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Evolution, and functional analysis of Natural Resistance-Associated Macrophage proteins (NRAMPs) from Theobroma cacao and their role in cadmium accumulation
The presence of the toxic metal cadmium (Cd2+) in certain foodstuffs is recognised as a global problem, and there is increasing legislative pressure to reduce the content of Cd in food. The present study was conducted on cacao (Theobroma cacao), the source of chocolate, and one of the crops known to accumulate Cd in certain conditions. There are a range of possible genetic and agronomic methods being tested as a route to such reduction. As part of a gene-based approach, we focused on the Natural Resistance-Associated Macrophage Proteins (NRAMPS), a family of proton/metal transporter proteins that are evolutionarily conserved across all species from bacteria to humans. The plant NRAMP gene family are of particular importance as they are responsible for uptake of the nutritionally vital divalent cations Fe2+, Mn2+, Zn2+, as well as Cd2+. We identified the five NRAMP genes in cacao, sequenced these genes and studied their expression in various organs. We then confirmed the expression patterns in response to variation in nutrient cation availability and addition of Cd2+. Functional analysis by expression in yeast provided evidence that NRAMP5 encoded a protein capable of Cd2+ transport, and suggested this gene as a target for genetic selection/modification
A positive feedback loop of IL-17B-IL-17RB activates ERK/β-catenin to promote lung cancer metastasis
Inflammation contributes to the development and progression of cancer. Interleukin-17 (IL-17) is an inflammatory cytokine that functions in inflammation and cancer, as well as several other cellular processes. In this study, we investigated the roles and the prognostic value of IL-17 and the IL-17 receptor (IL-17R) in lung cancer. Gene expression microarray analysis followed by Kaplan-Meier survival curve showed that IL-17B was associated with poor patient survival, and IL-17B receptor (IL-17RB) was up-regulated in lung cancer tissue compared with normal tissue. Expression of IL-17RB was associated with lymph node metastasis and distant metastasis, as well as poor patient survival. IL-17RB overexpression significantly increased cancer cell invasion/migration and metastasis in vitro and in vivo. IL-17RB induced ERK phosphorylation, resulting in GSK3β inactivation and leading to β-catenin up-regulation. IL-17RB also participated in IL-17B synthesis via the ERK pathway. IL-17RB activation is required for IL-17B-mediated ERK phosphorylation. Taken together, IL-17B-IL-17RB signaling and ERK participate in a positive feedback loop that enhances invasion/migration ability in lung cancer cell lines. IL-17RB may therefore serve as an independent prognostic factor and a therapeutic target for lung cancer
Large- nonlinear models on
The large- nonlinear , models are studied on
. The -components scalar fields of the models are supposed
to acquire a phase , along the circulation
of the circle, . We evaluate the effective potentials to the leading order
of the expansion. It is shown that, on the model
has rich phase structure while the phase of model is just that of
the model at finite temperature.Comment: 12 pages(LaTex
Mode-Locking in Quantum-Hall-Effect Point Contacts
We study the effect of an ac drive on the current-voltage (I-V)
characteristics of a tunnel junction between two fractional Quantum Hall fluids
at filling an odd integer. Within the chiral Luttinger liquid model
of edge states, the point contact dynamics is described by a driven damped
quantum mechanical pendulum. In a semi-classical limit which ignores electron
tunnelling, this model exhibits mode-locking, which corresponds to current
plateaus in the I-V curve at integer multiples of , with
the ac drive angular frequency. By analyzing the full quantum model at
non-zero using perturbative and exact methods, we study the effect of
quantum fluctuation on the mode-locked plateaus. For quantum
fluctuations smear completely the plateaus, leaving no trace of the ac drive.
For smeared plateaus remain in the I-V curve, but are not
centered at the currents . For rounded plateaus
centered around the quantized current values are found. The possibility of
using mode locking in FQHE point contacts as a current-to-frequency standard is
discussed.Comment: 12 pages, 8 figures, minor change
Interaction Constants and Dynamic Conductance of a Gated Wire
We show that the interaction constant governing the long-range
electron-electron interaction in a quantum wire coupled to two reservoirs and
capacitively coupled to a gate can be determined by a low frequency
measurement. We present a self-consistent, charge and current conserving theory
of the full conductance matrix. The collective excitation spectrum consists of
plasma modes with a relaxation rate which increases with the interaction
strength and is inversely proportional to the length of the wire. The
interaction parameter is determined by the first two coefficients of the
out-of-phase component of the dynamic conductance measured at the gate.Comment: 4 pages, LaTeX, 2 figure
Effects of Molecular Structure and Packing Order on the Stretchability of Semicrystalline Conjugated Poly(Tetrathienoacene-diketopyrrolopyrrole) Polymers
The design of polymer semiconductors possessing high charge transport performance, coupled with good ductility, remains a challenge. Understanding the distribution and behavior of both crystalline domains and amorphous regions in conjugated polymer films, upon an applied stress, shall provide general guiding principles to design stretchable organic semiconductors. Structure–property relationships (especially in both side chain and backbone engineering) are investigated for a series of poly(tetrathienoacene-diketopyrrolopyrrole) polymers. It is observed that the fused thiophene diketopyrrolopyrrole-based polymer, when incorporated with branched side chains and an additional thiophene spacer in the backbone, exhibits improved mechanical endurance and, in addition, does not show crack propagation until 40% strain. Furthermore, this polymer exhibits a hole mobility of 0.1 cm2 V−1 s−1 even at 100% strain or after recovered from strain, which reveals prominent continuity and viscoelasticity of the polymer thin film. It is also observed that the molecular packing orientations (either edge-on or face-on) significantly affect the mechanical compliance of the polymer films. The improved stretchability of the polymers is attributed to both the presence of soft amorphous regions and the intrinsic packing arrangement of its crystalline domains
Holographic Superconductors from Einstein-Maxwell-Dilaton Gravity
We construct holographic superconductors from Einstein-Maxwell-dilaton
gravity in 3+1 dimensions with two adjustable couplings and the charge
carried by the scalar field. For the values of and we
consider, there is always a critical temperature at which a second order phase
transition occurs between a hairy black hole and the AdS RN black hole in the
canonical ensemble, which can be identified with the superconducting phase
transition of the dual field theory. We calculate the electric conductivity of
the dual superconductor and find that for the values of and where
is small the dual superconductor has similar properties to the
minimal model, while for the values of and where is
large enough, the electric conductivity of the dual superconductor exhibits
novel properties at low frequencies where it shows a "Drude Peak" in the real
part of the conductivity.Comment: 25 pages, 13 figures; v2, typos corrected; v3, refs added, to appear
in JHE
Examining the moderating effect of individual-level cultural values on users’ acceptance of E-learning in developing countries: a structural equation modeling of an extended technology acceptance model
In this study, we examine the effects of individual-level culture on the adoption and acceptance of e-learning tools by students in Lebanon using a theoretical framework based on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). To overcome possible limitations of using TAM in developing countries, we extend TAM to include subjective norms (SN) and quality of work life constructs as additional constructs and a number of cultural variables as moderators. The four cultural dimensions of masculinity/femininity (MF), individualism/collectivism, power distance and uncertainty avoidance were measured at the individual level to enable them to be integrated into the extended TAM as moderators and a research model was developed based on previous literature. To test the hypothesised model, data were collected from 569 undergraduate and postgraduate students using e-learning tools in Lebanon via questionnaire. The collected data were analysed using the structural equation modelling technique in conjunction with multi-group analysis. As hypothesised, the results of the study revealed perceived usefulness (PU), perceived ease of use (PEOU), SN and quality of work life to be significant determinants of students’ behavioural intention (BI) towards e-learning. The empirical results also demonstrated that the relationship between SN and BI was particularly sensitive to differences in individual-cultural values, with significant moderating effects observed for all four of the cultural dimensions studied. Some moderating effects of culture were also found for both PU and PEOU, however, contrary to expectations the effect of quality of work life was not found to be moderated by MF as some previous authors have predicted. The implications of these results to both theory and practice are explored in the paper
Edge-Magnetoplasmon Wave-Packet Revivals in the Quantum Hall Effect
The quantum Hall effect is necessarily accompanied by low-energy excitations
localized at the edge of a two-dimensional electron system. For the case of
electrons interacting via the long-range Coulomb interaction, these excitations
are edge magnetoplasmons. We address the time evolution of localized
edge-magnetoplasmon wave packets. On short times the wave packets move along
the edge with classical E cross B drift. We show that on longer times the wave
packets can have properties similar to those of the Rydberg wave packets that
are produced in atoms using short-pulsed lasers. In particular, we show that
edge-magnetoplasmon wave packets can exhibit periodic revivals in which a
dispersed wave packet reassembles into a localized one. We propose the study of
edge-magnetoplasmon wave packets as a tool to investigate dynamical properties
of integer and fractional quantum-Hall edges. Various scenarios are discussed
for preparing the initial wave packet and for detecting it at a later time. We
comment on the importance of magnetoplasmon-phonon coupling and on quantum and
thermal fluctuations.Comment: 18 pages, RevTex, 7 figures and 2 tables included, Fig. 5 was
originally 3Mbyte and had to be bitmapped for submission to archive; in the
process it acquired distracting artifacts, to upload the better version, see
http://physics.indiana.edu/~uli/publ/projects.htm
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