We report a new technique to profile the thermal resistance along a nanowire with a spatial resolution of better than 20 nm. Using this technique, we mapped the thermal conductivity along a ...Si0.7Ge0.3/NiSi0.7Ge0.3 heterostructured nanowire. We also measured the interfacial thermal resistance (ITR) across the Si/NiSi2 interface embedded in Si/NiSi2 heterostructured nanowires. The ITR does not change even for adjacent interfaces as close as ∼50 atomic layers.
Genes and the environment contribute to variation in adult body mass index BMI (in kg/m2), but factors modifying these variance components are poorly understood.
We analyzed genetic and environmental ...variation in BMI between men and women from young adulthood to old age from the 1940s to the 2000s and between cultural-geographic regions representing high (North America and Australia), moderate (Europe), and low (East Asia) prevalence of obesity.
We used genetic structural equation modeling to analyze BMI in twins ≥20 y of age from 40 cohorts representing 20 countries (140,379 complete twin pairs).
The heritability of BMI decreased from 0.77 (95% CI: 0.77, 0.78) and 0.75 (95% CI: 0.74, 0.75) in men and women 20–29 y of age to 0.57 (95% CI: 0.54, 0.60) and 0.59 (95% CI: 0.53, 0.65) in men 70–79 y of age and women 80 y of age, respectively. The relative influence of unique environmental factors correspondingly increased. Differences in the sets of genes affecting BMI in men and women increased from 20–29 to 60–69 y of age. Mean BMI and variances in BMI increased from the 1940s to the 2000s and were greatest in North America and Australia, followed by Europe and East Asia. However, heritability estimates were largely similar over measurement years and between regions. There was no evidence of environmental factors shared by co-twins affecting BMI.
The heritability of BMI decreased and differences in the sets of genes affecting BMI in men and women increased from young adulthood to old age. The heritability of BMI was largely similar between cultural-geographic regions and measurement years, despite large differences in mean BMI and variances in BMI. Our results show a strong influence of genetic factors on BMI, especially in early adulthood, regardless of the obesity level in the population.
Summary
Background
Allergens from dust mites play a critical role in the pathogenesis of airway allergy. The mechanism by which dust mite allergens induce allergic diseases is not fully understood ...yet.
Objective
This study tests a hypothesis that the eighth subtypes of Dermatophagoides farina allergen (Derf8) play an important role in the induction of airway allergy.
Methods
The protein of Derf8 was synthesized via molecular cloning approach. Dendritic cells (DC) were stimulated with Derf8 in the culture, and then, the expression of T cell immunoglobulin mucin domain 4 (TIM4) in dendritic cells (DC) was analysed. The role of Derf8 in the induction of airway allergy was evaluated with a mouse model.
Results
Exposure to Derf8 markedly induced the TIM4 expression in DCs by modulating the chromatin at the TIM4 promoter locus. Derf8 played a critical role in the expansion of the T helper 2 response in the mouse airway via inducing DCs to produce TIM4. Administration with Derf8‐depleted dust mite extracts (DME) inhibited the allergic inflammation and induced regulatory T cells in mice with airway allergy.
Conclusion
Derf8 plays an important role in the initiation of dust mite allergy. Vaccination with Derf8‐deficient DME is more efficient to inhibit the dust mite allergic inflammation than using wild DME.
Decadal prediction experiments were conducted as part of phase 5 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5) using the GFDL Climate Model, version 2.1 (CM2.1) forecast system. The abrupt ...warming of the North Atlantic Subpolar Gyre (SPG) that was observed in the mid-1990s is considered as a case study to evaluate forecast capabilities and better understand the reasons for the observed changes. Initializing the CM2.1 coupled system produces high skill in retrospectively predicting the mid-1990s shift, which is not captured by the uninitialized forecasts. All the hindcasts initialized in the early 1990s show a warming of the SPG; however, only the ensemble-mean hindcasts initialized in 1995 and 1996 are able to reproduce the observed abrupt warming and the associated decrease and contraction of the SPG. Examination of the physical mechanisms responsible for the successful retrospective predictions indicates that initializing the ocean is key to predicting the mid-1990s warming. The successful initialized forecasts show an increased Atlantic meridional overturning circulation and North Atlantic Current transport, which drive an increased advection of warm saline subtropical waters northward, leading to a westward shift of the subpolar front and, subsequently, a warming and spindown of the SPG. Significant seasonal climate impacts are predicted as the SPG warms, including a reduced sea ice concentration over the Arctic, an enhanced warming over the central United States during summer and fall, and a northward shift of the mean ITCZ. These climate anomalies are similar to those observed during a warm phase of the Atlantic multidecadal oscillation, which is encouraging for future predictions of North Atlantic climate.
The main objective of this study was to prepare effective photocatalysts for splitting of seawater for solar fuel – H2 and degradation of seawater organic pollutants such as dyes. To enhance ...photocatalytic activities, CuO is supported on nano TiO2 (CuO/nano TiO2). By X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy, CuO clusters are found on nano TiO2. The 2.5% CuO/nano TiO2 has greater activities in photocatalytic splitting of water and seawater than nano TiO2 by 9.9 and 7.8 times, respectively. Interestingly, the 2.5% CuO/nano TiO2 is also very active for photocatalytic splitting of water and seawater contaminated with dyes such as methylene blue (MB) (10 ppm). Under a 5-h irradiation of the UV–Vis light, about 99% of MB is degraded while 3.1 μmol/h g cat of H2 are generated from seawater in the photocatalysis process.
► CuO/nano TiO2 can enhance photocatalytic splitting of seawater for H2 fuel. ► Nano TiO2 promoted with CuO clusters has enhanced photoactivity. ► Photocatalytic degradation of dyes in seawater with desired H2 yields.
We report, for the first time, the long-awaited detection of diffuse gamma rays with energies between 100 TeV and 1 PeV in the Galactic disk. Particularly, all gamma rays above 398 TeV are observed ...apart from known TeV gamma-ray sources and compatible with expectations from the hadronic emission scenario in which gamma rays originate from the decay of π^{0}'s produced through the interaction of protons with the interstellar medium in the Galaxy. This is strong evidence that cosmic rays are accelerated beyond PeV energies in our Galaxy and spread over the Galactic disk.
Melatonin has different functions in plant growth and development, especially in the protection of plants suffering from various forms of abiotic stress. We explored the effect of melatonin priming ...on photosynthetic activity of tomato (
Lycopersicon esculentum
L.) leaves. Our results showed that 100 µM is the optimal concentration used for alleviation of the damage to photosynthetic apparatus. Melatonin priming both in the form of leaf spray and direct root application was found to reduce the damage to photosynthetic apparatus, and increase the electron transfer rate and quantum yield of PSI and PSII photochemistry, to protect the thylakoid membrane from damage caused by low-temperature stress. Our study provides fundamental information for further research on the molecular mechanism of melatonin function in regulating photosynthesis.
Transposable elements (TEs) regulate diverse biological processes, from early development to cancer. Expression of young TEs is difficult to measure with next-generation, single-cell sequencing ...technologies because their highly repetitive nature means that short complementary DNA reads cannot be unambiguously mapped to a specific locus. Single CELl LOng-read RNA-sequencing (CELLO-seq) combines long-read single cell RNA-sequencing with computational analyses to measure TE expression at unique loci. We used CELLO-seq to assess the widespread expression of TEs in two-cell mouse blastomeres as well as in human induced pluripotent stem cells. Across both species, old and young TEs showed evidence of locus-specific expression with simulations demonstrating that only a small number of very young elements in the mouse could not be mapped back to the reference with high confidence. Exploring the relationship between the expression of individual elements and putative regulators revealed large heterogeneity, with TEs within a class showing different patterns of correlation and suggesting distinct regulatory mechanisms.
Blastocystis
is one common protist inhabiting in gastrointestinal tracts of animals and humans. Examining the subtypes has important implications for assessing the zoonotic potential of
Blastocystis
...and intestinal health of hosts. In the present study, a total of 497 fecal samples collected from 37 wild animal species in Qinling Mountains were investigated for the presence and subtypes of
Blastocystis
. Of them, 200 (40.2%) were positive for
Blastocystis
and 13 subtypes were found, including eight known subtypes (STs1–3, 5, 10, 12–14) and five possible novel subtypes (temporarily named as STs18–22), with ST10 as the predominate subtype and the subtype ST5 was detected in an ostrich for the first time. These findings indicated the wide distribution and specific subtype characteristics of
Blastocystis
in wild animals of Qinling Mountains.
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