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Y L Li

Publications and source records attributed to Y L Li.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Search for invisible decays of eta and eta' in J/psi --> phi eta and phi eta'.

Using a data sample of 58 x 10(6) J/psi decays collected with the Beijing Spectrometer II detector at the Beijing Electron Positron Collider, searches for invisible decays of eta and eta' in J/psi to phi eta and phi eta' are performed. The phi signals, which are reconstructed in K+K- final states, are used to tag the eta and eta' decays. No signals are found for the invisible decays of either eta or eta', and upper limits at the 90% confidence level are determined to be 1.65 x 10(-3) for the ratio B(eta-->invisible)/B(eta --> gamma gamma) and 6.69 x 10(-2) for B(eta' --> invisible)/B(eta' --> gammagamma). These are the first searches for eta and eta' decays into invisible final states.

Journal Article↗

Fifth-order Raman spectroscopy of liquid benzene: experiment and theory.

The heterodyned fifth-order Raman response of liquid benzene has been measured and characterized by exploiting the passive-phase stabilization of diffractive optics. This result builds on our previous work with liquid carbon disulfide and extends the spectroscopy to a new liquid for the first time. The all-parallel and Dutch Cross polarization tensor elements are presented for both the experimental results and a finite-field molecular dynamics simulation. The overall response characteristics are similar to those of liquid carbon disulfide: a complete lack of signal along the pump delay, an elongated signal along the probe delay, and a short-lived signal along the time diagonal. Of particular interest is the change in phase between the nuclear and electronic response along the probe delay and diagonal which is not seen in CS2. Good agreement is achieved between the experiment and the finite-field molecular dynamics simulation. The measurement of the low-frequency Raman two-time delay correlation function indicates the intermolecular modes of liquid benzene to be primarily homogeneously broadened and that the liquid loses its nuclear rephasing ability within 300 fs. This rapid loss of nuclear correlations indicates a lack of modal character in the low-frequency motions of liquid benzene. This result is a validation of the general nature of the technique and represents an important step forward with respect to the use of nonlinear spectroscopy to directly access information on the anharmonic motions of liquids.

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Observation of a broad 1-- resonant structure around 1.5 GeV/c2 in the K+K- mass spectrum in J/psi-->K+K-pi0.

A broad peak is observed at low K+K- invariant mass in J/psi-->K+K-pi(0) decays found in a sample of 5.8x10(7) J/psi events collected with the BESII detector. The statistical significance of the broad resonance is much larger than 5sigma. A partial wave analysis shows that the J;{PC} of this structure is 1--. Its pole position is determined to be [1576(-55)(+49)(stat)-91+98(syst)] MeV/c(2)-i/2[818(-23)(+22)(stat)-133+64(syst)] MeV/c(2). These parameters are not compatible with any known meson resonances.

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Measurements of the branching fractions for psi(3770)-->D(0)D[over ](0), D+D-, DD[over ], and the resonance parameters of psi(3770) and psi(2S).

We measure the branching fractions for psi(3770)-->D(0)D[over ](0), D+D-, DD[over ], and non-DD[over ] to be (46.7+/-4.7+/-2.3)%, (36.9+/-3.7+/-2.8)%, (83.6+/-7.3+/-4.2)%, and (16.4+/-7.3+/-4.2)%, respectively. The resonance parameters of psi(3770) and psi(2S) are measured to be M_(psi(3770))=3772.2+/-0.7+/-0.3 MeV, Gamma_(psi(3770))(tot)=26.9+/-2.4+/-0.3 MeV, and Gamma_(psi(3770))(ee)=251+/-26+/-11 eV; M_(psi(2S))=3685.5+/-0.0+/-0.3 MeV, Gamma_(psi(2S))(tot)=331+/-58+/-2 keV, and Gamma_(psi(2S))(ee)=2.330+/-0.036+/-0.110 keV. We also measure the light hadron R value to be R(uds)=2.262+/-0.054+/-0.109 in the energy region from 3.660 to 3.872 GeV.

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Probing nanoscale ferroelectricity by ultraviolet Raman spectroscopy.

We demonstrated that ultraviolet Raman spectroscopy is an effective technique to measure the transition temperature (Tc) in ferroelectric ultrathin films and superlattices. We showed that one-unit-cell-thick BaTiO3 layers in BaTiO3/SrTiO3 superlattices are not only ferroelectric (with Tc as high as 250 kelvin) but also polarize the quantum paraelectric SrTiO3 layers adjacent to them. Tc was tuned by approximately 500 kelvin by varying the thicknesses of the BaTiO3 and SrTiO3 layers, revealing the essential roles of electrical and mechanical boundary conditions for nanoscale ferroelectricity.

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Observation of a near-threshold enhancement in the omega(phi) mass spectrum from the doubly OZI-suppressed decay J/psi-->gamma(omega)phi.

An enhancement near threshold is observed in the omega(phi) invariant mass spectrum from the doubly Okubo-Zweig-Iizuka-suppressed decays of J/psi-->gamma(omega)phi, based on a sample of 5.8 x 10(7) J/psi events collected with the BESII detector. A partial wave analysis shows that this enhancement favors JP=0+, and its mass and width are M=1812(+19)(-26)(stat)+/-18(syst) MeV/c2 and Gamma=105+/-20(stat)+/-28(syst) MeV/c2. The product branching fraction is determined to be B(J/psi-->gammaX)B(X-->omega(phi))=[2.61+/-0.27(stat)+/-0.65(syst)]x10(-4).

Journal Article↗

Observation of a resonance in Chi(1835) in J/psi --> gammapi+ pi- eta-.

The decay channel J/psi --> gamma(pi)(+)pi(-)eta is analyzed using a sample of 5.8 x 10(7) J/psi events collected with the BESII detector. A resonance, the Chi(1835), is observed in the pi(+)pi(-)eta invariant-mass spectrum with a statistical significance of 7.7 sigma. A fit with a Breit-Wigner function yields a mass M = 1833.7 +/- 6.1(stat) +/- 2.7(syst) MeV/c(2), a width Tau = 67.7 +/- 20.3(stat) +/- 7.7(syst) MeV/c(2), and a product branching fraction B(J/psi --> gammaChi) . B(Chi --> pi(+)pi(-)eta) = [2.2 +/- 0.4(stat) +/- 0.4(syst)] x 10(-4). The mass and width of the Chi(1835) are not compatible with any known meson resonance. Its properties are consistent with expectations for the state that produces the strong pp mass threshold enhancement observed in the J/psi --> gammapp process at BESII.

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Vaccination of mice with DNA vaccine induces the immune response and partial protection against T. spiralis infection.

Trichinellosis is a serious parasitic zoonosis which is widely distributed in the world. Pork still is the predominant source of outbreaks of human trichinellosis in many countries. Vaccines are urgently needed to prevent swine from Trichinella infection. The gene (TspE1) encoding a 31 kDa antigen of T. spiralis was cloned to a eukaryotic expression plasmid pcDNA3 as DNA vaccine. The ability of the DNA vaccine to express antigen in mammalian CHO cells was previously confirmed by indirect fluorescencent antibody test (IFAT) and Western blotting. To evaluate its immunogenicity and its host protective potential, BALB/c mice were immunized with the DNA vaccine by intramuscular injection and gene-gun delivery. The serum antibody response was assayed by IFAT, enzyme linked immunosorbant assay (ELISA) and Western blotting. The cellular immune response was investigated by splenocyte proliferation assay. Vaccine administration by either route induced both humoral and cellular immune response against TspE1, which provided the partial protection against challenge infection with T. spiralis, as shown by significant reduction of larval burden in muscles. Thus, DNA immunization may offer an attractive alternative strategy against swine trichinellosis.

Animals↗

Enhancement of ferroelectricity in strained BaTiO3 thin films.

Biaxial compressive strain has been used to markedly enhance the ferroelectric properties of BaTiO3 thin films. This strain, imposed by coherent epitaxy, can result in a ferroelectric transition temperature nearly 500 degrees C higher and a remanent polarization at least 250% higher than bulk BaTiO3 single crystals. This work demonstrates a route to a lead-free ferroelectric for nonvolatile memories and electro-optic devices.

Journal Article↗

Room-temperature ferroelectricity in strained SrTiO3.

Systems with a ferroelectric to paraelectric transition in the vicinity of room temperature are useful for devices. Adjusting the ferroelectric transition temperature (T(c)) is traditionally accomplished by chemical substitution-as in Ba(x)Sr(1-x)TiO(3), the material widely investigated for microwave devices in which the dielectric constant (epsilon(r)) at GHz frequencies is tuned by applying a quasi-static electric field. Heterogeneity associated with chemical substitution in such films, however, can broaden this phase transition by hundreds of degrees, which is detrimental to tunability and microwave device performance. An alternative way to adjust T(c) in ferroelectric films is strain. Here we show that epitaxial strain from a newly developed substrate can be harnessed to increase T(c) by hundreds of degrees and produce room-temperature ferroelectricity in strontium titanate, a material that is not normally ferroelectric at any temperature. This strain-induced enhancement in T(c) is the largest ever reported. Spatially resolved images of the local polarization state reveal a uniformity that far exceeds films tailored by chemical substitution. The high epsilon(r) at room temperature in these films (nearly 7,000 at 10 GHz) and its sharp dependence on electric field are promising for device applications.

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Rapid identification of yeasts commonly found in positive blood cultures by amplification of the internal transcribed spacer regions 1 and 2.

A multiplex PCR method using one universal and eight species-specific primers was developed to rapidly identify eight yeast species found in positive blood cultures. The species-specific primers were designed from the internal transcribed spacer regions 1 and 2 of the rRNA gene, whereas the universal primer was located at the 26S rRNA gene. The eight species were Candida albicans, Candida glabrata, Candida guilliermondii, Candida krusei, Candida lusitaniae, Candida parapsilosis, Candida tropicalis, and Cryptococcus neoformans. The PCR products (116 to 630 bp) were different in length and could be effectively separated and recognized by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. By testing 234 positive blood cultures (237 isolates), 234 (98.7%) isolates of the above eight species were correctly identified by the multiplex PCR. The present method is simple to perform and can be completed within 6 h.

Base Sequence↗

Genetic diversity and background linkage disequilibrium in the North American Holstein cattle population.

The objectives of this study were to 1) identify highly heterozygous Holstein bulls that are as unrelated as possible and widely used in the US dairy industry; 2) quantify the level of genetic diversity in US Holsteins; and 3) determine the extent of background linkage disequilibrium (BLD) and disease trait associated linkage disequilibrium (DLD) in the US Holstein population. Twenty-three Holstein bulls that are not closely related but were widely used in the US dairy industry were genotyped for 54 microsatellite loci. The genotyping was performed on automated DNA sequencers (PE Applied Biosystems, CA), following polymerase chain reaction amplification with fluorescent dye-labeled primers. The heterozygosity for the sampled population ranged from 0.43 to 0.80. This wide range of heterozygosity allows selection of the most heterozygous bulls to develop informative families for gene mapping studies. The degree of genetic diversity in this population is significant and allows selection for traits of economic importance. As expected, there is extensive linkage disequilibrium (LD) in the US Holstein population. About half of the syntenic marker pairs presented a typical pattern of LD produced by DLD. Most of the nonsyntenic marker pairs had a typical pattern of LD arising from BLD. These results suggest that the observed LD is not purely due to genetic drift and migration and that a portion might be due to DLD. This raises our hopes of successful fine-localization of genes for complex traits using LD mapping.

Animals↗

Protective effect of green tea on the risks of chronic gastritis and stomach cancer.

Despite the declining trend, stomach cancer remains the second most common cancer worldwide. We examined the role of green tea consumption on chronic gastritis and stomach cancer risks. A population-based case-control study was conducted in Yangzhong, China, with 133 stomach cancer cases, 166 chronic gastritis cases, and 433 healthy controls. Epidemiologic data were collected by standard questionnaire and odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated using logistic regression models in SAS. Inverse association was observed between green tea drinking and chronic gastritis and stomach cancer risks. After adjusting for age, gender, education, body mass index, pack-years of smoking and alcohol drinking, ORs of green tea drinking were 0.52 (95% CI: 0.29-0.94) and 0.49 (95% CI: 0.31-0.77) for stomach cancer and chronic gastritis, respectively. In addition, dose-response relationships were observed with years of green tea drinking in both diseases. The results provide further support on the protective effect of green tea against stomach cancer. This is the first time that green tea drinking was found to be protective against chronic gastritis, which may be of importance when designing intervention strategies for stomach cancer and its pre-malignant lesions in the high-risk population.

Adult↗

New ferrocenyl chiral auxiliary substituents for amines: applications to syntheses of mossambine and vinblastine.

(+)-(R)-1,2-(alpha-(R)-Mesyloxy-beta-dimethyltetramethylene)-ferrocene was synthesized and used as a chiral auxiliary for N-alkylation of methyl 1,2,3,4,5,6-hexahydroazepino[4,5-b] indole-5-xi-carboxylates. Condensation with aldehydes then provided tetracyclic products in a diastereomeric ratio of at least 97:3. Gentle cleavage in acetic acid removed the chiral auxiliary to give the corresponding secondary amines in >99% ee. Thus, key intermediates leading to mossambine and vinblastine could be synthesized with high enantioselectivity. The enantioselectivity greatly exceeds that found with other chiral N-auxiliaries developed in our studies.

Amines↗

Structural insights into the mode of action of a pure antiestrogen.

BACKGROUND: Estrogens exert their effects on target tissues by binding to a nuclear transcription factor termed the estrogen receptor (ER). Previous structural studies have demonstrated that each class of ER ligand (agonist, partial agonist, and SERM antagonist) induces distinctive orientations in the receptor's carboxy-terminal transactivation helix. The conformation of this portion of the receptor determines whether ER can recruit and interact with the components of the transcriptional machinery, thereby facilitating target gene expression. RESULTS: We have determined the structure of rat ERbeta ligand binding domain (LBD) in complex with the pure antiestrogen ICI 164,384 at 2.3 A resolution. The binding of this compound to the receptor completely abolishes the association between the transactivation helix (H12) and the rest of the LBD. The structure reveals that the terminal portion of ICI's bulky side chain substituent protrudes from the hormone binding pocket, binds along the coactivator recruitment site, and physically prevents H12 from adopting either its characteristic agonist or AF2 antagonist orientation. CONCLUSIONS: The binding mode adopted by the pure antiestrogen is similar to that seen for other ER antagonists. However, the size and resultant positioning of the ligand's side chain substituent produces a receptor conformation that is distinct from that adopted in the presence of other classes of ER ligands. The novel observation that binding of ICI results in the complete destabilization of H12 provides some indications as to a possible mechanism for pure receptor antagonism.

Animals↗

GSTP1 polymorphisms and gastric cancer in a high-risk Chinese population.

OBJECTIVES: In a population-based case-control study in Yangzhong, China, we investigated the relationship between genetic polymorphisms of GSTP1 and susceptibility to gastric cancer and its premalignant lesion, chronic gastritis. The possible gene-gene interactions between GSTP1 polymorphisms and GSTM1, GSTT1 genes were explored. METHODS: Epidemiologic data were collected by standard questionnaire from 133 gastric cancer cases, 166 chronic gastritis cases, and 433 cancer-free population controls. Blood samples for Helicobacter pylori and molecular marker assays were collected from 84 gastric cancer cases, 146 chronic gastritis, and 429 population controls. GSTP1 polymorphisms were determined by the PCR-RFLP method and H. pylori infection was measured by the ELISA method. Associations between certain GSTP1 genotypes and both gastric cancer and chronic gastritis were assessed by odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) derived from logistic regression. RESULTS: The distributions of three GSTP1 genotypes, Ile/Ile, Ile/Val, and Val/Val, were similar in gastric cancer cases, chronic gastritis, and controls. After adjusting for age, gender, education, body mass index, pack-year of smoking, alcohol drinking, H. pylori infection, salt and fruit intakes, the adjusted ORs of Val/Val were 1.3 (95% CI: 0.1-11.2) for gastric cancer and 0.9 (95% CI: 0.2-4.8) for chronic gastritis. Combining the Val alleles (Val/Val and Ile/Val) into one group, no association was observed between GSTP1 and both gastric cancer and chronic gastritis. In addition, the allelism at the GSTP1 locus did not increase gastric cancer and chronic gastritis risks associated with the GSTM1 or GSTT1 genotypes. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that the GSTP1 genotype seems not to be associated with the risk of gastric cancer and chronic gastritis in a high-risk Chinese population.

Adult↗

Infection induces antibodies against the cercarial secretions, but not against the cercarial elastases of Schistosoma mansoni, Schistosoma haematobium, Schistosoma japonicum and Trichobilharzia ocellata.

Cercarial secretions from different species of the parasite Schistosoma and from Trichobilharzia ocellata contain a proteolytic activity, cercarial elastase, which was demonstrated by a 30 kDa band in gelatin gels. Sera of patients infected with Schistosoma mansoni, Schistosoma haematobium or Schistosoma japonicum contain immunoglobulin G which react in ELISA with cercarial secretions from all schistosomes and cross-react among the different parasite species. In Western blots, however, infection sera from patients, as well as heavily infected mice or rabbits, did not react with a 30-kDa protein. Moreover, when sections from infected snails (Biomphalaria, Bulinus and Lymnaea) were analysed by immunofluorescence using the same infection sera, only the tegument of the developing cercariae was recognized, but not the acetabular glands. In contrast, when antisera against purified cercarial elastase from either S. mansoni or S. haematobium were tested with sections of infected Biomphalaria or Bulinus, fluorescence was strong in the preacetabular glands of the cercariae of either species, but undetectable with the tegument. Cross-reactivity of both antisera extended to T. ocellata-infected Lymnaea, but not to S. japonicum-infected Oncomelania. In conclusion, although immunization with purified cercarial elastase results in antibody production, the enzyme does not induce an apparent antibody response following natural infection.

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