Initial performance of the COSINE-100 experiment Adhikari, G.; Adhikari, P.; de Souza, E. Barbosa ...
European physical journal. C, Particles and fields,
02/2018, Letnik:
78, Številka:
2
Journal Article
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COSINE is a dark matter search experiment based on an array of low background NaI(Tl) crystals located at the Yangyang underground laboratory. The assembly of COSINE-100 was completed in the summer ...of 2016 and the detector is currently collecting physics quality data aimed at reproducing the DAMA/LIBRA experiment that reported an annual modulation signal. Stable operation has been achieved and will continue for at least 2 years. Here, we describe the design of COSINE-100, including the shielding arrangement, the configuration of the NaI(Tl) crystal detection elements, the veto systems, and the associated operational systems, and we show the current performance of the experiment.
Greenland's bed topography is a primary control on ice flow, grounding line migration, calving dynamics, and subglacial drainage. Moreover, fjord bathymetry regulates the penetration of warm Atlantic ...water (AW) that rapidly melts and undercuts Greenland's marine‐terminating glaciers. Here we present a new compilation of Greenland bed topography that assimilates seafloor bathymetry and ice thickness data through a mass conservation approach. A new 150 m horizontal resolution bed topography/bathymetric map of Greenland is constructed with seamless transitions at the ice/ocean interface, yielding major improvements over previous data sets, particularly in the marine‐terminating sectors of northwest and southeast Greenland. Our map reveals that the total sea level potential of the Greenland ice sheet is 7.42 ± 0.05 m, which is 7 cm greater than previous estimates. Furthermore, it explains recent calving front response of numerous outlet glaciers and reveals new pathways by which AW can access glaciers with marine‐based basins, thereby highlighting sectors of Greenland that are most vulnerable to future oceanic forcing.
Key Points
We present a comprehensive, seamless bed topography across the ice‐ocean margin around Greenland
Two to 4 times more glaciers have calving fronts grounded below 200 m compared to previous mappings
Total ice volume of Greenland is 2.99 ± 0.02 times 106 km3, yielding a potential sea level rise of 7.42 m, 7 cm greater than previous estimates
Background. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention developed screening and diagnostic testing guidelines for chlamydia and gonorrhea at urethral, rectal, and pharyngeal sites for men who have ...sex with men (MSM). However, in most clinical settings, rectal chlamydial testing is not performed for MSM, and primarily sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinics alone perform routine rectal and pharyngeal gonorrhea screening for asymptomatic men. Methods. We evaluated the prevalence of rectal, urethral, and pharyngeal chlamydial and gonococcal infections among MSM seen at the municipal STD clinic and the gay men's community health center. We also determined the proportion of asymptomatic rectal infections, described the patterns of single and multiple anatomic sites of infection, and evaluated the proportion of chlamydial infections that would be missed and not treated if MSM were not routinely tested for chlamydia. We tested specimens using previously validated nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs). Results. The prevalence of infection varied by anatomic site (chlamydia: rectal, 7.9%; urethral, 5.2%; and pharyngeal, 1.4%; for gonorrhea, rectal, 6.9%; urethral, 6.0%; and pharyngeal, 9.2%). Approximately 85% of rectal infections were asymptomatic supporting the need for routine screening. Because 53% of chlamydial infections and 64% of gonococcal infections were at nonurethral sites, these infections would be missed and not treated if only urethral screening was performed. In addition, >70% of chlamydial infections would be missed and not treated if MSM were tested only for gonorrhea. Conclusions. Because these infections enhance both HIV transmission and susceptibility, clinical settings serving MSM should evaluate the prevalence of chlamydial and gonococcal infections by anatomic site using validated NAATs.
DNA methylation is an indispensible epigenetic modification required for regulating the expression of mammalian genomes. Immunoprecipitation-based methods for DNA methylome analysis are rapidly ...shifting the bottleneck in this field from data generation to data analysis, necessitating the development of better analytical tools. In particular, an inability to estimate absolute methylation levels remains a major analytical difficulty associated with immunoprecipitation-based DNA methylation profiling. To address this issue, we developed a cross-platform algorithm-Bayesian tool for methylation analysis (Batman)-for analyzing methylated DNA immunoprecipitation (MeDIP) profiles generated using oligonucleotide arrays (MeDIP-chip) or next-generation sequencing (MeDIP-seq). We developed the latter approach to provide a high-resolution whole-genome DNA methylation profile (DNA methylome) of a mammalian genome. Strong correlation of our data, obtained using mature human spermatozoa, with those obtained using bisulfite sequencing suggest that combining MeDIP-seq or MeDIP-chip with Batman provides a robust, quantitative and cost-effective functional genomic strategy for elucidating the function of DNA methylation.
An experiment was performed at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory's 88-in. Cyclotron to determine the mass number of a superheavy element. The measurement resulted in the observation of two ...α-decay chains, produced via the ^{243}Am(^{48}Ca,xn)^{291-x}Mc reaction, that were separated by mass-to-charge ratio (A/q) and identified by the combined BGS+FIONA apparatus. One event occurred at A/q=284 and was assigned to ^{284}Nh (Z=113), the α-decay daughter of ^{288}Mc (Z=115), while the second occurred at A/q=288 and was assigned to ^{288}Mc. This experiment represents the first direct measurements of the mass numbers of superheavy elements, confirming previous (indirect) mass-number assignments.
Meltwater drainage across the surface of the Greenland ice sheet (GrIS) is well constrained by measurements and modeling, yet despite its critical role, knowledge of its transit through the ...subglacial environment remains limited. Here we present a subglacial hydrological analysis of a land‐terminating sector of the GrIS at unprecedented resolution that predicts the routing of surface‐derived meltwater once it has entered the basal drainage system. Our analysis indicates the probable existence of small subglacial lakes that remain undetectable by methods using surface elevation change or radar techniques. Furthermore, the analysis suggests transient behavior with rapid switching of subglacial drainage between competing catchments driven by seasonal changes in the basal water pressure. Our findings provide a cautionary note that should be considered in studies that attempt to relate and infer future response from surface temperature, melt, and runoff from point measurements and/or modeling with measurements of proglacial discharge and ice dynamics.
Key Points
We present a high‐resolution subglacial hydrological analysis of the Greenland ice sheet
Small subglacial lakes remain undetectable by methods using surface elevation or radar techniques
We identify the first evidence for subglacial water piracy beneath the Greenland ice sheet
Ever since eukaryotes subsumed the bacterial ancestor of mitochondria, the nuclear and mitochondrial genomes have had to closely coordinate their activities, as each encode different subunits of the ...oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) system. Mitochondrial dysfunction is a hallmark of aging, but its causes are debated. We show that, during aging, there is a specific loss of mitochondrial, but not nuclear, encoded OXPHOS subunits. We trace the cause to an alternate PGC-1α/β-independent pathway of nuclear-mitochondrial communication that is induced by a decline in nuclear NAD+ and the accumulation of HIF-1α under normoxic conditions, with parallels to Warburg reprogramming. Deleting SIRT1 accelerates this process, whereas raising NAD+ levels in old mice restores mitochondrial function to that of a young mouse in a SIRT1-dependent manner. Thus, a pseudohypoxic state that disrupts PGC-1α/β-independent nuclear-mitochondrial communication contributes to the decline in mitochondrial function with age, a process that is apparently reversible.
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•A specific decline in mitochondrially encoded genes occurs during aging in muscle•Nuclear NAD+ levels regulate mitochondrial homeostasis independently of PGC-1α/β•Declining NAD+ during aging causes pseudohypoxia, which disrupts OXPHOS function•Raising nuclear NAD+ in old mice reverses pseudohypoxia and metabolic dysfunction
Aging disrupts an NAD+-dependent nuclear-mitochondrial communication pathway, causing a decline in the mitochondrially encoded oxidative phosphorylation components relative to nuclear-encoded components. Raising NAD+ levels in old mice alleviates the pseudohypoxic conditions that disrupt the communication pathway, reversing this mitochondrial defect.
Adherent-invasive Escherichia coli (AIEC) are pathogenic bacteria frequently isolated from patients who have Crohn's disease (CD). Despite the phenotypic differences between AIEC and commensal E. ...coli, comparative genomic approaches have been unable to differentiate these two groups, making the identification of key virulence factors a challenge. Here, we conduct a high-resolution, in vivo genetic screen to map AIEC genes required for intestinal colonization of mice. In addition, we use in vivo RNA-sequencing to define the host-associated AIEC transcriptome. We identify diverse metabolic pathways required for efficient gut colonization by AIEC and show that a type IV secretion system (T4SS) is required to form biofilms on the surface of epithelial cells, thereby promoting AIEC persistence in the gut. E. coli isolated from CD patients are enriched for a T4SS, suggesting a possible connection to disease activity. Our findings establish the T4SS as a principal AIEC colonization factor and highlight the use of genome-wide screens in decoding the infection biology of CD-associated bacteria that otherwise lack a defined genetic signature.
We report a novel resource (methylation profiles of DNA, or mPod) for human genome-wide tissue-specific DNA methylation profiles. mPod consists of three fully integrated parts, genome-wide DNA ...methylation reference profiles of 13 normal somatic tissues, placenta, sperm, and an immortalized cell line, a visualization tool that has been integrated with the Ensembl genome browser and a new algorithm for the analysis of immunoprecipitation-based DNA methylation profiles. We demonstrate the utility of our resource by identifying the first comprehensive genome-wide set of tissue-specific differentially methylated regions (tDMRs) that may play a role in cellular identity and the regulation of tissue-specific genome function. We also discuss the implications of our findings with respect to the regulatory potential of regions with varied CpG density, gene expression, transcription factor motifs, gene ontology, and correlation with other epigenetic marks such as histone modifications.