Optical signatures of spin-orbit exciton in bandwidth-controlled Sr2IrO4 epitaxial films via high-concentration Ca and Ba doping

Souri, M.,Kim, B. H.,Gruenewald, J. H.,Connell, J. G.,Thompson, J.,Nichols, J.,Terzic, J.,Min, B. I.,Cao, G.,Brill, J. W.,Seo, A. American Physical Society 2017 Physical review. B Vol.95 No.23

<P>We have investigated the electronic and optical properties of (Sr1-xCax)(2)IrO4 (x = 0-0.375) and (Sr1-yBay)(2)IrO4 (y = 0-0.375) epitaxial thin films, in which the bandwidth is systematically tuned via chemical substitutions of Sr ions by Ca and Ba. Transport measurements indicate that the thin-film series exhibits insulating behavior, similar to the J(eff) = 1/2 spin-orbit Mott insulator Sr2IrO4. As the average A-site ionic radius increases from (Sr1-xCax)(2)IrO4 to (Sr1-yBay)(2)IrO4, optical conductivity spectra in the near-infrared region shift to lower energies, which cannot be explained by the simple picture of well-separated J(eff) = 1/2 and J(eff) = 3/2 bands. We suggest that the two-peak-like optical conductivity spectra of the layered iridates originates from the overlap between the optically forbidden spin-orbit exciton and the intersite optical transitions within the J(eff) = 1/2 band. Our experimental results are consistent with this interpretation as implemented by a multiorbital Hubbard model calculation: namely, incorporating a strong Fano-like coupling between the spin-orbit exciton and intersite d-d transitions within the J(eff) = 1/2 band.</P>

Multiple Residues in the P-Region and M2 of Murine Kir 2.1 Regulate Blockage by External Ba2+

이영미,Gareth A. Thompson,Ian Ashmole,Mark Leyland,Insuk So,Peter R. Stanfield 대한약리학회 2009 The Korean Journal of Physiology & Pharmacology Vol.13 No.1

We have examined the effects of certain mutations of the selectivity filter and of the membrane helix M2 on Ba2+ blockage of the inward rectifier potassium channel, Kir 2.1. We expressed mutant and wild type murine Kir 2.1 in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells and used the whole cell patch-clamp technique to record K+ currents in the absence and presence of externally applied Ba2+. Wild type Kir2.1 was blocked by externally applied Ba2+ in a voltage and concentration dependent manner. Mutants of Y145 in the selectivity filter showed little change in the kinetics of Ba2+ blockage. The estimated Kd(0) was 108μM for Kir2.1 wild type, 124μM for a concatameric WT-Y145V dimer, 109μM for a WT-Y145L dimer, and 267μM for Y145F. Mutant channels T141A and S165L exhibit a reduced affinity together with a large reduction in the rate of blockage. In S165L, blockage proceeds with a double exponential time course, suggestive of more than one blocking site. The double mutation T141A/S165L dramatically reduced affinity for Ba2+, also showing two components with very different time courses. Mutants D172K and D172R (lining the central, aqueous cavity of the channel) showed both a decreased affinity to Ba2+ and a decrease in the on transition rate constant (kon). These results imply that residues stabilising the cytoplasmic end of the selectivity filter (T141, S165) and in the central cavity (D172) are major determinants of high affinity Ba2+ blockage in Kir 2.1.

Multiple Residues in the P-Region and M2 of Murine Kir 2.1 Regulate Blockage by External $Ba^{2+}$

Lee, Young-Mee,Thompson, Gareth A.,Ashmole, Ian,Leyland, Mark,So, In-Suk,Stanfield, Peter R. The Korean Society of Pharmacology 2009 The Korean Journal of Physiology & Pharmacology Vol.13 No.1

We have examined the effects of certain mutations of the selectivity filter and of the membrane helix M2 on $Ba^{2+}$ blockage of the inward rectifier potassium channel, Kir 2.1. We expressed mutant and wild type murine Kir 2.1 in Chinese hamster ovary(CHO) cells and used the whole cell patch-clamp technique to record $K^+$ currents in the absence and presence of externally applied $Ba^{2+}$. Wild type Kir2.1 was blocked by externally applied $Ba^{2+}$ in a voltage and concentration dependent manner. Mutants of Y145 in the selectivity filter showed little change in the kinetics of $Ba^{2+}$ blockage. The estimated $K_d(0)$ was 108 ${\mu}M$ for Kir2.1 wild type, 124 ${\mu}M$ for a concatameric WT-Y145V dimer, 109 ${\mu}M$ for a WT-Y145L dimer, and 267 ${\mu}M$ for Y145F. Mutant channels T141A and S165L exhibit a reduced affinity together with a large reduction in the rate of blockage. In S165L, blockage proceeds with a double exponential time course, suggestive of more than one blocking site. The double mutation T141A/S165L dramatically reduced affinity for $Ba^{2+}$, also showing two components with very different time courses. Mutants D172K and D172R(lining the central, aqueous cavity of the channel) showed both a decreased affinity to $Ba^{2+}$ and a decrease in the on transition rate constant(${\kappa}_{on}$). These results imply that residues stabilising the cytoplasmic end of the selectivity filter(T141, S165) and in the central cavity(D172) are major determinants of high affinity $Ba^{2+}$ blockage in Kir 2.1.

Multiple Residues in the P-Region and M2 of Murine Kir 2.1 Regulate Blockage by External Ba<SUP>2+</SUP>

Young Mee Lee,Gareth A. Thompson,Ian Ashmole,Mark Leyland,Insuk So,Peter R. Stanfield 대한생리학회-대한약리학회 2009 The Korean Journal of Physiology & Pharmacology Vol.13 No.1

We have examined the effects of certain mutations of the selectivity filter and of the membrane helix M2 on Ba²⁺ blockage of the inward rectifier potassium channel, Kir 2.1. We expressed mutant and wild type murine Kir 2.1 in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells and used the whole cell patch-clamp technique to record K⁺ currents in the absence and presence of externally applied Ba²⁺. Wild type Kir2.1 was blocked by externally applied Ba²⁺ in a voltage and concentration dependent manner. Mutants of Y145 in the selectivity filter showed little change in the kinetics of Ba²⁺ blockage. The estimated K_d(0) was 108ՌM for Kir2.1 wild type, 124ՌM for a concatameric WT-Y145V dimer, 109ՌM for a WT-Y145L dimer, and 267ՌM for Y145F. Mutant channels T141A and S165L exhibit a reduced affinity together with a large reduction in the rate of blockage. In S165L, blockage proceeds with a double exponential time course, suggestive of more than one blocking site. The double mutation T141A/S165L dramatically reduced affinity for Ba²⁺, also showing two components with very different time courses. Mutants D172K and D172R (lining the central, aqueous cavity of the channel) showed both a decreased affinity to Ba²⁺ and a decrease in the on transition rate constant (k_on). These results imply that residues stabilising the cytoplasmic end of the selectivity filter (T141, S165) and in the central cavity (D172) are major determinants of high affinity Ba²⁺ blockage in Kir 2.1.

Patient-reported Outcomes of Acupuncture for Symptom Control in Cancer

Lora M.A. Thompson,Sarah Rausch Osian,Paul B. Jacobsen,Peter A S Johnstone 사단법인약침학회 2015 Journal of Acupuncture & Meridian Studies Vol.8 No.3

Acupuncture is increasingly offered as a treatment option for managing cancer-related symptoms. In addition to randomized controlled trials, patient-reported outcomes may be needed to establish treatment effectiveness. This study retrospectively examined the symptoms and the satisfaction ratings of 90 patients receiving acupuncture at an integrative oncology clinic. At least two acupuncture sessions were completed by 72% of the sample. The prevalence rates of fatigue, pain, anxiety, physical distress, emotional distress, and poor quality of life before acupuncture were > 62%. Paired t tests revealed a significant reduction in symptoms from baseline until after the first acupuncture session and after the last session (p < 0.05). Fewer (21%) patients reported nausea, which was significantly reduced after the first session, but not the last session. Reductions represented clinically meaningful differences in 33–41% of patients after the first session and in 41–53% of patients after the last session for all symptoms, except nausea. A small subset of patients (0–8%) reported worsening symptoms after acupuncture. The majority were satisfied with the service. The results of this study suggest that acupuncture may be useful as an adjunct treatment for cancer symptom management. While high-quality trials are still needed to establish the treatment's efficacy, patients may benefit from these primarily safe, low-cost services.

IoT-Based Automatic Water Quality Monitoring System with Optimized Neural Network

Anusha Bamini A M,Chitra R,아가왈 사우랍,김현성,Punitha Stephan,Thompson Stephan 한국인터넷정보학회 2024 KSII Transactions on Internet and Information Syst Vol.18 No.1

One of the biggest dangers in the globe is water contamination. Water is a necessity for human survival. In most cities, the digging of borewells is restricted. In some cities, the borewell is allowed for only drinking water. Hence, the scarcity of drinking water is a vital issue for industries and villas. Most of the water sources in and around the cities are also polluted, and it will cause significant health issues. Real-time quality observation is necessary to guarantee a secure supply of drinking water. We offer a model of a low-cost system of monitoring real-time water quality using IoT to address this issue. The potential for supporting the real world has expanded with the introduction of IoT and other sensors. Multiple sensors make up the suggested system, which is utilized to identify the physical and chemical features of the water. Various sensors can measure the parameters such as temperature, pH, and turbidity. The core controller can process the values measured by sensors. An Arduino model is implemented in the core controller. The sensor data is forwarded to the cloud database using a WI-FI setup. The observed data will be transferred and stored in a cloud-based database for further processing. It wasn't easy to analyze the water quality every time. Hence, an Optimized Neural Network-based automation system identifies water quality from remote locations. The performance of the feed-forward neural network classifier is further enhanced with a hybrid GA- PSO algorithm. The optimized neural network outperforms water quality prediction applications and yields 91% accuracy. The accuracy of the developed model is increased by 20% because of optimizing network parameters compared to the traditional feed-forward neural network. Significant improvement in precision and recall is also evidenced in the proposed work.

Combined IL-21–primed polyclonal CTL plus CTLA4 blockade controls refractory metastatic melanoma in a patient

Chapuis, Aude G.,Lee, Sylvia M.,Thompson, John A.,Roberts, Ilana M.,Margolin, Kim A.,Bhatia, Shailender,Sloan, Heather L.,Lai, Ivy,Wagener, Felecia,Shibuya, Kendall,Cao, Jianhong,Wolchok, Jedd D.,Gree The Rockefeller University Press 2016 The Journal of experimental medicine Vol.213 No.7

<P>Adoptive transfer of peripheral blood–derived, melanoma-reactive CD8<SUP>+</SUP> cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) alone is generally insufficient to eliminate bulky tumors. Similarly, monotherapy with anti-CTLA4 infrequently yields sustained remissions in patients with metastatic melanoma. We postulated that a bolus of enhanced IL-21–primed polyclonal antigen-specific CTL combined with CTLA4 blockade might boost antitumor efficacy. In this first-in-human case study, the combination successfully led to a durable complete remission (CR) in a patient whose disease was refractory to both monoclonal CTL and anti-CTLA4. Long-term persistence and sustained anti-tumor activity of transferred CTL, as well as responses to nontargeted antigens, confirmed mutually beneficial effects of the combined treatment. In this first-in-human study, Chapuis et al. demonstrate that the combination of adoptive cellular therapy with CTLA4 blockade induces long-term remission in a melanoma patient resistant to both modalities administered serially and individually.</P>

Chemical evolution of the Galactic bulge as traced by microlensed dwarf and subgiant stars : V. Evidence for a wide age distribution and a complex MDF

Bensby, T.,Yee, J. C.,Feltzing, S.,Johnson, J. A.,Gould, A.,Cohen, J. G.,Asplund, M.,Melé,ndez, J.,Lucatello, S.,Han, C.,Thompson, I.,Gal-Yam, A.,Udalski, A.,Bennett, D. P.,Bond, I. A.,Kohei, W. EDP Sciences 2013 Astronomy and astrophysics Vol.549 No.-

Beef quality grades as determined by Korean and Australian consumers

Thompson, J. M.,Polkinghorne, R.,Hwang, I. H.,Gee, A. M.,Cho, S. H.,Park, B. Y.,Lee, J. M. CSIRO Publishing 2008 Australian journal of experimental agriculture Vol.48 No.11

<P> Consumer responses were examined in an incomplete factorial design where Australian consumers evaluated 216 beef samples derived from 18 cattle killed in Australia and Korean consumers evaluated 216 samples from the same 18 cattle, plus 216 similar samples from 18 Korean cattle. Samples of the Mm. triceps brachii, longissimus dorsi and semimembranosus were cooked using grill and Korean barbeque methods. Each sample was sensory tested by 10 consumers, who scored it for tenderness, juiciness, like flavour, and overall liking. Consumers then graded each sample as either unsatisfactory (2 star), good every day (3 star), better than every day (4 star), or premium (5 star) quality. For those samples assessed by both Australian and Korean consumers, the Korean consumers graded a higher proportion of samples ‘unsatisfactory’ and a lower proportion of samples ‘premium’ grade product than Australian consumers. Using a composite meat quality score (MQ4) to predict grade, a discriminant analysis showed that the Korean consumers had boundary cut-offs for the lower grades, which were ~4-10 palatability units higher than the Australian consumers. Analysis of the residuals between actual and predicted palatability scores showed that the Meat Standards Australia (MSA) grading model produced relatively unbiased estimates within ±2 MQ4 units for the different consumer groups, muscle and carcass suspension treatments, with the exception of the M. semimembranosus samples. Implications of the results for both Korean and Australian beef markets through the use of an empirical grading model to predict palatability are discussed. </P>

FANCI and FANCD2 have common as well as independent functions during the cellular replication stress response

Thompson, Elizabeth L.,Yeo, Jung E.,Lee, Eun-A,Kan, Yinan,Raghunandan, Maya,Wiek, Constanze,Hanenberg, Helmut,Schä,rer, Orlando D.,Hendrickson, Eric A.,Sobeck, Alexandra Oxford University Press 2017 Nucleic acids research Vol.45 No.20

<P><B>Abstract</B></P><P>Fanconi anemia (FA) is an inherited cancer predisposition syndrome characterized by cellular hypersensitivity to DNA interstrand crosslinks (ICLs). To repair these lesions, the FA proteins act in a linear hierarchy: following ICL detection on chromatin, the FA core complex monoubiquitinates and recruits the central FANCI and FANCD2 proteins that subsequently coordinate ICL removal and repair of the ensuing DNA double-stranded break by homology-dependent repair (HDR). FANCD2 also functions during the replication stress response by mediating the restart of temporarily stalled replication forks thereby suppressing the firing of new replication origins. To address if FANCI is also involved in these FANCD2-dependent mechanisms, we generated isogenic <I>FANCI</I>-, <I>FANCD2</I>- and <I>FANCI:FANCD2</I> double-null cells. We show that FANCI and FANCD2 are partially independent regarding their protein stability, nuclear localization and chromatin recruitment and contribute independently to cellular proliferation. Simultaneously, FANCD2—but not FANCI—plays a major role in HDR-mediated replication restart and in suppressing new origin firing. Consistent with this observation, deficiencies in HDR-mediated DNA DSB repair can be overcome by stabilizing RAD51 filament formation in cells lacking functional FANCD2. We propose that FANCI and FANCD2 have partially non-overlapping and possibly even opposing roles during the replication stress response.</P>