Aharonov-Bohm Oscillations in Bilayer Graphene Quantum Hall Edge State Fabry-Pérot Interferometers.

Bernal-stacked bilayer graphene exhibits a wealth of interaction-driven phenomena, including robust even-denominator fractional quantum Hall states. We construct Fabry-Pérot interferometers using a split-gate design and present measurements of the Aharonov-Bohm oscillations. The edge state velocity is found to be approximately 6 × 104 m/s at filling factor ν = 2 and decreases with increasing filling factor. The dc bias and temperature dependence of the interference point to electron-electron interaction induced decoherence mechanisms. These results pave the way for the quest of fractional and non-Abelian braiding statistics in this promising device platform.

Charge Oscillations in Bilayer Graphene Quantum Confinement Devices.

Quantum confinement structures are building blocks of quantum devices in fundamental physics exploration and technological applications. In this work, we fabricate dual-gated bilayer graphene Fabry-Pérot quantum Hall interferometers employing two different gating strategies and conduct finite element simulations to understand the electrostatics of the confinement structures and to guide device design and fabrication. We observe two types of resistance oscillations arising from the charging of quantum dots formed inside the interferometers. We obtain the size, location, and charging energy of the dots by measuring the dependence of the oscillations on the magnetic field, gate voltages, and dc bias. We analyze and discuss the origin of the quantum dots and their impact on quantum Hall edge state backscattering and interference. Insights gained in these studies shed light on the construction of van der Waals quantum confinement devices.

Fibroblast growth factor 21 attenuates ventilator-induced lung injury by inhibiting the NLRP3/caspase-1/GSDMD pyroptotic pathway.

BACKGROUND: Ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI) is caused by overdistension of the alveoli by the repetitive recruitment and derecruitment of alveolar units. This study aims to investigate the potential role and mechanism of fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21), a metabolic regulator secreted by the liver, in VILI development. METHODS: Serum FGF21 concentrations were determined in patients undergoing mechanical ventilation during general anesthesia and in a mouse VILI model. Lung injury was compared between FGF21-knockout (KO) mice and wild-type (WT) mice. Recombinant FGF21 was administrated in vivo and in vitro to determine its therapeutic effect. RESULTS: Serum FGF21 levels in patients and mice with VILI were significantly higher than in those without VILI. Additionally, the increment of serum FGF21 in anesthesia patients was positively correlated with the duration of ventilation. VILI was aggravated in FGF21-KO mice compared with WT mice. Conversely, the administration of FGF21 alleviated VILI in both mouse and cell models. FGF21 reduced Caspase-1 activity, suppressed the mRNA levels of Nlrp3, Asc, Il-1ß, Il-18, Hmgb1 and Nf-κb, and decreased the protein levels of NLRP3, ASC, IL-1ß, IL-18, HMGB1 and the cleaved form of GSDMD. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings reveal that endogenous FGF21 signaling is triggered in response to VILI, which protects against VILI by inhibiting the NLRP3/Caspase-1/GSDMD pyroptosis pathway. These results suggest that boosting endogenous FGF21 or the administration of recombinant FGF21 could be promising therapeutic strategies for the treatment of VILI during anesthesia or critical care.

Huc-MSCs-derived exosomes attenuate inflammatory pain by regulating microglia pyroptosis and autophagy via the miR-146a-5p/TRAF6 axis.

BACKGROUND: Chronic inflammatory pain significantly reduces the quality of life and lacks effective interventions. In recent years, human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (huc-MSCs)-derived exosomes have been used to relieve neuropathic pain and other inflammatory diseases as a promising cell-free therapeutic strategy. However, the therapeutic value of huc-MSCs-derived exosomes in complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA)-induced inflammatory pain remains to be confirmed. In this study, we investigated the therapeutic effect and related mechanisms of huc-MSCs-derived exosomes in a chronic inflammatory pain model. METHODS: C57BL/6J male mice were used to establish a CFA-induced inflammatory pain model, and huc-MSCs-derived exosomes were intrathecally injected for 4 consecutive days. BV2 microglia cells were stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) plus adenosine triphosphate (ATP) to investigate the effect of huc-MSCs-derived exosomes on pyroptosis and autophagy. Bioinformatic analysis and rescue experiments were used to demonstrate the role of miR-146a-5p/ TRAF6 in regulating pyroptosis and autophagy. Western blotting, RT-qPCR, small interfering RNA and Yo-Pro-1 dye staining were performed to investigate the related mechanisms. RESULTS: Huc-MSCs-derived exosomes alleviated mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia in CFA-induced inflammatory pain. Furthermore, huc-MSCs-derived exosomes attenuated neuroinflammation by increasing the expression of autophagy-related proteins (LC3-II and beclin1) and inhibiting the activation of NLRP3 inflammasomes in the spinal cord dorsal horn. In vitro, NLRP3 inflammasome components (NLRP3, caspase1-p20, ASC) and gasdermin D (GSDMD-F, GSDMD-N) were inhibited in BV2 cells pretreated with huc-MSCs-derived exosomes. Western blot and Yo-Pro-1 dye staining demonstrated that 3-MA, an autophagy inhibitor, weakened the protective effect of huc-MSCs-derived exosomes on BV2 cell pyroptosis. Importantly, huc-MSCs-derived exosomes transfected with miR-146a-5p mimic promoted autophagy and inhibited BV2 cell pyroptosis. TRAF6, as a target gene of miR-146a-5p, was knocked down via small-interfering RNA, which increased pyroptosis and inhibited autophagy. CONCLUSION: Huc-MSCs-derived exosomes attenuated inflammatory pain via miR-146a-5p/TRAF6, which increased the level of autophagy and inhibited pyroptosis.

The impact of COVID-19 on Emergency Department length of stay for urgent and life-threatening patients.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the impact of the Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on the length of stay (LOS) and prognosis of patients in the resuscitation area. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of case data of patients in the resuscitation area during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic (January 15, 2020- January 14, 2021) was performed and compared with the pre-COVID-19 period (January 15, 2019 - January 14, 2020) in the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University. The patients' information, including age, sex, length of stay, and death, was collected. The Wilcoxon Rank sum test was performed to compare the LOS difference between the two periods. Fisher's Exact test and Chi-Squared test were used to analyze the prognosis of patients. The LOS and prognosis in different departments of the resuscitation area (emergency internal medicine, emergency surgery, emergency neurology, and other departments) were further analyzed. RESULTS: Of the total 8278 patients, 4159 (50.24%) were enrolled in the COVID-19 pandemic period group, and 4119 (49.76%) were enrolled pre-COVID-19 period group. The length of stay was prolonged significantly in the COVID-19 period compared with the pre-COVID-19 period (13h VS 9.8h, p < 0.001). The LOS in the COVID-19 period was prolonged in both emergency internal medicine (15.3h VS 11.3h, p < 0.001) and emergency surgery (8.7h VS 4.9h, p < 0.001) but not in emergency neurology or other emergency departments. There was no significant difference in mortality between the two cohorts (4.8% VS 5.3%, p = 0.341). CONCLUSION: The COVID-19 pandemic was associated with a significant increase in the length of resuscitation area stay, which may lead to resuscitation area crowding. The influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on patients of different departments was variable. There was no significant impact on the LOS of emergency neurology. According to different departments of the resuscitation area, the COVID-19 pandemic didn't significantly impact the prognosis of patients.

Implementation of multi-mode nursing insulation program for patients receiving surgery for spine tumor: a propensity score-matched analysis.

BACKGROUND: Spinal tumor surgery usually involved long operation time, large area of soft tissue resection and long wound, and was prone to hypothermia during the operation. Therefore, actively promoting insulation and optimizing the intraoperative insulation program have great potential in reducing the incidence of hypothermia and reducing the incidence of postoperative complications. In this study, we compared patients who did not implement multi-mode nursing insulation program (MNIP) with those who implemented MNIP, observing and comparing clinical outcomes, and complications in both groups, with the aim of developing an optimal management plan for the preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative periods, respectively. METHODS: We selected 2 periods of 1 year, before (n = 120 patients) and after MINP implementation (n = 120 patients). Data were collected on patient demographics, operative, perioperative details, temperature changes, anesthesia recovery effect, incidence of postoperative wound infection, length of hospital stay and complications. PS analyses were used for dealing with confounding bias in this retrospective observational study. RESULTS: After PS matching, the outcomes of 120 well-balanced pairs of patients were compared (No-MNIP vs MNIP). There was no significant difference concerning the satisfaction survey. The results indicated that the MNIP had better insulation effect at 90 min, 120 min, 150 min after anesthesia induction and after surgery. There were 16 cases of complications in the No-MNIP group and 5 cases in the MNIP group postoperative, which have significant statistical difference. CONCLUSION: In this study, the incidence of intraoperative hypothermia was effectively reduced by adopting the multi-mode insulation scheme, thus reducing the incidence of incision infection and shortening the length of hospital stay of patients.

[Breakpoints of balanced chromosome 1 translocation is related to routine semen parameters].

Objective: To explore the influence of the breakpoints of balanced chromosome 1 translocation on routine semen parameters. METHODS: This study included 44,239 patients with male reproductive abnormalities from the outpatient department of Shandong University Hospital of Reproduction between January 2017 and December 2020. Through chromosome G banding karyotype analysis of peripheral blood, 57 of the patients were diagnosed as balanced chromosome 1 translocation carriers and underwent routine semen examination. RESULTS: Normal semen were found in 24.56% and abnormal semen in 75.44% of the 57 balanced chromosome 1 translocation carriers. The most common breakpoints were p36.2, p21, q31 and q32 for normal semen, q21, p13, p10, p21, p11, q24 and q32 for abnormal semen in the 11 cases of azoospermia, q21, p13, p32, p22 and p12 in the 5 patients with severe semen abnormalities such as oligospermia and asthenospermia, and q21, p13 and p10 in azoospermia and severe semen abnormalities. CONCLUSIONS: Balanced chromosome 1 translocation is closely related to routine semen parameters, and so is the breakpoint of chromosome 1 to the severity of semen abnormalities.

Risk factors and socio-economic burden in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma operation: a machine learning based analysis.

BACKGROUND: Surgical resection is the major way to cure pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). However, this operation is complex, and the peri-operative risk is high, making patients more likely to be admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). Therefore, establishing a risk model that predicts admission to ICU is meaningful in preventing patients from post-operation deterioration and potentially reducing socio-economic burden. METHODS: We retrospectively collected 120 clinical features from 1242 PDAC patients, including demographic data, pre-operative and intra-operative blood tests, in-hospital duration, and ICU status. Machine learning pipelines, including Supporting Vector Machine (SVM), Logistic Regression, and Lasso Regression, were employed to choose an optimal model in predicting ICU admission. Ordinary least-squares regression (OLS) and Lasso Regression were adopted in the correlation analysis of post-operative bleeding, total in-hospital duration, and discharge costs. RESULTS: SVM model achieved higher performance than the other two models, resulted in an AU-ROC of 0.80. The features, such as age, duration of operation, monocyte count, and intra-operative partial arterial pressure of oxygen (PaO2), are risk factors in the ICU admission. The protective factors include RBC count, analgesic pump dexmedetomidine (DEX), and intra-operative maintenance of DEX. Basophil percentage, duration of the operation, and total infusion volume were risk variables for staying in ICU. The bilirubin, CA125, and pre-operative albumin were associated with the post-operative bleeding volume. The operation duration was the most important factor for discharge costs, while pre-lymphocyte percentage and the absolute count are responsible for less cost. CONCLUSIONS: We observed that several new indicators such as DEX, monocyte count, basophil percentage, and intra-operative PaO2 showed a good predictive effect on the possibility of admission to ICU and duration of stay in ICU. This work provided an essential reference for indication in advance to PDAC operation.

Metallic Phase and Temperature Dependence of the ν=0 Quantum Hall State in Bilayer Graphene.

The ν=0 quantum Hall state of bilayer graphene is a fertile playground to realize many-body ground states with various broken symmetries. Here we report the experimental observations of a previously unreported metallic phase. The metallic phase resides in the phase space between the previously identified layer polarized state at large transverse electric field and the canted antiferromagnetic state at small transverse electric field. We also report temperature dependence studies of the quantum spin Hall state of ν=0. Complex nonmonotonic behavior reveals concomitant bulk and edge conductions and excitations. These results provide a timely experimental update to understand the rich physics of the ν=0 state.

Competing ν = 5/2 fractional quantum Hall states in confined geometry.

Some theories predict that the filling factor 5/2 fractional quantum Hall state can exhibit non-Abelian statistics, which makes it a candidate for fault-tolerant topological quantum computation. Although the non-Abelian Pfaffian state and its particle-hole conjugate, the anti-Pfaffian state, are the most plausible wave functions for the 5/2 state, there are a number of alternatives with either Abelian or non-Abelian statistics. Recent experiments suggest that the tunneling exponents are more consistent with an Abelian state rather than a non-Abelian state. Here, we present edge-current-tunneling experiments in geometrically confined quantum point contacts, which indicate that Abelian and non-Abelian states compete at filling factor 5/2. Our results are consistent with a transition from an Abelian state to a non-Abelian state in a single quantum point contact when the confinement is tuned. Our observation suggests that there is an intrinsic non-Abelian 5/2 ground state but that the appropriate confinement is necessary to maintain it. This observation is important not only for understanding the physics of the 5/2 state but also for the design of future topological quantum computation devices.

A magnetic nanoparticle based immunoassay for alternariol monomethyl ether using hydrogen peroxide-mediated fluorescence quenching of CdTe quantum dots.

The authors describe a fluorometric immunoassay for alternariol monomethyl ether (AME). It is making use of magnetic nanoparticles and quenching of the fluorescence of mercaptopropionic acid-capped CdTe quantum dots (MPA-CdTe QDs) by H2O2. Catalase (CAT) was labeled with AME as a competitive antigen to competitively bind to magnetic nanoparticles carrying monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) with free AME in samples. The effects of the concentration and pH value of buffer, the concentrations of H2O2 and CAT-AME, and the incubation time of H2O2 and MPA-CdTe QDs were optimized. Under optimal conditions and in combination with magnetic separation, the quenching of the fluorescence of the MPA-CdTe QDs (excitation at 310 nm, emission at 599 nm) can be used to quantify AME with a detection limit of 0.25 pg·mL-1 and the linear range from 0.25 to 7.5 pg·mL-1. The immunoassay also has a lower cross-reactivity to AME analogues. It was evaluated by analyzing fruit samples spiked with AME. The recoveries from spiked fruits ranged from 87.2% to 92.0%. Graphical abstract Schematic presentation of a fluorometric immunoassay for alternariol monomethyl ether (AME) using magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) for the rapid separation and purification. The method is based on quenching of the fluorescence of mercaptopropionic acid-capped CdTe quantum dots (MPA-CdTe QDs) by H2O2 for the fluorescence signal output, and on the use of catalase (CAT) with its high catalytic activity.

Exosomal miR-423-5p targets SUFU to promote cancer growth and metastasis and serves as a novel marker for gastric cancer.

Exosomes are critically involved in tumor growth, metastasis, and therapy resistance. Exosomes have the potential to be utilized as cancer biomarkers. In this study, we aimed to explore the roles and clinical values of exosomal miRNAs in gastric cancer. We found that the concentration of exosomes was significantly higher in the serum of gastric cancer patients and the culture supernatants of gastric cancer cells than that in healthy volunteers and gastric mucosa epithelial cells. In particular, miR-423-5p was elevated in the serum exosomes of gastric cancer patients, and the level of exosomal miR-423-5p was remarkably correlated with lymph node metastasis. High level of exosomal miR-423-5p was associated with poor outcome in gastric cancer patients. MiR-423-5p enriched exosomes could be internalized into gastric cancer cells, which enhanced cell proliferation and migration both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, miR-423-5p inhibited the expression of suppressor of fused protein (SUFU) to enhance the proliferation and migration of gastric cancer cells. The expression levels of SUFU were significantly decreased in gastric cancer cells and the tumor tissues of gastric cancer patients. Taken together, our findings indicate that exosomes could deliver miR-423-5p to promote cancer growth and metastasis and serum exosomal miR-423-5p may serve as a potential marker for gastric cancer diagnosis and prognosis.

UBR2 Enriched in p53 Deficient Mouse Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Exosome Promoted Gastric Cancer Progression via Wnt/ß-Catenin Pathway.

The deficiency or mutation of p53 has been linked to several types of cancers. The mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) is an important component in the tumor microenvironment, and exosomes secreted by MSCs can transfer bioactive molecules, including proteins and nucleic acid, to other cells in the tumor microenvironment to influence the progress of a tumor. However, whether the state of p53 in MSCs can impact the bioactive molecule secretion of exosomes to promote cancer progression and the regulatory mechanism remains elusive. Our study aimed to investigate the regulation of ubiquitin protein ligase E3 component n-recognin 2 (UBR2) enriched in exosomes secreted by p53 deficient mouse bone marrow MSC (p53-/- mBMMSC) in gastric cancer progression in vivo and in vitro. We found that the concentration of exosome was significantly higher in p53-/- mBMMSC than that in p53 wild-type mBMMSC (p53+/+ mBMMSC). In particular, UBR2 was highly expressed in p53-/- mBMMSC cells and exosomes. P53-/- mBMMSC exosomes enriched UBR2 could be internalized into p53+/+ mBMMSC and murine foregastric carcinoma (MFC) cells and induce the overexpression of UBR2 in these cells which elevated cell proliferation, migration, and the expression of stemness-related genes. Mechanistically, the downregulation of UBR2 in p53-/- mBMMSC exosomes could reverse these actions. Moreover, a majority of Wnt family members, ß-catenin, and its downstream genes (CD44, CyclinD1, CyclinD3, and C-myc) were significantly decreased in MFC knockdown UBR2 and ß-catenin depletion, an additional depletion of UBR2 had no significant difference in the expression of Nanog, OCT4, Vimentin, and E-cadherin. Taken together, our findings indicated that p53-/- mBMMSC exosomes could deliver UBR2 to target cells and promote gastric cancer growth and metastasis by regulating Wnt/ß-catenin pathway. Stem Cells 2017;35:2267-2279.

Affinity capture of aflatoxin B1 and B2 by aptamer-functionalized magnetic agarose microspheres prior to their determination by HPLC.

A novel adsorbent is described for magnetic solid-phase extraction (MSPE) of the aflatoxins AFB1 and AFB2 (AFBs). Magnetic agarose microspheres (MAMs) were functionalized with an aptamer to bind the AFBs which then were quantified by HPLC and on-line post-column photochemical derivatization with fluorescence detection. Streptavidin-conjugated MAMs were synthesized first by a highly reproducible strategy. They possess strong magnetism and high surface area. The MAMs were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, optical microscopy, laser diffraction particle size analyzer, Fourier transform infrared spectrometry, vibrating sample magnetometry and laser scanning confocal microscopy. Then, the AFB-aptamers were immobilized on MAMs through biotin-streptavidin interaction. Finally, the MSPE is performed by suspending the aptamer-modified MAMs in the sample. They are then collected by an external magnetic field and the AFBs are eluted with methanol/buffer (20:80). Several parameters affecting the coupling, capturing and eluting efficiency were optimized. Under the optimized conditions, the method is fast, has good linearity, high selectivity, and sensitivity. The LODs are 25 pg·mL-1 for AFB1 and 10 pg·mL-1 for AFB2. The binding capacity is 350 ± 8 ng·g-1 for AFB1 and 384 ± 8 ng·g-1 for AFB2, and the precision of the assay is <8%. The method was successfully applied to the analysis of AFBs in spiked maize samples. Graphical abstract Schematic of novel aptamer functionalized magnetic agarose microspheres (Apt-MAM) as magnetic adsorbents for simultaneous and specific affinity capture of aflatoxins B1 and B2 (AFBs).

Ising Superconductivity and Quantum Phase Transition in Macro-Size Monolayer NbSe2.

Two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have a range of unique physics properties and could be used in the development of electronics, photonics, spintronics, and quantum computing devices. The mechanical exfoliation technique of microsize TMD flakes has attracted particular interest due to its simplicity and cost effectiveness. However, for most applications, large-area and high-quality films are preferred. Furthermore, when the thickness of crystalline films is down to the 2D limit (monolayer), exotic properties can be expected due to the quantum confinement and symmetry breaking. In this paper, we have successfully prepared macro-size atomically flat monolayer NbSe2 films on bilayer graphene terminated surface of 6H-SiC(0001) substrates by a molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) method. The films exhibit an onset superconducting critical transition temperature (Tconset) above 6 K and the zero resistance superconducting critical transition temperature (Tczero) up to 2.40 K. Simultaneously, the transport measurements at high magnetic fields and low temperatures reveal that the parallel characteristic field Bc//(T = 0) is above 5 times of the paramagnetic limiting field, consistent with Zeeman-protected Ising superconductivity mechanism. Besides, by ultralow temperature electrical transport measurements, the monolayer NbSe2 film shows the signature of quantum Griffiths singularity (QGS) when approaching the zero-temperature quantum critical point.

HucMSC Exosome-Delivered 14-3-3ζ Orchestrates Self-Control of the Wnt Response via Modulation of YAP During Cutaneous Regeneration.

Numerous studies showed that mesenchymal stem cells derived exosome (MSC-Ex) markedly enhanced tissue regeneration, however, the issue of whether MSC-Ex could control stem cells expansion after a regenerative response to prevent tissue from overcrowding and dysplasia remains to be established. Herein, we found that human umbilical cord MSC (hucMSC)-exosomal14-3-3ζ mediated the binding of YAP and p-LATS by forming a complex to promote the phosphorylation of YAP, which orchestrate exosomal Wnt4 signal in cutaneous regeneration. First, we assessed deep second-degree burn rats treated with hucMSC-Ex and discovered that hucMSC-Ex promoting self-regulation of Wnt/ß-catenin signaling at the remodeling phase of cutaneous regeneration. HucMSC-Ex restricted excessive skin cell expansion and collagen deposition at 4 weeks. Under high cell density conditions, hucMSC-Ex inhibited Wnt/ß-catenin signaling through induction of YAP phosphorylation. Second, hucMSC-Ex proteomic analysis revealed that 14-3-3 proteins could be transported by exosome. Using gain- and loss-of-function studies, our results showed that hucMSC-exosomal 14-3-3ζ controlled YAP activities and phosphorylation at Ser127 site, and were required for the binding of YAP and p-LATS. Further studies revealed that 14-3-3ζ recruited YAP and p-LATS to form a complex under high cells density status and 14-3-3ζ other than YAP or p-LATS was the key regulatory molecule of this complex. These findings collectively indicate that hucMSC-Ex functions not only as an "accelerator" of the Wnt/ß-catenin signal to repair damaged skin tissue but also as a "brake" of the signal by modulating YAP to orchestrate controlled cutaneous regeneration. Stem Cells 2016;34:2485-2500.

Exosomal non-coding RNAs: a promising cancer biomarker.

Novel and non-invasive biomarkers are urgently needed for early detection of cancer. Exosomes are nano-sized particles released by cells and contain various bioactive molecules including proteins, DNA, mRNAs, and non-coding RNAs. Increasing evidence suggests that exosomes play critical roles in tumorigenesis, tumor growth, metastasis, and therapy resistance. Exosomes could be readily accessible in nearly all the body fluids. The altered production of exosomes and aberrant expression of exosomal contents could reflect the pathological state of the body, indicating that exosomes and exosomal contents can be utilized as novel cancer biomarkers. Herein, we review the basic properties of exosomes, the functional roles of exosomes in cancer, and the methods of detecting exosomes and exosomal contents. In particular, we highlight the clinical values of exosomal non-coding RNAs in cancer diagnosis and prognosis.

An integrated approach for the identification of USF1-centered transcriptional regulatory networks during liver regeneration.

Liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy (PH) is a synchronized process that is precisely controlled by system-wide transcriptional regulatory networks. To clarify the transcriptional changes and regulatory networks that involve transcription factors (TFs) and their target genes during the priming phase, an advanced mouse oligonucleotide array-based transcription factor assay (MOUSE OATFA), mRNA microarray analysis, bioinformatic analysis and ChIP-on-chip experiments were used. A total of 774 genes were upregulated or downregulated in PH liver samples compared with the sham operation (SH) group. Seventeen TFs showed significant changes in activity in the regenerating livers, some of which have not been extensively studied in previous reports, including upstream stimulatory transcription factor 1 (USF1). The TF signatures from MOUSE OATFA were combined with mRNA expression profiles and ChIP-on-chip analyses to construct experimental transcriptional regulatory networks in regenerating livers. USF1-centered regulatory networks were further confirmed by ChIP assays, revealing some of its target genes and novel coregulatory networks. The combination of MOUSE OATFA with transcriptome profiling and bioinformatic analysis represents a novel paradigm for the comprehensive prediction of transcriptional coregulatory networks during the early phase of liver regeneration.

Observation of a Helical Luttinger Liquid in InAs/GaSb Quantum Spin Hall Edges.

We report on the observation of a helical Luttinger liquid in the edge of an InAs/GaSb quantum spin Hall insulator, which shows characteristic suppression of conductance at low temperature and low bias voltage. Moreover, the conductance shows power-law behavior as a function of temperature and bias voltage. The results underscore the strong electron-electron interaction effect in transport of InAs/GaSb edge states. Because of the fact that the Fermi velocity of the edge modes is controlled by gates, the Luttinger parameter can be fine tuned. Realization of a tunable Luttinger liquid offers a one-dimensional model system for future studies of predicted correlation effects.

Rapid Visual Detection of Aflatoxin B1 by Label-Free Aptasensor Using Unmodified Gold Nanoparticles.

The selective detection of ultra trace amounts of aflatoxin B1 (AF1) is extremely important for food safety, since it is the most toxic mycotoxin class that is allowed to be present in edible food and agricultural products with strictly Maximum Residue Limit (MRL). Sensitive detection of AFB1 residues requires time-consuming techniques and expensive instruments. An aptasensor for AFB1 detection, using unmodified gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) indicator, was developed in the present study, based on the salt-induced AuNPs aggregation phenomenon. Its linear dynamic range and detection sensitivity were found to be 0.025 ng/mL-100 ng/mL and 0.025 ng/mL of AFB1 respectively, which were lower than the maximum residue limit (MRL) in edible food, as set by China and the European Commission. Our study provides a simple, fast, and visible method for AFB1 analysis, with high sensitivity, which can be applied in future on-site detection for food and agricultural products.