Unsolved Mysteries Research Articles

Epitaxial SrTiO3 films with dielectric constants exceeding 25,000

SignificanceSemiconductor interfaces are among the most important in use in modern technology. The properties they exhibit can either enable or disable the characteristics of the materials they connect for functional performance. While much is known about important junctions involving conventional semiconductors such as Si and GaAs, there are several unsolved mysteries surrounding interfaces between oxide semiconductors. Here we resolve a long-standing issue concerning the measurement of anomalously low dielectric constants in SrTiO3 films with record high electron mobilities. We show that the junction between doped and undoped SrTiO3 required to make dielectric constant measurements masks the dielectric properties of the undoped film. Through modeling, we extract the latter and show that it is much higher than previously measured.

Why do some coronaviruses become pandemic threats when others do not?

Despite multiple spillover events and short chains of transmission on at least 4 continents, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) has never triggered a pandemic. By contrast, its relative, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has, despite apparently little, if any, previous circulation in humans. Resolving the unsolved mystery of the failure of MERS-CoV to trigger a pandemic could help inform how we understand the pandemic potential of pathogens, and probing it underscores a need for a more holistic understanding of the ways in which viral genetic changes scale up to population-level transmission.

The Lost Princes: Who Murdered King Edward V and His Brother in 1483?

One of the most famous unsolved historical mysteries is the fate of King Edward V of England and his younger brother Richard Duke of York following their disappearance in the summer of 1483 at the ages of 12 and 10 respectively. The two boys disappeared during a highly turbulent time for the British monarchy known today as the War of the Roses. An examination of the available evidence from the time, including the political situation, reveals that the leading theory is probably correct—the two boys were most likely secretly killed by their paternal uncle Richard III, as he grew increasingly desperate to secure a position of power and security.

On-Surface Debromination of C6Br6: C6 Ring versus C6 Chain

Carbon allotropes comprising sp-hybridized carbon atoms have been investigated for decades for their molecular structure. One of the unsolved mysteries is whether they should take a linear or cyclic configuration in condensed phases due to the lack of atomistic characterizations. Herein, we designed a molecule with a C6 skeleton as a model system to address this issue, which was achieved by eliminating Br atoms from hexabromobenzene (C6Br6) molecule on the Ag(111) substrate via thermal treatment. It is found that the C6 ring intermediate resulting from complete debromination is energetically unstable at room temperature based on theoretical calculations. It subsequently transforms into the C6 polyynic chain via a ring-opening process and ultimately polymerizes into the organometallic polyyne, whose triyne structural unit is revealed by bond-resolved noncontact atomic force microscopy. Theoretical calculations demonstrated an energetically favorable pathway in which the ring-opening process occurs after complete debromination of C6Br6. Our study provides a platform for the synthesis of elusive carbon-rich materials.

Chirality transfer from a 3D macro shape to the molecular level by controlling asymmetric secondary flows

Homochirality is a fundamental feature of living systems, and its origin is still an unsolved mystery. Previous investigations showed that external physical forces can bias a spontaneous symmetry breaking process towards deterministic enantioselection. But can the macroscopic shape of a reactor play a role in chiral symmetry breaking processes? Here we show an example of chirality transfer from the chiral shape of a 3D helical channel to the chirality of supramolecular aggregates, with the handedness of the helical channel dictating the direction of enantioselection in the assembly of an achiral molecule. By combining numerical simulations of fluid flow and mass transport with experimental data, we demonstrated that the chiral information is transferred top-down thanks to the interplay between the hydrodynamics of asymmetric secondary flows and the precise spatiotemporal control of reagent concentration fronts. This result shows the possibility of controlling enantioselectively molecular processes at the nanometer scale by modulating the geometry and the operating conditions of fluidic reactors.

Biomineralogy of Kidney Stones Crystallization

One of the unsolved mysteries is why kidney stones are formed, for example, in one renal pelvis, while other pelvises are not subject to the process of biomineralization, i.e. crystallization on biological media. Stones also crystallize in the ureters and bladder. The study presents details of the crystallization of kidney stones in a place that mineralogy calls the crystallization center. This publication discusses the method of crystallization of stones and their structure.

Murky Mysteries of Young Lamprey in the San Francisco Estuary

Early one morning, a scientist collecting fish in the San Francisco Estuary was surprised to find a young lamprey. She knew lamprey were ancient fish without jaws, bones, or scales, and she wondered to herself: Where else are young lamprey in the estuary? She discovered that although lamprey existed long before dinosaurs, little is known about their lives in estuaries. She and her team decided to gather data from scientists who accidentally caught lamprey while studying other animals. This process of reusing data from unrelated studies, called data synthesis, is an important tool for answering unsolved mysteries. The team uncovered differences in where young lamprey live and that three species live in the San Francisco Estuary, including two species that live half of their lives in the ocean and the other half in freshwater. Knowing where young lamprey live can help scientists protect the habitats lamprey need to develop.

Rethinking the Modern Chinese Canon: Refractions across the Transpacific

Rethinking the Modern Chinese Canon: Refractions across the Transpacific

Alternate Causes for Pathogenesis of Exfoliation Glaucoma, a Multifactorial Elastotic Disorder: A Literature Review.

Exfoliation glaucoma (XFG) is the most recognizable form of secondary open-angle glaucoma associated with a high risk of blindness. This disease is characterized by white flaky granular deposits in the anterior chamber that leads to the elevation of intraocular pressure (IOP) and subsequent glaucomatous optic nerve damage. Conventionally, XFG is known to respond poorly to medical therapy, and surgical intervention is the only management option in most cases. Various genetic and nongenetic factors are known to be linked to the development of XFG. Despite decades of research on the genetic factors in exfoliation syndrome (XFS) by study groups and global consortia involving different ethnic populations, the pathogenesis of XFS and the mechanism of onset of glaucoma still remains an unsolved mystery. The key lies in understanding how the function of a gene (or set of genes) is altered by environmental triggers, along with other molecular events that underlie the key disease attributes, namely, oxidative stress and the disruption of the blood–aqueous barrier (BAB). It remains a challenge to evolve a theory encompassing all factions of molecular events occurring independently or parallelly that determine the disease manifestation (phenotype) or the stage of the disease in the eye (or in any tissue) in exfoliation. Our enhanced understanding of the underlying molecular pathophysiology of XFG, beyond the known genes or polymorphisms involved in the disease, will lead to improved diagnosis and management and the ability to recognize how the environment influences these key events that lead to the disease phenotype or disease progression. This review summarizes the recent observations and discoveries of four key factors that may hold the answers to the non-lysyl oxidase-like 1 (LOXL1) mechanisms behind XFG pathogenesis, namely, the epigenetic factor miRNA, disordered autophagy along with the potential involvement of mitochondrial mutations, and a compromised aqueous–blood barrier.

Expanding the submillimeter wave spectroscopy and astronomical search for thioacetamide (CH3CSNH2) in the ISM

Context. One of the biggest unsolved mysteries of modern astrochemistry is understanding chemical formation pathways in the interstellar medium (ISM) and circumstellar environments. The detections (or even nondetections) of molecules composed of low-abundance atomic species (such as S, P, Si, and Mg) may help to constrain chemical pathways. Thioacetamide (CH3CSNH2) is the sulfur analog to acetemide (CH3CONH2) and it is a viable candidate to search for in astronomical environments – specifically toward regions where other S-bearing molecules have been found and, if possible, that also contain a detection of CH3CONH2. If detected, it would not only continue to expand the view of molecular complexity in astronomical environments, but also help to better elucidate the possible formation pathways of these types of species in these environments. Aims. Our aim is to expand the frequency range of the measured rotational spectrum of CH3CSNH2 beyond 150 GHz and then to use those measurements to extend the search for this species in the ISM. The new laboratory measurements and expanded search cover more parameter space for determining under what conditions CH3CSNH2 may be detected, leading to possible constraints on the formation of large S-bearing molecules found in the ISM. Methods. The rotational spectrum of CH3CSNH2 was investigated up to 650 GHz. Using the newly refined spectrum of CH3CSNH2, as well as additional spectroscopic data on the chemically related species CH3CONH2, a variety of astronomical sources were searched including data from the following large surveys: Prebiotic Interstellar Molecule Survey conducted with the Green Bank Telescope; Exploring molecular complexity with ALMA conducted with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array; and Astrochemical Surveys at IRAM conducted with the Institut de Radioastronomie Millimétrique 30 m Telescope. Results. A total of 1428 transitions from the vt = 0 state with maximum values J = 47 and Ka = 20 in the range up to 330 GHz, and J = 95 and Ka = 20 in the range from 400–660 GHz were assigned. We also assigned 321 transitions from the vt = 1 state with the maximum values J = 35 and Ka = 9 up to 330 GHz. We achieved a final fit with a root-mean-square deviation of 43.4 kHz that contains 2035 measured lines from our study and the literature for vt = 0 and vt = 1 states of A and E symmetries. The final fit is based on the rho-axis-method Hamiltonian model that includes 40 parameters. An astronomical search for CH3CSNH2 was conducted based on all the new spectroscopic data. No transitions of CH3CSNH2 were detected toward any of the sources contained in our survey. Using the appropriate telescope and physical parameters for each astronomical source, upper limits to the column densities were found for CH3CSNH2 toward each source.

Assessment and coping strategies for stress and depression among the terminally ill patients: Focus on cancer

The concept of psychological depressive symptoms affecting the terminally ill patient still stood as an unsolved mystery in many clinical practices. The psychological traumatic and depressive stressors are the factors responsible for destroying the quality of life and affected the terminally ill individual in the most degrading ways. Alongside the physical pain symptoms, the terminal ill experience is always accompanied by several unwanted mental disharmonies and emotional sufferings like toxins, mood disorder, trauma, and low self-esteem. The higher level of stress and depression determines the growth of tumors and cancer metastasis rate in any terminal diagnosis. This makes the assessment of the psychological non-pain symptoms essential alongside the physical pain symptoms. Failing to acknowledge the patient's traumatic experience and depressive stressors will make the treatment unproductive and increase suicidal activities.

Reviving Cav1.2 as an attractive drug target to treat bladder dysfunction.

Inhibition of bladder contraction with antimuscarinics is a common approach to treat bladder hyperactivity, and the L-type voltage-gated calcium channel α1C (Cav1.2) is crucial for bladder contractility. Therefore, strategies aimed at inhibiting Cav1.2 appear warranted. However, multiple clinical trials that attempted to treat bladder overactivity with calcium channel blockers (CCBs) have been unsuccessful, creating an unsolved mystery. In contrast, cardiologists and epidemiologists have reported strong associations between CCB use and bladder hyperactivity, opposing expectations of urologists. Recent findings from our lab offer a potential explanation. We have demonstrated that ketamine which can cause cystitis, functions, like nifedipine, as a Cav1.2 antagonist. We also show that a Cav1.2 agonist which potentiates muscle contraction, rather than antagonizing it, can increase the volume of voids and reduce voiding frequency. This perspective will discuss in detail the unsuccessful urological trials of CCBs and the promise of Cav1.2 agonists as potential novel therapies for bladder dysfunctions.

The poetics of the riddle in Lesya Ukrainka`s "northern" works

The article considers the ways of realization of the motif of the riddle in the works by Lesya Ukrainka such as the poem "One word" and the fantasy "Polar Night". The artistic means of creating a mystery are analyzed at the level of metrics, syntax, vocabulary, phonics as well as at the semantic level. Lesya Ukrainka's lyrical heritage is rich in images of exotic loci, an interesting attempt was taken to recreate the topos of the north as a place inherently alien to the Ukrainians both psychologically (opposition "warm-cold", "near-far", "day-night") and socio-historically (the north as a place of exile of the intelligentsia, a point of no return, a hostile wasteland, which took away strength, health, deprived of life). In the poem "One Word" the author not only outlines this locus, but also speaks on behalf of its inhabitant. Recitative manner, folklore formulae introduce a fairy-tale context to the reader, syntactic constructions emphasize the mysterious context of the story. The phonics of the poem also gives the key to understanding the work: if at the beginning of the poem, which tells about the appearance of "strangers" in the settlement, close sounds of high rise like "y", "i" prevail, later we can see that rounded, "harmonious" "o" often appears to characterize the "stranger". Lesya Ukrainka is concluded to be a genius in mastering the word: the author subtextually emphasizes that, having a phantom freedom, a man dies because of the restriction of his freedom, existential inability to reach it neither at home nor in prison. In the fantasy "Polar Night" a phantasmagoric depiction of the meeting of an old man, a young fellow, a woman, a child in a mysterious locus, their conversation about darkness and light, day and night, the motives of the feast and spilled wine reflect the biblical context of the afterlife or the level of existential search for human existence, ability or inability to experience the joy, to wake up to a new life. All things considered, in the poetic works of Lesya Ukrainka there are still many unsolved mysteries, finding the key to which will allow us to read the hidden meanings of modern culture of the turn of XIX and XX centuries.

Finding the Ultralight Boson from a Black Hole’s Ringdown

Solving the problem of dark matter remains one of the greatest unsolved mystery of fundamental physics. One possible dark matter candidate is the scalar ultralight boson, with mass « 1eV. If they exist, ultralight bosons will form clouds of significant total mass about rotating black holes, affecting the spacetime around the black hole. After the inspiral phase of a binary merger, the bosonic cloud can affect the perturbations to the black hole, resulting in deviations in the quasinormal mode frequencies of the ringdown signal of a binary merger. Here, we compute these shifts in the gravitational quasinormal mode frequencies for such a system, and conduct an injection campaign with supermassive black holes detected by the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna. We find that detections of the ringdown phase of supermassive black holes can rule out or confirm the existence of cloud-forming ultralight bosons of mass ∼ 10−18eV at redshift z > 1 if cloud dissipation effects during the inspiral can be neglected.

Synthesis of the 8-Deoxy Analogue of 4,9-Anhydro-10-hemiketal-5-deoxy-tetrodotoxin, a Proposed Biosynthetic Precursor of Tetrodotoxin.

Despite decades of research, the biosynthesis of tetrodotoxin, also known as a puffer fish toxin, remains an unsolved mystery. We disclose a synthesis of the 8-deoxy analogue of 4,9-anhydro-10-hemiketal-5-deoxy-tetrodotoxin, a possible biosynthetic precursor of tetrodotoxin isolated from the Japanese toxic newt, by an intramolecular radical cyclization of a known starting material.

Thermogravimetric Experiment of Urea at Constant Temperatures.

There are still many unsolved mysteries in the thermal decomposition process of urea. This paper studied the thermal decomposition process of urea at constant temperatures by the thermal gravimetric–mass spectrometry analysis method. The results show that there are three obvious stages of mass loss during the thermal decomposition process of urea, which is closely related to the temperature. When the temperature was below 160 °C, urea decomposition almost did not occur, and molten urea evaporated slowly. When the temperature was between 180 and 200 °C, the content of biuret, one of the by-products in the thermal decomposition of urea, reached a maximum. When the temperature was higher than 200 °C, the first stage of mass loss was completed quickly, and urea and biuret rapidly broke down. When the temperature was about 240 °C, there were rarely urea and biuret in residual substance; however, the content of cyanuric acid was still rising. When the temperature was higher than 280°C, there was a second stage of mass loss. In the second stage of mass loss, when the temperature was higher than 330 °C, mass decreased rapidly, which was mainly due to the decomposition of cyanuric acid. When the temperature was higher than 380 °C, the third stage of mass loss occurred. However, when the temperature was higher than 400 °C, and after continuous heating was applied for a sufficiently long time, the residual mass was reduced to almost zero eventually.

A comprehensive analysis of different gene classes in pancreatic cancer: SIGLEC15 may be a promising immunotherapeutic target.

Pancreatic cancer (PC) is one of the most lethal cancer types with an extremely poor diagnosis and prognosis. This study aimed to comprehensively analyze the relationships between PC and different gene classes. Numerous genes from different categories were selected from the UALCAN database. Expression and survival analysis of these genes were performed via GEPIA, starBase and Kaplan-Meier Plotter tools. The correlations between PC-related genes and frequently mutated genes in PC as well as myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) infiltration levels were explored by TIMER tool. The associations between PC-related genes, immune checkpoints and 182 core cancer-intrinsic CTLs-evasion genes were analyzed by R software. Besides, KEGG analysis were performed for the PC-related genes. 14 genes were identified to be highly expressed in pancreatic cancer and significantly associated with poor prognosis. Besides, high expression of these genes were observed in patients with KRAS or TP53 mutations. Most genes were significantly positively associated with immune checkpoint SIGLEC15, however, showed negative relations to PDCD1, CTLA4, LAG3, TIGIT, PDCD1LG2. In addition, all 14 genes exhibited close relationships with MDSC infiltration levels and various core cancer-intrinsic CTLs-evasion genes, especially DNTTIP1, FADD, ARF6, BCL2L1, CEP55, GALE, PDCD6IP, and RCE1. We also explored the most related pathways with these genes to further reveal the pathogenesis and metastatic mechanisms of PC. Our study analyzed the relationships between 14 PC-related genes and pancreatic cancer from different angles, which may contribute to a better understanding of unsolved mystery in PC.

Netflix Originals: The Evolution of True Crime Television

Netflix has emerged at the forefront of a modern craze: the serialized true crime docuseries, a phenomenon emblematized by the platform’s hit series Making a Murderer (2015–2018). This article contextualizes the true crime docuseries trend within the tradition of true crime television, a long-popular genre frequently dismissed as sensationalism. The article traces the genre’s ideology and format to situate the true crime docuseries not as an elevation but as a reconfiguration that operates with a similar purpose, as evidenced by Netflix’s docuseries reboot of the classic true crime vehicle Unsolved Mysteries.

A Silent Closed Rupture of the Flexor Digitorum Profundus on the Index Finger: An Unsolved Mystery

We report the case of a patient who fully recovered from a closed flexor tendon rupture through a two-stage flexor tendon reconstruction using silicone rods, despite a considerable delay in treatment. A 17-year-old male patient visited our clinic with a sudden inability to flex his left index finger, although there were no signs of injury. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed an extensive rupture of the flexor digitorum profundus from the base of the distal phalanx to the proximal phalangeal joint of his left hand. After a two-stage tendon graft operation was performed, the patient regained full flexion of the index finger and was able to hold a fist without any limitations in range of motion. Complete rupture of tendons usually accompanies history of trauma or underlying tendon pathology. In our case, however, the tendon rupture occurred silently with no obvious underlying causes. It is important to recognize the signs to evaluate the underlying structures for appropriate management and treatment. Even with considerable delay, the patient may regain full function of the tendon.

Development and optimization of heavy metal lead biosensors in biomedical and environmental applications.

The detrimental impact of the heavy metal lead (Pb) on human health has been studied for years. The fact that Pb impairs human body has been established from countless painful and sad historical events. Nowadays, World Health Organization and many developmental countries have established regulations concerning the use of Pb. Measuring the blood lead level (BLL) is so far the only way to officially evaluate the degree of Pb exposure, but the so-called safety value (10 μg/dL in adults and 5 μg/dL in children) seems unreliable to represent the security checkpoint for children through daily intake of drinking water or physical contact with a lower contaminated level of Pb contents. In general, unsolved mysteries about the Pb toxicological mechanisms still remain. In this review article, we report on the methods to prevent Pb poison for further Pb toxicological research. We establish high-sensitivity Pb monitoring, and also report on the use of fluorescent biosensors such as genetically-encoded fluorescence resonance energy transfer-based biosensors built for various large demands such as the detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. We also contribute to the development and optimization of the FRET-based Pb biosensors. Our well-performed version of Met-lead 1.44 M1 has achieved a limit of detection of 10 nM (2 ppb; 0.2 μg/dL) and almost 5-fold in dynamic range (DR) supported for the real practical applications-that is, the in-cell Pb sensing device for blood and blood-related samples, and the Pb environmental detections in vitro. The perspective of our powerful Pb biosensor incorporated with a highly sensitive bio-chip of the portable device for quick Pb measurements will be addressed for further manipulation.