Transport properties of Layer-Antiferromagnet CuCrS2: A possible thermoelectric material

The electrical, thermal conductivity and Seebeck coefficient of the quenched, annealed and slowly cooled phases of the layer compound CuCrS2 have been reported between 15K to 300K. We also confirm the antiferromagnetic transition at 40K in them by our magnetic measurements between 2K and 300K. The crystal flakes show a minimum around 100K in their in-plane resistance behavior. For the polycrystalline pellets the resistivity depends on their flaky texture and it attains at most 10 to 20 times of the room temperature value at the lowest temperature of measurement. The temperature dependence is complex and no definite activation energy of electronic conduction can be discerned. We find that the Seebeck coefficient is between 200-450 microV/K and is unusually large for the observed resistivity values of between 5-100 mOhm-cm at room temperature. The figure of merit ZT for the thermoelectric application is 2.3 for our quenched phases, which is much larger than 1 for useful materials. The thermal conductivity K is mostly due to lattice conduction and is reduced by the disorder in Cu- occupancy in our quenched phase. A dramatic reduction of electrical and thermal conductivity is found as the antiferromagnetic transition is approached from the paramagnetic region, and K subsequently rises in the ordered phase. We discuss the transport properties as being similar to a doped Kondo-insulator

Gene regulation knowledge commons: community action takes care of DNA binding transcription factors

A large gap remains between the amount of knowledge in scientific literature and the fraction that gets curated into standardized databases, despite many curation initiatives. Yet the availability of comprehensive knowledge in databases is crucial for exploiting existing background knowledge, both for designing follow-up experiments and for interpreting new experimental data. Structured resources also underpin the computational integration and modeling of regulatory pathways, which further aids our understanding of regulatory dynamics. We argue how cooperation between the scientific community and professional curators can increase the capacity of capturing precise knowledge from literature. We demonstrate this with a project in which we mobilize biological domain experts who curate large amounts of DNA binding transcription factors, and show that they, although new to the field of curation, can make valuable contributions by harvesting reported knowledge from scientific papers. Such community curation can enhance the scientific epistemic process.Database URL: http://www.tfcheckpoint.org

Ratio of the Isolated Photon Cross Sections at \sqrt{s} = 630 and 1800 GeV

The inclusive cross section for production of isolated photons has been measured in \pbarp collisions at $\sqrt{s} = 630$ GeV with the \D0 detector at the Fermilab Tevatron Collider. The photons span a transverse energy ($E_T$) range from 7-49 GeV and have pseudorapidity $|\eta| < 2.5$. This measurement is combined with to previous \D0 result at $\sqrt{s} = 1800$ GeV to form a ratio of the cross sections. Comparison of next-to-leading order QCD with the measured cross section at 630 GeV and ratio of cross sections show satisfactory agreement in most of the $E_T$ range.Comment: 7 pages. Published in Phys. Rev. Lett. 87, 251805, (2001

Performance of the CMS Cathode Strip Chambers with Cosmic Rays

The Cathode Strip Chambers (CSCs) constitute the primary muon tracking device in the CMS endcaps. Their performance has been evaluated using data taken during a cosmic ray run in fall 2008. Measured noise levels are low, with the number of noisy channels well below 1%. Coordinate resolution was measured for all types of chambers, and fall in the range 47 microns to 243 microns. The efficiencies for local charged track triggers, for hit and for segments reconstruction were measured, and are above 99%. The timing resolution per layer is approximately 5 ns

To hit or not to hit, that is the question -genome-wide structure-based druggability predictions for <i>pseudomonas aeruginosa </i>proteins

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a Gram-negative bacterium known to cause opportunistic infections in immune-compromised or immunosuppressed individuals that often prove fatal. New drugs to combat this organism are therefore sought after. To this end, we subjected the gene products of predicted perturbative genes to structure-based druggability predictions using DrugPred. Making this approach suitable for large-scale predictions required the introduction of new methods for calculation of descriptors, development of a workflow to identify suitable pockets in homologous proteins and establishment of criteria to obtain valid druggability predictions based on homologs. We were able to identify 29 perturbative proteins of P. aeruginosa that may contain druggable pockets, including some of them with no or no drug-like inhibitors deposited in ChEMBL. These proteins form promising novel targets for drug discovery against P. aeruginosa

Convergent recombination suppression suggests role of sexual selection in guppy sex chromosome formation.

Sex chromosomes evolve once recombination is halted between a homologous pair of chromosomes. The dominant model of sex chromosome evolution posits that recombination is suppressed between emerging X and Y chromosomes in order to resolve sexual conflict. Here we test this model using whole genome and transcriptome resequencing data in the guppy, a model for sexual selection with many Y-linked colour traits. We show that although the nascent Y chromosome encompasses nearly half of the linkage group, there has been no perceptible degradation of Y chromosome gene content or activity. Using replicate wild populations with differing levels of sexually antagonistic selection for colour, we also show that sexual selection leads to greater expansion of the non-recombining region and increased Y chromosome divergence. These results provide empirical support for longstanding models of sex chromosome catalysis, and suggest an important role for sexual selection and sexual conflict in genome evolution

Use of Trochanteric Flip Osteotomy Improves the Outcome of Pipkin I and II Femoral Head Fractures

Introduction: Annual incidence of femoral head fracture is constantly increasing due to increase in cases of road traffic accidents (RTA). Four to 17% of femoral head fractures are due to posterior dislocations of hip. Outcome of femoral head facture associated with posterior dislocation of hip, the pipkin I and II fracture, is unsatisfactory due to lack of universally accepted protocol for its management and treatment. Objective: To evaluate the patient outcome using relatively newer approach, the Trochanteric Flip (digastrics) Osteotomy (TFO), for the precise anatomical reduction of femoral head fractures associated with posterior dislocation of hip. Methods: Between 2013 and 2017, 21 patients with sustained isolated femoral head fracture were admitted at our hospital. We used TFO approach for the management and treatment of femoral head fractures. The patients were followed up for 42 months at different intervals. Clinical outcome were evaluated using Merle d’Aubigne Postel and Thompson-Epstein scale. Results: Retrospective analysis showed excellent, good, fair and poor results in five (23.8%) patients, 13 (61.9%) patients, two (9.5%) patients and one (4.7%) patient, respectively. Clinical outcomes included sciatic nerve injury (4.7%), moderate arthritis (95.3%), benign non-debilitating heterotrophic ossification (19%), avascular necrosis of femoral head (4.7%) and neuropraxia (4.7%). Conclusions: Use of trochanteric flip osteotomy gives the favorable outcome for the treatment of this type of fracture. Most importantly, the vascularity of femoral head remains intact which makes TFO a very useful technique for pipkin I and II fracture treatment

Fibroblast growth factor 7 signalling is disrupted in colorectal cancer and is a potential marker of field cancerisation

Background: Field cancerisation proposes that there are pre-malignant genetic mutations in the macroscopically normal mucosal tissue around colorectal cancer. This study aims to evaluate fibroblast growth factor 7 (FGF7) tissue expression in the mucosal field around colorectal cancer. Methods: Gene and protein expression of FGF7, its receptor, FGFR2 and its downstream targets; FRS2α, Erk 1/2 and Akt was measured from mucosal samples in 34 control subjects and 17 cancer patients. Serial samples from tumour, adjacent to tumour and at the resection margin were utilised. Results: FGF7 gene expression was significantly higher in tumour (2.3-fold), adjacent mucosa (3.2-fold) and resection margin (2.8-fold) of cancer patients compared with control subjects (P<0.01 respectively). However, FGFR2 was down regulated (3.5-fold) in the tumour tissue (P<0.001). Protein expression of FRS2α and Akt was significantly lower in tumour tissue compared with the resection margin in cancer patients (P<0.05 respectively). No differences in protein expression of Erk 1/2 were detected. Conclusions: FGF7 was elevated in the mucosal field of cancer patients supporting its potential as a biomarker of field cancerisation. Changes in FRS2α, Akt and Erk 1/2 expression in the tumour tissue indicate that with malignant transformation, FGF7 loses its ability to regulate cellular differentiation

Search for New Physics Using Quaero: A General Interface to - D0 Event Data

We describe Quaero, a method that i) enables the automatic optimization of searches for physics beyond the standard model, and ii) provides a mechanism for making high energy collider data generally available. We apply Quaero to searches for standard model WW, ZZ, and ttbar production, and to searches for these objects produced through a new heavy resonance. Through this interface, we make three data sets collected by the D0 experiment at sqrt(s)=1.8 TeV publicly available

Circulating Zonulin, a Marker of Intestinal Permeability, Is Increased in Association with Obesity-Associated Insulin Resistance

Zonulin is the only physiological mediator known to regulate intestinal permeability reversibly by modulating intercellular tight junctions. To investigate the relationship between intestinal permeability and obesity-associated metabolic disturbances in humans, we aimed to study circulating zonulin according to obesity and insulin resistance. Circulating zonulin (ELISA) was measured in 123 caucasian men in association with inflammatory and metabolic parameters (including minimal model-measured insulin sensitivity). Circulating zonulin increased with body mass index (BMI), waist to hip ratio (WHR), fasting insulin, fasting triglycerides, uric acid and IL-6, and negatively correlated with HDL-cholesterol and insulin sensitivity. In multiple regression analysis, insulin sensitivity (p = 0.002) contributed independently to circulating zonulin variance, after controlling for the effects of BMI, fasting triglycerides and age. When circulating IL-6 was added to this model, only BMI (p = 0.01) contributed independently to circulating zonulin variance. In conclusion, the relationship between insulin sensitivity and circulating zonulin might be mediated through the obesity-related circulating IL-6 increase