bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Changes in mountain birch forests and reindeer management: Comparing different knowledge systems in Sápmi, northern Fennoscandia
Authors: Forbes Bruce C. , Turunen Minna T. , Soppela Päivi , Rasmus Sirpa , Vuojala-Magga Terhi , Kitti Heidi
Published: February 2020

Mountain birch forests in the northern areas of Sápmi, the Saami homeland, serve as pastures for semi-domesticated reindeer. Recent reindeer management of the area has, to date, proceeded with little involvement of reindeer herders or their knowledge. To get more in-depth understanding of recent changes, we present together herders’ knowledge and scientific knowledge concerning the impacts of herbivory and climate change on mountain birch forests in three Saami communities in Norway and in Finland. Most of the herders interviewed reported changes in weather during the preceding decades. Herders agreed that the canopy and understorey of mountain birch forests have changed. The observed transformations in the quality of pastures have increased the financial costs of reindeer husbandry. Our study demonstrates that herders have practical knowledge of the present state and recent changes of birch forests, and of the responses of reindeer caused by these. This knowledge generally coincides with scientific knowledge. We call for better integration of knowledge systems and a better protocol for co-production of knowledge as it relates to more adaptive future reindeer management regimes. Such integration will facilitate understanding of cultural adaptation within rapidly changing social-ecological systems in which sustainable reindeer husbandry continues to be an important livelihood.
A Note on Misplaced or Wrongly Attachedzuin German
Authors: Schallert Oliver
Published: February 2020

This paper deals with the misplacement of the infinitival markerzu‘to’ in German. While this phenomenon only occurs in certain config-urations in the standard language, such as auxiliary fronting, it is common in dialects and shows quite a high degree of variability. I discuss the misplacement ofzuin Standard German due to auxiliary fronting, as well as other types ofzu-misplacement found in dialects. I propose two parsimonious options for the analysis of the standard language as well as dialect cases, namely, i) precedence rules and ii) a special kind of infixing operation that was first proposed in the framework of Categorial Morphology (Bach 1984, Hoeksema 1985). I show that even though the first approach has its merits, the second one is more advantageous.*
Impact of Gravity Waves on the Middle Atmosphere of Mars: A Non‐Orographic Gravity Wave Parameterization Based on Global Climate Modeling and MCS Observations
Authors: Gilli G. , Forget F. , Spiga A. , Navarro T. , Millour E. , Montabone L. , Kleinböhl A. , Kass D. M. , McCleese D. J. , Schofield J. T.
Published: February 2020

The impact of gravity waves (GW) on diurnal tides and the global circulation in the middle/upper atmosphere of Mars is investigated using a general circulation model (GCM). We have implemented a stochastic parameterization of non‐orographic GW into the Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique (LMD) Mars GCM (LMD‐MGCM) following an innovative approach. The source is assumed to be located above typical convective cells (
250 Pa), and the effect of GW on the circulation and predicted thermal structure above 1 Pa (
50 km) is analyzed. We focus on the comparison between model simulations and observations by the Mars Climate Sounder (MCS) on board Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter during Martian Year 29. MCS data provide the only systematic measurements of the Martian mesosphere up to 80 km to date. The primary effect of GW is to damp the thermal tides by reducing the diurnal oscillation of the meridional and zonal winds. The GW drag reaches magnitudes of the order of 1 m/s/sol above 10
Pa in the northern hemisphere winter solstice and produces major changes in the zonal wind field (from tens to hundreds of m/s), while the impact on the temperature field is relatively moderate (10–20 K). It suggests that GW‐induced alteration of the meridional flow is the main responsible for the simulated temperature variation. The results also show that with the GW scheme included, the maximum day‐night temperature difference due to the diurnal tide is around 10 K, and the peak of the tide is shifted toward lower altitudes, in better agreement with MCS observations.
In Situ Photometric Experiment of Lunar Regolith With Visible and Near‐Infrared Imaging Spectrometer On Board the Yutu‐2 Lunar Rover
Authors: Lin Honglei , Xu Rui , Yang Wei , Lin Yangting , Wei Yong , Hu Sen , He Zhiping , Qiao Le , Wan Weixing
Published: February 2020

China's Chang'E‐4 (CE‐4) mission successfully landed in Von Kármán crater within South Pole‐Aitken basin of the Moon. The Visible and Near‐Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (VNIS) on board Yutu‐2 rover investigated the photometric properties of lunar regolith. Seven VNIS measurements were conducted on a small lunar surface with a diameter <5 m by the rover rotating at the center, with the phase angles from 39.6 to 97.1° obtained in the similar observational geometry of solar altitude and observation angle. The phase function, which varies in different wavelength, is derived using a third‐order polynomial fitting, in combination with the calibration and comparison of orbital/in situ VNIS data at the Chang'E‐4 landing site and the same regions. After the photometrical correction of the spectra with the phase function, the derived FeO contents and optical maturity parameters of the regolith reduce much of their deviations, which is consistent with the homogeneity of the regolith and hence demonstrates the significance of the photometric correction on the VNIS spectra.
Quantification of Evaporation and Drainage Processes in Unsaturated Porous Media Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Authors: Ranzinger Florian , Hille‐Reichel Andrea , Zehe Erwin , Guthausen Gisela , Horn Harald
Published: February 2020

The water loss in packed beds was studied spatially and time‐resolved via magnetic resonance imaging on the pore scale. The packed beds were measured under water‐saturated and unsaturated conditions, while the magnetic resonance method allowed a quantitative differentiation between air, liquid, and solid phases exploring the native contrast of the named phases without additional contrast agents. Beside a qualitative image comparison, subsequent quantitative image processing allowed for a detailed spatially resolved determination of water distribution, the differentiation between water transport processes, and the quantification of liquid clusters in 3‐D. Results are presented for two packed beds that show significant differences in their evaporation and drainage dynamics, which are mainly determined by the physical properties of the packed beds. The water loss of the packed bed of 2–4 mm quartz particles reached a level below interpretability after 18.2 hr; meanwhile, a successive decrease of the largest liquid cluster volume from 82.5 to 0.7 mm3was observed. The water content of the packed bed of 2 mm glass spheres was still observable after 70.9 hr. During the experiment, no significant changes in the structure of the liquid clusters were measured. The current work displays the applicability of magnetic resonance imaging for pore‐scale investigations without the addition of contrast agents.
Spatio-temporal characterization of the antiviral activity of the XRN1-DCP1/2 aggregation against cytoplasmic RNA viruses to prevent cell death
Authors: Ng Chen Seng , Kasumba Dacquin M. , Fujita Takashi , Luo Honglin
Published: February 2020

Host nucleases are implicated in antiviral response through the processing of pathogen-derived nucleic acids. Among many host RNases, decapping enzymes DCP1 and 2, and 5′→3′ exonuclease XRN1, which are components of the RNA decay machinery, have been extensively studied in prokaryotes, plants, and invertebrates but less so in mammalian systems. As a result, the implication of XRN1 and DCPs in viral replication, in particular, the spatio-temporal dynamics during RNA viral infections remains elusive. Here, we highlight that XRN1 and DCPs play a critical role in limiting several groups of RNA viral infections. This antiviral activity was not obvious in wild-type cells but clearly observed in type I interferon (IFN-I)-deficient cells. Mechanistically, infection with RNA viruses induced the enrichment of XRN1 and DCPs in viral replication complexes (vRCs), hence forming distinct cytoplasmic aggregates. These aggregates served as sites for direct interaction between XRN1, DCP1/2, and viral ribonucleoprotein that contains viral RNA (vRNA). Although these XRN1-DCP1/2-vRC-containing foci resemble antiviral stress granules (SGs) or P-body (PB), they did not colocalize with known SG markers and did not correlate with critical PB functions. Furthermore, the presence of 5′ mono- and 5′ triphosphate structures on vRNA was not required for the formation of XRN1-DCP1/2-vRC-containing foci. On the other hand, single-, double-stranded, and higher-ordered vRNA species play a role but are not deterministic for efficient formation of XRN1-DCP1/2 foci and consequent antiviral activity in a manner proportional to RNA length. These results highlight the mechanism behind the antiviral function of XRN1-DCP1/2 in RNA viral infections independent of IFN-I response, protein kinase R and PB function.
The COMET toolkit for composing customizable genetic programs in mammalian cells
Authors: Donahue Patrick S. , Draut Joseph W. , Muldoon Joseph J. , Edelstein Hailey I. , Bagheri Neda , Leonard Joshua N.
Published: February 2020

Engineering mammalian cells to carry out sophisticated and customizable genetic programs requires a toolkit of multiple orthogonal and well-characterized transcription factors (TFs). To address this need, we develop the COmposable Mammalian Elements of Transcription (COMET)—an ensemble of TFs and promoters that enable the design and tuning of gene expression to an extent not, to the best of our knowledge, previously possible. COMET currently comprises 44 activating and 12 inhibitory zinc-finger TFs and 83 cognate promoters, combined in a framework that readily accommodates new parts. This system can tune gene expression over three orders of magnitude, provides chemically inducible control of TF activity, and enables single-layer Boolean logic. We also develop a mathematical model that provides mechanistic insights into COMET performance characteristics. Altogether, COMET enables the design and construction of customizable genetic programs in mammalian cells.
Quantum non-demolition measurement of a many-body Hamiltonian
Authors: Yang Dayou , Grankin Andrey , Sieberer Lukas M. , Vasilyev Denis V. , Zoller Peter
Published: February 2020

In an ideal quantum measurement, the wave function of a quantum system collapses to an eigenstate of the measured observable, and the corresponding eigenvalue determines the measurement outcome. If the observable commutes with the system Hamiltonian, repeated measurements yield the same result and thus minimally disturb the system. Seminal quantum optics experiments have achieved such quantum non-demolition (QND) measurements of systems with few degrees of freedom. In contrast, here we describe how the QND measurement of a complex many-body observable, the Hamiltonian of an interacting many-body system, can be implemented in a trapped-ion analog quantum simulator. Through a single-shot measurement, the many-body system is prepared in a narrow band of (highly excited) energy eigenstates, and potentially even a single eigenstate. Our QND scheme, which can be carried over to other platforms of quantum simulation, provides a framework to investigate experimentally fundamental aspects of equilibrium and non-equilibrium statistical physics including the eigenstate thermalization hypothesis and quantum fluctuation relations.
Strain-driven growth of ultra-long two-dimensional nano-channels
Authors: Zhu Chao , Yu Maolin , Zhou Jiadong , He Yongmin , Zeng Qingsheng , Deng Ya , Guo Shasha , Xu Mingquan , Shi Jinan , Zhou Wu , Sun Litao , Wang Lin , Hu Zhili , Zhang Zhuhua , Guo Wanlin , Liu Zheng
Published: February 2020

Lateral heterostructures of two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have offered great opportunities in the engineering of monolayer electronics, catalysis and optoelectronics. To explore the full potential of these materials, developing methods to precisely control the spatial scale of the heterostructure region is crucial. Here, we report the synthesis of ultra-long MoS2 nano-channels with several micrometer length and 2–30 nanometer width within the MoSe2 monolayers, based on intrinsic grain boundaries (GBs). First-principles calculations disclose that the strain fields near the GBs not only lead to the preferred substitution of selenium by sulfur but also drive coherent extension of the MoS2 channel from the GBs. Such a strain-driven synthesis mechanism is further shown applicable to other topological defects. We also demonstrate that the spontaneous strain of MoS2 nano-channels can further improve the hydrogen production activity of GBs, paving the way for designing GB based high-efficient TMDs in the catalytic application.
An interactive ImageJ plugin for semi-automated image denoising in electron microscopy
Authors: Roels Joris , Vernaillen Frank , Kremer Anna , Gonçalves Amanda , Aelterman Jan , Luong Hiêp Q. , Goossens Bart , Philips Wilfried , Lippens Saskia , Saeys Yvan
Published: February 2020

The recent advent of 3D in electron microscopy (EM) has allowed for detection of nanometer resolution structures. This has caused an explosion in dataset size, necessitating the development of automated workflows. Moreover, large 3D EM datasets typically require hours to days to be acquired and accelerated imaging typically results in noisy data. Advanced denoising techniques can alleviate this, but tend to be less accessible to the community due to low-level programming environments, complex parameter tuning or a computational bottleneck. We present DenoisEM: an interactive and GPU accelerated denoising plugin for ImageJ that ensures fast parameter tuning and processing through parallel computing. Experimental results show that DenoisEM is one order of magnitude faster than related software and can accelerate data acquisition by a factor of 4 without significantly affecting data quality. Lastly, we show that image denoising benefits visualization and (semi-)automated segmentation and analysis of ultrastructure in various volume EM datasets.
Revisiting the pH-gated conformational switch on the activities of HisKA-family histidine kinases
Authors: Mideros-Mora Cristina , Miguel-Romero Laura , Felipe-Ruiz Alonso , Casino Patricia , Marina Alberto
Published: February 2020

Histidine is a versatile residue playing key roles in enzyme catalysis thanks to the chemistry of its imidazole group that can serve as nucleophile, general acid or base depending on its protonation state. In bacteria, signal transduction relies on two-component systems (TCS) which comprise a sensor histidine kinase (HK) containing a phosphorylatable catalytic His with phosphotransfer and phosphatase activities over an effector response regulator. Recently, a pH-gated model has been postulated to regulate the phosphatase activity of HisKA HKs based on the pH-dependent rotamer switch of the phosphorylatable His. Here, we have revisited this model from a structural and functional perspective on HK853–RR468 and EnvZ–OmpR TCS, the prototypical HisKA HKs. We have found that the rotamer of His is not influenced by the environmental pH, ruling out a pH-gated model and confirming that the chemistry of the His is responsible for the decrease in the phosphatase activity at acidic pH.
Energy-level quantization and single-photon control of phase slips in YBa2Cu3O7–x nanowires
Authors: Lyatti M. , Wolff M. A. , Gundareva I. , Kruth M. , Ferrari S. , Dunin-Borkowski R. E. , Schuck C.
Published: February 2020

Significant progress has been made in superconducting quantum circuits. However new quantum devices that have longer decoherence times at higher temperatures are urgently required for quantum technologies. Superconducting nanowires with quantum phase slips are promising candidates for use in novel quantum devices. Here, we demonstrate YBa2Cu3O7-x nanowires with phase-slip dynamics and study their switching-current statistics at temperatures below 20 K. We apply theoretical models developed for Josephson junctions and show that our results provide strong evidence for energy-level quantization in the nanowires. The crossover temperature to the quantum regime of 12–13 K and the lifetime in the excited state exceeding 20 ms at 5.4 K are superior to those in conventional Josephson junctions. We also show how the absorption of a single photon changes the phase-slip and quantum state of a nanowire, which is important for the development of single-photon detectors with high operating temperature and superior temporal resolution.
Minimally disruptive optical control of protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B
Authors: Hongdusit Akarawin , Zwart Peter H. , Sankaran Banumathi , Fox Jerome M.
Published: February 2020

Protein tyrosine phosphatases regulate a myriad of essential subcellular signaling events, yet they remain difficult to study in their native biophysical context. Here we develop a minimally disruptive optical approach to control protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B)—an important regulator of receptor tyrosine kinases and a therapeutic target for the treatment of diabetes, obesity, and cancer—and we use that approach to probe the intracellular function of this enzyme. Our conservative architecture for photocontrol, which consists of a protein-based light switch fused to an allosteric regulatory element, preserves the native structure, activity, and subcellular localization of PTP1B, affords changes in activity that match those elicited by post-translational modifications inside the cell, and permits experimental analyses of the molecular basis of optical modulation. Findings indicate, most strikingly, that small changes in the activity of PTP1B can cause large shifts in the phosphorylation states of its regulatory targets.
Real-time calibration with spectator qubits
Authors: Majumder Swarnadeep , Andreta de Castro Leonardo , Brown Kenneth R.
Published: February 2020

Accurate control of quantum systems requires a precise measurement of the parameters that govern the dynamics, including control fields and interactions with the environment. Parameters will drift in time and experiments interleave protocols that perform parameter estimation, with protocols that measure the dynamics of interest. Here we specialize to a system made of qubits where the dynamics correspond to a quantum computation. We propose setting aside some qubits, which we call spectator qubits, to be measured periodically during the computation, to act as probes of the changing experimental and environmental parameters. By using control strategies that minimize the sensitivity of the qubits involved in the computation, we can acquire sufficient information from the spectator qubits to update our estimates of the parameters and improve our control. As a result, we can increase the length of experiments where the dynamics of the data qubits are highly reliable. In particular, we simulate how spectator qubits can keep the error level of operations on data qubits below a 10−4 threshold in two scenarios involving coherent errors: a classical magnetic field gradient dynamically decoupled with sequences of two or four π-pulses, and laser beam instability detected via crosstalk with neighboring atoms in an ion trap.
Author Correction: Whole exome sequencing for the identification of CYP3A7 variants associated with tacrolimus concentrations in kidney transplant patients
Authors: Sohn Minji , Kim Myeong Gyu , Han Nayoung , Kim In-Wha , Gim Jungsoo , Min Sang-Il , Song Eun Young , Kim Yon Su , Jung Hun Soon , Shin Young Kee , Ha Jongwon , Oh Jung Mi
Published: February 2020

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
Machine-Learning Studies on Spin Models
Authors: Shiina Kenta , Mori Hiroyuki , Okabe Yutaka , Lee Hwee Kuan
Published: February 2020

With the recent developments in machine learning, Carrasquilla and Melko have proposed a paradigm that is complementary to the conventional approach for the study of spin models. As an alternative to investigating the thermal average of macroscopic physical quantities, they have used the spin configurations for the classification of the disordered and ordered phases of a phase transition through machine learning. We extend and generalize this method. We focus on the configuration of the long-range correlation function instead of the spin configuration itself, which enables us to provide the same treatment to multi-component systems and the systems with a vector order parameter. We analyze the Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless (BKT) transition with the same technique to classify three phases: the disordered, the BKT, and the ordered phases. We also present the classification of a model using the training data of a different model.
Validating a targeted next-generation sequencing assay and profiling somatic variants in Chinese non-small cell lung cancer patients
Authors: Jiang Ruirui , Zhang Bo , Teng Xiaodong , Hu Peizhen , Xu Sanpeng , Zheng Zuyu , Liu Rui , Tang Tingdong , Ye Feng
Published: February 2020

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is featured with complex genomic alterations. Molecular profiling of large cohort of NSCLC patients is thus a prerequisite for precision medicine. We first validated the detection performance of a next-generation sequencing (NGS) cancer hotspot panel, OncoAim, on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) samples. We then utilized OncoAim to delineate the genomic aberrations in Chinese NSCLC patients. Overall detection performance was powerful for mutations with allele frequency (MAF) ≥ 5% at >500 × coverage depth, with >99% sensitivity, high specificity (positive predictive value > 99%), 94% accuracy and 96% repeatability. Profiling 422 NSCLC FFPE samples revealed that patient characteristics, including gender, age, lymphatic spread, histologic grade and histologic subtype were significantly associated with the mutation incidence of EGFR and TP53. Moreover, RTK signaling pathway activation was enriched in adenocarcinoma, while PI(3)K pathway activation, oxidative stress pathway activation, and TP53 pathway inhibition were more prevalent in squamous cell carcinoma. Additionally, novel co-existence (e.g., variants in BRAF and PTEN) and mutual-exclusiveness (e.g., alterations in EGFR and NFE2L2) were found. Finally, we revealed distinct mutation spectrum in TP53, as well as a previously undervalued PTEN aberration. Our findings could aid in improving diagnosis, prognosis and personalized therapeutic decisions of Chinese NSCLC patients.
Photosensitive nanocarriers for specific delivery of cargo into cells
Authors: Mena-Giraldo Pedro , Pérez-Buitrago Sandra , Londoño-Berrío Maritza , Ortiz-Trujillo Isabel C. , Hoyos-Palacio Lina M. , Orozco Jahir
Published: February 2020

Nanoencapsulation is a rapidly expanding technology to enclose cargo into inert material at the nanoscale size, which protects cargo from degradation, improves bioavailability and allows for controlled release. Encapsulation of drugs into functional nanocarriers enhances their specificity, targeting ability, efficiency, and effectiveness. Functionality may come from cell targeting biomolecules that direct nanocarriers to a specific cell or tissue. Delivery is usually mediated by diffusion and erosion mechanisms, but in some cases, this is not sufficient to reach the expected therapeutic effects. This work reports on the development of a new photoresponsive polymeric nanocarrier (PNc)-based nanobioconjugate (NBc) for specific photo-delivery of cargo into target cells. We readily synthesized the PNcs by modification of chitosan with ultraviolet (UV)-photosensitive azobenzene molecules, with Nile red and dofetilide as cargo models to prove the encapsulation/release concept. The PNcs were further functionalized with the cardiac targeting transmembrane peptide and efficiently internalized into cardiomyocytes, as a cell line model. Intracellular cargo-release was dramatically accelerated upon a very short UV-light irradiation time. Delivering cargo in a time-space controlled fashion by means of NBcs is a promising strategy to increase the intracellular cargo concentration, to decrease dose and cargo side effects, thereby improving the effectiveness of a therapeutic regime.
The Order-Disorder Continuum: Linking Predictions of Protein Structure and Disorder through Molecular Simulation
Authors: Hsu Claire C. , Buehler Markus J. , Tarakanova Anna
Published: February 2020

Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) and intrinsically disordered regions within proteins (IDRs) serve an increasingly expansive list of biological functions, including regulation of transcription and translation, protein phosphorylation, cellular signal transduction, as well as mechanical roles. The strong link between protein function and disorder motivates a deeper fundamental characterization of IDPs and IDRs for discovering new functions and relevant mechanisms. We review recent advances in experimental techniques that have improved identification of disordered regions in proteins. Yet, experimentally curated disorder information still does not currently scale to the level of experimentally determined structural information in folded protein databases, and disorder predictors rely on several different binary definitions of disorder. To link secondary structure prediction algorithms developed for folded proteins and protein disorder predictors, we conduct molecular dynamics simulations on representative proteins from the Protein Data Bank, comparing secondary structure and disorder predictions with simulation results. We find that structure predictor performance from neural networks can be leveraged for the identification of highly dynamic regions within molecules, linked to disorder. Low accuracy structure predictions suggest a lack of static structure for regions that disorder predictors fail to identify. While disorder databases continue to expand, secondary structure predictors and molecular simulations can improve disorder predictor performance, which aids discovery of novel functions of IDPs and IDRs. These observations provide a platform for the development of new, integrated structural databases and fusion of prediction tools toward protein disorder characterization in health and disease.
Highly Efficient Excitonic Recombination of Non-polar ($$11\overline{2}0$$) GaN Nanocrystals for Visible Light Emitter by Hydride Vapour Phase Epitaxy
Authors: Lee Moonsang , Lee Dongyun , Baik Hionsuck , Kim Heejin , Jeong Yesul , Yang Mino , Lee Hyun Uk , Hahm Myung Gwan , Kim Jaekyun
Published: February 2020

While non-polar nanostructured-GaN crystals are considered as a prospective material for the realization of futuristic opto-electronic application, the formation of non-polar GaN nanocrystals (NCs) with highly efficient visible emission characteristics remain unquestionable up to now. Here, we report the oxygen-incorporated a-plane GaN NCs with highly visible illumination excitonic recombination characteristics. Epitaxially aligned a-plane NCs with average diameter of 100 nm were formed on r-plane sapphire substrates by hydride vapor phase epitaxy (HVPE), accompanied by the oxygen supply during the growth. X-ray photoemission spectroscopy measurements proved that the NCs exhibited Ga-O bonding in the materials, suggesting the formation of oxidized states in the bandgap. It was found that the NCs emitted the visible luminescence wavelength of 400‒500 nm and 680‒720 nm, which is attributed to the transition from oxygen-induced localized states. Furthermore, time-resolved photoluminescence studies revealed the significant suppression of the quantum confined Stark effect and highly efficient excitonic recombination within GaN NCs. Therefore, we believe that the HVPE non-polar GaN NCs can guide the simple and efficient way toward the nitride-based next-generation nano-photonic devices.
Differences in vegetative growth of two invasive hawkweeds at temperatures simulating invaded habitats at two altitudes
Authors: French Kris , Watts Eva
Published: February 2020

Hieracium pilosella and H. aurantiacum are invading alpine regions in New South Wales, Australia. In a glasshouse experiment we investigated germination and growth rates of these two species at temperatures simulating the altitudes where invasions are occurring from autumn to spring. We measured germination rates, growth rates and the development of stolons and ramets using seedlings and plantlets from established plants. Germination was low in H. aurantiacum and unaffected by altitude or seed age. H. pilosella showed site to site variability in germination but had greater germination. No species produced flower spikes. Both species grew rapidly and put at least twice as much biomass into roots compared to shoots. H. aurantiacum could begin to produce stolons after 27 days and seedlings grew a little larger than for H. pilosella. Hieracium aurantiacum put significantly more resources into ramets, allocating between 4–15% of biomass. H. pilosella produced 2.6 stolons month−1, in contrast to 9.8 stolons month−1 for H. aurantiacum. Furthermore, plantlets from established plants had vastly different growth rates. Plantlets of H. aurantiacum produced 2.1 leaves day−1 from late summer to winter where H. pilosella was 3 times slower for the same period but faster following winter. Both species were able to maintain strong growth over cooler months suggesting hawkweeds have the capacity for fast growth in the invaded range under high nutrients and lower competition. H. aurantiacum is likely to be a more effective invader than H. pilosella spreading through stolons and the development of weed mats.
Perceptual effects of fast and automatic visual ensemble statistics from faces in individuals with typical development and autism spectrum conditions
Authors: Chakrabarty Mrinmoy , Wada Makoto
Published: February 2020

We investigated whether covert ensembles of high- (emotion), and low-level (brightness) visual information, extracted from peripheral faces (presentation/encoding:200 ms), unintentionally influences perception of a central target face stimulus in individuals typically developing (TD) and with autism spectrum condition (ASC). Graded alterations in the summary intensities of the emotion and brightness of the peripheral stimuli modulated the perceptions of the target face in both TD and ASC. In contrast, when we measured goal-directed (overt) ensemble face- emotion and brightness perception, we found that in half of ASC the overt ensemble emotion perception was impaired than TD. Additionally, we repeated both experiments with a backward visual mask to restrict not just encoding but also background processing in the visual system to 200 ms. This revealed that the effect of peripheral ensembles on centre perception was present only with brightness at least in TD but of overt ensembles was evident with both emotion and brightness in TD and ASC alike. These results suggest that while ensemble statistics of low-level information derived automatically and rapidly (200 ms) from contextualized faces are used for target face perception, the same takes longer with high-level information. However, overt facial ensembles are rapidly processed in both TD and ASC.
68Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT in restaging castration-resistant nonmetastatic prostate cancer: detection rate, impact on patients’ disease management and adequacy of impact
Authors: Fourquet Aloÿse , Aveline Cyrielle , Cussenot Olivier , Créhange Gilles , Montravers Françoise , Talbot Jean-Noël , Gauthé Mathieu
Published: February 2020

We aimed to evaluate the impact of prostate-specific membrane antigen ligand labelled with gallium-68 (PSMA-11) PET/CT in restaging patients with castration-resistant nonmetastatic prostate cancer (PCa). Thirty patients were included. At least one malignant focus was found in 27/30 patients (90%). The PSMA-11 PET/CT positivity rate in patients whose prostate-specific antigen serum level (PSA) was greater than 2 ng/ml was 100% (20/20), significantly superior to that of patients whose PSA was less than 2 ng/ml (7/10 = 70%). Six patients (20%) were categorized as oligometastatic (≤3 metastatic foci). Based on the 17 patients for whom a standard of truth was feasible, the overall sensitivity and specificity of PSMA-11 PET/CT in detecting residual disease in castration-resistant PCa patients were 87% and 100% respectively. PSMA-11 PET/CT impacted patients’ disease management in 70% of cases, 60% of case when PSA was less than 2 ng/ml. This management was considered as adequate in 91% of patients. PSMA-11 PET/CT appeared to be effective in restaging patients with castration-resistant nonmetastatic PCa. PSMA-11 PET/CT should be considered as a replacement for bone scans under these conditions.
Generation of light-producing somatic-transgenic mice using adeno-associated virus vectors
Authors: Karda Rajvinder , Rahim Ahad A. , Wong Andrew M. S. , Suff Natalie , Diaz Juan Antinao , Perocheau Dany P. , Tijani Maha , Ng Joanne , Baruteau Julien , Martin Nuria Palomar , Hughes Michael , Delhove Juliette M. K. M. , Counsell John R. , Cooper Jonathan D. , Henckaerts Els , Mckay Tristan R. , Buckley Suzanne M. K. , Waddington Simon N.
Published: February 2020

We have previously designed a library of lentiviral vectors to generate somatic-transgenic rodents to monitor signalling pathways in diseased organs using whole-body bioluminescence imaging, in conscious, freely moving rodents. We have now expanded this technology to adeno-associated viral vectors. We first explored bio-distribution by assessing GFP expression after neonatal intravenous delivery of AAV8. We observed widespread gene expression in, central and peripheral nervous system, liver, kidney and skeletal muscle. Next, we selected a constitutive SFFV promoter and NFκB binding sequence for bioluminescence and biosensor evaluation. An intravenous injection of AAV8 containing firefly luciferase and eGFP under transcriptional control of either element resulted in strong and persistent widespread luciferase expression. A single dose of LPS-induced a 10-fold increase in luciferase expression in AAV8-NFκB mice and immunohistochemistry revealed GFP expression in cells of astrocytic and neuronal morphology. Importantly, whole-body bioluminescence persisted up to 240 days. We have validated a novel biosensor technology in an AAV system by using an NFκB response element and revealed its potential to monitor signalling pathway in a non-invasive manner in a model of LPS-induced inflammation. This technology complements existing germline-transgenic models and may be applicable to other rodent disease models.
Interference of oleamide with analytical and bioassay results
Authors: Jug Urška , Naumoska Katerina , Metličar Valentina , Schink Anne , Makuc Damjan , Vovk Irena , Plavec Janez , Lucas Kurt
Published: February 2020

During sample preparation and analysis, samples are coming in contact with different labware materials. By four unrelated analytical (phytochemical and pharmaceutical) case-studies and employing different analytical techniques, we demonstrated the potential misinterpretation of analytical results due to the use of contaminants-leaching labware during sample handling. Oleamide, a common polymer lubricant and a bioactive compound, was identified as a main analytical interference, leaching from different labware items into solvents, recognised as chemically compatible with the tested polymer material. Moreover, anti-inflammatory effect of oleamide at 100 μg mL−1 and considerable pro-inflammatory effect of the plastic syringe extractables (containing oleamide) at the same level were shown in a TLR4-based bioassay. Taking these results into account, together with the fact that oleamide can be a compound of natural origin, we would like to notify the professional public regarding the possible erroneous oleamide-related analytical and bioassay results due to the use of oleamide-leaching labware. Researchers are alerted to double check the real source of oleamide (labware or natural extract), which will prevent further reporting of false results. Analysis of procedural blanks with de-novo developed UHPLC-ESI-MS method is, among some other strategies, proposed for detection of oleamide interference and avoidance of misleading results of certain analyses.
Vinegars but not acetic acid are effective in reducing plasma cholesterol in hamsters fed a high-cholesterol diet
Authors: Zhao Yimin , He Zouyan , Hao Wangjun , Zhu Hanyue , Liang Ning , Liu Jianhui , Zhang Chengnan , Ma Ka Ying , He Wen-Sen , Yang Yan , Chen Zhen-Yu
Published: February 2020

Vinegars reduce plasma cholesterol in hamsters given a high cholesterol diet.
Pushing the limits of single chain compaction analysis by observing specific size reductions via high resolution mass spectrometry
Authors: Nitsche Tobias , Blanksby Stephen J. , Blinco James P. , Barner-Kowollik Christopher
Published: February 2020

Herein, we push the limits of single chain nanoparticle analysis to directly observe the specific compaction of defined single chains dependent on the number of compaction steps.
Argovit™ silver nanoparticles to fight Huanglongbing disease in Mexican limes (Citrus aurantifolia Swingle)
Authors: Stephano-Hornedo José L. , Torres-Gutiérrez Osmin , Toledano-Magaña Yanis , Gradilla-Martínez Israel , Pestryakov Alexey , Sánchez-González Alejandro , García-Ramos Juan Carlos , Bogdanchikova Nina
Published: February 2020

Huanglongbing disease, commonly known as yellow dragon disease, affects citrus crops worldwide with devastating effects in the agro-industrial sector. Finding a cure is a necessity, thus, we propose silver nanoparticles as an alternative treatment for this dreadful disease.
A stable LnMOF as a highly efficient and selective luminescent sensor for detecting malachite green in water and real samples
Authors: Wang Xue-Ting , Wei Wei , Zhang Kai , Du Shao-Wu
Published: February 2020

A Tb-MOF with chemical stability was synthesized. It showed excellent luminescent sensing for MG in river water, simulated serum and urine.
A facile synthesis of nanostructured CoFe2O4 for the electrochemical sensing of bisphenol A
Authors: Liu Qin , Kang Xiaozhi , Xing Lanzhi , Ye Zhixiang , Yang Yingchun
Published: February 2020

A new electrochemical sensor for bisphenol A is reported. CoFe2O4 nanoparticles were synthesized by a sol–gel combustion method. A nanoparticle-modified glassy carbon electrode exhibited outstanding electrochemical performance for the detection of bisphenol A.
In situ localized formation of cesium lead bromide nanocomposites for fluorescence micro-patterning technology achieved by organic solvent polymerization
Authors: Zhang Louwen , Liu Yanan , Gan Zongsong , Su Jun , Gao Yihua
Published: February 2020

A femtosecond laser processing strategy was proposed to fabricate luminescent patterns composed of in situ crystallized cesium lead bromide nanocomposites.
Bifunctional PtCu electrocatalysts for the N2 reduction reaction under ambient conditions and methanol oxidation
Authors: Fang Caihong , Hu Jinwu , Jiang Xiaomin , Cui Zhiqing , Xu Xiaoxiao , Bi Ting
Published: February 2020

PtCu nanoalloys were employed as bifunctional electrocatalysts in both the N2 reduction and methanol oxidation, in which the electrocatalytic activity and stability is composition dependent and highly improved compared to their counterpart.
Glass-ceramics with thermally stable blue-red emission for high-power horticultural LED applications
Authors: Chen Weibin , Zhang Xuejie , Zhou Jianxian , Zhang Haoran , Zhuang Jianle , Xia Zhiguo , Liu Yingliang , Molokeev Maxim S. , Xie Gening , Lei Bingfu
Published: February 2020

As one of the key elements of indoor agriculture, horticultural light sources are developing rapidly towards requiring high energy density, high output power and high stability, which poses a challenge for traditional phosphor conversion devices.
Operation and control of MMC station with constraints of internal variables under unbalanced grid conditions
Authors: Hao Quanrui , Li Dong , Li Bowei , Wang Shuying
Published: February 2020

Modular multilevel converter (MMC) station is expected to be able to operate under unbalanced grid conditions (UGCs) and to satisfy all kinds of limits under UGC. To investigate the allowable region of MMC under UGC, this study presents a point‐scanning method, which directly solves the steady‐state values of MMC from non‐linear dynamic equations for each possible operating point, and therefore, can access the constraints of internal variables including the sub‐module capacitor voltage, arm current and modulation index. First, the complete 28th‐order dynamic model of MMC, which contains the zero‐sequence second‐order modulation signal is derived. Next, as the premise to solve the steady state of MMC, point of common coupling voltages are solved from a proposed unbalanced grid model, which incorporates the effect of ac fault. Following that, a peak‐value seeking algorithm is proposed to seek the peak values of internal dynamics of irregular waveforms to implement the constraint of internal dynamics. Next, the allowable region of MMC under UGC is depicted and analysed. Also, the power limiting control is proposed to avoid MMC under UGC, violating the limits of internal dynamics. Finally, the simulation validates the effectiveness and correctness of the proposed point‐scanning method and power limiting control.
Field data application of a non‐lane‐based multi‐class traffic flow model
Authors: Mohan Ranju , Ramadurai Gitakrishnan
Published: February 2020

Multi‐class traffic flow modelling has various approaches several of which have focused on analytical proofs. A key limitation in this field of research is the limited field data applications. This study proposes a speed‐gradient‐based multi‐class second‐order model and shows its application to three different road sections, a mid‐block section, a section with a bottleneck, and a section with a signal at the end, in Chennai, India. The model captures the congestion formation and dissipation phenomena well and could predict outflow and speed fluctuations generally observed in the field scenarios accurately. The prediction of traffic flow dynamics by the proposed model is also observed to be better when compared with two existing higher‐order multi‐class models.
Surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy with gold nanoparticle dimers created by sacrificial DNA origami technique
Authors: Yamashita Naoki , Park Seongsu , Kawai Kentaro , Hirai Yoshikazu , Tsuchiya Toshiyuki , Tabata Osamu
Published: February 2020

In a previously proposed method for molecular detection based on surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), gold nanoparticle (AuNP) dimers are formed on a substrate using DNA origami with a nanometre‐scale gap between them. In this sacrificial DNA origami technique, a conjugate of two AuNPs and a DNA origami is deposited on a silicon chip, and then the DNA origami is selectively removed using vacuum ultraviolet light and ultrapure water rinsing to form surface‐clean AuNP dimers. The performance of SERS‐based molecular detection of AuNP dimers created using the proposed technique with a 30 nm AuNP diameter has now been evaluated. The Raman signals from the target molecules (4,4′‐bipyridine) were greatly enhanced and thus successfully detected.
Hints on the origins of particle traps in protoplanetary disks given by the Mdust – M⋆ relation
Authors: Pinilla Paola , Pascucci Ilaria , Marino Sebastian
Published: February 2020

Context. Demographic surveys of protoplanetary disks, carried out mainly with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimete Array, have provided access to a large range of disk dust masses (Mdust) around stars with different stellar types and in different star-forming regions. These surveys found a power-law relation between Mdust and M⋆ that steepens in time, but which is also flatter for transition disks (TDs).

Aims. We aim to study the effect of dust evolution in the Mdust−M⋆ relation. In particular, we are interested in investigating the effect of particle traps on this relation.

Methods. We performed dust evolution models, which included perturbations to the gas surface density with different amplitudes to investigate the effect of particle trapping on the Mdust−M⋆ relation. These perturbations were aimed at mimicking pressure bumps that originated from planets. We focused on the effect caused by different stellar and disk masses based on exoplanet statistics that demonstrate a dependence of planet mass on stellar mass and metallicity.

Results. Models of dust evolution can reproduce the observed Mdust−M⋆ relation in different star-forming regions when strong pressure bumps are included and when the disk mass scales with stellar mass (case of Mdisk = 0.05 M⋆ in our models). This result arises from dust trapping and dust growth beyond centimeter-sized grains inside pressure bumps. However, the flatter relation of Mdust − M⋆ for TDs and disks with substructures cannot be reproduced by the models unless the formation of boulders is inhibited inside pressure bumps.

Conclusions. In the context of pressure bumps originating from planets, our results agree with current exoplanet statistics on giant planet occurrence increasing with stellar mass, but we cannot draw a conclusion about the type of planets needed in the case of low-mass stars. This is attributed to the fact that for M⋆ < 1 M⊙, the observed Mdust obtained from models is very low due to the efficient growth of dust particles beyond centimeter-sizes inside pressure bumps.
Les paysanneries centrafricaines à l’épreuve du conflit des années 2010
Authors: Lallau Benoît , Archambaud Lise
Published: February 2020

Le conflit qui a débuté en 2012 a fortement affecté les campagnes centrafricaines, déjà fragilisées par des décennies de marginalisation et par les précédentes crises sécuritaires. Pillages et insécurité prolongée déstabilisent les villages. Tant individuellement que collectivement, les paysans tentent de s’adapter à ce contexte de crise et aux transformations qu’il induit. Mais face à une insécurité qui demeure forte, beaucoup ne parviennent qu’à résister au quotidien à l’adversité vécue. La résilience des paysans, tant souhaitée par les acteurs de l’aide humanitaire, demeure peu apparente dans ces campagnes.
Effect of recirculation ratio on the performance of modified septic tank in treating office building wastewater
Authors: Va Vandith , Setiyawan Ahmad Soleh , Soewondo Prayatni , Putri Dyah Wulandari
Published: February 2020

Higher concentration of nutrients has been characterized from office buildings compared to domestic wastewater. A Modified Septic Tank (MST), which consists of anoxic conditions followed by a Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor (MBBR) is proposed to treat office wastewater. This research investigated the effect of Recirculation Ratio (RR) on organic and nutrient removal in MST. The synthetic wastewater with COD: TN: TP (252:85:3), which is similar to actual office wastewater was used. The experimental data were obtained from three RR values (2, 3 and 4). The results showed COD, TN, NH4, and TP removal ranged from 88% to 90%, 64% to 78%, 68% to 86%, and 56% to 64%, respectively. The effluent concentrations of COD and NH4 ranged from 21 to 30 and 9 to 23 mg/L after applying RR and from 19 to 24 and 27 to 29 mg/L without RR, respectively. RR had the significant effect on organic and nutritional removal (p <0.05). It suggested increasing RR could improve nutrient removal in MST and the stability of NH4 in the effluent needs to be considered.