High-temperature copper oxide superconductors consist of stacked CuO
planes, with electronic band structures and magnetic excitations that are primarily two-dimensional
, but with superconducting ...coherence that is three-dimensional. This dichotomy highlights the importance of out-of-plane charge dynamics, which has been found to be incoherent in the normal state
within the limited range of momenta accessible by optics. Here we use resonant inelastic X-ray scattering to explore the charge dynamics across all three dimensions of the Brillouin zone. Polarization analysis of recently discovered collective excitations (modes) in electron-doped copper oxides
reveals their charge origin, that is, without mixing with magnetic components
. The excitations disperse along both the in-plane and out-of-plane directions, revealing its three-dimensional nature. The periodicity of the out-of-plane dispersion corresponds to the distance between neighbouring CuO
planes rather than to the crystallographic c-axis lattice constant, suggesting that the interplane Coulomb interaction is responsible for the coherent out-of-plane charge dynamics. The observed properties are hallmarks of the long-sought 'acoustic plasmon', which is a branch of distinct charge collective modes predicted for layered systems
and argued to play a substantial part in mediating high-temperature superconductivity
.
A new inductive power transfer system with a narrow rail width, a small pickup size, and a large air gap for online electric vehicles is proposed in this paper. By introducing a new core structure, ...the orientation of the magnetic flux alternates along with the road; hence, an inductive power transfer system with a narrow rail width of 10 cm, a large air gap of 20 cm, and a large lateral displacement about 24 cm was implemented. The resonant circuit of the inductive power transfer system, driven by a current source, was fully characterized. The experimental results showed that the maximum output power was 35 kW and that the maximum efficiency was 74% at 27 kW. The proposed system was found to be adequate for electric vehicles, allowing them to drive freely on specially implemented roads by obtaining power from the buried power supply rail.
The interactions that lead to the emergence of superconductivity in iron-based materials remain a subject of debate. It has been suggested that electron-electron correlations enhance electron-phonon ...coupling in iron selenide (FeSe) and related pnictides, but direct experimental verification has been lacking. Here we show that the electron-phonon coupling strength in FeSe can be quantified by combining two time-domain experiments into a “coherent lock-in” measurement in the terahertz regime. X-ray diffraction tracks the light-induced femtosecond coherent lattice motion at a single phonon frequency, and photoemission monitors the subsequent coherent changes in the electronic band structure.Comparison with theory reveals a strong enhancement of the coupling strength in FeSe owing to correlation effects. Given that the electron-phonon coupling affects superconductivity exponentially, this enhancement highlights the importance of the cooperative interplay between electron-electron and electron-phonon interactions.
In the past 15 years, B cells have been rediscovered to be not merely bystanders but rather active participants in autoimmune aetiology. This has been fuelled in part by the clinical success of B ...cell depletion therapies (BCDTs). Originally conceived as a method of eliminating cancerous B cells, BCDTs such as those targeting CD20, CD19 and BAFF are now used to treat autoimmune diseases, including systemic lupus erythematosus and multiple sclerosis. The use of BCDTs in autoimmune disease has led to some surprises. For example, although antibody-secreting plasma cells are thought to have a negative pathogenic role in autoimmune disease, BCDT, even when it controls the disease, has limited impact on these cells and on antibody levels. In this Review, we update our understanding of B cell biology, review the results of clinical trials using BCDT in autoimmune indications, discuss hypotheses for the mechanism of action of BCDT and speculate on evolving strategies for targeting B cells beyond depletion.
Over 50 years ago, the discovery of poly(ADP-ribose) (PAR) set a new field of science in motion—the field of poly(ADP-ribosyl) transferases (PARPs) and ADP-ribosylation. The field is still ...flourishing today. The diversity of biological processes now known to require PARPs and ADP-ribosylation was practically unimaginable even two decades ago. From an initial focus on DNA damage detection and repair in response to genotoxic stresses, the field has expanded to include the regulation of chromatin structure, gene expression, and RNA processing in a wide range of biological systems, including reproduction, development, aging, stem cells, inflammation, metabolism, and cancer. This special focus issue of Molecular Cell includes a collection of three Reviews, three Perspectives, and a SnapShot, which together summarize the current state of the field and suggest where it may be headed.
Kraus provides a brief history and overview of the field of poly(ADP-ribosyl) transferases (PARPs) and ADP-ribosylation, as well as an introduction to current areas of research. This piece also includes interviews with two scientists who made ground-breaking discoveries at the dawn of the field: Pierre Chambon and Masanao Miwa.
Background
Although transarterial chemoembolization is recommended as the standard treatment for Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stage B hepatocellular carcinoma (BCLC‐B HCC), other treatments ...including liver resection have been used. This study aimed to determine the survival benefit of treatment strategies including resection for BCLC‐B HCC compared with non‐surgical treatments.
Methods
The nationwide multicentre database of the Korean Liver Cancer Association was reviewed. Patients with BCLC‐B HCC who underwent liver resection as a first or second treatment within 2 years of diagnosis and patients who received non‐surgical treatment were selected randomly. Survival outcomes of propensity score‐matched groups were compared.
Results
Among 887 randomly selected patients with BCLC‐B HCC, 83 underwent liver resection as first or second treatment and 597 had non‐surgical treatment. After propensity score matching, the two groups were well balanced (80 patients in each group). Overall median survival in the resection group was better than that for patients receiving non‐surgical treatment (50·9 versus 22·1 months respectively; P < 0·001). The 1‐, 2‐, 3‐ and 5‐year overall survival rates in the resection group were 90, 88, 75 and 63 per cent, compared with 79, 48, 35 and 22 per cent in the no‐surgery group (P < 0·001). In multivariable analysis, non‐surgical treatment only (hazard ratio (HR) 3·35, 95 per cent c.i. 2·16 to 5·19; P < 0·001), albumin level below 3·5 g/dl (HR 1·96, 1·22 to 3·15; P = 0·005) and largest tumour size greater than 5·0 cm (HR 1·81, 1·20 to 2·75; P = 0·005) were independent predictors of worse overall survival.
Conclusion
Treatment strategies that include liver resection offer a survival benefit compared with non‐surgical treatments for potentially resectable BCLC‐B HCC.
Selected patients benefit
The discovery of poly(ADP-ribose) >50 years ago opened a new field, leading the way for the discovery of the poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) family of enzymes and the ADP-ribosylation reactions ...that they catalyze. Although the field was initially focused primarily on the biochemistry and molecular biology of PARP-1 in DNA damage detection and repair, the mechanistic and functional understanding of the role of PARPs in different biological processes has grown considerably of late. This has been accompanied by a shift of focus from enzymology to a search for substrates as well as the first attempts to determine the functional consequences of site-specific ADP-ribosylation on those substrates. Supporting these advances is a host of methodological approaches from chemical biology, proteomics, genomics, cell biology, and genetics that have propelled new discoveries in the field. New findings on the diverse roles of PARPs in chromatin regulation, transcription, RNA biology, and DNA repair have been complemented by recent advances that link ADP-ribosylation to stress responses, metabolism, viral infections, and cancer. These studies have begun to reveal the promising ways in which PARPs may be targeted therapeutically for the treatment of disease. In this review, we discuss these topics and relate them to the future directions of the field.
Two common general anaesthetic methods are total i.v. anaesthesia (TIVA) and inhalation anaesthesia, but it is unclear whether this affects the patient's perception of their quality of recovery. The ...Quality of Recovery-40 questionnaire (QoR-40) is a valid and reliable method to evaluate the extent of functional recovery after surgery with general anaesthesia. This study therefore compared patient recovery using the QoR-40 in surgical patients who received TIVA with those who received desflurane anaesthesia.
Eighty females (20–65 years old) undergoing thyroid surgery were prospectively recruited and randomized to either the TIVA (effect-site target controlled infusion using propofol and remifentanil) or DES (desflurane inhalation with manual infusion of remifentanil) groups. The QoR-40 was administered by an investigator blind to group allocation before surgery, and postoperative days 1 and 2 (POD1 and POD2). Additional data including the incidence of nausea or vomiting, the consumption of antiemetic and analgesic agents in the post-anaesthesia care unit, and the duration of the hospital stay, were collected in all cases.
The QoR-40 score on POD1 was significantly higher in the TIVA group compared with the DES group (174 vs 161, respectively; P=0.004), indicating a better quality of recovery in the TIVA group. Among the five dimensions of the QoR-40, physical comfort and physical independence were significantly better on POD1 and POD2 in the TIVA group.
This study demonstrates that the quality of recovery for female thyroid surgery patients is significantly better with TIVA compared with desflurane anaesthesia.
www.clinicaltrials.org; ref.: NCT01760018.
ADP-ribosylation (ADPRylation) is a post-translational modification of proteins catalyzed by ADP-ribosyl transferase (ART) enzymes, including nuclear PARPs (e.g., PARP1 and PARP2). Historically, ...studies of ADPRylation and PARPs have focused on DNA damage responses in cancers, but more recent studies elucidate diverse roles in a broader array of biological processes. Here, we summarize the expanding array of molecular mechanisms underlying the biological functions of nuclear PARPs with a focus on PARP1, the founding member of the family. This includes roles in DNA repair, chromatin regulation, gene expression, ribosome biogenesis, and RNA biology. We also present new concepts in PARP1-dependent regulation, including PAR-dependent post-translational modifications, “ADPR spray,” and PAR-mediated biomolecular condensate formation. Moreover, we review advances in the therapeutic mechanisms of PARP inhibitors (PARPi) as well as the progress on the mechanisms of PARPi resistance. Collectively, the recent progress in the field has yielded new insights into the expanding universe of PARP1-mediated molecular and therapeutic mechanisms in a variety of biological processes.
Huang and Kraus review the expanding array of molecular mechanisms underlying the biological, pathological, and therapeutic functions of nuclear PARPs and ADP-ribosylation, including roles in DNA repair, chromatin regulation, gene expression, and RNA biology. They also present emerging concepts, including PAR-dependent post-translational modifications, ADP-ribose spray, and PAR-mediated biomolecular condensate formation.
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