Enhancement of Quantum Sensing in a Cavity Optomechanical System around Quantum Critical Point

The precision of quantum sensing could be improved by exploiting quantum phase transitions, where the physical quantity tends to diverge when the system is approaching the quantum critical point. This critical enhancement phenomenon has been applied to the quantum Rabi model in a dynamic framework, showing a promising sensing enhancement without the complex initial state preparation. In this work, we find a quantum phase transition in the coupling cavity-mechanical oscillator system when the coupling strength crosses a critical point, determined by the effective detuning of cavity and frequency of mechanical mode. By utilizing this critical phenomenon, we obtain a prominent enhancement of quantum sensing, such as the position and momentum of the mechanical oscillator. This result provides an alternative method to enhance the quantum sensing of some physical quantities, such as mass, charge, and weak force, in a large mass system

Molecular Tweezers-like Calix[4]arene Based Alkaline Earth Metal Cation (Ca2+, Sr2+, and Ba2+) Chemosensor and Its Imaging in Living Cells and Zebrafish

Although alkaline earth metal cations play an important role in our daily life, little attention has been paid to the field of fast quantitative analysis of their content due to a lack of satisfactory precision and a fast and convenient means of detection. In this study, we have designed a set of molecular tweezers based on the calix[4]arene chemosensor L, which was found to exhibit high selectivity and sensitivity toward Ca2+, Sr2+, and Ba2+ (by UV-vis and fluorescence methods) with low detection limits of the order of 10-7 to 10-8 M and high association constants (of the order of 106). More significantly, sensor L not only can recognize Ca2+, Sr2+, and Ba2+ but also can further discriminate between these three cations via the differing red shifts in their UV-vis spectra (560 nm for L·Ca2+, 570 nm for L·Sr2+, and 580 nm for L·Ba2+ complex) which is attributed to their different atomic radii. A rare synergistic effect for the recognition mechanism has been demonstrated by 1H NMR spectroscopic titration. Sensor L constructed a high shielding field by the cooperation of Tris with alkaline earth metal ion after complex. Additionally, the presence of acetoxymethyl group in sensor L results in enhancement of cell permeability, and as a consequence, sensor L exhibited excellent sensing and imaging (in vivo) in living cells and in zebrafish

Hierarchical TiO2/C nanocomposite monoliths with a robust scaffolding architecture, mesopore-macropore network and TiO2-C heterostructure for high-performance lithium ion batteries.

Engineering hierarchical structures of electrode materials is a powerful strategy for optimizing the electrochemical performance of an anode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Herein, we report the fabrication of hierarchical TiO2/C nanocomposite monoliths by mediated mineralization and carbonization using bacterial cellulose (BC) as a scaffolding template as well as a carbon source. TiO2/C has a robust scaffolding architecture, a mesopore-macropore network and TiO2-C heterostructure. TiO2/C-500, obtained by calcination at 500 °C in nitrogen, contains an anatase TiO2-C heterostructure with a specific surface area of 66.5 m(2) g(-1). When evaluated as an anode material at 0.5 C, TiO2/C-500 exhibits a high and reversible lithium storage capacity of 188 mA h g(-1), an excellent initial capacity of 283 mA h g(-1), a long cycle life with a 94% coulombic efficiency preserved after 200 cycles, and a very low charge transfer resistance. The superior electrochemical performance of TiO2/C-500 is attributed to the synergistic effect of high electrical conductivity, anatase TiO2-C heterostructure, mesopore-macropore network and robust scaffolding architecture. The current material strategy affords a general approach for the design of complex inorganic nanocomposites with structural stability, and tunable and interconnected hierarchical porosity that may lead to the next generation of electrochemical supercapacitors with high energy efficiency and superior power density.Sincere gratitude goes to funding agencies for financially support: Y. Xu to NNSF China (2117 1067, 21373100), Jilin Provincial Talent Fund (802110000412) and Tang Aoqing Professor Fund of Jilin University (450091105161). T. Hasan to the Royal Academy of Engineering Research Fellowship. B.L. Su to the Thousand Talents Program of China (“Expert of the State” position), Clare Hall Life Membership at the Clare Hall College and the financial support of the Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, L.H. Chen and Y. Li to the Department of Education of Hubei Province for “Chutian Scholar” program, NNSF China (21301133), Hubei Natural Science Foundation (2014CFB1 60, 2015CFB428) and the financial support of SRF for ROCS (SEM [2015]311).This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from the Royal Society of Chemistry via https://doi.org/10.1039/C5NR09149

Eosinophil-derived neurotoxin acts as an alarmin to activate the TLR2–MyD88 signal pathway in dendritic cells and enhances Th2 immune responses

Eosinophil-derived neurotoxin (EDN) is an eosinophil granule–derived secretory protein with ribonuclease and antiviral activity. We have previously shown that EDN can induce the migration and maturation of dendritic cells (DCs). Here, we report that EDN can activate myeloid DCs by triggering the Toll-like receptor (TLR)2–myeloid differentiation factor 88 signaling pathway, thus establishing EDN as an endogenous ligand of TLR2. EDN activates TLR2 independently of TLR1 or TLR6. When mice were immunized with ovalbumin (OVA) together with EDN or with EDN-treated OVA-loaded DCs, EDN enhanced OVA-specific T helper (Th)2-biased immune responses as indicated by predominant production of OVA-specific interleukin (IL)-5, IL-6, IL-10, and IL-13, as well as higher levels of immunoglobulin (Ig)G1 than IgG2a. Based on its ability to serve as a chemoattractant and activator of DCs, as well as the capacity to enhance antigen-specific immune responses, we consider EDN to have the properties of an endogenous alarmin that alerts the adaptive immune system for preferential enhancement of antigen-specific Th2 immune responses

Black Holes as the source of the dark energy: a stringent test with the high-redshift JWST AGNs

It has been suggested that there is evidence for cosmological coupling of black holes (BHs) with an index of $k\approx 3$ and hence the BHs serve as the astrophysical source of the dark energy. The data sample however is limited for the redshifts $\leq 2.5$. Recently, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has detected more than 180 high-redshift Active Galactic Nuclei (AGNs) and quasars. Among the JWST NIRSpec/NIRCam resolved AGNs, three are identified in early-type host galaxies with a redshift $z\sim 4.5-7$. Their $M_{\star}$ and $M_{\rm BH}$, however, are in tension with the prediction of the cosmological coupling of black holes with $k=3$ at a confidence level of $\sim 3\sigma$, which is not in support of the hypothesis that BHs serve as the origin of dark energy. The future observations of high-redshift AGNs by JWST will further test such a hypothesis by identifying more early-type host galaxies in the higher mass range.Comment: 9 pages, 3 figures, 1 table; Submitted to ApJL. Comments are welcome

Uniparental Genetic Analyses Reveal the Major Origin of Fujian Tanka from Ancient Indigenous Daic Populations

The Fujian Tanka people are officially classified as a southern Han ethnic group while they have customs similar to Daic and Austronesion people. Whether they originated in Han or Daic people, there is no consensus. Three hypotheses have been proposed to explain the origin of this group: 1) the Han Chinese origin, 2) the ancient Daic origin, 3) and the admixture between Daic and Han. In this study, we address this issue by analyzing the paternal Y chromosome and maternal mtDNA variation of 62 Fujian Tanka and 25 neighboring Han in Fujian. We found that the southern East Asian predominant haplogroups, e.g. O1a1a-P203 and O1b1a1a-M95 of Y chromosome and F2a, M7c1, and F1a1 of mtDNA, reach relatively high frequencies in Tanka. The interpopulation comparison reveals that the Tanka have a closer affinity with Daic populations than with Han Chinese in paternal lineages while are closely clustered with southern Han populations such as Hakka and Chaoshanese in maternal lineages. Network and haplotype-sharing analyses also support the admixture hypothesis. The Fujian Tanka mainly originate from the ancient indigenous Daic people and have only limited gene flows from Han Chinese populations. Notably, the divergence time inferred by the Tanka-specific haplotypes indicates that the formation of Fujian Tanka was a least 1033.8-1050.6 years before present (the early Northern Song Dynasty), indicating that they are indigenous population, not late Daic migrants from southwestern China

Uniparental Genetic Analyses Reveal the Major Origin of Fujian Tanka from Ancient Indigenous Daic Populations

The Fujian Tanka people are officially classified as a southern Han ethnic group while they have customs similar to Daic and Austronesion people. Whether they originated in Han or Daic people, there is no consensus. Three hypotheses have been proposed to explain the origin of this group: 1) the Han Chinese origin, 2) the ancient Daic origin, 3) and the admixture between Daic and Han. In this study, we address this issue by analyzing the paternal Y chromosome and maternal mtDNA variation of 62 Fujian Tanka and 25 neighboring Han in Fujian. We found that the southern East Asian predominant haplogroups, e.g. O1a1a-P203 and O1b1a1a-M95 of Y chromosome and F2a, M7c1, and F1a1 of mtDNA, reach relatively high frequencies in Tanka. The interpopulation comparison reveals that the Tanka have a closer affinity with Daic populations than with Han Chinese in paternal lineages while are closely clustered with southern Han populations such as Hakka and Chaoshanese in maternal lineages. Network and haplotype-sharing analyses also support the admixture hypothesis. The Fujian Tanka mainly originate from the ancient indigenous Daic people and have only limited gene flows from Han Chinese populations. Notably, the divergence time inferred by the Tanka-specific haplotypes indicates that the formation of Fujian Tanka was a least 1033.8-1050.6 years before present (the early Northern Song Dynasty), indicating that they are indigenous population, not late Daic migrants from southwestern China

Chromosomal Location of Traits Associated with Wheat Seedling Water and Phosphorus Use Efficiency under Different Water and Phosphorus Stresses

The objective of this study was to locate chromosomes for improving water and phosphorus-deficiency tolerance of wheat at the seedling stage. A set of Chinese Spring-Egyptian Red wheat substitution lines and their parent Chinese Spring (recipient) and Egyptian Red (donor) cultivars were measured to determine the chromosomal locations of genes controlling water use efficiency (WUE) and phosphorus use efficiency (PUE) under different water and phosphorus conditions. The results underlined that chromosomes 1A, 7A, 7B, and 3A showed higher leaf water use efficiency (WUEl = Pn/Tr; Pn = photosynthetic rate; Tr = transpiration rate) under W-P (Hoagland solution with 1/2P), -W-P (Hoagland solution with 1/2P and 10% PEG). Chromosomes 7A, 3D, 2B, 3B, and 4B may carry genes for positive effects on individual plant water use efficiency (WUEp = biomass/TWC; TWC = total water consumption) under WP (Hoagland solution), W-P and -W-P treatment. Chromosomes 7A and 7D carry genes for PUE enhancement under WP, -WP (Hoagland solution with 10% PEG) and W-P treatment. Chromosome 7A possibly has genes for controlling WUE and PUE simultaneously, which indicates that WUE and PUE may share the same genetic background. Phenotypic and genetic analysis of the investigated traits showed that photosynthetic rate (Pn) and transpiration rate (Tr), Tr and WUEl showed significant positive and negative correlations under WP, W-P, -WP and -W-P, W-P, -WP treatments, respectively. Dry mass (DM), WUEP, PUT (phosphorus uptake) all showed significant positive correlation under WP, W-P and -WP treatment. PUE and phosphorus uptake (PUT = P uptake per plant) showed significant negative correlation under the four treatments. The results might provide useful information for improving WUE and PUE in wheat genetics