We report on the first results from a new microwave cavity search for dark matter axions with masses above 20 μeV. We exclude axion models with two-photon coupling g_{aγγ}≳2×10^{-14} GeV^{-1} over ...the range 23.55<m_{a}<24.0 μeV. These results represent two important achievements. First, we have reached cosmologically relevant sensitivity an order of magnitude higher in mass than any existing limits. Second, by incorporating a dilution refrigerator and Josephson parametric amplifier, we have demonstrated total noise approaching the standard quantum limit for the first time in an axion search.
Maize is an important industrial crop where yield and quality enhancement both assume greater importance. Clean production technologies like conservation agriculture and integrated nutrient ...management hold the key to enhance productivity and quality besides improving soil health and environment. Hence, maize productivity and quality were assessed under a maize-wheat cropping system (MWCS) using four crop-establishment and tillage management practices FBCT-FBCT (Flat bed-conventional tillage both in maize and wheat); RBCT-RBZT (Raised bed-CT in maize and raised bed-zero tillage in wheat); FBZT-FBZT (FBZT both in maize and wheat); PRBZT-PRBZT (Permanent raised bed-ZT both in maize and wheat, and five P-fertilization practices P
(100% soil applied-P); P
+ 2FSP (50% soil applied-P + 2 foliar-sprays of P through 2% DAP both in maize and wheat); P
+ PSB + AM-fungi; P
+ PSB + AMF + 2FSP; and P
(100% NK with no-P) in split-plot design replicated-thrice. Double zero-tilled PRBZT-PRBZT system significantly enhanced the maize grain, starch, protein and oil yield by 13.1-19% over conventional FBCT-FBCT. P
+ PSB + AMF + 2FSP, integrating soil applied-P, microbial-inoculants and foliar-P, had significantly higher grain, starch, protein and oil yield by 12.5-17.2% over P
besides saving 34.7% fertilizer-P both in maize and on cropping-system basis. P
+ PSB + AMF + 2FSP again had significantly higher starch, lysine and tryptophan content by 4.6-10.4% over P
due to sustained and synchronized P-bioavailability. Higher amylose content (24.1%) was observed in grains under P
+ PSB + AMF + 2FSP, a beneficial trait due to its lower glycemic-index highly required for diabetic patients, where current COVID-19 pandemic further necessitated the use of such dietary ingredients. Double zero-tilled PRBZT-PRBZT reported greater MUFA (oleic acid, 37.1%), MUFA: PUFA ratio and P/S index with 6.9% higher P/S index in corn-oil (an oil quality parameter highly required for heart-health) over RBCT-RBCT. MUFA, MUFA: PUFA ratio and P/S index were also higher under P
+ PSB + AMF + 2FSP; avowing the obvious role of foliar-P and microbial-inoculants in influencing maize fatty acid composition. Overall, double zero-tilled PRBZT-PRBZT with crop residue retention at 6 t/ha per year along with P
+ PSB + AMF + 2FSP while saving 34.7% fertilizer-P in MWCS, may prove beneficial in enhancing maize productivity and quality so as to reinforce the food and nutritional security besides boosting food, corn-oil and starch industry in south-Asia and collateral arid agro-ecologies across the globe.
This study aimed to develop an Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) peptide-labeled chitosan nanoparticle (RGD-CH-NP) as a novel tumor targeted delivery system for short interfering RNA (siRNA).
RGD peptide conjugated ...with chitosan by thiolation reaction was confirmed by proton-NMR (H-NMR). Binding of RGD-CH-NP with alphanubeta3 integrin was examined by flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy. Antitumor efficacy was examined in orthotopic mouse models of ovarian carcinoma.
We show that RGD-CH-NP loaded with siRNA significantly increased selective intratumoral delivery in orthotopic animal models of ovarian cancer. In addition, we show targeted silencing of multiple growth-promoting genes (POSTN, FAK, and PLXDC1) along with therapeutic efficacy in the SKOV3ip1, HeyA8, and A2780 models using siRNA incorporated into RGD-CH-NP (siRNA/RGD-CH-NP). Furthermore, we show in vivo tumor vascular targeting using RGD-CH-NP by delivering PLXDC1-targeted siRNA into the alphanubeta3 integrin-positive tumor endothelial cells in the A2780 tumor-bearing mice. This approach resulted in significant inhibition of tumor growth compared with controls.
This study shows that RGD-CH-NP is a novel and highly selective delivery system for siRNA with the potential for broad applications in human disease.
To combat drought stress in rice, a major threat to global food security, three major quantitative trait loci for 'yield under drought stress' (qDTYs) were successfully exploited in the last decade. ...However, their molecular basis still remains unknown. To understand the role of secondary regulation by miRNA in drought stress response and their relation, if any, with the three qDTYs, the miRNA dynamics under drought stress was studied at booting stage in two drought tolerant (Sahbaghi Dhan and Vandana) and one drought sensitive (IR 20) cultivars. In total, 53 known and 40 novel differentially expressed (DE) miRNAs were identified. The primary drought responsive miRNAs were Osa-MIR2919, Osa-MIR3979, Osa-MIR159f, Osa-MIR156k, Osa-MIR528, Osa-MIR530, Osa-MIR2091, Osa-MIR531a, Osa-MIR531b as well as three novel ones. Sixty-one target genes that corresponded to 11 known and 4 novel DE miRNAs were found to be co-localized with the three qDTYs, out of the 1746 target genes identified. We could validate miRNA-mRNA expression under drought for nine known and three novel miRNAs in eight different rice genotypes showing varying degree of tolerance. From our study, Osa-MIR2919, Osa-MIR3979, Osa-MIR528, Osa-MIR2091-5p and Chr01_11911S14Astr and their target genes LOC_Os01g72000, LOC_Os01g66890, LOC_Os01g57990, LOC_Os01g56780, LOC_Os01g72834, LOC_Os01g61880 and LOC_Os01g72780 were identified as the most promising candidates for drought tolerance at booting stage. Of these, Osa-MIR2919 with 19 target genes in the qDTYs is being reported for the first time. It acts as a negative regulator of drought stress tolerance by modulating the cytokinin and brassinosteroid signalling pathway.
To prospectively determine the diagnostic accuracy of diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance (MR) imaging for discrimination of malignant neck nodes due to lymphoma, squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), and ...undifferentiated nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), with histologic findings and imaging criteria as reference standards.
Ethics committee approval and informed consent were obtained. Patients with malignant lymphadenopathy underwent 1.5-T diffusion-weighted MR imaging. A region of interest was drawn around the malignant node on apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps; ADC values were compared (Kruskal-Wallis test). Receiver operating characteristic analysis was employed to investigate whether ADC values could aid in discrimination among malignancies.
Forty-three patients (34 men, nine women; mean age, 54 years) with 43 nodes underwent imaging. Mean ADC values for lymphoma (n = 8), NPC (n = 17), and SCC (n = 18) were (0.664 +/- 0.071 standard deviation) x 10(-3) mm(2)/sec, (0.802 +/- 0.128) x 10(-3) mm(2)/sec, and (1.057 +/- 0.169) x 10(-3) mm(2)/sec, respectively, with significant differences between SCC and lymphoma or NPC (P < .001) and between NPC and lymphoma (P = .04). To optimize sensitivity and specificity with equal weighting, ADC threshold values for distinguishing between SCC and NPC, between SCC and lymphoma, and between NPC and lymphoma were 0.894 x 10(-3) mm(2)/sec, 0.824 x 10(-3) mm(2)/sec, and 0.694 x 10(-3) mm(2)/sec, respectively. To produce a 100% specificity while sensitivity is maximized, the following ADC threshold values were obtained for prediction of differentiation between malignancies: (a) SCC versus lymphoma, greater than 0.824 x 10(-3) mm(2)/sec (sensitivity, 94%), and lymphoma versus SCC, less than 0.767 x 10(-3) mm(2)/sec (sensitivity 88%); (b) NPC versus SCC, less than 0.764 x 10(-3) mm(2)/sec (sensitivity, 47%), and SCC versus NPC, greater than 1.093 x 10(-3) mm(2)/sec (sensitivity, 39%); (c) NPC versus lymphoma, greater than 0.788 x 10(-3) mm(2)/sec (sensitivity, 53%), and lymphoma versus NPC, no suitable threshold value.
Diffusion-weighted MR imaging shows significant differences among malignant nodes of SCC, lymphoma, and NPC. ADC threshold values can help distinguish SCC from lymphoma.
http://radiology.rsnajnls.org/cgi/content/full/2451061804/DC1.
RNA interference (RNAi) is a powerful approach for silencing genes associated with a variety of pathologic conditions; however, in vivo RNAi delivery has remained a major challenge due to lack of ...safe, efficient, and sustained systemic delivery. Here, we report on a novel approach to overcome these limitations using a multistage vector composed of mesoporous silicon particles (stage 1 microparticles, S1MP) loaded with neutral nanoliposomes (dioleoyl phosphatidylcholine, DOPC) containing small interfering RNA (siRNA) targeted against the EphA2 oncoprotein, which is overexpressed in most cancers, including ovarian. Our delivery methods resulted in sustained EphA2 gene silencing for at least 3 weeks in two independent orthotopic mouse models of ovarian cancer following a single i.v. administration of S1MP loaded with EphA2-siRNA-DOPC. Furthermore, a single administration of S1MP loaded with-EphA2-siRNA-DOPC substantially reduced tumor burden, angiogenesis, and cell proliferation compared with a noncoding control siRNA alone (SKOV3ip1, 54%; HeyA8, 57%), with no significant changes in serum chemistries or in proinflammatory cytokines. In summary, we have provided the first in vivo therapeutic validation of a novel, multistage siRNA delivery system for sustained gene silencing with broad applicability to pathologies beyond ovarian neoplasms.
Noradrenaline can modulate multiple cellular functions important for cancer progression; however, how this single extracellular signal regulates such a broad array of cellular processes is unknown. ...Here we identify Src as a key regulator of phosphoproteomic signalling networks activated in response to beta-adrenergic signalling in cancer cells. These results also identify a new mechanism of Src phosphorylation that mediates beta-adrenergic/PKA regulation of downstream networks, thereby enhancing tumour cell migration, invasion and growth. In human ovarian cancer samples, high tumoural noradrenaline levels were correlated with high pSrc(Y419) levels. Moreover, among cancer patients, the use of beta blockers was significantly associated with reduced cancer-related mortality. Collectively, these data provide a pivotal molecular target for disrupting neural signalling in the tumour microenvironment.
Affordable clay-based ceramic filters with multifunctional properties were prepared using low-cost and active ingredients. The characterization results clearly revealed well crystallinity, structural ...elucidation, extensive porosity, higher surface area, higher stability, and durability which apparently enhance the treatment efficiency. The filtration rates of ceramic filter were evaluated under gravity and the results obtained were compared with a typical gravity slow sand filter (GSSF). All ceramic filters showed significant filtration rates of about 50-180 m/h, which is comparatively higher than the typical GSSF. Further, purification efficiency of clay-based ceramic filters was evaluated by considering important drinking water parameters and contaminants. A significant removal potential was achieved by the clay-based ceramic filter with 25% and 30% activated carbon along with active agents. Desired drinking water quality parameters were achieved by potential removal of nitrite (98.5%), nitrate (80.5%), total dissolved solids (62%), total hardness (55%), total organic pollutants (89%), and pathogenic microorganisms (100%) using ceramic filters within a short duration. The remarkable purification and disinfection efficiencies were attributed to the extensive porosity (0.202 cm
3
g
−1
), surface area (124.61 m
2
g
−1
), stability, and presence of active nanoparticles such as Cu, TiO
2
, and Ag within the porous matrix of the ceramic filter.
Synthesis of new supramolecules with specific properties and realistic applications requires a sound knowledge of the structureproperty relationships of the synthesized molecules. Non-covalent ...interaction like hydrogen bonding is conducive in realizing mesomorphism. The induction of the liquid crystalline character is associated with the strength of hydrogen bonds formed between the interacting components, which are affected by the change of polarity and polarizability of both components upon change in their terminal polar substituents. When the polar substituents are similar in their reactivity, how does the size of the polar substituent influence the mesomorphism? New hydrogen bonded liquid crystals are synthesized with fluorine and chlorine as substituents, and the mesomorphic behaviour is studied with the size of the substituent as a critical parameter. The chemical characterization is carried out by FTIR measurements, the phase characterization by polarizing optical microscopy and the thermal characterization by differential scanning calorimetry. The DFT method utilizing wb97x-D theory along with the cc-pVTZ basis set were used for the calculations. The hybrid functional B3LYP-D3 and Gaussian type basis set 6-31G(d,p) were used for studying the orientation of the molecules. It is observed that the
ortho
substituents reduce the co-planarity,
meta
substituents lead to the molecular broadening while
para
substituents exhibited highest mesomorphism by enhancing longitudinal dipole moment. Fluoro substituted compounds are exhibiting higher mesomorphism while the bulky chloro substituents are helping to better stack the molecules possessing longer chain lengths.
This study explores the effects of both size and position of halo substituents on the mesomorphic behaviour of hydrogen-bonded liquid crystals.
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