Signatures of a Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer Polariton Laser

Microcavity exciton polariton systems can have a wide range of macroscopic quantum effects that may be turned into better photonic technologies. Polariton Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC) and photon lasing have been widely accepted in the limits of low and high carrier densities, but identification of the expected Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BCS) state at intermediate densities remains elusive. While all three phases feature coherent photon emission, essential differences exist in their matter media. Most studies to date characterize only the photon field. Here, using a microcavity with strong- and weak-couplings co-existing in orthogonal linear polarizations, we directly measure the electronic gain in the matter media of a polariton laser, demonstrating a BCS-like polariton laser above the Mott transition density. Theoretical analysis reproduces the absorption spectra and lasing frequency shifts, revealing an electron distribution function characteristic of a polariton BCS state but modified by incoherent pumping and dissipation

Burnout and Associated Factors among Family Doctor Team Members in Different Types of Primary Healthcare Institutions：a Comparative Study

BackgroundBurnout has become a prominent issue as the increase of workload in family doctor team members in primary healthcare institutions during the promotion of contracted family doctor services. There is still a lack of research comparing the differences in burnout among family doctor team members in different types of primary healthcare institutions.ObjectiveTo compare burnout prevalence and associated factors between family doctors in community/township health centers, and those in community health stations/village clinics, providing a basis for improving the mental health status and team stability of family doctors, as well as the quality of services provided by them.MethodsFrom August 1 to 21, 2020, a multistage cluster random sampling method was used to select 760 family doctor team members〔201 (26.4%) working at community/township health centers, and 559 (73.6%) working at community health stations/village clinics〕 as the participants from primary healthcare institutions in 6 counties/county-level cities /districts of Taian City, Shandong Province. They were invited to attend a survey to complete Demographic Questionnaire and the Chinese version of Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey (MBI-GS) .ResultsOverall, the prevalence of burnout among the participants was 68.9% (524/760) . Overall, the prevalence of burnout among the participants was 68.9% (524/760) , and the prevalence of burnoutof family doctor team members in community/township health centers and community health stations/village clinics was 63.7% (128/201) and 70.8% (396/559) , respectively. The levels of burnout of family doctor team members in community health stations/village clinics was higher than that of those in community/township health centers, with a statistically significant difference (P<0.05) . Family doctor team members in community health stations/village clinics had higher total score of MBI-GS and higher subscale score of reduction of professional efficacy than did those in community /township health centers, with a statistically significant difference (P<0.05) . Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that: for family doctor team members in community/township health centers, the risk of burnout of those aged 41-50 years is higher than that aged≤30 years〔OR (95%CI) =7.119 (1.770, 28.638) 〕, the risk of burnout of those with monthly income >4 000 yuan is lower than that with monthly income <2 000 yuan〔OR (95%CI) =0.194 (0.040, 0.941) 〕, the risk of burnout of those with high/very high self-rated work pressure is higher than that of those without/little self-rated work pressure〔OR (95%CI) =3.629 (1.475, 8.929) 〕, the risk of job burnout of those who evaluated the incentive mechanism as ordinary and relative effective/very effective was lower than that evaluated the incentive mechanism as very ineffective/less effective〔OR (95%CI) were 0.196 (0.052, 0.739) and 0.235 (0.066, 0.834) 〕. For the family doctor team members in community health stations/village clinics, the risk of burnout in women is lower than that in men〔OR (95%CI) =0.603 (0.396, 0.920) 〕, the risk of job burnout of those with general and relatively high/very high self-assessment residents' recognition is lower than that with very low/relatively low self-assessment residents' recognition〔OR (95%CI) were 0.258 (0.113, 0.590) and 0.428 (0.199, 0.918) 〕, the risk of burnout of those with high/very high self-rated job stress is higher than that without/little self-rated job stress〔OR (95%CI) =2.320 (1.368, 3.935) 〕.ConclusionFamily doctor team members in community health stations/village clinics demonstrated higher burnout prevalence, and lower professional efficacy. To reduce the burnout prevalence and improve professional efficacy in family doctor team members, it is suggested to strengthen trainings, increase salary and further improve incentive mechanism for those in community/township health centers, and to increase the number of officially budgeted posts, and promotion opportunities as well as the propaganda of contracted family doctor services for those in community health stations/village clinics. Moreover, the workflow of contracting family doctor services should be simplified in all these institutions

Overexpression of the Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) TaPEPKR2 Gene Enhances Heat and Dehydration Tolerance in Both Wheat and Arabidopsis

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) yield and quality are adversely affected by heat, drought, or the combination of these two stresses in many regions of the world. A phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase kinase-related kinase gene, TaPEPKR2, was identified from our previous heat stress-responsive transcriptome analysis of heat susceptible and tolerant wheat cultivars. Based on the wheat cultivar Chinese Spring genome sequence, TaPEPKR2 was mapped to chromosome 5B. Expression analysis revealed that TaPEPKR2 was induced by heat and polyethylene glycol treatment. To analyze the function of TaPEPKR2 in wheat, we transformed it into the wheat cultivar Liaochun10, and observed that the transgenic lines exhibited enhanced heat and dehydration stress tolerance. To examine whether TaPEPKR2 exhibits the same function in dicotyledonous plants, we transformed it into Arabidopsis, and found that its overexpression functionally enhanced tolerance to heat and dehydration stresses. Our results imply that TaPEPKR2 plays an important role in both heat and dehydration stress tolerance, and could be utilized as a candidate gene in transgenic breeding

Genome-wide identification and expression profiling of auxin response factor (ARF) gene family in maize

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Auxin signaling is vital for plant growth and development, and plays important role in apical dominance, tropic response, lateral root formation, vascular differentiation, embryo patterning and shoot elongation. Auxin Response Factors (ARFs) are the transcription factors that regulate the expression of auxin responsive genes. The <it>ARF </it>genes are represented by a large multigene family in plants. The first draft of full maize genome assembly has recently been released, however, to our knowledge, the <it>ARF </it>gene family from maize (<it>ZmARF </it>genes) has not been characterized in detail.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In this study, 31 maize (<it>Zea mays </it>L.) genes that encode ARF proteins were identified in maize genome. It was shown that maize <it>ARF </it>genes fall into related sister pairs and chromosomal mapping revealed that duplication of <it>ZmARFs </it>was associated with the chromosomal block duplications. As expected, duplication of some <it>ZmARFs </it>showed a conserved intron/exon structure, whereas some others were more divergent, suggesting the possibility of functional diversification for these genes. Out of these 31 <it>ZmARF </it>genes, 14 possess auxin-responsive element in their promoter region, among which 7 appear to show small or negligible response to exogenous auxin. The 18 <it>ZmARF </it>genes were predicted to be the potential targets of small RNAs. Transgenic analysis revealed that increased miR167 level could cause degradation of transcripts of six potential targets (<it>ZmARF3</it>, <it>9</it>, <it>16</it>, <it>18</it>, <it>22 </it>and <it>30</it>). The expressions of maize <it>ARF </it>genes are responsive to exogenous auxin treatment. Dynamic expression patterns of <it>ZmARF </it>genes were observed in different stages of embryo development.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Maize <it>ARF </it>gene family is expanded (31 genes) as compared to <it>Arabidopsis </it>(23 genes) and rice (25 genes). The expression of these genes in maize is regulated by auxin and small RNAs. Dynamic expression patterns of <it>ZmARF </it>genes in embryo at different stages were detected which suggest that maize <it>ARF </it>genes may be involved in seed development and germination.</p

Association between Overweight, Obesity and the Prevalence of Multimorbidity among the Elderly: Evidence from a Cross-Sectional Analysis in Shandong, China

(1) Background: Multimorbidity, defined as the occurrence of two or more chronic diseases, is a global public health problem which has a significant negative impact on individuals, families and the society. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between overweight, obesity and the prevalence of multimorbidity among male and female older adults; (2) Methods: Cross-sectional data of the 7070 participants from China, aged 60 years and above included in 2017 the Shandong Elderly Family Health Service Survey were analyzed. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to examine the relationship between overweight, obesity and the prevalence of multimorbidity in males and females; (3) Results: Among the 7070 participants, of which 40.25% were males and 59.75% were females, the average age of all participants was (69.81 &plusmn; 6.45) years old. The prevalence of multimorbidity in older adults was 34.71%, and the overweight and obesity rates were 39.25% and 16.89%. Among the male elderly, the likelihood of multimorbidity was more than two times higher among the obese than the normal BMI population (OR: 2.14; 95%CI: 1.63&ndash;2.82). A less strong association was found in the overweight male older population (OR: 1.43; 95%CI: 1.18&ndash;1.74). In the females, compared with individuals with normal BMI, the risks for incident multimorbidity were high in the overweight and obese groups, with odds ratios of 1.42 (95%CI: 1.21&ndash;1.65) and 1.81 (95%CI: 1.51&ndash;2.17), respectively. (4) Conclusions: In this study, overweight and obesity had the strongest association with the prevalence of multimorbidity among Chinese older adults, and the associations were different between the male and female elderly. The prevalence of multimorbidity might be effectively prevented by controlling body mass index. Encouraging the elderly to eat the recommended amount of vegetables and fruits, walk at least 30 min a day and have enough sleep to maintain a healthy weight

Photoluminescence of ZnS: Mn quantum dot by hydrothermal method

ZnS: Mn quantum dots (QDs) with the average grain size from 4.2 to 7.2 nm were synthesized by a hydrothermal method. All samples were cubic zinc blende structure (β-ZnS) measured using X-ray diffraction (XRD). And the main diffraction peaks of ZnS: Mn shifted slightly towards higher angle in comparison with the intrinsic ZnS because of the substitution of Mn2+ for Zn2+. Due to the small grain size (4-7 nm) effect, the poor dispersion and serious reunion phenomenon for the samples were observed from transmission electron microscopy (TEM). ZnS: Mn QDs had four peaks centered at 466, 495, 522, and 554 nm, respectively, in the photoluminescence (PL) spectra, in which the band at 554 nm absent in the intrinsic ZnS: Mn is attributed to the doping of Mn2+ in the lattice sites. As the concentration of Mn2+ increasing from 0% to 0.6 at%, the intensity of the PL emission also increased. But the concentration reached 0.9 at%, quenching of PL emission occurred. The peak in ZnS: Mn QDs observed at 490 cm-1 was originated from the stretching vibration of the Mn–O bonds in the Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra. And the small changes about this peak compared with the previous reports at 500 cm-1 can be attributed to the formation of quantum dots. This method we utilized to synthesize ZnS: Mn QDs is very simple, low cost, and applicable for other semiconductor QD materials

AR Expression Correlates with Distinctive Clinicopathological and Genomic Features in Breast Cancer Regardless of ESR1 Expression Status

Androgen receptor (AR) expression is frequently observed in breast cancer, but its association with estrogen receptor (ER) expression in breast cancer remains unclear. This study analyzed the clinicopathological and molecular features associated with AR negativity in both ER-positive and ER-negative breast cancer, trying to elucidate the molecular correlation between AR and ER. Our results showed that AR negativity was associated with different clinicopathological characteristics and molecular features in ER-positive and ER-negative breast cancer. Moreover, AR-positive breast cancer has better clinicopathological features than AR-negative breast cancer, especially in the ER-negative subtype. These results suggest that the role of AR in ER-negative breast cancer is distinctive from that in ER-positive breast cancer

Data from: Genome-wide mapping of targets of maize histone deacetylase hda101 reveals its function and regulatory mechanism during seed development

Histone deacetylases (HDACs) control histone acetylation levels by removing acetyl group from lysine residues. Maize (Zea mays) HDAC HDA101 influences several aspects of development, including kernel size; however, the molecular mechanism by which HDA101 affects kernel development remains unknown. In this study, we find HDA101 regulates the expression of transfer cell-specific genes, suggesting their mis-regulation may be associated with defects in differentiation of transfer cells and smaller kernels of hda101 mutants. To investigate HDA101 function during early stages of seed development, we performed genome-wide mapping of HDA101 binding sites. We observed that HDA101 mainly targets highly and intermediately expressed genes. Although loss of HDA101 can induce histone hyper-acetylation of its direct targets, this often does not involve variation in transcription. A small subset of inactive genes that must be negatively regulated during kernel development are also targeted by HDA101 and its loss leads to hyper-acetylation and increased expression of these genes. Finally, we report HDA101 interacts with members of different chromatin remodeling complexes, such as NFC103/MSI1 and SNL1/SIN3-like co-repressors. Taken together, our results reveal a complex genetic network regulated by HDA101 during seed development and provide insights into the different mechanisms of HDA101-mediated regulation of transcriptionally active and inactive genes

Characterization of wheat MYB genes responsive to high temperatures

Abstract Background Heat stress is one of the most crucial environmental factors, which reduces crop yield worldwide. In plants, the MYB family is one of the largest families of transcription factors (TFs). Although some wheat stress-related MYB TFs have been characterized, their involvement in response to high-temperature stress has not been properly studied. Results Six novel heat-induced MYB genes were identified by comparison with previously established de novo transcriptome sequencing data obtained from wheat plants subjected to heat treatment; genomic and complete coding sequences of these genes were isolated. All six TaMYBs were localized in the nucleus of wheat protoplasts. Transactivation assays in yeast revealed that all six proteins acted as transcriptional activators, and the activation domains were attributed to the C-termini of the six wheat MYB proteins. Phylogenetic analysis of the six TaMYBs and R2R3-MYBs from Arabidopsis revealed that all six proteins were in clades that contained stress-related MYB TFs. The expression profiles of TaMYB genes were different in wheat tissues and in response to various abiotic stresses and exogenous abscisic acid treatment. In transgenic Arabidopsis plants carrying TaMYB80 driven by the CaMV 35S promoter, tolerance to heat and drought stresses increased, which could be attributed to the increased levels of cellular abscisic acid. Conclusions We identified six heat-induced MYB genes in wheat. We performed comprehensive analyses of the cloned MYB genes and their gene products, including gene structures, subcellular localization, transcriptional activation, phylogenetic relationships, and expression patterns in different wheat tissues and under various abiotic stresses. In particular, we showed that TaMYB80 conferred heat and drought tolerance in transgenic Arabidopsis. These results contribute to our understanding of the functions of heat-induced MYB genes and provide the basis for selecting the best candidates for in-depth functional studies of heat-responsive MYB genes in wheat