Probing the Gluonic Structure of the Deuteron with J/ψ Photoproduction in d+Au Ultraperipheral Collisions

Understanding gluon density distributions and how they are modified in nuclei are among the most important goals in nuclear physics. In recent years, diffractive vector meson production measured in ultraperipheral collisions (UPCs) at heavy-ion colliders has provided a new tool for probing the gluon density. In this Letter, we report the first measurement of J/ψ photoproduction off the deuteron in UPCs at the center-of-mass energy sqrt[s_{NN}]=200  GeV in d+Au collisions. The differential cross section as a function of momentum transfer -t is measured. In addition, data with a neutron tagged in the deuteron-going zero-degree calorimeter is investigated for the first time, which is found to be consistent with the expectation of incoherent diffractive scattering at low momentum transfer. Theoretical predictions based on the color glass condensate saturation model and the leading twist approximation nuclear shadowing model are compared with the data quantitatively. A better agreement with the saturation model has been observed. With the current measurement, the results are found to be directly sensitive to the gluon density distribution of the deuteron and the deuteron breakup process, which provides insights into the nuclear gluonic structure.

Single-Crystal Alkali Antimonide Photocathodes: High Efficiency in the Ultrathin Limit

The properties of photoemission electron sources determine the ultimate performance of a wide class of electron accelerators and photon detectors. To date, all high-efficiency visible-light photocathode materials are either polycrystalline or exhibit intrinsic surface disorder, both of which limit emitted electron beam brightness. In this Letter, we demonstrate the synthesis of epitaxial thin films of Cs_{3}Sb on 3C-SiC (001) using molecular-beam epitaxy. Films as thin as 4 nm have quantum efficiencies exceeding 2% at 532 nm. We also find that epitaxial films have an order of magnitude larger quantum efficiency at 650 nm than comparable polycrystalline films on Si. Additionally, these films permit angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy measurements of the electronic structure, which are found to be in good agreement with theory. Epitaxial films open the door to dramatic brightness enhancements via increased efficiency near threshold, reduced surface disorder, and the possibility of engineering new photoemission functionality at the level of single atomic layers.

High-Performance Dental Composites Based on Hierarchical Reinforcements

Use of high-performance fibers such as poly(p-phenylene-2,6-benzobisoxazole) (PBO) improves the mechanical properties of dental fiber-reinforced composites (FRCs). However, the surfaces of high-performance fibers are relatively inert, and the interface with the resin matrix is poor. This has become a limitation restricting the performance of PBO FRCs in dentistry. Nanomaterials were introduced onto PBO fibers to construct various hierarchical reinforcements to obtain a dental FRC with higher flexural performance and optimized interface bonding. Four hierarchical reinforcements were constructed: PBO-ZnO nanoparticles (NPs), PBO-ZnO nanowires (NWs), PBO-ZnO NPs–cage silsesquioxane (POSS), and PBO-ZnO NWs-POSS. Performance following this optimized method was evaluated at macroscale and microscale levels, including measurement of the interfacial properties and mechanical properties of FRCs. The physicochemical characteristics of PBO fibers before and after modification were measured to determine the interfacial bonding mechanisms and to verify the connection between the microinterface and macromechanical properties. The cytotoxicity of the preferred PBO FRC was evaluated using the CCK8 assay. In comparison to other designs, the interfacial shear strength (IFSS) of PBO-ZnO NWs-POSS was the highest (29.31 ± 2.40 MPa). The corresponding FRC had the highest flexural strength under a static load (925.0 ± 39.2 MPa), the flexural modulus (39.39 ± 1.41 GPa) was equivalent to that of human dentin, and in vitro cytotoxicity was acceptable. The interfacial bonding mechanisms of PBO-ZnO NWs-POSS resulted from mechanical interlocking, chemical bonds, hydrogen bonds, and van der Waals forces. In summary, the PBO-ZnO NWs-POSS hierarchical reinforcement was introduced in dental FRCs and showed remarkable enhancement of the IFSS and flexural properties. We verified that the PBO-ZnO NWs-POSS hierarchical reinforcement was successful. This PBO FRC may be applied in dentistry as a new option for endodontic posts. Our study provides an interface design strategy for developing high-performance FRCs reinforced with high-performance fibers for dental applications.

Micromolar Metabolite Measurement in an Electronically Multiplexed Format

The detection of metabolites such as choline in blood are important in clinical care for patients with cancer and cardiovascular disease. Choline is only present in human blood at low concentrations hence accurate measurement in an affordable point-of-care format is extremely challenging. Integration of microfluidics on to complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology has the potential to enable advanced sensing technologies with extremely low limit of detection that are well suited to multiple clinical metabolite measurements. Although CMOS and microfluidics are individually mature technologies, their integration has presented challenges that we overcome in a novel, cost-effective, single-step process. To demonstrate the process, we present the microfluidic integration of a metabolomics-on-CMOS point-of-care platform with four capillary microfluidic channels on top of a CMOS optical sensor array. The fabricated device was characterised to verify the required structural profile, mechanical strength, optical spectra, and fluid flow. As a proof of concept, we used the device for the in-vitro quantification of choline in human blood plasma with a limit of detection of 3.2 M and a resolution of 1.6 M.

Rotary table wobble error analysis and correction of a rotating accelerometer gravity gradiometer

In a rotating accelerometer gravity gradiometer (RAGG), rotary table wobble refers to the shift in the direction of the spin axis during operation. This motion causes errors in the output of the RAGG, but the mechanism is not clear. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the relationship between rotary table wobble and RAGG errors and to propose a method for rejecting these errors. We consider the influence of attitude changes, angular velocity, and angular acceleration caused by the wobble on the specific force, and we describe the error transmission process based on the accelerometer configuration and its measurement principle. Furthermore, we show through a simulated experiment that when the angular velocity noise caused by the wobble is 1 μrad/s, this will produce errors of tens of E. We propose a post-error correction method that is based on the higher-precision RAGG model and motion measurement. The errors in the two channels of the RAGG are reduced to 3.69 E and 1.85 E after error correction. The error analysis of the effects of wobble on a RAGG and the proposed error correction method are of great significance for the development of high-precision gradiometers.

Photocurrent-driven transient symmetry breaking in the Weyl semimetal TaAs

Symmetry plays a central role in conventional and topological phases of matter, making the ability to optically drive symmetry changes a critical step in developing future technologies that rely on such control. Topological materials, like topological semimetals, are particularly sensitive to a breaking or restoring of time-reversal and crystalline symmetries, which affect both bulk and surface electronic states. While previous studies have focused on controlling symmetry via coupling to the crystal lattice, we demonstrate here an all-electronic mechanism based on photocurrent generation. Using second harmonic generation spectroscopy as a sensitive probe of symmetry changes, we observe an ultrafast breaking of time-reversal and spatial symmetries following femtosecond optical excitation in the prototypical type-I Weyl semimetal TaAs. Our results show that optically driven photocurrents can be tailored to explicitly break electronic symmetry in a generic fashion, opening up the possibility of driving phase transitions between symmetry-protected states on ultrafast timescales.

[Photothermal effect of nano-copper sulfide against tongue squamous cell carcinoma]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the anti-tumor effect of BSA@CuS-PEG nanocomposites on tongue squamous cell carcinoma.

METHODS

Transmission electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, Zeta potential and ultraviolet absorption spectroscopy were used to characterize the synthesized BSA@CuS-PEG nanocomposite, whose photothermal properties was assessed with near infrared Ⅱ region excitation light (1064 nm). The cytotoxicity of the nanocomposite in Cal27 and SCC9 cells was evaluated using CCK-8 assay, and its effect on cell cycle distribution was analyzed using flow cytometry. The in vivo antitumor effect of BSA@CuS-PEG was investigated in a Balb/c mouse model bearing subcutaneous Cal27 tumor xenograft.

RESULTS

The synthesized BSA@CuS-PEG nanocomposite showed a temperature variation (ΔT) of about 30 ℃ under near-infrared (NIR) irradiation (0.5 W/cm2), suggesting its excellent photothermal sensitivity. CCK-8 assay showed that BSA@CuS-PEG had no significant toxicity to tumor cells, but upon NIR irradiation, the nanocomposite produced a significant stronger inhibitory effect on Cal27 and SCC9 cells than free nanocomposites (P < 0.001). Cell cycle analysis showed that compared with free nanocomposites, BSA@CuS-PEG plus NIR irradiation caused more obvious cell cycle arrest at G2/M phase in tongue cancer cells (P < 0.001). In the tumor-bearing mice, BSA@CuS-PEG combined with NIR irradiation produced a significant anti-tumor effect as compared with saline treatment plus NIR irradiation (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

The BSA@CuS-PEG nanocomposite shows prominent photothermal properties and good anti-tumor effects both in vivo and in vitro, and thus provides a promising method for non-invasive early diagnosis and non-surgical treatment of primary tongue cancer.

Tsukushi and TSKU genotype in obesity and related metabolic disorders

PURPOSE

Whether Tsukushi (TSK) can protect against high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity and improve glucose metabolism remains controversial. Serum levels of TSK in the population have not been reported until now. We assessed the association among TSK level, TSKU genotype, and metabolic traits in humans.

METHODS

Associations between serum TSK levels and metabolic traits were assessed in 144 Han Chinese individuals. Loci in the TSKU gene region were further genotyped in 11,022 individuals. The association between the loci and serum TSK level was evaluated using the additive genetic model. The association between the loci and their metabolic traits in humans were also verified.

RESULTS

Lower TSK levels were observed in obese subjects than in control subjects (median and interquartile range 17.78:12.07-23.28 vs. 23.81:12.54-34.56, P < 0.05). However, in obese subjects, TSK was positively associated with BMI (β ± SE: 0.63 ± 0.31, P = 0.049), visceral fat area (β ± SE: 12.15 ± 5.94, P = 0.011), and deterioration of glucose metabolism. We found that rs11236956 was associated with TSK level in obese subjects (β 95% CI 0.17, 0.07-0.26; P = 0.0007). There was also a significant association between rs11236956 and metabolic traits in our population.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings showed that serum TSK levels were associated with metabolic disorders in obese subjects. We also identified rs11236956 to be associated with serum TSK levels in obese subjects and with metabolic disorders in the total population.

Standard practice of presacral exposure during transvaginal natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery for sacrocolpopexy

We describe the standard practice of presacral exposure during transvaginal natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (vNOTES) for sacrocolpopexy in women with uterine prolapse. In this video, we demonstrate the key techniques: identifying the right hypogastric nerve (rHN) before opening the pelvic peritoneum; removing the fat and loose connective tissue along the rHN to expose the presacral fascia; incising the presacral fascia to reach the presacral space to expose the middle sacral vasculature and the anterior longitudinal ligament (ALL) of the first sacral vertebra (S1) below the promontory; attaching the mesh to the ALL to avoid vessel injury; and completing the peritonealisation.

Clinical significance of PSMA, TERT and PDEF in malignant tumors of the prostate

The article "Clinical significance of PSMA, TERT and PDEF in malignant tumors of the prostate, by J. Situ, H. Zhang, L. Lu, K. Li, C. Hu, D.-J. Wang, published in Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci 2017; 21 (15): 3347-3352-PMID: 28829509" has been withdrawn from the authors due to inaccuracies in the research design. The Publisher apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause. https://www.europeanreview.org/article/13198.