Incoherent transport across the strange-metal regime of overdoped cuprates.

Strange metals possess highly unconventional electrical properties, such as a linear-in-temperature resistivity1-6, an inverse Hall angle that varies as temperature squared7-9 and a linear-in-field magnetoresistance10-13. Identifying the origin of these collective anomalies has proved fundamentally challenging, even in materials such as the hole-doped cuprates that possess a simple bandstructure. The prevailing consensus is that strange metallicity in the cuprates is tied to a quantum critical point at a doping p* inside the superconducting dome14,15. Here we study the high-field in-plane magnetoresistance of two superconducting cuprate families at doping levels beyond p*. At all dopings, the magnetoresistance exhibits quadrature scaling and becomes linear at high values of the ratio of the field and the temperature, indicating that the strange-metal regime extends well beyond p*. Moreover, the magnitude of the magnetoresistance is found to be much larger than predicted by conventional theory and is insensitive to both impurity scattering and magnetic field orientation. These observations, coupled with analysis of the zero-field and Hall resistivities, suggest that despite having a single band, the cuprate strange-metal region hosts two charge sectors, one containing coherent quasiparticles, the other scale-invariant 'Planckian' dissipators.

Conditional neuroligin-2 knockout in adult medial prefrontal cortex links chronic changes in synaptic inhibition to cognitive impairments.

Abnormal activity in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) is consistently observed in neuropsychiatric disorders, but the mechanisms involved remain unclear. Chronic aberrant excitation and/or inhibition of mPFC neurons were proposed to cause cognitive impairments. However, direct evidence for this hypothesis is lacking because it is technically challenging to control synaptic properties in a chronic and locally restricted, yet specific, manner. Here, we generated conditional knockout (cKO) mice of neuroligin-2 (Nlgn2), a postsynaptic cell-adhesion molecule of inhibitory synapses linked to neuropsychiatric disorders. cKO of Nlgn2 in adult mPFC rendered Nlgn2 protein undetectable after already 2-3 weeks, but induced major reductions in synaptic inhibition after only 6-7 weeks, and caused parallel impairments in anxiety, fear memory and social interaction behaviors. Moreover, cKO of Nlgn2 severely impaired behavioral stimulation of immediate-early gene expression in the mPFC, suggesting that chronic reduction in synaptic inhibition uncoupled the mPFC from experience-dependent inputs. Our results indicate that Nlgn2 is required for continuous maintenance of inhibitory synapses in the adult mPFC, and that chronic impairment of local inhibition disengages the mPFC from its cognitive functions by partially uncoupling the mPFC from experience-induced inputs.

Apoptosis induced by Aß25-35 peptide is Ca(2+) -IP3 signaling-dependent in murine astrocytes.

Although the accumulation of the neurotoxic peptide ß-amyloid (Aß) in the central nervous system is a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease, whether Aß acts in astrocytes is unclear, and downstream functional consequences have yet to be defined. Here, we show that cytosolic Ca(2+) dysregulation, induced by a neurotoxic fragment (Aß25-35), caused apoptosis in a concentration-dependent manner, leading to cytoplasmic Ca(2+) mobilization from extra- and intracellular sources, mainly from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) via IP3 receptor activation. This mechanism was related to Aß-mediated apoptosis by the intrinsic pathway because the expression of pro-apoptotic Bax was accompanied by its translocation in cells transfected with GFP-Bax. Aß-mediated apoptosis was reduced by BAPTA-AM, a fast Ca(2+) chelator, indicating that an increase in intracellular Ca(2+) was involved in cell death. Interestingly, the Bax translocation was dependent on Ca(2+) mobilization from IP3 receptors because pre-incubation with xestospongin C, a selective IP3 receptor inhibitor, abolished this response. Taken together, these results provide evidence that Aß dysregulation of Ca(2+) homeostasis induces ER depletion of Ca(2+) stores and leads to apoptosis; this mechanism plays a significant role in Aß apoptotic cell death and might be a new target for neurodegeneration treatments.

Dose effect of thiazolidinedione on cancer risk in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients: a six-year population-based cohort study.

WHAT IS KNOWN AND OBJECTIVE: Prior studies found that thiazolidinediones (TZDs) might have tumour-suppressor activity mediated through cell-cycle arrest, induction of apoptosis and inhibition of cell invasion. The main objective of this study was to investigate the effects of TZDs on the risk of cancer among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). METHODS: Patients diagnosed with DM between 1 January 1998 and 31 December 2002 were identified from the Longitudinal Health Insurance Database (LHID) within the Taiwan National Health Insurance (NHI) programme. Using Cox regression models, we assessed the association between prescribed TZDs and cancer risk, TZDs' dose effect and the association between TZDs and specific cancer types. Hazard ratios (HR) were adjusted for potential confounders (age, gender, income, Charlson score index, metformin and insulin use). RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: The adjusted HRs for those prescribed TZD were 0·74 (95% CI 0·43-1·26, P = 0·27), 0·39 (95% CI 0·33-0·45, P < 0·001) and 0·49 (95% CI 0·27-0·89, P = 0·02), respectively, relative to non-DM patients, DM patients prescribed other anti-DM drugs besides TZDs and DM patients not prescribed any anti-DM drugs. In addition, the effects of TZDs were shown to be significantly dose dependent (P for trend < 0·001). The risk of breast, brain, colorectal, ear-nose-throat, kidney, liver, lung, lymphatic, prostate, stomach, and uterus cancer was significantly lower in those prescribed TZDs. WHAT IS NEW AND CONCLUSIONS: The results showed a decrease in cancer risk in diabetic patients using TZD, and the association was dose dependent.

Influence of Obstructive Sleep Apnea on the Risk of Dental Caries: Insights from a 13-Year Population-Based Retrospective Study.

KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER STATEMENT: Obstructive sleep apnea has been proven to have a great negative impact on patients, and the relationship between sleep apnea and dental caries is still inconclusive. Our study shows that patients with sleep apnea and those older than 45 y have a significant risk of dental caries.

Expanded quantum vortex liquid regimes in the electron nematic superconductors FeSe1-xSx and FeSe1-xTex.

The quantum vortex liquid (QVL) is an intriguing state of type-II superconductors in which intense quantum fluctuations of the superconducting (SC) order parameter destroy the Abrikosov lattice even at very low temperatures. Such a state has only rarely been observed, however, and remains poorly understood. One of the key questions is the precise origin of such intense quantum fluctuations and the role of nearby non-SC phases or quantum critical points in amplifying these effects. Here we report a high-field magnetotransport study of FeSe1-xSx and FeSe1-xTex which show a broad QVL regime both within and beyond their respective electron nematic phases. A clear correlation is found between the extent of the QVL and the strength of the superconductivity. This comparative study enables us to identify the essential elements that promote the QVL regime in unconventional superconductors and to demonstrate that the QVL regime itself is most extended wherever superconductivity is weakest.

Endoplasmic reticulum calcium release engages Bax translocation in cortical astrocytes.

Apoptosis is a highly complex form of cell death that can be triggered by alterations in Ca(2+) homeostasis. Members of the Bcl-2 family may regulate apoptosis and modulate Ca(2+) distribution within intracellular compartments. Bax, a proapoptotic member of the family, is constitutively expressed and soluble in the cytosol and, under apoptotic induction, translocates to mitochondrial membranes. However, it is not clear if the intracellular Ca(2+) stores and selective Ca(2+) releases can modulate or control Bax translocation. The aim of this study was to investigate the relation of intracellular Ca(2+) stores with Bax translocation in rat cortical astrocytes. Results show that the classical apoptotic inducer, staurosporine, caused high elevations of cytosolic Ca(2+) that precede Bax translocation. On the other hand, agents that mobilize Ca(2+) from endoplasmic reticulum such as noradrenaline or thapsigargin, induced Bax translocation, while mitochondrial Ca(2+) release evoked by carbonyl cyanide-p-(trifluoromethoxyphenyl) hydrazone was not able to cause Bax punctation. In addition, microinjection of inositol 1,4,5- trisphosphate induced Bax translocation. Taken together, our results show that in Bax overexpressing cortical astrocytes, endoplasmic reticulum-Ca(2+) release may induce Bax transactivation and specifically control apoptosis.

Alterations in calcium signaling and a decrease in Bcl-2 expression: possible correlation with apoptosis in aged striatum.

Aging is a multifaceted process associated with various functional and structural deficits that might be evolved in degenerative diseases. It has been shown that neurodegenerative disorders are associated with alterations in Ca(2+) homeostasis. Thus, in the present work, we have investigated Ca(2+) signaling and apoptosis in aged striatum. Our results show that glutamate and NMDA evoke a greater Ca(2+) rise in striatum slices from aged animals. However, this difference is not present when glutamate is tested in the absence of external Ca(2+). Immunostaining of glutamate receptors shows that only NMDA receptors (NR1) are increased in the striatum of aged rats. Increases in mitochondrial Ca(2+) content and in the reactive oxygen species levels were also observed in aged animals, which could be associated with tissue vulnerability. In addition, a decrease in the Bcl-2 protein expression and an enhancement in apoptosis were also present in aged striatum. Together the results indicate that, in aged animals, alterations in Ca(2+) handling coupled to an increase in ROS accumulation and a decrease in the prosurvival protein Bcl-2 may contribute to apoptosis induction and cell death in rat striatum.

Morphine-sparing effect by COX-1 inhibitor sustains analgesic function without compromising antigen-specific immunity and antitumor effect of naked DNA vaccine.

Morphine and ketorolac, two analgesics with different mechanisms, have been widely used in controlling cancer pain and postoperative pain in surgery. Our previous study revealed that morphine could suppress the anti-tumor effect of antigen-specific DNA vaccine. In this study, we further evaluated and compared another analgesic drug, ketorolac, with morphine for its analgesic functions and the antitumor immunities of antigen-specific DNA vaccine. We first observed that ketorolac-treated mice did not enhance tumorigenesis nor suppress the anti-tumor effects of antigen-specific (calreticulin linked to HPV16 E7) CRT/E7 DNA vaccine. We then demonstrated that ketorolac was less potent in inducing apoptosis of T lymphocytes and the generation of reactive oxygen species, in reducing mitochondrial membrane potentials, and leading to the activation of caspases 3 and 7 in T lymphocytes than morphine. When CRT/E7 DNA vaccinated mice treated with ketorolac, the declines of frequencies of E7-specific IFN-gamma-secreting CD8+ T cell precursors were slower in the morphine-treated group. CRT/E7 DNA vaccinated mice, treated with a mixture of morphine and ketorolac, could maintain the analgesic function without experiencing a decrease in the anti-tumor effects. CRT/E7 DNA vaccine with the opioid-sparing effect of ketorolac could provide potent anti-tumor effects and good analgesic function.

Movement of Bax from the cytosol to mitochondria during apoptosis.

Bax, a member of the Bcl-2 protein family, accelerates apoptosis by an unknown mechanism. Bax has been recently reported to be an integral membrane protein associated with organelles or bound to organelles by Bcl-2 or a soluble protein found in the cytosol. To explore Bcl-2 family member localization in living cells, the green fluorescent protein (GFP) was fused to the NH2 termini of Bax, Bcl-2, and Bcl-XL. Confocal microscopy performed on living Cos-7 kidney epithelial cells and L929 fibroblasts revealed that GFP-Bcl-2 and GFP-Bcl-XL had a punctate distribution and colocalized with a mitochondrial marker, whereas GFP-Bax was found diffusely throughout the cytosol. Photobleaching analysis confirmed that GFP-Bax is a soluble protein, in contrast to organelle-bound GFP-Bcl-2. The diffuse localization of GFP-Bax did not change with coexpression of high levels of Bcl-2 or Bcl-XL. However, upon induction of apoptosis, GFP-Bax moved intracellularly to a punctate distribution that partially colocalized with mitochondria. Once initiated, this Bax movement was complete within 30 min, before cellular shrinkage or nuclear condensation. Removal of a COOH-terminal hydrophobic domain from GFP-Bax inhibited redistribution during apoptosis and inhibited the death-promoting activity of both Bax and GFP-Bax. These results demonstrate that in cells undergoing apoptosis, an early, dramatic change occurs in the intracellular localization of Bax, and this redistribution of soluble Bax to organelles appears important for Bax to promote cell death.

Strain relaxation behaviour of vortices in a multiferroic superconductor.

The elastic and anelastic properties of a single crystal of Co-doped pnictide Ba(Fe0.957Co0.043)2As2 have been determined by resonant ultrasound spectroscopy in the frequency range 10-500 kHz, both as a function of temperature through the normal-superconducting transition (T c ≈ 12.5 K) and as a function of applied magnetic field up to 12.5 T. Correlation with thermal expansion, electrical resistivity, heat capacity, DC and AC magnetic data from crystals taken from the same synthetic batch has revealed the permeating influence of strain on coupling between order parameters for the ferroelastic (Q E) and superconducting (Q SC) transitions and on the freezing/relaxation behaviour of vortices. Elastic softening through T c in zero field can be understood in terms of classical coupling of the order parameter with the shear strain e 6, λe 6 [Formula: see text], which means that there must be a common strain mechanism for coupling of the form λ [Formula: see text] Q E. At fields of ~5 T and above, this softening is masked by Debye-like stiffening and acoustic loss processes due to vortex freezing. The first loss peak may be associated with the establishment of superconductivity on ferroelastic twin walls ahead of the matrix and the second is due to the vortex liquid-vortex glass transition. Strain contrast between vortex cores and the superconducting matrix will contribute significantly to interactions of vortices both with each other and with the underlying crystal structure. These interactions imply that iron-pnictides represent a class of multiferroic superconductors in which strain-mediated coupling occurs between the multiferroic properties (ferroelasticity, antiferromagnetism) and superconductivity.

Complete activation of Bax by a single site mutation.

Bax translocation from the cytosol to mitochondria culminates a key step by which this protein mediates cell death. Here, we identified two amino acids, L70 and D71, within the BH3 domain of Bax that play a critical role in regulating Bax's cytosolic vs mitochondrial distribution. Individual substitution of these amino acids with alanine resulted in Bax conformational change, oligomerization, localization to mitochondria and cell death. Further mutational analysis indicated that L70 interacts with T174, V177 and A178 of Bax's C-terminal hydrophobic segment, while the negative charge of D71 is required for maintaining Bax in its soluble monomeric state. In summary, we have identified a new regulatory site that controls Bax's subcellular distribution and activation.

Bcl-x(L) inhibits Bax-induced alterations in mitochondrial respiration and calcium release.

Apoptosis is a natural cell elimination process involved in a number of physiological and pathological events. This process can be regulated by members of the Bcl-2 family. Bax, a pro-apoptotic member of this family, accelerates cell death, while the pro-survival member, Bcl-x(L), can antagonize the pro-apoptotic function of Bax to promote cell survival. In the present study, we have evaluated the effect of Bcl-x(L) on Bax-induced alterations in mitochondrial respiration and calcium release. We found that in primary cultured astrocytes, recombinant Bcl-x(L) is able to antagonize Bax-induced decrease in mitochondrial respiration and increase in mitochondrial calcium release. In addition, we found that Bcl-x(L) can lower the calcium store in the endoplasmic reticulum, thus limiting potential calcium flux induced by apoptosis. This regulation of calcium flux by Bcl-x(L) may represent an important mechanism by which this protein promotes cell survival.

Autoantibodies against tumour suppressor protein p53 in pleural effusions of patients with tuberculosis pleurisy.

BACKGROUND: Autoantibodies against the p53 proteins (p53 Abs) can be detected in the serum, ascites, saliva and pleural effusions of various malignant patients. It is suggested that p53 Abs in pleural effusions might have some value for tumour diagnosis, prognosis or monitoring. The present study investigated the prevalence of p53 Abs in the pleural effusions of 90 patients with various diseases. METHODS: Patients with suspicious pleural effusions in chest film received thoracocentesis and their pleural effusions were collected. The presence of p53 Abs in effusion was detected by immunoblotting. Differences of p53 Abs with respect to the patient's age, gender, white blood cell count, lactate dehydrogenase, total proteins and adenosine deaminase scores were calculated by chi2-test. RESULTS: p53 Abs were detected in 14.4% (13/90) of our patients, with prevalences of 10.5% (6/57) and 21.2% (7/33) among patients with benign and malignant diseases, respectively. Notably, 16.1% (5/31) of patients with tuberculosis pleurisy were positive for p53 Abs. These five patients had no history of cancer and, so far, have had no manifestations related to tumorigenesis. CONCLUSIONS: As far as we know, this is the first report regarding the detection of p53 Abs in pleural effusions from patients with tuberculosis pleurisy.

An investigation into inflection-point instability in the entrance region of a pulsating pipe flow.

This paper investigates the inflection-point instability that governs the flow disturbance initiated in the entrance region of a pulsating pipe flow. Under such a flow condition, the flow instability grows within a certain phase region in a pulsating cycle, during which the inflection point in the unsteady mean flow lifts away from the viscous effect-dominated region known as the Stokes layer. The characteristic frequency of the instability is found to be in agreement with that predicted by the mixing-layer model. In comparison with those cases not falling in this category, it is further verified that the flow phenomenon will take place only if the inflection point lifts away sufficiently from the Stokes layer.

Structural and functional properties of rhodopsin from rod outer segment disk and plasma membrane.

The structural and functional properties of bovine rhodopsin from rod outer segment disk and plasma membranes were compared by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), mass spectrometric analyses, and in vitro rhodopsin phosphorylation assays. Disk and plasma membranes separated by a ricin gold-dextran affinity perturbation method were treated with trypsin or cyanogen bromide, and the N-terminal and C-terminal rhodopsin peptides were isolated by immunoaffinity chromatography using antirhodopsin monoclonal antibodies coupled to Sepharose. Reverse phase HPLC chromatograms of the C-terminal and N-terminal peptides from disk and plasma membrane rhodopsin were found to be similar. Mass spectrometric, PicoTag, and hexose analyses of the tryptic 1-16 N-terminal peptides further indicated that the post-translational glycosylation of plasma membrane rhodopsin is identical to that of disk membrane rhodopsin. HPLC analysis of soluble peptides obtained from cyanogen bromide and tryptic digestion of immunoaffinity purified rhodopsin also indicated that no significant differences exist between disk and plasma membrane rhodopsin. Light-induced phosphorylation of rhodopsin in disk and plasma membranes were also compared using in vitro phosphorylation assays. Plasma membrane rhodopsin was found to undergo light-dependent, rhodopsin kinase catalyzed phosphorylation to the same extent as disk membrane rhodopsin. These results indicate that the bulk rhodopsin in rod outer segment plasma membranes appears to be identical to rhodopsin in disk membranes in regard to primary structure, post-translational glycosylation and light-dependent phosphorylation. On this basis, it is unlikely that the sorting of rhodopsin between disk and plasma membranes occurs by a mechanism based on differences in structural properties of rhodopsin.

Bax translocation to mitochondria subsequent to a rapid loss of mitochondrial membrane potential.

Bax, a pro-apoptotic member of the Bcl-2 family, is a cytosolic protein that inserts into mitochondrial membranes upon induction of cell death. Using the green fluorescent protein fused to Bax (GFP-Bax) to quantitate mitochondrial binding in living cells we have investigated the cause of Bax association with mitochondria and the time course relative to endogenous and induced changes in mitochondrial membrane potential (DeltaPsi(m)). We have found that staurosporine (STS) induces a loss in DeltaPsi(m) before GFP-Bax translocation can be measured. The onset of the DeltaPsi(m) loss is followed by a rapid and complete collapse of DeltaPsi(m) which is followed by Bax association with mitochondria. The mitochondria uncoupler FCCP, in the presence of the F(1)-F(0) ATPase inhibitor oligomycin, can trigger Bax translocation to mitochondria suggesting that when ATP levels are maintained a collapse of DeltaPsi(m) induces Bax translocation. Neither FCCP nor oligomycin alone alters Bax location. Bax association with mitochondria is also triggered by inhibitors of the electron transport chain, antimycin and rotenone, compounds that collapse DeltaPsi(m) without inducing rapid ATP hydrolysis that typically occurs with uncouplers such as FCCP. Taken together, our results suggest that alterations in mitochondrial energization associated with apoptosis can initiate Bax docking to mitochondria.

The role of 2'-5' oligoadenylate-activated ribonuclease L in apoptosis.

Apoptosis of viral infected cells appears to be one defense strategy to limit viral infection. Interferon can also confer viral resistance by the induction of the 2-5A system comprised of 2'-5' oligoadenylate synthetase (OAS), and RNase L. Since rRNA is degraded upon activation of RNase L and during apoptosis and since both of these processes serve antiviral functions, we examined the role RNase L may play in cell death. Inhibition of RNase L activity, by transfection with a dominant negative mutant, blocked staurosporine-induced apoptosis of NIH3T3 cells and SV40-transformed BALB/c cells. In addition, K562 cell lines expressing inactive RNase L were more resistant to apoptosis induced by decreased glutathione levels. Hydrogen peroxide-induced death of NIH3T3 cells did not occur by apoptosis and was not dependent upon active RNAse L. Apoptosis regulatory proteins of the Bcl-2 family did not exhibit altered expression levels in the absence of RNase L activity. RNase L is required for certain pathways of cell death and may help mediate viral-induced apoptosis.

Usefulness of soluble interleukin 2 receptor in differentiating tuberculous and carcinomatous pleural effusions.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the usefulness of soluble interleukin 2 receptor (sIL-2R) in differentiating tuberculous and carcinomatous pleural effusions. METHODS: Levels of sIL-2R were measured simultaneously in plasma and pleural fluid in 111 patients with pleural effusions of unknown causes. RESULTS: The causes of pleural effusions were tuberculosis in 42 cases, carcinoma in 41 cases, pneumonia in 18 cases, and heart failure in 10 cases. In all groups of patients, sIL-2R levels were significantly higher in pleural fluid than in plasma. Plasma and effusion levels of sIL-2R were highest in the patients with tuberculosis, followed by those with carcinoma, pneumonia, and heart failure. Levels were significantly higher in the tuberculous group than in the carcinomatous group. To differentiate tuberculous from carcinomatous effusions, the highest plasma and effusion sIL-2R values obtained from the carcinomatous group were chosen as cutoff points (test specificity, 100%). The sensitivities of plasma and effusion sIL-2R levels in differentiating tuberculous and carcinomatous pleural effusions were 50% (21 of 42 samples) and 81% (34 of 42 samples), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Although increased plasma and pleural fluid levels of sIL-2R should not be viewed as a diagnostic test specific for tuberculous pleural effusion, sIL-2R level appears to be clinically useful as a biochemical marker to differentiate tuberculous and carcinomatous pleural effusions.