Abstract
Topological superconductors (TSCs) are unconventional superconductors with bulk superconducting gap and in-gap Majorana states on the boundary that may be used as topological qubits for ...quantum computation. Despite their importance in both fundamental research and applications, natural TSCs are very rare. Here, combining state of the art synchrotron and laser-based angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, we investigated a stoichiometric transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD), 2M-WS
2
with a superconducting transition temperature of 8.8 K (the highest among all TMDs in the natural form up to date) and observed distinctive topological surface states (TSSs). Furthermore, in the superconducting state, we found that the TSSs acquired a nodeless superconducting gap with similar magnitude as that of the bulk states. These discoveries not only evidence 2M-WS
2
as an intrinsic TSC without the need of sensitive composition tuning or sophisticated heterostructures fabrication, but also provide an ideal platform for device applications thanks to its van der Waals layered structure.
Finding robust brain substrates of mood disorders is an important target for research. The degree to which major depression (MDD) and bipolar disorder (BD) are associated with common and/or distinct ...patterns of volumetric changes is nevertheless unclear. Furthermore, the extant literature is heterogeneous with respect to the nature of these changes. We report a meta-analysis of voxel-based morphometry (VBM) studies in MDD and BD. We identified studies published up to January 2015 that compared grey matter in MDD (50 data sets including 4101 individuals) and BD (36 data sets including 2407 individuals) using whole-brain VBM. We used statistical maps from the studies included where available and reported peak coordinates otherwise. Group comparisons and conjunction analyses identified regions in which the disorders showed common and distinct patterns of volumetric alteration. Both disorders were associated with lower grey-matter volume relative to healthy individuals in a number of areas. Conjunction analysis showed smaller volumes in both disorders in clusters in the dorsomedial and ventromedial prefrontal cortex, including the anterior cingulate cortex and bilateral insula. Group comparisons indicated that findings of smaller grey-matter volumes relative to controls in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and left hippocampus, along with cerebellar, temporal and parietal regions were more substantial in major depression. These results suggest that MDD and BD are characterised by both common and distinct patterns of grey-matter volume changes. This combination of differences and similarities has the potential to inform the development of diagnostic biomarkers for these conditions.
Magnetic cellulose/Fe₃O₄/activated carbon composites (m-Cell/Fe₃O₄/ACCs) were prepared successfully and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET), thermogravimetric ...analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). The adsorption of congo red onto the novel m-Cell/Fe₃O₄/ACCs was studied as a function of contact time, initial concentration of congo red, adsorbent dosage, and pH of solution. The saturated magnetization of m-Cell/Fe₃O₄/ACCs reached 48.2emug⁻¹ and the magnetic adsorbent showed characteristics of superparamagnetism, which indicated that m-Cell/Fe₃O₄/ACCs could be separated from treated solution by a magnetic process. A comparison of kinetic models showed that the overall adsorption process was best described by pseudo-second-order kinetic model. Thermodynamic analysis indicated an exothermic nature of adsorption and a spontaneous and favorable process. The m-Cell/Fe₃O₄/ACCs might be a promising candidate of high efficiency, low cost and convenient separation under magnetic field.
This study investigated the effects of different acute high ambient temperatures on dysfunction of hepatic mitochondrial respiration, the antioxidative enzyme system, and oxidative injury in broiler ...chickens. One hundred twenty-eight 6-wk-old broiler chickens were assigned randomly to 4 groups and subsequently exposed to 25 (control), 32, 35, and 38°C (RH, 70 ± 5%) for 3 h, respectively. The rectal temperatures, activity of antioxidative enzymes (superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase), content of malondialdehyde and protein carbonyl, and the activity of mitochondrial respiratory enzymes were determined. The results showed that exposure to high ambient temperature induced a significant elevation of rectal temperature, antioxidative enzyme activity, and formation of malondialdehyde and protein carbonyl, as well as dysfunction of the mitochondrial respiratory chain in comparison with control (P < 0.05). Almost all of the indicators changed in a temperature-dependent manner with the gradual increase of ambient temperature from 32 to 38°C; differences in each parameter (except catalase) among the groups exposed to different high ambient temperatures were also statistically significant (P < 0.05). The results of the present study suggest that, in the broiler chicken model used here, acute exposure to high temperatures may depress the activity of the mitochondrial respiratory chain. This inactivation results subsequently in overproduction of reactive oxygen species, which ultimately results in oxidative injury. However, this hypothesis needs to be evaluated more rigorously in future studies. It has also been shown that, with the gradual increase in temperature, the oxidative injury induced by heat stress in broiler chickens becomes increasingly severe, and this stress response presents in a temperature-dependent manner in the temperature range of 32 to 38°C.
Summary
A hallmark of obesity is chronic low‐grade inflammation, which plays a major role in the process of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ACVD). Gut microbiota is one of the factors ...influencing systemic immune responses, and profound changes have been found in its composition and metabolic function in individuals with obesity. This systematic review assesses the association between the gut microbiota and markers of low‐grade inflammation in humans. We identified 14 studies which were mostly observational and relatively small (n = 10 to 471). The way in which the microbiome is analysed differed extensively between these studies. Lower gut microbial diversity was associated with higher white blood cell counts and high sensitivity C‐reactive protein (hsCRP) levels. The abundance of Bifidobacterium, Faecalibacterium, Ruminococcus and Prevotella were inversely related to different markers of low‐grade inflammation such as hsCRP and interleukin (IL)‐6. In addition, this review speculates on possible mechanisms through which the gut microbiota can affect low‐grade inflammation and thereby ACVD. We discuss the associations between the microbiome and the inflammasome, the innate immune system, bile acids, gut permeability, the endocannabinoid system and TMAO. These data reinforce the importance of human research into the gut microbiota as potential diagnostic and therapeutic strategy to prevent ACVD.
The gut microbiome is associated with diverse diseases
, but a universal signature of a healthy or unhealthy microbiome has not been identified, and there is a need to understand how genetics, ...exposome, lifestyle and diet shape the microbiome in health and disease. Here we profiled bacterial composition, function, antibiotic resistance and virulence factors in the gut microbiomes of 8,208 Dutch individuals from a three-generational cohort comprising 2,756 families. We correlated these to 241 host and environmental factors, including physical and mental health, use of medication, diet, socioeconomic factors and childhood and current exposome. We identify that the microbiome is shaped primarily by the environment and cohabitation. Only around 6.6% of taxa are heritable, whereas the variance of around 48.6% of taxa is significantly explained by cohabitation. By identifying 2,856 associations between the microbiome and health, we find that seemingly unrelated diseases share a common microbiome signature that is independent of comorbidities. Furthermore, we identify 7,519 associations between microbiome features and diet, socioeconomics and early life and current exposome, with numerous early-life and current factors being significantly associated with microbiome function and composition. Overall, this study provides a comprehensive overview of gut microbiome and the underlying impact of heritability and exposures that will facilitate future development of microbiome-targeted therapies.
Background Previous reports have indicated that statins could prevent bone loss in ovariectomized (OVX) rats and increase the expressions of osteogenic genes in cultured osteoblasts. In this study, ...we hypothesized that simvastatin might increase osteoblast number and protein expressions of osteogenic markers localized in bones in concomitance with the prevention of bone loss in OVX rats.
Materials and methods Fifty‐four 3‐month‐old OVX and sham‐operated (SHAM) female Sprague–Dawley rats were used. Simvastatin (10–20 mg kg−1 day−1) was administrated orally for 6 weeks. Trabecular volume, osteoblast number and osteogenic proteins including BMP2, collagen type I and osteocalcin on bone sections obtained from lumbar vertebral body, distal femur and proximal tibia were measured.
Results The results showed that SHAM rats had significantly less trabecular bone volume and osteoblast number than that of OVX rats 6 weeks after operation. Oral simvastatin treatment (10–20 mg kg−1 day−1) increased bone volume and osteoblast number in the distal femurs, proximal tibiae and vertebrae of OVX rats. Furthermore, the osteoblastic cells with immuno‐stained BMP2, collagen type I and osteocalcin in vertebral bones were significantly increased by simvastatin treatment (20 mg kg−1 day−1) in OVX rats.
Conclusions This study demonstrates that simvastatin enhances the production of osteogenic proteins in bone and this effect may contribute to the prevention of bone loss in OVX rats.
Body mass index (BMI) has been associated with the risk of oesophageal cancer. But the influence of BMI on postoperative complication and prognosis has always been controversial.
In total, 2031 ...consecutive patients who underwent oesophagectomy between 1998 and 2008 were classified according to Asian-specific BMI (kg m(-2)) cutoff values. The impact of BMI on overall survival (OS) was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazard models. We performed a meta-analysis to examine the association of BMI with OS and postoperative complication.
Patients with higher BMI had more postoperative complication (P=0.002), such as anastomotic leakage (P=0.016) and cardiovascular diseases (P<0.001), but less incidence of chylous leakage (P=0.010). Logistic regression analysis showed that BMI (P=0.005) was a confounding factor associated with postoperative complication. Multivariate analysis showed that overweight and obese patients had a more favourable survival than normal weight patients (HR (hazard ratio) = 0.80, 95% CI (confidence interval): 0.70-0.92, P=0.001). Subgroup analysis showed that the association with higher BMI and increased OS was observed in patients with oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) (P<0.001), oesophageal adenocarcinoma (EA) (P=0.034), never-smoking (P=0.035), ever-smoking (P=0.035), never alcohol consumption (P=0.005), weight loss (P=0.003) and advanced pathological stage (P<0.001). The meta-analysis further corroborated that higher BMI was associated with increased complication of anastomotic leakage (RR (risk ratio)=1.04, 95% CI: 1.02-1.06, P=0.001), wound infection (RR=1.03, 95% CI: 1.00-1.05, P=0.031) and cardiovascular diseases (RR=1.02, 95% CI: 1.00-1.05, P=0.039), but decreased incidence of chylous leakage (RR=0.98, 95% CI: 0.96-0.99, P<0.001). In addition, high BMI could significantly improved OS (HR=0.78, 95% CI: 0.71-0.85, P<0.001).
Preoperative BMI was an independent prognostic factor for survival, and strongly associated with postoperative complications in oesophageal cancer.
The KamLAND-Zen experiment has provided stringent constraints on the neutrinoless double-beta (0νββ) decay half-life in ^{136}Xe using a xenon-loaded liquid scintillator. We report an improved search ...using an upgraded detector with almost double the amount of xenon and an ultralow radioactivity container, corresponding to an exposure of 970 kg yr of ^{136}Xe. These new data provide valuable insight into backgrounds, especially from cosmic muon spallation of xenon, and have required the use of novel background rejection techniques. We obtain a lower limit for the 0νββ decay half-life of T_{1/2}^{0ν}>2.3×10^{26} yr at 90% C.L., corresponding to upper limits on the effective Majorana neutrino mass of 36-156 meV using commonly adopted nuclear matrix element calculations.
PDF
