalysts. However, the choice of heteroatoms is limited to non-metallic elements and heteroatom-doped graphitic materials do not satisfy commercial demands in terms of cost and stability. Here we realize doping semimetal antimony (Sb) at the edges of graphene nanoplatelets (GnPs) via a simple mechanochemical reaction between pristine graphite and solid Sb. The covalent bonding of the metalloid Sb with the graphitic carbon is visualized using atomic-resolution transmission electron microscopy. The Sb-doped GnPs display zero loss of electrocatalytic activity for oxygen reduction reaction even after 100,000 cycles. Density functional theory calculations indicate that the multiple oxidation states (Sb3+ and Sb5+) of Sb are responsible for the unusual electrochemical stability. Sb-doped GnPs may provide new insights and practical methods for designing stable carbon-based electrocatalystsclose0

Drosophila TRPN( = NOMPC) Channel Localizes to the Distal End of Mechanosensory Cilia

BACKGROUND: A TRPN channel protein is essential for sensory transduction in insect mechanosensory neurons and in vertebrate hair cells. The Drosophila TRPN homolog, NOMPC, is required to generate mechanoreceptor potentials and currents in tactile bristles. NOMPC is also required, together with a TRPV channel, for transduction by chordotonal neurons of the fly's antennal ear, but the TRPN or TRPV channels have distinct roles in transduction and in regulating active antennal mechanics. The evidence suggests that NOMPC is a primary mechanotransducer channel, but its subcellular location-key for understanding its exact role in transduction-has not yet been established. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Here, by immunostaining, we locate NOMPC at the tips of mechanosensory cilia in both external and chordotonal sensory neurons, as predicted for a mechanotransducer channel. In chordotonal neurons, the TRPN and TRPV channels are respectively segregated into distal and proximal ciliary zones. This zonal separation is demarcated by and requires the ciliary dilation, an intraciliary assembly of intraflagellar transport (IFT) proteins. CONCLUSIONS: Our results provide a strong evidence for NOMPC as a primary transduction channel in Drosophila mechansensory organs. The data also reveals a structural basis for the model of auditory chordotonal transduction in which the TRPN and TRPV channels play sequential roles in generating and amplifying the receptor potential, but have opposing roles in regulating active ciliary motility

Observation of a ppb mass threshoud enhancement in \psi^\prime\to\pi^+\pi^-J/\psi(J/\psi\to\gamma p\bar{p}) decay

The decay channel $\psi^\prime\to\pi^+\pi^-J/\psi(J/\psi\to\gamma p\bar{p})$ is studied using a sample of $1.06\times 10^8$ $\psi^\prime$ events collected by the BESIII experiment at BEPCII. A strong enhancement at threshold is observed in the $p\bar{p}$ invariant mass spectrum. The enhancement can be fit with an $S$-wave Breit-Wigner resonance function with a resulting peak mass of $M=1861^{+6}_{-13} {\rm (stat)}^{+7}_{-26} {\rm (syst)} {\rm MeV/}c^2$ and a narrow width that is $\Gamma<38 {\rm MeV/}c^2$ at the 90% confidence level. These results are consistent with published BESII results. These mass and width values do not match with those of any known meson resonance.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, submitted to Chinese Physics

The Role of the p38 MAPK Signaling Pathway in High Glucose-Induced Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition of Cultured Human Renal Tubular Epithelial Cells

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition of tubular epithelial cells, which is characterized by a loss of epithelial cell characteristics and a gain of ECM-producing myofibroblast characteristics, is an essential mechanism that is involved in tubulointerstitial fibrosis, an important component of the renal injury that is associated with diabetic nephropathy. Under diabetic conditions, p38 MAPK activation has been reported in glomeruli and mesangial cells; however, studies on p38 MAPK in TECs are lacking. In this study, the role of p38 MAPK in AP-1 activation and in the EMT in the human proximal tubular epithelial cell line (HK-2) under high glucose concentration conditions is investigated.A vector for small interfering RNA that targets p38 MAPK was constructed; the cells were then either transfected with p38 siRNA or pretreated with a chemical inhibitor of AP-1 and incubated with low glucose plus TGF-β1 or high glucose for 48 h. Cells that were not transfected or pretreated and were exposed to low glucose with or without TGF-β1 or high glucose for 48 h were considered to be the controls. We found that high glucose induced an increase in TGF-β1. And high glucose-induced p38 MAPK activation was inhibited by p38 siRNA (P<0.05). A significant decline in E-cadherin and CK expression and a notable increase in vimentin and α-SMA were detected when exposed to low glucose with TGF-β1 or high glucose, and a significant raise of secreted fibronectin were detected when exposed to high glucose; whereas these changes were reversed when the cells were treated with p38 siRNA or AP-1 inhibitor (P<0.05). AP-1 activity levels and Snail expression were up-regulated under high glucose conditions but were markedly down-regulated through knockdown of p38 MAPK with p38 siRNA or pretreatment with AP-1 inhibitor (P<0.05).This study suggests that p38 MAPK may play an important role in the high glucose-induced EMT by activating AP-1 in tubular epithelial cells

Integrated methodological framework fos assesing the risk of failure in water supply incorporating drought forecast. Case study: Andean regulated river basin

[EN] Hydroclimatic drought conditions can affect the hydrological services offered by mountain river basins causing severe impacts on the population, becoming a challenge for water resource managers in Andean river basins. This study proposes an integrated methodological framework for assessing the risk of failure in water supply, incorporating probabilistic drought forecasts, which assists in making decisions regarding the satisfaction of consumptive, non-consumptive and environmental requirements under water scarcity conditions. Monte Carlo simulation was used to assess the risk of failure in multiple stochastic scenarios, which incorporate probabilistic forecasts of drought events based on a Markov chains (MC) model using a recently developed drought index (DI). This methodology was tested in the Machángara river basin located in the south of Ecuador. Results were grouped in integrated satisfaction indexes of the system (DSIG). They demonstrated that the incorporation of probabilistic drought forecasts could better target the projections of simulation scenarios, with a view of obtaining realistic situations instead of optimistic projections that would lead to riskier decisions. Moreover, they contribute to more effective results in order to propose multiple alternatives for prevention and/or mitigation under drought conditions.This study was part of the doctoral thesis of Aviles A. at the Technical University of Valencia. This research was funded by the University of Cuenca through its Research Department (DIUC) and the Municipal public enterprise of telecommunications, drinking water, sewage and sanitation of Cuenca (ETAPA) through the projects: BIdentificacion de los procesos hidrometeorologicos que desencadenan inundaciones en la ciudad de Cuenca usando un radar de precipitacion" and "Ciclos meteorologicos y evapotranspiracion a lo largo de una gradiente altitudinal del Parque Nacional Cajas". The authors also thank INAMHI and the CBRM for providing the information for this study. The authors wish to thank the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness for its financial support through the ERAS project (CTM2016-77804-P). We thank Angel Vazquez, who helped in the programming of the multiple simulations. Also we thank to the TropiSeca project.Avilés-Añazco, A.; Solera Solera, A.; Paredes Arquiola, J.; Pedro Monzonís, M. (2018). Integrated methodological framework fos assesing the risk of failure in water supply incorporating drought forecast. Case study: Andean regulated river basin. Water Resources Management. 32(4):1209-1223. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11269-017-1863-7S12091223324Andreu J, Capilla J, Sanchís E (1996) AQUATOOL, a generalized decision-support system for water-resources planning and operational management. J Hydrol 177(3-4):269–291. https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-1694(95)02963-XAndreu J, Solera A, Capilla J, Ferrer J (2007) Modelo SIMGES para simulación de cuencas. Manual de usuario v3. 00. Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, ValenciaAndreu J, Ferrer J, Perez MA et al (2013) Drought planning and management in the Júcar River Basin, Spain. In: Schwabe K et al (eds) Drought in arid and semi-arid regions. Springer science, Dordrecht, pp 237–249. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6636-5_13Avilés A, Solera A (2013) Análisis de sistemas de recursos hídricos de la cuenca del rio Tomebamba en Ecuador, mediante modelos estocásticos y de gestión. In: Solera A, Paredes J, Andreu J (eds) Aplicaciones de sistemas soporte a la decisión en planificación y gestión integradas de cuencas hidrográficas. Marcombo, Barcelona, España pp 51–61Avilés A, Célleri R, Paredes J, Solera A (2015) Evaluation of Markov chain based drought forecasts in an Andean Regulated River basin using the skill scores RPS and GMSS. Water Resour Manag 29(6):1949–1963. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11269-015-0921-2Avilés A, Célleri R, Solera A, Paredes J (2016) Probabilistic forecasting of drought events using Markov chain-and Bayesian network-based models: a case study of an Andean Regulated River Basin. Water 8:1–16Barua S, Ng A, Perera B (2012) Drought assessment and forecasting: a case study on the Yarra River catchment in Victoria, Australia. Aust J Water Resour 15(2):95–108. https://doi.org/10.7158/W10-848.2012.15.2Bazaraa MS, Jarvis JJ, Sherali HD (2011) Linear programming and network flows, fourth Edi. John Wiley & Sons, New JerseyBrown C, Baroang KM, Conrad E et al (2010) IRI technical report 10–15, managing climate risk in water supply systems. Palisades, NYCancelliere A, Di Mauro G, Bonaccorso B, Rossi G (2007) Drought forecasting using the standardized precipitation index. Water Resour Manag 21(5):801–819. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11269-006-9062-yCancelliere A, Nicolosi V, Rossi G (2009) Assessment of drought risk in water supply systems in coping with drought risk in agriculture and water supply systems. Advances in natural and technological hazards research 26. In: Coping with drought risk in agriculture. Springer, pp 93–109. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-9045-5_8Chen YD, Zhang Q, Xiao M, Singh VP, Zhang S (2016) Probabilistic forecasting of seasonal droughts in the Pearl River basin, China. Stoch Environ Res Risk Assess 30(7):2031–2040. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00477-015-1174-6Gong G, Wang L, Condon L, Shearman A, Lall U (2010) A simple framework for incorporating seasonal Streamflow forecasts into existing water resource management practices. JAWRA J Am Water Resour Assoc 46(3):574–585. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1752-1688.2010.00435.xHaro D, Solera A, Paredes J, Andreu J (2014) Methodology for drought risk assessment in within-year regulated reservoir systems. Application to the Orbigo River system (Spain). Water Resour Manag 28(11):3801–3814. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11269-014-0710-3Haro-Monteagudo D, Solera A, Andreu J (2017) Drought early warning based on optimal risk forecasts in regulated river systems: application to the Jucar River basin (Spain). J Hydrol 544:36–45. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2016.11.022Hashimoto T, Loucks DP, Stedinger JR (1982) Reliability, resiliency, and vulnerability criteria. Water Resour Res 18(1):14–20. https://doi.org/10.1029/WR018i001p00014Hwang Y, Carbone GJ (2009) Ensemble forecasts of drought indices using a conditional residual resampling technique. J Appl Meteorol Climatol 48(7):1289–1301. https://doi.org/10.1175/2009JAMC2071.1Kao S-C, Govindaraju RS (2010) A copula-based joint deficit index for droughts. J Hydrol 380(1-2):121–134. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2009.10.029Keyantash JA, Dracup JA (2004) An aggregate drought index: assessing drought severity based on fluctuations in the hydrologic cycle and surface water storage. Water Resour Res 40(9):1–13. https://doi.org/10.1029/2003WR002610Khadr M (2016) Forecasting of meteorological drought using hidden Markov model (case study: the upper Blue Nile river basin, Ethiopia). Ain Shams Eng J 7(1):47–56. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asej.2015.11.005Madadgar S, Moradkhani H (2013) A Bayesian framework for probabilistic seasonal drought forecasting. J Hydrometeorol 14(6):1685–1706. https://doi.org/10.1175/JHM-D-13-010.1Madadgar S, Moradkhani H (2014) Spatio-temporal drought forecasting within Bayesian networks. J Hydrol 512:134–146. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2014.02.039Mahmoudzadeh H, Mahmoudzadeh H, Afshar M, Yousefi S (2016) Applying first-order Markov chains and SPI drought index to monitor and forecast drought in West Azerbaijan Province of Iran. Int J Geo Sci Environ Plan 1:44–53. 10.22034/ijgsep.2016.40669Mishra AK, Singh VP (2010) Review paper a review of drought concepts. J Hydrol 391(1-2):202–216. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2010.07.012Nalbantis I, Tsakiris G (2009) Assessment of hydrological drought revisited. Water Resour Manag 23(5):881–897. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11269-008-9305-1Ochola WO, Kerkides P (2003) A Markov chain simulation model for predicting critical wet and dry spells in Kenya: Analysing rainfall events in the kano plains. Irrig Drain 52(4):327–342. https://doi.org/10.1002/ird.094Paulo AA, Pereira LS (2007) Prediction of SPI drought class transitions using Markov chains. Water Resour Manag 21(10):1813–1827. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11269-006-9129-9Phan TD, Smart JCR, Capon SJ, Hadwen WL, Sahin O (2016) Applications of Bayesian belief networks in water resource management: a systematic review. Environ Model Softw 85:98–111. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsoft.2016.08.006Pouget L, Roldán T, Gómez M et al (2015) Use of seasonal climate predictions in the water sector—preliminary results from the EUPORIAS project. In: Andreu J, Solera A, Paredes J et al (eds) Drought: research and science-policy interfacing. Taylor & Francis Group, London, UK, p 247Rossi G, Cancelliere A (2013) Managing drought risk in water supply systems in Europe: a review. Int J Water Resour Dev 29(2):272–289. https://doi.org/10.1080/07900627.2012.713848Rossi G, Caporali E, Garrote L (2012) Definition of risk indicators for reservoirs management optimization. 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Search for Charged Higgs Bosons in e+e- Collisions at \sqrt{s} = 189 GeV

A search for pair-produced charged Higgs bosons is performed with the L3 detector at LEP using data collected at a centre-of-mass energy of 188.6 GeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 176.4 pb^-1. Higgs decays into a charm and a strange quark or into a tau lepton and its associated neutrino are considered. The observed events are consistent with the expectations from Standard Model background processes. A lower limit of 65.5 GeV on the charged Higgs mass is derived at 95 % confidence level, independent of the decay branching ratio Br(H^{+/-} -> tau nu)

Measurement of the inclusive and dijet cross-sections of b-jets in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV with the ATLAS detector

The inclusive and dijet production cross-sections have been measured for jets containing b-hadrons (b-jets) in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of sqrt(s) = 7 TeV, using the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The measurements use data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 34 pb^-1. The b-jets are identified using either a lifetime-based method, where secondary decay vertices of b-hadrons in jets are reconstructed using information from the tracking detectors, or a muon-based method where the presence of a muon is used to identify semileptonic decays of b-hadrons inside jets. The inclusive b-jet cross-section is measured as a function of transverse momentum in the range 20 < pT < 400 GeV and rapidity in the range |y| < 2.1. The bbbar-dijet cross-section is measured as a function of the dijet invariant mass in the range 110 < m_jj < 760 GeV, the azimuthal angle difference between the two jets and the angular variable chi in two dijet mass regions. The results are compared with next-to-leading-order QCD predictions. Good agreement is observed between the measured cross-sections and the predictions obtained using POWHEG + Pythia. MC@NLO + Herwig shows good agreement with the measured bbbar-dijet cross-section. However, it does not reproduce the measured inclusive cross-section well, particularly for central b-jets with large transverse momenta.Comment: 10 pages plus author list (21 pages total), 8 figures, 1 table, final version published in European Physical Journal

Integrative Identification of Arabidopsis Mitochondrial Proteome and Its Function Exploitation through Protein Interaction Network

Mitochondria are major players on the production of energy, and host several key reactions involved in basic metabolism and biosynthesis of essential molecules. Currently, the majority of nucleus-encoded mitochondrial proteins are unknown even for model plant Arabidopsis. We reported a computational framework for predicting Arabidopsis mitochondrial proteins based on a probabilistic model, called Naive Bayesian Network, which integrates disparate genomic data generated from eight bioinformatics tools, multiple orthologous mappings, protein domain properties and co-expression patterns using 1,027 microarray profiles. Through this approach, we predicted 2,311 candidate mitochondrial proteins with 84.67% accuracy and 2.53% FPR performances. Together with those experimental confirmed proteins, 2,585 mitochondria proteins (named CoreMitoP) were identified, we explored those proteins with unknown functions based on protein-protein interaction network (PIN) and annotated novel functions for 26.65% CoreMitoP proteins. Moreover, we found newly predicted mitochondrial proteins embedded in particular subnetworks of the PIN, mainly functioning in response to diverse environmental stresses, like salt, draught, cold, and wound etc. Candidate mitochondrial proteins involved in those physiological acitivites provide useful targets for further investigation. Assigned functions also provide comprehensive information for Arabidopsis mitochondrial proteome

Drosophila Nociceptors Mediate Larval Aversion to Dry Surface Environments Utilizing Both the Painless TRP Channel and the DEG/ENaC Subunit, PPK1

A subset of sensory neurons embedded within the Drosophila larval body wall have been characterized as high-threshold polymodal nociceptors capable of responding to noxious heat and noxious mechanical stimulation. They are also sensitized by UV-induced tissue damage leading to both thermal hyperalgesia and allodynia very similar to that observed in vertebrate nociceptors. We show that the class IV multiple-dendritic(mdIV) nociceptors are also required for a normal larval aversion to locomotion on to a dry surface environment. Drosophila melanogaster larvae are acutely susceptible to desiccation displaying a strong aversion to locomotion on dry surfaces severely limiting the distance of movement away from a moist food source. Transgenic inactivation of mdIV nociceptor neurons resulted in larvae moving inappropriately into regions of low humidity at the top of the vial reflected as an increased overall pupation height and larval desiccation. This larval lethal desiccation phenotype was not observed in wild-type controls and was completely suppressed by growth in conditions of high humidity. Transgenic hyperactivation of mdIV nociceptors caused a reciprocal hypersensitivity to dry surfaces resulting in drastically decreased pupation height but did not induce the writhing nocifensive response previously associated with mdIV nociceptor activation by noxious heat or harsh mechanical stimuli. Larvae carrying mutations in either the Drosophila TRP channel, Painless, or the degenerin/epithelial sodium channel subunit Pickpocket1(PPK1), both expressed in mdIV nociceptors, showed the same inappropriate increased pupation height and lethal desiccation observed with mdIV nociceptor inactivation. Larval aversion to dry surfaces appears to utilize the same or overlapping sensory transduction pathways activated by noxious heat and harsh mechanical stimulation but with strikingly different sensitivities and disparate physiological responses

Brain Structural Networks Associated with Intelligence and Visuomotor Ability

Increasing evidence indicates that multiple structures in the brain are associated with intelligence and cognitive function at the network level. The association between the grey matter (GM) structural network and intelligence and cognition is not well understood. We applied a multivariate approach to identify the pattern of GM and link the structural network to intelligence and cognitive functions. Structural magnetic resonance imaging was acquired from 92 healthy individuals. Source-based morphometry analysis was applied to the imaging data to extract GM structural covariance. We assessed the intelligence, verbal fluency, processing speed, and executive functioning of the participants and further investigated the correlations of the GM structural networks with intelligence and cognitive functions. Six GM structural networks were identified. The cerebello-parietal component and the frontal component were significantly associated with intelligence. The parietal and frontal regions were each distinctively associated with intelligence by maintaining structural networks with the cerebellum and the temporal region, respectively. The cerebellar component was associated with visuomotor ability. Our results support the parieto-frontal integration theory of intelligence by demonstrating how each core region for intelligence works in concert with other regions. In addition, we revealed how the cerebellum is associated with intelligence and cognitive functions