Coexistence of distinct charge fluctuations in θ\theta-(BEDT-TTF)2_2X

Using the Lanczos exact-diagonalization and density-matrix renormalization group methods, we study the extended Hubbard model at quarter filling defined on the anisotropic triangular lattice. We focus on charge ordering (CO) phenomena induced by onsite and intersite Coulomb interactions. We determine the ground-state phase diagram including three CO phases, i.e., diagonal, vertical, and three-fold CO phases, based on the calculated results of the hole density and double occupancy. We also calculate the dynamical density-density correlation functions and find possible coexistence of the diagonal and three-fold charge fluctuations in a certain parameter region where the onsite and intersite interactions compete. Furthermore, the characteristic features of the optical conductivity for each CO phase are discussed.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figure

Agro-Ecological Distribution and Consumption of Wild Harvested Edible Insects, Fruits, and Vegetables in Rural Zimbabwe

Natural resources are a valuable component of traditional food systems that contributes to food and nutrition. The distribution and consumption patterns of these natural resources still needs exploration for follow-up research and optimum utilisation. The aim of this study was to investigate the agro-ecological distribution and the consumption of wild harvested edible insects, indigenous fruits and vegetables in rural Zimbabwe. Secondary data generated from a cross-sectional survey targeting 11,973 randomly selected households rural districts was used. The results revealed that at least 14 wild harvested edible insect species, 26 indigenous fruits and 10 indigenous vegetables are commonly consumed. The results showed that the highly consumed indigenous fruits, vegetables and insects were widely distributed in all provinces irrespective of the agro-ecological region and varied due to rainfall pattern and also due to soil type. However, their distribution was in some cases restricted to specific administrative boundaries or provinces. Consumption pattern and preference for some insects, fruits and vegetables varied with province. The distribution and consumption data presented in this study offers an opportunity to advocate for the conservation, production, processing and promotion of specific species in districts by relevant stakeholders and can be used as an advocacy tool for policymakers

The Cellular Mechanism for Water Detection in the Mammalian Taste System

Initiation of drinking behavior relies on both internal state and peripheral water detection. While central neural circuits regulating thirst have been well studied, it is still unclear how mammals recognize external water. Here we show that acid-sensing taste receptor cells (TRCs) that were previously suggested as the sour taste sensors also mediate taste responses to water. Genetic silencing of these TRCs abolished water-evoked responses in taste nerves. Optogenetic self-stimulation of acid-sensing TRCs in thirsty animals induced robust drinking responses toward light even without water. This behavior was only observed when animals were water-deprived but not under food- or salt-depleted conditions, indicating that the hedonic value of water-evoked responses is highly internal-state dependent. Conversely, thirsty animals lacking functional acid-sensing TRCs showed compromised discrimination between water and nonaqueous fluids. Taken together, this study revealed a function of mammalian acid-sensing TRCs that provide a cue for external water

Global Intermittency and Collapsing Turbulence in the Stratified Planetary Boundary Layer

Direct numerical simulation of the turbulent Ekman layer over a smooth wall is used to investigate bulk properties of a planetary boundary layer under stable stratification. Our simplified configuration depends on two non-dimensional parameters: a Richardson number characterizing the stratification and a Reynolds number characterizing the turbulence scale separation. This simplified configuration is sufficient to reproduce global intermittency, a turbulence collapse, and the decoupling of the surface from the outer region of the boundary layer. Global intermittency appears even in the absence of local perturbations at the surface; the only requirement is that large-scale structures several times wider than the boundary-layer height have enough space to develop. Analysis of the mean velocity, turbulence kinetic energy, and external intermittency is used to investigate the large-scale structures and corresponding differences between stably stratified Ekman flow and channel flow. Both configurations show a similar transition to the turbulence collapse, overshoot of turbulence kinetic energy, and spectral properties. Differences in the outer region resulting from the rotation of the system lead, however, to the generation of enstrophy in the non-turbulent patches of the Ekman flow. The coefficient of the stability correction function from Monin-Obukhov similarity theory is estimated as (Formula presented.) in agreement with atmospheric observations, theoretical considerations, and results from stably stratified channel flows. Our results demonstrate the applicability of this set-up to atmospheric problems despite the intermediate Reynolds number achieved in our simulations. © 2014 The Author(s)

Calcineurin and Protein kinase G regulate C. elegans behavioral quiescence during locomotion in liquid

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Most rhythmic motor behaviors in nature are episodic i.e. they alternate between different behavioral states, including quiescence. Electrophysiological studies in invertebrate behavioral switching, maintenance and quiescence have elucidated several neuronal mechanisms that generate a temporal pattern in behavior. However, the genetic bases of these processes are less well studied. We have previously uncovered a novel episodic behavior exhibited by <it>C. elegans </it>in liquid media where they alternate between distinct phases of rhythmic swimming and quiescence. Here, we have investigated the effect of several genes and their site of action on the behavioral quiescence exhibited in liquid by the nematode <it>C. elegans</it>.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We have previously reported that high cholinergic signaling promotes quiescence and command interneurons are critical for timing the quiescence bout durations. We have found that in addition to command interneurons, sensory neurons are also critical for quiescence. We show that the protein phosphatase calcineurin homolog <it>tax-6 </it>promotes swimming whereas the protein kinase G homolog <it>egl-4 </it>promotes quiescence. <it>tax-6 </it>expression in the sensory neurons is sufficient to account for its effect. <it>egl-4 </it>also acts in multiple sensory neurons to mediate its effect on quiescence. In addition our data is consistent with regulation of quiescence by <it>egl-4 </it>acting functionally downstream of release of acetylcholine (ACh) by motor neurons.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our study provides genetic evidence for mechanisms underlying the maintenance of a behavioral state operating at multiple neuronal levels through the activities of a kinase and a phosphatase. These results in a genetically tractable organism establish a framework for further dissection of the mechanism of quiescence during episodic behaviors.</p

Expression of the 60 kDa and 71 kDa heat shock proteins and presence of antibodies against the 71 kDa heat shock protein in pediatric patients with immune thrombocytopenic purpura

BACKGROUND: Immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is an autoimmune disease characterized by platelet destruction resulting from autoantibodies against platelet proteins, particularly platelet glycoprotein IIb/IIIa. Heat shock proteins (Hsp) have been shown to be major antigenic determinants in some autoimmune diseases. Antibodies to Hsps have also been reported to be associated with a number of pathological states. METHODS: Using western blot, we measured the levels of the 60 kDa heat shock protein (Hsp60) and of the inducible 71 kDa member of the Hsp70 family (Hsp71) in lymphocytes and the presence of antibodies against these hsps in plasma of 29 pediatric patients with ITP before the treatment and in 6 other patients before and after treatment. RESULTS: Interestingly only one out of 29 patients showed detectable Hsp60 in lymphocytes while this heat shock protein was detected in the 30 control children. Hsp71 levels were slightly lower in lymphocytes of patients with ITP than in controls (1567.8 ± 753.2 via 1763.2 ± 641.8 integrated optical density (IOD) units). There was a small increase of Hsp71 after recovery from ITP. The titers of plasma antibodies against Hsp60 and Hsp71 were also examined. Antibodies against Hsp71 were more common in ITP patients (15/29) than in control children (5/30). The titer of anti-Hsp71 was also higher in children patients with ITP. The prevalence of ITP children with antibodies against Hsp71 (51.7%) was as high as those with antibodies against platelet membrane glycoproteins (58.3%). CONCLUSIONS: In summary, pediatric patients with ITP showed no detectable expression of Hsp60 in lymphocytes and a high prevalence of antibody against Hsp71 in plasma. These changes add to our understanding of the pathogenesis of ITP and may be important for the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of ITP

Plasma antibodies against heat shock protein 70 correlate with the incidence and severity of asthma in a Chinese population

BACKGROUND: The heat shock proteins (Hsps) are induced by stresses such as allergic factors and inflammatory responses in bronchi epithelial cells and therefore may be detectable in patients with asthma. However, the etiologic link between anti-Hsps and asthma (its severity and related inflammatory responses such as interleukin-4 and immunoglobulin E) has not been established. We determined whether antibodies against Hsp60 and Hsp70 were present in patients with asthma and evaluated their associations with risk and severity of asthma. METHODS: We determined the levels of anti-Hsp60 and anti-Hsp70 by immunoblot and their associations with risk and symptom severity of asthma in 95 patients with asthma and 99 matched non-symptomatic controls using multivariate logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Compared to the controls, asthma patients were more likely to have detectable anti-Hsp60 (17.2% vs 5.1%) and anti-Hsp70 (33.7% vs 8.1%) (p ≤ 0.001). In particular, the presence of anti-Hsp70 was associated with a greater than 2 fold risk for asthma (adjusted OR = 2.21; 95% CI = 1.35~3.59). Furthermore, both anti-Hsp60 and anti-Hsp70 levels were positively correlated with symptom severity (p < 0.05) as well as interleukin-4 and immunoglobulin E (p < 0.05). Individuals with antibodies against anti-Hsp60 and anti-Hsp70 were more likely to have a family history of asthma (p < 0.001) and higher plasma concentrations of total immunoglobulin E (p = 0.001) and interleukin-4 (p < 0.05) than those without antibodies. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that anti-Hsp60 and especially anti-Hsp70 correlate with the attacks and severity of asthma. The underlying molecular mechanisms linking antibodies to heat shock proteins and asthma remain to be investigated

Dysregulation of Gene Expression in the Artificial Human Trisomy Cells of Chromosome 8 Associated with Transformed Cell Phenotypes

A change in chromosome number, known as aneuploidy, is a common characteristic of cancer. Aneuploidy disrupts gene expression in human cancer cells and immortalized human epithelial cells, but not in normal human cells. However, the relationship between aneuploidy and cancer remains unclear. To study the effects of aneuploidy in normal human cells, we generated artificial cells of human primary fibroblast having three chromosome 8 (trisomy 8 cells) by using microcell-mediated chromosome transfer technique. In addition to decreased proliferation, the trisomy 8 cells lost contact inhibition and reproliferated after exhibiting senescence-like characteristics that are typical of transformed cells. Furthermore, the trisomy 8 cells exhibited chromosome instability, and the overall gene expression profile based on microarray analyses was significantly different from that of diploid human primary fibroblasts. Our data suggest that aneuploidy, even a single chromosome gain, can be introduced into normal human cells and causes, in some cases, a partial cancer phenotype due to a disruption in overall gene expression

Decreased Toll-like receptor 8 expression and lower TNF-alpha synthesis in infants with acute RSV infection

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are part of the innate immune system, able to recognize pathogen-associated molecular patterns and activate immune system upon pathogen challenge. Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a RNA virus particularly detrimental in infancy. It could cause severe lower respiratory tract disease and recurrent infections related to inadequate development of anti-viral immunity. The reason could be inadequate multiple TLRs engagement, including TLR8 in recognition of single-stranded viral RNA and diminished synthesis of inflammatory mediators due to a lower expression.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Intracellular TLR8 expression in peripheral blood monocytes from RSV-infected infants was profiled and compared to healthy adults and age matched controls. Whether the observed difference in TLR8 expression is a transitory effect, infants in convalescent phase (4-6 weeks later) were retested. Specific TLR8-mediated TNF-α production in monocytes during an acute and convalescent phase was analyzed.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>RSV-infected and healthy infants had lower percentage of TLR8-expressing monocytes than healthy adults whereas decreased of TLR8 protein levels were detected only for RSV-infected infant group. Lower protein levels of TLR8 in monocytes from RSV-infected infants, compared to healthy infants, negatively correlated with respiratory frequency and resulted in lower TNF-α synthesis upon a specific TLR8 stimulation. In the convalescent phase, levels of TLR8 increased, accompanied by increased TNF-α synthesis compared to acute infection.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Lower TLR8 expression observed in monocytes, during an acute RSV infection, might have a dampening impact on early anti-viral cytokine production necessary to control RSV replication, and subsequently initiate an adaptive Th1 type immune response leading to severe disease in infected infants.</p

Counteraction of Tetherin Antiviral Activity by Two Closely Related SIVs Differing by the Presence of a Vpu Gene

In different primate lentiviruses, three proteins (Vpu, Env and Nef) have been shown to have anti-tetherin activities. SIVden is a primate lentivirus harbored by a Cercopithecus denti (C. denti) whose genome code for a Vpu gene. We have compared the activity of HIV-1 Vpu and of SIVden Vpu on tetherin proteins from humans, from C. denti and from Cercopithecus neglectus (C. neglectus), a monkey species that is naturally infected by SIVdeb, a virus closely related to SIVden but which does not encode a Vpu protein. Here, we demonstrate that SIVden Vpu, is active against C. denti tetherin, but not against human tetherin. Interestingly, C. neglectus tetherin was more sensitive to SIVden Vpu than to HIV-1 Vpu. We also identify residues in the tetherin transmembrane domains that are responsible for the species-specific Vpu effect. Simultaneous mutation (P40L and T45I) of human tetherin conferred sensitivity to SIVden Vpu, while abolishing its sensitivity to HIV-1 Vpu. We next analyzed the anti-tetherin activity of the Nef proteins from HIV-1, SIVden and SIVdeb. All three Nef proteins were unable to rescue virus release in the presence of human or C. denti tetherin. Conversely, SIVdeb Nef enhanced virus release in the presence of C. neglectus tetherin, suggesting that SIVdeb relies on Nef in its natural host. Finally, while HIV-1 Vpu not only removed human tetherin from the cell surface but also directed it for degradation, SIVden Vpu only induced the redistribution of both C. denti and C. neglectus tetherins, resulting in a predominantly perinuclear localization