The paper presents the architecture and functionality of the principal networking agent—the SECOQC node module, which enables the authentic classical communication required for key distillation, ...manages the generated key material, determines a communication path between any destinations in the network, and realizes end-to-end secure transport of key material between these destinations. The paper also illustrates the operation of the network in a number of typical exploitation regimes and gives an initial estimate of the network transmission capacity, defined as the maximum amount of key that can be exchanged, or alternatively the amount of information that can be transmitted with information theoretic security, between two arbitrary nodes.
Electrical pulse stimulation (EPS) has proven to be a useful tool to interrogate cell-specific responses to muscle contraction. In the present study, we aimed to uncover networks of signaling ...pathways and regulatory molecules responsible for the metabolic effects of exercise in human skeletal muscle cells exposed to chronic EPS. Differentiated myotubes from young male subjects were exposed to EPS protocol 1 (i.e. 2 ms, 10 V, and 0.1 Hz for 24 h), whereas myotubes from middle-aged women and men were exposed to protocol 2 (i.e. 2 ms, 30 V, and 1 Hz for 48 h). Fuel handling as well as the transcriptome, cellular proteome, and secreted proteins of EPS-treated myotubes from young male subjects were analyzed using a combination of high-throughput RNA sequencing, high-resolution liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, oxidation assay, and immunoblotting. The data showed that oxidative metabolism was enhanced in EPS-exposed myotubes from young male subjects. Moreover, a total of 81 differentially regulated proteins and 952 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were observed in these cells after EPS protocol 1. We also found 61 overlapping genes while comparing the DEGs to mRNA expression in myotubes from the middle-aged group exposed to protocol 2, assessed by microarray. Gene ontology (GO) analysis indicated that significantly regulated proteins and genes were enriched in biological processes related to glycolytic pathways, positive regulation of fatty acid oxidation, and oxidative phosphorylation, as well as muscle contraction, autophagy/mitophagy, and oxidative stress. Additionally, proteomic identification of secreted proteins revealed extracellular levels of 137 proteins were changed in myotubes from young male subjects exposed to EPS protocol 1. Selected putative myokines were measured using ELISA or multiplex assay to validate the results. Collectively, our data provides new insight into the transcriptome, proteome and secreted proteins alterations following
in vitro
exercise and is a valuable resource for understanding the molecular mechanisms and regulatory molecules mediating the beneficial metabolic effects of exercise.
Because of insufficient understanding of the molecular effects of low levels of radiation exposure, there is a great uncertainty regarding its health risks. We report here that treatment of normal ...human cells with low-dose radiation induces a metabolic shift from oxidative phosphorylation to aerobic glycolysis resulting in increased radiation resistance. This metabolic change is highlighted by upregulation of genes encoding glucose transporters and enzymes of glycolysis and the oxidative pentose phosphate pathway, concomitant with downregulation of mitochondrial genes, with corresponding changes in metabolic flux through these pathways. Mechanistically, the metabolic reprogramming depends on HIF1α, which is induced specifically by low-dose irradiation linking the metabolic pathway with cellular radiation dose response. Increased glucose flux and radiation resistance from low-dose irradiation are also observed systemically in mice. This highly sensitive metabolic response to low-dose radiation has important implications in understanding and assessing the health risks of radiation exposure.
From September 2014 to March 2015, 23 outbreaks of norovirus (NoV) acute gastroenteritis occurred in Jiangsu, China. Partial sequencing of the NoV capsid gene suggested that 16 of the 23 outbreaks ...were related to a new GII.17 variant. This variant was first detected in sporadic specimens in October 2014, and became predominant in February 2015. Analysis of the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), and complete capsid including the protruding domain P2 sequences confirmed this GII.17 variant as distinct from previously identified GII variants.
Trends in incidence and prevalence of hypertension are grave in China and identifying high-risk, non-hypertension individuals for intervention may delay hypertension onset. We aimed to investigate ...the incidence of hypertension in northern urban Han Chinese population and construct multivariable hypertension prediction models through the prospective cohort, which included 7537 men and 4960 women free of hypertension at baseline between 2005 and 2010. During 38 958 person-years of follow-up, 2785 participants (men, 72.57%; women, 27.43%) developed hypertension. The incidence density of hypertension was 71.48 per 1000 person-year. In multivariable backward cox analyses, age, body mass index, systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), fasting blood glucose and current drinking were retained for both men and women, while gamma-glutamyl transferase only for men, total cholesterol, neutrophil granulocyte and current smoking only for women. The area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was 0.761 (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.752-0.771) for men and 0.753 (95% CI, 0.741-0.765) for women, even after 10-fold cross-validation, the AUC was 0.760 (95% CI, 0.751-0.770) for men and 0.749 (95% CI, 0.737-0.761) for women. Through risk stratification, the absolute risk of incident hypertension in 5 years at moderate, high and very high risk level was 2.13, 3.84 and 6.14 times that of those who were at low risk in men, and 1.30, 2.56 and 6.01 times that of those who were at low risk in women. Our findings identified predictors of incident hypertension and indicated that the sex-specific multivariable prediction models would be simply used to estimate the risk of incident hypertension.
ABSTRACT
We present a one-dimensional, local thermodynamic equilibrium homogeneous analysis of 132 stars observed at high resolution with ESPaDOnS. This represents the largest sample observed at high ...resolution (R ∼ 40 000) from the Pristine survey. This sample is based on the first version of the Pristine catalogue and covers the full range of metallicities from Fe/H ∼−3 to ∼+0.25, with nearly half of our sample (58 stars) composed of very metal-poor (VMP) stars (Fe/H ≤ −2). This wide range of metallicities provides the opportunity of a new detailed study of the Milky Way stellar population. Because it includes both dwarf and giant stars, it also enables the analysis of any potential bias induced by the Pristine selection process. Based on Gaia EDR3, the orbital analysis of this Pristine-ESPaDOnS sample shows that it is composed of 65 halo stars and 67 disc stars. After a general assessment of the sample chemical properties with the α-elements Mg and Ca, we focus on the abundance of carbon and the neutron capture elements Ba and Sr. While most of our VMP subsample is carbon normal, we also find that 14 stars out of the 38 stars with Fe/H ≤ −2 and measured carbon abundances turn out to be carbon-enhanced metal-poor (CEMP) stars. We show that these CEMP stars are nearly exclusively (i.e. 12 stars out of 14) in the regime of low luminosity, unevolved, dwarf stars, which we interpret as the consequence of bias of the Pristine filter against C-rich giants. Among the VMP stars, we identify two CEMP stars with no enhancement in neutron-capture process elements and another one enriched in s-process element. Finally, one VMP star is found with a very low Sr/Fe abundance ratio for its metallicity, as expected if it had been accreted from an ultra-faint dwarf galaxy.
Physical activity has preventive as well as therapeutic benefits for overweight subjects. In this study we aimed to examine effects of in vivo exercise on in vitro metabolic adaptations by studying ...energy metabolism in cultured myotubes isolated from biopsies taken before and after 12 weeks of extensive endurance and strength training, from healthy sedentary normal weight and overweight men.
Healthy sedentary men, aged 40-62 years, with normal weight (body mass index (BMI) < 25 kg/m2) or overweight (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2) were included. Fatty acid and glucose metabolism were studied in myotubes using 14Coleic acid and 14Cglucose, respectively. Gene and protein expressions, as well as DNA methylation were measured for selected genes.
The 12-week training intervention improved endurance, strength and insulin sensitivity in vivo, and reduced the participants' body weight. Biopsy-derived cultured human myotubes after exercise showed increased total cellular oleic acid uptake (30%), oxidation (46%) and lipid accumulation (34%), as well as increased fractional glucose oxidation (14%) compared to cultures established prior to exercise. Most of these exercise-induced increases were significant in the overweight group, whereas the normal weight group showed no change in oleic acid or glucose metabolism.
12 weeks of combined endurance and strength training promoted increased lipid and glucose metabolism in biopsy-derived cultured human myotubes, showing that training in vivo are able to induce changes in human myotubes that are discernible in vitro.
The small‐scale magnetic hole (SSMH), characterized by magnetic field depression, is a structure with the size in the order of proton gyro‐radius. SSMHs near the Earth or other planets have been ...widely observed in recent years. However, SSMHs in the solar wind near the Sun are rarely investigated due to mission constraints. In the present study, SSMHs in the pristine solar wind within a wide heliocentric distance range are analyzed based on the Parker Solar Probe (PSP) Mission measurements. A total of 2,416 SSMHs are successfully identified during the orbits of PSP from 2nd October, 2018, to 31st December, 2020, with an average occurrence rate of ∼5.8 events/day. The occurrence rate of SSMHs decreases from ∼29.5 to ∼0.6 events/day as the heliocentric distance R increases. The spatial scale of these SSMHs obeys a bi‐log‐normal distribution, with the median scale L ∼ 137 km (∼6 ρp, proton gyro‐radius). As interplanetary magnetic field Bave increases or R decreases, the upper limit of the spatial scale L corresponding to each bin extends to a larger value. The L corresponding to the maximum occurrence rate also increases when Bave increases and R decreases. Besides, the SSMHs tend to occur more frequently in the solar wind environment with weak Bave and high thermal pressure Pt. Our results shed light on the characteristics and the origin of SSMHs in the pristine solar wind.
Plain Language Summary
Small‐Scale Magnetic Hole (SSMH) is a common structure in the universe, characterized by the magnetic field depression in a short time period, with the size in the order of proton gyro‐radius. The possible source region of SSMH has been debated a lot but cannot be researched carefully due to the limitation of the satellite mission in the solar wind. Using the in‐situ data from the Parker Solar Probe mission, which covers the region near the Sun previously unexplored, this statistical study focuses on SSMHs in the pristine solar wind within a wide range of heliocentric distances. The results show that the occurrence rate decreases with the increasing distance. SSMHs prefer to occur in a weak magnetic field with high thermal pressure in the solar wind. The maximum size of SSMHs increases as the magnetic field increases and the heliocentric distance decreases. The results on the properties of SSMHs and their occurrence rate will shed light on the origin of SSMHs in the pristine solar wind.
Key Points
The occurrence rate of SSMHs decreases as moving away from the Sun, from ∼29.5 events/day to ∼0.6 events/day
Upper limit of L extends a little to larger value when Bave increases and R decreases, as well as L corresponding to the max occurrence rate
SSMHs prefer to occur in the solar wind environment with a weak interplanetary magnetic field and high thermal pressure
A new type of electron-scale coherent structure, referred to as electron vortex magnetic holes, was identified recently in the Earth's magnetosheath turbulent plasma. These electron-scale magnetic ...holes are characterized by magnetic field strength depression, electron density enhancement, temperature and temperature anisotropy increase (a significant increase in perpendicular temperature and a decrease in parallel temperature), and an electron vortex formed by the trapped electrons. The strong increase of electron temperature indicates that these magnetic holes have a strong connection with the energization of electrons. Here, using high time resolution in situ measurements from the MMS mission, it is further shown that electron-scale whistler waves coexist with electron-scale magnetic holes. These whistler waves were found not propagating from remote regions, but generated locally due to electron temperature anisotropy (Te /Te ) inside the magnetic holes. This study provides new insights into the electron-scale plasma dynamics in turbulent plasmas.
A novel, hierarchical morphology of budded mesoporous silica hollow spheres (see figure), comprising a wormholelike mesoporous shell and protruding lamellar (vesicular) mesostructured buds, is ...fabricated by a unique, single‐step, emulsion‐templating method in which the sodium salt of N‐lauroylsarcosine is used as both a surfactant and an oil phase after acidification.
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