Boomerang Shape Research Articles

Assessing hydrological controls on the lithium isotope weathering tracer

To investigate the impact of riverine discharge and weathering intensity on lithium isotopes (δ7Li) in a mono-lithological terrain, this study examines the dissolved load and leached suspended load (exchangeable, oxide, and clay fractions) from Icelandic rivers spanning a wide range of discharge, weathering rates, and weathering intensity. The δ7Lidissolved co-varies inversely with the discharge, confirming that water-rock interaction time is a primary control on the secondary mineral formation that fractionates Li isotopes. The “boomerang” shape observed in global rivers between the weathering intensity (i.e. W/D = weathering rate/denudation rate) and δ7Lidissolved also exists for these basaltic rivers at low to medium W/D. However, these rivers do not extend to such low δ7Lidissolved values as seen in the global compilation at low W/D, indicating that there is a lithological control on this relationship arising from the type of the lithology-specific secondary minerals forming and their precipitation rates. In addition, the Δ7Lix-dissolved between each leached solid phase and the dissolved load also co-varies with discharge. At low discharge (long water-rock interaction times), Δ7Lix-dissolved values agree with experimentally-determined equilibrium values, whereas less fractionated values are observed at higher discharge (shorter water-rock interaction times). As a result, there is a different relationship between W/D and Δ7Liclay-source in this basaltic terrain than previously reported from global multi-lithological river sediment samples, with clay leachates from Iceland more closely mimicking the boomerang shape of the dissolved load. However, the relationship between δ7Li and weathering processes is complicated because the fractionation between the clay fraction and the dissolved load is not constant but varies with both W/D and discharge. Overall, this study confirms the utility of Li isotopes as a tracer of modern and palaeo-weathering processes, and also has important implications for the specific interpretations of detrital δ7Li values, which may be more sensitive to weathering parameters than previously thought.

Characterization of Structural Geology of Faihaa Oilfield, Southern Iraq

Faihaa Oilfield is a new exploration Iraqi Oilfield located in southern Iraq and within Mesopotamian Plain, including the Block 9 exploration area, along the Iraqi-Iranian border. The study area included Faihaa Oilfield (in Iraq) and Yadavaran Oilfield (in Iran). They belong to one anticline (Dome) structure separated by the Iraqi-Iranian border, without a geological boundary between the fields. The current study aims to achieve structural geology analysis to the study area (Faihaa/Yadavaran structure). The structural analysis included geometric and genetic analyses of the study area. According to geometric and genetic analyses results, the Faihaa/Yadavaran structure is classified as an anticline, gentle, upright, non-plunge, and asymmetrical. According to thickness variation, there are two types of formations’ folds are recognized, Thickened and Supratenuous fold generated by two folding mechanisms bending and buckle mechanisms. Bending form Supratenuous fold, perhaps due to the vertical uplift of salt structure and/or basement faults, while buckle produces Thickened fold because of the parallel tectonic movement causes collision between Arabian Plate and Eurasian Plate. Consequently, a special strain pattern was formed and the reservoir quality in the crest of Mishrif and Yamama Formations was the best. The fold axis of the Faihaa/Yadavaran structure has a Boomerang shape, whereas it is almost straight from south to the center of the structure, then tends to the NW with different deviations over the study area formations. This direction may be due to the anticlockwise rotation of the Arabian Plate motion. The results of geometric and genetic analyses revealed that may be Faihaa/Yadavaran structure is one structural trap formed by tectonic activities; Hormuz salt structures, reactivated Basement faults, and Collision between Arabian and Eurasian Plates. The intensity of the tectonic activities of the study area maybe be less than surrounding Oilfields, therefore, the Faihaa Oilfield formation's depth was deeper than adjacent Oilfields.

A small footprint printed cross-dipole antenna with wide impedance bandwidth and circular polarization

Wideband circularly polarized (CP) cross-dipole antennas with flat, cavity and artificial magnetic conductor (AMC) reflectors are proposed. Each proposed antenna consists of a pair of driven dipoles, a pair of vacant-quarter printed rings, and a 50Ω coaxial probe. The boomerang shape has been adopted in the crossed-dipole. This shape makes the design more compact, so it can be a good candidate in the antenna array because of reducing the mutual coupling. All numerical simulation works have been done using the ANSYS electromagnetic (EM) software based on the finite element method (FEM) algorithm. The presented crossed-dipole with a cavity has the best performance compared to ones with conventional flat and AMC grounds. However, the crossed-dipole with the AMC ground is a low-profile structure. Thus, the paper investigates and discusses the results of the proposed strctures thoroughly. The obtained impedance bandwidth (IBW) is 42% (5.1-7.85 GHz) and the axial-ratio bandwidth (ARBW) is 7.72% (5.86-6.32 GHz) for the crossed-dipole with the conventional flat ground (i.e., reflector). Furthermore, the IBW and ARBW for the antenna with the cavity reflector are 50.37% (5.08-8.5 GHz) and 26.4% (5.72-7.46 GHz), respectively. The antenna with the AMC ground has the characterstics of the IBW and ARBW as 38.16% (5.36-7.89 GHz) and 15.16% (5.79-6.74 GHz), respectively. All structures are designed to operate for the C-band and wireless local area networks (WLAN) applications.

Influence of oxygen adsorption from atmosphere on surface tension of liquid silicon

Influences of temperature and oxygen adsorption on the surface tension of liquid silicon were investigated by the oscillating droplet method using the electromagnetic levitation technique. Oxygen partial pressure in the vicinity of the liquid surface was controlled by the theoretically derived Ratto, Ricci, and Arato model and the effectiveness of which was experimentally confirmed from the in situ observation of oxidation and reduction behaviors of the droplet surface in this study. The surface tension of liquid silicon was decreased with increasing oxygen partial pressure in the vicinity of the liquid surface due to oxygen adsorption at low temperature, whereas the surface tension converged to a pure state value at high temperature regardless of the oxygen partial pressure due to a decrease in the equilibrium constant of oxygen adsorption reaction. As a result, “boomerang shape” temperature dependence of surface tension was observed; the gradient of the temperature dependence of surface tension was gradually increased with elevating temperature and then became a constant value at high temperature. The influences of oxygen adsorption and temperature on surface tension were successfully derived from the measurement result by using the Szyszkowski equation. Furthermore, the changes in enthalpy and entropy for oxygen adsorption on liquid silicon were also estimated.

Fast magnetoacoustic wave trains: from tadpoles to boomerangs

ABSTRACT Rapidly propagating fast magnetoacoustic wave trains guided by field-aligned plasma non-uniformities are confidently observed in the Sun’s corona. Observations at large heights suggest that fast wave trains can travel long distances from the excitation locations. We study characteristic time signatures of fully developed, dispersive fast magnetoacoustic wave trains in field-aligned zero-β plasma slabs in the linear regime. Fast wave trains are excited by a spatially localized impulsive driver and propagate along the waveguide as prescribed by the waveguide-caused dispersion. In slabs with steeper transverse density profiles, developed wave trains are shown to consist of three distinct phases: a long-period quasi-periodic phase with the oscillation period shortening with time, a multiperiodic (peloton) phase in which distinctly different periods co-exist, and a short-lived periodic Airy phase. The appearance of these phases is attributed to a non-monotonic dependence of the fast wave group speed on the parallel wavenumber due to the waveguide dispersion, and is shown to be different for axisymmetric (sausage) and non-axisymmetric (kink) modes. In wavelet analysis, this corresponds to the transition from the previously known tadpole shape to a new boomerang shape of the wave train spectrum, with two well-pronounced arms at shorter and longer periods. We describe a specific previously published radio observation of a coronal fast wave train, highly suggestive of a change of the wavelet spectrum from a tadpole to a boomerang, broadly consistent with our modelling. The applicability of these boomerang-shaped fast wave trains for probing the transverse structuring of the waveguiding coronal plasma is discussed.

Boomerang Technique, The Buccal Mucosal Grafting Harvesting Model for Long Urethral Stricture Urethroplasty; A Case Series.

Currently, three methods are implicated in cases of long urethral stricture including harvesting buccal mucosa of inner cheeks, harvesting lip mucosa and finally lingual mucosal graft. This study evaluated the feasibility, safety and morbidity of our "Boomerang shape" technique used for graft retrieval from the inner cheeks to repair long urethral defect cases which are usually 12-15 cm in length and 2.5 cm in width. The Kilner-Doughty mouth retractor is inserted to give access to the donor site. Initially, the internal surface of the right/left cheek is cleaned with a solution containing 10% povidone-iodine. Then, Stensen's duct, located at the level of the second molar is identified and the desired size of the graft is measured and marked in a boomerang shape, 1.5 cm from the Stensen's duct and 1.5 cm from the edge of the cheek. To decrease submucosal bleeding from the harvest site, 1% lidocaine combined with a 1:100,000 epinephrine solution is injected using a 25-gauge long needle. The outlines of the graft are drawn by using a scalpel through the mucosa. Then, the outlined graft is sharply dissected and removed, leaving the muscle intact. A 5-0 polyglactin continuous suture is used for the closure of the harvest site. The standard graft harvested from the cheek should be 12-15 cm in length and 2.5 cm in width. Between 2017-2019, five adults have had their mucosal grafts harvested by the "Boomerang shape" technique in our center. No donor site complications were observed. Moreover, no urethral strictures or diverticulum occurred and the functional outcomes were satisfactory in all patients. Our routine technique of harvesting the buccal mucosa from the cheek is secure and easily performable by any surgeon. It has minimal incidence of intra and post-operative complications.

Declining Summertime Local‐Scale Precipitation Frequency Over China and the United States, 1981–2012: The Disparate Roles of Aerosols

AbstractThe local‐scale precipitation (LSP) is mainly driven by thermal convection. Here we reveal a decreasing trend in the summertime LSP frequency over both China and the United States by utilizing the hourly rain gauge data from 1981 to 2012. The contrasting aerosol trend likely contributes to this same declining trend of LSP in both countries. As aerosol optical depth (AOD) goes beyond the turning zone of 0.25–0.30, the impact of aerosol on precipitation changes from invigoration to suppression. The mean AOD is generally less and larger than this range and of opposite trends in China and United States, respectively, which likely accounts for the same declining trend of LSP hours in the two countries. The observed boomerang shape points to the importance of aerosol loading, which matters as much as, if not more than the AOD trend, thereby potentially serving as a constraint for climate model evaluation.

The Mosaic of Rottlerin: The Sequel.

Rottlerin (1) is a potent protein kinase C δ inhibitor that possesses a wide range of biological activities. However, the potential of this molecule to be developed as a drug has been restricted by its limited availability. We report herein a gram scale quantity synthesis of rottlerin in a five-step synthetic route that can be completed within 2 days. The methodology was extended by the reaction of the key aminochromene intermediate (15) with various electron-rich arenes, forming novel unsymmetrical methylene-bridged compounds. The X-ray crystal structure revealed the boomerang shape of this kind of molecule for the first time. The direct transformation of rottlerin (1) into the natural product, isorottlerin (35), was observed for the first time, and we named this transformation the "isorottlerin change". In addition, the antibacterial activities of rottlerin (1) and new rottlerin analogues 32-34 were examined against Staphylococcus aureus. The compounds showed MIC values as low as 2.0 μM, which were comparable to the clinically used antibiotic gentamicin.

Directional and velocity control of active droplets using a rigid-frame.

This paper introduces a novel directional control method of self-propelled oil droplets. Oil droplets locomote spontaneously with surfactant action. This self-propulsion is caused by Marangoni convection within the oil droplet due to differences in the surfactant concentration at the droplet surface. Recent studies have reported that self-propelled oil droplets change their locomotion style depending on their shapes. We confirm that spherical oil droplets move randomly, including straight motion, bending motion, and rotation. In particular, we discover that boomerang-shaped oil droplets exhibit only straight motion. In this study, we introduce an exoskeleton for the directional and velocity control of oil droplets. A droplet shaped as a boomerang by an exoskeleton locomotes in the direction from a concave region to a convex region. Through experimental studies, we found that the stability of the velocity and locomotion direction depended on the boomerang shape. Self-propelled oil droplets with exoskeletons were then applied to a transporting robot driven only by the energy obtained from chemical reactions. We demonstrate the robot pushes and transports an object floating on water.

Structural origin of the high-performance light-emitting InGaN/AlGaN quantum disks.

Ternary III-nitride-based nanowires with highly efficient light-emitting properties are essential for a broad range of applications. By using the selective area molecular-beam epitaxy method, InGaN/AlGaN quantum disks (QDs) embedded in hexagonal GaN nanowires were successfully grown. With the help of atomic-scale-resolved transmission electron microscopy and atom probe tomography, atomic ordering and other related structural information, such as crystallography and local chemistry, have been unambiguously revealed to provide unique insights into the exceptionally strong photoluminescence enhancements. A boomerang-shaped InGaN/AlGaN QD was identified, and atomic-level 1 : 1 periodic chemical ordering within the boomerang shaped AlGaN layers along the c-direction was revealed, confirming the preferential site occupation of Al-atoms. This type of growth provides a strong suppression of the quantum-confined Stark effect and is thus likely a very strong contributor to the exceptional properties. This work therefore enables us to directly establish the key structural elements necessary to understand the exceptionally strong emission exhibited by these materials. Optimization of the configurations of QDs could be an alternative design tool for developing various advanced LED device applications with well-designed structure and desirable optical properties.

The Complex Affective Scene Set (COMPASS): Solving the Social Content Problem in Affective Visual Stimulus Sets

Social information, including faces and human bodies, holds special status in visual perception generally, and in visual processing of complex arrays such as real-world scenes specifically. To date, unbalanced representation of social compared with nonsocial information in affective stimulus sets has limited the clear determination of effects as attributable to, or independent of, social content. We present the Complex Affective Scene Set (COMPASS), a set of 150 social and 150 nonsocial naturalistic affective scenes that are balanced across valence and arousal dimensions. Participants (n = 847) rated valence and arousal for each scene. The normative ratings for the 300 images together, and separately by social content, show the canonical boomerang shape that confirms coverage of much of the affective circumplex. COMPASS adds uniquely to existing visual stimulus sets by balancing social content across affect dimensions, thereby eliminating a potentially major confound across affect categories (i.e., combinations of valence and arousal). The robust special status of social information persisted even after balancing of affect categories and was observed in slower rating response times for social versus nonsocial stimuli. The COMPASS images also match the complexity of real-world environments by incorporating stimulus competition within each scene. Together, these attributes facilitate the use of the stimulus set in particular for disambiguating the effects of affect and social content for a range of research questions and populations.

The climate impact of aerosols on the lightning flash rate: is it detectable from long-term measurements?

Abstract. The effect of aerosols on lightning has been noted in many case studies, but much less is known about the long-term impact, relative importance of dynamics–thermodynamics versus aerosol, and any difference by different types of aerosols. Attempts are made to tackle all these factors, whose distinct roles are discovered by analyzing 11-year datasets of lightning, aerosol loading and composition, and dynamic–thermodynamic data from satellite and model reanalysis. Variations in the lightning rate are analyzed with respect to changes in dynamic–thermodynamic variables and indices such as the convective available potential energy (CAPE) and vertical wind shear. In general, lightning has strong diurnal and seasonal variations, peaking in the afternoon and during the summer. The lightning flash rate is much higher in moist central Africa than in dry northern Africa presumably because of the combined influences of surface heating, CAPE, relative humidity (RH), and aerosol type. In both regions, the lightning flash rate changes with aerosol optical depth (AOD) in a boomerang shape: first increasing with AOD, tailing off around AOD = 0.3, and then behaving differently, i.e., decreasing for dust and flattening for smoke aerosols. The deviation is arguably caused by the tangled influences of different thermodynamics (in particular humidity and CAPE) and aerosol type between the two regions. In northern Africa, the two branches of the opposite trends seem to echo the different dominant influences of the aerosol microphysical effect and the aerosol radiative effect that are more pronounced under low and high aerosol loading conditions, respectively. Under low-AOD conditions, the aerosol microphysical effect more likely invigorates deep convection. This may gradually yield to the suppression effect as AOD increases, leading to more and smaller cloud droplets that are highly susceptible to evaporation under the dry conditions of northern Africa. For smoke aerosols in moist central Africa, the aerosol invigoration effect can be sustained across the entire range of AOD by the high humidity and CAPE. This, plus a potential heating effect of the smoke layer, jointly offsets the suppression of convection due to the radiative cooling at the surface by smoke aerosols. Various analyses were done that tend to support this hypothesis.

Global climate control on carbonate weathering intensity

Carbonate rocks are a peculiarity of the Earth relative to other planets in the solar system. Large terrestrial areas are covered by carbonate lithology, which actively reacts with atmospheric/biospheric CO2. Although carbonate rocks represent a major component of the global carbon cycle, their intensity and rates of chemical weathering have been overlooked. In this study, we examine three global databases of rivers and springs draining carbonate regions under various climate conditions (from −15 °C to +30 °C). Using Ca2+ + Mg2+ concentrations as a proxy, we show that carbonate weathering intensity depends upon land temperature according to a boomerang-type relationship, with maximum dissolution between 10 and 15 °C. We show that this pattern is primarily controlled by thermodynamics if we assume that the partial pressure of CO2 in soil (pCO2) increases from atmospheric-like levels under cold climate up to 100 times the present day atmospheric concentration under hot climate. The link between soil pCO2 and land temperature is still not very well known, but by using three different published predictive soil pCO2 vs. T curves, we show that the boomerang shape can be, at least qualitatively, reproduced.This study shows that more data on carbonate weathering in various environments are needed to predict with more accuracy the role that carbonate lithologies and overlying ecosystems could play in the Anthropocene.

The Boomerang Lift: A Three-Step Compartment-Based Approach to the Youthful Cheek.

Autologous fat grafting is an important tool for plastic surgeons treating the aging face. Malar augmentation with fat is often targeted to restore the youthful facial contour and provides support to the lower eyelid. The existence of distinct facial fat compartments suggests that a stepwise approach may be appropriate in this regard. The authors describe a three-step approach to malar augmentation using targeted deep malar fat compartmental augmentation, termed the "boomerang lift." Clinical patients undergoing autologous fat grafting for malar augmentation were injected in three distinct deep malar fat compartments: the lateral sub-orbicularis oculi fat, the medial sub-orbicularis oculi fat, and the deep medial cheek (n = 9). Intraoperative three-dimensional images were taken at baseline and following compartmental injections (Canfield VECTRA H1). Images were overlaid between the augmented and baseline captures, and the three-dimensional surface changes were analyzed, which represented the resulting "augmentation zone." Three-dimensional analysis demonstrated a unique pattern for the augmentation zone consistent across patients. The augmentation zone resembled a boomerang, with the short tail supporting the medial lower lid and the long tail extending laterally along the zygomatic arch. The upper border was restricted by the level of the nasojugal interface, and the lower border was defined medially by the nasolabial fold and laterally by the level of the zygomaticocutaneous ligament. Lateral and medial sub-orbicularis oculi fat injections defined the boundaries of the boomerang shape, and injection to the deep medial cheek provided maximum projection. This is the first description of deep malar augmentation zones in clinical patients. Three-dimensional surface imaging was ideal for analyzing the surface change in response to targeted facial fat grafting. The authors' technique resulted in a reproducible surface shape, which they term the boomerang lift.

Study of new interactions of glitazone’s stereoisomers and the endogenous ligand 15d-PGJ2 on six different PPAR gamma proteins

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease characterized by hyperglycemia, insulin resistance and hyperlipidemia. Glitazones or thiazolidinediones (TZD) are drugs that act as insulin-sensitizing agents whose molecular target is the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ). The euglycemic action of TZD has been linked with the induction of type 4 glucose transporter. However, it has been shown that the effect of TZD depends on the specific stereoisomer that interacts with PPARγ. Therefore, this work is focused on exploring the interactions and geometry adopted by glitazone's stereoisomers and one endogenous ligand on different conformations of the six crystals of the PPARγ protein using molecular docking and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations accompanied by the MMGBSA approach. Specifically, the 2,4-thiazolidinedione ring, pioglitazone (PIO), rosiglitazone (ROSI) and troglitazone (TRO) stereoisomers (exogenous ligands), as well as the endogenous ligand 15d-PGJ2, were evaluated. The six crystallographic structures of PPARγ are available at Protein Data Bank as the PDB entries 2PRG, 4PRG, 3T03, 1I7I, 1FM6, and 4EMA. According to the results, a boomerang shape and a particular location of ligands were found with low variations according to the protein conformations. The 15d-PGJ2, TZD, PIO, ROSI and (S,S)-TRO enantiomers were mostly stabilized by twenty hydrophobic residues: Phe226, Pro227, Leu228, Ile281, Phe282, Cys285, Ala292, Ile296, Ile326, Tyr327, Met329, Leu330, Leu333, Met334, Val339, Ile341, Met348, Leu353, Phe363 and Met364. Most hydrogen bond interactions were found between the polar groups of ligands with Arg288, Ser289, Lys367, Gln286, His323, Glu343 and His449 residues. An energetic analysis revealed binding free energy trends that supported known experimental findings of other authors describing better binding properties for PIO, ROSI and (S,S)-TRO than for 15d-PGJ2 and the TZD ring.

Controlling placement of nonspherical (boomerang) colloids in nematic cells with photopatterned director

Placing colloidal particles in predesigned sites represents a major challenge of the current state-of-the-art colloidal science. Nematic liquid crystals with spatially varying director patterns represent a promising approach to achieve a well-controlled placement of colloidal particles thanks to the elastic forces between the particles and the surrounding landscape of molecular orientation. Here we demonstrate how the spatially varying director field can be used to control placement of non-spherical particles of boomerang shape. The boomerang colloids create director distortions of a dipolar symmetry. When a boomerang particle is placed in a periodic splay-bend director pattern, it migrates towards the region of a maximum bend. The behavior is contrasted to that one of spherical particles with normal surface anchoring, which also produce dipolar director distortions, but prefer to compartmentalize into the regions with a maximum splay. The splay-bend periodic landscape thus allows one to spatially separate these two types of particles. By exploring overdamped dynamics of the colloids, we determine elastic driving forces responsible for the preferential placement. Control of colloidal locations through patterned molecular orientation can be explored for future applications in microfluidic, lab on a chip, sensing and sorting devices.

Abstract: The “Boomerang Lift”: A 3-Step Compartment Based Approach to the Youthful Cheek

DISCLOSURE/FINANCIAL SUPPORT: None of the authors has a financial interest in any of the products, devices, or drugs mentioned in this manuscript. BACKGROUND: Autologous fat grafting (AFG) is an important tool for plastic surgeons when approaching the aging face. Malar augmentation restores the youthful facial contour and provides support to the lower lid. The existence of distinct facial fat compartments suggests a step-wise approach to facial augmentation is needed1. Our group recently described the unique surface response for targeted volumization of discrete fat compartments, termed “Augmentation Zone” (AZ), for the deep malar compartments using three-dimensional (3D) surface imaging in a cadaveric model.2 The Boomerang Lift is the three-step approach to malar augmentation using the ideal combination of deep malar fat compartments in clinical patients. METHODS: Clinical patients undergoing AFG for malar augmentation where injected in the Boomerang Lift technique and photographed intra-operatively using 3D surface imaging (Canfield® VECTRA H1) (n=13). Sequential injections were performed in the following order: to the lateral sub-orbicularis oculi fat (lateral SOOF), medial SOOF, and lastly to the deep medial cheek. Intra-operative 3D images were taken at baseline and following compartmental injections. Overlay between the augmented and baseline surfaces were performed using 3D analytic software, and the AZ was defined for individual and combined fat compartments. RESULTS: 3D analysis of the Boomerang Lift technique resulted in a unique AZ consistent across patients. The AZ resembled a boomerang, with the short tail supporting the medial lower lid, and the long tail extending laterally along the zygomatic arch. The upper border was restricted by the level of the tear trough/lid-cheek junction, and the lower border was defined medially by the nasolabial fold and laterally by the level of the zygomatico-cutaneous ligament. Injections to the lateral and medial SOOF defined the boundaries of the boomerang shape, while the injection to the deep medial cheek provided maximum projection. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first clinical application of the deep malar augmentation zones described in a cadaveric model. The Boomerang Lift resulted in a reproducible surface shape that respected the previously defined boundaries in a cadaveric model. 3D surface imaging was an ideal method for analyzing the surface change in response to targeted facial fat grafting. As we continue to understand the 3D architecture of the facial fat compartments, we will be able to describe a surgical algorithm for injection. 1. Rohrich RJ, Pessa JE: The Fat Compartments of the Face: Anatomy and Clinical Implications for Cosmetic Surgery. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery 2007, 119:2219 - 2227. 2. Stern CS, Schreiber JE, Surek CL, Garfein ES, Jelks EB, Jelks GW, Tepper OM: 3D Topographical Surface Changes in Response to Compartmental Volumization of the Medial Cheek; Defining a Malar “ Augmentation Zone”. Plast Reconstr Surg 2016.

Molecular architecture of the human sperm IZUMO1 and egg JUNO fertilization complex.

Fertilization is an essential biological process in sexual reproduction and comprises a series of molecular interactions between the sperm and egg. The fusion of the haploid spermatozoon and oocyte is the culminating event in mammalian fertilization, enabling the creation of a new, genetically distinct diploid organism. The merger of two gametes is achieved through a two-step mechanism in which the sperm protein IZUMO1 on the equatorial segment of the acrosome-reacted sperm recognizes its receptor, JUNO, on the egg surface. This recognition is followed by the fusion of the two plasma membranes. IZUMO1 and JUNO proteins are indispensable for fertilization, as constitutive knockdown of either protein results in mice that are healthy but infertile. Despite their central importance in reproductive medicine, the molecular architectures of these proteins and the details of their functional roles in fertilization are not known. Here we present the crystal structures of human IZUMO1 and JUNO in unbound and bound conformations. The human IZUMO1 structure exhibits a distinct boomerang shape and provides structural insights into the IZUMO family of proteins. Human IZUMO1 forms a high-affinity complex with JUNO and undergoes a major conformational change within its N-terminal domain upon binding to the egg-surface receptor. Our results provide insights into the molecular basis of sperm-egg recognition, cross-species fertilization, and the barrier to polyspermy, thereby promising benefits for the rational development of non-hormonal contraceptives and fertility treatments for humans and other mammals.

Multi-sensor quantification of aerosol-induced variability in warm clouds over eastern China

Aerosol-cloud (AC) interactions remain uncharacterized due to difficulties in obtaining accurate aerosol and cloud observations. In this study, we quantified the aerosol indirect effects (AIE) on warm clouds over Eastern China based on near-simultaneous retrievals from MODIS/AQUA, CALIOP/CALIPSO, and CPR/CLOUDSAT between June 2006 and December 2010. The seasonality of aerosols from ground-based PM10 (aerosol particles with diameter of 10 μm or less) significantly differed from that estimated using MODIS aerosol optical depth (AOD). This result was supported by the lower level frequency profile of aerosol occurrence from CALIOP, indicative of the significant role of CALIOP in the AC interaction. To focus on warm clouds, cloud layers with base (top) altitudes above 7 (10) km were excluded. The combination of CALIOP and CPR was applied to determine the exact position of warm clouds relative to aerosols out of the following six scenarios in terms of AC mixing states: 1) aerosol only (AO); 2) cloud only (CO); 3) single aerosol layer-single cloud layer (SASC); 4) single aerosol layer-double cloud layers (SADC); 5) double aerosol layers - single cloud layer (DASC); and 6) others. The cases with vertical distance between aerosol and cloud layer less (more) than 100 m (700 m) were marked mixed (separated), and the rest as uncertain. Results showed that only 8.95% (7.53%) belonged to the mixed (separated and uncertain) state among all of the collocated AC overlapping cases, including SASC, SADC, and DASC. Under mixed conditions, the cloud droplet effective radius (CDR) decreased with increasing AOD at moderate aerosol loading (AOD<0.4), and then became saturated at an AOD of around 0.5, followed by an increase in CDR with increasing AOD, known as boomerang shape. Under separated conditions, no apparent changes in CDR with AOD were observed. We categorized the AC dataset into summer- and winter-season subsets to determine how the boomerang shape varied with season. The response of CDR to AOD in summer exhibited similar but much more deepened boomerang shape, as compared with the all year round case. In contrast, CDR in winter did not follow the boomerang shape for its continued decreasing with increasing AOD, even after the saturation zone (AOD around 0.5) of a cloud droplet.

Magic C60 islands forming due to moiré interference between islands and substrate

Recently proposed mechanism for self-organized formation of magic islands [Nat.Comm. 4(2013)1679] has received a new experimental confirmation. According to this mechanism, self-assembly is mediated by the moire interference between an island and underlying substrate lattice. It was first detected at C60 island growth on In-adsorbed Si(111)3×3-Au surface. Changing In adsorbate for Tl results in lowering the corrugations of the surface potential relief due to a greater surface metallization. This allows formation of the C60 arrays with novel moire pattern. As a result, a new set of magic C60 islands is formed on Tl-adsorbed Au/Si(111) surface differing from that observed on In-adsorbed surface. For example, the 19-C60 magic island which has a non-compact boomerang shape on In-adsorbed Au/Si(111) surfaces adopts a shape of a regular hexagon on Tl-adsorbed surface.