Neuronal miR-9 promotes HSV-1 epigenetic silencing and latency by repressing Oct-1 and Onecut family genes.

Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) latent infection entails repression of viral lytic genes in neurons. By functional screening using luciferase-expressing HSV-1, we identify ten neuron-specific microRNAs potentially repressing HSV-1 neuronal replication. Transfection of miR-9, the most active candidate from the screen, decreases HSV-1 replication and gene expression in Neuro-2a cells. Ectopic expression of miR-9 from lentivirus or recombinant HSV-1 suppresses HSV-1 replication in male primary mouse neurons in culture and mouse trigeminal ganglia in vivo, and reactivation from latency in the primary neurons. Target prediction and validation identify transcription factors Oct-1, a known co-activator of HSV transcription, and all three Onecut family members as miR-9 targets. Knockdown of ONECUT2 decreases HSV-1 yields in Neuro-2a cells. Overexpression of each ONECUT protein increases HSV-1 replication in Neuro-2a cells, human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neurons, and primary mouse neurons, and accelerates reactivation from latency in the mouse neurons. Mutagenesis, ChIP-seq, RNA-seq, ChIP-qPCR and ATAC-seq results suggest that ONECUT2 can nonspecifically bind to viral genes via its CUT domain, globally stimulate viral gene transcription, reduce viral heterochromatin and enhance the accessibility of viral chromatin. Thus, neuronal miR-9 promotes viral epigenetic silencing and latency by targeting multiple host transcription factors important for lytic gene activation.

Multiplication of orbital angular momentum via multi-plane light conversion.

The multiplication of orbital angular momentum (OAM) modes using optical coordinate transformation is useful for OAM optical networks, but the scalability of this scheme is limited by the ray model. Here, we propose an alternative scheme for the scalable multiplication of OAM modes based on modified multi-plane light conversion (MPLC) that can extend azimuthal and radial indices of OAM modes supported by the multipliers and unlock a new degree of freedom for radial high-order OAM states that has been restricted in the zero order. The multiplication for 20 OAM modes with radial index p = 0 and 10 OAM modes with radial index p = 1 is performed in simulation and experiment. The 3-dB optical bandwidth corresponding to the purity of OAM modes covers the entire C-band experimentally. This novel, to the best of our knowledge, approach to manipulating OAM states provides valuable insights and flexible strategies for high-capacity OAM optical communication and high-dimensional optical quantum information processing.

Self-Assembly Nanostructure Induced by Regulation of G-Quadruplex DNA Topology via a Reduction-Sensitive Azobenzene Ligand on Cells.

The control of DNA assembly systems on cells has increasingly shown great importance for precisely targeted therapies. Here, we report a controllable DNA self-assembly system based on the regulation of G-quadruplex DNA topology by a reduction-sensitive azobenzene ligand. Specifically, three azobenzene multiamines are developed, and AzoDiTren is identified as the best G4 binder, which displays high affinity and specificity for G4 DNA. Moreover, the reduction-sensitive nature of the azobenzene scaffold allows AzoDiTren to induce a complete change of the G4 topology in a tissue-specific manner, even at high metal cation concentrations. On this basis, the AzoDiTren-induced G4 conformational switch achieves control of the self-assembly of G4-functionalized DNAs on cells. This strategy enables the regulation of G4 and DNA self-assembly by the bioreductant-responsive ligand.

Solid-state 360° optical beamforming for reconfigurable multicast optical wireless communications.

Optical wireless communication is an attractive technique for data center interconnects due to its low latency line-of-sight connectivity. Multicast, on the other hand, is an important data center network function that can improve traffic throughput, reduce latency, and make efficient use of network resources. To enable reconfigurable multicast in data center optical wireless networks, we propose a novel 360° optical beamforming scheme based on the principle of superposition of orbital angular momentum modes, emitting beams from the source rack pointing towards any combination of other racks so that connections are established between the source and multiple destination racks. We experimentally demonstrate the scheme using solid state devices for a scenario where racks are arranged in a hexagonal formation in which a source rack can connect with any number of adjacent racks simultaneously, with each link transmitting 70 Gb/s on-off-keying modulations at bit error rates of <10-6 at 1.5-m and 2.0-m link distances.

Spiral fractional vortex beams.

A new type of spatially structured light field carrying orbital angular momentum (OAM) mode with any non-integer topological order, referred to as the spiral fractional vortex beam, is demonstrated using the spiral transformation. Such beams have a spiral intensity distribution and a phase discontinuity in the radial direction, which is completely different from an opening ring of the intensity pattern and an azimuthal phase jump, common features that all previously reported non-integer OAM modes (referred to as the conventional fractional vortex beams) shared. The intriguing properties of a spiral fractional vortex beam are studied both in simulations and experiments in this work. The results show that the spiral intensity distribution will evolve into a focusing annular pattern during its propagation in free space. Furthermore, we propose a novel scheme by superimposing a spiral phase piecewise function on spiral transformation to convert the radial phase jump to the azimuthal phase jump, revealing the connection between the spiral fractional vortex beam and its conventional counterpart, of which OAM modes both share the same non-integer order. Thus this work is expected to inspire opening more paths for leading fractional vortex beams to potential applications in optical information processing and particle manipulation.

Neuronal miR-138 Represses HSV-2 Lytic Infection by Regulating Viral and Host Genes with Mechanistic Differences from HSV-1.

Herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV-2) establishes latent infection in dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons after productive (lytic) infection in peripheral tissues. A neuron-specific microRNA, miR-138, favors HSV-1 latency by repressing viral ICP0 and host Oct-1 and Foxc1 genes, yet the role of miR-138 in HSV-2 infection was unknown. The ICP0 mRNAs of HSV-1, HSV-2, and chimpanzee herpesvirus each have one to two canonical miR-138 binding sites. The sites are 100% conserved in 308 HSV-1 and 300 HSV-2 published sequences of clinical isolates. In cotransfection assays, miR-138 repressed HSV-2 ICP0 expression through the seed region and surrounding interactions that are different from HSV-1. An HSV-2 mutant with disrupted miR-138 binding sites on ICP0 showed increased ICP0 expression in Neuro-2a cells. Photoactivatable ribonucleoside-enhanced cross-linking and immunoprecipitation confirmed miR-138 binding to HSV-2 ICP0 and identified UL19 and UL20 as additional targets whose expression was repressed by miR-138 during cotransfection. In Neuro-2a cells, transfected miR-138 and its antagomir decreased and increased HSV-2 replication, respectively, and a knockout experiment showed that miR-138's host targets OCT-1 and FOXC1 were important for HSV-2 replication. In primary mouse DRG neurons, both ICP0 and FOXC1 positively regulated HSV-2 replication, but both overexpressed and endogenous miR-138 suppressed HSV-2 replication primarily by repressing ICP0 expression. Thus, miR-138 can suppress HSV-2 neuronal replication through multiple viral and host pathways. These results reveal functional similarities and mechanistic differences in how miR-138 regulates HSV-1 and HSV-2 infection and indicate an evolutionary advantage of using miR-138 to repress lytic infection in neurons. IMPORTANCE HSV-1 and HSV-2 are closely related viruses with major differences. Both viruses establish latency in neurons from which they reactivate to cause disease. A key aspect of HSV latency is repression of productive infection in neurons. Based on previous work with HSV-1, we investigated the role of a neuron-specific microRNA, miR-138, in HSV-2 infection and established it as a repressor of HSV-2 productive infection in neuronal cells. This repression is mediated mainly by targeting viral ICP0 and host Foxc1 mRNAs, but other pathways also contribute. Despite functional conservation of the role of miR-138 between HSV-1 and HSV-2, many molecular mechanisms differ, including how miR-138 represses ICP0 expression and miR-138 targeting of HSV-2 but not HSV-1 UL19 and UL20. To our knowledge, this study provides the first example of host microRNA regulation of HSV-2 infection.

Insights into the mechanism of enhanced peroxymonosulfate degraded tetracycline using metal organic framework derived carbonyl modified carbon-coated Fe0.

Tetracycline (TC) is a commonly used antibiotic that has gained wide spread notoriety owing to its high environmental risks. In this study, rich carbonyl-modified carbon-coated Fe0 was obtained by pyrolysis of MIL-100(Fe) in an Ar atmosphere, and used to activate peroxymonosulfate (PMS) for the degradation of tetracycline in water. The roles of Fe0, carbon and surface carbonyl on PMS activation were investigated. Fe0 continuously activated PMS, acted as a sustained-release source of Fe2+, and could effectively activate PMS to produce SO4•-, O2•- and •OH. Carbon was found to do responsible for electron transportation during the activation of PMS and slow down the oxidation of Fe0. The carbonyl group on the carbon surface layer was the active site of 1O2, which explains the enhanced performance for TC degradation. When Ca = 0.1 g/L and C0 = 0.4 mM, TC degradation rate reached 96%, which was attributed to the synergistic effect of radicals (i.e., SO4•-, O2•-, •OH) and non-radical (i.e., 1O2). Finally, the degradation pathway was proposed by combining density functional theory (DFT) calculations with liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS), toxicities of the intermediate products were also evaluated. All results show that carbonyl-modified carbon-coated Fe0 possesses promising capacity for the removal of antibiotics from water.

Graphene oxide and polydimethylsiloxane coated quartz tuning fork for improved sensitive near- and mid-infrared detection.

Sensitive and broadband infrared sensors are required for security and medical applications, as few can rapidly and sensitively detect infrared without uncooled devices. Here, we report a wideband optical-detection strategy based on the thermoelastic effect of a coating-enhanced quartz tuning fork (QTF) and study the feasibility of using an atomic force probe operating in contact mode to monitor the vibration. Graphene oxide (GO) and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) coating were applied on the QTF's surface to improve the light absorption and the thermal-mechanical conversion efficiency. Experimental results showed that the bi-layer coatings yielded a maximum gain factor of 8 in response amplitude and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) than that of a bare QTF, respectively. Lasers with wavelengths of 1512 nm and 10.6 µm were used as the typical representative light source to test the photoresponse of the QTF detector. The device displays a broadband photoresponse covering the near-infrared to mid-infrared range at room temperature, high performance with the maximum photoresponsivity of 85.76 V·mW-1, and 1σ detection limit of 0.056 µW; the lowest noise equivalent power (NEP) of 1.35 nW·Hz-1/2 and 43.9 ms response speed is also achieved. The preparation process of detector is simple and easy to implement; the resulting device exhibits high responsivity and wide wavelength response ranging at least from 1512 to 10600 nm, compared with custom QTF; and the surface coating strategy potentially enables the construction of a new class of low-cost photodetection sensors operated at room temperature.

Polymer-coated quartz tuning fork for enhancing the sensitivity of laser-induced thermoelastic spectroscopy.

A novel laser-induced thermoelastic spectroscopy (LITES) sensor based on a polymer-coated quartz tuning fork (QTF) is reported. Two types of polymer films with different thicknesses are deposited on commercially available QTF to improve the conversion efficiency of laser energy deposition into vibration. CO2 was selected as the target analyte for validation measurements. The experimental results indicate that by introducing a polymer coating, a maximum gain factor of 3.46 and 3.21 is attained for the signal amplitude and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), respectively, when compared to traditional LITES that using only a bare QTF. A minimum detectable concentration of 0.181% can be obtained, corresponding to a normalized noise equivalent absorption coefficient (NNEA) of 1.74×10-11 cm-1·W·Hz-1/2, and the measurement precision is approximately 0.06% with an averaging time of 200 s. Here, we show what we believe is the first demonstration of polymer coated QTF for LITES sensing, compared with custom QTF, the design has the virtues of lower cost, simple and easy-to-operate, is a promising new strategy for sensitive trace gas analysis.

Unveiling Informational Properties of the Chen-Ouillon-Sornette Seismo-Electrical Model.

The seismo-electrical coupling is critical to understand the mechanism of geoelectrical precursors to earthquakes. A novel seismo-electrical model, called Chen-Ouillon-Sornette (COS) model, has been developed by combining the Burridge-Knopoff spring-block system with the mechanisms of stress-activated charge carriers (i.e., electrons and holes) and pressure-stimulated currents. Such a model, thus, can simulate fracture-induced electrical signals at a laboratory scale or earthquake-related geoelectrical signals at a geological scale. In this study, by using information measures of time series analysis, we attempt to understand the influence of diverse electrical conditions on the characteristics of the simulated electrical signals with the COS model. We employ the Fisher-Shannon method to investigate the temporal dynamics of the COS model. The result showed that the electrical parameters of the COS model, particularly for the capacitance and inductance, affect the levels of the order/disorder in the electrical time series. Compared to the field observations, we infer that the underground electrical condition has become larger capacitance or smaller inductance in seismogenic processes. Accordingly, this study may provide a better understanding of the mechanical-electrical coupling of the earth's crust.

Scaling laws and dynamics of hashtags on Twitter.

In this paper, we quantify the statistical properties and dynamics of the frequency of hashtag use on Twitter. Hashtags are special words used in social media to attract attention and to organize content. Looking at the collection of all hashtags used in a period of time, we identify the scaling laws underpinning the hashtag frequency distribution (Zipf's law), the number of unique hashtags as a function of sample size (Heaps' law), and the fluctuations around expected values (Taylor's law). While these scaling laws appear to be universal, in the sense that similar exponents are observed irrespective of when the sample is gathered, the volume and the nature of the hashtags depend strongly on time, with the appearance of bursts at the minute scale, fat-tailed noise, and long-range correlations. We quantify this dynamics by computing the Jensen-Shannon divergence between hashtag distributions obtained τ times apart and we find that the speed of change decays roughly as 1/τ. Our findings are based on the analysis of 3.5×109 hashtags used between 2015 and 2016.

Human Respiratory Monitoring Based on Schottky Resistance Humidity Sensors.

Two types of Schottky structure sensors (silicon nanowire (SiNW)/ZnO/reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and SiNW/TiO2/rGO) were designed, their humidity resistance characteristics were studied, and the sensors were applied to detect sleep apnea through breath humidity monitoring. The results show that the resistance of the sensors exhibited significant changes with increasing humidity, the response times of the two sensors within the relative humidity range of 23-97% were 49 s and 67 s, and the recovery times were 24 s and 43 s, respectively. Meanwhile, continuous breathing monitoring results indicate that the sensitivity of the sensors remained basically unchanged during 10 min of normal breathing and simulated apnea. The response of the sensor is still good after 30 days of use. We believe that the Schottky structure composite sensor is a very promising technology for human breathing monitoring.

Risk factors for poor prognosis in children with refractory purulent meningitis and the discharge criteria.

This study was undertaken to investigate the relationship between cerebrospinal fluid abnormalities and prognosis in pediatric refractory purulent meningitis. Ninety cases of pediatric refractory purulent meningitis were stratified into "good" (n=33) or "poor" (n=57) prognosis groups according to the Glasgow clinical outcome scores. The symptoms, laboratory results, and prognosis were compared by using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses. Univariate analysis showed that poor prognosis was associated with: unequal pupil size in both eyes; positive Babinski sign; CSF-WBC >500×106/L, CSF protein concentration >1.0g/L, CSF glucose content <1.5mmol/L; initial procalcitonin result >0.1ng/dL on admission; hemoglobin <90g/L during hospitalization; abnormal head imaging, and abnormal electroencephalogram. On multivariate analysis only unequal pupil size in both eyes and CSF glucose content <1.5mmol/L remained significant. The CSF protein concentration was significantly different between groups at discharge. The cutoff value was 0.68g/L. We recommend that discharged patients meet the following criteria: full antibiotic course and over 1 week of defervesce, disappearance of acute phase symptoms, CSF-WBC ≤28×106/L, CSF glucose >1.75mmol/L, and protein <0.68g/L. The patient may be discharged for follow-up if no relapse occurs during 3-5 days of observation after drug withdrawal.