Demonstration of quantum-digital payments.

Digital payments have replaced physical banknotes in many aspects of our daily lives. Similarly to banknotes, they should be easy to use, unique, tamper-resistant and untraceable, but additionally withstand digital attackers and data breaches. Current technology substitutes customers' sensitive data by randomized tokens, and secures the payment's uniqueness with a cryptographic function, called a cryptogram.

MYCN recruits the nuclear exosome complex to RNA polymerase II to prevent transcription-replication conflicts.

The MYCN oncoprotein drives the development of numerous neuroendocrine and pediatric tumors. Here we show that MYCN interacts with the nuclear RNA exosome, a 3'-5' exoribonuclease complex, and recruits the exosome to its target genes. In the absence of the exosome, MYCN-directed elongation by RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) is slow and non-productive on a large group of cell-cycle-regulated genes.

Baiting/Luring Improves Detection Probability and Species Identification-A Case Study of Mustelids with Camera Traps.

Motion-triggered trail cameras (hereafter camera traps) are powerful tools which are increasingly used in biological research, especially for species inventories or the estimation of species activity. However, camera traps do not always reliably detect animal visits, as a target species might be too fast, too small, or too far away to trigger an image. Therefore, researchers often apply attractants, such as food or glandular scents, to increase the likelihood of capturing animals.

A high-performance solid-state electrocaloric cooling system.

Electrocaloric (EC) cooling is an emerging technology that has broad potential to disrupt conventional air conditioning and refrigeration as well as electronics cooling applications. EC coolers can be highly efficient, solid state, and compact; have few moving parts; and contain no environmentally harmful or combustible refrigerants. We report a scalable, high-performance system architecture, demonstrated in a device that uses PbScTaO EC multilayer ceramic capacitors fabricated in a manufacturing-compatible process.

Predator avoidance behavior of nocturnal and diurnal rodents.

Animals trade-off predation risk against feeding opportunities and prey species may use signals or cues of predators to assess predation risk. We analyzed the mesopredators pine and stone marten (Martes martes, M. foina) and nocturnal and diurnal rodents (Glis glis, Apodemus spp.

Hydrothermally Grown TiO Nanorod Array Memristors with Volatile States.

In the present study, the memristive characteristics of hydrothermally grown TiO nanorod arrays, particularly, the difference in the retention time of the resistance state, are investigated in dependence of the array growth temperature. A volatile behavior is observed and related to a redistribution of oxygen vacancies over time. It is shown that the retention time increases for increasing array growth temperatures from several seconds up to 20 min.

Position-controlled laser-induced creation of rutile TiO nanostructures.

For potential applications of nanostructures, control over their position is important. In this report, we introduce two continuous wave laser-based lithography techniques which allow texturing thin TiO films to create a fine rutile TiO structure on silicon via spatially confined oxidation or a solid-liquid-solid phase transition, for initial layers, we use titanium and anatase TiO, respectively. A frequency-doubled Nd:YAG laser at a wavelength of 532 nm is employed for the lithography process and the samples are characterized with scanning electron microscopy.

Recruitment of BRCA1 limits MYCN-driven accumulation of stalled RNA polymerase.

MYC is an oncogenic transcription factor that binds globally to active promoters and promotes transcriptional elongation by RNA polymerase II (RNAPII). Deregulated expression of the paralogous protein MYCN drives the development of neuronal and neuroendocrine tumours and is often associated with a particularly poor prognosis. Here we show that, similar to MYC, activation of MYCN in human neuroblastoma cells induces escape of RNAPII from promoters.

Advanced scanning probe lithography using anatase-to-rutile transition to create localized TiO nanorods.

In this article, we demonstrate the position-controlled hydrothermal growth of rutile TiO nanorods using a new scanning probe lithography method in which a silicon tip, commonly used for atomic force microscopy, was pulled across an anatase TiO film. This process scratches the film causing tiny anatase TiO nanoparticles to form on the surface. According to previous reports, these anatase particles convert into rutile nanocrystals and provide the growth of rutile TiO nanorods in well-defined areas.

Bilateral Macrodactyly of the Halluces in an Adolescent Girl Corrected with Shortening Osteotomies of the First Metatarsal and the Phalangeal Bones: A Case Report.

Case: A 14-year-old girl presented with painful high-arched feet and unusual, asymptomatic, bilateral macrodactyly of the halluces. After a year of observation, a surgical reduction was performed because of the psychological effect that the abnormality had on the patient. Bilateral shortening osteotomies of the metatarsal and the proximal phalangeal bones were performed.

Role of the Metal-Oxide Work Function on Photocurrent Generation in Hybrid Solar Cells.

ZnO is a widely used metal-oxide semiconductor for photovoltaic application. In solar cell heterostructures they not only serve as a charge selective contact, but also act as electron acceptor. Although ZnO offers a suitable interface for exciton dissociation, charge separation efficiencies have stayed rather poor and conceptual differences to organic acceptors are rarely investigated.

Association with Aurora-A Controls N-MYC-Dependent Promoter Escape and Pause Release of RNA Polymerase II during the Cell Cycle.

MYC proteins bind globally to active promoters and promote transcriptional elongation by RNA polymerase II (Pol II). To identify effector proteins that mediate this function, we performed mass spectrometry on N-MYC complexes in neuroblastoma cells. The analysis shows that N-MYC forms complexes with TFIIIC, TOP2A, and RAD21, a subunit of cohesin.

Tuning the Electronic Conductivity in Hydrothermally Grown Rutile TiO₂ Nanowires: Effect of Heat Treatment in Different Environments.

Hydrothermally grown rutile TiO₂ nanowires are intrinsically full of lattice defects, especially oxygen vacancies. These vacancies have a significant influence on the structural and electronic properties of the nanowires. In this study, we report a post-growth heat treatment in different environments that allows control of the distribution of these defects inside the nanowire, and thus gives direct access to tuning of the properties of rutile TiO₂ nanowires.

Incoherent Pathways of Charge Separation in Organic and Hybrid Solar Cells.

In this work, we investigate the exciton dissociation dynamics occurring at the donor:acceptor interface in organic and hybrid blends employed in the realization of photovoltaic cells. Fundamental differences in the charge separation process are studied with the organic semiconductor polymer poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and either [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) or titanium dioxide (TiO) acting as the acceptor. By using ultrafast broad-band transient absorption spectroscopy with few-fs temporal resolution, we observe that in both cases the incoherent formation of free charges dominates the charge generation process.

The mRNA 3'-UTR couples RNA polymerase II function to glutamine and ribonucleotide levels.

Deregulated expression of enhances glutamine utilization and renders cell survival dependent on glutamine, inducing "glutamine addiction". Surprisingly, colon cancer cells that express high levels of due to WNT pathway mutations are not glutamine-addicted but undergo a reversible cell cycle arrest upon glutamine deprivation. We show here that glutamine deprivation suppresses translation of endogenous via the 3'-UTR of the mRNA, enabling escape from apoptosis.

Thiophene-Functionalized Hybrid Perovskite Microrods and their Application in Photodetector Devices for Investigating Charge Transport Through Interfaces in Particle-Based Materials.

Particle-based semiconductor materials are promising constituents of future technologies. They are described by unique features resulting from the combination of discrete nanoparticle characteristics and the emergence of cooperative phenomena based on long-range interaction within their superstructure. (Nano)particles of outstanding quality with regards to size and shape can be prepared via colloidal synthesis using appropriate capping agents.

Toward High-Efficiency Solution-Processed Planar Heterojunction SbS Solar Cells.

Low-cost hybrid solar cells have made tremendous steps forward during the past decade owing to the implementation of extremely thin inorganic coatings as absorber layers, typically in combination with organic hole transporters. Using only extremely thin films of these absorbers reduces the requirement of single crystalline high-quality materials and paves the way for low-cost solution processing compatible with roll-to-roll fabrication processes. To date, the most efficient absorber material, except for the recently introduced organic-inorganic lead halide perovskites, has been SbS, which can be implemented in hybrid photovoltaics using a simple chemical bath deposition.

The effect of hair density on the coupling between the tactor and the skin of the human head.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of hair density on vibration detection thresholds associated with the perception of low frequency vibration stimuli applied to the head. A host of tactile sensitivity information exists for other parts of the body, however the same information is lacking for the head. Thirty-three college students, age 18-35, were recruited for the study.

In vitro and in vivo characterization of Caenorhabditis elegans PHA-4/FoxA response elements.

Caenorhabditis elegans PHA-4 is a member of the FoxA group of transcription factors. PHA-4 is critical for development of the C. elegans pharynx and directly regulates most or all pharyngeal genes.

Single polymer confinement in a tube: correlation between structure and dynamics.

In this paper, we construct an effective model for the dynamics of an excluded-volume chain under confinement by extending the formalism of Rouse modes. We make specific predictions about the behavior of the modes for a single polymer confined to a tube. The results are tested against Monte Carlo simulations using the bond-fluctuation algorithm which uses a lattice representation of the polymer chain with excluded-volume effects.

ELT-2 is the predominant transcription factor controlling differentiation and function of the C. elegans intestine, from embryo to adult.

Starting with SAGE-libraries prepared from C. elegans FAC-sorted embryonic intestine cells (8E-16E cell stage), from total embryos and from purified oocytes, and taking advantage of the NextDB in situ hybridization data base, we define sets of genes highly expressed from the zygotic genome, and expressed either exclusively or preferentially in the embryonic intestine or in the intestine of newly hatched larvae; we had previously defined a similarly expressed set of genes from the adult intestine. We show that an extended TGATAA-like sequence is essentially the only candidate for a cis-acting regulatory motif common to intestine genes expressed at all stages.

Matching glass-forming ability with the density of the amorphous phase.

The density of the amorphous phase of metals is generally thought to be related to glass formation, but this correlation has not been demonstrated experimentally to date. In this work, systematic deflection measurements using microcantilevers and a combinatorial deposition method show a correlation between glass-forming ability and the density change upon crystallization over a broad compositional range in the copper-zirconium binary system. Distinct peaks in the density of the amorphous phase were found to correlate with specific maxima in the critical thickness for glass formation.

Adaptation of velocity encoding in synaptically coupled neurons in the fly visual system.

Although many adaptation-induced effects on neuronal response properties have been described, it is often unknown at what processing stages in the nervous system they are generated. We focused on fly visual motion-sensitive neurons to identify changes in response characteristics during prolonged visual motion stimulation. By simultaneous recordings of synaptically coupled neurons, we were able to directly compare adaptation-induced effects at two consecutive processing stages in the fly visual motion pathway.