A topological Dirac insulator in a quantum spin Hall phase

When electrons are subject to a large external magnetic field, the conventional charge quantum Hall effect dictates that an electronic excitation gap is generated in the sample bulk, but metallic conduction is permitted at the boundary. Recent theoretical models suggest that certain bulk insulators with large spin-orbit interactions may also naturally support conducting topological boundary states in the quantum limit, which opens up the possibility for studying unusual quantum Hall-like phenomena in zero external magnetic fields. Bulk Bi(1-x)Sb(x) single crystals are predicted to be prime candidates for one such unusual Hall phase of matter known as the topological insulator. The hallmark of a topological insulator is the existence of metallic surface states that are higher-dimensional analogues of the edge states that characterize a quantum spin Hall insulator. In addition to its interesting boundary states, the bulk of Bi(1-x)Sb(x) is predicted to exhibit three-dimensional Dirac particles, another topic of heightened current interest following the new findings in two-dimensional graphene and charge quantum Hall fractionalization observed in pure bismuth. However, despite numerous transport and magnetic measurements on the Bi(1-x)Sb(x) family since the 1960s, no direct evidence of either topological Hall states or bulk Dirac particles has been found. Here, using incident-photon-energy-modulated angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (IPEM-ARPES), we report the direct observation of massive Dirac particles in the bulk of Bi(0.9)Sb(0.1), locate the Kramers points at the sample's boundary and provide a comprehensive mapping of the Dirac insulator's gapless surface electron bands. These findings taken together suggest that the observed surface state on the boundary of the bulk insulator is a realization of the 'topological metal'. They also suggest that this material has potential application in developing next-generation quantum computing devices that may incorporate 'light-like' bulk carriers and spin-textured surface currents.     

The loss of ions from Venus through the plasma wake

Venus, unlike Earth, is an extremely dry planet although both began with similar masses, distances from the Sun, and presumably water inventories. The high deuterium-to-hydrogen ratio in the venusian atmosphere relative to Earth's also indicates that the atmosphere has undergone significantly different evolution over the age of the Solar System. Present-day thermal escape is low for all atmospheric species. However, hydrogen can escape by means of collisions with hot atoms from ionospheric photochemistry, and although the bulk of O and O2 are gravitationally bound, heavy ions have been observed to escape through interaction with the solar wind. Nevertheless, their relative rates of escape, spatial distribution, and composition could not be determined from these previous measurements. Here we report Venus Express measurements showing that the dominant escaping ions are O+, He+ and H+. The escaping ions leave Venus through the plasma sheet (a central portion of the plasma wake) and in a boundary layer of the induced magnetosphere. The escape rate ratios are Q(H+)/Q(O+) = 1.9; Q(He+)/Q(O+) = 0.07. The first of these implies that the escape of H+ and O+, together with the estimated escape of neutral hydrogen and oxygen, currently takes place near the stoichometric ratio corresponding to water.     

The translational landscape of mTOR signalling steers cancer initiation and metastasis

The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) kinase is a master regulator of protein synthesis that couples nutrient sensing to cell growth and cancer. However, the downstream translationally regulated nodes of gene expression that may direct cancer development are poorly characterized. Using ribosome profiling, we uncover specialized translation of the prostate cancer genome by oncogenic mTOR signalling, revealing a remarkably specific repertoire of genes involved in cell proliferation, metabolism and invasion. We extend these findings by functionally characterizing a class of translationally controlled pro-invasion messenger RNAs that we show direct prostate cancer invasion and metastasis downstream of oncogenic mTOR signalling. Furthermore, we develop a clinically relevant ATP site inhibitor of mTOR, INK128, which reprograms this gene expression signature with therapeutic benefit for prostate cancer metastasis, for which there is presently no cure. Together, these findings extend our understanding of how the 'cancerous' translation machinery steers specific cancer cell behaviours, including metastasis, and may be therapeutically targeted.     

Holographic three-dimensional telepresence using large-area photorefractive polymer

Holography is a technique that is used to display objects or scenes in three dimensions. Such three-dimensional (3D) images, or holograms, can be seen with the unassisted eye and are very similar to how humans see the actual environment surrounding them. The concept of 3D telepresence, a real-time dynamic hologram depicting a scene occurring in a different location, has attracted considerable public interest since it was depicted in the original Star Wars film in 1977. However, the lack of sufficient computational power to produce realistic computer-generated holograms and the absence of large-area and dynamically updatable holographic recording media have prevented realization of the concept. Here we use a holographic stereographic technique and a photorefractive polymer material as the recording medium to demonstrate a holographic display that can refresh images every two seconds. A 50?Hz nanosecond pulsed laser is used to write the holographic pixels. Multicoloured holographic 3D images are produced by using angular multiplexing, and the full parallax display employs spatial multiplexing. 3D telepresence is demonstrated by taking multiple images from one location and transmitting the information via Ethernet to another location where the hologram is printed with the quasi-real-time dynamic 3D display. Further improvements could bring applications in telemedicine, prototyping, advertising, updatable 3D maps and entertainment.     

不对称铁卟啉的合成及其模拟细胞色素P450对环己烷的羟化作用

合成并表征了3种在苯环上具有推电子或拉电子取代基的新的不对称四苯基卟啉衍生物及其铁配合物。研究了其铁配合物作为细胞色素P450模拟酶对环己烷的羟化作用,并与结构类似的对称卟啉进行了比较。结果进一步证明,与对称金属卟啉相似,苯环上取代基性质和空间位阻对于金属卟啉的催化活性是十分重要的。不对称金属卟啉的催化活性比结构类似的对称金属卟啉的稍大。     

Chromosome instability and immunodeficiency syndrome caused by mutations in a DNA methyltransferase gene

The recessive autosomal disorder known as ICF syndrome (for immunodeficiency, centromere instability and facial anomalies; Mendelian Inheritance in Man number 242860) is characterized by variable reductions in serum immunoglobulin levels which cause most ICF patients to succumb to infectious diseases before adulthood. Mild facial anomalies include hypertelorism, low-set ears, epicanthal folds and macroglossia. The cytogenetic abnormalities in lymphocytes are exuberant: juxtacentromeric heterochromatin is greatly elongated and thread-like in metaphase chromosomes, which is associated with the formation of complex multiradiate chromosomes. The same juxtacentromeric regions are subject to persistent interphase self-associations and are extruded into nuclear blebs or micronuclei. Abnormalities are largely confined to tracts of classical satellites 2 and 3 at juxtacentromeric regions of chromosomes 1, 9 and 16. Classical satellite DNA is normally heavily methylated at cytosine residues, but in ICF syndrome it is almost completely unmethylated in all tissues. ICF syndrome is the only genetic disorder known to involve constitutive abnormalities of genomic methylation patterns. Here we show that five unrelated ICF patients have mutations in both alleles of the gene that encodes DNA methyltransferase 3B (refs 5, 6). Cytosine methylation is essential for the organization and stabilization of a specific type of heterochromatin, and this methylation appears to be carried out by an enzyme specialized for the purpose.     

The structure of isocedrolic acid isolated fromJuniperus squamata Lamb

Summary Isocedrolic acid isolated fromJuniperus squamata Lamb. was established as 8s-hydroxycedrane-12-carboxylic acid by chemical and physical evidence.     

Morphological changes in the pineal gland of the albino rat by hypophysectomy and ovariectomy

Zusammenfassung Die dunklen Pinealzellen waren nach Hypophysektomie beträchtlich vermehrt, während die Vesikeln in den sympathischen Nervenendigungen vermindert waren. Auch nach Ovariektomie waren die dunklen Pinealzellen in geringerem Ausmass vermehrt, ohne dass die Vesikeln vermindert waren. Die osmiophile Granula war sehr spärlich.     

偶氮氯膦-pA分光光度法及催化光度法测定痕量贵金属元素

报道了偶氮氯膦-pA用于痕量贵金属元素钌、铑、钯、饿、铱、铂的测定研究及应用.偶氮氯膦-pA与贵金属钯在硝酸介质中表现为显色反应,建立了光度法测定痕量钯的新方法;而偶氮氯膦-pA在微量贵金属离子钌、铑、铂、饿、铱存在下与氧化剂(高碘酸钾、溴酸钾)的催化褪色反应,则建立了测定这些金属元素的催化分光光度新方法.动力学分析建立了相关的线性方程.本文考察了该系列反应的最佳条件、如反应时间、吸收曲线、检出限及线性范围等.此类方法可直接在水溶液中进行,简便快速,灵敏度高,用于贵金属精矿、催化剂等样品中微量铂系元素的测定,结果满意.