Quantum droplets can emerge in bosonic binary magnetic gases (BMGs) from the interplay of short- and long-ranged interactions, and quantum fluctuations. We develop an extended mean field theory for ...this system and use it to predict equilibrium and dynamical properties of BMG droplets. We present a phase diagram and characterize miscible and immiscible droplet states. We also show that a single-component self-bound droplet can bind another magnetic component, which is not in the droplet regime, due to the interspecies dipole-dipole interactions. Our results should be realizable in experiments with mixtures of highly magnetic lanthanide atoms.
Uterine transplantation restores reproductive anatomy in women with absolute uterine factor infertility and allows the opportunity to conceive, experience gestation, and acquire motherhood. The ...number of cases being performed is increasing exponentially, with detailed outcomes from 45 cases, including nine live births, now available. In light of the data presented herein, including detailed surgical, immunosuppressive and obstetric outcomes, the feasibility of uterine transplantation is now difficult to refute. However, it is associated with significant risk with more than one‐quarter of grafts removed because of complications, and one in ten donors suffering complications requiring surgical repair.
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Uterine transplantation is feasible in women with uterine factor infertility, but is associated with significant risk of complication.
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Uterine transplantation is feasible in women with uterine factor infertility, but is associated with significant risk of complication.
Dengue is a mosquito-borne flavivirus that is spreading at an unprecedented rate and has developed into a major health and economic burden in over 50 countries. Even though infected individuals ...develop potent and long-lasting serotype-specific neutralizing antibodies (Abs), the epitopes engaged by human neutralizing Abs have not been identified. Here, we demonstrate that the dengue virus (DENV)-specific serum Ab response in humans consists of a large fraction of cross-reactive, poorly neutralizing Abs and a small fraction of serotype-specific, potently inhibitory Abs. Although many mouse-generated, strongly neutralizing monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) recognize epitopes that are present on recombinant DENV envelope (E) proteins, unexpectedly, the majority of neutralizing Abs in human immune sera bound to intact virions but not to the ectodomain of purified soluble E proteins. These conclusions with polyclonal Abs were confirmed with newly generated human mAbs derived from DENV-immune individuals. Two of three strongly neutralizing human mAbs bound to E protein epitopes that were preserved on the virion but not on recombinant E (rE) protein. We propose that humans produce Abs that neutralize DENV infection by binding a complex, quaternary structure epitope that is expressed only when E proteins are assembled on a virus particle. Mapping studies indicate that this epitope has a footprint that spans adjacent E protein dimers and includes residues at the hinge between domains I and II of E protein. These results have significant implications for the DENV Ab and vaccine field.
Carbonates are generally products of aqueous processes and may hold important clues about the history of liquid water on the surface of Mars. Calcium carbonate (approximately 3 to 5 weight percent) ...has been identified in the soils around the Phoenix landing site by scanning calorimetry showing an endothermic transition beginning around 725°C accompanied by evolution of carbon dioxide and by the ability of the soil to buffer pH against acid addition. Based on empirical kinetics, the amount of calcium carbonate is most consistent with formation in the past by the interaction of atmospheric carbon dioxide with liquid water films on particle surfaces.
...the initial trials comparing COVID-19 vaccines versus placebo should seek reliable evidence not only of some efficacy but of worthwhile efficacy. ...although efficacy far greater than 50% would be ...better, efficacy of about 50% would represent substantial progress. Evaluation of multiple COVID-19 vaccines with standardised methodology will facilitate regulatory and deployment decisions.7 Unless such decisions are informed by reliable randomised evidence, the effect on public acceptance of COVID-19 vaccines could adversely affect COVID-19 control and the uptake of vaccines against other diseases.8 The WHO Solidarity Vaccines Trial9 (figure) aims to evaluate efficiently and rapidly (within 3–6 months of each vaccine's introduction into the study) the efficacy of multiple vaccines,10 helping to ensure that weakly effective vaccines are not deployed.
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have emerged as important mediators of intercellular communication in a diverse range of biological processes. For future therapeutic applications and for EV biology ...research in general, understanding the in vivo fate of EVs is of utmost importance. Here we studied biodistribution of EVs in mice after systemic delivery. EVs were isolated from 3 different mouse cell sources, including dendritic cells (DCs) derived from bone marrow, and labelled with a near-infrared lipophilic dye. Xenotransplantation of EVs was further carried out for cross-species comparison. The reliability of the labelling technique was confirmed by sucrose gradient fractionation, organ perfusion and further supported by immunohistochemical staining using CD63-EGFP probed vesicles. While vesicles accumulated mainly in liver, spleen, gastrointestinal tract and lungs, differences related to EV cell origin were detected. EVs accumulated in the tumour tissue of tumour-bearing mice and, after introduction of the rabies virus glycoprotein-targeting moiety, they were found more readily in acetylcholine-receptor-rich organs. In addition, the route of administration and the dose of injected EVs influenced the biodistribution pattern. This is the first extensive biodistribution investigation of EVs comparing the impact of several different variables, the results of which have implications for the design and feasibility of therapeutic studies using EVs.
The neutron-rich nucleus Ba-144 (t(1/2) = 11.5 s) is expected to exhibit some of the strongest octupole correlations among nuclei with mass numbers A less than 200. Until now, indirect evidence for ...such strong correlations has been inferred from observations such as enhanced E1 transitions and interleaving positive- and negative-parity levels in the ground-state band. In this experiment, the octupole strength was measured directly by sub-barrier, multistep Coulomb excitation of a post-accelerated 650-MeV Ba-144 beam on a 1.0-mg/cm(2) Pb-208 target. The measured value of the matrix element, < 3(1)(-)parallel to M(E3)parallel to 0(1)(+)> = 0.65((+17)(-23)) eb(3/2,) corresponds to a reduced Bd(E3) transition probability of 48((+25)(-34)) W.u. This result represents an unambiguous determination of the octupole collectivity, is larger than any available theoretical prediction, and is consistent with octupole deformation.
Chronic infections are difficult to treat with antibiotics but are caused primarily by drug-sensitive pathogens. Dormant persister cells that are tolerant to killing by antibiotics are responsible ...for this apparent paradox. Persisters are phenotypic variants of normal cells and pathways leading to dormancy are redundant, making it challenging to develop anti-persister compounds. Biofilms shield persisters from the immune system, suggesting that an antibiotic for treating a chronic infection should be able to eradicate the infection on its own. We reasoned that a compound capable of corrupting a target in dormant cells will kill persisters. The acyldepsipeptide antibiotic (ADEP4) has been shown to activate the ClpP protease, resulting in death of growing cells. Here we show that ADEP4-activated ClpP becomes a fairly nonspecific protease and kills persisters by degrading over 400 proteins, forcing cells to self-digest. Null mutants of clpP arise with high probability, but combining ADEP4 with rifampicin produced complete eradication of Staphylococcus aureus biofilms in vitro and in a mouse model of a chronic infection. Our findings indicate a general principle for killing dormant cells-activation and corruption of a target, rather than conventional inhibition. Eradication of a biofilm in an animal model by activating a protease suggests a realistic path towards developing therapies to treat chronic infections.
Abstract
We present two hydrogen-rich superluminous supernovae (SLSNe): SN2103hx and PS15br. These objects, together with SN2008es, are the only SLSNe showing a distinct, broad H α feature during the ...photospheric phase; also, they show no sign of strong interaction between fast moving ejecta and circumstellar shells in their early spectra. Despite the fact that the peak luminosity of PS15br is fainter than that of the other two objects, the spectrophotometric evolution is similar to SN2103hx and different from any other supernova in a similar luminosity space. We group all of them as SLSNe II and hence they are distinct from the known class of SLSN IIn. Both transients show a strong, multicomponent H α emission after 200 d past maximum, which we interpret as an indication of the interaction of the ejecta with an asymmetric, clumpy circumstellar material. The spectra and photometric evolution of the two objects are similar to Type II supernovae, although they have much higher luminosity and evolve on slower time-scales. This is qualitatively similar to how SLSNe I compare with normal type Ic, in that the former are brighter and evolve more slowly. We apply a magnetar and an interaction semi-analytical code to fit the light curves of our two objects and SN2008es. The overall observational data set would tend to favour the magnetar, or central engine, model as the source of the peak luminosity, although the clear signature of late-time interaction indicates that interaction can play a role in the luminosity evolution of SLSNe II at some phases.
Optically luminous quasars at z > 5 are important probes of super-massive black hole (SMBH) formation. With new and future radio facilities, the discovery of the brightest low-frequency radio sources ...in this epoch would be an important new probe of cosmic reionization through 21-cm absorption experiments. In this work, we systematically study the low-frequency radio properties of a sample of 115 known spectroscopically confirmed z > 5 quasars using the second data release of the Low Frequency Array (LOFAR) Two Metre Sky survey (LoTSS-DR2), reaching noise levels of ∼80 μJy beam −1 (at 144 MHz) over an area of ∼5720 deg 2 . We find that 41 sources (36%) are detected in LoTSS-DR2 at > 2 σ significance and we explore the evolution of their radio properties (power, spectral index, and radio loudness) as a function of redshift and rest-frame ultra-violet properties. We obtain a median spectral index of −0.29 −0.09 +0.10 by stacking 93 quasars using LoTSS-DR2 and Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty Centimetres (FIRST) data at 1.4 GHz, in line with observations of quasars at z < 3. We compare the radio loudness of the high- z quasar sample to a lower- z quasar sample at z ∼ 2 and find that the two radio loudness distributions are consistent with no evolution, although the low number of high- z quasars means that we cannot rule out weak evolution. Furthermore, we make a first order empirical estimate of the z = 6 quasar radio luminosity function, which is used to derive the expected number of high- z sources that will be detected in the completed LoTSS survey. This work highlights the fact that new deep radio observations can be a valuable tool in selecting high- z quasar candidates for follow-up spectroscopic observations by decreasing contamination of stellar dwarfs and reducing possible selection biases introduced by strict colour cuts.
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