The Advanced LIGO observatory recently reported the first direct detection of the gravitational waves (GWs) predicted by Einstein & Sitzungsber. We report on the first optical observations of the GW ...source GW150914 error region with the Global MASTER Robotic Net. Between the optical telescopes of electromagnetic support, the covered area is dominated by MASTER with an unfiltered magnitude up to 19.9 mag (5s). We detected several optical transients, which proved to be unconnected with the GW event. The main input to investigate the final error box of GW150914 was made by the MASTER-SAAO robotic telescope, which covered 70 per cent of the final GW error box and 90 per cent of the common localization area of the LIGO and Fermi events. Our result is consistent with the conclusion (Abbott et al. 2016a) that GWs from GW150914 were produced in a binary black hole merger. At the same time, we cannot exclude that MASTER OT J040938.68-541316.9 exploded on 2015 September 14.
CHL1 gene (also known as CALL) on 3p26.3 encodes a one-pass trans-membrane cell adhesion molecule (CAM). Previously CAMs of this type, including L1, were shown to be involved in cancer growth and ...metastasis.
We used Clontech Cancer Profiling Arrays (19 different types of cancers, 395 samples) to analyze expression of the CHL1 gene. The results were further validated by RT-qPCR for breast, renal and lung cancer. Cancer Profiling Arrays revealed differential expression of the gene: down-regulation/silencing in a majority of primary tumors and up-regulation associated with invasive/metastatic growth. Frequent down-regulation (>40% of cases) was detected in 11 types of cancer (breast, kidney, rectum, colon, thyroid, stomach, skin, small intestine, bladder, vulva and pancreatic cancer) and frequent up-regulation (>40% of cases)--in 5 types (lung, ovary, uterus, liver and trachea) of cancer. Using real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) we found that CHL1 expression was decreased in 61% of breast, 60% of lung, 87% of clear cell and 89% papillary renal cancer specimens (P<0.03 for all the cases). There was a higher frequency of CHL1 mRNA decrease in lung squamous cell carcinoma compared to adenocarcinoma (81% vs. 38%, P = 0.02) without association with tumor progression.
Our results suggested that CHL1 is involved in the development of different human cancers. Initially, during the primary tumor growth CHL1 could act as a putative tumor suppressor and is silenced to facilitate in situ tumor growth for 11 cancer types. We also suggested that re-expression of the gene on the edge of tumor mass might promote local invasive growth and enable further metastatic spread in ovary, colon and breast cancer. Our data also supported the role of CHL1 as a potentially novel specific biomarker in the early pathogenesis of two major histological types of renal cancer.
Sediment samples from 53 stations of the southwestern Chukchi sea were investigated to the spatial distributions and assess the state of trace metals contamination using ecological indices. The mean ...concentrations (mg kg−1) in sediments were: Cr (70.5), Ni (41.0), Cu (16.5), Zn (82.7), As (15.90), Cd (0.27), Pb (15.96), Hg (32.0 μg kg−1). The spatial distribution pattern of trace metals was similar with maximum values in the northern of the Chukchi Sea in the outer shelf sediments, while the high values of Cd were noted at stations located in the southern part of the sea where a strong influence of the Pacific waters penetrating through the Bering Strait. The ecological indices indicated no signs of anthropogenic pollution in the study sediments of the Chukchi Sea. Received data are of value for detecting and tracking future chemical changes in the sediments of the Chukchi sea, particularly in light of environmental changes.
•Trace metals were examined in sediments from the southwestern Chukchi sea.•Baseline data for the surface sediments of the Chukchi Sea•Geochemical data highlight enrichments in Cd in in the southern part of the sea.•All trace metals showed a low ecological risk index.
Tungsten oxide was electrochemically deposited from a metastable acidic solution of isopolytungstate on glassy carbon electrodes coated by the films of a conducting polymer ...poly-3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (PEDOT). The formation of PEDOT/WO3 composite films during electrochemical deposition of tungsten oxide into the polymer matrix was gravimetrically monitored by EQCM. The morphology of WO3 deposits was studied using SEM, TEM and EDX analysis, including element mapping and depth concentration profile of main elements. SEM and TEM images of PEDOT/WO3 composites show disperse distribution of WO3 precipitates in the porous matrix of PEDOT, possessing high surface area and pore volume, effective for charge transport. Electrochemical behavior of PEDOT/WO3 was investigated in 0.5 M H2SO4 by cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charge-discharge method and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The WO3 component in the obtained PEDOT/WO3 composite electrodes exhibited high specific capacitance of 689 F g−1 in the potential range −0.3–0.0 V. The work presents a simple approach for the synthesis of PEDOT/WO3 composites with high values of specific capacitance. The obtained results indicate that PEDOT/WO3 composite could be a promising electrode material for supercapacitor applications.
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•Synthesis of PEDOT/WO3 composites with very fast pseudocapacitive response.•Monitoring of mass change during the synthesis of PEDOT/WO3 composite.•Composite electrodes exhibited high specific capacitance of 689 F g−1•High rate of charge transfer without diffusion limitations up to 0,4 V/s scan rate.
The Siberian Traps large igneous province is of enormous size (~7×106km2) and volume (~4×106km3). It contains effusive, intrusive and volcanoclastic rocks varying in compositions from ultramafic to ...felsic, though low-Ti basalts and their intrusive analogs are the predominant rock types. In this paper, we provide new 40Ar/39Ar ages for two lava units of the geographic center of the Siberian Traps, the Central Putorana region (240.9±1.3/2.6/5.5 and 246.6±1.4/2.7/5.6Ma, where ages are calculated relative to Bern4M with an assigned age of 18.7 (±0.096) Ma and errors are stated in the form ±x/y/z, where x and y and z are analytical, internal and external errors, respectively), three dolerite sills from the Angara-Taseevskaya syncline of the southeastern Siberian Traps (242.8±1.3/2.6/5.0Ma, 239.1±1.1/2.5/4.9Ma and 255.8±4.7/5.3/6.9Ma) and a lamproite dyke from the Noril'sk region (238.3±1.3/2.6/5.3Ma). In combination with available geochronologic data our results suggest that voluminous low-Ti basaltic magmatism appeared during different pulses. At least two volcanic pulses are recognized: at the Permo-Triassic boundary (~249Ma or 252Ma using the 40Ar/39Ar and U–Pb timescales, respectively) and about 10Ma later in the Middle Triassic. Granitic magmatism overlapped in time with the two flood basalt pulses, but continued into the Late Triassic (~229Ma using the U–Pb timescale). Prolonged magmatism of the Siberian Traps province is also supported by geologic observations and paleomagnetic data. New geochronologic findings are discussed in light of the different models for the origin of the Siberian Traps and applied to a Middle Triassic mass extinction event.
•Two flood basalt pulses in the Siberian Traps province were identified.•First pulse at the Permo-Triassic boundary (~250Ma).•Second pulse at the Middle Triassic (~240Ma).•Granitic magmatism was coeval to basaltic pulses.
Resonant ultrafast excitation of infrared-active phonons is a powerful technique with which to control the electronic properties of materials that leads to remarkable phenomena such as the ...light-induced enhancement of superconductivity
, switching of ferroelectric polarization
and ultrafast insulator-to-metal transitions
. Here, we show that light-driven phonons can be utilized to coherently manipulate macroscopic magnetic states. Intense mid-infrared electric field pulses tuned to resonance with a phonon mode of the archetypical antiferromagnet DyFeO
induce ultrafast and long-living changes of the fundamental exchange interaction between rare-earth orbitals and transition metal spins. Non-thermal lattice control of the magnetic exchange, which defines the stability of the macroscopic magnetic state, allows us to perform picosecond coherent switching between competing antiferromagnetic and weakly ferromagnetic spin orders. Our discovery emphasizes the potential of resonant phonon excitation for the manipulation of ferroic order on ultrafast timescales
.
Tin sulfide (SnS) is one of the most promising materials for photovoltaics. Here we report on the preparation as well as chemical, structural and physical characterization of the Mo/p-SnS/n-CdS/ZnO ...heterojunctions. The SnS thin films were grown by hot wall deposition method on the Mo-coated glass substrates at 270–350°C. The crystal structure and elemental composition were examined by X-ray diffraction and Auger electron spectroscopy methods. The CdS buffer layers were deposited onto the SnS films by chemical bath deposition. The ZnO window layers were deposited by a two step radio frequency magnetron sputtering, resulting in a ZnO bilayer structure: the first layer consists of undoped i-ZnO and the second of Al-doped n-ZnO. The best junctions have an open circuit voltage of 132mV, a short circuit current density of 3.6mA/cm2, a fill-factor of 0.29 and efficiency up to 0.5%.
► We used hot wall vacuum deposition method to obtain the absorbing SnS layers. ► We obtained Mo/n-CdS/p-SnS/ZnO heterojunctions. ► The light conversion efficiency of the structures reaches 0.5%.
We studied powder samples of europium titanates Eu1−x2+Eux3+TiO3+x/2 prepared by sol-gel and coprecipitation methods with subsequent thermal treatment of precursors at different conditions (reducing ...or oxidizing atmosphere, temperature, exposure time). We have revealed a radical rearrangement in the local, electronic and crystal structure of europium titanates depending on synthesis conditions. The combination of synchrotron X-ray diffraction (s-XRD), X-ray absorption (XANES and EXAFS), infrared and Raman spectroscopies supplemented by photoluminescence and simultaneous thermal analysis was used in our study. It is shown that the combined XANES and thermogravimetric analysis gives clear evidence of a change in the oxidation state of europium cations from Eu2+ to Eu3+. The comparison of s-XRD, XANES, and EXAFS data allowed us to explain the local structure rearrangement during the phase transition from cubic perovskite Eu2+TiO3 (space group Pm3¯m) to pyrochlore phase Eu23+Ti2O7 (space group Fd3¯m) through intermediate layered perovskite Eu23+Ti2O7 with monoclinic structure (space group P21) under annealing in oxidizing atmosphere. The Raman spectroscopy study pointed to significant changes in the local structure of the anionic sublattice upon the observed phase transitions. The analysis of luminescence spectra has shown that Eu3+ cations occupy positions with low local site symmetry in all synthesized compounds regardless of the type of the crystal structure.
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•Local, electronic and crystal structure rearrangement in Eu titanates was studied.•s-XRD, XAFS, IR, Raman spectroscopy, TGA and PL methods were used.•XANES and TGA are effective tools for determining the Eu2+/Eu3+ cations ratio.•Eu3+ cations occupy low local site symmetry positions in synthesized compounds.
The Yakutsk Extensive Air Shower Array has been continuously operating for more than 50 years (since 1970) and up until recently it has been one of world’s largest ground-based instruments aimed at ...studying the properties of cosmic rays in the ultra-high energy domain. In this report we discuss results recently obtained at the array—on cosmic rays’ energy spectrum, mass composition and directional anisotropy—and how they fit into the world data. Special attention is paid to the measurements of muonic component of extensive air showers. Theoretical results of particle acceleration at shocks are also briefly reviewed. Future scientific and engineering plans on the array modernization are discussed.
Due to traumatic injuries, including those from surgical procedures, adhesions occur in over 50% of cases, necessitating exclusive surgical intervention for treatment. However, preventive measures ...can be implemented during abdominal organ surgeries. These measures involve creating a barrier around internal organs to forestall adhesion formation in the postoperative phase. Yet, the effectiveness of the artificial barrier relies on considerations of its biocompatibility and the avoidance of adverse effects on the body. This study explores the biocompatibility aspects, encompassing hemocompatibility, cytotoxicity, and antibacterial and antioxidant activities, as well as the adhesion of blood serum proteins and macrophages to the surface of new composite film materials. The materials, derived from the sodium salt of carboxymethylcellulose modified by glycoluril and allantoin, were investigated. The research reveals that film materials with a heterocyclic fragment exhibit biocompatibility comparable to commercially used samples in surgery. Notably, film samples developed with glycoluril outperform the effects of commercial samples in certain aspects.
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