114 research outputs found

    Lifshitz effects on holographic pp-wave superfluid

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    In the probe limit, we numerically build a holographic pp-wave superfluid model in the four-dimensional Lifshitz black hole coupled to a Maxwell-complex vector field. We observe the rich phase structure and find that the Lifshitz dynamical exponent zz contributes evidently to the effective mass of the matter field and dimension of the gravitational background. Concretely, we obtain the Cave of Winds appeared only in the five-dimensional anti-de Sitter~(AdS) spacetime, and the increasing zz hinders not only the condensate but also the appearance of the first-order phase transition. Furthermore, our results agree with the Ginzburg-Landau results near the critical temperature. In addition, the previous AdS superfluid model is generalized to the Lifshitz spacetime.Comment: 14 pages,5 figures, and 1 table, accepted by Phys. Lett.

    High-quality ice plant reference genome analysis provides insights into genome evolution and allows exploration of genes involved in the transition from C3 to CAM pathways

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    Ice plant (Mesembryanthemum crystallinum), a member of the Aizoaceae family, is a typical halophyte crop and a model plant for studying the mechanism of transition from C3 photosynthesis to crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM). Here, we report a high-quality chromosome-level ice plant genome sequence. This 98.05% genome sequence is anchored to nine chromosomes, with a total length of 377.97 Mb and an N50 scaffold of 40.45 Mb. Almost half of the genome (48.04%) is composed of repetitive sequences, and 24 234 genes have been annotated. Subsequent to the ancient whole-genome triplication (WGT) that occurred in eudicots, there has been no recent whole-genome duplication (WGD) or WGT in ice plants. However, we detected a novel WGT event that occurred in the same order in Simmondsia chinensis, which was previously overlooked. Our findings revealed that ice plants have undergone chromosome rearrangements and gene removal during evolution. Combined with transcriptome and comparative genomic data and expression verification, we identified several key genes involved in the CAM pathway and constructed a comprehensive network. As the first genome of the Aizoaceae family to be released, this report will provide a rich data resource for comparative and functional genomic studies of Aizoaceae, especially for studies on salt tolerance and C3-to-CAM transitions to improve crop yield and resistance

    Changes in Volatile Profiles and Activity of Hydroperoxide Lyase and Alcohol Dehydrogenase During the Development of Cabernet Sauvignon Grapes (Vitis vinifera L.)

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    In this study we focused on the development of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes and investigated changes in theactivity of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and hydroperoxide lyase (HPL) in different tissues. We sampledgrape skin at four, six, seven, eight, nine, 10, 12, 14 and 16 weeks after anthesis; developing flowers whenblooming at 0%, 5%, 50%, and 90%; and leaves at two and four weeks before anthesis and at two, four,six, eight, nine, and 10 weeks after anthesis. We also examined the type and fluctuation of volatile contents.ADH activity increased with the development of flowers and grape skins, which led to the increasing oftypes and concentration of alcohols. Low levels of 9-HPL led to low concentrations of C9 compounds.According to this paper, C6 compounds became abundant with the development of grape berries, while theactivity of 13-HPL kept at a low level in the flowers and grape skins. There might have been a high level of13-HPL activity from the end of flowering until fruit setting that we did not detect. Furthermore, similarC6 and C5 compounds were detected across all tissues, including hexanal, (E)-2-hexenal, (Z)-3-hexenal,(Z)-2-penten-1-ol, (Z)-3-hexen-1-ol, 1-hexanol and 3-hexen-1-ol. Generally speaking, the concentrations ofC6 and C5 compounds could be used as the criterion of maturation of the three grape tissues

    AVNP2 protects against cognitive impairments induced by C6 glioma by suppressing tumour associated inflammation in rats

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    © 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/BY-NC-ND/4.0/).Glioblastoma is a kind of malignant tumour and originates from the central nervous system. In the last century, some researchers and clinician have noticed that the psychosocial and neurocognitive functioning of patients with malignant gliomas can be impaired. Many clinical studies have demonstrated that part of patients, adults or children, diagnosed with glioblastoma will suffer from cognitive deficiency during their clinical course, especially in long-term survivors. Many nanoparticles (NPs) can inhibit the biological functions of tumours by modulating tumour-associated inflammation, which provokes angiogenesis and tumour growth. As one of the best antiviral nanoparticles (AVNPs), AVNP2 is the 2nd generation of AVNP2 that have been conjugated to graphite-graphene for improving physiochemical performance and reducing toxicity. AVNP2 inactivates viruses, such as the H1N1 and H5N1influenza viruses and even the SARS coronavirus, while it inhibits bacteria, such as MRSA and E. coli. As antimicrobials, nanoparticles are considered to be one of the vectors for the administration of therapeutic compounds. Yet, little is known about their potential functionalities and toxicities to the neurotoxic effects of cancer. Herein, we explored the functionality of AVNP2 on inhibiting C6 in glioma-bearing rats. The novel object-recognition test and open-field test showed that AVNP2 significantly improved the neuro-behaviour affected by C6 glioma. AVNP2 also alleviated the decline of long-term potentiation (LTP) and the decreased density of dendritic spines in the CA1 region induced by C6. Western blot assay and immunofluorescence staining showed that the expressions of synaptic-related proteins (PSD-95 and SYP) were increased, and these findings were in accordance with the results mentioned above. It revealed that the sizes of tumours in C6 glioma-bearing rats were smaller after treatment with AVNP2. The decreased expression of inflammatory factors (IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α) by Western blotting assay and ELISA, angiogenesis protein (VEGF) by Western blotting assay and other related proteins (BDNF, NF-ĸB, iNOS and COX-2) by Western blotting assay in peri-tumour tissue indicated that AVNP2 could control tumour-associated inflammation, thus efficiently ameliorating the local inflammatory condition and, to some extent, inhibiting angiogenesis in C6-bearing rats. In conclusion, our results suggested that AVNP2 could have an effect on the peri-tumor environment, obviously restraining the growth progress of gliomas, and eventually improving cognitive levels in C6-bearing rats.Peer reviewedProo

    Gene Expression Profiles Underlying Selective T-Cell-Mediated Immunity Activity of a Chinese Medicine Granule on Mice Infected with Influenza Virus H1N1

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    A Chinese medicine granule, Shu-Feng-Xuan-Fei (SFXF), is critical for viral clearance in early phase of influenza virus infection. In this study, 72 ICR mice were randomly divided into six groups: normal control group, virus control group, Oseltamivir group, low-dose SFXF, medium-dose SFXF, and high-dose SFXF. Mice were anesthetized and inoculated with 4LD50 of influenza virus A (H1N1) except normal control group. Oseltamivir group received 11.375 mg·kg−1·d−1 Oseltamivir Phosphate. SFXF 3.76, 1.88 and 0.94 g·kg−1·d−1 were administrated to mice in all SFXF groups. Each group was in equal dose of 0.2ml daily for 4 consecutive days. Mice were sacrificed and then total RNA was extracted in lung tissue. Some genes involved in T-cell-mediated immunity were selected by DNA microarray. These candidate genes were verified by Real-Time PCR and western immunoblotting. Compared with virus control group, in Toll-like receptor signaling pathway, 12 virus-altered genes were significantly reduced following medium-dose SFXF treatment. Eighteen antigen processing presentation-associated genes were upregulated by medium-dose SFXF. In the process of T cell receptor signaling pathway, 19 genes were downregulated by medium-dose SFXF treatment. On exploration into effector T cells activation and cytokines, all of altered genes in virus control group were reversed by medium-dose SFXF. Real-time PCR and western immunoblotting showed that the regulation of medium-dose SFXF in IL-4, IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-1β, TLR7, MyD88, p38, and JNK was superior to Oseltamivir and high-dose SFXF group. Therefore, SFXF granules could reduce influenza infected cells and activation of T cells

    The burden of headache in China: validation of diagnostic questionnaire for a population-based survey

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    The objective of this study was to test the validity, in the Chinese population, of the Lifting The Burden diagnostic questionnaire for the purpose of a population-based survey of the burden of headache in China. From all regions of China, a population-based sample of 417 respondents had completed the structured questionnaire in a door-to-door survey conducted by neurologists from local hospitals calling unannounced. They were contacted for re-interview by telephone by headache specialists who were unaware of the questionnaire diagnoses. A screening question ascertained whether headache had occurred in the last year. If they had, the specialists applied their expertise and ICHD-II diagnostic criteria to make independent diagnoses which, as the gold standard, were later compared with the questionnaire diagnoses. There were 18 refusals; 399 interviews were conducted in 202 women and 197 men aged 18–65 years (mean age 44.4 ± 12.6 years). In comparison to the specialists’ diagnoses, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and Cohen’s kappa (95% CI) of the questionnaire for the diagnosis of migraine were 0.83, 0.99, 0.83, 0.99 and 0.82 (0.71–0.93), respectively; for the diagnosis of tension-type headache (TTH), they were 0.51, 0.99, 0.86, 0.92 and 0.59 (0.46–0.72), respectively. In conclusion, the questionnaire was accurate and reliable in diagnosing migraine (agreement level excellent), less so, but adequate, for TTH (sensitivity relatively low, false negative rate relatively high and agreement level fair to good). The non-specific features of TTH do not lend themselves well to diagnosis by questionnaire

    Ilustrações de cartilhas escolares na Primeira República (1889-1930) : a historiografia da educação no Espírito Santo por entre traços e espaços em branco

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    Este estudo objetivou investigar significados das ilustrações contidas nas cartilhas utilizadas no ensino primário, no Espírito Santo, na Primeira República, sendo que, nesse recorte temporal, procuramos tomar as duas reformas educacionais capixabas desse período: a Reforma Gomes Cardim (1908-1909) e a Reforma Atílio Vivacqua (1928-1930), como de pontos de referência em nossa investigação. Partindo de uma análise dessas ilustrações no conjunto de projetos políticos, pedagógicos, culturais e estéticos que perpassaram a escolarização no Espírito Santo, procuramos mapear o panorama que contextualizava a produção dessas ilustrações, nas esferas: social, política, econômica, cultural e educacional, procurando compreender suas relações de força e possíveis tensões; investigar se as ilustrações se relacionavam com os métodos de ensino propostos nas cartilhas, procurando estabelecer e compreender a presença ou ausência dessa relação nas práticas pedagógicas propostas para o ensino primário capixaba, nesse período; bem como, verificar quais os possíveis impactos e reflexos das Reformas Educacionais ocorridas na Primeira República, no Espírito Santo, sobre as ilustrações nas cartilhas, procurando identificá-los. Nessa investigação historiográfica, nossa ancoragem teórico-metodológica fundamenta-se em interlocuções com Marc Bloch, em sua perspectiva histórica, onde buscamos compreensão do ofício do historiador, de modo que, privilegiando a multiplicidade das fontes, procuramos tensioná-las a fim de alcançar o seu testemunho histórico; em Ginzburg, construímos fundamentos que nos permitiram tomar o método indiciário como ferramenta de pesquisa, assim como, suas reflexões sobre morfologia das imagens, por meio do método morelliano, e suas aproximações com as teorias warbuguianas, nos embasaram na abordagem histórica e leitura de fontes iconográficas; por fim, em Benjamin, procuramos compreender o contexto de produção das ilustrações, que, pertencendo ao campo de domínio da linguagem da arte, em suas várias formas de expressões, abrangem percepções de mundo, do seu momento histórico. Desse modo, analisando, historicamente, as ilustrações nas cartilhas, percebemos que as mesmas se constituem como indícios que nos oferecem pistas de propostas pedagógicas, tendências metodológicas e políticas públicas, do espaço e tempo de sua produção, circulação e utilização. Portanto, concluímos que as ilustrações têm a potência de narrativas de uma cultura escolar, ao representarem palavras, textos e temas, assim sendo, detêm valores, sentidos e significados. Portanto, enquanto objetos culturais, trazem informações, que registram pontos de vista culturais e escolares das épocas, além dos elementos que desenvolvem habilidades de leitura e escrita. À vista disso, concluímos que as ilustrações e seus significados, que lhe são atribuídos ao longo do tempo nos espaços escolares, se constituem como possibilidades que oportunizam narrativas historiográficas.This study aimed to investigate meanings of the illustrations contained in textbooks used in primary education in Espírito Santo, during the First Republic. Given this time frame, we attempted to take both capixaba educational reformations: Gomes Cardim Reformation (1908-1909) and the Atilio Vivacqua Reformation (1928-1930), as benchmarks in our investigation. Based on an analysis of these illustrations on the set of political, educational, cultural and aesthetic projects that permeated the school in Espírito Santo, we tried to map the landscape that contextualized the production of these illustrations, in the social, political, economic, cultural and educational realms, seeking to understand their power relations and possible tensions; investigating whether the illustrations were related to the teaching methods proposed in the textbooks, and trying to establish and understand the presence or absence of that relationship in the pedagogical practices proposed for the capixaba primary education in this period, as well as check what the possible impacts and outcomes of Educational Reforms occurred in the First Republic, in Espírito Santo on the illustrations in textbooks were, trying to identify them. For this historiographical research, our theoretical and methodological anchoring is based on dialogues with Marc Bloch, in his historical perspective, where we seek understanding of the historian's craft, so that in favoring the multiplicity of sources, we attempt to bend them in order to achieve their historical testimony; in Ginzburg, we build foundations that allowed us to take the evidential method as a research tool, as well as his reflections on the morphology of images, through the Morellian method and its approach to the Warburgian theories, which supported with the historical approach and the "reading" of iconographic sources; Finally, in Benjamin, we tried to understand the context of production of illustrations, which, belonging to the domain of the language of art, in its various forms of expression, encompasses perceptions of the world, and its historical moment. Thus, historically, analyzing the illustrations in textbooks, we realize that they constitute as evidence that give away hints of educational proposals, methodological trends and public policies, about the space and time of its production, circulation and use. We therefore conclude that the illustrations have the narrative power of a school culture, as they represent words, texts and themes, therefore, holding values, senses and meanings. Therefore, as cultural objects, provide information, which record cultural and school views of their times besides the elements meant to develop reading and writing skills. In view of this, we conclude that the illustrations and their meanings, which are assigned over the course of time in school spaces, are constituted as possibilities that allow for historiographical narratives.FAPE

    Downregulation of Fat Mass and Obesity Associated (FTO) Promotes the Progression of Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma

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    Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) ranks as the second most malignant type of primary liver cancer with a high degree of incidence and a very poor prognosis. Fat mass and obesity-associated protein (FTO) functions as an eraser of the RNA m6A modification, but its roles in ICC tumorigenesis and development remain unknown. We showed here that the protein level of FTO was downregulated in clinical ICC samples and cell lines and that FTO expression was inversely correlated with the expression of CA19-9 and micro-vessel density (MVD). A Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that a low expression of FTO predicted poor prognosis in ICC. in vitro, decreased endogenous expression of FTO obviously reduced apoptosis of ICC cells. Moreover, FTO suppressed the anchorage-independent growth and mobility of ICC cells. Through mining the database, FTO was found to regulate the integrin signaling pathway, inflammation signaling pathway, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling pathway, angiogenesis, and the pyrimidine metabolism pathway. RNA decay assay showed that oncogene TEAD2 mRNA stability was impaired by FTO. In addition, the overexpression of FTO suppressed tumor growth in vivo. In conclusion, our study demonstrated the critical roles of FTO in ICC

    Prior Antiplatelet Therapy, Excluding Phosphodiesterase Inhibitor Is Associated with Poor Outcome in Patients with Spontaneous Intracerebral Haemorrhage.

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    “This is a post-peer-review, pre-copyedit version of an article published in Translational Stroke Research. The final authenticated version is available online at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12975-019-00722-x”.There is conflicting results on whether prior antiplatelet therapy (APT) is associated with poor outcome in spontaneous intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH) patients. To determine whether prior APT is associated with spontaneous ICH, and whether there is a difference between the different types of APT, including cyclooxygenase inhibitor (COX-I), adenosine diphosphate receptor inhibitor (ADP-I) and phosphodiesterase inhibitor (PDE-I). A retrospective study of patients with ICH diagnosed between 2001 and 2013 in the National Health Insurance Research Database. Baseline unbalance between APT and non-APT groups was solved by multivariable adjustment (primary analysis) and propensity score matching (sensitivity analysis). Patients with prior APT had a higher rate of in-hospital death (odds ratio [OR], 1.16; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.09-1.23) compared to non-APT group. Compared to non-APT group, there was a greater rate of in-hospital death with spontaneous ICH with ADP-I (OR, 1.49; 95% CI, 1.24-1.79) and COX-I (OR, 1.17; 95% CI, 1.09-1.25). PDE-I exhibited no difference in in-hospital death with spontaneous ICH (OR, 1.03; 95% CI, 0.91-1.16) compared to non-APT group. Remarkably, the in-hospital mortality rate was significantly higher in the ADP-I group than in the PDE-I group (hazard ratio, 1.45; 95% CI, 1.17-1.80). In this study, ADP-I and COX-1, but not PDE-I, are the most likely contributors to the association of APT with poor outcome with spontaneous ICH patients. These findings suggest that the complexity of the different mechanism of actions of prior APT can alter the outcome in spontaneous ICH.Chang Gung Memorial Hospital (CMRPG3H1061, CMRPG3G1002

    Measurement of ultra-high-energy diffuse gamma-ray emission of the Galactic plane from 10 TeV to 1 PeV with LHAASO-KM2A

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    The diffuse Galactic γ\gamma-ray emission, mainly produced via interactions between cosmic rays and the interstellar medium and/or radiation field, is a very important probe of the distribution, propagation, and interaction of cosmic rays in the Milky Way. In this work we report the measurements of diffuse γ\gamma-rays from the Galactic plane between 10 TeV and 1 PeV energies, with the square kilometer array of the Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory (LHAASO). Diffuse emissions from the inner (15<l<12515^{\circ}<l<125^{\circ}, b<5|b|<5^{\circ}) and outer (125<l<235125^{\circ}<l<235^{\circ}, b<5|b|<5^{\circ}) Galactic plane are detected with 29.1σ29.1\sigma and 12.7σ12.7\sigma significance, respectively. The outer Galactic plane diffuse emission is detected for the first time in the very- to ultra-high-energy domain (E>10E>10~TeV). The energy spectrum in the inner Galaxy regions can be described by a power-law function with an index of 2.99±0.04-2.99\pm0.04, which is different from the curved spectrum as expected from hadronic interactions between locally measured cosmic rays and the line-of-sight integrated gas content. Furthermore, the measured flux is higher by a factor of 3\sim3 than the prediction. A similar spectrum with an index of 2.99±0.07-2.99\pm0.07 is found in the outer Galaxy region, and the absolute flux for 10E6010\lesssim E\lesssim60 TeV is again higher than the prediction for hadronic cosmic ray interactions. The latitude distributions of the diffuse emission are consistent with the gas distribution, while the longitude distributions show clear deviation from the gas distribution. The LHAASO measurements imply that either additional emission sources exist or cosmic ray intensities have spatial variations.Comment: 12 pages, 8 figures, 5 tables; accepted for publication in Physical Review Letters; source mask file provided as ancillary fil
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