CsV3 Sb5 is a newly discovered Z2 topological kagome metal showing the coexistence of a charge-density-wave (CDW)-like order at T* = 94 K and superconductivity (SC) at Tc = 2.5 K at ambient pressure. ...Here, we study the interplay between CDW and SC in CsV3 Sb5 via measurements of resistivity, dc and ac magnetic susceptibility under various pressures up to 6.6 GPa. We find that the CDW transition decreases with pressure and experience a subtle modification at Pc1 ≈ 0.6 – 0.9 GPa before it vanishes completely at Pc2 ≈ 2 GPa . Correspondingly, Tc(P) displays an unusual M -shaped double dome with two maxima around Pc1 and Pc2 , respectively, leading to a tripled enhancement of Tc to about 8 K at 2 GPa. The obtained temperature-pressure phase diagram resembles those of unconventional superconductors, illustrating an intimated competition between CDW-like order and SC. The competition is found to be particularly strong for the intermediate pressure range Pc1 ≤ P ≤ Pc2 as evidenced by the broad superconducting transition and reduced superconducting volume fraction. The modification of CDW order around Pc1 has been discussed based on the band structure calculations. This work not only demonstrates the potential to raise Tc of the V-based kagome superconductors, but also offers more insights into the rich physics related to the electron correlations in this novel family of topological kagome metals.
Background
On the basis of the importance of the enteric nervous system (ENS) in gastrointestinal motility, we hypothesized that the ENS may mediate the therapeutic efficacy of electro‐acupuncture ...(EA) in constipation by regulating the mechanisms underlying the effects of EA on gastrointestinal function.
Methods
Model mice with constipation were generated by gastric instillation of 0‐4°C normal saline. Defecation time and stool (form and wet and dry weight) were assessed. The effect of EA at ST37 or ST25 on colorectal motility and proximal colonic motility was assessed using a water‐filled balloon. The expression of protein gene product 9.5 (PGP9.5), the cholinergic neuron marker acetyltransferase (ChAT) and the anticholinergic neuron marker nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) was detected by immunohistochemistry, real‐time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and western blot analysis.
Key Results
ST37 and ST25 improved colorectal pressure; however, ST37 but not ST25 improved proximal colonic pressure. In the proximal colon, the expression of PGP9.5 returned to normal after EA at ST 37, while EA at ST25 did not have this effect. In addition, qPCR and western blot analysis showed that ST37 could downregulate the expression of nNOS and upregulate the expression of ChAT to normal levels, while ST25 could only downregulate the expression of nNOS to normal levels.
Conclusions and Inferences
Electro‐acupuncture at specific acupoints can improve intestinal motility in constipation by altering the ENS and differentially affecting excitatory and inhibitory neurons, restoring the coordination between contraction and relaxation muscles, and working in concert with the central nervous system and peripheral neural pathways.
EA stimulation at either ST 37 or ST 25 relieves the symptoms of constipation, but has different effects in the proximal colon. ST 37 alters both excitatory and inhibitory enteric neurons, while ST 25 only influences inhibitory neurons.
A measurement of electron antineutrino oscillation by the Daya Bay Reactor Neutrino Experiment is described in detail. Six 2.9-GWth nuclear power reactors of the Daya Bay and Ling Ao nuclear power ...facilities served as intense sources of ν¯e’s. Comparison of the ν¯e rate and energy spectrum measured by antineutrino detectors far from the nuclear reactors (∼1500–1950 m) relative to detectors near the reactors (∼350–600 m) allowed a precise measurement of ν¯e disappearance. More than 2.5 million ν¯e inverse beta-decay interactions were observed, based on the combination of 217 days of operation of six antineutrino detectors (December, 2011–July, 2012) with a subsequent 1013 days using the complete configuration of eight detectors (October, 2012–July, 2015). The ν¯e rate observed at the far detectors relative to the near detectors showed a significant deficit, R=0.949±0.002(stat)±0.002(syst). The energy dependence of ν¯e disappearance showed the distinct variation predicted by neutrino oscillation. Analysis using an approximation for the three-flavor oscillation probability yielded the flavor-mixing angle sin22θ13=0.0841±0.0027(stat)±0.0019(syst) and the effective neutrino mass-squared difference of |Δmee2|=(2.50±0.06(stat)±0.06(syst))×10−3 eV2. Analysis using the exact three-flavor probability found Δm322=(2.45±0.06(stat)±0.06(syst))×10−3 eV2 assuming the normal neutrino mass hierarchy and Δm322=(−2.56±0.06(stat)±0.06(syst))×10−3 eV2 for the inverted hierarchy.
Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a common human pathogenic bacterium. Once infected, it is difficult for the host to clear this organism using the innate immune system. Increased antibiotic ...resistance further makes it challenging for effective eradication. However, the mechanisms of immune evasion still remain obscure, and novel strategies should be developed to efficiently eliminate H. pylori infection in stomachs. Here we uncovered desirable anti-H. pylori effect of vitamin D3 both in vitro and in vivo, even against antibiotic-resistant strains. We showed that H. pylori can invade into the gastric epithelium where they became sequestered and survived in autophagosomes with impaired lysosomal acidification. Vitamin D3 treatment caused a restored lysosomal degradation function by activating the PDIA3 receptor, thereby promoting the nuclear translocation of PDIA3-STAT3 protein complex and the subsequent upregulation of MCOLN3 channels, resulting in an enhanced Ca
2+
release from lysosomes and normalized lysosomal acidification. The recovered lysosomal degradation function drives H. pylori to be eliminated through the autolysosomal pathway. These findings provide a novel pathogenic mechanism on how H. pylori can survive in the gastric epithelium, and a unique pathway for vitamin D3 to reactivate the autolysosomal degradation function, which is critical for the antibacterial action of vitamin D3 both in cells and in animals, and perhaps further in humans.
Abbreviations: 1,25D3: 1α, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D3; ATG5: autophagy related 5; Baf A1: bafilomycin A
1
; BECN1: beclin 1; CagA: cytotoxin-associated gene A; CFU: colony-forming unit; ChIP-PCR: chromatin immunoprecipitation-polymerase chain reaction; Con A: concanamycin A; CQ: chloroquine; CRISPR: clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats; CTSD: cathepsin D; GPN: Gly-Phe-β-naphthylamide; H. pylori: Helicobacter pylori; LAMP1: lysosomal associated membrane protein 1; MAP1LC3B/LC3B: microtubule associated protein 1 light chain 3 beta; MCOLN1: mucolipin 1; MCOLN3: mucolipin 3; MCU: mitochondrial calcium uniporter; MOI: multiplicity of infection; NAGLU: N-acetyl-alpha-glucosaminidase; PDIA3: protein disulfide isomerase family A member 3; PMA: phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate; PRKC: protein kinase C; SQSTM1: sequestosome 1; STAT3: signal transducer and activator of transcription 3; SS1: Sydney Strain 1; TRP: transient receptor potential; VacA: vacuolating cytotoxin; VD3: vitamin D3; VDR: vitamin D receptor
We report a new measurement of electron antineutrino disappearance using the fully constructed Daya Bay Reactor Neutrino Experiment. The final two of eight antineutrino detectors were installed in ...the summer of 2012. Including the 404 days of data collected from October 2012 to November 2013 resulted in a total exposure of 6.9×10^{5} GW_{th} ton days, a 3.6 times increase over our previous results. Improvements in energy calibration limited variations between detectors to 0.2%. Removal of six ^{241}Am-^{13}C radioactive calibration sources reduced the background by a factor of 2 for the detectors in the experimental hall furthest from the reactors. Direct prediction of the antineutrino signal in the far detectors based on the measurements in the near detectors explicitly minimized the dependence of the measurement on models of reactor antineutrino emission. The uncertainties in our estimates of sin^{2}2θ_{13} and |Δm_{ee}^{2}| were halved as a result of these improvements. An analysis of the relative antineutrino rates and energy spectra between detectors gave sin^{2}2θ_{13}=0.084±0.005 and |Δm_{ee}^{2}|=(2.42±0.11)×10^{-3} eV^{2} in the three-neutrino framework.
Abstract
Pandemic fatigue is a growing public health concern of the lingering COVID-19 pandemic. Despite its widespread mass media coverage, systematic empirical investigations are scarce. Under the ...Hong Kong Jockey Club SMART Family-Link Project, we conducted online and telephone surveys amid the pandemic in February to March 2021 to assess self-reported pandemic fatigue (range 0–10) in Hong Kong adults (
N
= 4726) and its associations with sociodemographic and psycho-behavioral (high vs low to moderate) variables. Data were weighted by sex, age, and education of the general population. Binary logistic regression models yielded adjusted odds ratios (aORs) for high pandemic fatigue (score ≥ 7) for sociodemographic and psycho-behavioral variables. 43.7% reported high pandemic fatigue. It was less common in older people (55–64 years: aOR 0.56, 95% CI 0.39–0.82; 65 + years: 0.33, 0.21–0.52) versus age group 18–24 years, but more common in those with tertiary education (1.36, 1.15–1.62) versus secondary or below. High pandemic fatigue was positively associated with depressive symptoms (aOR 1.83, 95% CI 1.55–2.17), anxiety symptoms (1.87, 1.58–2.20), loneliness (1.75, 1.32–2.31), personal fear of COVID-19 (2.61, 2.12–3.23), family fear of COVID-19 (2.03, 1.67–2.47), and current alcohol use (1.16, 1.00–1.33), but negatively associated with self-rated health (0.79, 0.68–0.92), personal happiness (0.63, 0.55–0.72), personal adversity coping capability (0.71, 0.63–0.81), family adversity coping capability (0.79, 0.69–0.90), family well-being (0.84, 0.73–0.97), family communication quality (0.86, 0.75–0.98), and frequent home exercise (0.82, 0.69–0.96; versus less frequent). We first used a single-item tool to measure COVID-19 pandemic fatigue, showing that it was common and associated with worse mental health, lower levels of personal and family well-being and alcohol use.
This Letter reports a measurement of the flux and energy spectrum of electron antineutrinos from six 2.9 GWth nuclear reactors with six detectors deployed in two near (effective baselines 512 and 561 ...m) and one far (1579 m) underground experimental halls in the Daya Bay experiment. Using 217 days of data, 296 721 and 41 589 inverse β decay (IBD) candidates were detected in the near and far halls, respectively. The measured IBD yield is (1.55±0.04) ×10(-18) cm(2) GW(-1) day(-1) or (5.92±0.14) ×10(-43) cm(2) fission(-1). This flux measurement is consistent with previous short-baseline reactor antineutrino experiments and is 0.946±0.022 (0.991±0.023) relative to the flux predicted with the Huber-Mueller (ILL-Vogel) fissile antineutrino model. The measured IBD positron energy spectrum deviates from both spectral predictions by more than 2σ over the full energy range with a local significance of up to ∼4σ between 4-6 MeV. A reactor antineutrino spectrum of IBD reactions is extracted from the measured positron energy spectrum for model-independent predictions.
Macrophages are the first cells of the nascent immune system to emerge during embryonic development. In mice, embryonic macrophages infiltrate developing organs, where they differentiate ...symbiotically into tissue-resident macrophages (TRMs)
. However, our understanding of the origins and specialization of macrophages in human embryos is limited. Here we isolated CD45
haematopoietic cells from human embryos at Carnegie stages 11 to 23 and subjected them to transcriptomic profiling by single-cell RNA sequencing, followed by functional characterization of a population of CD45
CD34
CD44
yolk sac-derived myeloid-biased progenitors (YSMPs) by single-cell culture. We also mapped macrophage heterogeneity across multiple anatomical sites and identified diverse subsets, including various types of embryonic TRM (in the head, liver, lung and skin). We further traced the specification trajectories of TRMs from either yolk sac-derived primitive macrophages or YSMP-derived embryonic liver monocytes using both transcriptomic and developmental staging information, with a focus on microglia. Finally, we evaluated the molecular similarities between embryonic TRMs and their adult counterparts. Our data represent a comprehensive characterization of the spatiotemporal dynamics of early macrophage development during human embryogenesis, providing a reference for future studies of the development and function of human TRMs.
Summary
lncRNAs play crucial roles in fat metabolism in animals. Previously, we have compared the mRNA transcriptome profiles between seven fat‐type Chinese pig breeds and one lean‐type Western breed ...(Yorkshire, YY). The associations between differentially expressed (DE) genes and phenotypical traits were investigated. In the present study, to further explore the underlying regulatory mechanisms, lncRNAs were sequenced and compared between YY and Chinese indigenous breeds. The results showed 9114 and 7538 DE lncRNAs between at least one Chinese breed and the YY breed in the adipose and muscle tissue respectively. KEGG enrichment analysis revealed that the target genes of these DE lncRNAs mainly influenced the glucolipid metabolism, which is an important process affecting meat quality. Correlation analyses between the DE lncRNA and DE mRNA genes related to meat quality and growth traits were performed. The results showed that LTCONS_00073280 was associated with intramuscular fat content. Four lncRNAs (LTCONS_00101781, LTCONS_00037879, LTCONS_00088260 and LTCONS‐00128343) might mediate backfat thickness. Overall, this study provides candidate lncRNAs that potentially affect meat quality, which might be useful for molecular breeding of pig breeds in future.
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