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Quantum manipulation of populations and pathways in matter by light pulses, so-called coherent control, is currently one of the hottest research areas in optical physics and photochemistry. The forefront of coherent control research is moving rapidly into the regime of extreme ultraviolet wavelength and attosecond temporal resolution. This advance has been enabled by the development of high harmonic generation light sources driven by intense femtosecond laser pulses and by the advent of seeded free electron laser sources. Synchrotron radiation, which is usually illustrated as being of poor temporal coherence, hitherto has not been considered as a tool for coherent control. Here we show an approach based on synchrotron radiation to study coherent control in the extreme ultraviolet and attosecond regime. We demonstrate this capability by achieving wave-packet interferometry on Rydberg wave packets generated in helium atoms. Synchrotron light sources have wide range of tunable parameters like frequency, intensity. Here the authors demonstrate quantum control of Rydberg states of helium using delay controlled XUV wavepackets generated from synchrotron radiation.

Opsin proteins are fundamental components of animal vision whose structure largely determines the sensitivity of visual pigments to different wavelengths of light. Surprisingly little is known about opsin evolution in beetles, even though they are the most species rich animal group on Earth and exhibit considerable variation in visual system sensitivities. We reveal the patterns of opsin evolution across 62 beetle species and relatives. Our results show that the major insect opsin class (SW) that typically confers sensitivity to “blue” wavelengths was lost ~300 million years ago, before the origin of modern beetles. We propose that UV and LW opsin gene duplications have restored the potential for trichromacy (three separate channels for colour vision) in beetles up to 12 times and more specifically, duplications within the UV opsin class have likely led to the restoration of “blue” sensitivity up to 10 times. This finding reveals unexpected plasticity within the insect visual system and highlights its remarkable ability to evolve and adapt to the available light and visual cues present in the environment.

Introgression is an important biological process affecting at least 10% of the extant species in the animal kingdom. Introgression significantly impacts inference of phylogenetic species relationships where a strictly binary tree model cannot adequately explain reticulate net-like species relationships. Here, we use phylogenomic approaches to understand patterns of introgression along the evolutionary history of a unique, nonmodel insect system: dragonflies and damselflies (Odonata). We demonstrate that introgression is a pervasive evolutionary force across various taxonomic levels within Odonata. In particular, we show that them orphologically “intermediate” species of Anisozygoptera (one of the three primary suborders within Odonata besides Zygoptera and Anisoptera), which retain phenotypic characteristics of the other two suborders, experienced high levels of introgression likely coming from zygopteran genomes. Additionally, we find evidence for multiple cases of deep inter-superfamilial ancestral introgression. [Gene flow; Odonata; phylogenomics; reticulate evolution.]

The bacterial pathogen Legionella pneumophila creates an intracellular niche permissive for its replication by extensively modulating host-cell functions using hundreds of effector proteins delivered by its Dot/Icm secretion system 1 . Among these, members of the SidE family (SidEs) regulate several cellular processes through a unique phosphoribosyl ubiquitination mechanism that bypasses the canonical ubiquitination machinery 2 – 4 . The activity of SidEs is regulated by another Dot/Icm effector known as SidJ 5 ; however, the mechanism of this regulation is not completely understood 6 , 7 . Here we demonstrate that SidJ inhibits the activity of SidEs by inducing the covalent attachment of glutamate moieties to SdeA—a member of the SidE family—at E860, one of the catalytic residues that is required for the mono-ADP-ribosyltransferase activity involved in ubiquitin activation 2 . This inhibition by SidJ is spatially restricted in host cells because its activity requires the eukaryote-specific protein calmodulin (CaM). We solved a structure of SidJ–CaM in complex with AMP and found that the ATP used in this reaction is cleaved at the α-phosphate position by SidJ, which—in the absence of glutamate or modifiable SdeA—undergoes self-AMPylation. Our results reveal a mechanism of regulation in bacterial pathogenicity in which a glutamylation reaction that inhibits the activity of virulence factors is activated by host-factor-dependent acyl-adenylation. In Legionella pneumophila , the effector SidJ induces the covalent attachment of glutamate moieties to SdeA in a calmodulin-dependent manner, inhibiting SidE-mediated ubiquitination and regulating pathogenicity.

Heterogeneous photocatalytic oxidation systems using titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) have been extensively studied for the removal of several volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The addition of noble metals such as palladium on TiO 2 may improve photocatalytic activity by increasing charge separation efficiency. In this work, palladium was impregnated on TiO 2 and the efficiency of the new catalyst was tested and compared with that of pure TiO 2 . Pd was impregnated on TiO 2 by the reduction method, using NaBH 4 , and was characterized by XRD, XPS, UV–Vis, and H 2 chemisorption. The photocatalytic tests were performed in an annular coated-wall reactor using octane, isooctane, n -hexane, and cyclohexane at inlet concentrations varying from 100 to 120 ppmv. Compared with pure TiO 2 film, the photocatalytic activity of TiO 2 impregnated with 1 wt% of palladium was improved. All the aforementioned analytical techniques confirmed the presence of Pd incorporated into the structure of TiO 2, and the conversion rates were studied in a broad range of residence times, yielding up to 90 % or higher rates in 40 s of residence time, thus underscoring the relevant contribution of the technology.

We theoretically show that a single free electron in circular motion radiates an electromagnetic wave possessing helical phase structure, which is closely related to orbital angular momentum carried by it. We experimentally demonstrate it by interference and double-slit diffraction experiments on radiation from relativistic electrons in spiral motion. Our results indicate that photons carrying orbital angular momentum should be created naturally by cyclotron/synchrotron radiations or Compton scatterings in various situations in cosmic space. We propose promising laboratory vortex photon sources in various wavelengths ranging from radio wave to gamma-rays.

BackgroundNintedanib, an intracellular inhibitor of tyrosine kinases, inhibits processes involved in the progression of lung fibrosis [1]. Although the efficacy and safety of nintedanib have been demonstrated for interstitial lung disease (ILD) associated with systemic scleroderma (SSc) [2-4], information of the efficacy and safety of nintedanib in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is limited [5].ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to compare the efficacy and safety of nintedanib in patients with RA-ILD with those in patients with ILD associated with collagen tissue diseases, including SSc-ILD.MethodsWe extracted patients who visited our department and were received nintedanib and had pulmonary function tests performed 6 months after. Then, they were divided into two groups, which were RA group and non-RA group. Clinical and epidemiological parameters, fibrosis pattern on HRCT, pulmonary function at the time of nintedanib administration and 6 months after nintedanib administration and adverse events were compared between the two groups. Those data were collected from medical records and statistically analyzed.ResultsTen patients were enrolled. RA group had 6 patients and non-RA group had 5 patients. Among the RA and non-RA group, 50% and 60% were women, respectively (P=0.74). Age at the time of nintedanib administration was 70.8±5.5 years and 59.0±9.1 years, respectively (P=0.035). At the time of nintedanib administration, oral glucocorticoids (GC) were used in 83.3% and 100%, oral GC dose was 8.5±10.9 mg/day and 9.4±1.7 mg/day, and immunosuppressants were used in 83.3% and 100% (P=0.27, 0.17, and 0.27, respectively). Usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) pattern on HRCT was 100% and 40%, and nonspecific interstitial pneumonia pattern on HRCT was 0% and 60%, respectively (P=0.013). At the time of nintedanib administration, FVC was -1977±867.2 ml and 1654±507.3 ml, %FVC was 66.9±20.7% and 53.2%±10.9%, and %DLco was 54.8±8.9% and 46.2%±15.9% (P=0.58, 0.36, and 0.51, respectively). After 6 months of nintedanib treatment, ΔFVC was -18.3±103.5 ml and -24.0±101.5ml (Figure 1.), Δ%FVC was 0.75±5.03% and -2.4%±1.91%, and Δ%DLco was 0.375±4.02% and -7.27%±6.54% (P=0.52, 0.20, and 0.28, respectively). The incidence of adverse events was 50% and 40%, respectively. In the both groups, there was no patients with severe adverse events and acute exacerbations of ILD, and the continuation rate was 100%, respectively.ConclusionThis observational cohort study revealed that there was no statistically significant difference in the reduction of respiratory function in both FVC, %FVC, and %DLco in the RA group compared to the non-RA group, and the safety was also comparable between the two groups. Although RA-ILD have more UIP pattern on HRCT than SSc-ILD, nintedanib may effective for RA-ILD as same as SSc-ILD.References[1] Eur Respir J 2015;45:1434-45,[2] N Engl J Med 2019; 380 (26):2518-2528,[3] Lancet Respir Med 2021; 9:96-106,[4] Mod Rheumatol 2020 Apr 3:1-26,[5] Arthritis Rheumatol. 2022 Jun; 74(6):1039-1047.Figure 1.Absolute change from baseline in FVC at 6 months of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) (n=6) and non-RA (n=5).Acknowledgements:NIL.Disclosure of InterestsNone Declared.

PurposeUnlike other laparoscopic techniques, the peritoneum is not incised in laparoscopic totally extraperitoneal inguinal hernia repair (TEP), and the preperitoneal space is developed as the surgical field by blunt dissection and CO2 insufflation. While many studies have investigated the effect of neuromuscular blockade (NMB) on the surgical conditions and postoperative pain of laparoscopic intraperitoneal surgery, few studies have investigated those of TEP. In the present study, we investigated the effect of NMB on the surgical conditions and postoperative pain of TEP.MethodsForty-two adult patients scheduled for unilateral TEP under general anesthesia with remifentanil and desflurane were randomly assigned to paralyzed or non-paralyzed groups. In the paralyzed group, rocuronium doses were administered to maintain post-tetanic count at ≤ 5 during surgery. Non-paralyzed subjects were not given any rocuronium. Postoperatively, surgeon-evaluated surgical conditions, assessed using a 100-mm visual analogue scale ranging from 0 mm (not acceptable) to 100 mm (excellent), were compared between the two groups. For evaluation of postoperative pain, the time from the end of anesthesia to the initial requirement of postoperative analgesia was compared by the log-rank test.ResultsMedian [interquartile range] score of surgical condition in the paralyzed and non-paralyzed groups were 84 [75–90] and 84 [78–87], respectively (P = 0.46). Significant differences in postoperative analgesic requirements between the two groups were not confirmed (P = 0.74).ConclusionNMB did not improve the surgical conditions nor reduce postoperative pain. NMB is not routinely needed for TEP just because it is a laparoscopic procedure.Clinical trial registrationThe trial was registered in the UMIN clinical trials registry (UMIN000029683, October 24, 2017; Principal investigator: Masafumi Fujimoto, https://upload.umin.ac.jp/cgi-open-bin/ctr/ctr_view.cgi?recptno=R000033920) prior to patient enrolment.

Subcortical structures, which include the basal ganglia and parts of the limbic system, have key roles in learning, motor control and emotion, but also contribute to higher-order executive functions. Prior studies have reported volumetric alterations in subcortical regions in schizophrenia. Reported results have sometimes been heterogeneous, and few large-scale investigations have been conducted. Moreover, few large-scale studies have assessed asymmetries of subcortical volumes in schizophrenia. Here, as a work completely independent of a study performed by the ENIGMA consortium, we conducted a large-scale multisite study of subcortical volumetric differences between patients with schizophrenia and controls. We also explored the laterality of subcortical regions to identify characteristic similarities and differences between them. T1-weighted images from 1680 healthy individuals and 884 patients with schizophrenia, obtained with 15 imaging protocols at 11 sites, were processed with FreeSurfer. Group differences were calculated for each protocol and meta-analyzed. Compared with controls, patients with schizophrenia demonstrated smaller bilateral hippocampus, amygdala, thalamus and accumbens volumes as well as intracranial volume, but larger bilateral caudate, putamen, pallidum and lateral ventricle volumes. We replicated the rank order of effect sizes for subcortical volumetric changes in schizophrenia reported by the ENIGMA consortium. Further, we revealed leftward asymmetry for thalamus, lateral ventricle, caudate and putamen volumes, and rightward asymmetry for amygdala and hippocampal volumes in both controls and patients with schizophrenia. Also, we demonstrated a schizophrenia-specific leftward asymmetry for pallidum volume. These findings suggest the possibility of aberrant laterality in neural pathways and connectivity patterns related to the pallidum in schizophrenia.