Per la corretta attribuzione del "Romanzo delle donne contemporanee in Italia" (1863)

The use of free energy simulation techniques in the study of protein stability is critically evaluated. Results from two simulations of the thermostability mutation Asn218 to Ser218 in Subtilisin are presented. It is shown that components of the free energy change can be highly sensitive to the computational details of the simulation leading to the conclusion that free energy calculations cannot currently be used to reliably predict protein stability. The different factors that undermine the reliability are discussed

Enhanced Dielectric Constant for Efficient Electromagnetic Shielding Based on Carbon-Nanotube-Added Styrene Acrylic Emulsion Based Composite

An efficient electromagnetic shielding composite based on multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs)-filled styrene acrylic emulsion-based polymer has been prepared in a water-based system. The MWCNTs were demonstrated to have an effect on the dielectric constants, which effectively enhance electromagnetic shielding efficiency (SE) of the composites. A low conductivity threshold of 0.23 wt% can be obtained. An EMI SE of ~28 dB was achieved for 20 wt% MWCNTs. The AC conductivity (σac) of the composites, deduced from imaginary permittivity, was used to estimate the SE of the composites in X band (8.2–12.4 GHz), showing a good agreement with the measured results

Interactions between marine microorganisms and their phages

National Natural Science Foundation of China [41006087, 91028001, 41076063]; MEL Young Scientist Visiting Fellowship [MELRS0931]; Key Science and Technology Project of Fujian Province, China [2009Y0044]Viruses are the most abundant biological entities in marine ecosystems. Most of them are phages that infect bacteria and archaea. Phages play important roles in causing the mortality of prokaryotic cells, structuring microbial communities, mediating horizontal gene transfer between different microbes, influencing the microbial food web process, and promoting biogeochemical cycles (such as C, N, etc.) in the ocean. Here we provided an overview of recent advances in research on the interactions between marine microorganisms and their phages, and suggest future research directions based on our understanding of the literature and our own work

Drought Occurring With Hot Extremes: Changes Under Future Climate Change on Loess Plateau, China

© 2019. The Authors. Drought is one of the most widespread and destructive hazards over the Loess Plateau (LP) of China. Due to climate change, extremely high temperature accompanied with drought (expressed as hot drought) may lead to intensive losses of both properties and human deaths in future. A hot drought probabilistic recognition system is developed to investigate how potential future climate changes will impact the simultaneous occurrence of drought and hot extremes (hot days exceeding certain values) on the LP. Two regional climate models, coupled with multiple bias-correction techniques and multivariate probabilistic inference, are innovative integrated into the hot drought probabilistic recognition system to reveal the concurrence risk of droughts and hot extremes under different Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) scenarios. The hot-day index, TX90p, indicating the number of days with daily maximum temperature (Tmax) exceeding the 90th percentile threshold, and the Standardized Precipitation Index are applied to identify the joint risks on the LP using copula-based methods. The results show that precipitation will increase throughout most of the LP under both RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 scenarios of 2036–2095, while Tmax may increase significantly all over the LP (1.8–2.7 °C for RCP4.5 and 2.7–3.6 °C for RCP8.5). The joint return periods of Standardized Precipitation Index and TX90p show that fewer stations will experience severe drought with long-term hot extremes in two future scenarios. However, some stations may experience hot droughts that are more frequent and extreme, particularly certain stations in the southwest and south-central regions of the LP with recurrence period less than 10 years.This research was supported by the National Key Research and Development Plan (2016YFA0601502), the Natural Sciences Foundation (51520105013, 51679087), the 111 Program (B14008), the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada, and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (2016XS89). The observed temperature and precipitation data are collected and available at the National Meteorological Information Center (http://data.cma.cn/). The RCM simulations are available at Climate Change Data Portal (http://chinaccdp.org/)

Water and sediment quality in Qinghai Lake, China: a revisit after half a century.

Qinghai Lake, situated on the Qinghai-Tibet plateau, is the largest lake in China. In this study, the water and sediment quality were investigated in Qinghai Lake, three sublakes, and five major tributaries. Both Na+ and Cl- were found to be the major ions present in Qinghai Lake and the three sublakes, while Ca2+ and HCO3- dominated the tributaries. Compared with historical data from the 1960s, the concentrations of NH4 (+), NO3 (-), and soluble reactive silica have increased considerably, likely caused by increased human activities in the area. Compared to the historical data, chemical oxygen demand has increased and lake water transparency has decreased, likely related to an increase in nutrient levels. Relatively high concentrations of total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) were observed in Qinghai Lake sediments, although P fraction types and low water concentrations of these two indicate low possibility of transfer into the water column. The ratios of C/N suggest that the organic matter in the sediments are primarily from autochthonous sources. TN and total organic carbon in the sediment cores increased slowly up the core while TP and total inorganic carbon have been fairly constant

Observation of a ppb mass threshoud enhancement in \psi^\prime\to\pi^+\pi^-J/\psi(J/\psi\to\gamma p\bar{p}) decay

The decay channel $\psi^\prime\to\pi^+\pi^-J/\psi(J/\psi\to\gamma p\bar{p})$ is studied using a sample of $1.06\times 10^8$ $\psi^\prime$ events collected by the BESIII experiment at BEPCII. A strong enhancement at threshold is observed in the $p\bar{p}$ invariant mass spectrum. The enhancement can be fit with an $S$-wave Breit-Wigner resonance function with a resulting peak mass of $M=1861^{+6}_{-13} {\rm (stat)}^{+7}_{-26} {\rm (syst)} {\rm MeV/}c^2$ and a narrow width that is $\Gamma<38 {\rm MeV/}c^2$ at the 90% confidence level. These results are consistent with published BESII results. These mass and width values do not match with those of any known meson resonance.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, submitted to Chinese Physics

A Dedicated Promoter Drives Constitutive Expression of the Cell-Autonomous Immune Resistance GTPase, Irga6 (IIGP1) in Mouse Liver

Background: In general, immune effector molecules are induced by infection. Methodology and Principal Findings: However, strong constitutive expression of the cell-autonomous resistance GTPase, Irga6 (IIGP1), was found in mouse liver, contrasting with previous evidence that expression of this protein is exclusively dependent on induction by IFNc. Constitutive and IFNc-inducible expression of Irga6 in the liver were shown to be dependent on transcription initiated from two independent untranslated 59 exons, which splice alternatively into the long exon encoding the full-length protein sequence. Irga6 is expressed constitutively in freshly isolated hepatocytes and is competent in these cells to accumulate on the parasitophorous vacuole membrane of infecting Toxoplasma gondii tachyzoites. Conclusions and Significance: The role of constitutive hepatocyte expression of Irga6 in resistance to parasites invading from the gut via the hepatic portal system is discussed

DNA immunoprecipitation semiconductor sequencing (DIP-SC-seq) as a rapid method to generate genome wide epigenetic signatures

Modification of DNA resulting in 5-methylcytosine (5 mC) or 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) has been shown to influence the local chromatin environment and affect transcription. Although recent advances in next generation sequencing technology allow researchers to map epigenetic modifications across the genome, such experiments are often time-consuming and cost prohibitive. Here we present a rapid and cost effective method of generating genome wide DNA modification maps utilising commercially available semiconductor based technology (DNA immunoprecipitation semiconductor sequencing; “DIP-SC-seq”) on the Ion Proton sequencer. Focussing on the 5hmC mark we demonstrate, by directly comparing with alternative sequencing strategies, that this platform can successfully generate genome wide 5hmC patterns from as little as 500 ng of genomic DNA in less than 4 days. Such a method can therefore facilitate the rapid generation of multiple genome wide epigenetic datasets

Premature ventricular contractions originating from the left ventricular septum: Results of Radiofrequency Catheter Ablation in twenty patients

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>RFCA has been established as an effective and curative therapy for severely symptomatic PVC from the outflow tract in structurally normal hearts. However, it is unknown whether PVCs originating from the left ventricular septum, are effectively eliminated by RFCA. This study aimed to investigate electrophysiologic characteristics and effects of Radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) for patients with symptomatic premature ventricular contraction (PVC) originating from the left ventricular septum without including fascicular PVCs.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Characteristics of body surface electrocardiogram (ECG) and electrophysiologic recordings endocardiogram in a successful RFCA target were analyzed in 20 patients with symptomatic PVCs originating from the left ventricular septum. RFCA was performed using pace mapping and activation mapping.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The QRS morphology of PVCs originating from the left ventricular septum is similar to that seen in fascicular tachycardia. Most of the PVCs originated from the left septum appears in the form of ventricular parasystole. The incidence of ventricular parasystole was 70%. Sustained ventricular tachycardia was not inducible by electrical stimulation and isoproterenol infusion in all 20 patients, ablation at the site recording the earliest Purkinje potential was not effective in all 20 patients, and Purkinje potentials were not identified at successful sites during point mapping. Sixteen patients were successful with RFCA using pace mapping and activation mapping, 3 failed, and 1 recurrent.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Although the ECG characteristics of the PVCs arising from the left ventricular septum are similar to that seen in fascicular tachycardia, the electrophysiologic characteristics are different between the two types of PVCs. The distinguishing characteristic of the PVCs is that Purkinje potentials were not present at the site of successful ablation, suggesting a myocardial as opposed to fascicular substrate. RFCA is an effective curative therapy for symptomatic PVCs originating from the left ventricular septum (not from the left anterior and posterior fascicle).</p

Facile Synthesis of Three-Dimensional ZnO Nanostructure: Realization of a Multifunctional Stable Superhydrophobic Surface

BACKGROUND: After comprehensive study of various superhydrophobic phenomena in nature, it is no longer a puzzle for researchers to realize such fetching surfaces. However, the different types of artificial surfaces may get wetted and lose its water repellence if there exist defects or the liquid is under pressure. With respect to the industry applications, in which the resistance of wetting transition is critical important, new nanostructure satisfied a certain geometric criterion should be designed to hold a stable gas film at the base area to avoid the wet transition. METHODOLOGY: A thermal deposition method was utilized to produce a thin ZnO seeds membrane on the aluminum foil. And then a chemical self-assemble technology was developed in present work to fabricate three-dimensional (3D) hierarchical dune-like ZnO architecture based on the prepared seeds membrane. RESULTS: Hierarchical ZnO with micro scale dune-like structure and core-sharing nanosheets was generated. The characterization results showed that there exist plenty of gaps and interfaces among the micro-dune and nanosheets, and thus the surface area was enlarged by such a unique morphology. Benefited from this unique 3D ZnO hierarchical nanostructure, the obtained surface exhibited stable water repellency after modification with Teflon, and furthermore, based on solid theory analysis, such 3D ZnO nanostructure would exhibit excellent sensing performance