Abstract
The unconventional normal-state properties of the cuprates are often discussed in terms of emergent electronic order that onsets below a putative critical doping of
x
c
≈ 0.19. Charge ...density wave (CDW) correlations represent one such order; however, experimental evidence for such order generally spans a limited range of doping that falls short of the critical value
x
c
, leading to questions regarding its essential relevance. Here, we use X-ray diffraction to demonstrate that CDW correlations in La
2−
x
Sr
x
CuO
4
persist up to a doping of at least
x
= 0.21. The correlations show strong changes through the superconducting transition, but no obvious discontinuity through
x
c
≈ 0.19, despite changes in Fermi surface topology and electronic transport at this doping. These results demonstrate the interaction between CDWs and superconductivity even in overdoped cuprates and prompt a reconsideration of the role of CDW correlations in the high-temperature cuprate phase diagram.
Abstract
The layered-ruthenate family of materials possess an intricate interplay of structural, electronic and magnetic degrees of freedom that yields a plethora of delicately balanced ground ...states. This is exemplified by Ca
3
Ru
2
O
7
, which hosts a coupled transition in which the lattice parameters jump, the Fermi surface partially gaps and the spins undergo a 90
∘
in-plane reorientation. Here, we show how the transition is driven by a lattice strain that tunes the electronic bandwidth. We apply uniaxial stress to single crystals of Ca
3
Ru
2
O
7
, using neutron and resonant x-ray scattering to simultaneously probe the structural and magnetic responses. These measurements demonstrate that the transition can be driven by externally induced strain, stimulating the development of a theoretical model in which an internal strain is generated self-consistently to lower the electronic energy. We understand the strain to act by modifying tilts and rotations of the RuO
6
octahedra, which directly influences the nearest-neighbour hopping. Our results offer a blueprint for uncovering the driving force behind coupled phase transitions, as well as a route to controlling them.
Combined partial nitritation–anammox (PN/A) systems are increasingly being employed for sustainable removal of nitrogen from wastewater, but process instabilities present ongoing challenges for ...practitioners. The goal of this study was to elucidate differences in process stability between PN/A process variations employing two distinct aggregate types: biofilm in moving bed biofilm reactors (MBBRs) and suspended growth biomass. Triplicate reactors for each process variation were studied under baseline conditions and in response to a series of transient perturbations. MBBRs displayed elevated NH4 + removal rates relative to those of suspended growth counterparts over six months of unperturbed baseline operation but also exhibited significantly greater variability in performance. Transient perturbations led to strikingly divergent yet reproducible behavior in biofilm versus suspended growth systems. A temperature perturbation prompted a sharp reduction in NH4 + removal rates with no accumulation of NO2 – and rapid recovery in MBBRs, compared to a similar reduction in NH4 + removal rates but a high level of accumulation of NO2 – in suspended growth reactors. Pulse additions of a nitrification inhibitor (allylthiourea) prompted only moderate declines in performance in suspended growth reactors compared to sharp decreases in NH4 + removal rates in MBBRs. Quantitative fluorescence in situ hybridization demonstrated a significant enrichment of anammox in MBBRs compared to suspended growth reactors, and conversely a proportionally higher AOB abundance in suspended growth reactors. Overall, MBBRs displayed significantly increased susceptibility to transient perturbations employed in this study compared to that of suspended growth counterparts (stability parameter), including significantly longer recovery times (resilience). No significant difference in the maximal impact of perturbations (resistance) was apparent. Taken together, our results suggest that aggregate architecture (biofilm vs suspended growth) in PN/A processes exerts an unexpectedly strong influence on process stability.
Intense debate has recently arisen regarding the photoinduced changes to the iron-chalcogenide superconductors, including the enhancement of superconductivity and a metastable state. Here, by ...employing high-energy resolution, we directly observe the melting of superconductivity on ultrafast timescales. We demonstrate a distinctly nonequilibrium response on short timescales, where the gap fills in prior to the destruction of the superconducting peak, followed by a metastable response. We propose that the former is due to pair phase decoherence and speculate that the latter is due to the increase in double-stripe correlations that are known to compete with superconductivity. Our results add to exciting new developments on the iron-based superconductors, indicating that the photoinduced metastable state possibly competes with superconductivity.
Long QT syndrome (LQTS) typically presents with syncope, seizures, or sudden death. Patients with LQTS have been misdiagnosed with a seizure disorder or epilepsy and treated with antiepileptic drug ...(AED) medication. The gene, KCNH2, responsible for type 2 LQTS (LQT2), was cloned originally from the hippocampus and encodes a potassium channel active in hippocampal astrocytes. We sought to test the hypothesis that a "seizure phenotype" was ascribed more commonly to patients with LQT2.
Charts were reviewed for 343 consecutive, unrelated patients (232 females, average age at diagnosis 27 +/- 18 years, QTc 471 +/- 57 msec) clinically evaluated and genetically tested for LQTS from 1998 to 2006 at two large LQTS referral centers. A positive seizure phenotype was defined as the presence of either a personal or family history of seizures or history of AED therapy.
A seizure phenotype was recorded in 98/343 (29%) probands. A seizure phenotype was more common in LQT2 (36/77, 47%) than LQT1 (16/72, 22%, p < 0.002) and LQT3 (7/28, 25%, p < 0.05, NS). LQT1 and LQT3 combined cohorts did not differ significantly from expected, background rates of a seizure phenotype. A personal history of seizures was more common in LQT2 (30/77, 39%) than all other subtypes of LQTS (11/106, 10%, p < 0.001).
A diagnostic consideration of epilepsy and treatment with antiepileptic drug medications was more common in patients with LQT2. Like noncardiac organ phenotypes observed in other LQTS-susceptibility genes such as KCNQ1/deafness and SCN5A/gastrointestinal symptoms, this novel LQT2-epilepsy association raises the possibility that LQT2-causing perturbations in the KCNH2-encoded potassium channel may confer susceptibility for recurrent seizure activity.
Signaling by the transcription factor nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) involves its release from inhibitor kappa B (IκB) in the cytosol, followed by translocation into the nucleus. NF-κB regulation of ...IκBα transcription represents a delayed negative feedback loop that drives oscillations in NF-κB translocation. Single-cell time-lapse imaging and computational modeling of NF-κB (RelA) localization showed asynchronous oscillations following cell stimulation that decreased in frequency with increased IκBα transcription. Transcription of target genes depended on oscillation persistence, involving cycles of RelA phosphorylation and dephosphorylation. The functional consequences of NF-κB signaling may thus depend on number, period, and amplitude of oscillations.
In complex materials various interactions have important roles in determining electronic properties. Angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy (ARPES) is used to study these processes by resolving ...the complex single-particle self-energy and quantifying how quantum interactions modify bare electronic states. However, ambiguities in the measurement of the real part of the self-energy and an intrinsic inability to disentangle various contributions to the imaginary part of the self-energy can leave the implications of such measurements open to debate. Here we employ a combined theoretical and experimental treatment of femtosecond time-resolved ARPES (tr-ARPES) show how population dynamics measured using tr-ARPES can be used to separate electron-boson interactions from electron-electron interactions. We demonstrate a quantitative analysis of a well-defined electron-boson interaction in the unoccupied spectrum of the cuprate Bi
Sr
CaCu
O
characterized by an excited population decay time that maps directly to a discrete component of the equilibrium self-energy not readily isolated by static ARPES experiments.
Mutations in the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle enzyme fumarate hydratase (FH) are associated with a highly malignant form of renal cancer. We combined analytical chemistry and metabolic ...computational modelling to investigate the metabolic implications of FH loss in immortalized and primary mouse kidney cells. Here, we show that the accumulation of fumarate caused by the inactivation of FH leads to oxidative stress that is mediated by the formation of succinicGSH, a covalent adduct between fumarate and glutathione. Chronic succination of GSH, caused by the loss of FH, or by exogenous fumarate, leads to persistent oxidative stress and cellular senescence in vitro and in vivo. Importantly, the ablation of p21, a key mediator of senescence, in Fh1-deficient mice resulted in the transformation of benign renal cysts into a hyperplastic lesion, suggesting that fumarate-induced senescence needs to be bypassed for the initiation of renal cancers.
PDF
