WorldWideScience

Sample records for surfaces providing insight

  1. Independent Analysis of the Flagellum Surface and Matrix Proteomes Provides Insight into Flagellum Signaling in Mammalian-infectious Trypanosoma brucei*

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oberholzer, Michael; Langousis, Gerasimos; Nguyen, HoangKim T.; Saada, Edwin A.; Shimogawa, Michelle M.; Jonsson, Zophonias O.; Nguyen, Steven M.; Wohlschlegel, James A.; Hill, Kent L.

    2011-01-01

    The flagellum of African trypanosomes is an essential and multifunctional organelle that functions in motility, cell morphogenesis, and host-parasite interaction. Previous studies of the trypanosome flagellum have been limited by the inability to purify flagella without first removing the flagellar membrane. This limitation is particularly relevant in the context of studying flagellum signaling, as signaling requires surface-exposed proteins in the flagellar membrane and soluble signaling proteins in the flagellar matrix. Here we employ a combination of genetic and mechanical approaches to purify intact flagella from the African trypanosome, Trypanosoma brucei, in its mammalian-infectious stage. We combined flagellum purification with affinity-purification of surface-exposed proteins to conduct independent proteomic analyses of the flagellum surface and matrix fractions. The proteins identified encompass a broad range of molecular functionalities, including many predicted to function in signaling. Immunofluorescence and RNA interference studies demonstrate flagellum localization and function for proteins identified and provide insight into mechanisms of flagellum attachment and motility. The flagellum surface proteome includes many T. brucei-specific proteins and is enriched for proteins up-regulated in the mammalian-infectious stage of the parasite life-cycle. The combined results indicate that the flagellum surface presents a diverse and dynamic host-parasite interface that is well-suited for host-parasite signaling. PMID:21685506

  2. Preserving half-metallic surface states in Cr O2 : Insights into surface reconstruction rules

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deng, Bei; Shi, X. Q.; Chen, L.; Tong, S. Y.

    2018-04-01

    The issue of whether the half-metallic (HM) nature of Cr O2 could be retained at its surface has been a standing problem under debate for a few decades, but until now is still controversial. Here, based on the density functional theory calculations we show, in startling contrast to the previous theoretical understandings, that the surfaces of Cr O2 favorably exhibit a half-metallic-semiconducting (SmC) transition driven by means of a surface electronic reconstruction largely attributed to the participation of the unexpected local charge carriers (LCCs), which convert the HM double exchange surface state into a SmC superexchange state and in turn, stabilize the surface as well. On the basis of the LCCs model, a new insight into the surface reconstruction rules is attained. Our novel finding not only provided an evident interpretation for the widely observed SmC character of Cr O2 surface, but also offered a novel means to improve the HM surface states for a variety of applications in spintronics and superconductors, and promote the experimental realization of the quantum anomalous Hall effect in half-metal based systems.

  3. From tectonics to tractors: New insight into Earth's changing surface

    Science.gov (United States)

    Larsen, I. J.

    2017-12-01

    Weathering and erosion of rock and the transport of sediment continually modify Earth's surface. The transformation and transfer of material by both natural and anthropogenic processes drives global cycles and influences the habitability of our planet. By quantitatively linking erosional and depositional landforms to the processes that form them, we better understand how Earth's surface will evolve in the future, and gain the ability to look into the past to recognize how planetary surfaces evolved when environments were drastically different than today. Many of the recent advances in our understanding of the processes that influence landscape evolution have been driven by the development and application of tools such as cosmogenic nuclides, computational models, and digital topographic data. Here I present results gleaned from applying these tools to a diverse set of landscapes, where erosion is driven by factors ranging from tectonics to tractors, to provide insight into the mechanics, chemistry, and history of Earth's changing surface. I will first examine the landslide response of hillslopes in the Himalaya to spatial gradients in tectonic forcing to assess the paradigm of threshold hillslopes. Second, I will present soil production and chemical weathering rates measured in the Southern Alps of New Zealand to determine the relationship between physical erosion and chemical weathering in one of Earth's most rapidly uplifting landscapes, and discuss the implications for proposed links between mountain uplift and global climate. Third, I will discuss results from numerical flood simulations used to explore the interplay between outburst flood hydraulics and canyon incision in the Channeled Scablands of eastern Washington, and explore the implications for reconstructing discharge in flood-carved canyons on Earth and Mars. Finally, I will present new work that couples high resolution spectral and topographic data to estimate the spatial extent of agriculturally

  4. Uranium sorption to natural substrates-insights provided by isotope exchange, selective extraction and surface complexation modelling approaches

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Waite, T.D.; Payne T.E.; Davis, J.A.

    1993-01-01

    An extensive experimental program has been conducted over the last three years into the interaction of U(VI) with both single oxides and clays and complex natural substrates from the weathered zone in the vicinity of a uranium ore body in northern Australia. While iron oxides have frequently been considered to account for much of the uptake on such natural substrates, the results of laboratory open-quotes pH edgeclose quotes studies and of isotope exchange and selective extraction studies suggest that other phases must also play a significant role in controlling the partitioning of U(VI) between solid and solution phases. Supporting studies on kaolinite, the dominant clay in this system, provide insight into the most appropriate method of modelling the interaction of U(VI) with these natural substrates. The problems still remaining in adequately describing sorption of radionuclides and trace elements to complex natural substrates are discussed

  5. Multi-omics analysis provides insight to the Ignicoccus hospitalis-Nanoarchaeum equitans association.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rawle, Rachel A; Hamerly, Timothy; Tripet, Brian P; Giannone, Richard J; Wurch, Louie; Hettich, Robert L; Podar, Mircea; Copié, Valerie; Bothner, Brian

    2017-09-01

    Studies of interspecies interactions are inherently difficult due to the complex mechanisms which enable these relationships. A model system for studying interspecies interactions is the marine hyperthermophiles Ignicoccus hospitalis and Nanoarchaeum equitans. Recent independently-conducted 'omics' analyses have generated insights into the molecular factors modulating this association. However, significant questions remain about the nature of the interactions between these archaea. We jointly analyzed multiple levels of omics datasets obtained from published, independent transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics analyses. DAVID identified functionally-related groups enriched when I. hospitalis is grown alone or in co-culture with N. equitans. Enriched molecular pathways were subsequently visualized using interaction maps generated using STRING. Key findings of our multi-level omics analysis indicated that I. hospitalis provides precursors to N. equitans for energy metabolism. Analysis indicated an overall reduction in diversity of metabolic precursors in the I. hospitalis-N. equitans co-culture, which has been connected to the differential use of ribosomal subunits and was previously unnoticed. We also identified differences in precursors linked to amino acid metabolism, NADH metabolism, and carbon fixation, providing new insights into the metabolic adaptions of I. hospitalis enabling the growth of N. equitans. This multi-omics analysis builds upon previously identified cellular patterns while offering new insights into mechanisms that enable the I. hospitalis-N. equitans association. Our study applies statistical and visualization techniques to a mixed-source omics dataset to yield a more global insight into a complex system, that was not readily discernable from separate omics studies. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. Hyper-dry conditions provide new insights into the cause of extreme floods after wildfire

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moody, John A.; Ebel, Brian A.

    2012-01-01

    A catastrophic wildfire in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains near Boulder, Colorado provided a unique opportunity to investigate soil conditions immediately after a wildfire and before alteration by rainfall. Measurements of near-surface (θ; and matric suction, ψ), rainfall, and wind velocity were started 8 days after the wildfire began. These measurements established that hyper-dryconditions (θ 3 cm-3; ψ > ~ 3 x 105 cm) existed and provided an in-situ retention curve for these conditions. These conditions exacerbate the effects of water repellency (natural and fire-induced) and limit the effectiveness of capillarity and gravity driven infiltration into fire-affected soils. The important consequence is that given hyper-dryconditions, the critical rewetting process before the first rain is restricted to the diffusion–adsorption of water-vapor. This process typically has a time scale of days to weeks (especially when the hydrologic effects of the ash layer are included) that is longer than the typical time scale (minutes to hours) of some rainstorms, such that under hyper-dryconditions essentially no rain infiltrates. The existence of hyper-dryconditions provides insight into why, frequently during the first rain storm after a wildfire, nearly all rainfall becomes runoff causing extremefloods and debris flows.

  7. VLT/SINFONI OBSERVATIONS OF EUROPA: NEW INSIGHTS INTO THE SURFACE COMPOSITION

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ligier, N.; Poulet, F.; Carter, J.; Brunetto, R. [Institut d’Astrophysique Spatiale, CNRS, Univ. Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, Bât. 121, F-91405 Orsay cedex (France); Gourgeot, F., E-mail: nicolas.ligier@ias.u-psud.fr [European Southern Observatory, Alonso de Córdova 3107, Vitacura, Casilla 19001, Santiago de Chile (Chile)

    2016-06-01

    We present new insights into Europa’s surface composition on the global scale from linear spectral modeling of a high spectral resolution data set acquired during a ground-based observation campaign using SINFONI{sup 4}, an adaptive optics near-infrared instrument on the Very Large Telescope (ESO). The spectral modeling confirms the typical “bullseye” distribution of sulfuric acid hydrate on the trailing hemisphere, which is consistent with Iogenic sulfur ion implantation. However, the traditional hypothesis of the presence of sulfate salts on the surface of the satellite is challenged as Mg-bearing chlorinated species (chloride, chlorate, and perchlorate) are found to provide improved spectral fits. The derived global distribution of Mg-chlorinated salts (and particularly chloride) is correlated with large-scale geomorphologic units such as chaos and darker areas, thus suggesting an endogenous origin. Based on the 1.65 μ m water-ice absorption band shape and position, the surface temperature is estimated to be in the range 110–130 K, and water ice is found to be predominantly in its crystalline state rather than amorphous. While amorphous water ice exhibits a strong correlation with the expected intensity of the Ionian plasma torus bombardment, crystalline water ice is instead more associated with distinct geomorphological units. Endogenous processes such as jets and ice heating due to active geology may explain this relationship. Otherwise, no evidence of a correlation between grain size for the water ice and the sputtering rate has been detected so far.

  8. Can Economics Provide Insights into Trust Infrastructure?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vishik, Claire

    Many security technologies require infrastructure for authentication, verification, and other processes. In many cases, viable and innovative security technologies are never adopted on a large scale because the necessary infrastructure is slow to emerge. Analyses of such technologies typically focus on their technical flaws, and research emphasizes innovative approaches to stronger implementation of the core features. However, an observation can be made that in many cases the success of adoption pattern depends on non-technical issues rather than technology-lack of economic incentives, difficulties in finding initial investment, inadequate government support. While a growing body of research is dedicated to economics of security and privacy in general, few theoretical studies in this area have been completed, and even fewer that look at the economics of “trust infrastructure” beyond simple “cost of ownership” models. This exploratory paper takes a look at some approaches in theoretical economics to determine if they can provide useful insights into security infrastructure technologies and architectures that have the best chance to be adopted. We attempt to discover if models used in theoretical economics can help inform technology developers of the optimal business models that offer a better chance for quick infrastructure deployment.

  9. High Resolution Insights into Snow Distribution Provided by Drone Photogrammetry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Redpath, T.; Sirguey, P. J.; Cullen, N. J.; Fitzsimons, S.

    2017-12-01

    accumulation and ablation, snow depth maps provide geostatistically robust insights into seasonal snow processes, with unprecedented detail. Such data may enhance understanding of physical processes controlling spatial and temporal distribution of seasonal snow, and their relative importance at varying spatial and temporal scales.

  10. Groundwater-surface water relations in the Fox River watershed: insights from exploratory studies in Illinois and Wisconsin

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mills, Patrick C.

    2014-01-01

    Exploratory studies were conducted at sites bordering the Fox River in Waukesha, Wisconsin, during 2010 and McHenry, Illinois, during 2011–13. The objectives of the studies were to assess strategies for the study of and insights into the potential for directly connected groundwater and surface-water systems with natural groundwater discharge to streams diverted and (or) streamflow induced (captured) by nearby production-well withdrawals. Several collection efforts of about 2 weeks or less provided information and data on site geology, groundwater and surface-water levels, hydraulic gradients, water-temperature and stream-seepage patterns, and water chemistry including stables isotopes. Overview information is presented for the Waukesha study, and selected data and preliminary findings are presented for the McHenry study.

  11. Multiple Problem-Solving Strategies Provide Insight into Students' Understanding of Open-Ended Linear Programming Problems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sole, Marla A.

    2016-01-01

    Open-ended questions that can be solved using different strategies help students learn and integrate content, and provide teachers with greater insights into students' unique capabilities and levels of understanding. This article provides a problem that was modified to allow for multiple approaches. Students tended to employ high-powered, complex,…

  12. Hydrodeoxygenation by deuterium gas--a powerful way to provide insight into the reaction mechanisms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ben, Haoxi; Ferguson, Glen A; Mu, Wei; Pu, Yunqiao; Huang, Fang; Jarvis, Mark; Biddy, Mary; Deng, Yulin; Ragauskas, Arthur J

    2013-11-28

    This study demonstrates the use of isotopic labelling and NMR to study the HDO process. As far as we know, this is the first reported effort to trace the incorporation of hydrogen in the HDO process of lignin pyrolysis oil thereby providing key fundamental insight into its reaction mechanism.

  13. An Investigation of the Mechanical Properties of Some Martian Regolith Simulants with Respect to the Surface Properties at the InSight Mission Landing Site

    Science.gov (United States)

    Delage, Pierre; Karakostas, Foivos; Dhemaied, Amine; Belmokhtar, Malik; Lognonné, Philippe; Golombek, Matt; De Laure, Emmanuel; Hurst, Ken; Dupla, Jean-Claude; Kedar, Sharon; Cui, Yu Jun; Banerdt, Bruce

    2017-10-01

    In support of the InSight mission in which two instruments (the SEIS seismometer and the HP3 heat flow probe) will interact directly with the regolith on the surface of Mars, a series of mechanical tests were conducted on three different regolith simulants to better understand the observations of the physical and mechanical parameters that will be derived from InSight. The mechanical data obtained were also compared to data on terrestrial sands. The density of the regolith strongly influences its mechanical properties, as determined from the data on terrestrial sands. The elastoplastic compression volume changes were investigated through oedometer tests that also provided estimates of possible changes in density with depth. The results of direct shear tests provided values of friction angles that were compared with that of a terrestrial sand, and an extrapolation to lower density provided a friction angle compatible with that estimated from previous observations on the surface of Mars. The importance of the contracting/dilating shear volume changes of sands on the dynamic penetration of the mole was determined, with penetration facilitated by the ˜1.3 Mg/m3 density estimated at the landing site. Seismic velocities, measured by means of piezoelectric bender elements in triaxial specimens submitted to various isotropic confining stresses, show the importance of the confining stress, with lesser influence of density changes under compression. A power law relation of velocity as a function of confining stress with an exponent of 0.3 was identified from the tests, allowing an estimate of the surface seismic velocity of 150 m/s. The effect on the seismic velocity of a 10% proportion of rock in the regolith was also studied. These data will be compared with in situ data measured by InSight after landing.

  14. Structures of parasite calreticulins provide insights into their flexibility and dual carbohydrate/peptide-binding properties.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moreau, Christophe; Cioci, Gianluca; Iannello, Marina; Laffly, Emmanuelle; Chouquet, Anne; Ferreira, Arturo; Thielens, Nicole M; Gaboriaud, Christine

    2016-11-01

    Calreticulin (CRT) is a multifaceted protein, initially discovered as an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) chaperone protein, that is essential in calcium metabolism. Various implications in cancer, early development and immunology have been discovered more recently for CRT, as well as its role as a dominant 'eat-me' prophagocytic signal. Intriguingly, cell-surface exposure/secretion of CRT is among the infective strategies used by parasites such as Trypanosoma cruzi , Entamoeba histolytica , Taenia solium , Leishmania donovani and Schistosoma mansoni . Because of the inherent flexibility of CRTs, their analysis by X-ray crystallography requires the design of recombinant constructs suitable for crystallization, and thus only the structures of two very similar mammalian CRT lectin domains are known. With the X-ray structures of two distant parasite CRTs, insights into species structural determinants that might be harnessed to fight against the parasites without affecting the functions of the host CRT are now provided. Moreover, although the hypothesis that CRT can exhibit both open and closed conformations has been proposed in relation to its chaperone function, only the open conformation has so far been observed in crystal structures. The first evidence is now provided of a complex conformational transition with the junction reoriented towards P-domain closure. SAXS experiments also provided additional information about the flexibility of T. cruzi CRT in solution, thus complementing crystallographic data on the open conformation. Finally, regarding the conserved lectin-domain structure and chaperone function, evidence is provided of its dual carbohydrate/protein specificity and a new scheme is proposed to interpret such unusual substrate-binding properties. These fascinating features are fully consistent with previous experimental observations, as discussed considering the broad spectrum of CRT sequence conservations and differences.

  15. Variations upon a theme: Australian lizards provide insights into the endocrine control of vertebrate reproductive cycles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jones, Susan M

    2017-04-01

    Australian lizards exhibit a broad array of different reproductive strategies and provide an extraordinary diversity and range of models with which to address fundamental problems in reproductive biology. Studies on lizards have frequently led to new insights into hormonal regulatory pathways or mechanisms of control, but we have detailed knowledge of the reproductive cycle in only a small percentage of known species. This review provides an overview and synthesis of current knowledge of the hormonal control of reproductive cycles in Australian lizards. Agamid lizards have provided useful models with which to test hypotheses about the hormonal regulation of the expression of reproductive behaviors, while research on viviparous skinks is providing insights into the evolution of the endocrine control of gestation. However, in order to better understand the potential risks that environmental factors such as climate change and endocrine disrupting chemicals pose to our fauna, better knowledge is required of the fundamental characteristics of the reproductive cycle in a broader range of lizard species. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Structural and molecular insights into novel surface-exposed mucus adhesins from Lactobacillus reuteri human strains.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Etzold, Sabrina; MacKenzie, Donald A; Jeffers, Faye; Walshaw, John; Roos, Stefan; Hemmings, Andrew M; Juge, Nathalie

    2014-05-01

    The mucus layer covering the gastrointestinal tract is the first point of contact of the intestinal microbiota with the host. Cell surface macromolecules are critical for adherence of commensal bacteria to mucus but structural information is scarce. Here we report the first molecular and structural characterization of a novel cell-surface protein, Lar_0958 from Lactobacillus reuteri JCM 1112(T) , mediating adhesion of L. reuteri human strains to mucus. Lar_0958 is a modular protein of 133 kDa containing six repeat domains, an N-terminal signal sequence and a C-terminal anchoring motif (LPXTG). Lar_0958 homologues are expressed on the cell-surface of L. reuteri human strains, as shown by flow-cytometry and immunogold microscopy. Adhesion of human L. reuteri strains to mucus in vitro was significantly reduced in the presence of an anti-Lar_0958 antibody and Lar_0958 contribution to adhesion was further confirmed using a L. reuteri ATCC PTA 6475 lar_0958 KO mutant (6475-KO). The X-ray crystal structure of a single Lar_0958 repeat, determined at 1.5 Å resolution, revealed a divergent immunoglobulin (Ig)-like β-sandwich fold, sharing structural homology with the Ig-like inter-repeat domain of internalins of the food borne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes. These findings provide unique structural insights into cell-surface protein repeats involved in adhesion of Gram-positive bacteria to the intestine. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  17. Structure of sulfamidase provides insight into the molecular pathology of mucopolysaccharidosis IIIA

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sidhu, Navdeep S.; Schreiber, Kathrin; Pröpper, Kevin; Becker, Stefan; Usón, Isabel; Sheldrick, George M.; Gärtner, Jutta; Krätzner, Ralph; Steinfeld, Robert

    2014-01-01

    Mucopolysaccharidosis IIIA is a fatal neurodegenerative disease that typically manifests itself in childhood and is caused by mutations in the gene for the lysosomal enzyme sulfamidase. The first structure of this enzyme is presented, which provides insight into the molecular basis of disease-causing mutations, and the enzymatic mechanism is proposed. Mucopolysaccharidosis type IIIA (Sanfilippo A syndrome), a fatal childhood-onset neurodegenerative disease with mild facial, visceral and skeletal abnormalities, is caused by an inherited deficiency of the enzyme N-sulfoglucosamine sulfohydrolase (SGSH; sulfamidase). More than 100 mutations in the SGSH gene have been found to reduce or eliminate its enzymatic activity. However, the molecular understanding of the effect of these mutations has been confined by a lack of structural data for this enzyme. Here, the crystal structure of glycosylated SGSH is presented at 2 Å resolution. Despite the low sequence identity between this unique N-sulfatase and the group of O-sulfatases, they share a similar overall fold and active-site architecture, including a catalytic formylglycine, a divalent metal-binding site and a sulfate-binding site. However, a highly conserved lysine in O-sulfatases is replaced in SGSH by an arginine (Arg282) that is positioned to bind the N-linked sulfate substrate. The structure also provides insight into the diverse effects of pathogenic mutations on SGSH function in mucopolysaccharidosis type IIIA and convincing evidence for the molecular consequences of many missense mutations. Further, the molecular characterization of SGSH mutations will lay the groundwork for the development of structure-based drug design for this devastating neurodegenerative disorder

  18. Structure of sulfamidase provides insight into the molecular pathology of mucopolysaccharidosis IIIA

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sidhu, Navdeep S. [University of Göttingen, Robert-Koch-Strasse 40, 37075 Göttingen (Germany); University of Göttingen, Tammannstrasse 4, 37077 Göttingen (Germany); Schreiber, Kathrin [University of Göttingen, Robert-Koch-Strasse 40, 37075 Göttingen (Germany); Pröpper, Kevin [University of Göttingen, Tammannstrasse 4, 37077 Göttingen (Germany); Becker, Stefan [Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Am Fassberg 11, 37077 Göttingen (Germany); Usón, Isabel [Instituto de Biologia Molecular de Barcelona (IBMB–CSIC), Barcelona Science Park, Baldiri Reixach 15, 08028 Barcelona (Spain); Institucio Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avancats (ICREA), (Spain); Sheldrick, George M. [University of Göttingen, Tammannstrasse 4, 37077 Göttingen (Germany); Gärtner, Jutta; Krätzner, Ralph, E-mail: rkraetz@gwdg.de; Steinfeld, Robert, E-mail: rkraetz@gwdg.de [University of Göttingen, Robert-Koch-Strasse 40, 37075 Göttingen (Germany)

    2014-05-01

    Mucopolysaccharidosis IIIA is a fatal neurodegenerative disease that typically manifests itself in childhood and is caused by mutations in the gene for the lysosomal enzyme sulfamidase. The first structure of this enzyme is presented, which provides insight into the molecular basis of disease-causing mutations, and the enzymatic mechanism is proposed. Mucopolysaccharidosis type IIIA (Sanfilippo A syndrome), a fatal childhood-onset neurodegenerative disease with mild facial, visceral and skeletal abnormalities, is caused by an inherited deficiency of the enzyme N-sulfoglucosamine sulfohydrolase (SGSH; sulfamidase). More than 100 mutations in the SGSH gene have been found to reduce or eliminate its enzymatic activity. However, the molecular understanding of the effect of these mutations has been confined by a lack of structural data for this enzyme. Here, the crystal structure of glycosylated SGSH is presented at 2 Å resolution. Despite the low sequence identity between this unique N-sulfatase and the group of O-sulfatases, they share a similar overall fold and active-site architecture, including a catalytic formylglycine, a divalent metal-binding site and a sulfate-binding site. However, a highly conserved lysine in O-sulfatases is replaced in SGSH by an arginine (Arg282) that is positioned to bind the N-linked sulfate substrate. The structure also provides insight into the diverse effects of pathogenic mutations on SGSH function in mucopolysaccharidosis type IIIA and convincing evidence for the molecular consequences of many missense mutations. Further, the molecular characterization of SGSH mutations will lay the groundwork for the development of structure-based drug design for this devastating neurodegenerative disorder.

  19. Improved Ribosome-Footprint and mRNA Measurements Provide Insights into Dynamics and Regulation of Yeast Translation

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-02-11

    unlimited. Improved Ribosome-Footprint and mRNA Measurements Provide Insights into Dynamics and Regulation of Yeast Translation The views, opinions and...into Dynamics and Regulation of Yeast Translation Report Title Ribosome-footprint profiling provides genome-wide snapshots of translation, but...tend to slow translation. With the improved mRNA measurements, the variation attributable to translational control in exponentially growing yeast was

  20. Structures of parasite calreticulins provide insights into their flexibility and dual carbohydrate/peptide-binding properties

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christophe Moreau

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Calreticulin (CRT is a multifaceted protein, initially discovered as an endoplasmic reticulum (ER chaperone protein, that is essential in calcium metabolism. Various implications in cancer, early development and immunology have been discovered more recently for CRT, as well as its role as a dominant `eat-me' prophagocytic signal. Intriguingly, cell-surface exposure/secretion of CRT is among the infective strategies used by parasites such as Trypanosoma cruzi, Entamoeba histolytica, Taenia solium, Leishmania donovani and Schistosoma mansoni. Because of the inherent flexibility of CRTs, their analysis by X-ray crystallography requires the design of recombinant constructs suitable for crystallization, and thus only the structures of two very similar mammalian CRT lectin domains are known. With the X-ray structures of two distant parasite CRTs, insights into species structural determinants that might be harnessed to fight against the parasites without affecting the functions of the host CRT are now provided. Moreover, although the hypothesis that CRT can exhibit both open and closed conformations has been proposed in relation to its chaperone function, only the open conformation has so far been observed in crystal structures. The first evidence is now provided of a complex conformational transition with the junction reoriented towards P-domain closure. SAXS experiments also provided additional information about the flexibility of T. cruzi CRT in solution, thus complementing crystallographic data on the open conformation. Finally, regarding the conserved lectin-domain structure and chaperone function, evidence is provided of its dual carbohydrate/protein specificity and a new scheme is proposed to interpret such unusual substrate-binding properties. These fascinating features are fully consistent with previous experimental observations, as discussed considering the broad spectrum of CRT sequence conservations and differences.

  1. Insights provided by Probabilistic Safety Assessment Relating to the Loss of Electrical Sources

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lanore, Jeanne-Marie

    2015-01-01

    The loss of electrical sources is generally an important contributor to the risk related to nuclear plants. In particular the external hazards initiating events lead generally to a loss of electrical sources. This importance was underscored by the Fukushima accident. A strength of PSA is to provide insights not only into the causes of the event but also into the potential consequences (core damage prevention, large release prevention, and mitigation) with the corresponding risk impact. PSA could provide a measure of Defence-in-Depth in case of loss of a safety function. The task intends to illustrate the PSA capabilities with outstanding practical examples. The task will rely on a survey of existing PSAs. It will provide a complementary view for ROBELSYS task. The content and status of the task are summarized in 2 slides

  2. Transcriptomes and expression profiling of deep-sea corals from the Red Sea provide insight into the biology of azooxanthellate corals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yum, Lauren K; Baumgarten, Sebastian; Röthig, Till; Roder, Cornelia; Roik, Anna; Michell, Craig; Voolstra, Christian R

    2017-07-25

    Despite the importance of deep-sea corals, our current understanding of their ecology and evolution is limited due to difficulties in sampling and studying deep-sea environments. Moreover, a recent re-evaluation of habitat limitations has been suggested after characterization of deep-sea corals in the Red Sea, where they live at temperatures of above 20 °C at low oxygen concentrations. To gain further insight into the biology of deep-sea corals, we produced reference transcriptomes and studied gene expression of three deep-sea coral species from the Red Sea, i.e. Dendrophyllia sp., Eguchipsammia fistula, and Rhizotrochus typus. Our analyses suggest that deep-sea coral employ mitochondrial hypometabolism and anaerobic glycolysis to manage low oxygen conditions present in the Red Sea. Notably, we found expression of genes related to surface cilia motion that presumably enhance small particle transport rates in the oligotrophic deep-sea environment. This is the first study to characterize transcriptomes and in situ gene expression for deep-sea corals. Our work offers several mechanisms by which deep-sea corals might cope with the distinct environmental conditions present in the Red Sea As such, our data provide direction for future research and further insight to organismal response of deep-sea coral to environmental change and ocean warming.

  3. Transcriptomes and expression profiling of deep-sea corals from the Red Sea provide insight into the biology of azooxanthellate corals

    KAUST Repository

    Yum, Lauren

    2017-07-19

    Despite the importance of deep-sea corals, our current understanding of their ecology and evolution is limited due to difficulties in sampling and studying deep-sea environments. Moreover, a recent re-evaluation of habitat limitations has been suggested after characterization of deep-sea corals in the Red Sea, where they live at temperatures of above 20 °C at low oxygen concentrations. To gain further insight into the biology of deep-sea corals, we produced reference transcriptomes and studied gene expression of three deep-sea coral species from the Red Sea, i.e. Dendrophyllia sp., Eguchipsammia fistula, and Rhizotrochus typus. Our analyses suggest that deep-sea coral employ mitochondrial hypometabolism and anaerobic glycolysis to manage low oxygen conditions present in the Red Sea. Notably, we found expression of genes related to surface cilia motion that presumably enhance small particle transport rates in the oligotrophic deep-sea environment. This is the first study to characterize transcriptomes and in situ gene expression for deep-sea corals. Our work offers several mechanisms by which deep-sea corals might cope with the distinct environmental conditions present in the Red Sea As such, our data provide direction for future research and further insight to organismal response of deep-sea coral to environmental change and ocean warming.

  4. Transcriptomes and expression profiling of deep-sea corals from the Red Sea provide insight into the biology of azooxanthellate corals

    KAUST Repository

    Yum, Lauren; Baumgarten, Sebastian; Rö thig, Till; Roder, Cornelia; Roik, Anna Krystyna; Michell, Craig; Voolstra, Christian R.

    2017-01-01

    Despite the importance of deep-sea corals, our current understanding of their ecology and evolution is limited due to difficulties in sampling and studying deep-sea environments. Moreover, a recent re-evaluation of habitat limitations has been suggested after characterization of deep-sea corals in the Red Sea, where they live at temperatures of above 20 °C at low oxygen concentrations. To gain further insight into the biology of deep-sea corals, we produced reference transcriptomes and studied gene expression of three deep-sea coral species from the Red Sea, i.e. Dendrophyllia sp., Eguchipsammia fistula, and Rhizotrochus typus. Our analyses suggest that deep-sea coral employ mitochondrial hypometabolism and anaerobic glycolysis to manage low oxygen conditions present in the Red Sea. Notably, we found expression of genes related to surface cilia motion that presumably enhance small particle transport rates in the oligotrophic deep-sea environment. This is the first study to characterize transcriptomes and in situ gene expression for deep-sea corals. Our work offers several mechanisms by which deep-sea corals might cope with the distinct environmental conditions present in the Red Sea As such, our data provide direction for future research and further insight to organismal response of deep-sea coral to environmental change and ocean warming.

  5. The Clean Energy Manufacturing Analysis Center (CEMAC): Providing Analysis and Insights on Clean Technology Manufacturing

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Johnson, Nicholi S [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

    2017-09-28

    The U.S. Department of Energy's Clean Energy Manufacturing Analysis Center (CEMAC) provides objective analysis and up-to-date data on global supply chains and manufacturing of clean energy technologies. Policymakers and industry leaders seek CEMAC insights to inform choices to promote economic growth and the transition to a clean energy economy.

  6. Insight into Chemistry on Cloud/Aerosol Water Surfaces.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhong, Jie; Kumar, Manoj; Francisco, Joseph S; Zeng, Xiao Cheng

    2018-05-15

    Cloud/aerosol water surfaces exert significant influence over atmospheric chemical processes. Atmospheric processes at the water surface are observed to follow mechanisms that are quite different from those in the gas phase. This Account summarizes our recent findings of new reaction pathways on the water surface. We have studied these surface reactions using Born-Oppenheimer molecular dynamics simulations. These studies provide useful information on the reaction time scale, the underlying mechanism of surface reactions, and the dynamic behavior of the product formed on the aqueous surface. According to these studies, the aerosol water surfaces confine the atmospheric species into a specific orientation depending on the hydrophilicity of atmospheric species or the hydrogen-bonding interactions between atmospheric species and interfacial water. As a result, atmospheric species are activated toward a particular reaction on the aerosol water surface. For example, the simplest Criegee intermediate (CH 2 OO) exhibits high reactivity toward the interfacial water and hydrogen sulfide, with the reaction times being a few picoseconds, 2-3 orders of magnitude faster than that in the gas phase. The presence of interfacial water molecules induces proton-transfer-based stepwise pathways for these reactions, which are not possible in the gas phase. The strong hydrophobicity of methyl substituents in larger Criegee intermediates (>C1), such as CH 3 CHOO and (CH 3 ) 2 COO, blocks the formation of the necessary prereaction complexes for the Criegee-water reaction to occur at the water droplet surface, which lowers their proton-transfer ability and hampers the reaction. The aerosol water surface provides a solvent medium for acids (e.g., HNO 3 and HCOOH) to participate in reactions via mechanisms that are different from those in the gas and bulk aqueous phases. For example, the anti-CH 3 CHOO-HNO 3 reaction in the gas phase follows a direct reaction between anti-CH 3 CHOO and HNO 3

  7. Numerical Experiments Providing New Insights into Plasma Focus Fusion Devices

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sing Lee

    2010-04-01

    Full Text Available Recent extensive and systematic numerical experiments have uncovered new insights into plasma focus fusion devices including the following: (1 a plasma current limitation effect, as device static inductance is reduced towards very small values; (2 scaling laws of neutron yield and soft x-ray yield as functions of storage energies and currents; (3 a global scaling law for neutron yield as a function of storage energy combining experimental and numerical data showing that scaling deterioration has probably been interpreted as neutron ‘saturation’; and (4 a fundamental cause of neutron ‘saturation’. The ground-breaking insights thus gained may completely change the directions of plasma focus fusion research.

  8. The complex jujube genome provides insights into fruit tree biology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Meng-Jun; Zhao, Jin; Cai, Qing-Le; Liu, Guo-Cheng; Wang, Jiu-Rui; Zhao, Zhi-Hui; Liu, Ping; Dai, Li; Yan, Guijun; Wang, Wen-Jiang; Li, Xian-Song; Chen, Yan; Sun, Yu-Dong; Liu, Zhi-Guo; Lin, Min-Juan; Xiao, Jing; Chen, Ying-Ying; Li, Xiao-Feng; Wu, Bin; Ma, Yong; Jian, Jian-Bo; Yang, Wei; Yuan, Zan; Sun, Xue-Chao; Wei, Yan-Li; Yu, Li-Li; Zhang, Chi; Liao, Sheng-Guang; He, Rong-Jun; Guang, Xuan-Min; Wang, Zhuo; Zhang, Yue-Yang; Luo, Long-Hai

    2014-10-28

    The jujube (Ziziphus jujuba Mill.), a member of family Rhamnaceae, is a major dry fruit and a traditional herbal medicine for more than one billion people. Here we present a high-quality sequence for the complex jujube genome, the first genome sequence of Rhamnaceae, using an integrated strategy. The final assembly spans 437.65 Mb (98.6% of the estimated) with 321.45 Mb anchored to the 12 pseudo-chromosomes and contains 32,808 genes. The jujube genome has undergone frequent inter-chromosome fusions and segmental duplications, but no recent whole-genome duplication. Further analyses of the jujube-specific genes and transcriptome data from 15 tissues reveal the molecular mechanisms underlying some specific properties of the jujube. Its high vitamin C content can be attributed to a unique high level expression of genes involved in both biosynthesis and regeneration. Our study provides insights into jujube-specific biology and valuable genomic resources for the improvement of Rhamnaceae plants and other fruit trees.

  9. 3D-structured illumination microscopy provides novel insight into architecture of human centrosomes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Katharina F. Sonnen

    2012-08-01

    Centrioles are essential for the formation of cilia and flagella. They also form the core of the centrosome, which organizes microtubule arrays important for cell shape, polarity, motility and division. Here, we have used super-resolution 3D-structured illumination microscopy to analyse the spatial relationship of 18 centriole and pericentriolar matrix (PCM components of human centrosomes at different cell cycle stages. During mitosis, PCM proteins formed extended networks with interspersed γ-Tubulin. During interphase, most proteins were arranged at specific distances from the walls of centrioles, resulting in ring staining, often with discernible density masses. Through use of site-specific antibodies, we found the C-terminus of Cep152 to be closer to centrioles than the N-terminus, illustrating the power of 3D-SIM to study protein disposition. Appendage proteins showed rings with multiple density masses, and the number of these masses was strongly reduced during mitosis. At the proximal end of centrioles, Sas-6 formed a dot at the site of daughter centriole assembly, consistent with its role in cartwheel formation. Plk4 and STIL co-localized with Sas-6, but Cep135 was associated mostly with mother centrioles. Remarkably, Plk4 formed a dot on the surface of the mother centriole before Sas-6 staining became detectable, indicating that Plk4 constitutes an early marker for the site of nascent centriole formation. Our study provides novel insights into the architecture of human centrosomes and illustrates the power of super-resolution microscopy in revealing the relative localization of centriole and PCM proteins in unprecedented detail.

  10. Absolute Molecular Orientation of Isopropanol at Ceria (100) Surfaces: Insight into Catalytic Selectivity from the Interfacial Structure

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Doughty, Benjamin [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Goverapet Srinivasan, Sriram [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Indian Inst. of Technology (IIT), Rajasthan (India); Bryantsev, Vyacheslav S. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Lee, Dongkyu [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Lee, Ho Nyung [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Ma, Ying-Zhong [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Lutterman, Daniel A. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

    2017-06-12

    The initial mechanistic steps underlying heterogeneous chemical catalysis can be described in a framework where the composition, structure, and orientation of molecules adsorbed to reactive interfaces are known. However, extracting this vital information is the limiting step in most cases due in part to challenges in probing the interfacial monolayer with enough chemical specificity to characterize the surface molecular constituents. These challenges are exacerbated at complex or spatially heterogeneous interfaces where competing processes and a distribution of local environments can uniquely drive chemistry. To address these limitations, this work presents a distinctive combination of materials synthesis, surface specific optical experiments, and theory to probe and understand molecular structure at catalytic interfaces. Specifically, isopropanol was adsorbed to surfaces of the model CeO2 catalyst that were synthesized with only the (100) facet exposed. Vibrational sum-frequency generation was used to probe the molecular monolayer, and with the guidance of density functional theory calculations, was used to extract the structure and absolute molecular orientation of isopropanol at the CeO2 (100) surface. Our results show that isopropanol is readily deprotonated at the surface, and through the measured absolute molecular orientation of isopropanol, we obtain new insight into the selectivity of the (100) surface to form propylene. Our findings reveal key insight into the chemical and physical phenomena taking place at pristine interfaces thereby pointing to intuitive structural arguments to describe catalytic selectivity in more complex systems.

  11. Surface-enhanced chiroptical spectroscopy with superchiral surface waves.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pellegrini, Giovanni; Finazzi, Marco; Celebrano, Michele; Duò, Lamberto; Biagioni, Paolo

    2018-07-01

    We study the chiroptical properties of one-dimensional photonic crystals supporting superchiral surface waves by introducing a simple formalism based on the Fresnel reflection matrix. We show that the proposed framework provides useful insights on the behavior of all the relevant chiroptical quantities, allowing for a deeper understanding of surface-enhanced chiral sensing platforms based on one-dimensional photonic crystals. Finally, we analyze and discuss the limitations of such platforms as the surface concentration of the target chiral analytes is gradually increased. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  12. Macroscale patterns in body size of intertidal crustaceans provide insights on climate change effects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dugan, Jenifer E.; Hubbard, David M.; Contreras, Heraldo; Duarte, Cristian; Acuña, Emilio; Schoeman, David S.

    2017-01-01

    Predicting responses of coastal ecosystems to altered sea surface temperatures (SST) associated with global climate change, requires knowledge of demographic responses of individual species. Body size is an excellent metric because it scales strongly with growth and fecundity for many ectotherms. These attributes can underpin demographic as well as community and ecosystem level processes, providing valuable insights for responses of vulnerable coastal ecosystems to changing climate. We investigated contemporary macroscale patterns in body size among widely distributed crustaceans that comprise the majority of intertidal abundance and biomass of sandy beach ecosystems of the eastern Pacific coasts of Chile and California, USA. We focused on ecologically important species representing different tidal zones, trophic guilds and developmental modes, including a high-shore macroalga-consuming talitrid amphipod (Orchestoidea tuberculata), two mid-shore scavenging cirolanid isopods (Excirolana braziliensis and E. hirsuticauda), and a low-shore suspension-feeding hippid crab (Emerita analoga) with an amphitropical distribution. Significant latitudinal patterns in body sizes were observed for all species in Chile (21° - 42°S), with similar but steeper patterns in Emerita analoga, in California (32°- 41°N). Sea surface temperature was a strong predictor of body size (-4% to -35% °C-1) in all species. Beach characteristics were subsidiary predictors of body size. Alterations in ocean temperatures of even a few degrees associated with global climate change are likely to affect body sizes of important intertidal ectotherms, with consequences for population demography, life history, community structure, trophic interactions, food-webs, and indirect effects such as ecosystem function. The consistency of results for body size and temperature across species with different life histories, feeding modes, ecological roles, and microhabitats inhabiting a single widespread coastal

  13. Simulations of CYP51A from Aspergillus fumigatus in a model bilayer provide insights into triazole drug resistance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nash, Anthony; Rhodes, Johanna

    2018-04-01

    Azole antifungal drugs target CYP51A in Aspergillus fumigatus by binding with the active site of the protein, blocking ergosterol biosynthesis. Resistance to azole antifungal drugs is now common, with a leucine to histidine amino acid substitution at position 98 the most frequent, predominantly conferring resistance to itraconazole, although cross-resistance has been reported in conjunction with other mutations. In this study, we create a homology model of CYP51A using a recently published crystal structure of the paralog protein CYP51B. The derived structures, wild type, and L98H mutant are positioned within a lipid membrane bilayer and subjected to molecular dynamics simulations in order improve the accuracy of both models. The structural analysis from our simulations suggests a decrease in active site surface from the formation of hydrogen bonds between the histidine substitution and neighboring polar side chains, potentially preventing the binding of azole drugs. This study yields a biologically relevant structure and set of dynamics of the A. fumigatus Lanosterol 14 alpha-demethylase enzyme and provides further insight into azole antifungal drug resistance.

  14. Changes in contact angle providing evidence for surface alteration in multi-component solid foods

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Reinke, Svenja K; Hauf, Katharina; Heinrich, Stefan; Vieira, Josélio; Palzer, Stefan

    2015-01-01

    Chocolate blooming, one of the major problems in the confectionery industry, is the formation of visible white spots or a greyish haze on the surface of chocolate products due to large sugar or fat crystals on the surface. This leads to aesthetic changes and deterioration of taste and thus large sales losses for the confectionery industry due to consumer complaints. Chocolate blooming is often related to migration of lipids or sugar molecules to the chocolate surface, where they recrystallize with an associated polymorphic change of crystal structure on the surface. The wetting behaviour from contact angle measurements gives further insight into surface properties and is needed to determine surface energies and to evaluate possible migration mechanisms and preferred pathways. Therefore, an equilibrium contact angle is needed which is not directly accessible and is influenced by surface texture and interaction between solid and test liquid. In this study, the surface of cocoa butter and conventional chocolates was characterized by measuring the contact angle with the sessile drop protocol. The influence of roughness, test liquid and pre-crystallization of the samples as well as the storage temperature were investigated. In case of no pre-crystallization, a change in surface properties due to storage at 20 °C was detected, whereas samples stored at 30 °C showed the same wetting behaviour as fresh samples. This is associated with polymorphic transformation from thermodynamically less stable crystals to more stable configurations. (paper)

  15. Changes in contact angle providing evidence for surface alteration in multi-component solid foods

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reinke, Svenja K.; Hauf, Katharina; Vieira, Josélio; Heinrich, Stefan; Palzer, Stefan

    2015-11-01

    Chocolate blooming, one of the major problems in the confectionery industry, is the formation of visible white spots or a greyish haze on the surface of chocolate products due to large sugar or fat crystals on the surface. This leads to aesthetic changes and deterioration of taste and thus large sales losses for the confectionery industry due to consumer complaints. Chocolate blooming is often related to migration of lipids or sugar molecules to the chocolate surface, where they recrystallize with an associated polymorphic change of crystal structure on the surface. The wetting behaviour from contact angle measurements gives further insight into surface properties and is needed to determine surface energies and to evaluate possible migration mechanisms and preferred pathways. Therefore, an equilibrium contact angle is needed which is not directly accessible and is influenced by surface texture and interaction between solid and test liquid. In this study, the surface of cocoa butter and conventional chocolates was characterized by measuring the contact angle with the sessile drop protocol. The influence of roughness, test liquid and pre-crystallization of the samples as well as the storage temperature were investigated. In case of no pre-crystallization, a change in surface properties due to storage at 20 °C was detected, whereas samples stored at 30 °C showed the same wetting behaviour as fresh samples. This is associated with polymorphic transformation from thermodynamically less stable crystals to more stable configurations.

  16. Large-scale GWAS identifies multiple loci for hand grip strength providing biological insights into muscular fitness

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Willems, Sara M; Wright, Daniel J.; Day, Felix R

    2017-01-01

    with involvement of psychomotor impairment (PEX14, LRPPRC and KANSL1). Mendelian randomization analyses are consistent with a causal effect of higher genetically predicted grip strength on lower fracture risk. In conclusion, our findings provide new biological insight into the mechanistic underpinnings of grip...... strength and the causal role of muscular strength in age-related morbidities and mortality....

  17. Do flood risk perceptions provide useful insights for flood risk management? Findings from central Vietnam

    OpenAIRE

    Bubeck, P.; Botzen, W.J.W.; Suu, L.T.T.; Aerts, J.C.J.H.

    2012-01-01

    Following the renewed attention for non-structural flood risk reduction measures implemented at the household level, there has been an increased interest in individual flood risk perceptions. The reason for this is the commonly-made assumption that flood risk perceptions drive the motivation of individuals to undertake flood risk mitigation measures, as well as the public's demand for flood protection, and therefore provide useful insights for flood risk management. This study empirically exa...

  18. Structure of the Hantavirus Nucleoprotein Provides Insights into the Mechanism of RNA Encapsidation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daniel Olal

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Hantaviruses are etiological agents of life-threatening hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome and hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome. The nucleoprotein (N of hantavirus is essential for viral transcription and replication, thus representing an attractive target for therapeutic intervention. We have determined the crystal structure of hantavirus N to 3.2 Å resolution. The structure reveals a two-lobed, mostly α-helical structure that is distantly related to that of orthobunyavirus Ns. A basic RNA binding pocket is located at the intersection between the two lobes. We provide evidence that oligomerization is mediated by amino- and C-terminal arms that bind to the adjacent monomers. Based on these findings, we suggest a model for the oligomeric ribonucleoprotein (RNP complex. Our structure provides mechanistic insights into RNA encapsidation in the genus Hantavirus and constitutes a template for drug discovery efforts aimed at combating hantavirus infections.

  19. Using semi-variogram analysis for providing spatially distributed information on soil surface condition for land surface modeling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Croft, Holly; Anderson, Karen; Kuhn, Nikolaus J.

    2010-05-01

    The ability to quantitatively and spatially assess soil surface roughness is important in geomorphology and land degradation studies. Soils can experience rapid structural degradation in response to land cover changes, resulting in increased susceptibility to erosion and a loss of Soil Organic Matter (SOM). Changes in soil surface condition can also alter sediment detachment, transport and deposition processes, infiltration rates and surface runoff characteristics. Deriving spatially distributed quantitative information on soil surface condition for inclusion in hydrological and soil erosion models is therefore paramount. However, due to the time and resources involved in using traditional field sampling techniques, there is a lack of spatially distributed information on soil surface condition. Laser techniques can provide data for a rapid three dimensional representation of the soil surface at a fine spatial resolution. This provides the ability to capture changes at the soil surface associated with aggregate breakdown, flow routing, erosion and sediment re-distribution. Semi-variogram analysis of the laser data can be used to represent spatial dependence within the dataset; providing information about the spatial character of soil surface structure. This experiment details the ability of semi-variogram analysis to spatially describe changes in soil surface condition. Soil for three soil types (silt, silt loam and silty clay) was sieved to produce aggregates between 1 mm and 16 mm in size and placed evenly in sample trays (25 x 20 x 2 cm). Soil samples for each soil type were exposed to five different durations of artificial rainfall, to produce progressively structurally degraded soil states. A calibrated laser profiling instrument was used to measure surface roughness over a central 10 x 10 cm plot of each soil state, at 2 mm sample spacing. The laser data were analysed within a geostatistical framework, where semi-variogram analysis quantitatively represented

  20. Flow-mediated dilation: can new approaches provide greater mechanistic insight into vascular dysfunction in preeclampsia and other diseases?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weissgerber, Tracey L

    2014-11-01

    Endothelial dysfunction is a key feature of preeclampsia and may contribute to increased cardiovascular disease risk years after pregnancy. Flow-mediated dilation (FMD) is a non-invasive endothelial function test that predicts cardiovascular event risk. New protocols allow researchers to measure three components of the FMD response: FMD, low flow-mediated constriction, and shear stimulus. This review encourages researchers to think beyond "low FMD" by examining how these three components may provide additional insights into the mechanisms and location of vascular dysfunction. The review then examines what FMD studies reveal about vascular dysfunction in preeclampsia while highlighting opportunities to gain greater mechanistic insight from new protocols. Studies using traditional protocols show that FMD is low in mid-pregnancy prior to preeclampsia, at diagnosis, and for 3 years post-partum. However, FMD returns to normal by 10 years post-partum. Studies using new protocols are needed to gain more mechanistic insight.

  1. Electromigration-Induced Surface Drift and Slit Propagation in Polycrystalline Interconnects: Insights from Phase-Field Simulations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mukherjee, Arnab; Ankit, Kumar; Selzer, Michael; Nestler, Britta

    2018-04-01

    We employ the phase-field method to assess electromigration (EM) damage in wide polycrystalline interconnects due to grain-boundary grooving. An interplay of surface and grain-boundary diffusion is shown to drastically influence the mode of progressive EM damage. Rapid atomic transport along the surface leads to shape-preserving surface drift reminiscent of Blech drift-velocity experiments. On the other hand, a comparatively faster grain-boundary transport localizes the damage, resulting in the proliferation of intergranular slits with a shape-preserving tip. At steady state, the two regimes exhibit exponents of 1 and 3 /2 , respectively, in Black's law. While surface drift obeys an inverse scaling with grain size, slits exhibit a direct relationship at small sizes, with the dependence becoming weaker at larger ones. Furthermore, we explain the influence of curvature- or EM-mediated healing fluxes running along the surface on groove replenishment. Insights derived from phase-field simulations of EM in bicrystals are extended to investigate the multiphysics of mixed-mode damage of a polycrystalline interconnect line that is characterized by a drift of small grain surfaces, slit propagation, and coarsening. The triple and quadruple junctions are identified as prominent sites of failure.

  2. A six-gene phylogeny provides new insights into choanoflagellate evolution.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carr, Martin; Richter, Daniel J; Fozouni, Parinaz; Smith, Timothy J; Jeuck, Alexandra; Leadbeater, Barry S C; Nitsche, Frank

    2017-02-01

    Recent studies have shown that molecular phylogenies of the choanoflagellates (Class Choanoflagellatea) are in disagreement with their traditional taxonomy, based on morphology, and that Choanoflagellatea requires considerable taxonomic revision. Furthermore, phylogenies suggest that the morphological and ecological evolution of the group is more complex than has previously been recognized. Here we address the taxonomy of the major choanoflagellate order Craspedida, by erecting four new genera. The new genera are shown to be morphologically, ecologically and phylogenetically distinct from other choanoflagellate taxa. Furthermore, we name five novel craspedid species, as well as formally describe ten species that have been shown to be either misidentified or require taxonomic revision. Our revised phylogeny, including 18 new species and sequence data for two additional genes, provides insights into the morphological and ecological evolution of the choanoflagellates. We examine the distribution within choanoflagellates of these two additional genes, EF-1A and EFL, closely related translation GTPases which are required for protein synthesis. Mapping the presence and absence of these genes onto the phylogeny highlights multiple events of gene loss within the choanoflagellates. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. Whole genome analysis of Leptospira licerasiae provides insight into leptospiral evolution and pathogenicity.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jessica N Ricaldi

    Full Text Available The whole genome analysis of two strains of the first intermediately pathogenic leptospiral species to be sequenced (Leptospira licerasiae strains VAR010 and MMD0835 provides insight into their pathogenic potential and deepens our understanding of leptospiral evolution. Comparative analysis of eight leptospiral genomes shows the existence of a core leptospiral genome comprising 1547 genes and 452 conserved genes restricted to infectious species (including L. licerasiae that are likely to be pathogenicity-related. Comparisons of the functional content of the genomes suggests that L. licerasiae retains several proteins related to nitrogen, amino acid and carbohydrate metabolism which might help to explain why these Leptospira grow well in artificial media compared with pathogenic species. L. licerasiae strains VAR010(T and MMD0835 possess two prophage elements. While one element is circular and shares homology with LE1 of L. biflexa, the second is cryptic and homologous to a previously identified but unnamed region in L. interrogans serovars Copenhageni and Lai. We also report a unique O-antigen locus in L. licerasiae comprised of a 6-gene cluster that is unexpectedly short compared with L. interrogans in which analogous regions may include >90 such genes. Sequence homology searches suggest that these genes were acquired by lateral gene transfer (LGT. Furthermore, seven putative genomic islands ranging in size from 5 to 36 kb are present also suggestive of antecedent LGT. How Leptospira become naturally competent remains to be determined, but considering the phylogenetic origins of the genes comprising the O-antigen cluster and other putative laterally transferred genes, L. licerasiae must be able to exchange genetic material with non-invasive environmental bacteria. The data presented here demonstrate that L. licerasiae is genetically more closely related to pathogenic than to saprophytic Leptospira and provide insight into the genomic bases for

  4. Human acid sphingomyelinase structures provide insight to molecular basis of Niemann–Pick disease

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhou, Yan-Feng; Metcalf, Matthew C.; Garman, Scott C.; Edmunds, Tim; Qiu, Huawei; Wei, Ronnie R. (Sanofi Aventis); (UMASS, Amherst)

    2016-10-26

    Acid sphingomyelinase (ASM) hydrolyzes sphingomyelin to ceramide and phosphocholine, essential components of myelin in neurons. Genetic alterations in ASM lead to ASM deficiency (ASMD) and have been linked to Niemann–Pick disease types A and B. Olipudase alfa, a recombinant form of human ASM, is being developed as enzyme replacement therapy to treat the non-neurological manifestations of ASMD. Here we present the human ASM holoenzyme and product bound structures encompassing all of the functional domains. The catalytic domain has a metallophosphatase fold, and two zinc ions and one reaction product phosphocholine are identified in a histidine-rich active site. The structures reveal the underlying catalytic mechanism, in which two zinc ions activate a water molecule for nucleophilic attack of the phosphodiester bond. Docking of sphingomyelin provides a model that allows insight into the selectivity of the enzyme and how the ASM domains collaborate to complete hydrolysis. Mapping of known mutations provides a basic understanding on correlations between enzyme dysfunction and phenotypes observed in ASMD patients.

  5. Sequencing of the sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) genome provides insights into vertebrate evolution

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Jeramiah J; Kuraku, Shigehiro; Holt, Carson; Sauka-Spengler, Tatjana; Jiang, Ning; Campbell, Michael S; Yandell, Mark D; Manousaki, Tereza; Meyer, Axel; Bloom, Ona E; Morgan, Jennifer R; Buxbaum, Joseph D; Sachidanandam, Ravi; Sims, Carrie; Garruss, Alexander S; Cook, Malcolm; Krumlauf, Robb; Wiedemann, Leanne M; Sower, Stacia A; Decatur, Wayne A; Hall, Jeffrey A; Amemiya, Chris T; Saha, Nil R; Buckley, Katherine M; Rast, Jonathan P; Das, Sabyasachi; Hirano, Masayuki; McCurley, Nathanael; Guo, Peng; Rohner, Nicolas; Tabin, Clifford J; Piccinelli, Paul; Elgar, Greg; Ruffier, Magali; Aken, Bronwen L; Searle, Stephen MJ; Muffato, Matthieu; Pignatelli, Miguel; Herrero, Javier; Jones, Matthew; Brown, C Titus; Chung-Davidson, Yu-Wen; Nanlohy, Kaben G; Libants, Scot V; Yeh, Chu-Yin; McCauley, David W; Langeland, James A; Pancer, Zeev; Fritzsch, Bernd; de Jong, Pieter J; Zhu, Baoli; Fulton, Lucinda L; Theising, Brenda; Flicek, Paul; Bronner, Marianne E; Warren, Wesley C; Clifton, Sandra W; Wilson, Richard K; Li, Weiming

    2013-01-01

    Lampreys are representatives of an ancient vertebrate lineage that diverged from our own ~500 million years ago. By virtue of this deeply shared ancestry, the sea lamprey (P. marinus) genome is uniquely poised to provide insight into the ancestry of vertebrate genomes and the underlying principles of vertebrate biology. Here, we present the first lamprey whole-genome sequence and assembly. We note challenges faced owing to its high content of repetitive elements and GC bases, as well as the absence of broad-scale sequence information from closely related species. Analyses of the assembly indicate that two whole-genome duplications likely occurred before the divergence of ancestral lamprey and gnathostome lineages. Moreover, the results help define key evolutionary events within vertebrate lineages, including the origin of myelin-associated proteins and the development of appendages. The lamprey genome provides an important resource for reconstructing vertebrate origins and the evolutionary events that have shaped the genomes of extant organisms. PMID:23435085

  6. Assessing surface water flood risk and management strategies under future climate change: Insights from an Agent-Based Model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jenkins, K; Surminski, S; Hall, J; Crick, F

    2017-10-01

    Climate change and increasing urbanization are projected to result in an increase in surface water flooding and consequential damages in the future. In this paper, we present insights from a novel Agent Based Model (ABM), applied to a London case study of surface water flood risk, designed to assess the interplay between different adaptation options; how risk reduction could be achieved by homeowners and government; and the role of flood insurance and the new flood insurance pool, Flood Re, in the context of climate change. The analysis highlights that while combined investment in property-level flood protection and sustainable urban drainage systems reduce surface water flood risk, the benefits can be outweighed by continued development in high risk areas and the effects of climate change. In our simulations, Flood Re is beneficial in its function to provide affordable insurance, even under climate change. However, the scheme does face increasing financial pressure due to rising surface water flood damages. If the intended transition to risk-based pricing is to take place then a determined and coordinated strategy will be needed to manage flood risk, which utilises insurance incentives, limits new development, and supports resilience measures. Our modelling approach and findings are highly relevant for the ongoing regulatory and political approval process for Flood Re as well as for wider discussions on the potential of insurance schemes to incentivise flood risk management and climate adaptation in the UK and internationally. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. A systematic first-principles study of surface energies, surface relaxation and Friedel oscillation of magnesium surfaces

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tang, Jia-Jun; Yang, Xiao-Bao; Zhao, Yu-Jun; OuYang, LiuZhang; Zhu, Min

    2014-01-01

    We systematically study the surface energies and surface relaxations of various low-index and high-index Mg surfaces. It is found that low-index surfaces are not necessarily stable as Mg(1 0  1-bar  0) is the most unstable surface in the series of Mg(1 0  1-bar  n) (n = 0–9). A surface-energy predicting model based on the bond cutting is proposed to explain the relative surface stabilities. The local relaxations of the low-index surfaces could be explained by the Friedel oscillation. For the high-index surfaces, the combination of charge smoothing effect and dramatic charge depletion influences the relaxations, which show a big difference from the low-index ones. Our findings provide theoretical data for considerable insights into the surface energies of hexagonal close-packed metals. (paper)

  8. Tackling wicked problems: how theories of agency can provide new insights.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Varpio, Lara; Aschenbrener, Carol; Bates, Joanna

    2017-04-01

    This paper reviews why and how theories of agency can be used as analytical lenses to help health professions education (HPE) scholars address our community's wicked problems. Wicked problems are those that resist clear problem statements, defy traditional analysis approaches, and refuse definitive resolution (e.g. student remediation, assessments of professionalism, etc.). We illustrate how theories of agency can provide new insights into such challenges by examining the application of these theories to one particular wicked problem in HPE: interprofessional education (IPE). After searching the HPE literature and finding that theories of agency had received little attention, we borrowed techniques from narrative literature reviews to search databases indexing a broad scope of disciplines (i.e. ERIC, Web of Science, Scopus, MEDLINE and PubMed) for publications (1994-2014) that: (i) examined agency, or (ii) incorporated an agency-informed analytical perspective. The lead author identified the theories of agency used in these articles, and reviewed the texts on agency cited therein and the original sources of each theory. We identified 10 theories of agency that we considered to be applicable to HPE's wicked problems. To select a subset of theories for presentation in this paper, we discussed each theory in relation to some of HPE's wicked problems. Through debate and reflection, we unanimously agreed on the applicability of a subset of theories for illuminating HPE's wicked problems. This subset is described in this paper. We present four theories of agency: Butler's post-structural formulation; Giddens' sociological formulation; cultural historical activity theory's formulation, and Bandura's social cognitive psychology formulation. We introduce each theory and apply each to the challenges of engaging in IPE. Theories of agency can inform HPE scholarship in novel and generative ways. Each theory offers new insights into the roots of wicked problems and means for

  9. Development of Innovative Technology to Provide Low-Cost Surface Atmospheric Observations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kucera, Paul; Steinson, Martin

    2016-04-01

    Accurate and reliable real-time monitoring and dissemination of observations of surface weather conditions is critical for a variety of societal applications. Applications that provide local and regional information about temperature, precipitation, moisture, and winds, for example, are important for agriculture, water resource monitoring, health, and monitoring of hazard weather conditions. In many regions in Africa (and other global locations), surface weather stations are sparsely located and/or of poor quality. Existing stations have often been sited incorrectly, not well-maintained, and have limited communications established at the site for real-time monitoring. The US National Weather Service (NWS) International Activities Office (IAO) in partnership with University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR)/National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) has started an initiative to develop and deploy low-cost weather instrumentation in sparsely observed regions of the world. The goal is to provide observations for environmental monitoring, and early warning alert systems that can be deployed at weather services in developing countries. Instrumentation is being designed using innovative new technologies such as 3D printers, Raspberry Pi computing systems, and wireless communications. The initial effort is focused on designing a surface network using GIS-based tools, deploying an initial network in Zambia, and providing training to Zambia Meteorological Department (ZMD) staff. The presentation will provide an overview of the project concepts, design of the low cost instrumentation, and initial experiences deploying a surface network deployment in Zambia.

  10. Comparative genomics provide insights into evolution of trichoderma nutrition style.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xie, Bin-Bin; Qin, Qi-Long; Shi, Mei; Chen, Lei-Lei; Shu, Yan-Li; Luo, Yan; Wang, Xiao-Wei; Rong, Jin-Cheng; Gong, Zhi-Ting; Li, Dan; Sun, Cai-Yun; Liu, Gui-Ming; Dong, Xiao-Wei; Pang, Xiu-Hua; Huang, Feng; Liu, Weifeng; Chen, Xiu-Lan; Zhou, Bai-Cheng; Zhang, Yu-Zhong; Song, Xiao-Yan

    2014-02-01

    Saprotrophy on plant biomass is a recently developed nutrition strategy for Trichoderma. However, the physiology and evolution of this new nutrition strategy is still elusive. We report the deep sequencing and analysis of the genome of Trichoderma longibrachiatum, an efficient cellulase producer. The 31.7-Mb genome, smallest among the sequenced Trichoderma species, encodes fewer nutrition-related genes than saprotrophic T. reesei (Tr), including glycoside hydrolases and nonribosomal peptide synthetase-polyketide synthase. Homology and phylogenetic analyses suggest that a large number of nutrition-related genes, including GH18 chitinases, β-1,3/1,6-glucanases, cellulolytic enzymes, and hemicellulolytic enzymes, were lost in the common ancestor of T. longibrachiatum (Tl) and Tr. dN/dS (ω) calculation indicates that all the nutrition-related genes analyzed are under purifying selection. Cellulolytic enzymes, the key enzymes for saprotrophy on plant biomass, are under stronger purifying selection pressure in Tl and Tr than in mycoparasitic species, suggesting that development of the nutrition strategy of saprotrophy on plant biomass has increased the selection pressure. In addition, aspartic proteases, serine proteases, and metalloproteases are subject to stronger purifying selection pressure in Tl and Tr, suggesting that these enzymes may also play important roles in the nutrition. This study provides insights into the physiology and evolution of the nutrition strategy of Trichoderma.

  11. Ureaplasma diversum Genome Provides New Insights about the Interaction of the Surface Molecules of This Bacterium with the Host.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lucas M Marques

    Full Text Available Whole genome sequencing and analyses of Ureaplasma diversum ATCC 49782 was undertaken as a step towards understanding U. diversum biology and pathogenicity. The complete genome showed 973,501 bp in a single circular chromosome, with 28.2% of G+C content. A total of 782 coding DNA sequences (CDSs, and 6 rRNA and 32 tRNA genes were predicted and annotated. The metabolic pathways are identical to other human ureaplasmas, including the production of ATP via hydrolysis of the urea. Genes related to pathogenicity, such as urease, phospholipase, hemolysin, and a Mycoplasma Ig binding protein (MIB-Mycoplasma Ig protease (MIP system were identified. More interestingly, a large number of genes (n = 40 encoding surface molecules were annotated in the genome (lipoproteins, multiple-banded antigen like protein, membrane nuclease lipoprotein and variable surface antigens lipoprotein. In addition, a gene encoding glycosyltransferase was also found. This enzyme has been associated with the production of capsule in mycoplasmas and ureaplasma. We then sought to detect the presence of a capsule in this organism. A polysaccharide capsule from 11 to 17 nm of U. diversum was observed trough electron microscopy and using specific dyes. This structure contained arabinose, xylose, mannose, galactose and glucose. In order to understand the inflammatory response against these surface molecules, we evaluated the response of murine macrophages J774 against viable and non-viable U. diversum. As with viable bacteria, non-viable bacteria were capable of promoting a significant inflammatory response by activation of Toll like receptor 2 (TLR2, indicating that surface molecules are important for the activation of inflammatory response. Furthermore, a cascade of genes related to the inflammasome pathway of macrophages was also up-regulated during infection with viable organisms when compared to non-infected cells. In conclusion, U. diversum has a typical ureaplasma genome and

  12. Ureaplasma diversum Genome Provides New Insights about the Interaction of the Surface Molecules of This Bacterium with the Host.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marques, Lucas M; Rezende, Izadora S; Barbosa, Maysa S; Guimarães, Ana M S; Martins, Hellen B; Campos, Guilherme B; do Nascimento, Naíla C; Dos Santos, Andrea P; Amorim, Aline T; Santos, Verena M; Farias, Sávio T; Barrence, Fernanda  C; de Souza, Lauro M; Buzinhani, Melissa; Arana-Chavez, Victor E; Zenteno, Maria E; Amarante-Mendes, Gustavo P; Messick, Joanne B; Timenetsky, Jorge

    2016-01-01

    Whole genome sequencing and analyses of Ureaplasma diversum ATCC 49782 was undertaken as a step towards understanding U. diversum biology and pathogenicity. The complete genome showed 973,501 bp in a single circular chromosome, with 28.2% of G+C content. A total of 782 coding DNA sequences (CDSs), and 6 rRNA and 32 tRNA genes were predicted and annotated. The metabolic pathways are identical to other human ureaplasmas, including the production of ATP via hydrolysis of the urea. Genes related to pathogenicity, such as urease, phospholipase, hemolysin, and a Mycoplasma Ig binding protein (MIB)-Mycoplasma Ig protease (MIP) system were identified. More interestingly, a large number of genes (n = 40) encoding surface molecules were annotated in the genome (lipoproteins, multiple-banded antigen like protein, membrane nuclease lipoprotein and variable surface antigens lipoprotein). In addition, a gene encoding glycosyltransferase was also found. This enzyme has been associated with the production of capsule in mycoplasmas and ureaplasma. We then sought to detect the presence of a capsule in this organism. A polysaccharide capsule from 11 to 17 nm of U. diversum was observed trough electron microscopy and using specific dyes. This structure contained arabinose, xylose, mannose, galactose and glucose. In order to understand the inflammatory response against these surface molecules, we evaluated the response of murine macrophages J774 against viable and non-viable U. diversum. As with viable bacteria, non-viable bacteria were capable of promoting a significant inflammatory response by activation of Toll like receptor 2 (TLR2), indicating that surface molecules are important for the activation of inflammatory response. Furthermore, a cascade of genes related to the inflammasome pathway of macrophages was also up-regulated during infection with viable organisms when compared to non-infected cells. In conclusion, U. diversum has a typical ureaplasma genome and metabolism, and

  13. Can tobacco dependence provide insights into other drug addictions?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Joseph R. DiFranza

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Within the field of addiction research, individuals tend to operate within silos of knowledge focused on specific drug classes. The discovery that tobacco dependence develops in a progression of stages and that the latency to the onset of withdrawal symptoms after the last use of tobacco changes over time have provided insights into how tobacco dependence develops that might be applied to the study of other drugs. As physical dependence on tobacco develops, it progresses through previously unrecognized clinical stages of wanting, craving and needing. The latency to withdrawal is a measure of the asymptomatic phase of withdrawal, extending from the last use of tobacco to the emergence of withdrawal symptoms. Symptomatic withdrawal is characterized by a wanting phase, a craving phase, and a needing phase. The intensity of the desire to smoke that is triggered by withdrawal correlates with brain activity in addiction circuits. With repeated tobacco use, the latency to withdrawal shrinks from as long as several weeks to as short as several minutes. The shortening of the asymptomatic phase of withdrawal drives an escalation of smoking, first in terms of the number of smoking days/month until daily smoking commences, then in terms of cigarettes smoked/day. The discoveries of the stages of physical dependence and the latency to withdrawal raises the question, does physical dependence develop in stages with other drugs? Is the latency to withdrawal for other substances measured in weeks at the onset of dependence? Does it shorten over time? The research methods that uncovered how tobacco dependence emerges might be fruitfully applied to the investigation of other addictions.

  14. The sea cucumber genome provides insights into morphological evolution and visceral regeneration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Xiaojun; Sun, Lina; Yuan, Jianbo; Sun, Yamin; Gao, Yi; Zhang, Libin; Li, Shihao; Dai, Hui; Hamel, Jean-François; Liu, Chengzhang; Yu, Yang; Liu, Shilin; Lin, Wenchao; Guo, Kaimin; Jin, Songjun; Xu, Peng; Storey, Kenneth B; Huan, Pin; Zhang, Tao; Zhou, Yi; Zhang, Jiquan; Lin, Chenggang; Li, Xiaoni; Xing, Lili; Huo, Da; Sun, Mingzhe; Wang, Lei; Mercier, Annie; Li, Fuhua; Yang, Hongsheng; Xiang, Jianhai

    2017-10-01

    Apart from sharing common ancestry with chordates, sea cucumbers exhibit a unique morphology and exceptional regenerative capacity. Here we present the complete genome sequence of an economically important sea cucumber, A. japonicus, generated using Illumina and PacBio platforms, to achieve an assembly of approximately 805 Mb (contig N50 of 190 Kb and scaffold N50 of 486 Kb), with 30,350 protein-coding genes and high continuity. We used this resource to explore key genetic mechanisms behind the unique biological characters of sea cucumbers. Phylogenetic and comparative genomic analyses revealed the presence of marker genes associated with notochord and gill slits, suggesting that these chordate features were present in ancestral echinoderms. The unique shape and weak mineralization of the sea cucumber adult body were also preliminarily explained by the contraction of biomineralization genes. Genome, transcriptome, and proteome analyses of organ regrowth after induced evisceration provided insight into the molecular underpinnings of visceral regeneration, including a specific tandem-duplicated prostatic secretory protein of 94 amino acids (PSP94)-like gene family and a significantly expanded fibrinogen-related protein (FREP) gene family. This high-quality genome resource will provide a useful framework for future research into biological processes and evolution in deuterostomes, including remarkable regenerative abilities that could have medical applications. Moreover, the multiomics data will be of prime value for commercial sea cucumber breeding programs.

  15. The sea cucumber genome provides insights into morphological evolution and visceral regeneration.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiaojun Zhang

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Apart from sharing common ancestry with chordates, sea cucumbers exhibit a unique morphology and exceptional regenerative capacity. Here we present the complete genome sequence of an economically important sea cucumber, A. japonicus, generated using Illumina and PacBio platforms, to achieve an assembly of approximately 805 Mb (contig N50 of 190 Kb and scaffold N50 of 486 Kb, with 30,350 protein-coding genes and high continuity. We used this resource to explore key genetic mechanisms behind the unique biological characters of sea cucumbers. Phylogenetic and comparative genomic analyses revealed the presence of marker genes associated with notochord and gill slits, suggesting that these chordate features were present in ancestral echinoderms. The unique shape and weak mineralization of the sea cucumber adult body were also preliminarily explained by the contraction of biomineralization genes. Genome, transcriptome, and proteome analyses of organ regrowth after induced evisceration provided insight into the molecular underpinnings of visceral regeneration, including a specific tandem-duplicated prostatic secretory protein of 94 amino acids (PSP94-like gene family and a significantly expanded fibrinogen-related protein (FREP gene family. This high-quality genome resource will provide a useful framework for future research into biological processes and evolution in deuterostomes, including remarkable regenerative abilities that could have medical applications. Moreover, the multiomics data will be of prime value for commercial sea cucumber breeding programs.

  16. Dynamic transcriptional profiling provides insights into tuberous root development in Rehmannia glutinosa

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Peng eSun

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Rehmannia glutinosa, a herb of the Scrophulariaceae family, is widely cultivated in the Northern part of China. The tuberous root has well known medicinal properties; however, yield and quality are threatened by abiotic and biotic stresses. Understanding the molecular process of tuberous root development may help identify novel targets for its control. In the present study, we used Illumina sequencing and de novo assembly strategies to obtain a reference transcriptome that is relevant to tuberous root development. We then conducted RNA-seq quantification analysis to determine gene expression profiles of the adventitious root (AR, thickening adventitious root (TAR, and the developing tuberous root (DTR. Expression profiling identified a total of 6,974 differentially expressed unigenes during root developmental. Bioinformatics analysis and gene expression profiling revealed changes in phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, starch and sucrose metabolism, and plant hormone biosynthesis during root development. Moreover, we identified and allocated putative functions to the genes involved in tuberous root development, including genes related to major carbohydrate metabolism, hormone metabolism, and transcription regulation. The present study provides the initial description of gene expression profiles of AR, TAR, and DTR, which facilitates identification of genes of interest. Moreover, our work provides insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying tuberous root development and may assist in the design and development of improved breeding schemes for different R. glutinosa varieties through genetic manipulation.

  17. The Asian arowana (Scleropages formosus) genome provides new insights into the evolution of an early lineage of teleosts

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bian, Chao; Hu, Yinchang; Ravi, Vydianathan

    2016-01-01

    five Hox clusters. Differential gene expression among three varieties provides insights into the genetic basis of colour variation. A potential heterogametic sex chromosome is identified in the female arowana karyotype, suggesting that the sex is determined by a ZW/ZZ sex chromosomal system. The high...

  18. Integrating Instrumental Data Provides the Full Science in 3D

    Science.gov (United States)

    Turrin, M.; Boghosian, A.; Bell, R. E.; Frearson, N.

    2017-12-01

    Looking at data sparks questions, discussion and insights. By integrating multiple data sets we deepen our understanding of how cryosphere processes operate. Field collected data provide measurements from multiple instruments supporting rapid insights. Icepod provides a platform focused on the integration of multiple instruments. Over the last three seasons, the ROSETTA-Ice project has deployed Icepod to comprehensively map the Ross Ice Shelf, Antarctica. This integrative data collection along with new methods of data visualization allows us to answer questions about ice shelf structure and evolution that arise during data processing and review. While data are vetted and archived in the field to confirm instruments are operating, upon return to the lab data are again reviewed for accuracy before full analysis. Recent review of shallow ice radar data from the Beardmore Glacier, an outlet glacier into the Ross Ice Shelf, presented an abrupt discontinuity in the ice surface. This sharp 8m surface elevation drop was originally interpreted as a processing error. Data were reexamined, integrating the simultaneously collected shallow and deep ice radar with lidar data. All the data sources showed the surface discontinuity, confirming the abrupt 8m drop in surface elevation. Examining high resolution WorldView satellite imagery revealed a persistent source for these elevation drops. The satellite imagery showed that this tear in the ice surface was only one piece of a larger pattern of "chatter marks" in ice that flows at a rate of 300 m/yr. The markings are buried over a distance of 30 km or after 100 years of travel down Beardmore Glacier towards the front of the Ross Ice Shelf. Using Icepod's lidar and cameras we map this chatter mark feature in 3D to reveal its full structure. We use digital elevation models from WorldView to map the other along flow chatter marks. In order to investigate the relationship between these surface features and basal crevasses, the deep ice

  19. Archiving InSight Lander Science Data Using PDS4 Standards

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stein, T.; Guinness, E. A.; Slavney, S.

    2017-12-01

    The InSight Mars Lander is scheduled for launch in 2018, and science data from the mission will be archived in the NASA Planetary Data System (PDS) using the new PDS4 standards. InSight is a geophysical lander with a science payload that includes a seismometer, a probe to measure subsurface temperatures and heat flow, a suite of meteorology instruments, a magnetometer, an experiment using radio tracking, and a robotic arm that will provide soil physical property information based on interactions with the surface. InSight is not the first science mission to archive its data using PDS4. However, PDS4 archives do not currently contain examples of the kinds of data that several of the InSight instruments will produce. Whereas the existing common PDS4 standards were sufficient for most of archiving requirements of InSight, the data generated by a few instruments required development of several extensions to the PDS4 information model. For example, the seismometer will deliver a version of its data in SEED format, which is standard for the terrestrial seismology community. This format required the design of a new product type in the PDS4 information model. A local data dictionary has also been developed for InSight that contains attributes that are not part of the common PDS4 dictionary. The local dictionary provides metadata relevant to all InSight data sets, and attributes specific to several of the instruments. Additional classes and attributes were designed for the existing PDS4 geometry dictionary that will capture metadata for the lander position and orientation, along with camera models for stereo image processing. Much of the InSight archive planning and design work has been done by a Data Archiving Working Group (DAWG), which has members from the InSight project and the PDS. The group coordinates archive design, schedules and peer review of the archive documentation and test products. The InSight DAWG archiving effort for PDS is being led by the PDS Geosciences

  20. Induced seismicity provides insight into why earthquake ruptures stop

    KAUST Repository

    Galis, Martin

    2017-12-21

    Injection-induced earthquakes pose a serious seismic hazard but also offer an opportunity to gain insight into earthquake physics. Currently used models relating the maximum magnitude of injection-induced earthquakes to injection parameters do not incorporate rupture physics. We develop theoretical estimates, validated by simulations, of the size of ruptures induced by localized pore-pressure perturbations and propagating on prestressed faults. Our model accounts for ruptures growing beyond the perturbed area and distinguishes self-arrested from runaway ruptures. We develop a theoretical scaling relation between the largest magnitude of self-arrested earthquakes and the injected volume and find it consistent with observed maximum magnitudes of injection-induced earthquakes over a broad range of injected volumes, suggesting that, although runaway ruptures are possible, most injection-induced events so far have been self-arrested ruptures.

  1. Insights into the Surface Reactivity of Cermet and Perovskite Electrodes in Oxidizing, Reducing, and Humid Environments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paloukis, Fotios; Papazisi, Kalliopi M; Dintzer, Thierry; Papaefthimiou, Vasiliki; Saveleva, Viktoriia A; Balomenou, Stella P; Tsiplakides, Dimitrios; Bournel, Fabrice; Gallet, Jean-Jacques; Zafeiratos, Spyridon

    2017-08-02

    Understanding the surface chemistry of electrode materials under gas environments is important in order to control their performance during electrochemical and catalytic applications. This work compares the surface reactivity of Ni/YSZ and La 0.75 Sr 0.25 Cr 0.9 Fe 0.1 O 3 , which are commonly used types of electrodes in solid oxide electrochemical devices. In situ synchrotron-based near-ambient pressure photoemission and absorption spectroscopy experiments, assisted by theoretical spectral simulations and combined with microscopy and electrochemical measurements, are used to monitor the effect of the gas atmosphere on the chemical state, the morphology, and the electrical conductivity of the electrodes. It is shown that the surface of both electrode types readjusts fast to the reactive gas atmosphere and their surface composition is notably modified. In the case of Ni/YSZ, this is followed by evident changes in the oxidation state of nickel, while for La 0.75 Sr 0.25 Cr 0.9 Fe 0.1 O 3 , a fine adjustment of the Cr valence and strong Sr segregation is observed. An important difference between the two electrodes is their capacity to maintain adsorbed hydroxyl groups on their surface, which is expected to be critical for the electrocatalytic properties of the materials. The insight gained from the surface analysis may serve as a paradigm for understanding the effect of the gas environment on the electrochemical performance and the electrical conductivity of the electrodes.

  2. Obsessive compulsive disorder networks: positron emission tomography and neuropsychology provide new insights.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bruno Millet

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Deep brain stimulation has shed new light on the central role of the prefrontal cortex (PFC in obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD. We explored this structure from a functional perspective, synchronizing neuroimaging and cognitive measures. METHODS AND FINDINGS: This case-control cross-sectional study compared 15 OCD patients without comorbidities and not currently on serotonin reuptake inhibitors or cognitive behavioural therapy with 15 healthy controls (matched for age, sex and education level on resting-state (18FDG-PET scans and a neuropsychological battery assessing executive functions. We looked for correlations between metabolic modifications and impaired neuropsychological scores. Modifications in glucose metabolism were found in frontal regions (orbitofrontal cortex and dorsolateral cortices, the cingulate gyrus, insula and parietal gyrus. Neuropsychological differences between patients and controls, which were subtle, were correlated with the metabolism of the prefrontal, parietal, and temporal cortices. CONCLUSION: As expected, we confirmed previous reports of a PFC dysfunction in OCD patients, and established a correlation with cognitive deficits. Other regions outside the prefrontal cortex, including the dorsoparietal cortex and the insula, also appeared to be implicated in the pathophysiology of OCD, providing fresh insights on the complexity of OCD syndromes.

  3. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Networks: Positron Emission Tomography and Neuropsychology Provide New Insights

    Science.gov (United States)

    Millet, Bruno; Dondaine, Thibaut; Reymann, Jean-Michel; Bourguignon, Aurélie; Naudet, Florian; Jaafari, Nematollah; Drapier, Dominique; Turmel, Valérie; Mesbah, Habiba; Vérin, Marc; Le Jeune, Florence

    2013-01-01

    Background Deep brain stimulation has shed new light on the central role of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) in obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). We explored this structure from a functional perspective, synchronizing neuroimaging and cognitive measures. Methods and Findings This case-control cross-sectional study compared 15 OCD patients without comorbidities and not currently on serotonin reuptake inhibitors or cognitive behavioural therapy with 15 healthy controls (matched for age, sex and education level) on resting-state 18FDG-PET scans and a neuropsychological battery assessing executive functions. We looked for correlations between metabolic modifications and impaired neuropsychological scores. Modifications in glucose metabolism were found in frontal regions (orbitofrontal cortex and dorsolateral cortices), the cingulate gyrus, insula and parietal gyrus. Neuropsychological differences between patients and controls, which were subtle, were correlated with the metabolism of the prefrontal, parietal, and temporal cortices. Conclusion As expected, we confirmed previous reports of a PFC dysfunction in OCD patients, and established a correlation with cognitive deficits. Other regions outside the prefrontal cortex, including the dorsoparietal cortex and the insula, also appeared to be implicated in the pathophysiology of OCD, providing fresh insights on the complexity of OCD syndromes. PMID:23326403

  4. Transcriptome Analysis of Manganese-deficient Chlamydomonas reinhardtii Provides Insight on the Chlorophyll Biosynthesis Pathway

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lockhart, Ainsley; Zvenigorodsky, Natasha; Pedraza, Mary Ann; Lindquist, Erika

    2011-08-11

    The biosynthesis of chlorophyll and other tetrapyrroles is a vital but poorly understood process. Recent genomic advances with the unicellular green algae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii have created opportunity to more closely examine the mechanisms of the chlorophyll biosynthesis pathway via transcriptome analysis. Manganese is a nutrient of interest for complex reactions because of its multiple stable oxidation states and role in molecular oxygen coordination. C. reinhardtii was cultured in Manganese-deplete Tris-acetate-phosphate (TAP) media for 24 hours and used to create cDNA libraries for sequencing using Illumina TruSeq technology. Transcriptome analysis provided intriguing insight on possible regulatory mechanisms in the pathway. Evidence supports similarities of GTR (Glutamyl-tRNA synthase) to its Chlorella vulgaris homolog in terms of Mn requirements. Data was also suggestive of Mn-related compensatory up-regulation for pathway proteins CHLH1 (Manganese Chelatase), GUN4 (Magnesium chelatase activating protein), and POR1 (Light-dependent protochlorophyllide reductase). Intriguingly, data suggests possible reciprocal expression of oxygen dependent CPX1 (coproporphyrinogen III oxidase) and oxygen independent CPX2. Further analysis using RT-PCR could provide compelling evidence for several novel regulatory mechanisms in the chlorophyll biosynthesis pathway.

  5. High-frequency DOC and nitrate measurements provide new insights into their export and their relationships to rainfall-runoff processes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schwab, Michael; Klaus, Julian; Pfister, Laurent; Weiler, Markus

    2015-04-01

    Over the past decades, stream sampling protocols for environmental tracers were often limited by logistical and technological constraints. Long-term sampling programs would typically rely on weekly sampling campaigns, while high-frequency sampling would remain restricted to a few days or hours at best. We stipulate that the currently predominant sampling protocols are too coarse to capture and understand the full amplitude of rainfall-runoff processes and its relation to water quality fluctuations. Weekly sampling protocols are not suited to get insights into the hydrological system during high flow conditions. Likewise, high frequency measurements of a few isolated events do not allow grasping inter-event variability in contributions and processes. Our working hypothesis is based on the potential of a new generation of field-deployable instruments for measuring environmental tracers at high temporal frequencies over an extended period. With this new generation of instruments we expect to gain new insights into rainfall-runoff dynamics, both at intra- and inter-event scales. Here, we present the results of one year of DOC and nitrate measurements with the field deployable UV-Vis spectrometer spectro::lyser (scan Messtechnik GmbH). The instrument measures the absorption spectrum from 220 to 720 nm in situ and at high frequencies and derives DOC and nitrate concentrations. The measurements were carried out at 15 minutes intervals in the Weierbach catchment (0.47 km2) in Luxemburg. This fully forested catchment is characterized by cambisol soils and fractured schist as underlying bedrock. The time series of DOC and nitrate give insights into the high frequency dynamics of stream water. Peaks in DOC concentrations are closely linked to discharge peaks that occur during or right after a rainfall event. Those first discharge peaks can be linked to fast near surface runoff processes and are responsible for a remarkable amount of DOC export. A special characterisation of

  6. PREFACE: Vibrations at surfaces Vibrations at surfaces

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rahman, Talat S.

    2011-12-01

    This special issue is dedicated to the phenomenon of vibrations at surfaces—a topic that was indispensible a couple of decades ago, since it was one of the few phenomena capable of revealing the nature of binding at solid surfaces. For clean surfaces, the frequencies of modes with characteristic displacement patterns revealed how surface geometry, as well as the nature of binding between atoms in the surface layers, could be different from that in the bulk solid. Dispersion of the surface phonons provided further measures of interatomic interactions. For chemisorbed molecules on surfaces, frequencies and dispersion of the vibrational modes were also critical for determining adsorption sites. In other words, vibrations at surfaces served as a reliable means of extracting information about surface structure, chemisorption and overlayer formation. Experimental techniques, such as electron energy loss spectroscopy and helium-atom-surface scattering, coupled with infra-red spectroscopy, were continually refined and their resolutions enhanced to capture subtleties in the dynamics of atoms and molecules at surfaces. Theoretical methods, whether based on empirical and semi-empirical interatomic potential or on ab initio electronic structure calculations, helped decipher experimental observations and provide deeper insights into the nature of the bond between atoms and molecules in regions of reduced symmetry, as encountered on solid surfaces. Vibrations at surfaces were thus an integral part of the set of phenomena that characterized surface science. Dedicated workshops and conferences were held to explore the variety of interesting and puzzling features revealed in experimental and theoretical investigations of surface vibrational modes and their dispersion. One such conference, Vibrations at Surfaces, first organized by Harald Ibach in Juelich in 1980, continues to this day. The 13th International Conference on Vibrations at Surfaces was held at the University of

  7. Surfaces of colloidal PbSe nanocrystals probed by thin-film positron annihilation spectroscopy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    L. Chai

    2013-08-01

    Full Text Available Positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy and positron-electron momentum density (PEMD studies on multilayers of PbSe nanocrystals (NCs, supported by transmission electron microscopy, show that positrons are strongly trapped at NC surfaces, where they provide insight into the surface composition and electronic structure of PbSe NCs. Our analysis indicates abundant annihilation of positrons with Se electrons at the NC surfaces and with O electrons of the oleic ligands bound to Pb ad-atoms at the NC surfaces, which demonstrates that positrons can be used as a sensitive probe to investigate the surface physics and chemistry of nanocrystals inside multilayers. Ab initio electronic structure calculations provide detailed insight in the valence and semi-core electron contributions to the positron-electron momentum density of PbSe. Both lifetime and PEMD are found to correlate with changes in the particle morphology characteristic of partial ligand removal.

  8. Overlapping constraint for variational surface reconstruction

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Aanæs, Henrik; Solem, J.E.

    2005-01-01

    In this paper a counter example, illustrating a shortcoming in most variational formulations for 3D surface estimation, is presented. The nature of this shortcoming is a lack of an overlapping constraint. A remedy for this shortcoming is presented in the form of a penalty function with an analysi...... of the effects of this function on surface motion. For practical purposes, this will only have minor influence on current methods. However, the insight provided in the analysis is likely to influence future developments in the field of variational surface reconstruction....

  9. Quantitative Hydraulic Models Of Early Land Plants Provide Insight Into Middle Paleozoic Terrestrial Paleoenvironmental Conditions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilson, J. P.; Fischer, W. W.

    2010-12-01

    Fossil plants provide useful proxies of Earth’s climate because plants are closely connected, through physiology and morphology, to the environments in which they lived. Recent advances in quantitative hydraulic models of plant water transport provide new insight into the history of climate by allowing fossils to speak directly to environmental conditions based on preserved internal anatomy. We report results of a quantitative hydraulic model applied to one of the earliest terrestrial plants preserved in three dimensions, the ~396 million-year-old vascular plant Asteroxylon mackei. This model combines equations describing the rate of fluid flow through plant tissues with detailed observations of plant anatomy; this allows quantitative estimates of two critical aspects of plant function. First and foremost, results from these models quantify the supply of water to evaporative surfaces; second, results describe the ability of plant vascular systems to resist tensile damage from extreme environmental events, such as drought or frost. This approach permits quantitative comparisons of functional aspects of Asteroxylon with other extinct and extant plants, informs the quality of plant-based environmental proxies, and provides concrete data that can be input into climate models. Results indicate that despite their small size, water transport cells in Asteroxylon could supply a large volume of water to the plant's leaves--even greater than cells from some later-evolved seed plants. The smallest Asteroxylon tracheids have conductivities exceeding 0.015 m^2 / MPa * s, whereas Paleozoic conifer tracheids do not reach this threshold until they are three times wider. However, this increase in conductivity came at the cost of little to no adaptations for transport safety, placing the plant’s vegetative organs in jeopardy during drought events. Analysis of the thickness-to-span ratio of Asteroxylon’s tracheids suggests that environmental conditions of reduced relative

  10. Hyperons: Insights into baryon structures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lach, J.

    1991-08-01

    The baryon octet is composed mainly of hyperons. Modern high energy hyperon beams provide a tool for the study of hyperon static properties and interactions. Experiments with these beams have provided new insights into hyperon rare decays, magnetic moments, and interactions. These experiments provide us with insights into the strong, weak, and electromagnetic structure of the baryons. 65 refs., 45 figs., 5 tabs

  11. Gaining insight into the T _2^*-T2 relationship in surface NMR free-induction decay measurements

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grombacher, Denys; Auken, Esben

    2018-05-01

    One of the primary shortcomings of the surface nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) free-induction decay (FID) measurement is the uncertainty surrounding which mechanism controls the signal's time dependence. Ideally, the FID-estimated relaxation time T_2^* that describes the signal's decay carries an intimate link to the geometry of the pore space. In this limit the parameter T_2^* is closely linked to a related parameter T2, which is more closely linked to pore-geometry. If T_2^* ˜eq {T_2} the FID can provide valuable insight into relative pore-size and can be used to make quantitative permeability estimates. However, given only FID measurements it is difficult to determine whether T_2^* is linked to pore geometry or whether it has been strongly influenced by background magnetic field inhomogeneity. If the link between an observed T_2^* and the underlying T2 could be further constrained the utility of the standard surface NMR FID measurement would be greatly improved. We hypothesize that an approach employing an updated surface NMR forward model that solves the full Bloch equations with appropriately weighted relaxation terms can be used to help constrain the T_2^*-T2 relationship. Weighting the relaxation terms requires estimating the poorly constrained parameters T2 and T1; to deal with this uncertainty we propose to conduct a parameter search involving multiple inversions that employ a suite of forward models each describing a distinct but plausible T_2^*-T2 relationship. We hypothesize that forward models given poor T2 estimates will produce poor data fits when using the complex-inversion, while forward models given reliable T2 estimates will produce satisfactory data fits. By examining the data fits produced by the suite of plausible forward models, the likely T_2^*-T2 can be constrained by identifying the range of T2 estimates that produce reliable data fits. Synthetic and field results are presented to investigate the feasibility of the proposed technique.

  12. Adsorption and structure of water on kaolinite surfaces: possible insight into ice nucleation from grand canonical monte carlo calculations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Croteau, T; Bertram, A K; Patey, G N

    2008-10-30

    Grand canonical Monte Carlo calculations are used to determine water adsorption and structure on defect-free kaolinite surfaces as a function of relative humidity at 235 K. This information is then used to gain insight into ice nucleation on kaolinite surfaces. Results for both the SPC/E and TIP5P-E water models are compared and demonstrate that the Al-surface [(001) plane] and both protonated and unprotonated edges [(100) plane] strongly adsorb at atmospherically relevant relative humidities. Adsorption on the Al-surface exhibits properties of a first-order process with evidence of collective behavior, whereas adsorption on the edges is essentially continuous and appears dominated by strong water lattice interactions. For the protonated and unprotonated edges no structure that matches hexagonal ice is observed. For the Al-surface some of the water molecules formed hexagonal rings. However, the a o lattice parameter for these rings is significantly different from the corresponding constant for hexagonal ice ( Ih). A misfit strain of 14.0% is calculated between the hexagonal pattern of water adsorbed on the Al-surface and the basal plane of ice Ih. Hence, the ring structures that form on the Al-surface are not expected to be good building-blocks for ice nucleation due to the large misfit strain.

  13. Integrative Analyses of De Novo Mutations Provide Deeper Biological Insights into Autism Spectrum Disorder

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Atsushi Takata

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Recent studies have established important roles of de novo mutations (DNMs in autism spectrum disorders (ASDs. Here, we analyze DNMs in 262 ASD probands of Japanese origin and confirm the “de novo paradigm” of ASDs across ethnicities. Based on this consistency, we combine the lists of damaging DNMs in our and published ASD cohorts (total number of trios, 4,244 and perform integrative bioinformatics analyses. Besides replicating the findings of previous studies, our analyses highlight ATP-binding genes and fetal cerebellar/striatal circuits. Analysis of individual genes identified 61 genes enriched for damaging DNMs, including ten genes for which our dataset now contributes to statistical significance. Screening of compounds altering the expression of genes hit by damaging DNMs reveals a global downregulating effect of valproic acid, a known risk factor for ASDs, whereas cardiac glycosides upregulate these genes. Collectively, our integrative approach provides deeper biological and potential medical insights into ASDs.

  14. Molecular fossils in modern genomes provide physiological and geochemical insights to the ancient earth (Invited)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dupont, C.; Caetano-Anolles, G.

    2010-12-01

    The genomes of extant organisms are ultimately derived from ancient life, thus theoretically contain insight to ancient physiology, ecology, and environments. In particular, metalloenzymes may be particularly insightful. The fundamental chemistry of trace elements dictates the molecular speciation and reactivity both within cells and the environment at large. Using protein structure and comparative genomics, we elucidate several major influences this chemistry has had upon biology. All of life exhibits the same proteome size-dependent scaling for the number of metal-binding proteins within a proteome. This fundamental evolutionary constant shows that the selection of one element occurs at the exclusion of another, with the eschewal of Fe for Zn and Ca being a defining feature of eukaryotic pro- teomes. Early life lacked both the structures required to control intracellular metal concentrations and the metal-binding proteins that catalyze electron transport and redox transformations. The development of protein structures for metal homeostasis coincided with the emergence of metal-specific structures, which predomi- nantly bound metals abundant in the Archean ocean. Potentially, this promoted the diversification of emerging lineages of Archaea and Bacteria through the establishment of biogeochemical cycles. In contrast, structures binding Cu and Zn evolved much later, pro- viding further evidence that environmental availability influenced the selection of the elements. The late evolving Zn-binding proteins are fundamental to eukaryotic cellular biology, and Zn bioavailabil- ity may have been a limiting factor in eukaryotic evolution. The results presented here provide an evolutionary timeline based on genomic characteristics, and key hypotheses can be tested by alternative geochemical methods.

  15. New technologies provide insights into genetic basis of psychiatric disorders and explain their co-morbidity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rudan, Igor

    2010-06-01

    The completion of Human Genome Project and the "HapMap" project was followed by translational activities from companies within the private sector. This led to the introduction of genome-wide scans based on hundreds of thousands of single nucleotide polymorphysms (SNP). These scans were based on common genetic variants in human populations. This new and powerful technology was then applied to the existing DNA-based datasets with information on psychiatric disorders. As a result, an unprecedented amount of novel scientific insights related to the underlying biology and genetics of psychiatric disorders was obtained. The dominant design of these studies, so called "genome-wide association studies" (GWAS), used statistical methods which minimized the risk of false positive reports and provided much greater power to detect genotype-phenotype associations. All findings were entirely data-driven rather than hypothesis-driven, which often made it difficult for researchers to understand or interpret the findings. Interestingly, this work in genetics is indicating how non-specific some genes are for psychiatric disorders, having associations in common for schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and autism. This suggests that the earlier stages of psychiatric disorders may be multi-valent and that early detection, coupled with a clearer understanding of the environmental factors, may allow prevention. At the present time, the rich "harvest" from GWAS still has very limited power to predict the variation in psychiatric disease status at individual level, typically explaining less than 5% of the total risk variance. The most recent studies of common genetic variation implicated the role of major histocompatibility complex in schizophrenia and other disorders. They also provided molecular evidence for a substantial polygenic component to the risk of psychiatric diseases, involving thousands of common alleles of very small effect. The studies of structural genetic variation, such as copy

  16. Differential geometry curves, surfaces, manifolds

    CERN Document Server

    Kohnel, Wolfgang

    2002-01-01

    This carefully written book is an introduction to the beautiful ideas and results of differential geometry. The first half covers the geometry of curves and surfaces, which provide much of the motivation and intuition for the general theory. Special topics that are explored include Frenet frames, ruled surfaces, minimal surfaces and the Gauss-Bonnet theorem. The second part is an introduction to the geometry of general manifolds, with particular emphasis on connections and curvature. The final two chapters are insightful examinations of the special cases of spaces of constant curvature and Einstein manifolds. The text is illustrated with many figures and examples. The prerequisites are undergraduate analysis and linear algebra.

  17. Density functional theory in surface science and heterogeneous catalysis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nørskov, Jens Kehlet; Scheffler, M.; Toulhoat, H.

    2006-01-01

    Solid surfaces are used extensively as catalysts throughout the chemical industry, in the energy sector, and in environmental protection. Recently, density functional theory has started providing new insight into the atomic-scale mechanisms of heterogeneous catalysis, helping to interpret the large...

  18. Inhibition of fungal colonization by Pseudoalteromonas tunicata provides a competitive advantage during surface colonization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Franks, A; Egan, S; Holmström, C; James, S; Lappin-Scott, H; Kjelleberg, S

    2006-09-01

    The marine epiphytic bacterium Pseudoalteromonas tunicata produces a range of extracellular secondary metabolites that inhibit an array of common fouling organisms, including fungi. In this study, we test the hypothesis that the ability to inhibit fungi provides P. tunicata with an advantage during colonization of a surface. Studies on a transposon-generated antifungal-deficient mutant of P. tunicata, FM3, indicated that a long-chain fatty acid-coenzyme A ligase is involved in the production of a broad-range antifungal compound by P. tunicata. Flow cell experiments demonstrated that production of an antifungal compound provided P. tunicata with a competitive advantage against a marine yeast isolate during surface colonization. This compound enabled P. tunicata to disrupt an already established fungal biofilm by decreasing the number of yeast cells attached to the surface by 66% +/- 9%. For in vivo experiments, the wild-type and FM3 strains of P. tunicata were used to inoculate the surface of the green alga Ulva australis. Double-gradient denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis analysis revealed that after 48 h, the wild-type P. tunicata had outcompeted the surface-associated fungal community, whereas the antifungal-deficient mutant had no effect on the fungal community. Our data suggest that P. tunicata is an effective competitor against fungal surface communities in the marine environment.

  19. Targeted gene panels and microbiota analysis provide insight into the effects of effects of alternative production diet formulations on channel catfish nutritional physiology

    Science.gov (United States)

    The present research evaluated targeted gene panels and microbiota analysis to provide greater insight into the effects of alternatively-sourced dietary ingredients on production indices, gut health, changes in the gut microbiota and genes involved in the regulation of appetite, growth, metabolism, ...

  20. GPM Mission Gridded Text Products Providing Surface Precipitation Retrievals

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stocker, Erich Franz; Kelley, Owen; Huffman, George; Kummerow, Christian

    2015-04-01

    In February 2015, the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission core satellite will complete its first year in space. The core satellite carries a conically scanning microwave imager called the GPM Microwave Imager (GMI), which also has 166 GHz and 183 GHz frequency channels. The GPM core satellite also carries a dual frequency radar (DPR) which operates at Ku frequency, similar to the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Precipitation Radar), and a new Ka frequency. The precipitation processing system (PPS) is producing swath-based instantaneous precipitation retrievals from GMI, both radars including a dual-frequency product, and a combined GMI/DPR precipitation retrieval. These level 2 products are written in the HDF5 format and have many additional parameters beyond surface precipitation that are organized into appropriate groups. While these retrieval algorithms were developed prior to launch and are not optimal, these algorithms are producing very creditable retrievals. It is appropriate for a wide group of users to have access to the GPM retrievals. However, for reseachers requiring only surface precipitation, these L2 swath products can appear to be very intimidating and they certainly do contain many more variables than the average researcher needs. Some researchers desire only surface retrievals stored in a simple easily accessible format. In response, PPS has begun to produce gridded text based products that contain just the most widely used variables for each instrument (surface rainfall rate, fraction liquid, fraction convective) in a single line for each grid box that contains one or more observations. This paper will describe the gridded data products that are being produced and provide an overview of their content. Currently two types of gridded products are being produced: (1) surface precipitation retrievals from the core satellite instruments - GMI, DPR, and combined GMI/DPR (2) surface precipitation retrievals for the partner

  1. Classical theory of atom-surface scattering: The rainbow effect

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miret-Artés, Salvador; Pollak, Eli

    2012-07-01

    The scattering of heavy atoms and molecules from surfaces is oftentimes dominated by classical mechanics. A large body of experiments have gathered data on the angular distributions of the scattered species, their energy loss distribution, sticking probability, dependence on surface temperature and more. For many years these phenomena have been considered theoretically in the framework of the “washboard model” in which the interaction of the incident particle with the surface is described in terms of hard wall potentials. Although this class of models has helped in elucidating some of the features it left open many questions such as: true potentials are clearly not hard wall potentials, it does not provide a realistic framework for phonon scattering, and it cannot explain the incident angle and incident energy dependence of rainbow scattering, nor can it provide a consistent theory for sticking. In recent years we have been developing a classical perturbation theory approach which has provided new insight into the dynamics of atom-surface scattering. The theory includes both surface corrugation as well as interaction with surface phonons in terms of harmonic baths which are linearly coupled to the system coordinates. This model has been successful in elucidating many new features of rainbow scattering in terms of frictions and bath fluctuations or noise. It has also given new insight into the origins of asymmetry in atomic scattering from surfaces. New phenomena deduced from the theory include friction induced rainbows, energy loss rainbows, a theory of super-rainbows, and more. In this review we present the classical theory of atom-surface scattering as well as extensions and implications for semiclassical scattering and the further development of a quantum theory of surface scattering. Special emphasis is given to the inversion of scattering data into information on the particle-surface interactions.

  2. Genome-Wide Association Identifies Nine Common Variants Associated With Fasting Proinsulin Levels and Provides New Insights Into the Pathophysiology of Type 2 Diabetes

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Strawbridge, Rona J.; Dupuis, Josee; Prokopenko, Inga; Barker, Adam; Ahlqvist, Emma; Rybin, Denis; Petrie, John R.; Travers, Mary E.; Bouatia-Naji, Nabila; Dimas, Antigone S.; Nica, Alexandra; Wheeler, Eleanor; Chen, Han; Voight, Benjamin F.; Taneera, Jalal; Kanoni, Stavroula; Peden, John F.; Turrini, Fabiola; Gustafsson, Stefan; Zabena, Carina; Almgren, Peter; Barker, David J. P.; Barnes, Daniel; Dennison, Elaine M.; Eriksson, Johan G.; Eriksson, Per; Eury, Elodie; Folkersen, Lasse; Fox, Caroline S.; Frayling, Timothy M.; Goel, Anuj; Gu, Harvest F.; Horikoshi, Momoko; Isomaa, Bo; Jackson, Anne U.; Jameson, Karen A.; Kajantie, Eero; Kerr-Conte, Julie; Kuulasmaa, Teemu; Kuusisto, Johanna; Loos, Ruth J. F.; Luan, Jian'an; Makrilakis, Konstantinos; Manning, Alisa K.; Teresa Martinez-Larrad, Maria; Narisu, Narisu; Mannila, Maria Nastase; Ohrvik, John; Osmond, Clive; Pascoe, Laura

    2011-01-01

    OBJECTIVE-Proinsulin is a precursor of mature insulin and C-peptide. Higher circulating proinsulin levels are associated with impaired beta-cell function, raised glucose levels, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes (T2D). Studies of the insulin processing pathway could provide new insights about

  3. Genome-wide association identifies nine common variants associated with fasting proinsulin levels and provides new insights into the pathophysiology of type 2 diabetes

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Strawbridge, R.J.; Dupuis, J.; Prokopenko, I.; Barker, A.; Ahlqvist, E.; Rybin, D.; Petrie, J.R.; Travers, M.E.; Bouatia-Naji, N.; Dimas, A.S.; Nica, A.; Wheeler, E.; Chen, H.; Voight, B.F.; Taneera, J.; Kanoni, S.; Peden, J.F.; Turrini, F.; Gustafsson, S.; Zabena, C.; Almgren, P.; Barker, D.J.; Barnes, D.; Dennison, E.M.; Eriksson, J.G.; Eriksson, P.; Eury, E.; Folkersen, L.; Fox, C.S.; Frayling, T.M.; Goel, A.; Gu, H.F.; Horikoshi, M.; Isomaa, B.; Jackson, A.U.; Jameson, K.A.; Kajantie, E.; Kerr-Conte, J.; Kuulasmaa, T.; Kuusisto, J.; Loos, R.J.; Luan, J.; Makrilakis, K.; Manning, A.K.; Martinez-Larrad, M.T.; Narisu, N.; Nastase Mannila, M.; Ohrvik, J.; Osmond, C.; Pascoe, L.; Payne, F.; Sayer, A.A.; Sennblad, B.; Silveira, A.; Stancakova, A.; Stirrups, K.; Swift, A.J.; Syvanen, A.C.; Tuomi, T.; Hooft, F. van 't; Walker, M.; Weedon, M.N.; Xie, W.; Zethelius, B.; Ongen, H.; Malarstig, A.; Hopewell, J.C.; Saleheen, D.; Chambers, J.; Parish, S.; Danesh, J.; Kooner, J.; Ostenson, C.G.; Lind, L.; Cooper, C.C.; Serrano-Rios, M.; Ferrannini, E.; Forsen, T.J.; Clarke, R.; Franzosi, M.G.; Seedorf, U.; Watkins, H.; Froguel, P.; Johnson, P.; Deloukas, P.; Collins, F.S.; Laakso, M.; Dermitzakis, E.T.; Boehnke, M.; McCarthy, M.I.; Wareham, N.J.; Groop, L.; Pattou, F.; Gloyn, A.L.; Dedoussis, G.V.; Lyssenko, V.; Meigs, J.B.; Barroso, I.; Watanabe, R.M.; Heijer, M. den; Kiemeney, L.A.L.M.; et al.,

    2011-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: Proinsulin is a precursor of mature insulin and C-peptide. Higher circulating proinsulin levels are associated with impaired beta-cell function, raised glucose levels, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes (T2D). Studies of the insulin processing pathway could provide new insights about

  4. Inhibition of Fungal Colonization by Pseudoalteromonas tunicata Provides a Competitive Advantage during Surface Colonization†

    Science.gov (United States)

    Franks, A.; Egan, S.; Holmström, C.; James, S.; Lappin-Scott, H.; Kjelleberg, S.

    2006-01-01

    The marine epiphytic bacterium Pseudoalteromonas tunicata produces a range of extracellular secondary metabolites that inhibit an array of common fouling organisms, including fungi. In this study, we test the hypothesis that the ability to inhibit fungi provides P. tunicata with an advantage during colonization of a surface. Studies on a transposon-generated antifungal-deficient mutant of P. tunicata, FM3, indicated that a long-chain fatty acid-coenzyme A ligase is involved in the production of a broad-range antifungal compound by P. tunicata. Flow cell experiments demonstrated that production of an antifungal compound provided P. tunicata with a competitive advantage against a marine yeast isolate during surface colonization. This compound enabled P. tunicata to disrupt an already established fungal biofilm by decreasing the number of yeast cells attached to the surface by 66% ± 9%. For in vivo experiments, the wild-type and FM3 strains of P. tunicata were used to inoculate the surface of the green alga Ulva australis. Double-gradient denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis analysis revealed that after 48 h, the wild-type P. tunicata had outcompeted the surface-associated fungal community, whereas the antifungal-deficient mutant had no effect on the fungal community. Our data suggest that P. tunicata is an effective competitor against fungal surface communities in the marine environment. PMID:16957232

  5. Genome-wide association identifies nine common variants associated with fasting proinsulin levels and provides new insights into the pathophysiology of type 2 diabetes

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Strawbridge, Rona J.; Dupuis, Josée; Prokopenko, Inga; Barker, Adam; Ahlqvist, Emma; Rybin, Denis; Petrie, John R.; Travers, Mary E.; Bouatia-Naji, Nabila; Dimas, Antigone S.; Nica, Alexandra; Wheeler, Eleanor; Chen, Han; Voight, Benjamin F.; Taneera, Jalal; Kanoni, Stavroula; Peden, John F.; Turrini, Fabiola; Gustafsson, Stefan; Zabena, Carina; Almgren, Peter; Barker, David J. P.; Barnes, Daniel; Dennison, Elaine M.; Eriksson, Johan G.; Eriksson, Per; Eury, Elodie; Folkersen, Lasse; Fox, Caroline S.; Frayling, Timothy M.; Goel, Anuj; Gu, Harvest F.; Horikoshi, Momoko; Isomaa, Bo; Jackson, Anne U.; Jameson, Karen A.; Kajantie, Eero; Kerr-Conte, Julie; Kuulasmaa, Teemu; Kuusisto, Johanna; Loos, Ruth J. F.; Luan, Jian'an; Makrilakis, Konstantinos; Manning, Alisa K.; Martínez-Larrad, María Teresa; Narisu, Narisu; Nastase Mannila, Maria; Boekholdt, S. Matthijs; Kastelein, John J. P.; Rosendaal, Frits R.

    2011-01-01

    Proinsulin is a precursor of mature insulin and C-peptide. Higher circulating proinsulin levels are associated with impaired β-cell function, raised glucose levels, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes (T2D). Studies of the insulin processing pathway could provide new insights about T2D

  6. Magnetotelluric 2D Modelling Provides Insight on the Structural Characteristics of the Guadalajara (Mexico) Triple Junction Domains

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arboleda Zapata, M. D. J., Sr.; Arzate-Flores, J.; Guevara Betancourt, R. E., Sr.

    2017-12-01

    The Jalisco Block is a continental microplate produced by the extension along three large structures: the Tepic-Zacoalco rift (TZR), the Colima rift (CR) and the Chapala rift that converge in a triple junction 50 km southwest of Guadalajara, Mexico, with orientation NW-SE, N-S, and E-W respectively. The present study focuses on investigating the deep structure of the north Colima and eastern Zacoalco grabens close to the Guadalajara triple junction (GTJ). This is a first study of its type that provide insight on the grabens structures and crustal characteristics underneath. We measured along two magnetotellurics (MT) profiles that cut perpendicularly the TZR (profile ZAC), and the northern CR (profile SAY) comprising a total of 24 broad band MT soundings. The ZAC profile has 11 stations and has a NE orientation, and the SAY profile has 14 station aligned E-W. Standard processing and editing procedures were completed, and distortion analysis was applied to the data set in order to define the dimensionality and electric strike of the separated profiles. Static shift was corrected using geology information to distinguish the different types of soundings and later averaging for those soundings located over the same lithology. The Bahr dimensionality parameters showed that the medium is mainly 3D for the SAY profile and 2D for the ZAC profile; furthermore, the regional geoelectric strike azimuth calculated with Bahr methodology were -4° and -48° respectively, with good concordance with the main surface structures. The tipper analysis permitted validated these results, as the real induction vectors were nearly perpendicular to main fault structures. All soundings were rotated to the respective regional strike and a 2D simultaneous inversion of the transverse electric (TE) mode, the transvers magnetic (TM) mode and the Tipper was completed. The RMS fitting error yield 3.2% for ZAC profile and 3.7% for SAY profile. Both profiles show a shallow conductive zone at north of

  7. Neuromechanical Control for Hexapedal Robot Walking on Challenging Surfaces and Surface Classification

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Xiong, Xiaofeng; Wörgötter, Florentin; Manoonpong, Poramate

    2014-01-01

    The neuromechanical control principles of animal locomotion provide good insights for the development of bio-inspired legged robots for walking on challenging surfaces. Based on such principles, we developed a neuromechanical controller consisting of a modular neural network (MNN) and of virtual...... agonist–antagonist muscle mechanisms (VAAMs). The controller allows for variable compliant leg motions of a hexapod robot, thereby leading to energy-efficient walking on different surfaces. Without any passive mechanisms or torque and position feedback at each joint, the variable compliant leg motions...... are achieved by only changing the stiffness parameters of the VAAMs. In addition, six surfaces can be also classified by observing the motor signals generated by the controller. The performance of the controller is tested on a physical hexapod robot. Experimental results show that it can effectively walk...

  8. Application of Laser Pulse Heating to Simulate Thermomechanical Damage at Gun Bore Surfaces

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Cote, Paul

    2003-01-01

    Laser pulse heating experiments were performed to provide insights into the thermomechanical damage effects that occur at the surface of coated and uncoated gun steel under cyclic rapid heating and cooling...

  9. Solid surface vs. liquid surface: nanoarchitectonics, molecular machines, and DNA origami.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ariga, Katsuhiko; Mori, Taizo; Nakanishi, Waka; Hill, Jonathan P

    2017-09-13

    The investigation of molecules and materials at interfaces is critical for the accumulation of new scientific insights and technological advances in the chemical and physical sciences. Immobilization on solid surfaces permits the investigation of different properties of functional molecules or materials with high sensitivity and high spatial resolution. Liquid surfaces also present important media for physicochemical innovation and insight based on their great flexibility and dynamicity, rapid diffusion of molecular components for mixing and rearrangements, as well as drastic spatial variation in the prevailing dielectric environment. Therefore, a comparative discussion of the relative merits of the properties of materials when positioned at solid or liquid surfaces would be informative regarding present-to-future developments of surface-based technologies. In this perspective article, recent research examples of nanoarchitectonics, molecular machines, DNA nanotechnology, and DNA origami are compared with respect to the type of surface used, i.e. solid surfaces vs. liquid surfaces, for future perspectives of interfacial physics and chemistry.

  10. Physically-insightful equivalent circuit models for electromagnetic periodic structures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mesa, F.; Rodríguez-Berral, R.; Medina, F.

    2018-02-01

    In this presentation it will be discussed how to obtain analytical or quasi-analytical equivalent circuits to deal with periodic structures such as frequency selective surfaces and/or metasurfaces. Both the topology and the values of the involved elements of these circuits are obtained from a basic rationale to solve the corresponding integral equation. This procedure, besides providing a very efficient analysis/design tool, allows for a good physical insight into the operating mechanisms of the structure in contrast with the almost blind numerical scheme of commercial simulators.

  11. On-surface synthesis on a bulk insulator surface

    Science.gov (United States)

    Richter, Antje; Floris, Andrea; Bechstein, Ralf; Kantorovich, Lev; Kühnle, Angelika

    2018-04-01

    On-surface synthesis has rapidly emerged as a most promising approach to prepare functional molecular structures directly on a support surface. Compared to solution synthesis, performing chemical reactions on a surface offers several exciting new options: due to the absence of a solvent, reactions can be envisioned that are otherwise not feasible due to the insolubility of the reaction product. Perhaps even more important, the confinement to a two-dimensional surface might enable reaction pathways that are not accessible otherwise. Consequently, on-surface synthesis has attracted great attention in the last decade, with an impressive number of classical reactions transferred to a surface as well as new reactions demonstrated that have no classical analogue. So far, the majority of the work has been carried out on conducting surfaces. However, when aiming for electronic decoupling of the resulting structures, e.g. for the use in future molecular electronic devices, non-conducting surfaces are highly desired. Here, we review the current status of on-surface reactions demonstrated on the (10.4) surface of the bulk insulator calcite. Besides thermally induced C-C coupling of halogen-substituted aryls, photochemically induced [2  +  2] cycloaddition has been proven possible on this surface. Moreover, experimental evidence exists for coupling of terminal alkynes as well as diacetylene polymerization. While imaging of the resulting structures with dynamic atomic force microscopy provides a direct means of reaction verification, the detailed reaction pathway often remains unclear. Especially in cases where the presence of metal atoms is known to catalyze the corresponding solution chemistry reaction (e.g. in the case of the Ullmann reaction), disclosing the precise reaction pathway is of importance to understand and generalize on-surface reactivity on a bulk insulator surface. To this end, density-functional theory calculations have proven to provide atomic

  12. Physical mapping and BAC-end sequence analysis provide initial insights into the flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) genome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ragupathy, Raja; Rathinavelu, Rajkumar; Cloutier, Sylvie

    2011-05-09

    Flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) is an important source of oil rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which have proven health benefits and utility as an industrial raw material. Flax seeds also contain lignans which are associated with reducing the risk of certain types of cancer. Its bast fibres have broad industrial applications. However, genomic tools needed for molecular breeding were non existent. Hence a project, Total Utilization Flax GENomics (TUFGEN) was initiated. We report here the first genome-wide physical map of flax and the generation and analysis of BAC-end sequences (BES) from 43,776 clones, providing initial insights into the genome. The physical map consists of 416 contigs spanning ~368 Mb, assembled from 32,025 fingerprints, representing roughly 54.5% to 99.4% of the estimated haploid genome (370-675 Mb). The N50 size of the contigs was estimated to be ~1,494 kb. The longest contig was ~5,562 kb comprising 437 clones. There were 96 contigs containing more than 100 clones. Approximately 54.6 Mb representing 8-14.8% of the genome was obtained from 80,337 BES. Annotation revealed that a large part of the genome consists of ribosomal DNA (~13.8%), followed by known transposable elements at 6.1%. Furthermore, ~7.4% of sequence was identified to harbour novel repeat elements. Homology searches against flax-ESTs and NCBI-ESTs suggested that ~5.6% of the transcriptome is unique to flax. A total of 4064 putative genomic SSRs were identified and are being developed as novel markers for their use in molecular breeding. The first genome-wide physical map of flax constructed with BAC clones provides a framework for accessing target loci with economic importance for marker development and positional cloning. Analysis of the BES has provided insights into the uniqueness of the flax genome. Compared to other plant genomes, the proportion of rDNA was found to be very high whereas the proportion of known transposable elements was low. The SSRs identified from BES will be

  13. Ab initio lattice dynamics of metal surfaces

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Heid, R.; Bohnen, K.-P.

    2003-01-01

    Dynamical properties of atoms on surfaces depend sensitively on their bonding environment and thus provide valuable insight into the local geometry and chemical binding at the boundary of a solid. Density-functional theory provides a unified approach to the calculation of structural and dynamical properties from first principles. Its high accuracy and predictive power for lattice dynamical properties of semiconductor surfaces has been demonstrated in a previous article by Fritsch and Schroeder (Phys. Rep. 309 (1999) 209). In this report, we review the state-of-the-art of these ab initio approaches to surface dynamical properties of metal surfaces. We give a brief introduction to the conceptual framework with focus on recent advances in computational procedures for the ab initio linear-response approach, which have been a prerequisite for an efficient treatment of surface dynamics of noble and transition metals. The discussed applications to clean and adsorbate-covered surfaces demonstrate the high accuracy and reliability of this approach in predicting detailed microscopic properties of the phonon dynamics for a wide range of metallic surfaces

  14. Thermodynamic properties of water solvating biomolecular surfaces

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heyden, Matthias

    Changes in the potential energy and entropy of water molecules hydrating biomolecular interfaces play a significant role for biomolecular solubility and association. Free energy perturbation and thermodynamic integration methods allow calculations of free energy differences between two states from simulations. However, these methods are computationally demanding and do not provide insights into individual thermodynamic contributions, i.e. changes in the solvent energy or entropy. Here, we employ methods to spatially resolve distributions of hydration water thermodynamic properties in the vicinity of biomolecular surfaces. This allows direct insights into thermodynamic signatures of the hydration of hydrophobic and hydrophilic solvent accessible sites of proteins and small molecules and comparisons to ideal model surfaces. We correlate dynamic properties of hydration water molecules, i.e. translational and rotational mobility, to their thermodynamics. The latter can be used as a guide to extract thermodynamic information from experimental measurements of site-resolved water dynamics. Further, we study energy-entropy compensations of water at different hydration sites of biomolecular surfaces. This work is supported by the Cluster of Excellence RESOLV (EXC 1069) funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft.

  15. Eggshell Porosity Provides Insight on Evolution of Nesting in Dinosaurs.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kohei Tanaka

    Full Text Available Knowledge about the types of nests built by dinosaurs can provide insight into the evolution of nesting and reproductive behaviors among archosaurs. However, the low preservation potential of their nesting materials and nesting structures means that most information can only be gleaned indirectly through comparison with extant archosaurs. Two general nest types are recognized among living archosaurs: 1 covered nests, in which eggs are incubated while fully covered by nesting material (as in crocodylians and megapodes, and 2 open nests, in which eggs are exposed in the nest and brooded (as in most birds. Previously, dinosaur nest types had been inferred by estimating the water vapor conductance (i.e., diffusive capacity of their eggs, based on the premise that high conductance corresponds to covered nests and low conductance to open nests. However, a lack of statistical rigor and inconsistencies in this method render its application problematic and its validity questionable. As an alternative we propose a statistically rigorous approach to infer nest type based on large datasets of eggshell porosity and egg mass compiled for over 120 extant archosaur species and 29 archosaur extinct taxa/ootaxa. The presence of a strong correlation between eggshell porosity and nest type among extant archosaurs indicates that eggshell porosity can be used as a proxy for nest type, and thus discriminant analyses can help predict nest type in extinct taxa. Our results suggest that: 1 covered nests are likely the primitive condition for dinosaurs (and probably archosaurs, and 2 open nests first evolved among non-avian theropods more derived than Lourinhanosaurus and were likely widespread in non-avian maniraptorans, well before the appearance of birds. Although taphonomic evidence suggests that basal open nesters (i.e., oviraptorosaurs and troodontids were potentially the first dinosaurs to brood their clutches, they still partially buried their eggs in sediment

  16. Eggshell Porosity Provides Insight on Evolution of Nesting in Dinosaurs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tanaka, Kohei; Zelenitsky, Darla K; Therrien, François

    2015-01-01

    Knowledge about the types of nests built by dinosaurs can provide insight into the evolution of nesting and reproductive behaviors among archosaurs. However, the low preservation potential of their nesting materials and nesting structures means that most information can only be gleaned indirectly through comparison with extant archosaurs. Two general nest types are recognized among living archosaurs: 1) covered nests, in which eggs are incubated while fully covered by nesting material (as in crocodylians and megapodes), and 2) open nests, in which eggs are exposed in the nest and brooded (as in most birds). Previously, dinosaur nest types had been inferred by estimating the water vapor conductance (i.e., diffusive capacity) of their eggs, based on the premise that high conductance corresponds to covered nests and low conductance to open nests. However, a lack of statistical rigor and inconsistencies in this method render its application problematic and its validity questionable. As an alternative we propose a statistically rigorous approach to infer nest type based on large datasets of eggshell porosity and egg mass compiled for over 120 extant archosaur species and 29 archosaur extinct taxa/ootaxa. The presence of a strong correlation between eggshell porosity and nest type among extant archosaurs indicates that eggshell porosity can be used as a proxy for nest type, and thus discriminant analyses can help predict nest type in extinct taxa. Our results suggest that: 1) covered nests are likely the primitive condition for dinosaurs (and probably archosaurs), and 2) open nests first evolved among non-avian theropods more derived than Lourinhanosaurus and were likely widespread in non-avian maniraptorans, well before the appearance of birds. Although taphonomic evidence suggests that basal open nesters (i.e., oviraptorosaurs and troodontids) were potentially the first dinosaurs to brood their clutches, they still partially buried their eggs in sediment. Open nests

  17. Social network analysis provides insights into African swine fever epidemiology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lichoti, Jacqueline Kasiiti; Davies, Jocelyn; Kitala, Philip M; Githigia, Samuel M; Okoth, Edward; Maru, Yiheyis; Bukachi, Salome A; Bishop, Richard P

    2016-04-01

    Pig movements play a significant role in the spread of economically important infectious diseases such as the African swine fever. Characterization of movement networks between pig farms and through other types of farm and household enterprises that are involved in pig value chains can provide useful information on the role that different participants in the networks play in pathogen transmission. Analysis of social networks that underpin these pig movements can reveal pathways that are important in the transmission of disease, trade in commodities, the dissemination of information and the influence of behavioural norms. We assessed pig movements among pig keeping households within West Kenya and East Uganda and across the shared Kenya-Uganda border in the study region, to gain insight into within-country and trans-boundary pig movements. Villages were sampled using a randomized cluster design. Data were collected through interviews in 2012 and 2013 from 683 smallholder pig-keeping households in 34 villages. NodeXL software was used to describe pig movement networks at village level. The pig movement and trade networks were localized and based on close social networks involving family ties, friendships and relationships with neighbours. Pig movement network modularity ranged from 0.2 to 0.5 and exhibited good community structure within the network implying an easy flow of knowledge and adoption of new attitudes and beliefs, but also promoting an enhanced rate of disease transmission. The average path length of 5 defined using NodeXL, indicated that disease could easily reach every node in a cluster. Cross-border boar service between Uganda and Kenya was also recorded. Unmonitored trade in both directions was prevalent. While most pig transactions in the absence of disease, were at a small scale (sales during ASF outbreaks were to traders or other farmers from outside the sellers' village at a range of >10km. The close social relationships between actors in pig

  18. Analysis of energy flow during playground surface impacts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davidson, Peter L; Wilson, Suzanne J; Chalmers, David J; Wilson, Barry D; Eager, David; McIntosh, Andrew S

    2013-10-01

    The amount of energy dissipated away from or returned to a child falling onto a surface will influence fracture risk but is not considered in current standards for playground impact-attenuating surfaces. A two-mass rheological computer simulation was used to model energy flow within the wrist and surface during hand impact with playground surfaces, and the potential of this approach to provide insights into such impacts and predict injury risk examined. Acceleration data collected on-site from typical playground surfaces and previously obtained data from children performing an exercise involving freefalling with a fully extended arm provided input. The model identified differences in energy flow properties between playground surfaces and two potentially harmful surface characteristics: more energy was absorbed by (work done on) the wrist during both impact and rebound on rubber surfaces than on bark, and rubber surfaces started to rebound (return energy to the wrist) while the upper limb was still moving downward. Energy flow analysis thus provides information on playground surface characteristics and the impact process, and has the potential to identify fracture risks, inform the development of safer impact-attenuating surfaces, and contribute to development of new energy-based arm fracture injury criteria and tests for use in conjunction with current methods.

  19. Global China Insights

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Segers, Rien; Fischer, Ingrid

    Journal in which the Groningen Confucius Institute (GCI) shares different perspectives on China and provides insights into China from as many different aspects as possible. GCI aims to provide a full view of real China to the readers as well as featuring international and comprehensive perspectives,

  20. Global China Insights

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Segers, Rien; Havinga, Marieke; Fischer, Ingrid

    2013-01-01

    Journal in which the Groningen Confucius Institute (GCI) shares different perspectives on China and provides insights into China from as many different aspects as possible. GCI aims to provide a full view of real China to the readers as well as featuring international and comprehensive perspectives,

  1. The pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) genome provides insights into fruit quality and ovule developmental biology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yuan, Zhaohe; Fang, Yanming; Zhang, Taikui; Fei, Zhangjun; Han, Fengming; Liu, Cuiyu; Liu, Min; Xiao, Wei; Zhang, Wenjing; Wu, Shan; Zhang, Mengwei; Ju, Youhui; Xu, Huili; Dai, He; Liu, Yujun; Chen, Yanhui; Wang, Lili; Zhou, Jianqing; Guan, Dian; Yan, Ming; Xia, Yanhua; Huang, Xianbin; Liu, Dongyuan; Wei, Hongmin; Zheng, Hongkun

    2017-12-22

    Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) has an ancient cultivation history and has become an emerging profitable fruit crop due to its attractive features such as the bright red appearance and the high abundance of medicinally valuable ellagitannin-based compounds in its peel and aril. However, the limited genomic resources have restricted further elucidation of genetics and evolution of these interesting traits. Here, we report a 274-Mb high-quality draft pomegranate genome sequence, which covers approximately 81.5% of the estimated 336-Mb genome, consists of 2177 scaffolds with an N50 size of 1.7 Mb and contains 30 903 genes. Phylogenomic analysis supported that pomegranate belongs to the Lythraceae family rather than the monogeneric Punicaceae family, and comparative analyses showed that pomegranate and Eucalyptus grandis share the paleotetraploidy event. Integrated genomic and transcriptomic analyses provided insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the biosynthesis of ellagitannin-based compounds, the colour formation in both peels and arils during pomegranate fruit development, and the unique ovule development processes that are characteristic of pomegranate. This genome sequence provides an important resource to expand our understanding of some unique biological processes and to facilitate both comparative biology studies and crop breeding. © 2017 The Authors. Plant Biotechnology Journal published by Society for Experimental Biology and The Association of Applied Biologists and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  2. Modeling fMRI signals can provide insights into neural processing in the cerebral cortex.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vanni, Simo; Sharifian, Fariba; Heikkinen, Hanna; Vigário, Ricardo

    2015-08-01

    Every stimulus or task activates multiple areas in the mammalian cortex. These distributed activations can be measured with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), which has the best spatial resolution among the noninvasive brain imaging methods. Unfortunately, the relationship between the fMRI activations and distributed cortical processing has remained unclear, both because the coupling between neural and fMRI activations has remained poorly understood and because fMRI voxels are too large to directly sense the local neural events. To get an idea of the local processing given the macroscopic data, we need models to simulate the neural activity and to provide output that can be compared with fMRI data. Such models can describe neural mechanisms as mathematical functions between input and output in a specific system, with little correspondence to physiological mechanisms. Alternatively, models can be biomimetic, including biological details with straightforward correspondence to experimental data. After careful balancing between complexity, computational efficiency, and realism, a biomimetic simulation should be able to provide insight into how biological structures or functions contribute to actual data processing as well as to promote theory-driven neuroscience experiments. This review analyzes the requirements for validating system-level computational models with fMRI. In particular, we study mesoscopic biomimetic models, which include a limited set of details from real-life networks and enable system-level simulations of neural mass action. In addition, we discuss how recent developments in neurophysiology and biophysics may significantly advance the modelling of fMRI signals. Copyright © 2015 the American Physiological Society.

  3. A Comparative Genomic Survey Provides Novel Insights into Molecular Evolution of l-Aromatic Amino Acid Decarboxylase in Vertebrates

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yanping Li

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Melatonin is a pleiotropic molecule with various important physiological roles in vertebrates. l-aromatic amino acid decarboxylase (AAAD is the second enzyme for melatonin synthesis. By far, a clear-cut gene function of AAAD in the biosynthesis of melatonin has been unclear in vertebrates. Here, we provide novel insights into the evolution of AAAD based on 77 vertebrate genomes. According to our genome-wide alignments, we extracted a total of 151 aaad nucleotide sequences. A phylogenetic tree was constructed on the basis of these sequences and corresponding protein alignments, indicating that tetrapods and diploid bony fish genomes contained one aaad gene and a new aaad-like gene, which formed a novel AAAD family. However, in tetraploid teleosts, there were two copies of the aaad gene due to whole genome duplication. A subsequent synteny analysis investigated 81 aaad sequences and revealed their collinearity and systematic evolution. Interestingly, we discovered that platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus, Atlantic cod (Guadus morhua, Mexican tetra (Astyanax mexicanus, and a Sinocyclocheilus cavefish (S. anshuiensis have long evolutionary branches in the phylogenetic topology. We also performed pseudogene identification and selection pressure analysis; however, the results revealed a deletion of 37 amino acids in Atlantic cod and premature stop codons in the cave-restricted S. anshuiensis and A. mexicanus, suggesting weakening or disappearing rhythms in these cavefishes. Selective pressure analysis of aaad between platypus and other tetrapods showed that rates of nonsynonymous (Ka and synonymous (Ks substitutions were higher when comparing the platypus to other representative tetrapods, indicating that, in this semiaquatic mammal, the aaad gene experienced selection during the process of evolution. In summary, our current work provides novel insights into aaad genes in vertebrates from a genome-wide view.

  4. Complementation studies with the novel "Bungowannah" virus provide new insights in the compatibility of pestivirus proteins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Richter, Maria; Reimann, Ilona; Wegelt, Anne; Kirkland, Peter D; Beer, Martin

    2011-09-30

    In recent years several atypical pestiviruses have been described. Bungowannah virus is the most divergent virus in this group. Therefore, heterologous complementation was used to clarify the phylogenetic relationship and to analyze the exchangeability of genome regions encoding structural proteins. Using a BVDV type 1 backbone, chimeric constructs with substituted envelope proteins E(rns), E1 and E2, were investigated. While all constructs replicated autonomously, infectious high titer chimeric virus could only be observed after exchanging the complete E1-E2 encoding region. The complementation of E1 and E2 alone resulted only in replicons. Complementation of BVDV-E(rns) was only efficient if Bungowannah virus-E(rns) was expressed from a bicistronic construct. Our data provide new insights in the compatibility of pestivirus proteins and demonstrate that heterologous complementation could be useful to characterize new pestiviruses. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Dust devil track survey at Elysium Planitia, Mars: Implications for the InSight landing sites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reiss, Dennis; Lorenz, Ralph D.

    2016-03-01

    The InSight (Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport) robotic lander is scheduled to land in Elysium Planitia on Mars in September 2016. InSight will perform the first comprehensive surface-based geophysical investigation including seismic measurements. Knowledge about encounter rates of dust devils with the InSight lander are important for two main reasons: (1) dust devils will affect the scientific measurements, i.e., wind-induced seismic noise, and (2) the power-supply of the InSight lander and instruments is provided by solar arrays and previous landers and rovers on Mars were affected by a steady decline in electrical power output due to atmospheric dust deposition on the solar panels. Long term science operations were only made possible by dust clearing events of the solar arrays caused by wind gusts and dust devils. In this study we analyzed dust devil tracks (DDTs) at the final InSight landing site region in Elysium Planitia. Formation of DDTs is caused by the removal of a layer of dust by passing dust devils, hence in principle the same process as clearing of dust from solar panels. We mapped the number, size (width and length), and orientation of DDTs in repeat observations using High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) images covering the exact same surface area acquired within a relatively short time span (solar panel clearing recurrence interval estimate of ∼11 Mars years using the mean annual DDT formation rate, and the mean DDT width and length from all measured DDTs. Due to several uncertainties this solar panel clearing recurrence interval for the InSight landing should be seen as an upper limit estimate.

  6. CYGNSS Surface Wind Observations and Surface Flux Estimates within Low-Latitude Extratropical Cyclones

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crespo, J.; Posselt, D. J.

    2017-12-01

    The Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS), launched in December 2016, aims to improve estimates of surface wind speeds over the tropical oceans. While CYGNSS's core mission is to provide better estimates of surface winds within the core of tropical cyclones, previous research has shown that the constellation, with its orbital inclination of 35°, also has the ability to observe numerous extratropical cyclones that form in the lower latitudes. Along with its high spatial and temporal resolution, CYGNSS can provide new insights into how extratropical cyclones develop and evolve, especially in the presence of thick clouds and precipitation. We will demonstrate this by presenting case studies of multiple extratropical cyclones observed by CYGNSS early on in its mission in both Northern and Southern Hemispheres. By using the improved estimates of surface wind speeds from CYGNSS, we can obtain better estimates of surface latent and sensible heat fluxes within and around extratropical cyclones. Surface heat fluxes, driven by surface winds and strong vertical gradients of water vapor and temperature, play a key role in marine cyclogenesis as they increase instability within the boundary layer and may contribute to extreme marine cyclogenesis. In the past, it has been difficult to estimate surface heat fluxes from space borne instruments, as these fluxes cannot be observed directly from space, and deficiencies in spatial coverage and attenuation from clouds and precipitation lead to inaccurate estimates of surface flux components, such as surface wind speeds. While CYGNSS only contributes estimates of surface wind speeds, we can combine this data with other reanalysis and satellite data to provide improved estimates of surface sensible and latent heat fluxes within and around extratropical cyclones and throughout the entire CYGNSS mission.

  7. Insights Into Care Providers' Understandings of Life Story Work With Persons With Dementia: Findings From a Qualitative Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berendonk, Charlotte; Caine, Vera

    2017-08-01

    In Germany, life story work, an approach which acknowledges humans as narrative beings and honors biographies, is required by health authorities to be integrated in care provided in nursing homes. Insufficient attention to life story work could place residents at risk of dehumanization, particularly residents with dementia, who depend on support of others to tell and make meaning of their life experiences. We conducted a qualitative study to gain insights into care providers' perceptions and practices of life story work with persons with dementia. Thirty-six care providers in 7 nursing homes participated in semistructured interviews or group discussions. We derived subjective theories (individual understandings) of care providers and higher-order concept patterns following the principles and processes of grounded theory. We found a great variation in participants' understandings of life story work. Some participants were unsure if and how life story work impacts persons with dementia. Starting points for improving the integration of life story work into practice are discussed. We conclude that care providers need a better understanding of life story work as a nursing intervention. The importance of the notion of humans as narrative beings and the multiple ways in which we story our lives as well as embody life stories needs to be further developed. Knowledge is required about the practical and systemic challenges of integrating life story work in the care of persons with dementia.

  8. State-dependent errors in a land surface model across biomes inferred from eddy covariance observations on multiple timescales

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Wang, T.; Brender, P.; Ciais, P.; Piao, S.; Mahecha, M.D.; Chevallier, F.; Reichstein, M.; Ottle, C.; Maignan, F.; Arain, A.; Bohrer, G.; Cescatti, A.; Kiely, G.; Law, B.E.; Lutz, M.; Montagnani, L.; Moors, E.J.

    2012-01-01

    Characterization of state-dependent model biases in land surface models can highlight model deficiencies, and provide new insights into model development. In this study, artificial neural networks (ANNs) are used to estimate the state-dependent biases of a land surface model (ORCHIDEE: ORganising

  9. Evolution of magnetism of Cr nanoclusters on a Au(111) surface

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gotsis, Harry; Kioussis, Nicholas; Papaconstantopoulos, Dimitri

    2004-03-01

    Advances in low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy under ultrahigh vacuum have provided new opportunities for investigating the magnetic structures of nanoclusters adsorbed on surfaces. Recent STM studies of Cr trimers on the Au(111) surface suggest a switching between two distinct electronic states. We have carried out ab initio electronic structure calculations to investigate the structural, electronic and magnetic properties of isolated Cr atoms, Cr dimers and trimers in different geometry. We will present results for the evolution of magnetic behavior including noncollinear magnetism and provide insight in the connection between magnetism and geometry.

  10. Physical mapping and BAC-end sequence analysis provide initial insights into the flax (Linum usitatissimum L. genome

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cloutier Sylvie

    2011-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Flax (Linum usitatissimum L. is an important source of oil rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which have proven health benefits and utility as an industrial raw material. Flax seeds also contain lignans which are associated with reducing the risk of certain types of cancer. Its bast fibres have broad industrial applications. However, genomic tools needed for molecular breeding were non existent. Hence a project, Total Utilization Flax GENomics (TUFGEN was initiated. We report here the first genome-wide physical map of flax and the generation and analysis of BAC-end sequences (BES from 43,776 clones, providing initial insights into the genome. Results The physical map consists of 416 contigs spanning ~368 Mb, assembled from 32,025 fingerprints, representing roughly 54.5% to 99.4% of the estimated haploid genome (370-675 Mb. The N50 size of the contigs was estimated to be ~1,494 kb. The longest contig was ~5,562 kb comprising 437 clones. There were 96 contigs containing more than 100 clones. Approximately 54.6 Mb representing 8-14.8% of the genome was obtained from 80,337 BES. Annotation revealed that a large part of the genome consists of ribosomal DNA (~13.8%, followed by known transposable elements at 6.1%. Furthermore, ~7.4% of sequence was identified to harbour novel repeat elements. Homology searches against flax-ESTs and NCBI-ESTs suggested that ~5.6% of the transcriptome is unique to flax. A total of 4064 putative genomic SSRs were identified and are being developed as novel markers for their use in molecular breeding. Conclusion The first genome-wide physical map of flax constructed with BAC clones provides a framework for accessing target loci with economic importance for marker development and positional cloning. Analysis of the BES has provided insights into the uniqueness of the flax genome. Compared to other plant genomes, the proportion of rDNA was found to be very high whereas the proportion of known transposable

  11. Human Performance on Insight Problem Solving: A Review

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chu, Yun; MacGregor, James N.

    2011-01-01

    The article provides a review of recent research on insight problem-solving performance. We discuss what insight problems are, the different types of classic and newer insight problems, and how we can classify them. We also explain some of the other aspects that affect insight performance, such as hints, analogs, training, thinking aloud, and…

  12. Genome-wide investigation of transcription factors provides insights into transcriptional regulation in Plutella xylostella.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Qian; Ma, Dongna; Huang, Yuping; He, Weiyi; Li, Yiying; Vasseur, Liette; You, Minsheng

    2018-04-01

    Transcription factors (TFs), which play a vital role in regulating gene expression, are prevalent in all organisms and characterization of them may provide important clues for understanding regulation in vivo. The present study reports a genome-wide investigation of TFs in the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L.), a worldwide pest of crucifers. A total of 940 TFs distributed among 133 families were identified. Phylogenetic analysis of insect species showed that some of these families were found to have expanded during the evolution of P. xylostella or Lepidoptera. RNA-seq analysis showed that some of the TF families, such as zinc fingers, homeobox, bZIP, bHLH, and MADF_DNA_bdg genes, were highly expressed in certain tissues including midgut, salivary glands, fat body, and hemocytes, with an obvious sex-biased expression pattern. In addition, a number of TFs showed significant differences in expression between insecticide susceptible and resistant strains, suggesting that these TFs play a role in regulating genes related to insecticide resistance. Finally, we identified an expansion of the HOX cluster in Lepidoptera, which might be related to Lepidoptera-specific evolution. Knockout of this cluster using CRISPR/Cas9 showed that the egg cannot hatch, indicating that this cluster may be related to egg development and maturation. This is the first comprehensive study on identifying and characterizing TFs in P. xylostella. Our results suggest that some TF families are expanded in the P. xylostella genome, and these TFs may have important biological roles in growth, development, sexual dimorphism, and resistance to insecticides. The present work provides a solid foundation for understanding regulation via TFs in P. xylostella and insights into the evolution of the P. xylostella genome.

  13. Military Medics Insight into Providing Womens Health Services

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-12-22

    determining a patient’s preference in a provider rather than gender (Buck & Littleton, 2014). Medics, particularly male medics, were keenly aware of...KS, Littleton HL. (2014). Stereotyped beliefs about male and female OB-GYNS: relationship to provider choice and patient satisfaction. Journal of...health care resource during deployment. Male and female IDCs felt obligated to educate women about how to conduct themselves on ship. In a

  14. World energy insight 2011

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2011-11-15

    The World Energy Insight 2011 is the official publication of the World Energy Council. It includes interviews, articles and case studies from a distinguished panel of World Energy Council Officers, CEOs, government ministers, academics and opinion formers from all areas of the energy sector and provides perspectives from around the globe. Government, industry and NGO's offer both policy and technology perspectives. The insights within this publication add to the work that WEC is doing to provide the forum for energy leaders, along with the on-going WEC studies and programmes on Energy Policies, 2050 Energy Scenarios, Energy Resources & Technologies, Energy for Urban Innovation, Rules Of Energy Trade and Global Energy Access.

  15. 2016 Mars Insight Mission Design and Navigation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abilleira, Fernando; Frauenholz, Ray; Fujii, Ken; Wallace, Mark; You, Tung-Han

    2014-01-01

    Scheduled for a launch in the 2016 Earth to Mars opportunity, the Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy, and Heat Transport (InSight) Mission will arrive to Mars in late September 2016 with the primary objective of placing a science lander on the surface of the Red Planet followed by the deployment of two science instruments to investigate the fundamental processes of terrestrial planet formation and evolution. In order to achieve a successful landing, the InSight Project has selected a launch/arrival strategy that satisfies the following key and driving requirements: (1) Deliver a total launch mass of 727 kg, (2) target a nominal landing site with a cumulative Delta V99 less than 30 m/s, and (3) approach EDL with a V-infinity upper limit of 3.941 km/s and (4) an entry flight-path angle (EFPA) of -12.5 +/- 0.26 deg, 3-sigma; the InSight trajectories have been designed such that they (5) provide UHF-band communications via Direct-To-Earth and MRO from Entry through landing plus 60 s, (6) with injection aimpoints biased away from Mars such that the probability of the launch vehicle upper stage impacting Mars is less than 1.0 X 10(exp 4) for fifty years after launch, and (7) non-nominal impact probabilities due to failure during the Cruise phase less than 1.0 X 10(exp 2).

  16. Ion induced optical emission for surface and depth profile analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    White, C.W.

    1977-01-01

    Low-energy ion bombardment of solid surfaces results in the emission of infrared, visible, and ultraviolet radiation produced by inelastic ion-solid collision processes. The emitted optical radiation provides important insight into low-energy particle-solid interactions and provides the basis for an analysis technique which can be used for surface and depth profile analysis with high sensitivity. The different kinds of collision induced optical radiation emitted as a result of low-energy particle-solid collisions are reviewed. Line radiation arising from excited states of sputtered atoms or molecules is shown to provide the basis for surface and depth profile analysis. The spectral characteristics of this type of radiation are discussed and applications of the ion induced optical emission technique are presented. These applications include measurements of ion implant profiles, detection sensitivities for submonolayer quantities of impurities on elemental surfaces, and the detection of elemental impurities on complex organic substrates

  17. A proteomic approach provides new insights into the control of soil-borne plant pathogens by Bacillus species.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Omür Baysal

    Full Text Available Beneficial microorganisms (also known as biopesticides are considered to be one of the most promising methods for more rational and safe crop management practices. We used Bacillus strains EU07, QST713 and FZB24, and investigated their inhibitory effect on Fusarium. Bacterial cell cultures, cell-free supernatants and volatiles displayed varying degrees of suppressive effect. Proteomic analysis of secreted proteins from EU07 and FZB24 revealed the presence of lytic enzymes, cellulases, proteases, 1,4-β-glucanase and hydrolases, all of which contribute to degradation of the pathogen cell wall. Further proteomic investigations showed that proteins involved in metabolism, protein folding, protein degradation, translation, recognition and signal transduction cascade play an important role in the control of Fusarium oxysporum. Our findings provide new knowledge on the mechanism of action of Bacillus species and insight into biocontrol mechanisms.

  18. Mechanisms of cell death in canine parvovirus-infected cells provide intuitive insights to developing nanotools for medicine

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jonna Nykky

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available Jonna Nykky, Jenni E Tuusa, Sanna Kirjavainen, Matti Vuento, Leona GilbertNanoscience Center and Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, FinlandAbstract: Viruses have great potential as nanotools in medicine for gene transfer, targeted gene delivery, and oncolytic cancer virotherapy. Here we have studied cell death mechanisms of canine parvovirus (CPV to increase the knowledge on the CPV life cycle in order to facilitate the development of better parvovirus vectors. Morphological studies of CPV-infected Norden laboratory feline kidney (NLFK cells and canine fibroma cells (A72 displayed characteristic apoptotic events. Apoptosis was further confirmed by activation of caspases and cellular DNA damage. However, results from annexin V-propidium iodide (PI labeling and membrane polarization assays indicated disruption of the plasma membrane uncommon to apoptosis. These results provide evidence that secondary necrosis followed apoptosis. In addition, two human cancer cell lines were found to be infected by CPV. This necrotic event over apoptotic cell death and infection in human cells provide insightful information when developing CPV as a nanotool for cancer treatments.Keywords: canine parvovirus, apoptosis, necrosis, nanoparticle, virotherapy

  19. Characteristics of Kodak Insight, an F-speed intraoral film.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ludlow, J B; Platin, E; Mol, A

    2001-01-01

    This study reports film speed, contrast, exposure latitude, resolution, and response to processing solution depletion of Kodak Insight intraoral film. Densitometric curves were generated by using International Standards Organization protocol. Additional curves were generated for Ultra-speed, Ektaspeed Plus, and Insight films developed in progressively depleted processing solutions. Eight observers viewed images of a resolution test tool for maximum resolution assessment. Images of an aluminum step-wedge were reviewed to determine useful exposure latitude. Insight's sensitivity in fresh automatic processor solutions places it in the F-speed group. An average gradient of 1.8 was found with all film types. Insight provided 93% of the useful exposure latitude of Ektaspeed Plus film. Insight maintained contrast in progressively depleted processing solutions. Like Ektaspeed Plus, Insight was able to resolve at least 20 line-pairs per millimeter. Under International Standards Organization conditions, Insight required only 77% of the exposure of Ektaspeed Plus film. Insight film provided stable contrast in depleted processing solutions.

  20. Characterization of hairless (Hr) and FGF5 genes provides insights into the molecular basis of hair loss in cetaceans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Zhuo; Wang, Zhengfei; Xu, Shixia; Zhou, Kaiya; Yang, Guang

    2013-02-09

    Hair is one of the main distinguishing characteristics of mammals and it has many important biological functions. Cetaceans originated from terrestrial mammals and they have evolved a series of adaptations to aquatic environments, which are of evolutionary significance. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying their aquatic adaptations have not been well explored. This study provided insights into the evolution of hair loss during the transition from land to water by investigating and comparing two essential regulators of hair follicle development and hair follicle cycling, i.e., the Hairless (Hr) and FGF5 genes, in representative cetaceans and their terrestrial relatives. The full open reading frame sequences of the Hr and FGF5 genes were characterized in seven cetaceans. The sequence characteristics and evolutionary analyses suggested the functional loss of the Hr gene in cetaceans, which supports the loss of hair during their full adaptation to aquatic habitats. By contrast, positive selection for the FGF5 gene was found in cetaceans where a series of positively selected amino acid residues were identified. This is the first study to investigate the molecular basis of the hair loss in cetaceans. Our investigation of Hr and FGF5, two indispensable regulators of the hair cycle, provide some new insights into the molecular basis of hair loss in cetaceans. The results suggest that positive selection for the FGF5 gene might have promoted the termination of hair growth and early entry into the catagen stage of hair follicle cycling. Consequently, the hair follicle cycle was disrupted and the hair was lost completely due to the loss of the Hr gene function in cetaceans. This suggests that cetaceans have evolved an effective and complex mechanism for hair loss.

  1. World energy insight 2011

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2011-11-15

    The World Energy Insight 2011 is the official publication of the World Energy Council. It includes interviews, articles and case studies from a distinguished panel of World Energy Council Officers, CEOs, government ministers, academics and opinion formers from all areas of the energy sector and provides perspectives from around the globe. Government, industry and NGO's offer both policy and technology perspectives. The insights within this publication add to the work that WEC is doing to provide the forum for energy leaders, along with the on-going WEC studies and programmes on Energy Policies, 2050 Energy Scenarios, Energy Resources & Technologies, Energy for Urban Innovation, Rules Of Energy Trade and Global Energy Access.

  2. Comparative transcriptome analysis provides new insights into erect and prostrate growth in bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon L.).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Bing; Xiao, Xiaolin; Zong, Junqin; Chen, Jingbo; Li, Jianjian; Guo, Hailin; Liu, Jianxiu

    2017-12-01

    Bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon L.) is a prominent warm-season turf and forage grass species with multiple applications. In most C. dactylon cultivars and accessions, erect-growing stems (shoot) and prostrate-growing stems (stolon) often coexist. These two types of stems are both formed through tillering but grow in two directions with different tiller angles. Elucidating the mechanism of tiller angle regulation in bermudagrass could provide important clues to breed cultivars with different plant architectural features for diverse usage. In this study, we compared the stem internode transcriptome of two bermudagrass wild accessions with extremely different tiller angles and stem growth directions. A total of 2088 and 12,141 unigenes were preferentially expressed in prostrate-growing wild accession C792 and erect-growing wild accession C793, respectively. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) Orthology-based Annotation System (KOBAS) analyses further indicated that light- and gravity-responsive genes were enriched in accession C792, whereas lignin synthesis-related genes were enriched in accession C793, which well explains the difference in lignification of vascular bundles and mechanical tissues in the two accessions. These results not only expand our understanding of the genetic control of tiller angle and stem growth direction in bermudagrass but also provide insight for future molecular breeding of C. dactylon and other turfgrass species with different plant architectures. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  3. Rapid comparison of properties on protein surface.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sael, Lee; La, David; Li, Bin; Rustamov, Raif; Kihara, Daisuke

    2008-10-01

    The mapping of physicochemical characteristics onto the surface of a protein provides crucial insights into its function and evolution. This information can be further used in the characterization and identification of similarities within protein surface regions. We propose a novel method which quantitatively compares global and local properties on the protein surface. We have tested the method on comparison of electrostatic potentials and hydrophobicity. The method is based on 3D Zernike descriptors, which provides a compact representation of a given property defined on a protein surface. Compactness and rotational invariance of this descriptor enable fast comparison suitable for database searches. The usefulness of this method is exemplified by studying several protein families including globins, thermophilic and mesophilic proteins, and active sites of TIM beta/alpha barrel proteins. In all the cases studied, the descriptor is able to cluster proteins into functionally relevant groups. The proposed approach can also be easily extended to other surface properties. This protein surface-based approach will add a new way of viewing and comparing proteins to conventional methods, which compare proteins in terms of their primary sequence or tertiary structure.

  4. In Situ SIMS and IR Spectroscopy of Well-Defined Surfaces Prepared by Soft Landing of Mass-Selected Ions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Johnson, Grant E.; Gunaratne, Kalupathirannehelage Don D.; Laskin, Julia

    2014-06-16

    Soft landing of mass-selected ions onto surfaces is a powerful approach for the highly-controlled preparation of materials that are inaccessible using conventional synthesis techniques. Coupling soft landing with in situ characterization using secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) and infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy (IRRAS) enables analysis of well-defined surfaces under clean vacuum conditions. The capabilities of three soft-landing instruments constructed in our laboratory are illustrated for the representative system of surface-bound organometallics prepared by soft landing of mass-selected ruthenium tris(bipyridine) dications, [Ru(bpy)3]2+, onto carboxylic acid terminated self-assembled monolayer surfaces on gold (COOH-SAMs). In situ time-of-flight (TOF)-SIMS provides insight into the reactivity of the soft-landed ions. In addition, the kinetics of charge reduction, neutralization and desorption occurring on the COOH-SAM both during and after ion soft landing are studied using in situ Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FT-ICR)-SIMS measurements. In situ IRRAS experiments provide insight into how the structure of organic ligands surrounding metal centers is perturbed through immobilization of organometallic ions on COOH-SAM surfaces by soft landing. Collectively, the three instruments provide complementary information about the chemical composition, reactivity and structure of well-defined species supported on surfaces.

  5. Atomic Force Microscopy Provides New Mechanistic Insights into the Pathogenesis of Pemphigus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Franziska Vielmuth

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Autoantibodies binding to the extracellular domains of desmoglein (Dsg 3 and 1 are critical in the pathogenesis of pemphigus by mechanisms leading to impaired function of desmosomes and blister formation in the epidermis and mucous membranes. Desmosomes are highly organized protein complexes which provide strong intercellular adhesion. Desmosomal cadherins such as Dsgs, proteins of the cadherin superfamily which interact via their extracellular domains in Ca2+-dependent manner, are the transmembrane adhesion molecules clustered within desmosomes. Investigations on pemphigus cover a wide range of experimental approaches including biophysical methods. Especially atomic force microscopy (AFM has recently been applied increasingly because it allows the analysis of native materials such as cultured cells and tissues under near-physiological conditions. AFM provides information about the mechanical properties of the sample together with detailed interaction analyses of adhesion molecules. With AFM, it was recently demonstrated that autoantibodies directly inhibit Dsg interactions on the surface of living keratinocytes, a phenomenon which has long been considered the main mechanism causing loss of cell cohesion in pemphigus. In addition, AFM allows to study how signaling pathways altered in pemphigus control binding properties of Dsgs. More general, AFM and other biophysical studies recently revealed the importance of keratin filaments for regulation of Dsg binding and keratinocyte mechanical properties. In this mini-review, we reevaluate AFM studies in pemphigus and keratinocyte research, recapitulate what is known about the interaction mechanisms of desmosomal cadherins and discuss the advantages and limitations of AFM in these regards.

  6. Surface phase transitions in cu-based solid solutions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhevnenko, S. N.; Chernyshikhin, S. V.

    2017-11-01

    We have measured surface energy in two-component Cu-based systems in H2 + Ar gas atmosphere. The experiments on solid Cu [Ag] and Cu [Co] solutions show presence of phase transitions on the surfaces. Isotherms of the surface energy have singularities (the minimum in the case of copper solid solutions with silver and the maximum in the case of solid solutions with cobalt). In both cases, the surface phase transitions cause deficiency of surface miscibility: formation of a monolayer (multilayer) (Cu-Ag) or of nanoscale particles (Cu-Co). At the same time, according to the volume phase diagrams, the concentration and temperature of the surface phase transitions correspond to the solid solution within the volume. The method permits determining the rate of diffusional creep in addition to the surface energy. The temperature and concentration dependence of the solid solutions' viscosity coefficient supports the fact of the surface phase transitions and provides insights into the diffusion properties of the transforming surfaces.

  7. An integrated Biophysical CGE model to provide Sustainable Development Goal insights

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sanchez, Marko; Cicowiez, Martin; Howells, Mark; Zepeda, Eduardo

    2016-04-01

    Future projected changes in the energy system will inevitably result in changes to the level of appropriation of environmental resources, particularly land and water, and this will have wider implications for environmental sustainability, and may affect other sectors of the economy. An integrated climate, land, energy and water (CLEW) system will provide useful insights, particularly with regard to the environmental sustainability. However, it will require adequate integration with other tools to detect economic impacts and broaden the scope for policy analysis. A computable general equilibrium (CGE) model is a well suited tool to channel impacts, as detected in a CLEW analysis, onto all sectors of the economy, and evaluate trade-offs and synergies, including those of possible policy responses. This paper will show an application of such integration in a single-country CGE model with the following key characteristics. Climate is partly exogenous (as proxied by temperature and rainfall) and partly endogenous (as proxied by emissions generated by different sectors) and has an impact on endogenous variables such as land productivity and labor productivity. Land is a factor of production used in agricultural and forestry activities which can be of various types if land use alternatives (e.g., deforestation) are to be considered. Energy is an input to the production process of all economic sectors and a consumption good for households. Because it is possible to allow for substitution among different energy sources (e.g. renewable vs non-renewable) in the generation of electricity, the production process of energy products can consider the use of natural resources such as oil and water. Water, data permitting, can be considered as an input into the production process of agricultural sectors, which is particularly relevant in case of irrigation. It can also be considered as a determinant of total factor productivity in hydro-power generation. The integration of a CLEW

  8. The contact sport of rough surfaces

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carpick, Robert W.

    2018-01-01

    Describing the way two surfaces touch and make contact may seem simple, but it is not. Fully describing the elastic deformation of ideally smooth contacting bodies, under even low applied pressure, involves second-order partial differential equations and fourth-rank elastic constant tensors. For more realistic rough surfaces, the problem becomes a multiscale exercise in surface-height statistics, even before including complex phenomena such as adhesion, plasticity, and fracture. A recent research competition, the “Contact Mechanics Challenge” (1), was designed to test various approximate methods for solving this problem. A hypothetical rough surface was generated, and the community was invited to model contact with this surface with competing theories for the calculation of properties, including contact area and pressure. A supercomputer-generated numerical solution was kept secret until competition entries were received. The comparison of results (2) provides insights into the relative merits of competing models and even experimental approaches to the problem.

  9. Combined use of atomic force microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and secondary ion mass spectrometry for cell surface analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dague, Etienne; Delcorte, Arnaud; Latgé, Jean-Paul; Dufrêne, Yves F

    2008-04-01

    Understanding the surface properties of microbial cells is a major challenge of current microbiological research and a key to efficiently exploit them in biotechnology. Here, we used three advanced surface analysis techniques with different sensitivity, probing depth, and lateral resolution, that is, in situ atomic force microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and secondary ion mass spectrometry, to gain insight into the surface properties of the conidia of the human fungal pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus. We show that the native ultrastructure, surface protein and polysaccharide concentrations, and amino acid composition of three mutants affected in hydrophobin production are markedly different from those of the wild-type, thereby providing novel insight into the cell wall architecture of A. fumigatus. The results demonstrate the power of using multiple complementary techniques for probing microbial cell surfaces.

  10. Quantification of deexcitation processes for analyzing liquid surfaces

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Morgner, H., E-mail: hmorgner@rz.uni-leipzig.de

    2014-12-01

    In the last two decades the mathematical tools for quantitative data evaluation have been developed for several surface spectroscopic techniques like Angular Resolved X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (ARXPS), Neutral Impact Collision Ion Scattering Spectroscopy (NICISS) and Metastable Induced Electron Spectroscopy (MIES). Provided that the experimental data are of good quality, quantitative data processing can add a lot to the information that can be gained from surface spectroscopy. We give a selection of references that contain information on these methods. The emphasis of this contribution aims at providing motivation to apply quantitative data evaluation by presenting a few examples. We try to demonstrate, that careful data evaluation may lead to interesting insight into basic concepts as well as to results that are useful for practical applications.

  11. Quantification of deexcitation processes for analyzing liquid surfaces

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Morgner, H.

    2014-01-01

    In the last two decades the mathematical tools for quantitative data evaluation have been developed for several surface spectroscopic techniques like Angular Resolved X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (ARXPS), Neutral Impact Collision Ion Scattering Spectroscopy (NICISS) and Metastable Induced Electron Spectroscopy (MIES). Provided that the experimental data are of good quality, quantitative data processing can add a lot to the information that can be gained from surface spectroscopy. We give a selection of references that contain information on these methods. The emphasis of this contribution aims at providing motivation to apply quantitative data evaluation by presenting a few examples. We try to demonstrate, that careful data evaluation may lead to interesting insight into basic concepts as well as to results that are useful for practical applications

  12. Ion track membranes providing heat pipe surfaces with capillary structures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Akapiev, G.N.; Dmitriev, S.N.; Erler, B.; Shirkova, V.V.; Schulz, A.; Pietsch, H.

    2003-01-01

    The microgalvanic method for metal filling of etched ion tracks in organic foils is of particular interest for the fabrication of microsized structures. Microstructures like copper whiskers with a high aspect ratio produced in ion track membranes are suitable for the generation of high-performance heat transfer surfaces. A surface with good heat transfer characteristics is defined as a surface on which a small temperature difference causes a large heat transfer from the surface material to the liquid. It is well-known that a porous surface layer transfers to an evaporating liquid a given quantity of heat at a smaller temperature difference than does a usual smooth surface. Copper whiskers with high aspect ratio and a density 10 5 per cm 2 form such a porous structure, which produces strong capillary forces and therefore a maximum of heat transfer coefficients

  13. Genome-wide association identifies nine common variants associated with fasting proinsulin levels and provides new insights into the pathophysiology of type 2 diabetes

    OpenAIRE

    Strawbridge, Rona; Dupuis, Josée; Prokopenko, Inga; Barker, Adam; Ahlqvist, Emma; Rybin, Denis; Petrie, John; Bouatia-Naji, Nabila; Dimas, Antigone; Wheeler, Eleanor; Chen, Han; Voight, Benjamin; Taneera, Jalal; Kanoni, Stavroula; Peden, John

    2011-01-01

    textabstractOBJECTIVE - Proinsulin is a precursor of mature insulin and C-peptide. Higher circulating proinsulin levels are associated with impaired b-cell function, raised glucose levels, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes (T2D). Studies of the insulin processing pathway could provide new insights about T2D pathophysiology. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS - We have conducted a meta-analysis of genome-wide association tests of ;2.5 million genotyped or imputed single nucleotide polymorphisms...

  14. Diagnostic accuracy of insight intraoral film on dental caries

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yoon, Young Nam; Lee, Byung Do [Wonkwang University College of Medicine, Iksan (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Sang Rae [Kyunghee University College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    2004-03-15

    To compare the diagnostic accuracy of Kodak Insight film with other intra-oral films in the detection of dental caries. Periapical radiographs of 99 extracted human teeth with sound proximal surfaces and interproximal artificial cavities were made on Kodak Ultra speed, Ektaspeed, Agfa Ektaspeed and Kodak Insight films and automatically processed. Six dentists examined the presence of dental caries using a five-point confidence rating scale and compared the diagnostic accuracy by ROC (Receiver Operating Characteristic) analysis and ANOVA test. The sensitivity of Kodak Ultra speed, Ektaspeed, Agfa Ektaspeed and Insight film were 0.84, 0.77, 0.75 and 0.79 respectively. The specificity of Kodak Ultra speed, Ektaspeed, Agfa Ektaspeed and Insight film were 0.97, 0.95, 0.96 and 0.94 respectively. The mean ROC areas (Az) of Kodak Ultra speed, Ektaspeed, Agfa Ektaspeed and Insight film were 0.917, 0.910, 0.894, 0.909 respectively. There was no significant differences between Az of Insight film and other films (p = 0.178). Theses results suggested that Kodak Insight film have the comparative diagnostic accuracy of dental caries with Ultraspeed and Ektaspeed films. (77)

  15. Diagnostic accuracy of insight intraoral film on dental caries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yoon, Young Nam; Lee, Byung Do; Lee, Sang Rae

    2004-01-01

    To compare the diagnostic accuracy of Kodak Insight film with other intra-oral films in the detection of dental caries. Periapical radiographs of 99 extracted human teeth with sound proximal surfaces and interproximal artificial cavities were made on Kodak Ultra speed, Ektaspeed, Agfa Ektaspeed and Kodak Insight films and automatically processed. Six dentists examined the presence of dental caries using a five-point confidence rating scale and compared the diagnostic accuracy by ROC (Receiver Operating Characteristic) analysis and ANOVA test. The sensitivity of Kodak Ultra speed, Ektaspeed, Agfa Ektaspeed and Insight film were 0.84, 0.77, 0.75 and 0.79 respectively. The specificity of Kodak Ultra speed, Ektaspeed, Agfa Ektaspeed and Insight film were 0.97, 0.95, 0.96 and 0.94 respectively. The mean ROC areas (Az) of Kodak Ultra speed, Ektaspeed, Agfa Ektaspeed and Insight film were 0.917, 0.910, 0.894, 0.909 respectively. There was no significant differences between Az of Insight film and other films (p = 0.178). Theses results suggested that Kodak Insight film have the comparative diagnostic accuracy of dental caries with Ultraspeed and Ektaspeed films. (77)

  16. Local pH at the surface of hen egg white lysozyme

    Science.gov (United States)

    Otosu, Takuhiro; Kobayashi, Kaito; Yamaguchi, Shoichi

    2018-02-01

    The microenvironment at the surface of hen-egg-white lysozyme (HEWL) was examined by analyzing the change in pKa of fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) upon binding to the N-terminus of HEWL. The result showed that the local pH at the HEWL surface is higher than the bulk pH. Furthermore, the data showed that the difference between the local and bulk pH becomes larger with decreasing pH, suggesting HEWL repels more protons at lower pH. Because the local pH affects the protonation states of functional amino-acids at the protein surface, the results provide the fundamental insight into the microenvironment at the protein surface.

  17. Insights in time dependent cross compartment sensitivities from ensemble simulations with the fully coupled subsurface-land surface-atmosphere model TerrSysMP

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schalge, Bernd; Rihani, Jehan; Haese, Barbara; Baroni, Gabriele; Erdal, Daniel; Haefliger, Vincent; Lange, Natascha; Neuweiler, Insa; Hendricks-Franssen, Harrie-Jan; Geppert, Gernot; Ament, Felix; Kollet, Stefan; Cirpka, Olaf; Saavedra, Pablo; Han, Xujun; Attinger, Sabine; Kunstmann, Harald; Vereecken, Harry; Simmer, Clemens

    2017-04-01

    Currently, an integrated approach to simulating the earth system is evolving where several compartment models are coupled to achieve the best possible physically consistent representation. We used the model TerrSysMP, which fully couples subsurface, land surface and atmosphere, in a synthetic study that mimicked the Neckar catchment in Southern Germany. A virtual reality run at a high resolution of 400m for the land surface and subsurface and 1.1km for the atmosphere was made. Ensemble runs at a lower resolution (800m for the land surface and subsurface) were also made. The ensemble was generated by varying soil and vegetation parameters and lateral atmospheric forcing among the different ensemble members in a systematic way. It was found that the ensemble runs deviated for some variables and some time periods largely from the virtual reality reference run (the reference run was not covered by the ensemble), which could be related to the different model resolutions. This was for example the case for river discharge in the summer. We also analyzed the spread of model states as function of time and found clear relations between the spread and the time of the year and weather conditions. For example, the ensemble spread of latent heat flux related to uncertain soil parameters was larger under dry soil conditions than under wet soil conditions. Another example is that the ensemble spread of atmospheric states was more influenced by uncertain soil and vegetation parameters under conditions of low air pressure gradients (in summer) than under conditions with larger air pressure gradients in winter. The analysis of the ensemble of fully coupled model simulations provided valuable insights in the dynamics of land-atmosphere feedbacks which we will further highlight in the presentation.

  18. Deep transcriptome sequencing provides new insights into the structural and functional organization of the wheat genome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pingault, Lise; Choulet, Frédéric; Alberti, Adriana; Glover, Natasha; Wincker, Patrick; Feuillet, Catherine; Paux, Etienne

    2015-02-10

    Because of its size, allohexaploid nature, and high repeat content, the bread wheat genome is a good model to study the impact of the genome structure on gene organization, function, and regulation. However, because of the lack of a reference genome sequence, such studies have long been hampered and our knowledge of the wheat gene space is still limited. The access to the reference sequence of the wheat chromosome 3B provided us with an opportunity to study the wheat transcriptome and its relationships to genome and gene structure at a level that has never been reached before. By combining this sequence with RNA-seq data, we construct a fine transcriptome map of the chromosome 3B. More than 8,800 transcription sites are identified, that are distributed throughout the entire chromosome. Expression level, expression breadth, alternative splicing as well as several structural features of genes, including transcript length, number of exons, and cumulative intron length are investigated. Our analysis reveals a non-monotonic relationship between gene expression and structure and leads to the hypothesis that gene structure is determined by its function, whereas gene expression is subject to energetic cost. Moreover, we observe a recombination-based partitioning at the gene structure and function level. Our analysis provides new insights into the relationships between gene and genome structure and function. It reveals mechanisms conserved with other plant species as well as superimposed evolutionary forces that shaped the wheat gene space, likely participating in wheat adaptation.

  19. Athena: Providing Insight into the History of the Universe

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murphy, Gloria A.

    2010-01-01

    The American Institute for Aeronautics and Astronautics has provided a Request for Proposal which calls for a manned mission to a Near-Earth Object. It is the goal of Team COLBERT to respond to their request by providing a reusable system that can be implemented as a solid stepping stone for future manned trips to Mars and beyond. Despite Team COLBERT consisting of only students in Aerospace Engineering, in order to achieve this feat, the team must employ the use of Systems Engineering. Tools and processes from Systems Engineering will provide quantitative and semi-quantitative tools for making design decisions and evaluating items such as budgets and schedules. This paper will provide an in-depth look at some of the Systems Engineering processes employed and will step through the design process of a Human Asteroid Exploration System.

  20. Newly evolved introns in human retrogenes provide novel insights into their evolutionary roles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kang Li-Fang

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Retrogenes generally do not contain introns. However, in some instances, retrogenes may recruit internal exonic sequences as introns, which is known as intronization. A retrogene that undergoes intronization is a good model with which to investigate the origin of introns. Nevertheless, previously, only two cases in vertebrates have been reported. Results In this study, we systematically screened the human (Homo sapiens genome for retrogenes that evolved introns and analyzed their patterns in structure, expression and origin. In total, we identified nine intron-containing retrogenes. Alignment of pairs of retrogenes and their parents indicated that, in addition to intronization (five cases, retrogenes also may have gained introns by insertion of external sequences into the genes (one case or reversal of the orientation of transcription (three cases. Interestingly, many intronizations were promoted not by base substitutions but by cryptic splice sites, which were silent in the parental genes but active in the retrogenes. We also observed that the majority of introns generated by intronization did not involve frameshifts. Conclusions Intron gains in retrogenes are not as rare as previously thought. Furthermore, diverse mechanisms may lead to intron creation in retrogenes. The activation of cryptic splice sites in the intronization of retrogenes may be triggered by the change of gene structure after retroposition. A high percentage of non-frameshift introns in retrogenes may be because non-frameshift introns do not dramatically affect host proteins. Introns generated by intronization in human retrogenes are generally young, which is consistent with previous findings for Caenorhabditis elegans. Our results provide novel insights into the evolutionary role of introns.

  1. The biological and structural characterization of Mycobacterium tuberculosis UvrA provides novel insights into its mechanism of action.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rossi, Franca; Khanduja, Jasbeer Singh; Bortoluzzi, Alessio; Houghton, Joanna; Sander, Peter; Güthlein, Carolin; Davis, Elaine O; Springer, Burkhard; Böttger, Erik C; Relini, Annalisa; Penco, Amanda; Muniyappa, K; Rizzi, Menico

    2011-09-01

    Mycobacterium tuberculosis is an extremely well adapted intracellular human pathogen that is exposed to multiple DNA damaging chemical assaults originating from the host defence mechanisms. As a consequence, this bacterium is thought to possess highly efficient DNA repair machineries, the nucleotide excision repair (NER) system amongst these. Although NER is of central importance to DNA repair in M. tuberculosis, our understanding of the processes in this species is limited. The conserved UvrABC endonuclease represents the multi-enzymatic core in bacterial NER, where the UvrA ATPase provides the DNA lesion-sensing function. The herein reported genetic analysis demonstrates that M. tuberculosis UvrA is important for the repair of nitrosative and oxidative DNA damage. Moreover, our biochemical and structural characterization of recombinant M. tuberculosis UvrA contributes new insights into its mechanism of action. In particular, the structural investigation reveals an unprecedented conformation of the UvrB-binding domain that we propose to be of functional relevance. Taken together, our data suggest UvrA as a potential target for the development of novel anti-tubercular agents and provide a biochemical framework for the identification of small-molecule inhibitors interfering with the NER activity in M. tuberculosis.

  2. NEW INSIGHT INTO THE SOLAR SYSTEM’S TRANSITION DISK PHASE PROVIDED BY THE METAL-RICH CARBONACEOUS CHONDRITE ISHEYEVO

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Morris, Melissa A.; Garvie, Laurence A. J.; Knauth, L. Paul

    2015-01-01

    Many aspects of planet formation are controlled by the amount of gas remaining in the natal protoplanetary disks (PPDs). Infrared observations show that PPDs undergo a transition stage at several megayears, during which gas densities are reduced. Our Solar System would have experienced such a stage. However, there is currently no data that provides insight into this crucial time in our PPD’s evolution. We show that the Isheyevo meteorite contains the first definitive evidence for a transition disk stage in our Solar System. Isheyevo belongs to a class of metal-rich meteorites whose components have been dated at almost 5 Myr after formation of Ca, Al-rich inclusions, and exhibits unique sedimentary layers that imply formation through gentle sedimentation. We show that such layering can occur via the gentle sweep-up of material found in the impact plume resulting from the collision of two planetesimals. Such sweep-up requires gas densities consistent with observed transition disks (10 −12 –10 −11 g cm −3 ). As such, Isheyevo presents the first evidence of our own transition disk and provides new constraints on the evolution of our solar nebula

  3. NEW INSIGHT INTO THE SOLAR SYSTEM’S TRANSITION DISK PHASE PROVIDED BY THE METAL-RICH CARBONACEOUS CHONDRITE ISHEYEVO

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Morris, Melissa A. [State University of New York, Cortland, NY 13045 (United States); Garvie, Laurence A. J. [Center for Meteorite Studies, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287 (United States); Knauth, L. Paul, E-mail: melissa.morris@cortland.edu [School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287 (United States)

    2015-03-10

    Many aspects of planet formation are controlled by the amount of gas remaining in the natal protoplanetary disks (PPDs). Infrared observations show that PPDs undergo a transition stage at several megayears, during which gas densities are reduced. Our Solar System would have experienced such a stage. However, there is currently no data that provides insight into this crucial time in our PPD’s evolution. We show that the Isheyevo meteorite contains the first definitive evidence for a transition disk stage in our Solar System. Isheyevo belongs to a class of metal-rich meteorites whose components have been dated at almost 5 Myr after formation of Ca, Al-rich inclusions, and exhibits unique sedimentary layers that imply formation through gentle sedimentation. We show that such layering can occur via the gentle sweep-up of material found in the impact plume resulting from the collision of two planetesimals. Such sweep-up requires gas densities consistent with observed transition disks (10{sup −12}–10{sup −11} g cm{sup −3}). As such, Isheyevo presents the first evidence of our own transition disk and provides new constraints on the evolution of our solar nebula.

  4. Condensation on superhydrophobic surfaces: the role of local energy barriers and structure length scale.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Enright, Ryan; Miljkovic, Nenad; Al-Obeidi, Ahmed; Thompson, Carl V; Wang, Evelyn N

    2012-10-09

    Water condensation on surfaces is a ubiquitous phase-change process that plays a crucial role in nature and across a range of industrial applications, including energy production, desalination, and environmental control. Nanotechnology has created opportunities to manipulate this process through the precise control of surface structure and chemistry, thus enabling the biomimicry of natural surfaces, such as the leaves of certain plant species, to realize superhydrophobic condensation. However, this "bottom-up" wetting process is inadequately described using typical global thermodynamic analyses and remains poorly understood. In this work, we elucidate, through imaging experiments on surfaces with structure length scales ranging from 100 nm to 10 μm and wetting physics, how local energy barriers are essential to understand non-equilibrium condensed droplet morphologies and demonstrate that overcoming these barriers via nucleation-mediated droplet-droplet interactions leads to the emergence of wetting states not predicted by scale-invariant global thermodynamic analysis. This mechanistic understanding offers insight into the role of surface-structure length scale, provides a quantitative basis for designing surfaces optimized for condensation in engineered systems, and promises insight into ice formation on surfaces that initiates with the condensation of subcooled water.

  5. Some problems associated with radiolabeling surface antigens on helminth parasites: a brief review

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hayunga, E.G. (Division of Tropical Public Health, Department of Preventive Medicine and Biometrics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD (USA)); Murrell, K.D. (Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville, MD (USA))

    1982-06-01

    Recent developments in technology have facilitated substantial advances in the characterization of surface antigens from a wide variety of both normal and neoplastic cells. However, the immunochemistry of parasites has lagged behind. Efforts to apply conventional radiolabeling methods to helminths have not always been successful. Experimental work with Schistosoma mansoni is reviewed to illustrate common problems encountered in surface labeling studies. These findings should provide insight for the future investigation of other helminth species.

  6. Some problems associated with radiolabeling surface antigens on helminth parasites: a brief review

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hayunga, E.G.; Murrell, K.D.

    1982-01-01

    Recent developments in technology have facilitated substantial advances in the characterization of surface antigens from a wide variety of both normal and neoplastic cells. However, the immunochemistry of parasites has lagged behind. Efforts to apply conventional radiolabeling methods to helminths have not always been successful. Experimental work with Schistosoma mansoni is reviewed to illustrate common problems encountered in surface labeling studies. These findings should provide insight for the future investigation of other helminth species. (Auth.)

  7. Groundwater–Surface Water Exchange

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Karan, Sachin

    The exchange of groundwater-surface water has been invetigated in the western part of Denmark. Holtum AA provides the framework for all the performed investigations. Several methods are used, primarily eld based measurements ombined with numerical models to achieve insight to the governing...... processes of interaction between groundwater and surface water. By using heat as a tracer it has been possible to use temperature directly as calibrationtargets in a groundwater and heat transport model. Thus, it is possible to use heat investigate the change in groundwater discharge in dynamic conditions...... by using simple temperature devices along a stream to delineate the areas of interest in regard to GW{SW exchange. Thus, at several locations in a stream a temperature data logger was placed in the water column and right at the streambed-water interface. By looking at the correlation of streambed...

  8. Surface Passivation for Single-molecule Protein Studies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chandradoss, Stanley D.; Haagsma, Anna C.; Lee, Young Kwang; Hwang, Jae-Ho; Nam, Jwa-Min; Joo, Chirlmin

    2014-01-01

    Single-molecule fluorescence spectroscopy has proven to be instrumental in understanding a wide range of biological phenomena at the nanoscale. Important examples of what this technique can yield to biological sciences are the mechanistic insights on protein-protein and protein-nucleic acid interactions. When interactions of proteins are probed at the single-molecule level, the proteins or their substrates are often immobilized on a glass surface, which allows for a long-term observation. This immobilization scheme may introduce unwanted surface artifacts. Therefore, it is essential to passivate the glass surface to make it inert. Surface coating using polyethylene glycol (PEG) stands out for its high performance in preventing proteins from non-specifically interacting with a glass surface. However, the polymer coating procedure is difficult, due to the complication arising from a series of surface treatments and the stringent requirement that a surface needs to be free of any fluorescent molecules at the end of the procedure. Here, we provide a robust protocol with step-by-step instructions. It covers surface cleaning including piranha etching, surface functionalization with amine groups, and finally PEG coating. To obtain a high density of a PEG layer, we introduce a new strategy of treating the surface with PEG molecules over two rounds, which remarkably improves the quality of passivation. We provide representative results as well as practical advice for each critical step so that anyone can achieve the high quality surface passivation. PMID:24797261

  9. Surface characterization protocol for precision aspheric optics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sarepaka, RamaGopal V.; Sakthibalan, Siva; Doodala, Somaiah; Panwar, Rakesh S.; Kotaria, Rajendra

    2017-10-01

    In Advanced Optical Instrumentation, Aspherics provide an effective performance alternative. The aspheric fabrication and surface metrology, followed by aspheric design are complementary iterative processes for Precision Aspheric development. As in fabrication, a holistic approach of aspheric surface characterization is adopted to evaluate actual surface error and to aim at the deliverance of aspheric optics with desired surface quality. Precision optical surfaces are characterized by profilometry or by interferometry. Aspheric profiles are characterized by contact profilometers, through linear surface scans to analyze their Form, Figure and Finish errors. One must ensure that, the surface characterization procedure does not add to the resident profile errors (generated during the aspheric surface fabrication). This presentation examines the errors introduced post-surface generation and during profilometry of aspheric profiles. This effort is to identify sources of errors and is to optimize the metrology process. The sources of error during profilometry may be due to: profilometer settings, work-piece placement on the profilometer stage, selection of zenith/nadir points of aspheric profiles, metrology protocols, clear aperture - diameter analysis, computational limitations of the profiler and the software issues etc. At OPTICA, a PGI 1200 FTS contact profilometer (Taylor-Hobson make) is used for this study. Precision Optics of various profiles are studied, with due attention to possible sources of errors during characterization, with multi-directional scan approach for uniformity and repeatability of error estimation. This study provides an insight of aspheric surface characterization and helps in optimal aspheric surface production methodology.

  10. Geophysical insights on the GIA process provided by high-quality constraints from peripheral regions: An outlook on perspectives from North America and from the Mediterranean basin

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roy, K.; Peltier, W. R.

    2017-12-01

    Our understanding of the Earth-Ice-Ocean interactions that have accompanied the large glaciation-deglaciation process characteristic of the last half of the Pleistocene has benefited significantly from the development of high-quality models of the Glacial Isostatic Adjustment (GIA) process. These models provide fundamental insight on the large changes in sea level and land ice cover over this time period, as well as key constraints on the viscosity structure of the Earth's interior. Their development has benefited from the recent availability of high-quality constraints from regions of forebulge collapse. In particular, over North America, the joint use of high-quality sea level data from the U.S. East coast, together with the vast network of precise space-geodetic observations of crustal motion existing over most of the interior of the continent, has led to the latest ICE-7G_NA (VM7) model (Roy & Peltier, GJI, 2017). In this paper, exciting opportunities provided by such high-quality observations related to the GIA process will be discussed, not only in the context of the continuing effort to refine global models of this phenomenon, but also in terms of the fundamental insight they may provide on outstanding issues in high-pressure geophysics, paleoclimatology or hydrogeology. Specific examples where such high-quality observations can be used (either separately, or using a combination of independent sources) will be presented, focusing particularly on constraints from the North American continent and from the Mediterranean basin. This work will demonstrate that, given the high-quality of currently available constraints on the GIA process, considerable further geophysical insight can be obtained based upon the use of spherically-symmetric models of the viscosity structure of the planet.

  11. The nature of inherent bactericidal activity: insights from the nanotopology of three species of dragonfly

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mainwaring, David E.; Nguyen, Song Ha; Webb, Hayden; Jakubov, Timur; Tobin, Mark; Lamb, Robert N.; Wu, Alex H.-F.; Marchant, Richard; Crawford, Russell J.; Ivanova, Elena P.

    2016-03-01

    While insect wings are widely recognised as multi-functional, recent work showed that this extends to extensive bactericidal activity brought about by cell deformation and lysis on the wing nanotopology. We now quantitatively show that subtle changes to this topography result in substantial changes in bactericidal activity that are able to span an order of magnitude. Notably, the chemical composition of the lipid nanopillars was seen by XPS and synchrotron FTIR microspectroscopy to be similar across these activity differences. Modelling the interaction between bacterial cells and the wing surface lipids of 3 species of dragonflies, that inhabit similar environments, but with distinctly different behavioural repertoires, provided the relationship between surface structure and antibacterial functionality. In doing so, these principal behavioural patterns correlated with the demands for antimicrobial efficiency dictated by differences in their foraging strategies. This work now reveals a new feature in the design elegance of natural multi-functional surfaces as well providing insights into the bactericidal mechanism underlying inherently antimicrobial materials, while suggesting that nanotopology is related to the evolutionary development of a species through the demands of its behavioural repertoire. The underlying relationship between the processes of wetting, adhesion and capillarity of the lipid nanopillars and bactericidal efficiency suggests new prospects for purely mechano-responsive antibacterial surfaces.While insect wings are widely recognised as multi-functional, recent work showed that this extends to extensive bactericidal activity brought about by cell deformation and lysis on the wing nanotopology. We now quantitatively show that subtle changes to this topography result in substantial changes in bactericidal activity that are able to span an order of magnitude. Notably, the chemical composition of the lipid nanopillars was seen by XPS and synchrotron

  12. Uranyl adsorption at clay mineral surfaces

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Roesch, N. [Technische Univ. Muenchen (Germany). Fachgebiet Theoretische Chemie

    2016-11-01

    This first systematic survey of actinide adsorption at complex clay mineral surfaces, which provided new insights at the atomic level, is currently being extended to neptunyl NpO{sub 2}{sup +} and more complex minerals, like iron-substituted phyllosilicates. In this way we examine if the concepts developed so far can be applied more generally to support the interpretation of pertinent experiments. A further facet of these studies is to account also for the dynamic nature of the mineral/water interface by means of exemplary dynamic simulations.

  13. Mars' Surface Radiation Environment Measured with the Mars Science Laboratory's Curiosity Rover

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hassler, Donald M.; Zeitlin, Cary; Wimmer-Schweingruber, Robert F.; Ehresmann, Bent; Rafkin, Scot; Eigenbrode, Jennifer L.; Brinza, David E.; Weigle, Gerald; Böttcher, Stephan; Böhm, Eckart; Burmeister, Soenke; Guo, Jingnan; Köhler, Jan; Martin, Cesar; Reitz, Guenther; Cucinotta, Francis A.; Kim, Myung-Hee; Grinspoon, David; Bullock, Mark A.; Posner, Arik; Gómez-Elvira, Javier; Vasavada, Ashwin; Grotzinger, John P.; MSL Science Team; Kemppinen, Osku; Cremers, David; Bell, James F.; Edgar, Lauren; Farmer, Jack; Godber, Austin; Wadhwa, Meenakshi; Wellington, Danika; McEwan, Ian; Newman, Claire; Richardson, Mark; Charpentier, Antoine; Peret, Laurent; King, Penelope; Blank, Jennifer; Schmidt, Mariek; Li, Shuai; Milliken, Ralph; Robertson, Kevin; Sun, Vivian; Baker, Michael; Edwards, Christopher; Ehlmann, Bethany; Farley, Kenneth; Griffes, Jennifer; Miller, Hayden; Newcombe, Megan; Pilorget, Cedric; Rice, Melissa; Siebach, Kirsten; Stack, Katie; Stolper, Edward; Brunet, Claude; Hipkin, Victoria; Léveillé, Richard; Marchand, Geneviève; Sánchez, Pablo Sobrón; Favot, Laurent; Cody, George; Steele, Andrew; Flückiger, Lorenzo; Lees, David; Nefian, Ara; Martin, Mildred; Gailhanou, Marc; Westall, Frances; Israël, Guy; Agard, Christophe; Baroukh, Julien; Donny, Christophe; Gaboriaud, Alain; Guillemot, Philippe; Lafaille, Vivian; Lorigny, Eric; Paillet, Alexis; Pérez, René; Saccoccio, Muriel; Yana, Charles; Armiens-Aparicio, Carlos; Rodríguez, Javier Caride; Blázquez, Isaías Carrasco; Gómez, Felipe Gómez; Hettrich, Sebastian; Malvitte, Alain Lepinette; Jiménez, Mercedes Marín; Martínez-Frías, Jesús; Martín-Soler, Javier; Martín-Torres, F. Javier; Jurado, Antonio Molina; Mora-Sotomayor, Luis; Caro, Guillermo Muñoz; López, Sara Navarro; Peinado-González, Verónica; Pla-García, Jorge; Manfredi, José Antonio Rodriguez; Romeral-Planelló, Julio José; Fuentes, Sara Alejandra Sans; Martinez, Eduardo Sebastian; Redondo, Josefina Torres; Urqui-O'Callaghan, Roser; Mier, María-Paz Zorzano; Chipera, Steve; Lacour, Jean-Luc; Mauchien, Patrick; Sirven, Jean-Baptiste; Manning, Heidi; Fairén, Alberto; Hayes, Alexander; Joseph, Jonathan; Squyres, Steven; Sullivan, Robert; Thomas, Peter; Dupont, Audrey; Lundberg, Angela; Melikechi, Noureddine; Mezzacappa, Alissa; Berger, Thomas; Matthia, Daniel; Prats, Benito; Atlaskin, Evgeny; Genzer, Maria; Harri, Ari-Matti; Haukka, Harri; Kahanpää, Henrik; Kauhanen, Janne; Kemppinen, Osku; Paton, Mark; Polkko, Jouni; Schmidt, Walter; Siili, Tero; Fabre, Cécile; Wray, James; Wilhelm, Mary Beth; Poitrasson, Franck; Patel, Kiran; Gorevan, Stephen; Indyk, Stephen; Paulsen, Gale; Gupta, Sanjeev; Bish, David; Schieber, Juergen; Gondet, Brigitte; Langevin, Yves; Geffroy, Claude; Baratoux, David; Berger, Gilles; Cros, Alain; d'Uston, Claude; Forni, Olivier; Gasnault, Olivier; Lasue, Jérémie; Lee, Qiu-Mei; Maurice, Sylvestre; Meslin, Pierre-Yves; Pallier, Etienne; Parot, Yann; Pinet, Patrick; Schröder, Susanne; Toplis, Mike; Lewin, Éric; Brunner, Will; Heydari, Ezat; Achilles, Cherie; Oehler, Dorothy; Sutter, Brad; Cabane, Michel; Coscia, David; Israël, Guy; Szopa, Cyril; Dromart, Gilles; Robert, François; Sautter, Violaine; Le Mouélic, Stéphane; Mangold, Nicolas; Nachon, Marion; Buch, Arnaud; Stalport, Fabien; Coll, Patrice; François, Pascaline; Raulin, François; Teinturier, Samuel; Cameron, James; Clegg, Sam; Cousin, Agnès; DeLapp, Dorothea; Dingler, Robert; Jackson, Ryan Steele; Johnstone, Stephen; Lanza, Nina; Little, Cynthia; Nelson, Tony; Wiens, Roger C.; Williams, Richard B.; Jones, Andrea; Kirkland, Laurel; Treiman, Allan; Baker, Burt; Cantor, Bruce; Caplinger, Michael; Davis, Scott; Duston, Brian; Edgett, Kenneth; Fay, Donald; Hardgrove, Craig; Harker, David; Herrera, Paul; Jensen, Elsa; Kennedy, Megan R.; Krezoski, Gillian; Krysak, Daniel; Lipkaman, Leslie; Malin, Michael; McCartney, Elaina; McNair, Sean; Nixon, Brian; Posiolova, Liliya; Ravine, Michael; Salamon, Andrew; Saper, Lee; Stoiber, Kevin; Supulver, Kimberley; Van Beek, Jason; Van Beek, Tessa; Zimdar, Robert; French, Katherine Louise; Iagnemma, Karl; Miller, Kristen; Summons, Roger; Goesmann, Fred; Goetz, Walter; Hviid, Stubbe; Johnson, Micah; Lefavor, Matthew; Lyness, Eric; Breves, Elly; Dyar, M. Darby; Fassett, Caleb; Blake, David F.; Bristow, Thomas; DesMarais, David; Edwards, Laurence; Haberle, Robert; Hoehler, Tori; Hollingsworth, Jeff; Kahre, Melinda; Keely, Leslie; McKay, Christopher; Wilhelm, Mary Beth; Bleacher, Lora; Brinckerhoff, William; Choi, David; Conrad, Pamela; Dworkin, Jason P.; Floyd, Melissa; Freissinet, Caroline; Garvin, James; Glavin, Daniel; Harpold, Daniel; Jones, Andrea; Mahaffy, Paul; Martin, David K.; McAdam, Amy; Pavlov, Alexander; Raaen, Eric; Smith, Michael D.; Stern, Jennifer; Tan, Florence; Trainer, Melissa; Meyer, Michael; Voytek, Mary; Anderson, Robert C.; Aubrey, Andrew; Beegle, Luther W.; Behar, Alberto; Blaney, Diana; Calef, Fred; Christensen, Lance; Crisp, Joy A.; DeFlores, Lauren; Ehlmann, Bethany; Feldman, Jason; Feldman, Sabrina; Flesch, Gregory; Hurowitz, Joel; Jun, Insoo; Keymeulen, Didier; Maki, Justin; Mischna, Michael; Morookian, John Michael; Parker, Timothy; Pavri, Betina; Schoppers, Marcel; Sengstacken, Aaron; Simmonds, John J.; Spanovich, Nicole; Juarez, Manuel de la Torre; Webster, Christopher R.; Yen, Albert; Archer, Paul Douglas; Jones, John H.; Ming, Douglas; Morris, Richard V.; Niles, Paul; Rampe, Elizabeth; Nolan, Thomas; Fisk, Martin; Radziemski, Leon; Barraclough, Bruce; Bender, Steve; Berman, Daniel; Dobrea, Eldar Noe; Tokar, Robert; Vaniman, David; Williams, Rebecca M. E.; Yingst, Aileen; Lewis, Kevin; Leshin, Laurie; Cleghorn, Timothy; Huntress, Wesley; Manhès, Gérard; Hudgins, Judy; Olson, Timothy; Stewart, Noel; Sarrazin, Philippe; Grant, John; Vicenzi, Edward; Wilson, Sharon A.; Hamilton, Victoria; Peterson, Joseph; Fedosov, Fedor; Golovin, Dmitry; Karpushkina, Natalya; Kozyrev, Alexander; Litvak, Maxim; Malakhov, Alexey; Mitrofanov, Igor; Mokrousov, Maxim; Nikiforov, Sergey; Prokhorov, Vasily; Sanin, Anton; Tretyakov, Vladislav; Varenikov, Alexey; Vostrukhin, Andrey; Kuzmin, Ruslan; Clark, Benton; Wolff, Michael; McLennan, Scott; Botta, Oliver; Drake, Darrell; Bean, Keri; Lemmon, Mark; Schwenzer, Susanne P.; Anderson, Ryan B.; Herkenhoff, Kenneth; Lee, Ella Mae; Sucharski, Robert; Hernández, Miguel Ángel de Pablo; Ávalos, Juan José Blanco; Ramos, Miguel; Malespin, Charles; Plante, Ianik; Muller, Jan-Peter; Navarro-González, Rafael; Ewing, Ryan; Boynton, William; Downs, Robert; Fitzgibbon, Mike; Harshman, Karl; Morrison, Shaunna; Dietrich, William; Kortmann, Onno; Palucis, Marisa; Sumner, Dawn Y.; Williams, Amy; Lugmair, Günter; Wilson, Michael A.; Rubin, David; Jakosky, Bruce; Balic-Zunic, Tonci; Frydenvang, Jens; Jensen, Jaqueline Kløvgaard; Kinch, Kjartan; Koefoed, Asmus; Madsen, Morten Bo; Stipp, Susan Louise Svane; Boyd, Nick; Campbell, John L.; Gellert, Ralf; Perrett, Glynis; Pradler, Irina; VanBommel, Scott; Jacob, Samantha; Owen, Tobias; Rowland, Scott; Atlaskin, Evgeny; Savijärvi, Hannu; García, César Martín; Mueller-Mellin, Reinhold; Bridges, John C.; McConnochie, Timothy; Benna, Mehdi; Franz, Heather; Bower, Hannah; Brunner, Anna; Blau, Hannah; Boucher, Thomas; Carmosino, Marco; Atreya, Sushil; Elliott, Harvey; Halleaux, Douglas; Rennó, Nilton; Wong, Michael; Pepin, Robert; Elliott, Beverley; Spray, John; Thompson, Lucy; Gordon, Suzanne; Newsom, Horton; Ollila, Ann; Williams, Joshua; Vasconcelos, Paulo; Bentz, Jennifer; Nealson, Kenneth; Popa, Radu; Kah, Linda C.; Moersch, Jeffrey; Tate, Christopher; Day, Mackenzie; Kocurek, Gary; Hallet, Bernard; Sletten, Ronald; Francis, Raymond; McCullough, Emily; Cloutis, Ed; ten Kate, Inge Loes; Kuzmin, Ruslan; Arvidson, Raymond; Fraeman, Abigail; Scholes, Daniel; Slavney, Susan; Stein, Thomas; Ward, Jennifer; Berger, Jeffrey; Moores, John E.

    2014-01-01

    The Radiation Assessment Detector (RAD) on the Mars Science Laboratory's Curiosity rover began making detailed measurements of the cosmic ray and energetic particle radiation environment on the surface of Mars on 7 August 2012. We report and discuss measurements of the absorbed dose and dose equivalent from galactic cosmic rays and solar energetic particles on the martian surface for ~300 days of observations during the current solar maximum. These measurements provide insight into the radiation hazards associated with a human mission to the surface of Mars and provide an anchor point with which to model the subsurface radiation environment, with implications for microbial survival times of any possible extant or past life, as well as for the preservation of potential organic biosignatures of the ancient martian environment.

  14. Mars' surface radiation environment measured with the Mars Science Laboratory's Curiosity rover.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hassler, Donald M; Zeitlin, Cary; Wimmer-Schweingruber, Robert F; Ehresmann, Bent; Rafkin, Scot; Eigenbrode, Jennifer L; Brinza, David E; Weigle, Gerald; Böttcher, Stephan; Böhm, Eckart; Burmeister, Soenke; Guo, Jingnan; Köhler, Jan; Martin, Cesar; Reitz, Guenther; Cucinotta, Francis A; Kim, Myung-Hee; Grinspoon, David; Bullock, Mark A; Posner, Arik; Gómez-Elvira, Javier; Vasavada, Ashwin; Grotzinger, John P

    2014-01-24

    The Radiation Assessment Detector (RAD) on the Mars Science Laboratory's Curiosity rover began making detailed measurements of the cosmic ray and energetic particle radiation environment on the surface of Mars on 7 August 2012. We report and discuss measurements of the absorbed dose and dose equivalent from galactic cosmic rays and solar energetic particles on the martian surface for ~300 days of observations during the current solar maximum. These measurements provide insight into the radiation hazards associated with a human mission to the surface of Mars and provide an anchor point with which to model the subsurface radiation environment, with implications for microbial survival times of any possible extant or past life, as well as for the preservation of potential organic biosignatures of the ancient martian environment.

  15. Surface emitting ring quantum cascade lasers for chemical sensing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Szedlak, Rolf; Hayden, Jakob; Martín-Mateos, Pedro; Holzbauer, Martin; Harrer, Andreas; Schwarz, Benedikt; Hinkov, Borislav; MacFarland, Donald; Zederbauer, Tobias; Detz, Hermann; Andrews, Aaron Maxwell; Schrenk, Werner; Acedo, Pablo; Lendl, Bernhard; Strasser, Gottfried

    2018-01-01

    We review recent advances in chemical sensing applications based on surface emitting ring quantum cascade lasers (QCLs). Such lasers can be implemented in monolithically integrated on-chip laser/detector devices forming compact gas sensors, which are based on direct absorption spectroscopy according to the Beer-Lambert law. Furthermore, we present experimental results on radio frequency modulation up to 150 MHz of surface emitting ring QCLs. This technique provides detailed insight into the modulation characteristics of such lasers. The gained knowledge facilitates the utilization of ring QCLs in combination with spectroscopic techniques, such as heterodyne phase-sensitive dispersion spectroscopy for gas detection and analysis.

  16. Low energy ion beam systems for surface analytical and structural studies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nelson, G.C.

    1980-01-01

    This paper reviews the use of low energy ion beam systems for surface analytical and structural studies. Areas where analytical methods which utilize ion beams can provide a unique insight into materials problems are discussed. The design criteria of ion beam systems for performing materials studies are described and the systems now being used by a number of laboratories are reviewed. Finally, several specific problems are described where the solution was provided at least in part by information provided by low energy ion analysis techniques

  17. The vibrational and buckling behaviors of piezoelectric nanobeams with surface effects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yan, Z; Jiang, L Y

    2011-01-01

    In this work, the influence of surface effects, including residual surface stress, surface elasticity and surface piezoelectricity, on the vibrational and buckling behaviors of piezoelectric nanobeams is investigated by using the Euler-Bernoulli beam theory. The surface effects are incorporated by applying the surface piezoelectricity model and the generalized Young-Laplace equations. The results demonstrate that surface effects play a significant role in predicting these behaviors. It is found that the influence of the residual surface stress and the surface piezoelectricity on the resonant frequencies and the critical electric potential for buckling is more prominent than the surface elasticity. The nanobeam boundary conditions are also found to influence the surface effects on these parameters. This study also shows that the resonant frequencies can be tuned by adjusting the applied electrical load. The present study is envisaged to provide useful insights for the design and applications of piezoelectric-beam-based nanodevices.

  18. Sulfide Mineral Surfaces

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rosso, Kevin M.; Vaughan, David J.

    2006-01-01

    The past twenty years or so have seen dramatic development of the experimental and theoretical tools available to study the surfaces of solids at the molecular (?atomic resolution?) scale. On the experimental side, two areas of development well illustrate these advances. The first concerns the high intensity photon sources associated with synchrotron radiation; these have both greatly improved the surface sensitivity and spatial resolution of already established surface spectroscopic and diffraction methods, and enabled the development of new methods for studying surfaces. The second centers on the scanning probe microscopy (SPM) techniques initially developed in the 1980's with the first scanning tunneling microscope (STM) and atomic force microscope (AFM) experiments. The direct 'observation' of individual atoms at surfaces made possible with these methods has truly revolutionized surface science. On the theoretical side, the availability of high performance computers coupled with advances in computational modeling has provided powerful new tools to complement the advances in experiment. Particularly important have been the quantum mechanics based computational approaches such as density functional theory (DFT), which can now be easily used to calculate the equilibrium crystal structures of solids and surfaces from first principles, and to provide insights into their electronic structure. In this chapter, we review current knowledge of sulfide mineral surfaces, beginning with an overview of the principles relevant to the study of the surfaces of all crystalline solids. This includes the thermodynamics of surfaces, the atomic structure of surfaces (surface crystallography and structural stability, adjustments of atoms at the surface through relaxation or reconstruction, surface defects) and the electronic structure of surfaces. We then discuss examples where specific crystal surfaces have been studied, with the main sulfide minerals organized by structure type

  19. Sulfide Mineral Surfaces

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rosso, Kevin M.; Vaughan, David J.

    2006-08-01

    The past twenty years or so have seen dramatic development of the experimental and theoretical tools available to study the surfaces of solids at the molecular (?atomic resolution?) scale. On the experimental side, two areas of development well illustrate these advances. The first concerns the high intensity photon sources associated with synchrotron radiation; these have both greatly improved the surface sensitivity and spatial resolution of already established surface spectroscopic and diffraction methods, and enabled the development of new methods for studying surfaces. The second centers on the scanning probe microscopy (SPM) techniques initially developed in the 1980's with the first scanning tunneling microscope (STM) and atomic force microscope (AFM) experiments. The direct 'observation' of individual atoms at surfaces made possible with these methods has truly revolutionized surface science. On the theoretical side, the availability of high performance computers coupled with advances in computational modeling has provided powerful new tools to complement the advances in experiment. Particularly important have been the quantum mechanics based computational approaches such as density functional theory (DFT), which can now be easily used to calculate the equilibrium crystal structures of solids and surfaces from first principles, and to provide insights into their electronic structure. In this chapter, we review current knowledge of sulfide mineral surfaces, beginning with an overview of the principles relevant to the study of the surfaces of all crystalline solids. This includes the thermodynamics of surfaces, the atomic structure of surfaces (surface crystallography and structural stability, adjustments of atoms at the surface through relaxation or reconstruction, surface defects) and the electronic structure of surfaces. We then discuss examples where specific crystal surfaces have been studied, with the main sulfide minerals organized by

  20. Rotational electrical impedance tomography using electrodes with limited surface coverage provides window for multimodal sensing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lehti-Polojärvi, Mari; Koskela, Olli; Seppänen, Aku; Figueiras, Edite; Hyttinen, Jari

    2018-02-01

    Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) is an imaging method that could become a valuable tool in multimodal applications. One challenge in simultaneous multimodal imaging is that typically the EIT electrodes cover a large portion of the object surface. This paper investigates the feasibility of rotational EIT (rEIT) in applications where electrodes cover only a limited angle of the surface of the object. In the studied rEIT, the object is rotated a full 360° during a set of measurements to increase the information content of the data. We call this approach limited angle full revolution rEIT (LAFR-rEIT). We test LAFR-rEIT setups in two-dimensional geometries with computational and experimental data. We use up to 256 rotational measurement positions, which requires a new way to solve the forward and inverse problem of rEIT. For this, we provide a modification, available for EIDORS, in the supplementary material. The computational results demonstrate that LAFR-rEIT with eight electrodes produce the same image quality as conventional 16-electrode rEIT, when data from an adequate number of rotational measurement positions are used. Both computational and experimental results indicate that the novel LAFR-rEIT provides good EIT with setups with limited surface coverage and a small number of electrodes.

  1. Genetic correlates of insight in schizophrenia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xavier, Rose Mary; Vorderstrasse, Allison; Keefe, Richard S E; Dungan, Jennifer R

    2018-05-01

    Insight in schizophrenia is clinically important as it is associated with several adverse outcomes. Genetic contributions to insight are unknown. We examined genetic contributions to insight by investigating if polygenic risk scores (PRS) and candidate regions were associated with insight. Schizophrenia case-only analysis of the Clinical Antipsychotics Trials of Intervention Effectiveness trial. Schizophrenia PRS was constructed using Psychiatric Genomics Consortium (PGC) leave-one out GWAS as discovery data set. For candidate regions, we selected 105 schizophrenia-associated autosomal loci and 11 schizophrenia-related oligodendrocyte genes. We used regressions to examine PRS associations and set-based testing for candidate analysis. We examined data from 730 subjects. Best-fit PRS at p-threshold of 1e-07 was associated with total insight (R 2 =0.005, P=0.05, empirical P=0.054) and treatment insight (R 2 =0.005, P=0.048, empirical P=0.048). For models that controlled for neurocognition, PRS significantly predicted treatment insight but at higher p-thresholds (0.1 to 0.5) but did not survive correction. Patients with highest polygenic burden had 5.9 times increased risk for poor insight compared to patients with lowest burden. PRS explained 3.2% (P=0.002, empirical P=0.011) of variance in poor insight. Set-based analyses identified two variants associated with poor insight- rs320703, an intergenic variant (within-set P=6e-04, FDR P=0.046) and rs1479165 in SOX2-OT (within-set P=9e-04, FDR P=0.046). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study examining genetic basis of insight. We provide evidence for genetic contributions to impaired insight. Relevance of findings and necessity for replication are discussed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. The Jujube Genome Provides Insights into Genome Evolution and the Domestication of Sweetness/Acidity Taste in Fruit Trees.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Jian; Zhang, Chunmei; Zhao, Xing; Fei, Zhangjun; Wan, KangKang; Zhang, Zhong; Pang, Xiaoming; Yin, Xiao; Bai, Yang; Sun, Xiaoqing; Gao, Lizhi; Li, Ruiqiang; Zhang, Jinbo; Li, Xingang

    2016-12-01

    Jujube (Ziziphus jujuba Mill.) belongs to the Rhamnaceae family and is a popular fruit tree species with immense economic and nutritional value. Here, we report a draft genome of the dry jujube cultivar 'Junzao' and the genome resequencing of 31 geographically diverse accessions of cultivated and wild jujubes (Ziziphus jujuba var. spinosa). Comparative analysis revealed that the genome of 'Dongzao', a fresh jujube, was ~86.5 Mb larger than that of the 'Junzao', partially due to the recent insertions of transposable elements in the 'Dongzao' genome. We constructed eight proto-chromosomes of the common ancestor of Rhamnaceae and Rosaceae, two sister families in the order Rosales, and elucidated the evolutionary processes that have shaped the genome structures of modern jujubes. Population structure analysis revealed the complex genetic background of jujubes resulting from extensive hybridizations between jujube and its wild relatives. Notably, several key genes that control fruit organic acid metabolism and sugar content were identified in the selective sweep regions. We also identified S-locus genes controlling gametophytic self-incompatibility and investigated haplotype patterns of the S locus in the jujube genomes, which would provide a guideline for parent selection for jujube crossbreeding. This study provides valuable genomic resources for jujube improvement, and offers insights into jujube genome evolution and its population structure and domestication.

  3. Silver vanadium diphosphate Ag2VP2O8: Electrochemistry and characterization of reduced material providing mechanistic insights

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Takeuchi, Esther S.; Lee, Chia-Ying; Cheng, Po-Jen; Menard, Melissa C.; Marschilok, Amy C.; Takeuchi, Kenneth J.

    2013-01-01

    Silver vanadium phosphorous oxides (Ag w V x P y O z ) are notable battery cathode materials due to their high energy density and demonstrated ability to form in-situ Ag metal nanostructured electrically conductive networks within the cathode. While analogous silver vanadium diphosphate materials have been prepared, electrochemical evaluations of these diphosphate based materials have been limited. We report here the first electrochemical study of a silver vanadium diphosphate, Ag 2 VP 2 O 8 , where the structural differences associated with phosphorous oxides versus diphosphates profoundly affect the associated electrochemistry. Reminiscent of Ag 2 VO 2 PO 4 reduction, in-situ formation of silver metal nanoparticles was observed with reduction of Ag 2 VP 2 O 8 . However, counter to Ag 2 VO 2 PO 4 reduction, Ag 2 VP 2 O 8 demonstrates a significant decrease in conductivity upon continued electrochemical reduction. Structural analysis contrasting the crystallography of the parent Ag 2 VP 2 O 8 with that of the proposed Li 2 VP 2 O 8 reduction product is employed to gain insight into the observed electrochemical reduction behavior, where the structural rigidity associated with the diphosphate anion may be associated with the observed particle fracturing upon deep electrochemical reduction. Further, the diphosphate anion structure may be associated with the high thermal stability of the partially reduced Ag 2 VP 2 O 8 materials, which bodes well for enhanced safety of batteries incorporating this material. - Graphical abstract: Structure and galvanostatic intermittent titration-type test data for silver vanadium diphosphate, Ag 2 VP 2 O 8 . Highlights: ► First electrochemical study of a silver vanadium diphosphate, Ag 2 VP 2 O 8 . ► In-situ formation of Ag 0 nanoparticles was observed upon electrochemical reduction. ► Structural analysis used to provide insight of the electrochemical behavior

  4. The elite cross-country skier provides unique insights into human exercise physiology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holmberg, H-C

    2015-12-01

    Successful cross-country skiing, one of the most demanding of endurance sports, involves considerable physiological challenges posed by the combined upper- and lower-body effort of varying intensity and duration, on hilly terrain, often at moderate altitude and in a cold environment. Over the years, this unique sport has helped physiologists gain novel insights into the limits of human performance and regulatory capacity. There is a long-standing tradition of researchers in this field working together with coaches and athletes to improve training routines, monitor progress, and refine skiing techniques. This review summarizes research on elite cross-country skiers, with special emphasis on the studies initiated by Professor Bengt Saltin. He often employed exercise as a means to learn more about the human body, successfully engaging elite endurance athletes to improve our understanding of the demands, characteristics, and specific effects associated with different types of exercise. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  5. Spider genomes provide insight into composition and evolution of venom and silk

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sanggaard, Kristian W.; Bechsgaard, Jesper S.; Fang, Xiaodong; Duan, Jinjie; Dyrlund, Thomas F.; Gupta, Vikas; Jiang, Xuanting; Cheng, Ling; Fan, Dingding; Feng, Yue; Han, Lijuan; Huang, Zhiyong; Wu, Zongze; Liao, Li; Settepani, Virginia; Thøgersen, Ida B.; Vanthournout, Bram; Wang, Tobias; Zhu, Yabing; Funch, Peter; Enghild, Jan J.; Schauser, Leif; Andersen, Stig U.; Villesen, Palle; Schierup, Mikkel H; Bilde, Trine; Wang, Jun

    2014-01-01

    Spiders are ecologically important predators with complex venom and extraordinarily tough silk that enables capture of large prey. Here we present the assembled genome of the social velvet spider and a draft assembly of the tarantula genome that represent two major taxonomic groups of spiders. The spider genomes are large with short exons and long introns, reminiscent of mammalian genomes. Phylogenetic analyses place spiders and ticks as sister groups supporting polyphyly of the Acari. Complex sets of venom and silk genes/proteins are identified. We find that venom genes evolved by sequential duplication, and that the toxic effect of venom is most likely activated by proteases present in the venom. The set of silk genes reveals a highly dynamic gene evolution, new types of silk genes and proteins, and a novel use of aciniform silk. These insights create new opportunities for pharmacological applications of venom and biomaterial applications of silk. PMID:24801114

  6. Melting of the Primitive Mercurian Mantle, Insights into the Origin of Its Surface Composition

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boujibar, A.; Righter, K.; Rapp, J. F.; Ross, D. K.; Pando, K. M.; Danielson, L. R.; Fontaine, E.

    2016-01-01

    Recent findings of the MESSENGER mission on Mercury have brought new evidence for its reducing nature, widespread volcanism and surface compositional heteregeneity. MESSENGER also provided major elemental ratios of its surface that can be used to infer large-scale differentiation processes and the thermal history of the planet. Mercury is known as being very reduced, with very low Fe-content and high S and alkali contents on its surface. Its bulk composition is therefore likely close to EH enstatite chondrites. In order to elucidate the origin of the chemical diversity of Mercury's surface, we determined the melting properties of EH enstatite chondrites, at pressures between 1 bar and 3 GPa and oxygen fugacity of IW-3 to IW-5, using piston-cylinder experiments, combined with a previous study on EH4 melting at 1 bar. We found that the presence of Ca-rich sulfide melts induces significant decrease of Ca-content in silicate melts at low pressure and low degree of melting (F). Also at pressures lower than 3 GPa, the SiO2-content decreases with F, while it increases at 3 GPa. This is likely due to the chemical composition of the bulk silicate which has a (Mg+Fe+Ca)/Si ratio very close to 1 and to the change from incongruent to congruent melting of enstatite. We then tested whether the various chemical compositions of Mercury's surface can result from mixing between two melting products of EH chondrites. We found that the majority of the geochemical provinces of Mercury's surface can be explained by mixing of two melts, with the exception of the High-Al plains that require an Al-rich source. Our findings indicate that Mercury's surface could have been produced by polybaric melting of a relatively primitive mantle.

  7. Surface pressure retrieval from SCIAMACHY measurements in the O2 A Band: validation of the measurements and sensitivity on aerosols

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    B. van Diedenhoven

    2005-01-01

    Full Text Available We perform surface pressure retrievals from cloud-free Oxygen A band measurements of SCIAMACHY. These retrievals can be well validated because surface pressure is a quantity that is, in general, accurately known from meteorological models. Therefore, surface pressure retrievals and their validation provide important insight into the quality of the instrument calibration. Furthermore, they can provide insight into retrievals which are affected by similar radiation transport processes, for example the retrieval of total columns of H2O, CO, CO2 and CH4. In our retrieval aerosols are neglected. Using synthetic measurements, it is shown that for low to moderate surface albedos this leads to an underestimation of the retrieved surface pressures. For high surface albedos this generally leads to an overestimation of the retrieved surface pressures. The surface pressures retrieved from the SCIAMACHY measurements indeed show this dependence on surface albedo, when compared to the corresponding pressures from a meteorological database. However, an offset of about 20 hPa was found, which can not be caused by neglecting aerosols in the retrieval. The same offset was found when comparing the retrieved surface pressures to those retrieved from co-located GOME Oxygen A band measurements. This implies a calibration error in the SCIAMACHY measurements. By adding an offset of 0.86% of the continuum reflectance at 756 nm to the SCIAMACHY reflectance measurements, this systematic bias vanishes.

  8. Evolutionary insights into scleractinian corals using comparative genomic hybridizations.

    KAUST Repository

    Aranda, Manuel

    2012-09-21

    Coral reefs belong to the most ecologically and economically important ecosystems on our planet. Yet, they are under steady decline worldwide due to rising sea surface temperatures, disease, and pollution. Understanding the molecular impact of these stressors on different coral species is imperative in order to predict how coral populations will respond to this continued disturbance. The use of molecular tools such as microarrays has provided deep insight into the molecular stress response of corals. Here, we have performed comparative genomic hybridizations (CGH) with different coral species to an Acropora palmata microarray platform containing 13,546 cDNA clones in order to identify potentially rapidly evolving genes and to determine the suitability of existing microarray platforms for use in gene expression studies (via heterologous hybridization).

  9. Evolutionary insights into scleractinian corals using comparative genomic hybridizations.

    KAUST Repository

    Aranda, Manuel; DeSalvo, Michael K; Bayer, Till; Medina, Monica; Voolstra, Christian R.

    2012-01-01

    Coral reefs belong to the most ecologically and economically important ecosystems on our planet. Yet, they are under steady decline worldwide due to rising sea surface temperatures, disease, and pollution. Understanding the molecular impact of these stressors on different coral species is imperative in order to predict how coral populations will respond to this continued disturbance. The use of molecular tools such as microarrays has provided deep insight into the molecular stress response of corals. Here, we have performed comparative genomic hybridizations (CGH) with different coral species to an Acropora palmata microarray platform containing 13,546 cDNA clones in order to identify potentially rapidly evolving genes and to determine the suitability of existing microarray platforms for use in gene expression studies (via heterologous hybridization).

  10. A Flexible Binding Site Architecture Provides New Insights into CcpA Global Regulation in Gram-Positive Bacteria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Yunpeng; Zhang, Lu; Huang, He; Yang, Chen; Yang, Sheng; Gu, Yang; Jiang, Weihong

    2017-01-24

    Catabolite control protein A (CcpA) is the master regulator in Gram-positive bacteria that mediates carbon catabolite repression (CCR) and carbon catabolite activation (CCA), two fundamental regulatory mechanisms that enable competitive advantages in carbon catabolism. It is generally regarded that CcpA exerts its regulatory role by binding to a typical 14- to 16-nucleotide (nt) consensus site that is called a catabolite response element (cre) within the target regions. However, here we report a previously unknown noncanonical flexible architecture of the CcpA-binding site in solventogenic clostridia, providing new mechanistic insights into catabolite regulation. This novel CcpA-binding site, named cre var , has a unique architecture that consists of two inverted repeats and an intervening spacer, all of which are variable in nucleotide composition and length, except for a 6-bp core palindromic sequence (TGTAAA/TTTACA). It was found that the length of the intervening spacer of cre var can affect CcpA binding affinity, and moreover, the core palindromic sequence of cre var is the key structure for regulation. Such a variable architecture of cre var shows potential importance for CcpA's diverse and fine regulation. A total of 103 potential cre var sites were discovered in solventogenic Clostridium acetobutylicum, of which 42 sites were picked out for electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSAs), and 30 sites were confirmed to be bound by CcpA. These 30 cre var sites are associated with 27 genes involved in many important pathways. Also of significance, the cre var sites are found to be widespread and function in a great number of taxonomically different Gram-positive bacteria, including pathogens, suggesting their global role in Gram-positive bacteria. In Gram-positive bacteria, the global regulator CcpA controls a large number of important physiological and metabolic processes. Although a typical consensus CcpA-binding site, cre, has been identified, it remains

  11. New insights into insight: Neurophysiological correlates of the difference between the intrinsic "aha" and the extrinsic "oh yes" moment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rothmaler, Katrin; Nigbur, Roland; Ivanova, Galina

    2017-01-27

    Insight refers to a situation in which a problem solver immediately changes his understanding of a problem situation. This representational change can either be triggered by external stimuli, like a hint or the solution itself, or by internal solution attempts. In the present paper, the differences and similarities between these two phenomena, namely "extrinsic" and "intrinsic" insight, are examined. To this end, electroencephalogram (EEG) is recorded while subjects either recognize or generate solutions to German verbal compound remote associate problems (CRA). Based on previous studies, we compare the alpha power prior to insightful solution recognition with the alpha power prior to insightful solution generation. Results show that intrinsic insights are preceded by an increase in alpha power at right parietal electrodes, while extrinsic insights are preceded by a respective decrease. These results can be interpreted in two ways. In consistency with other studies, the increase in alpha power before intrinsic insights can be interpreted as an increased internal focus of attention. Accordingly, the decrease in alpha power before extrinsic insights may be associated with a more externally oriented focus of attention. Alternatively, the increase in alpha power prior to intrinsic insights can be interpreted as an active inhibition of solution-related information, while the alpha power decrease prior to extrinsic insights may reflect its activation. Regardless of the interpretation, the results provide strong evidence that extrinsic and intrinsic insight differ on the behavioral as well as the neurophysiological level. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Preferential superior surface motion in wear simulations of the Charité total disc replacement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goreham-Voss, Curtis M; Vicars, Rachel; Hall, Richard M; Brown, Thomas D

    2012-06-01

    Laboratory wear simulations of the dual-bearing surface Charité total disc replacement (TDR) are complicated by the non-specificity of the device's center of rotation (CoR). Previous studies have suggested that articulation of the Charité preferentially occurs at the superior-bearing surface, although it is not clear how sensitive this phenomenon is to lubrication conditions or CoR location. In this study, a computational wear model is used to study the articulation kinematics and wear of the Charité TDR. Implant wear was found to be insensitive to the CoR location, although seemingly non-physiologic endplate motion can result. Articulation and wear were biased significantly to the superior-bearing surface, even in the presence of significant perturbations of loading and friction. The computational wear model provides novel insight into the mechanics and wear of the Charité TDR, allowing for better interpretation of in vivo results, and giving useful insight for designing future laboratory physical tests.

  13. Numerical insight into the micromechanics of jet erosion of a cohesive granular material

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cuéllar Pablo

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Here we investigate the physical mechanisms behind the surface erosion of a cohesive granular soil induced by an impinging jet by means of numerical simulations coupling fluid and grains at the microscale. The 2D numerical model combines the Discrete Element and Lattice Boltzmann methods (DEM-LBM and accounts for the granular cohesion with a contact model featuring a paraboloidal yield surface. Here we review first the hydrodynamical conditions imposed by the fluid jet on a solid granular packing, turning then the attention to the impact of cohesion on the erosion kinetics. Finally, the use of an additional subcritical debonding damage model based on the work of Silvani and co-workers provides a novel insight into the internal solicitation of the cohesive granular sample by the impinging jet.

  14. Numerical insight into the micromechanics of jet erosion of a cohesive granular material

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cuéllar, Pablo; Benseghier, Zeyd; Luu, Li-Hua; Bonelli, Stéphane; Delenne, Jean-Yves; Radjaï, Farhang; Philippe, Pierre

    2017-06-01

    Here we investigate the physical mechanisms behind the surface erosion of a cohesive granular soil induced by an impinging jet by means of numerical simulations coupling fluid and grains at the microscale. The 2D numerical model combines the Discrete Element and Lattice Boltzmann methods (DEM-LBM) and accounts for the granular cohesion with a contact model featuring a paraboloidal yield surface. Here we review first the hydrodynamical conditions imposed by the fluid jet on a solid granular packing, turning then the attention to the impact of cohesion on the erosion kinetics. Finally, the use of an additional subcritical debonding damage model based on the work of Silvani and co-workers provides a novel insight into the internal solicitation of the cohesive granular sample by the impinging jet.

  15. Metatranscriptome Analysis of Fig Flowers Provides Insights into Potential Mechanisms for Mutualism Stability and Gall Induction.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ellen O Martinson

    Full Text Available A striking property of the mutualism between figs and their pollinating wasps is that wasps consistently oviposit in the inner flowers of the fig syconium, which develop into galls that house developing larvae. Wasps typically do not use the outer ring of flowers, which develop into seeds. To better understand differences between gall and seed flowers, we used a metatranscriptomic approach to analyze eukaryotic gene expression within fig flowers at the time of oviposition choice and early gall development. Consistent with the unbeatable seed hypothesis, we found significant differences in gene expression between gall- and seed flowers in receptive syconia prior to oviposition. In particular, transcripts assigned to flavonoids and carbohydrate metabolism were significantly up-regulated in gall flowers relative to seed flowers. In response to oviposition, gall flowers significantly up-regulated the expression of chalcone synthase, which previously has been connected to gall formation in other plants. We propose several genes encoding proteins with signal peptides or associations with venom of other Hymenoptera as candidate genes for gall initiation or growth. This study simultaneously evaluates the gene expression profile of both mutualistic partners in a plant-insect mutualism and provides insight into a possible stability mechanism in the ancient fig-fig wasp association.

  16. Architectural Knitted Surfaces

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mossé, Aurélie

    2010-01-01

    WGSN reports from the Architectural Knitted Surfaces workshop recently held at ShenkarCollege of Engineering and Design, Tel Aviv, which offered a cutting-edge insight into interactive knitted surfaces. With the increasing role of smart textiles in architecture, the Architectural Knitted Surfaces...... workshop brought together architects and interior and textile designers to highlight recent developments in intelligent knitting. The five-day workshop was led by architects Ayelet Karmon and Mette Ramsgaard Thomsen, together with Amir Cang and Eyal Sheffer from the Knitting Laboratory, in collaboration...

  17. Molecular simulation insights on the in vacuo adsorption of amino acids on graphene oxide surfaces with varying surface oxygen densities

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rahmani, Farzin; Nouranian, Sasan, E-mail: sasan@olemiss.edu; Mahdavi, Mina [University of Mississippi, Department of Chemical Engineering (United States); Al-Ostaz, Ahmed [University of Mississippi, Department of Civil Engineering (United States)

    2016-11-15

    In this fundamental study, a series of molecular dynamics simulations were performed in vacuo to investigate the energetics and select geometries of 20 standard amino acids (AAs) on pristine graphene (PG) and graphene oxide (GO) surfaces as a function of graphene surface oxygen density. These interactions are of key interest to graphene/biomolecular systems. Our results indicate that aromatic AAs exhibit the strongest total interactions with the PG surfaces due to π-π stacking. Tryptophan (Trp) has the highest aromaticity due to its indole side chain and, hence, has the strongest interaction among all AAs (−16.66 kcal/mol). Aliphatic, polar, and charged AAs show various levels of affinity to the PG sheets depending on the strength of their side chain hydrophobic interactions. For example, arginine (Arg) with its guanidinium side chain exhibits the strongest interaction with the PG sheets (−13.81 kcal/mol) following aromatic AAs. Also, glycine (Gly; a polar AA) has the weakest interaction with the PG sheets (−7.29 kcal/mol). When oxygen-containing functional groups are added to the graphene sheets, the π-π stacking in aromatic AAs becomes disrupted and perfect parallelism of the aromatic rings is lost. Moreover, hydrogen bonding and/or electrostatic interactions become more pronounced. Charged AAs exhibit the strongest interactions with the GO surfaces. In general, the AA-GO interactions increase with increasing surface oxygen density, and the effect is more pronounced at higher O/C ratios. This study provides a quantitative measure of AA-graphene interactions for the design and tuning of biomolecular systems suitable for biosensing, drug delivery, and gene delivery applications.

  18. Discovery of extremely halophilic, methyl-reducing euryarchaea provides insights into the evolutionary origin of methanogenesis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sorokin, Dimitry Y.; Makarova, Kira S.; Abbas, Ben; Ferrer, Manuel; Golyshin, Peter N.; Galinski, Erwin A.; Ciordia, Sergio; Mena, María Carmen; Merkel, Alexander Y.; Wolf, Yuri I.; van Loosdrecht, Mark C.M.; Koonin, Eugene V.

    2017-01-01

    Methanogenic archaea are major players in the global carbon cycle and in the biotechnology of anaerobic digestion. The phylum Euryarchaeota includes diverse groups of methanogens that are interspersed with non-methanogenic lineages. So far methanogens inhabiting hypersaline environments have been identified only within the order Methanosarcinales. We report the discovery of a deep phylogenetic lineage of extremophilic methanogens in hypersaline lakes, and present analysis of two nearly complete genomes from this group. Within the phylum Euryarchaeota, these isolates form a separate, class-level lineage “Methanonatronarchaeia” that is most closely related to the class Halobacteria. Similar to the Halobacteria, “Methanonatronarchaeia” are extremely halophilic and do not accumulate organic osmoprotectants. The high intracellular concentration of potassium implies that “Methanonatronarchaeia” employ the “salt-in” osmoprotection strategy. These methanogens are heterotrophic methyl-reducers that utilize C1-methylated compounds as electron acceptors and formate or hydrogen as electron donors. The genomes contain an incomplete and apparently inactivated set of genes encoding the upper branch of methyl group oxidation to CO2 as well as membrane-bound heterosulfide reductase and cytochromes. These features differentiates “Methanonatronarchaeia” from all known methyl-reducing methanogens. The discovery of extremely halophilic, methyl-reducing methanogens related to haloarchaea provides insights into the origin of methanogenesis and shows that the strategies employed by methanogens to thrive in salt-saturating conditions are not limited to the classical methylotrophic pathway. PMID:28555626

  19. Surface and Interface Physics of Correlated Electron Materials

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Millis, Andrew [Columbia Univ., New York, NY (United States)

    2004-09-01

    The {\\it Surface and Interface Physics of Correlated Electron Materials} research program provided conceptual understanding of and theoretical methodologies for understanding the properties of surfaces and interfaces involving materials exhibiting strong electronic correlations. The issues addressed in this research program are important for basic science, because the behavior of correlated electron superlattices is a crucial challenge to and crucial test of our understanding of the grand-challenge problem of correlated electron physics and are important for our nation's energy future because correlated interfaces offer opportunities for the control of phenomena needed for energy and device applications. Results include new physics insights, development of new methods, and new predictions for materials properties.

  20. The Jujube Genome Provides Insights into Genome Evolution and the Domestication of Sweetness/Acidity Taste in Fruit Trees.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jian Huang

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Jujube (Ziziphus jujuba Mill. belongs to the Rhamnaceae family and is a popular fruit tree species with immense economic and nutritional value. Here, we report a draft genome of the dry jujube cultivar 'Junzao' and the genome resequencing of 31 geographically diverse accessions of cultivated and wild jujubes (Ziziphus jujuba var. spinosa. Comparative analysis revealed that the genome of 'Dongzao', a fresh jujube, was ~86.5 Mb larger than that of the 'Junzao', partially due to the recent insertions of transposable elements in the 'Dongzao' genome. We constructed eight proto-chromosomes of the common ancestor of Rhamnaceae and Rosaceae, two sister families in the order Rosales, and elucidated the evolutionary processes that have shaped the genome structures of modern jujubes. Population structure analysis revealed the complex genetic background of jujubes resulting from extensive hybridizations between jujube and its wild relatives. Notably, several key genes that control fruit organic acid metabolism and sugar content were identified in the selective sweep regions. We also identified S-locus genes controlling gametophytic self-incompatibility and investigated haplotype patterns of the S locus in the jujube genomes, which would provide a guideline for parent selection for jujube crossbreeding. This study provides valuable genomic resources for jujube improvement, and offers insights into jujube genome evolution and its population structure and domestication.

  1. Taxonomic and functional diversity provides insight into microbial pathways and stress responses in the saline Qinghai Lake, China.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Qiuyuan Huang

    Full Text Available Microbe-mediated biogeochemical cycles contribute to the global climate system and have sensitive responses and feedbacks to environmental stress caused by climate change. Yet, little is known about the effects of microbial biodiversity (i.e., taxonmic and functional diversity on biogeochemical cycles in ecosytems that are highly sensitive to climate change. One such sensitive ecosystem is Qinghai Lake, a high-elevation (3196 m saline (1.4% lake located on the Tibetan Plateau, China. This study provides baseline information on the microbial taxonomic and functional diversity as well as the associated stress response genes. Illumina metagenomic and metatranscriptomic datasets were generated from lake water samples collected at two sites (B and E. Autotrophic Cyanobacteria dominated the DNA samples, while heterotrophic Proteobacteria dominated the RNA samples at both sites. Photoheterotrophic Loktanella was also present at both sites. Photosystem II was the most active pathway at site B; while, oxidative phosphorylation was most active at site E. Organisms that expressed photosystem II or oxidative phosphorylation also expressed genes involved in photoprotection and oxidative stress, respectively. Assimilatory pathways associated with the nitrogen cycle were dominant at both sites. Results also indicate a positive relationship between functional diversity and the number of stress response genes. This study provides insight into the stress resilience of microbial metabolic pathways supported by greater taxonomic diversity, which may affect the microbial community response to climate change.

  2. Diurnal Cycles of High Resolution Land Surface Temperatures (LSTs) Determined from UAV Platforms Across a Range of Surface Types

    Science.gov (United States)

    McCabe, M.; Rosas Aguilar, J.; Parkes, S. D.; Aragon, B.

    2017-12-01

    Observation of land surface temperature (LST) has many practical uses, from studying boundary layer dynamics and land-atmosphere coupling, to investigating surface properties such as soil moisture status, heat stress and surface heat fluxes. Typically, LST is observed via satellite based sensors such as LandSat or via point measurements using IR radiometers. These measurements provide either good spatial coverage and resolution or good temporal coverage. However, neither are able to provide the needed spatial and temporal resolution for many of the research applications described above. Technological developments in the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), together with small thermal frame cameras, has enabled a capacity to overcome this spatiotemporal constraint. Utilising UAV platforms to collect LST measurements across diurnal cycles provides an opportunity to study how meteorological and surface properties vary in both space and time. Here we describe the collection of LST data from a multi-rotor UAV across a study domain that is observed multiple times throughout the day. Flights over crops of Rhodes grass and alfalfa, along with a bare desert surface, were repeated with between 8 and 11 surveys covering the period from early morning to sunset. Analysis of the collected thermal imagery shows that the constructed LST maps illustrate a strong diurnal cycle consistent with expected trends, but with considerable spatial and temporal variability observed within and between the different domains. These results offer new insights into the dynamics of land surface behavior in both dry and wet soil conditions and at spatiotemporal scales that are unable to be replicated using traditional satellite platforms.

  3. Providing guidance for genomics-based cancer treatment decisions: insights from stakeholder engagement for post-prostatectomy radiation therapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abe, James; Lobo, Jennifer M; Trifiletti, Daniel M; Showalter, Timothy N

    2017-08-24

    Despite the emergence of genomics-based risk prediction tools in oncology, there is not yet an established framework for communication of test results to cancer patients to support shared decision-making. We report findings from a stakeholder engagement program that aimed to develop a framework for using Markov models with individualized model inputs, including genomics-based estimates of cancer recurrence probability, to generate personalized decision aids for prostate cancer patients faced with radiation therapy treatment decisions after prostatectomy. We engaged a total of 22 stakeholders, including: prostate cancer patients, urological surgeons, radiation oncologists, genomic testing industry representatives, and biomedical informatics faculty. Slides were at each meeting to provide background information regarding the analytical framework. Participants were invited to provide feedback during the meeting, including revising the overall project aims. Stakeholder meeting content was reviewed and summarized by stakeholder group and by theme. The majority of stakeholder suggestions focused on aspects of decision aid design and formatting. Stakeholders were enthusiastic about the potential value of using decision analysis modeling with personalized model inputs for cancer recurrence risk, as well as competing risks from age and comorbidities, to generate a patient-centered tool to assist decision-making. Stakeholders did not view privacy considerations as a major barrier to the proposed decision aid program. A common theme was that decision aids should be portable across multiple platforms (electronic and paper), should allow for interaction by the user to adjust model inputs iteratively, and available to patients both before and during consult appointments. Emphasis was placed on the challenge of explaining the model's composite result of quality-adjusted life years. A range of stakeholders provided valuable insights regarding the design of a personalized decision

  4. Genome-wide analysis of Pax8 binding provides new insights into thyroid functions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ruiz-Llorente Sergio

    2012-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The transcription factor Pax8 is essential for the differentiation of thyroid cells. However, there are few data on genes transcriptionally regulated by Pax8 other than thyroid-related genes. To better understand the role of Pax8 in the biology of thyroid cells, we obtained transcriptional profiles of Pax8-silenced PCCl3 thyroid cells using whole genome expression arrays and integrated these signals with global cis-regulatory sequencing studies performed by ChIP-Seq analysis Results Exhaustive analysis of Pax8 immunoprecipitated peaks demonstrated preferential binding to intragenic regions and CpG-enriched islands, which suggests a role of Pax8 in transcriptional regulation of orphan CpG regions. In addition, ChIP-Seq allowed us to identify Pax8 partners, including proteins involved in tertiary DNA structure (CTCF and chromatin remodeling (Sp1, and these direct transcriptional interactions were confirmed in vivo. Moreover, both factors modulate Pax8-dependent transcriptional activation of the sodium iodide symporter (Nis gene promoter. We ultimately combined putative and novel Pax8 binding sites with actual target gene expression regulation to define Pax8-dependent genes. Functional classification suggests that Pax8-regulated genes may be directly involved in important processes of thyroid cell function such as cell proliferation and differentiation, apoptosis, cell polarity, motion and adhesion, and a plethora of DNA/protein-related processes. Conclusion Our study provides novel insights into the role of Pax8 in thyroid biology, exerted through transcriptional regulation of important genes involved in critical thyrocyte processes. In addition, we found new transcriptional partners of Pax8, which functionally cooperate with Pax8 in the regulation of thyroid gene transcription. Besides, our data demonstrate preferential location of Pax8 in non-promoter CpG regions. These data point to an orphan CpG island-mediated mechanism

  5. Fluid mechanics in dentinal microtubules provides mechanistic insights into the difference between hot and cold dental pain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Min; Luo, Zheng Yuan; Bai, Bo Feng; Xu, Feng; Lu, Tian Jian

    2011-03-23

    Dental thermal pain is a significant health problem in daily life and dentistry. There is a long-standing question regarding the phenomenon that cold stimulation evokes sharper and more shooting pain sensations than hot stimulation. This phenomenon, however, outlives the well-known hydrodynamic theory used to explain dental thermal pain mechanism. Here, we present a mathematical model based on the hypothesis that hot or cold stimulation-induced different directions of dentinal fluid flow and the corresponding odontoblast movements in dentinal microtubules contribute to different dental pain responses. We coupled a computational fluid dynamics model, describing the fluid mechanics in dentinal microtubules, with a modified Hodgkin-Huxley model, describing the discharge behavior of intradental neuron. The simulated results agreed well with existing experimental measurements. We thence demonstrated theoretically that intradental mechano-sensitive nociceptors are not "equally sensitive" to inward (into the pulp) and outward (away from the pulp) fluid flows, providing mechanistic insights into the difference between hot and cold dental pain. The model developed here could enable better diagnosis in endodontics which requires an understanding of pulpal histology, neurology and physiology, as well as their dynamic response to the thermal stimulation used in dental practices.

  6. Combination of (M)DSC and surface analysis to study the phase behaviour and drug distribution of ternary solid dispersions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meeus, Joke; Scurr, David J; Chen, Xinyong; Amssoms, Katie; Davies, Martyn C; Roberts, Clive J; Van den Mooter, Guy

    2015-04-01

    Miscibility of the different compounds that make up a solid dispersion based formulation play a crucial role in the drug release profile and physical stability of the solid dispersion as it defines the phase behaviour of the dispersion. The standard technique to obtain information on phase behaviour of a sample is (modulated) differential scanning calorimetry ((M)DSC). However, for ternary mixtures (M)DSC alone is not sufficient to characterize their phase behaviour and to gain insight into the distribution of the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) in a two-phased polymeric matrix. MDSC was combined with complementary surface analysis techniques, specifically time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Three spray-dried model formulations with varying API/PLGA/PVP ratios were analyzed. MDSC, TOF-SIMS and AFM provided insights into differences in drug distribution via the observed surface coverage for 3 differently composed ternary solid dispersions. Combining MDSC and surface analysis rendered additional insights in the composition of mixed phases in complex systems, like ternary solid dispersions.

  7. A simple way to achieve bioinspired hybrid wettability surface with micro/nanopatterns for efficient fog collection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yin, Kai; Du, Haifeng; Dong, Xinran; Wang, Cong; Duan, Ji-An; He, Jun

    2017-10-05

    Fog collection is receiving increasing attention for providing water in semi-arid deserts and inland areas. Inspired by the fog harvesting ability of the hydrophobic-hydrophilic surface of Namib desert beetles, we present a simple, low-cost method to prepare a hybrid superhydrophobic-hydrophilic surface. The surface contains micro/nanopatterns, and is prepared by incorporating femtosecond-laser fabricated polytetrafluoroethylene nanoparticles deposited on superhydrophobic copper mesh with a pristine hydrophilic copper sheet. The as-prepared surface exhibits enhanced fog collection efficiency compared with uniform (super)hydrophobic or (super)hydrophilic surfaces. This enhancement can be tuned by controlling the mesh number, inclination angle, and fabrication structure. Moreover, the surface shows excellent anti-corrosion ability after immersing in 1 M HCl, 1 M NaOH, and 10 wt% NaCl solutions for 2 hours. This work may provide insight into fabricating hybrid superhydrophobic-hydrophilic surfaces for efficient atmospheric water collection.

  8. Deformations of surface singularities

    CERN Document Server

    Szilárd, ágnes

    2013-01-01

    The present publication contains a special collection of research and review articles on deformations of surface singularities, that put together serve as an introductory survey of results and methods of the theory, as well as open problems, important examples and connections to other areas of mathematics. The aim is to collect material that will help mathematicians already working or wishing to work in this area to deepen their insight and eliminate the technical barriers in this learning process. This also is supported by review articles providing some global picture and an abundance of examples. Additionally, we introduce some material which emphasizes the newly found relationship with the theory of Stein fillings and symplectic geometry.  This links two main theories of mathematics: low dimensional topology and algebraic geometry. The theory of normal surface singularities is a distinguished part of analytic or algebraic geometry with several important results, its own technical machinery, and several op...

  9. Centromeric DNA characterization in the model grass Brachypodium distachyon provides insights on the evolution of the genus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Yinjia; Zuo, Sheng; Zhang, Zhiliang; Li, Zhanjie; Han, Jinlei; Chu, Zhaoqing; Hasterok, Robert; Wang, Kai

    2018-03-01

    Brachypodium distachyon is a well-established model monocot plant, and its small and compact genome has been used as an accurate reference for the much larger and often polyploid genomes of cereals such as Avena sativa (oats), Hordeum vulgare (barley) and Triticum aestivum (wheat). Centromeres are indispensable functional units of chromosomes and they play a core role in genome polyploidization events during evolution. As the Brachypodium genus contains about 20 species that differ significantly in terms of their basic chromosome numbers, genome size, ploidy levels and life strategies, studying their centromeres may provide important insight into the structure and evolution of the genome in this interesting and important genus. In this study, we isolated the centromeric DNA of the B. distachyon reference line Bd21 and characterized its composition via the chromatin immunoprecipitation of the nucleosomes that contain the centromere-specific histone CENH3. We revealed that the centromeres of Bd21 have the features of typical multicellular eukaryotic centromeres. Strikingly, these centromeres contain relatively few centromeric satellite DNAs; in particular, the centromere of chromosome 5 (Bd5) consists of only ~40 kb. Moreover, the centromeric retrotransposons in B. distachyon (CRBds) are evolutionarily young. These transposable elements are located both within and adjacent to the CENH3 binding domains, and have similar compositions. Moreover, based on the presence of CRBds in the centromeres, the species in this study can be grouped into two distinct lineages. This may provide new evidence regarding the phylogenetic relationships within the Brachypodium genus. © 2018 The Authors The Plant Journal © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  10. Mycobacterium tuberculosis whole genome sequencing and protein structure modelling provides insights into anti-tuberculosis drug resistance

    KAUST Repository

    Phelan, Jody

    2016-03-23

    Background Combating the spread of drug resistant tuberculosis is a global health priority. Whole genome association studies are being applied to identify genetic determinants of resistance to anti-tuberculosis drugs. Protein structure and interaction modelling are used to understand the functional effects of putative mutations and provide insight into the molecular mechanisms leading to resistance. Methods To investigate the potential utility of these approaches, we analysed the genomes of 144 Mycobacterium tuberculosis clinical isolates from The Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR) collection sourced from 20 countries in four continents. A genome-wide approach was applied to 127 isolates to identify polymorphisms associated with minimum inhibitory concentrations for first-line anti-tuberculosis drugs. In addition, the effect of identified candidate mutations on protein stability and interactions was assessed quantitatively with well-established computational methods. Results The analysis revealed that mutations in the genes rpoB (rifampicin), katG (isoniazid), inhA-promoter (isoniazid), rpsL (streptomycin) and embB (ethambutol) were responsible for the majority of resistance observed. A subset of the mutations identified in rpoB and katG were predicted to affect protein stability. Further, a strong direct correlation was observed between the minimum inhibitory concentration values and the distance of the mutated residues in the three-dimensional structures of rpoB and katG to their respective drugs binding sites. Conclusions Using the TDR resource, we demonstrate the usefulness of whole genome association and convergent evolution approaches to detect known and potentially novel mutations associated with drug resistance. Further, protein structural modelling could provide a means of predicting the impact of polymorphisms on drug efficacy in the absence of phenotypic data. These approaches could ultimately lead to novel resistance

  11. Insights from Human/Mouse genome comparisons

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pennacchio, Len A.

    2003-03-30

    Large-scale public genomic sequencing efforts have provided a wealth of vertebrate sequence data poised to provide insights into mammalian biology. These include deep genomic sequence coverage of human, mouse, rat, zebrafish, and two pufferfish (Fugu rubripes and Tetraodon nigroviridis) (Aparicio et al. 2002; Lander et al. 2001; Venter et al. 2001; Waterston et al. 2002). In addition, a high-priority has been placed on determining the genomic sequence of chimpanzee, dog, cow, frog, and chicken (Boguski 2002). While only recently available, whole genome sequence data have provided the unique opportunity to globally compare complete genome contents. Furthermore, the shared evolutionary ancestry of vertebrate species has allowed the development of comparative genomic approaches to identify ancient conserved sequences with functionality. Accordingly, this review focuses on the initial comparison of available mammalian genomes and describes various insights derived from such analysis.

  12. Large-Scale Controls of the Surface Water Balance Over Land: Insights From a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Padrón, Ryan S.; Gudmundsson, Lukas; Greve, Peter; Seneviratne, Sonia I.

    2017-11-01

    The long-term surface water balance over land is described by the partitioning of precipitation (P) into runoff and evapotranspiration (ET), and is commonly characterized by the ratio ET/P. The ratio between potential evapotranspiration (PET) and P is explicitly considered to be the primary control of ET/P within the Budyko framework, whereas all other controls are often integrated into a single parameter, ω. Although the joint effect of these additional controlling factors of ET/P can be significant, a detailed understanding of them is yet to be achieved. This study therefore introduces a new global data set for the long-term mean partitioning of P into ET and runoff in 2,733 catchments, which is based on in situ observations and assembled from a systematic examination of peer-reviewed studies. A total of 26 controls of ET/P that are proposed in the literature are assessed using the new data set. Results reveal that: (i) factors controlling ET/P vary between regions with different climate types; (ii) controls other than PET/P explain at least 35% of the ET/P variance in all regions, and up to ˜90% in arid climates; (iii) among these, climate factors and catchment slope dominate over other landscape characteristics; and (iv) despite the high attention that vegetation-related indices receive as controls of ET/P, they are found to play a minor and often nonsignificant role. Overall, this study provides a comprehensive picture on factors controlling the partitioning of P, with valuable insights for model development, watershed management, and the assessment of water resources around the globe.

  13. Surface Modification and Surface - Subsurface Exchange Processes on Europa

    Science.gov (United States)

    Phillips, C. B.; Molaro, J.; Hand, K. P.

    2017-12-01

    and volume of transported material will yield insight on whether such a process may provide fuel to sustain a biosphere in Europa's subsurface ocean, which is relevant to searches for life by a future mission such as a potential Europa Lander.

  14. Comparative proteomic analysis provides insight into 10-hydroxy-2-decenoic acid biosynthesis in honey bee workers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Xiao-Hui; Yang, Shi-Fa; Wang, Rui-Ming

    2017-07-01

    10-Hydroxy-2-decenoic acid (10-HDA) is the major compound produced from the mandibular glands (MGs) of honey bee workers. However, little information is available on the molecular mechanisms of 10-HDA biosynthesis. In our study, based on investigating the 10-HDA secretion pattern and the morphological characteristics of MGs from honey bee workers of different ages, a comparative proteomic analysis was performed in the MGs of workers with different 10-HDA production. In total, 59 up-regulated protein species representing 45 unique proteins were identified in high 10-HDA-producing workers by 2-DE-MALDI-TOF/TOF MS. These proteins were involved in carbohydrate/energy metabolism, fatty acid metabolism, protein metabolism and folding, antioxidation, cytoskeleton, development and cell signaling. Proteins related to fatty acid metabolism, including fatty acid synthase and β-oxidation enzymes, are potentially crucial proteins involved in 10-HDA biosynthesis pathway. And RNA interference (RNAi) results demonstrated that knockdown of electron transfer flavoprotein subunit beta (ETF-β), one of the protein related to fatty acid metabolism, decreased 10-HDA production of worker bees, suggesting that ETF-β was necessary for 10-HDA biosynthesis. This study reveals the characteristics of MGs of worker bees at different developmental stages and proteins associated with 10-HDA biosynthesis, which provides the first insight into the molecular mechanism of 10-HDA biosynthesis.

  15. Crystal structure of the Epithiospecifier Protein, ESP from Arabidopsis thaliana provides insights into its product specificity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Weiwei; Wang, Wenhe; Liu, Zihe; Xie, Yongchao; Wang, Hao; Mu, Yajuan; Huang, Yao; Feng, Yue

    2016-09-16

    Specifier proteins are important components of the glucosinolate-myrosinase system, which mediate plant defense against herbivory and pathogen attacks. Upon tissue disruption, glucosinolates are hydrolyzed to instable aglucones by myrosinases, and then aglucones will rearrange to form defensive isothiocyanates. Specifier proteins can redirect this reaction to form other products, such as simple nitriles, epithionitriles and organic thiocyanates instead of isothiocyanates based on the side chain structure of glucosinolate and the type of the specifier proteins. Nevertheless, the molecular mechanism underlying the different product spectrums of various specifier proteins was not fully understood. Here in this study, we solved the crystal structure of the Epithiospecifier Protein, ESP from Arabidopsis thaliana (AtESP) at 2.3 Å resolution. Structural comparisons with the previously solved structure of thiocyanate forming protein, TFP from Thlaspi arvense (TaTFP) reveal that AtESP shows a dimerization pattern different from TaTFP. Moreover, AtESP harbors a slightly larger active site pocket than TaTFP and several residues around the active site are different between the two proteins, which might account for the different product spectrums of the two proteins. Together, our structural study provides important insights into the molecular mechanisms of specifier proteins and shed light on the basis of their different product spectrums. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Fabrication of zero contact angle ultra-super hydrophilic surfaces.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jothi Prakash, C G; Clement Raj, C; Prasanth, R

    2017-06-15

    Zero contact angle surfaces have been created with the combined effect of nanostructure and UV illumination. The contact angle of titanium surface has been optimized to 3.25°±1°. with nanotubular structures through electrochemical surface modification. The porosity and surface energy of tubular TiO 2 layer play critical role over the surface wettability and the hydrophilicity of the surface. The surface free energy has been enhanced from 23.72mJ/m 2 (bare titanium surface) to 87.11mJ/m 2 (nanotubular surface). Similar surface with TiO 2 nanoparticles coating shows superhydrophilicity with contact angle up to 5.63°±0.95°. This implies liquid imbibition and surface curvature play a crucial role in surface hydrophilicity. The contact angle has been further reduced to 0°±0.86° by illuminating the surface with UV radiation. Results shows that by tuning the nanotube morphology, highly porous surfaces can be fabricated to reduce contact angle and enhance wettability. This study provides an insight into the inter-relationship between surface structural factors and ultra-superhydrophilic surfaces which can help to optimize thermal hydraulic and self cleaning surfaces. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  17. Simultaneous Determination of Structure and Event Location Using Body and Surface Wave Measurements at a Single Station: Preparation for Mars Data from the InSight Mission

    Science.gov (United States)

    Panning, M. P.; Banerdt, W. B.; Beucler, E.; Blanchette-Guertin, J. F.; Boese, M.; Clinton, J. F.; Drilleau, M.; James, S. R.; Kawamura, T.; Khan, A.; Lognonne, P. H.; Mocquet, A.; van Driel, M.

    2015-12-01

    An important challenge for the upcoming InSight mission to Mars, which will deliver a broadband seismic station to Mars along with other geophysical instruments in 2016, is to accurately determine event locations with the use of a single station. Locations are critical for the primary objective of the mission, determining the internal structure of Mars, as well as a secondary objective of measuring the activity of distribution of seismic events. As part of the mission planning process, a variety of techniques have been explored for location of marsquakes and inversion of structure, and preliminary procedures and software are already under development as part of the InSight Mars Quake and Mars Structure Services. One proposed method, involving the use of recordings of multiple-orbit surface waves, has already been tested with synthetic data and Earth recordings. This method has the strength of not requiring an a priori velocity model of Mars for quake location, but will only be practical for larger events. For smaller events where only first orbit surface waves and body waves are observable, other methods are required. In this study, we implement a transdimensional Bayesian inversion approach to simultaneously invert for basic velocity structure and location parameters (epicentral distance and origin time) using only measurements of body wave arrival times and dispersion of first orbit surface waves. The method is tested with synthetic data with expected Mars noise and Earth data for single events and groups of events and evaluated for errors in both location and structural determination, as well as tradeoffs between resolvable parameters and the effect of 3D crustal variations.

  18. Comparative proteomic analysis provides new insights into cadmium accumulation in rice grain under cadmium stress

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Xue, Dawei, E-mail: dwxue@hznu.edu.cn [College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 310036 (China); State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology, China National Rice Research Institute, Hangzhou 310006 (China); Jiang, Hua [State Key Laboratory Breeding Base for Zhejiang Sustainable Pest and Disease Control, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Science, Hangzhou 310021 (China); Deng, Xiangxiong; Zhang, Xiaoqin [College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 310036 (China); Wang, Hua [State Key Laboratory Breeding Base for Zhejiang Sustainable Pest and Disease Control, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Science, Hangzhou 310021 (China); Xu, Xiangbin [College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 310036 (China); Hu, Jiang; Zeng, Dali [State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology, China National Rice Research Institute, Hangzhou 310006 (China); Guo, Longbiao, E-mail: guolongbiao@caas.cn [State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology, China National Rice Research Institute, Hangzhou 310006 (China); Qian, Qian, E-mail: qianqian188@hotmail.com [College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 310036 (China); State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology, China National Rice Research Institute, Hangzhou 310006 (China)

    2014-09-15

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Cd is the most toxic heavy metal and is a major pollutant in rice grains. • The mechanism of Cd accumulation in rice grains has not been well demonstrated. • Proteomics analysis is carried out and the verification is implemented by QPCR. • Proteins associated with ROS and photosynthesis showed large variation in expression. - Abstract: Rice is one of the most important staple crops. During the growth season, rice plants are inevitably subjected to numerous stresses, among which heavy metal stress represented by cadmium contamination not only hindering the yield of rice but also affecting the food safety by Cd accumulating in rice grains. The mechanism of Cd accumulation in rice grains has not been well elucidated. In this study, we compare the proteomic difference between two genotypes with different Cd accumulation ability in grains. Verification of differentially expressed protein-encoding genes was analyzing by quantitative PCR (QPCR) and reanalysis of microarray expression data. Forty-seven proteins in total were successfully identified through proteomic screening. GO and KEGG enrichment analysis showed Cd accumulation triggered stress-related pathways in the cells, and strongly affecting metabolic pathways. Many proteins associated with nutrient reservoir and starch-related enzyme were identified in this study suggesting that a considerably damage on grain quality was caused. The results also implied stress response was initiated by the abnormal cells and the transmission of signals may mediated by reactive oxygen species (ROS). Our research will provide new insights into Cd accumulation in rice grain under Cd stress.

  19. X-ray structure reveals a new class and provides insight into evolution of alkaline phosphatases.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Subhash C Bihani

    Full Text Available The alkaline phosphatase (AP is a bi-metalloenzyme of potential applications in biotechnology and bioremediation, in which phosphate monoesters are nonspecifically hydrolysed under alkaline conditions to yield inorganic phosphate. The hydrolysis occurs through an enzyme intermediate in which the catalytic residue is phosphorylated. The reaction, which also requires a third metal ion, is proposed to proceed through a mechanism of in-line displacement involving a trigonal bipyramidal transition state. Stabilizing the transition state by bidentate hydrogen bonding has been suggested to be the reason for conservation of an arginine residue in the active site. We report here the first crystal structure of alkaline phosphatase purified from the bacterium Sphingomonas. sp. Strain BSAR-1 (SPAP. The crystal structure reveals many differences from other APs: 1 the catalytic residue is a threonine instead of serine, 2 there is no third metal ion binding pocket, and 3 the arginine residue forming bidentate hydrogen bonding is deleted in SPAP. A lysine and an aspargine residue, recruited together for the first time into the active site, bind the substrate phosphoryl group in a manner not observed before in any other AP. These and other structural features suggest that SPAP represents a new class of APs. Because of its direct contact with the substrate phosphoryl group, the lysine residue is proposed to play a significant role in catalysis. The structure is consistent with a mechanism of in-line displacement via a trigonal bipyramidal transition state. The structure provides important insights into evolutionary relationships between members of AP superfamily.

  20. Process of motion by unit steps over a surface provided with elements regularly arranged

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cooper, D.E.; Hendee, L.C. III; Hill, W.G. Jr.; Leshem, Adam; Marugg, M.L.

    1977-01-01

    This invention concerns a process for moving by unit steps an apparatus travelling over a surface provided with an array of orifices aligned and evenly spaced in several lines and several parallel rows regularly spaced, the lines and rows being parallel to axes x and y of Cartesian co-ordinates, each orifice having a separate address in the Cartesian co-ordinate system. The surface travelling apparatus has two previously connected arms aranged in directions transversal to each other thus forming an angle corresponding to the intersection of axes x and y. In the inspection and/or repair of nuclear or similar steam generator tubes, it is desirable that such an apparatus should be able to move in front of a surface comprising an array of orifices by the selective alternate introduction and retraction of two sets of anchoring claws of the two respective arms, in relation to the orifices of the array, it being possible to shift the arms in a movement of translation, transversally to each other, as a set of claws is withdrawn from the orifices. The invention concerns a process and aparatus as indicated above that reduces to a minimum the path length of the apparatus between the orifices it is effectively opposite and a given orifice [fr

  1. Hydrogen adsorption on bimetallic PdAu(111) surface alloys

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Takehiro, Naoki; Liu, Ping; Bergbreiter, Andreas

    2014-01-01

    The adsorption of hydrogen on structurally well defined PdAu-Pd(111) monolayer surface alloys was investigated in a combined experimental and theoretical study, aiming at a quantitative understanding of the adsorption and desorption properties of individual PdAu nanostructures. Combining...... the structural information obtained by high resolution scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), in particular on the abundance of specific adsorption ensembles at different Pd surface concentrations, with information on the adsorption properties derived from temperature programmed desorption (TPD) spectroscopy...... and high resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy (HREELS) provides conclusions on the minimum ensemble size for dissociative adsorption of hydrogen and on the adsorption energies on different sites active for adsorption. Density functional theory (DFT) based calculations give detailed insight...

  2. Morphology control of anatase TiO2 for well-defined surface chemistry

    KAUST Repository

    Jeantelot, Gabriel; Ould-Chikh, Samy; Sofack-Kreutzer, Julien; Abou-Hamad, Edy; Anjum, Dalaver H.; Lopatin, Sergei; Harb, Moussab; Cavallo, Luigi; Basset, Jean-Marie

    2018-01-01

    A specific allotrope of titanium dioxide (anatase) was synthesized both with a standard thermodynamic morphology ({101}-anatase) and with a highly anisotropic morphology ({001}-anatase) dominated by the {001} facet (81%). The surface chemistry of both samples after dehydroxylation was studied by 1H NMR and FT-IR. The influence of surface fluorides on the surface chemistry was also studied by 1H NMR, FT-IR and DFT. Full attribution of the IR spectra of anatase with dominant {001} facets could be provided based on experimental data and further confirmed by DFT. Our results showed that chemisorbed H2O molecules are still present on anatase after dehydroxylation at 350 °C, and that the type of surface hydroxyls present on the {001} facet is dependent on the presence of fluorides. They also provided general insight into the nature of the surface species on both fluorinated and fluorine-free anatase. The use of vanadium oxychloride (VOCl3) allowed the determination of the accessibility of the various OH groups spectroscopically observed.

  3. Morphology control of anatase TiO2 for well-defined surface chemistry

    KAUST Repository

    Jeantelot, Gabriel

    2018-05-16

    A specific allotrope of titanium dioxide (anatase) was synthesized both with a standard thermodynamic morphology ({101}-anatase) and with a highly anisotropic morphology ({001}-anatase) dominated by the {001} facet (81%). The surface chemistry of both samples after dehydroxylation was studied by 1H NMR and FT-IR. The influence of surface fluorides on the surface chemistry was also studied by 1H NMR, FT-IR and DFT. Full attribution of the IR spectra of anatase with dominant {001} facets could be provided based on experimental data and further confirmed by DFT. Our results showed that chemisorbed H2O molecules are still present on anatase after dehydroxylation at 350 °C, and that the type of surface hydroxyls present on the {001} facet is dependent on the presence of fluorides. They also provided general insight into the nature of the surface species on both fluorinated and fluorine-free anatase. The use of vanadium oxychloride (VOCl3) allowed the determination of the accessibility of the various OH groups spectroscopically observed.

  4. Assessment of Scheduling and Plan Execution of Apollo 14 Lunar Surface Operations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marquez, Jessica J.

    2010-01-01

    Although over forty years have passed since first landing on the Moon, there is not yet a comprehensive, quantitative assessment of Apollo extravehicular activities (EVAs). Quantitatively evaluating lunar EVAs will provide a better understanding of the challenges involved with surface operations. This first evaluation of a surface EVA centers on comparing the planned and the as-ran timeline, specifically collecting data on discrepancies between durations that were estimated versus executed. Differences were summarized by task categories in order to gain insight as to the type of surface operation activities that were most challenging. One Apollo 14 EVA was assessed utilizing the described methodology. Selected metrics and task categorizations were effective, and limitations to this process were identified.

  5. Bacterial filamentation accelerates colonization of adhesive spots embedded in biopassive surfaces

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Möller, Jens; Emge, Philippe; Vizcarra, Ima Avalos; Kollmannsberger, Philip; Vogel, Viola

    2013-01-01

    Sessile bacteria adhere to engineered surfaces and host tissues and pose a substantial clinical and economical risk when growing into biofilms. Most engineered and biological interfaces are of chemically heterogeneous nature and provide adhesive islands for bacterial attachment and growth. To mimic either defects in a surface coating of biomedical implants or heterogeneities within mucosal layers (Peyer's patches), we embedded micrometre-sized adhesive islands in a poly(ethylene glycol) biopassive background. We show experimentally and computationally that filamentation of Escherichia coli can significantly accelerate the bacterial surface colonization under physiological flow conditions. Filamentation can thus provide an advantage to a bacterial population to bridge non-adhesive distances exceeding 5 μm. Bacterial filamentation, caused by blocking of bacterial division, is common among bacterial species and can be triggered by environmental conditions or antibiotic treatment. While great awareness exists that the build-up of antibiotic resistance serves as intrinsic survival strategy, we show here that antibiotic treatment can actually promote surface colonization by triggering filamentation, which in turn prevents daughter cells from being washed away. Our combined microfabrication and computational approaches provide quantitative insights into mechanisms that enable biofouling of biopassive surfaces with embedded adhesive spots, even for spot distances that are multiples of the bacterial length. (paper)

  6. Bacterial filamentation accelerates colonization of adhesive spots embedded in biopassive surfaces

    Science.gov (United States)

    Möller, Jens; Emge, Philippe; Avalos Vizcarra, Ima; Kollmannsberger, Philip; Vogel, Viola

    2013-12-01

    Sessile bacteria adhere to engineered surfaces and host tissues and pose a substantial clinical and economical risk when growing into biofilms. Most engineered and biological interfaces are of chemically heterogeneous nature and provide adhesive islands for bacterial attachment and growth. To mimic either defects in a surface coating of biomedical implants or heterogeneities within mucosal layers (Peyer's patches), we embedded micrometre-sized adhesive islands in a poly(ethylene glycol) biopassive background. We show experimentally and computationally that filamentation of Escherichia coli can significantly accelerate the bacterial surface colonization under physiological flow conditions. Filamentation can thus provide an advantage to a bacterial population to bridge non-adhesive distances exceeding 5 μm. Bacterial filamentation, caused by blocking of bacterial division, is common among bacterial species and can be triggered by environmental conditions or antibiotic treatment. While great awareness exists that the build-up of antibiotic resistance serves as intrinsic survival strategy, we show here that antibiotic treatment can actually promote surface colonization by triggering filamentation, which in turn prevents daughter cells from being washed away. Our combined microfabrication and computational approaches provide quantitative insights into mechanisms that enable biofouling of biopassive surfaces with embedded adhesive spots, even for spot distances that are multiples of the bacterial length.

  7. Extracellular matrix inspired surface functionalization with heparin, fibronectin and VEGF provides an anticoagulant and endothelialization supporting microenvironment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, Xue; Liu, Tao; Chen, Yuan; Zhang, Kun; Maitz, Manfred F.; Pan, Changjiang; Chen, Junying; Huang, Nan

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • Surface modification with fibronectin, heparin and VEGF could selectively anticoagulant and promote endothelialization. • The bioactivity of biomolecules was more efficiently maintained via specific intermolecular interaction. • Poly-l-lysine interlayer was more feasible and the degradation product had no harm to human body. - Abstract: The biocompatibility of currently used coronary artery stent is still far from perfect, which closely related to insufficient endothelialization and thrombus formation. In this study, heparin, fibronectin and VEGF were immobilized on Ti surface to construct a multifunctional microenvironment with favorable properties to inhibit thrombosis formation and promote endothelialization simultaneously. The microenvironment on Ti surface was characterized in detail and demonstrated that the Hep/Fn/VEGF biofunctional coating was constructed successfully on Ti surface. The influence of surface properties such as chemical composition, roughness, hydrophilicity, and binding density of biomolecules on the performances of hemocompatibility and cytocompatibility was evaluated and discussed. Modified surface significantly enhanced the AT III binding density and prolonged the clotting time. In vitro platelet adhesion and activation assays further proved that the modified surface presented favorable anti-coagulant property. In addition, the proliferation of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) and endothelial cells (ECs) on the Hep/Fn/VEGF biofunctional coating was significantly promoted. In conclusion, the Hep/Fn/VEGF biofunctional coating was successfully constructed with desirable anticoagulant and endothelialization supporting properties. This work may provide a promising approach for biofunctional surface modification of coronary artery stent to acquire a desired multifunctional microenvironment

  8. Characteristics of Turbulent Airflow Deduced from Rapid Surface Thermal Fluctuations: An Infrared Surface Anemometer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aminzadeh, Milad; Breitenstein, Daniel; Or, Dani

    2017-12-01

    The intermittent nature of turbulent airflow interacting with the surface is readily observable in fluctuations of the surface temperature resulting from the thermal imprints of eddies sweeping the surface. Rapid infrared thermography has recently been used to quantify characteristics of the near-surface turbulent airflow interacting with the evaporating surfaces. We aim to extend this technique by using single-point rapid infrared measurements to quantify properties of a turbulent flow, including surface exchange processes, with a view towards the development of an infrared surface anemometer. The parameters for the surface-eddy renewal (α and β ) are inferred from infrared measurements of a single-point on the surface of a heat plate placed in a wind tunnel with prescribed wind speeds and constant mean temperatures of the surface. Thermally-deduced parameters are in agreement with values obtained from standard three-dimensional ultrasonic anemometer measurements close to the plate surface (e.g., α = 3 and β = 1/26 (ms)^{-1} for the infrared, and α = 3 and β = 1/19 (ms)^{-1} for the sonic-anemometer measurements). The infrared-based turbulence parameters provide new insights into the role of surface temperature and buoyancy on the inherent characteristics of interacting eddies. The link between the eddy-spectrum shape parameter α and the infrared window size representing the infrared field of view is investigated. The results resemble the effect of the sampling height above the ground in sonic anemometer measurements, which enables the detection of larger eddies with higher values of α . The physical basis and tests of the proposed method support the potential for remote quantification of the near-surface momentum field, as well as scalar-flux measurements in the immediate vicinity of the surface.

  9. Vitiligo blood transcriptomics provides new insights into disease mechanisms and identifies potential novel therapeutic targets.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dey-Rao, Rama; Sinha, Animesh A

    2017-01-28

    Significant gaps remain regarding the pathomechanisms underlying the autoimmune response in vitiligo (VL), where the loss of self-tolerance leads to the targeted killing of melanocytes. Specifically, there is incomplete information regarding alterations in the systemic environment that are relevant to the disease state. We undertook a genome-wide profiling approach to examine gene expression in the peripheral blood of VL patients and healthy controls in the context of our previously published VL-skin gene expression profile. We used several in silico bioinformatics-based analyses to provide new insights into disease mechanisms and suggest novel targets for future therapy. Unsupervised clustering methods of the VL-blood dataset demonstrate a "disease-state"-specific set of co-expressed genes. Ontology enrichment analysis of 99 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) uncovers a down-regulated immune/inflammatory response, B-Cell antigen receptor (BCR) pathways, apoptosis and catabolic processes in VL-blood. There is evidence for both type I and II interferon (IFN) playing a role in VL pathogenesis. We used interactome analysis to identify several key blood associated transcriptional factors (TFs) from within (STAT1, STAT6 and NF-kB), as well as "hidden" (CREB1, MYC, IRF4, IRF1, and TP53) from the dataset that potentially affect disease pathogenesis. The TFs overlap with our reported lesional-skin transcriptional circuitry, underscoring their potential importance to the disease. We also identify a shared VL-blood and -skin transcriptional "hot spot" that maps to chromosome 6, and includes three VL-blood dysregulated genes (PSMB8, PSMB9 and TAP1) described as potential VL-associated genetic susceptibility loci. Finally, we provide bioinformatics-based support for prioritizing dysregulated genes in VL-blood or skin as potential therapeutic targets. We examined the VL-blood transcriptome in context with our (previously published) VL-skin transcriptional profile to address

  10. Photon management assisted by surface waves on photonic crystals

    CERN Document Server

    Angelini, Angelo

    2017-01-01

    This book illustrates original pathways to manipulate light at the nanoscale by means of surface electromagnetic waves (here, Bloch surface waves, BSWs) on planar dielectric multilayers, also known as one-dimensional photonic crystals. This approach is particularly valuable as it represents an effective alternative to the widely exploited surface plasmon paradigm. After a brief overview on the fundamentals of BSWs, several significant applications of BSW-sustaining structures are described. Particular consideration is given to the propagation, guiding, and diffraction of BSW-coupled radiation. Further, the interaction of organic emitters with BSWs on planar and corrugated multilayers is investigated, including fluorescence beaming in free space. To provide greater insight into sensing applications, an illustrative example of fluorescent microarray-based detection is presented. The book is intended for scientists and researchers working on photon management opportunities in fields such as biosensing, optical c...

  11. Atomic-scale insight into the origin of pyridine inhibition of MoS2-based hydrotreating catalysts

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Temel, Burcin; Tuxen, Anders K.; Kibsgaard, Jakob

    2010-01-01

    in earlier IR experiments on high surface alumina-supported MoS2 catalyst. The adsorption sites appear to be very similar to the brim sites involved in hydrogenation reactions in HDS. Thus, the combined STM and DFT results provide new atomic-scale insight into the inhibition effect of basic N......-compounds in HDS and the first direct observation of the adsorption mode of basic N-compounds on the catalytically active MoS2 edges. Our results lend further support to previously reported correlations between inhibiting strength and proton affinity for the N-containing compounds....

  12. Post-donation telephonic interview of blood donors providing an insight into delayed adverse reactions: First attempt in India.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tiwari, Aseem K; Aggarwal, Geet; Dara, Ravi C; Arora, Dinesh; Srivastava, Khushboo; Raina, Vimarsh

    2017-04-01

    Blood donor experiences both immediate adverse reactions (IAR) and delayed adverse reactions (DAR). With limited published data available on the incidence of DAR, a study was conducted to estimate incidence and profile of DAR through telephonic interview. Study was conducted over a 45-day period for consecutive volunteer whole blood donations at tertiary care hospital. Donors were divided into first-time, repeat and regular and were monitored for IAR. They were given written copy of post-donation advice. Donors were contacted telephonically three weeks post-donation and enquired about general wellbeing and specific DAR in accordance with a standard n international (International Society of Blood Transfusion) standard format. Donors participated in the study of which 1.6% donors experienced an IAR. Much larger number reported DAR (10.3% vs.1.6% pdonors (age donors (>50 years). First time (12.3%) and repeat donors (13.5%) had similar frequency of DAR but were lower among regular donors (6.7%). DARs are more common than IAR and are of different profile. Post-donation interview has provided an insight into donor experiences and can be used as a valuable tool in donor hemovigilance. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Surface chemistry of 2-butanol and furfural on Cu, Au and Cu/Au single crystals

    OpenAIRE

    Megginson, Rory

    2016-01-01

    In this study, the adsorption of 2-butanol and furfural was investigated on Au (111), Cu (111) and Cu/Au (111) surfaces. It was hoped that by studying how these species adsorbed on these surfaces , insight would be provided into the roles of Cu and Au in the “hydrogen free” hydrogenation of furfural to furfuryl alcohol. This is a valuable process as currently furfuryl alcohol is derived from crude oil but it is possible to derive furfural from corn husk making it a greener process...

  14. Excess electrons at anatase TiO2 surfaces and interfaces: insights from first principles simulations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Selçuk, Sencer; Selloni, Annabella

    2017-07-01

    TiO2 is an important technological material with widespread applications in photocatalysis, photovoltaics and self-cleaning surfaces. Excess electrons from intrinsic defects, dopants and photoexcitation play a key role in the properties of TiO2 that are relevant to its energy-related applications. The picture of excess and photoexcited electrons in TiO2 is based on the polaron model, where the electron forms a localized state that is stabilized by an accompanying lattice distortion. Here, we focus on excess and photoexcited electrons in anatase, the TiO2 polymorph most relevant to photocatalysis and solar energy conversion. For anatase, evidence of both small and large electron polarons has been reported in the literature. In addition, several studies have revealed a remarkable dependence of the photocatalytic activity of anatase on the crystal surface. After an overview of experimental studies, we briefly discuss recent progress in the theoretical description of polaronic states in TiO2, and finally present a more detailed account of our computational studies on the trapping and dynamics of excess electrons near the most common anatase surfaces and aqueous interfaces. The results of these studies provide a bridge between surface science experiments under vacuum conditions and observations of crystal-face-dependent photocatalysis on anatase, and support the idea that optimization of the ratio between different anatase facets can help enhance the photocatalytic activity of this material.

  15. Magnetite Fe3O4 (111) Surfaces: Impact of Defects on Structure, Stability, and Electronic Properties

    KAUST Repository

    Noh, Jung Hyun

    2015-08-04

    We present a comprehensive investigation, via first-principles density functional theory (DFT) calculations, of various surface terminations of magnetite, Fe3O4 (111), a major iron oxide which has also a number of applications in electronics and spintronics. We compare the thermodynamic stability and electronic structure among the different surfaces terminations. Interestingly, we find that surfaces modified with point defects and adatoms can be more stable than bulk-like terminations. These surfaces show different surface chemistry, electronic structures and distinctive spin polarization features near the Fermi level from those previously considered in the literature. Our studies provide an atomic level insight for magnetite surfaces, which is a necessary step to understanding their interfaces with organic layers in OLED and spintronic devices.

  16. Magnetite Fe3O4 (111) Surfaces: Impact of Defects on Structure, Stability, and Electronic Properties

    KAUST Repository

    Noh, Jung Hyun; Osman, Osman I; Aziz, Saadullah G.; Winget, Paul; Bredas, Jean-Luc

    2015-01-01

    We present a comprehensive investigation, via first-principles density functional theory (DFT) calculations, of various surface terminations of magnetite, Fe3O4 (111), a major iron oxide which has also a number of applications in electronics and spintronics. We compare the thermodynamic stability and electronic structure among the different surfaces terminations. Interestingly, we find that surfaces modified with point defects and adatoms can be more stable than bulk-like terminations. These surfaces show different surface chemistry, electronic structures and distinctive spin polarization features near the Fermi level from those previously considered in the literature. Our studies provide an atomic level insight for magnetite surfaces, which is a necessary step to understanding their interfaces with organic layers in OLED and spintronic devices.

  17. Surface/subsurface observation and removal mechanisms of ground reaction bonded silicon carbide

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yao, Wang; Zhang, Yu-Min; Han, Jie-cai; Zhang, Yun-long; Zhang, Jian-han; Zhou, Yu-feng; Han, Yuan-yuan

    2006-01-01

    Reaction Bonded Silicon Carbide (RBSiC) has long been recognized as a promising material for optical applications because of its unique combination of favorable properties and low-cost fabrication. Grinding of silicon carbide is difficult because of its high hardness and brittleness. Grinding often induces surface and subsurface damage, residual stress and other types of damage, which have great influence on the ceramic components for optical application. In this paper, surface integrity, subsurface damage and material removal mechanisms of RBSiC ground using diamond grinding wheel on creep-feed surface grinding machine are investigated. The surface and subsurface are studied with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and optical microscopy. The effects of grinding conditions on surface and subsurface damage are discussed. This research links the surface roughness, surface and subsurface cracks to grinding parameters and provides valuable insights into the material removal mechanism and the dependence of grind induced damage on grinding conditions.

  18. Whole Genome Sequencing of Mycobacterium africanum Strains from Mali Provides Insights into the Mechanisms of Geographic Restriction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Winglee, Kathryn; Manson McGuire, Abigail; Maiga, Mamoudou; Abeel, Thomas; Shea, Terrance; Desjardins, Christopher A; Diarra, Bassirou; Baya, Bocar; Sanogo, Moumine; Diallo, Souleymane; Earl, Ashlee M; Bishai, William R

    2016-01-01

    Mycobacterium africanum, made up of lineages 5 and 6 within the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTC), causes up to half of all tuberculosis cases in West Africa, but is rarely found outside of this region. The reasons for this geographical restriction remain unknown. Possible reasons include a geographically restricted animal reservoir, a unique preference for hosts of West African ethnicity, and an inability to compete with other lineages outside of West Africa. These latter two hypotheses could be caused by loss of fitness or altered interactions with the host immune system. We sequenced 92 MTC clinical isolates from Mali, including two lineage 5 and 24 lineage 6 strains. Our genome sequencing assembly, alignment, phylogeny and average nucleotide identity analyses enabled us to identify features that typify lineages 5 and 6 and made clear that these lineages do not constitute a distinct species within the MTC. We found that in Mali, lineage 6 and lineage 4 strains have similar levels of diversity and evolve drug resistance through similar mechanisms. In the process, we identified a putative novel streptomycin resistance mutation. In addition, we found evidence of person-to-person transmission of lineage 6 isolates and showed that lineage 6 is not enriched for mutations in virulence-associated genes. This is the largest collection of lineage 5 and 6 whole genome sequences to date, and our assembly and alignment data provide valuable insights into what distinguishes these lineages from other MTC lineages. Lineages 5 and 6 do not appear to be geographically restricted due to an inability to transmit between West African hosts or to an elevated number of mutations in virulence-associated genes. However, lineage-specific mutations, such as mutations in cell wall structure, secretion systems and cofactor biosynthesis, provide alternative mechanisms that may lead to host specificity.

  19. The Association of DRD2 with Insight Problem Solving.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Shun; Zhang, Jinghuan

    2016-01-01

    Although the insight phenomenon has attracted great attention from psychologists, it is still largely unknown whether its variation in well-functioning human adults has a genetic basis. Several lines of evidence suggest that genes involved in dopamine (DA) transmission might be potential candidates. The present study explored for the first time the association of dopamine D2 receptor gene ( DRD2 ) with insight problem solving. Fifteen single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) covering DRD2 were genotyped in 425 unrelated healthy Chinese undergraduates, and were further tested for association with insight problem solving. Both single SNP and haplotype analysis revealed several associations of DRD2 SNPs and haplotypes with insight problem solving. In conclusion, the present study provides the first evidence for the involvement of DRD2 in insight problem solving, future studies are necessary to validate these findings.

  20. Quality-control design for surface-water sampling in the National Water-Quality Network

    Science.gov (United States)

    Riskin, Melissa L.; Reutter, David C.; Martin, Jeffrey D.; Mueller, David K.

    2018-04-10

    The data-quality objectives for samples collected at surface-water sites in the National Water-Quality Network include estimating the extent to which contamination, matrix effects, and measurement variability affect interpretation of environmental conditions. Quality-control samples provide insight into how well the samples collected at surface-water sites represent the true environmental conditions. Quality-control samples used in this program include field blanks, replicates, and field matrix spikes. This report describes the design for collection of these quality-control samples and the data management needed to properly identify these samples in the U.S. Geological Survey’s national database.

  1. Development of Risk Insights for Regulatory Review of a Near-Surface Disposal Facility for Radioactive Waste

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Esh, D.W.; Ridge, A.C.; Thaggard, M.

    2006-01-01

    Section 3116 of the Ronald W. Reagan National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2005 (NDAA) requires the Department of Energy (DOE) to consult with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) about non-High Level Waste (HLW) determinations. In its consultative role, NRC performs technical reviews of DOE's waste determinations but does not have regulatory authority over DOE's waste disposal activities. The safety of disposal is evaluated by comparing predicted disposal facility performance to the performance objectives specified in NRC regulations for the disposal of low-level waste (10 CFR Part 61 Subpart C). The performance objectives contain criteria for protection of the public, protection of inadvertent intruders, protection of workers, and stability of the disposal site after closure. The potential radiological dose to receptors typically is evaluated with a performance assessment (PA) model that simulates the release of radionuclides from the disposal site, transport of radionuclides through the environment, and exposure of potential receptors to residual contamination for thousands of years. This paper describes NRC's development and use of independent performance assessment modeling to facilitate review of DOE's non-HLW determination for the Saltstone Disposal Facility (SDF) at the Savannah River Site. NRC's review of the safety of near-surface disposal of radioactive waste at the SDF was facilitated and focused by risk insights developed with an independent PA model. The main components of NRC's performance assessment model are presented. The development of risk insights that allow the staff to focus review efforts on those areas that are most important to satisfying the performance objectives is discussed. Uncertainty analysis was performed of the full stochastic model using genetic variable selection algorithms. The results of the uncertainty analysis were then used to guide the development of simulations of other scenarios to understand the key risk

  2. Access to finance from different finance provider types

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Wulandari, Eliana; Meuwissen, Miranda P.M.; Karmana, Maman H.; Oude Lansink, Alfons G.J.M.

    2017-01-01

    Analysing farmer knowledge of the requirements of finance providers can provide valuable insights to policy makers about ways to improve farmers’ access to finance. This study compares farmer knowledge of the requirements to obtain finance with the actual requirements set by different finance

  3. The fractal geometry of nutrient exchange surfaces does not provide an explanation for 3/4-power metabolic scaling

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Painter Page R

    2005-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background A prominent theoretical explanation for 3/4-power allometric scaling of metabolism proposes that the nutrient exchange surface of capillaries has properties of a space-filling fractal. The theory assumes that nutrient exchange surface area has a fractal dimension equal to or greater than 2 and less than or equal to 3 and that the volume filled by the exchange surface area has a fractal dimension equal to or greater than 3 and less than or equal to 4. Results It is shown that contradicting predictions can be derived from the assumptions of the model. When errors in the model are corrected, it is shown to predict that metabolic rate is proportional to body mass (proportional scaling. Conclusion The presence of space-filling fractal nutrient exchange surfaces does not provide a satisfactory explanation for 3/4-power metabolic rate scaling.

  4. Insight into Evolution, Processing and Performance of Multi-length-scale Structures in Planar Heterojunction Perovskite Solar Cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Yu-Ching; Tsao, Cheng-Si; Cho, Yi-Ju; Chen, Kuan-Chen; Chiang, Kai-Ming; Hsiao, Sheng-Yi; Chen, Chang-Wen; Su, Chun-Jen; Jeng, U-Ser; Lin, Hao-Wu

    2015-09-04

    The structural characterization correlated to the processing control of hierarchical structure of planar heterojunction perovskite layer is still incomplete due to the limitations of conventional microscopy and X-ray diffraction. This present study performed the simultaneously grazing-incidence small-angle scattering and wide-angle scattering (GISAXS/GIWAXS) techniques to quantitatively probe the hierarchical structure of the planar heterojunction perovskite solar cells. The result is complementary to the currently microscopic study. Correlation between the crystallization behavior, crystal orientation, nano- and meso-scale internal structure and surface morphology of perovskite film as functions of various processing control parameters is reported for the first time. The structural transition from the fractal pore network to the surface fractal can be tuned by the chloride percentage. The GISAXS/GIWAXS measurement provides the comprehensive understanding of concurrent evolution of the film morphology and crystallization correlated to the high performance. The result can provide the insight into formation mechanism and rational synthesis design.

  5. Insight into Evolution, Processing and Performance of Multi-length-scale Structures in Planar Heterojunction Perovskite Solar Cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Yu-Ching; Tsao, Cheng-Si; Cho, Yi-Ju; Chen, Kuan-Chen; Chiang, Kai-Ming; Hsiao, Sheng-Yi; Chen, Chang-Wen; Su, Chun-Jen; Jeng, U.-Ser; Lin, Hao-Wu

    2015-09-01

    The structural characterization correlated to the processing control of hierarchical structure of planar heterojunction perovskite layer is still incomplete due to the limitations of conventional microscopy and X-ray diffraction. This present study performed the simultaneously grazing-incidence small-angle scattering and wide-angle scattering (GISAXS/GIWAXS) techniques to quantitatively probe the hierarchical structure of the planar heterojunction perovskite solar cells. The result is complementary to the currently microscopic study. Correlation between the crystallization behavior, crystal orientation, nano- and meso-scale internal structure and surface morphology of perovskite film as functions of various processing control parameters is reported for the first time. The structural transition from the fractal pore network to the surface fractal can be tuned by the chloride percentage. The GISAXS/GIWAXS measurement provides the comprehensive understanding of concurrent evolution of the film morphology and crystallization correlated to the high performance. The result can provide the insight into formation mechanism and rational synthesis design.

  6. Canine CNGA3 Gene Mutations Provide Novel Insights into Human Achromatopsia-Associated Channelopathies and Treatment.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Naoto Tanaka

    Full Text Available Cyclic nucleotide-gated (CNG ion channels are key mediators underlying signal transduction in retinal and olfactory receptors. Genetic defects in CNGA3 and CNGB3, encoding two structurally related subunits of cone CNG channels, lead to achromatopsia (ACHM. ACHM is a congenital, autosomal recessive retinal disorder that manifests by cone photoreceptor dysfunction, severely reduced visual acuity, impaired or complete color blindness and photophobia. Here, we report the first canine models for CNGA3-associated channelopathy caused by R424W or V644del mutations in the canine CNGA3 ortholog that accurately mimic the clinical and molecular features of human CNGA3-associated ACHM. These two spontaneous mutations exposed CNGA3 residues essential for the preservation of channel function and biogenesis. The CNGA3-R424W results in complete loss of cone function in vivo and channel activity confirmed by in vitro electrophysiology. Structural modeling and molecular dynamics (MD simulations revealed R424-E306 salt bridge formation and its disruption with the R424W mutant. Reversal of charges in a CNGA3-R424E-E306R double mutant channel rescued cGMP-activated currents uncovering new insights into channel gating. The CNGA3-V644del affects the C-terminal leucine zipper (CLZ domain destabilizing intersubunit interactions of the coiled-coil complex in the MD simulations; the in vitro experiments showed incompetent trimeric CNGA3 subunit assembly consistent with abnormal biogenesis of in vivo channels. These newly characterized large animal models not only provide a valuable system for studying cone-specific CNG channel function in health and disease, but also represent prime candidates for proof-of-concept studies of CNGA3 gene replacement therapy for ACHM patients.

  7. An equivalent body surface charge model representing three-dimensional bioelectrical activity

    Science.gov (United States)

    He, B.; Chernyak, Y. B.; Cohen, R. J.

    1995-01-01

    A new surface-source model has been developed to account for the bioelectrical potential on the body surface. A single-layer surface-charge model on the body surface has been developed to equivalently represent bioelectrical sources inside the body. The boundary conditions on the body surface are discussed in relation to the surface-charge in a half-space conductive medium. The equivalent body surface-charge is shown to be proportional to the normal component of the electric field on the body surface just outside the body. The spatial resolution of the equivalent surface-charge distribution appears intermediate between those of the body surface potential distribution and the body surface Laplacian distribution. An analytic relationship between the equivalent surface-charge and the surface Laplacian of the potential was found for a half-space conductive medium. The effects of finite spatial sampling and noise on the reconstruction of the equivalent surface-charge were evaluated by computer simulations. It was found through computer simulations that the reconstruction of the equivalent body surface-charge from the body surface Laplacian distribution is very stable against noise and finite spatial sampling. The present results suggest that the equivalent body surface-charge model may provide an additional insight to our understanding of bioelectric phenomena.

  8. The SEIS Experiment for the InSight mission: status and performance expectations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mimoun, David; Lognonne, Philippe; Banerdt, W. Bruce; Laudet, Philippe; De Raucourt, Sébastien; IJpelaan, Frans; Kerjean, Laurent; Perez, Rene; Pont, Gabriel; Sylvestre-Baron, Annick; verdier, Nicolas; Denise, Robert; Feldman, Jason; Hurst, Ken; Klein, Kerry; Giardini, Domenico; Zweifel, Peter; Pike, W. Tom; Calcutt, Simon; Bramanti, Christina

    2015-04-01

    The Insight NASA Discovery mission, led by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, will deploy in September 2016 a very broadband seismometer on the Mars surface, SEIS (Seismic Experiment for Interior Structure). It is a hybrid 3-axes instrument, which encloses 3 very broadband oblique sensors and 3 short period sensors. The sensor assembly and its wind and thermal shield will by deployed on the Mars surface from the Phoenix-like spacecraft by a robotic arm (IDS). The acquisition system will be hosted in the spacecraft warm electronics box, and connected to the deployed sensor assembly by a tether. The SEIS experiment is provided by CNES, the French Space Agency that makes the coordination of a wide consortium including IPGP of Paris (SEIS PI Institution), Imperial College of London, Oxford University, MPS of Göttingen, ETH of Zürich, ISAE from Toulouse and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory of Pasadena. In addition to the seismometer, the Insight payload will also include a suite of instruments complementary to the seismometer, such as a precision temperature sensor, a micro-barometer, a magnetometer and a wind sensor, making it the first geophysical multi-parameter station on another planet. A heat flow sensor and geodetic measurements will provide additional science measurements, in order to constrain the internal structure of Mars. Several challenges have been overcome to design and realize the planetary seismometer, which will exhibit a noise of about 10-9 m/s2/sqrt(Hz) in its seismic bandwidth bandwidth (0.01-1 Hz) for the very broadband component. These challenges include a very efficient insulation from the external temperature variations, and a finely crafted mechanical design to keep the extreme sensitivity of the seismometer, while allowing enough robustness for the harsh mechanical environment encountered during the launch and landing sequences. Also, specific attention has been paid to understanding the various environment contributions to the noise figure. A

  9. THERMAL TOMOGRAPHY OF ASTEROID SURFACE STRUCTURE

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Harris, Alan W.; Drube, Line, E-mail: alan.harris@dlr.de [German Aerospace Center (DLR) Institute of Planetary Research, Rutherfordstrasse 2, D-12489 Berlin (Germany)

    2016-12-01

    Knowledge of the surface thermal inertia of an asteroid can provide insight into its surface structure: porous material has a lower thermal inertia than rock. We develop a means to estimate thermal inertia values of asteroids and use it to show that thermal inertia appears to increase with spin period in the case of main-belt asteroids (MBAs). Similar behavior is found on the basis of thermophysical modeling for near-Earth objects (NEOs). We interpret our results in terms of rapidly increasing material density and thermal conductivity with depth, and provide evidence that thermal inertia increases by factors of 10 (MBAs) to 20 (NEOs) within a depth of just 10 cm. Our results are consistent with a very general picture of rapidly changing material properties in the topmost regolith layers of asteroids and have important implications for calculations of the Yarkovsky effect, including its perturbation of the orbits of potentially hazardous objects and those of asteroid family members after the break-up event. Evidence of a rapid increase of thermal inertia with depth is also an important result for studies of the ejecta-enhanced momentum transfer of impacting vehicles (“kinetic impactors”) in planetary defense.

  10. Some new insights into collimator design

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Metz, C.E.; Atkins, F.B.; Tsui, B.M.W.; Beck, R.N.

    1978-01-01

    Relationships among collimator design parameters, physical properties of the resulting images, and human observer performance are discussed. The insight provided by these relationships hopefully will prove useful to the individual who must design or select a collimator for a particular imaging task

  11. Atomic-Scale Observations of (010) LiFePO4 Surfaces Before and After Chemical Delithiation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kobayashi, Shunsuke; Fisher, Craig A J; Kato, Takeharu; Ukyo, Yoshio; Hirayama, Tsukasa; Ikuhara, Yuichi

    2016-09-14

    The ability to view directly the surface structures of battery materials with atomic resolution promises to dramatically improve our understanding of lithium (de)intercalation and related processes. Here we report the use of state-of-the-art scanning transmission electron microscopy techniques to probe the (010) surface of commercially important material LiFePO4 and compare the results with theoretical models. The surface structure is noticeably different depending on whether Li ions are present in the topmost surface layer or not. Li ions are also found to migrate back to surface regions from within the crystal relatively quickly after partial delithiation, demonstrating the facile nature of Li transport in the [010] direction. The results are consistent with phase transformation models involving metastable phase formation and relaxation, providing atomic-level insights into these fundamental processes.

  12. New insights into the properties of pubescent surfaces: peach fruit as a model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fernández, Victoria; Khayet, Mohamed; Montero-Prado, Pablo; Heredia-Guerrero, José Alejandro; Liakopoulos, Georgios; Karabourniotis, George; Del Río, Víctor; Domínguez, Eva; Tacchini, Ignacio; Nerín, Cristina; Val, Jesús; Heredia, Antonio

    2011-08-01

    The surface of peach (Prunus persica 'Calrico') is covered by a dense indumentum, which may serve various protective purposes. With the aim of relating structure to function, the chemical composition, morphology, and hydrophobicity of the peach skin was assessed as a model for a pubescent plant surface. Distinct physicochemical features were observed for trichomes versus isolated cuticles. Peach cuticles were composed of 53% cutan, 27% waxes, 23% cutin, and 1% hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives (mainly ferulic and p-coumaric acids). Trichomes were covered by a thin cuticular layer containing 15% waxes and 19% cutin and were filled by polysaccharide material (63%) containing hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives and flavonoids. The surface free energy, polarity, and work of adhesion of intact and shaved peach surfaces were calculated from contact angle measurements of water, glycerol, and diiodomethane. The removal of the trichomes from the surface increased polarity from 3.8% (intact surface) to 23.6% and decreased the total surface free energy chiefly due to a decrease on its nonpolar component. The extraction of waxes and the removal of trichomes led to higher fruit dehydration rates. However, trichomes were found to have a higher water sorption capacity as compared with isolated cuticles. The results show that the peach surface is composed of two different materials that establish a polarity gradient: the trichome network, which has a higher surface free energy and a higher dispersive component, and the cuticle underneath, which has a lower surface free energy and higher surface polarity. The significance of the data concerning water-plant surface interactions is discussed within a physiological context.

  13. Insights into factors contributing to the observability of a submarine at periscope depth by modern radar, Part 2: EM simulation of mast RCS in a realistic sea surface environment

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Smit, JC

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available IEEE-APS Topical Conference on Antennas and Propagation in Wireless Communications (APWC), Cape Town 2-7 September 2012 Insights into factors contributing to the observability of a submarine at periscope depth by modern radar, Part 2: EM... simulation of mast RCS in a realistic sea surface environment Smit JC; Cilliers JE CSIR, Defence, Peace, Safety and Security. PO Box 395, Pretoria, 0001 Abstract Recently, a set of high resolution radar measurements were undertaken in South...

  14. Complete genome sequence of Corynebacterium variabile DSM 44702 isolated from the surface of smear-ripened cheeses and insights into cheese ripening and flavor generation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Trost Eva

    2011-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Corynebacterium variabile is part of the complex microflora on the surface of smear-ripened cheeses and contributes to the development of flavor and textural properties during cheese ripening. Still little is known about the metabolic processes and microbial interactions during the production of smear-ripened cheeses. Therefore, the gene repertoire contributing to the lifestyle of the cheese isolate C. variabile DSM 44702 was deduced from the complete genome sequence to get a better understanding of this industrial process. Results The chromosome of C. variabile DSM 44702 is composed of 3, 433, 007 bp and contains 3, 071 protein-coding regions. A comparative analysis of this gene repertoire with that of other corynebacteria detected 1, 534 predicted genes to be specific for the cheese isolate. These genes might contribute to distinct metabolic capabilities of C. variabile, as several of them are associated with metabolic functions in cheese habitats by playing roles in the utilization of alternative carbon and sulphur sources, in amino acid metabolism, and fatty acid degradation. Relevant C. variabile genes confer the capability to catabolize gluconate, lactate, propionate, taurine, and gamma-aminobutyric acid and to utilize external caseins. In addition, C. variabile is equipped with several siderophore biosynthesis gene clusters for iron acquisition and an exceptional repertoire of AraC-regulated iron uptake systems. Moreover, C. variabile can produce acetoin, butanediol, and methanethiol, which are important flavor compounds in smear-ripened cheeses. Conclusions The genome sequence of C. variabile provides detailed insights into the distinct metabolic features of this bacterium, implying a strong adaption to the iron-depleted cheese surface habitat. By combining in silico data obtained from the genome annotation with previous experimental knowledge, occasional observations on genes that are involved in the complex

  15. Vitamin B12: advances and insights

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    individuals in critical life phases. This book has been written by experts who documented latest developments in the field. It is written for individuals looking for in depth knowledge of the nutritional, chemistry, biochemistry, health and medical relevance of the vitamin. The book provides insights...

  16. Laser surface texturing of polymers for biomedical applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Riveiro, Antonio; Maçon, Anthony L. B.; del Val, Jesus; Comesaña, Rafael; Pou, Juan

    2018-02-01

    Polymers are materials widely used in biomedical science because of their biocompatibility, and good mechanical properties (which, in some cases, are similar to those of human tissues); however, these materials are, in general, chemically and biologically inert. Surface characteristics, such as topography (at the macro-, micro, and nanoscale), surface chemistry, surface energy, charge or wettability are interrelated properties, and they cooperatively influence the biological performance of materials when used for biomedical applications. They regulate the biological response at the implant/tissue interface (e.g., influencing the cell adhesion, cell orientation, cell motility, etc.). Several surface processing techniques have been explored to modulate these properties for biomedical applications. Despite their potentials, these methods have limitations that prevent their applicability. In this regard, laser-based methods, in particular laser surface texturing (LST), can be an interesting alternative. Different works have showed the potentiality of this technique to control the surface properties of biomedical polymers and enhance their biological performance; however, more research is needed to obtain the desired biological response. This work provides a general overview of the basics and applications of LST for the surface modification of polymers currently used in the clinical practice (e.g. PEEK, UHMWPE, PP, etc.). The modification of roughness, wettability, and their impact on the biological response is addressed to offer new insights on the surface modification of biomedical polymers.

  17. A multidisciplinary approach providing new insight into fruit flesh browning physiology in apple (Malus x domestica Borkh.).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Di Guardo, Mario; Tadiello, Alice; Farneti, Brian; Lorenz, Giorgia; Masuero, Domenico; Vrhovsek, Urska; Costa, Guglielmo; Velasco, Riccardo; Costa, Fabrizio

    2013-01-01

    In terms of the quality of minimally processed fruit, flesh browning is fundamentally important in the development of an aesthetically unpleasant appearance, with consequent off-flavours. The development of browning depends on the enzymatic action of the polyphenol oxidase (PPO). In the 'Golden Delicious' apple genome ten PPO genes were initially identified and located on three main chromosomes (2, 5 and 10). Of these genes, one element in particular, here called Md-PPO, located on chromosome 10, was further investigated and genetically mapped in two apple progenies ('Fuji x Pink Lady' and 'Golden Delicious x Braeburn'). Both linkage maps, made up of 481 and 608 markers respectively, were then employed to find QTL regions associated with fruit flesh browning, allowing the detection of 25 QTLs related to several browning parameters. These were distributed over six linkage groups with LOD values spanning from 3.08 to 4.99 and showed a rate of phenotypic variance from 26.1 to 38.6%. Anchoring of these intervals to the apple genome led to the identification of several genes involved in polyphenol synthesis and cell wall metabolism. Finally, the expression profile of two specific candidate genes, up and downstream of the polyphenolic pathway, namely phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) and polyphenol oxidase (PPO), provided insight into flesh browning physiology. Md-PPO was further analyzed and two haplotypes were characterised and associated with fruit flesh browning in apple.

  18. A Multidisciplinary Approach Providing New Insight into Fruit Flesh Browning Physiology in Apple (Malus x domestica Borkh.)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Farneti, Brian; Lorenz, Giorgia; Masuero, Domenico; Vrhovsek, Urska; Costa, Guglielmo; Velasco, Riccardo; Costa, Fabrizio

    2013-01-01

    In terms of the quality of minimally processed fruit, flesh browning is fundamentally important in the development of an aesthetically unpleasant appearance, with consequent off-flavours. The development of browning depends on the enzymatic action of the polyphenol oxidase (PPO). In the ‘Golden Delicious’ apple genome ten PPO genes were initially identified and located on three main chromosomes (2, 5 and 10). Of these genes, one element in particular, here called Md-PPO, located on chromosome 10, was further investigated and genetically mapped in two apple progenies (‘Fuji x Pink Lady’ and ‘Golden Delicious x Braeburn’). Both linkage maps, made up of 481 and 608 markers respectively, were then employed to find QTL regions associated with fruit flesh browning, allowing the detection of 25 QTLs related to several browning parameters. These were distributed over six linkage groups with LOD values spanning from 3.08 to 4.99 and showed a rate of phenotypic variance from 26.1 to 38.6%. Anchoring of these intervals to the apple genome led to the identification of several genes involved in polyphenol synthesis and cell wall metabolism. Finally, the expression profile of two specific candidate genes, up and downstream of the polyphenolic pathway, namely phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) and polyphenol oxidase (PPO), provided insight into flesh browning physiology. Md-PPO was further analyzed and two haplotypes were characterised and associated with fruit flesh browning in apple. PMID:24205065

  19. Fluid flow near the surface of earth's outer core

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bloxham, Jeremy; Jackson, Andrew

    1991-01-01

    This review examines the recent attempts at extracting information on the pattern of fluid flow near the surface of the outer core from the geomagnetic secular variation. Maps of the fluid flow at the core surface are important as they may provide some insight into the process of the geodynamo and may place useful constraints on geodynamo models. In contrast to the case of mantle convection, only very small lateral variations in core density are necessary to drive the flow; these density variations are, by several orders of magnitude, too small to be imaged seismically; therefore, the geomagnetic secular variation is utilized to infer the flow. As substantial differences exist between maps developed by different researchers, the possible underlying reasons for these differences are examined with particular attention given to the inherent problems of nonuniqueness.

  20. Economic method for helical gear flank surface characterisation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koulin, G.; Reavie, T.; Frazer, R. C.; Shaw, B. A.

    2018-03-01

    Typically the quality of a gear pair is assessed based on simplified geometric tolerances which do not always correlate with functional performance. In order to identify and quantify functional performance based parameters, further development of the gear measurement approach is required. Methodology for interpolation of the full active helical gear flank surface, from sparse line measurements, is presented. The method seeks to identify the minimum number of line measurements required to sufficiently characterise an active gear flank. In the form ground gear example presented, a single helix and three profile line measurements was considered to be acceptable. The resulting surfaces can be used to simulate the meshing engagement of a gear pair and therefore provide insight into functional performance based parameters. Therefore the assessment of the quality can be based on the predicted performance in the context of an application.

  1. Calculation of surface potentials at the silica–water interface using molecular dynamics: Challenges and opportunities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lowe, Benjamin M.; Skylaris, Chris-Kriton; Green, Nicolas G.; Shibuta, Yasushi; Sakata, Toshiya

    2018-04-01

    Continuum-based methods are important in calculating electrostatic properties of interfacial systems such as the electric field and surface potential but are incapable of providing sufficient insight into a range of fundamentally and technologically important phenomena which occur at atomistic length-scales. In this work a molecular dynamics methodology is presented for interfacial electric field and potential calculations. The silica–water interface was chosen as an example system, which is highly relevant for understanding the response of field-effect transistors sensors (FET sensors). Detailed validation work is presented, followed by the simulated surface charge/surface potential relationship. This showed good agreement with experiment at low surface charge density but at high surface charge density the results highlighted challenges presented by an atomistic definition of the surface potential. This methodology will be used to investigate the effect of surface morphology and biomolecule addition; both factors which are challenging using conventional continuum models.

  2. A new model for thermodynamic analysis on wetting behavior of superhydrophobic surfaces

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang Hongyun; Li Wen; Fang Guoping

    2012-01-01

    Superhydrophobic surfaces have shown inspiring applications in microfluidics, and self-cleaning coatings owing to water-repellent and low-friction properties. However, thermodynamic mechanism responsible for contact angle hysteresis (CAH) and free energy barrier (FEB) have not been understood completely yet. In this work, we propose an intuitional 3-dimension (3D) droplet model along with a reasonable thermodynamic approach to gain a thorough insight into the physical nature of CAH. Based on this model, the relationships between radius of three-phase contact line, change in surface free energy (CFE), average or local FEB and contact angle (CA) are established. Moreover, a thorough theoretical consideration is given to explain the experimental phenomena related to the superhydrophobic behavior. The present study can therefore provide some guidances for the practical fabrications of the superhydrophobic surfaces.

  3. Unraveling the insight paradox: One-year longitudinal study on the relationships between insight, self-stigma, and life satisfaction among people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chio, Floria H N; Mak, Winnie W S; Chan, Randolph C H; Tong, Alan C Y

    2018-01-30

    The promotion of insight among people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders has posed a dilemma to service providers as higher insight has been linked to positive clinical outcomes but negative psychological outcomes. The negative meaning that people attached to the illness (self-stigma content) and the recurrence of such stigmatizing thoughts (self-stigma process) may explain why increased insight is associated with negative outcomes. The present study examined how the presence of high self-stigma content and self-stigma process may contribute to the negative association between insight and life satisfaction. A total of 181 people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders were assessed at baseline. 130 and 110 participants were retained and completed questionnaire at 6-month and 1-year follow-up, respectively. Results showed that baseline insight was associated with lower life satisfaction at 6-month when self-stigma process or self-stigma content was high. Furthermore, baseline insight was predictive of better life satisfaction at 1-year follow-up when self-stigma process was low. Findings suggested that the detrimental effects of insight can be a result from both the presence of cognitive content and habitual process of self-stigma. Future insight promotion interventions should also address self-stigma content and process among people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders so as to maximize the beneficial effects of insight. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. Personal Perspectives on Providing Services to Foster Youth

    Science.gov (United States)

    Whitman, Kenyon L.

    2018-01-01

    Utilizing an academic capital framework and student perspectives, this chapter provides insight into the ways that programs and services can help students develop the skills needed to succeed in college.

  5. Crystal structures from the Plasmodium peroxiredoxins: new insights into oligomerization and product binding.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qiu, Wei; Dong, Aiping; Pizarro, Juan C; Botchkarsev, Alexei; Min, Jinrong; Wernimont, Amy K; Hills, Tanya; Hui, Raymond; Artz, Jennifer D

    2012-03-19

    Plasmodium falciparum is the protozoan parasite primarily responsible for more than one million malarial deaths, annually, and is developing resistance to current therapies. Throughout its lifespan, the parasite is subjected to oxidative attack, so Plasmodium antioxidant defences are essential for its survival and are targets for disease control. To further understand the molecular aspects of the Plasmodium redox system, we solved 4 structures of Plasmodium peroxiredoxins (Prx). Our study has confirmed PvTrx-Px1 to be a hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-sensitive peroxiredoxin. We have identified and characterized the novel toroid octameric oligomer of PyTrx-Px1, which may be attributed to the interplay of several factors including: (1) the orientation of the conserved surface/buried arginine of the NNLA(I/L)GRS-loop; and (2) the C-terminal tail positioning (also associated with the aforementioned conserved loop) which facilitates the intermolecular hydrogen bond between dimers (in an A-C fashion). In addition, a notable feature of the disulfide bonds in some of the Prx crystal structures is discussed. Finally, insight into the latter stages of the peroxiredoxin reaction coordinate is gained. Our structure of PyPrx6 is not only in the sulfinic acid (RSO2H) form, but it is also with glycerol bound in a way (not previously observed) indicative of product binding. The structural characterization of Plasmodium peroxiredoxins provided herein provides insight into their oligomerization and product binding which may facilitate the targeting of these antioxidant defences. Although the structural basis for the octameric oligomerization is further understood, the results yield more questions about the biological implications of the peroxiredoxin oligomerization, as multiple toroid configurations are now known. The crystal structure depicting the product bound active site gives insight into the overoxidation of the active site and allows further characterization of the leaving group

  6. Proteomic analysis of FUS interacting proteins provides insights into FUS function and its role in ALS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kamelgarn, Marisa; Chen, Jing; Kuang, Lisha; Arenas, Alexandra; Zhai, Jianjun; Zhu, Haining; Gal, Jozsef

    2016-10-01

    Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease. Mutations in the Fused in Sarcoma/Translocated in Liposarcoma (FUS/TLS) gene cause a subset of familial ALS cases and are also implicated in sporadic ALS. FUS is typically localized to the nucleus. The ALS-related FUS mutations cause cytoplasmic mis-localization and the formation of stress granule-like structures. Abnormal cytoplasmic FUS localization was also found in a subset of frontotemporal dementia (FTLD) cases without FUS mutations. To better understand the function of FUS, we performed wild-type and mutant FUS pull-downs followed by proteomic identification of the interacting proteins. The FUS interacting partners we identified are involved in multiple pathways, including chromosomal organization, transcription, RNA splicing, RNA transport, localized translation, and stress response. FUS interacted with hnRNPA1 and Matrin-3, RNA binding proteins whose mutations were also reported to cause familial ALS, suggesting that hnRNPA1 and Matrin-3 may play common pathogenic roles with FUS. The FUS interactions displayed varied RNA dependence. Numerous FUS interacting partners that we identified are components of exosomes. We found that FUS itself was present in exosomes, suggesting that the secretion of FUS might contribute to the cell-to-cell spreading of FUS pathology. FUS interacting proteins were sequestered into the cytoplasmic mutant FUS inclusions that could lead to their mis-regulation or loss of function, contributing to ALS pathogenesis. Our results provide insights into the physiological functions of FUS as well as important pathways where mutant FUS can interfere with cellular processes and potentially contribute to the pathogenesis of ALS. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. How to Detect Insight Moments in Problem Solving Experiments

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ruben E. Laukkonen

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Arguably, it is not possible to study insight moments during problem solving without being able to accurately detect when they occur (Bowden and Jung-Beeman, 2007. Despite over a century of research on the insight moment, there is surprisingly little consensus on the best way to measure them in real-time experiments. There have also been no attempts to evaluate whether the different ways of measuring insight converge. Indeed, if it turns out that the popular measures of insight diverge, then this may indicate that researchers who have used one method may have been measuring a different phenomenon to those who have used another method. We compare the strengths and weaknesses of the two most commonly cited ways of measuring insight: The feelings-of-warmth measure adapted from Metcalfe and Wiebe (1987, and the self-report measure adapted from Bowden and Jung-Beeman (2007. We find little empirical agreement between the two measures, and conclude that the self-report measure of Aha! is superior both methodologically and theoretically, and provides a better representation of what is commonly regarded as insight. We go on to describe and recommend a novel visceral measure of insight using a dynamometer as described in Creswell et al. (2016.

  8. How to Detect Insight Moments in Problem Solving Experiments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Laukkonen, Ruben E; Tangen, Jason M

    2018-01-01

    Arguably, it is not possible to study insight moments during problem solving without being able to accurately detect when they occur (Bowden and Jung-Beeman, 2007). Despite over a century of research on the insight moment, there is surprisingly little consensus on the best way to measure them in real-time experiments. There have also been no attempts to evaluate whether the different ways of measuring insight converge. Indeed, if it turns out that the popular measures of insight diverge , then this may indicate that researchers who have used one method may have been measuring a different phenomenon to those who have used another method. We compare the strengths and weaknesses of the two most commonly cited ways of measuring insight: The feelings-of-warmth measure adapted from Metcalfe and Wiebe (1987), and the self-report measure adapted from Bowden and Jung-Beeman (2007). We find little empirical agreement between the two measures, and conclude that the self-report measure of Aha! is superior both methodologically and theoretically, and provides a better representation of what is commonly regarded as insight. We go on to describe and recommend a novel visceral measure of insight using a dynamometer as described in Creswell et al. (2016).

  9. Surface conductivity of Mercury provides current closure and may affect magnetospheric symmetry

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    P. Janhunen

    2004-04-01

    Full Text Available We study what effect a possible surface conductivity of Mercury has on the closure of magnetospheric currents by making six runs with a quasi-neutral hybrid simulation. The runs are otherwise identical but use different synthetic conductivity models: run 1 has a fully conducting planet, run 2 has a poorly conducting planet ( m and runs 3-6 have one of the hemispheres either in the dawn-dusk or day-night directions, conducting well, the other one being conducting poorly. Although the surface conductivity is not known from observations, educated guesses easily give such conductivity values that magnetospheric currents may close partly within the planet, and as the conductivity depends heavily on the mineral composition of the surface, the possibility of significant horizontal variations cannot be easily excluded. The simulation results show that strong horizontal variations may produce modest magnetospheric asymmetries. Beyond the hybrid simulation, we also briefly discuss the possibility that in the nightside there may be a lack of surface electrons to carry downward current, which may act as a further source of surface-related magnetospheric asymmetry. Key words. Magnetospheric physics (planetary magnetospheres; current systems; solar wind-magnetosphere interactions.6

  10. Theory of mind correlates with clinical insight but not cognitive insight in patients with schizophrenia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Qi; Li, Xu; Parker, Giverny J; Hong, Xiao-Hong; Wang, Yi; Lui, Simon S Y; Neumann, David L; Cheung, Eric F C; Shum, David H K; Chan, Raymond C K

    2016-03-30

    Research on the relationship between insight and social cognition, in particular Theory of Mind (ToM), in schizophrenia has yielded mixed findings to date. Very few studies, however, have assessed both clinical insight and cognitive insight when examining their relationships with ToM in schizophrenia. The current study thus investigated the relationship between clinical insight, cognitive insight, and ToM in a sample of 56 patients with schizophrenia and 30 healthy controls. Twenty-seven patients were classified as low in clinical insight according to their scores on the 'insight' item (G12) of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Moreover, cognitive insight and ToM were assessed with the Beck Cognitive Insight Scale (BCIS) and the Yoni task, respectively. The results indicated that patients with poor clinical insight performed worse on tasks of second-order cognitive and affective ToM, while the ToM performance of patients with high clinical insight was equivalent to that of healthy controls. Furthermore, while clinical insight was correlated with ToM and clinical symptoms, cognitive insight did not correlate with clinical insight, ToM, or clinical symptoms. Clinical insight thus appears to be an important factor related to ToM in schizophrenia. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Aqueous electrolyte surfaces in strong electric fields: molecular insight into nanoscale jets and bridges

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jirsák, Jan; Moučka, Filip; Škvor, Jiří; Nezbeda, Ivo

    2015-04-01

    Exposing aqueous surfaces to a strong electric field gives rise to interesting phenomena, such as formation of a floating water bridge or an eruption of a jet in electrospinning. In an effort to account for the phenomena at the molecular level, we performed molecular dynamics simulations using several protocols on both pure water and aqueous solutions of sodium chloride subjected to an electrostatic field. All simulations consistently point to the same mechanisms which govern the rearrangement of the originally planar surface. The results show that the phenomena are primarily governed by an orientational reordering of the water molecules driven by the applied field. It is demonstrated that, for pure water, a sufficiently strong field yields a columnar structure parallel to the field with an anisotropic arrangement of the water molecules with their dipole moments aligned along the applied field not only in the surface layer but over the entire cross section of the column. Nonetheless, the number of hydrogen bonds per molecule does not seem to be affected by the field regardless of its strength and molecule's orientation. In the electrolyte solutions, the ionic charge is able to overcome the effect of the external field tending to arrange the water molecules radially in the first coordination shell of an ion. The ion-water interaction interferes thus with the water-electric field interaction, and the competition between these two forces (i.e., strength of the field versus concentration) provides the key mechanism determining the stability of the observed structures.

  12. Genome-scale metabolic modeling to provide insight into the production of storage compounds during feast-famine cycles of activated sludge.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tajparast, Mohammad; Frigon, Dominic

    2013-01-01

    Studying storage metabolism during feast-famine cycles of activated sludge treatment systems provides profound insight in terms of both operational issues (e.g., foaming and bulking) and process optimization for the production of value added by-products (e.g., bioplastics). We examined the storage metabolism (including poly-β-hydroxybutyrate [PHB], glycogen, and triacylglycerols [TAGs]) during feast-famine cycles using two genome-scale metabolic models: Rhodococcus jostii RHA1 (iMT1174) and Escherichia coli K-12 (iAF1260) for growth on glucose, acetate, and succinate. The goal was to develop the proper objective function (OF) for the prediction of the main storage compound produced in activated sludge for given feast-famine cycle conditions. For the flux balance analysis, combinations of three OFs were tested. For all of them, the main OF was to maximize growth rates. Two additional sub-OFs were used: (1) minimization of biochemical fluxes, and (2) minimization of metabolic adjustments (MoMA) between the feast and famine periods. All (sub-)OFs predicted identical substrate-storage associations for the feast-famine growth of the above-mentioned metabolic models on a given substrate when glucose and acetate were set as sole carbon sources (i.e., glucose-glycogen and acetate-PHB), in agreement with experimental observations. However, in the case of succinate as substrate, the predictions depended on the network structure of the metabolic models such that the E. coli model predicted glycogen accumulation and the R. jostii model predicted PHB accumulation. While the accumulation of both PHB and glycogen was observed experimentally, PHB showed higher dynamics during an activated sludge feast-famine growth cycle with succinate as substrate. These results suggest that new modeling insights between metabolic predictions and population ecology will be necessary to properly predict metabolisms likely to emerge within the niches of activated sludge communities. Nonetheless

  13. Surface and nanomolecular catalysis

    CERN Document Server

    Richards, Ryan

    2006-01-01

    Using new instrumentation and experimental techniques that allow scientists to observe chemical reactions and molecular properties at the nanoscale, the authors of Surface and Nanomolecular Catalysis reveal new insights into the surface chemistry of catalysts and the reaction mechanisms that actually occur at a molecular level during catalysis. While each chapter contains the necessary background and explanations to stand alone, the diverse collection of chapters shows how developments from various fields each contributed to our current understanding of nanomolecular catalysis as a whole. The

  14. Temperature-modulated DSC provides new insight about nickel-titanium wire transformations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brantley, William A; Iijima, Masahiro; Grentzer, Thomas H

    2003-10-01

    Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) is a well-known method for investigating phase transformations in nickel-titanium orthodontic wires; the microstructural phases and phase transformations in these wires have central importance for their clinical performance. The purpose of this study was to use the more recently developed technique of temperature-modulated DSC (TMDSC) to gain insight into transformations in 3 nickel-titanium orthodontic wires: Neo Sentalloy (GAC International, Islandia, NY), 35 degrees C Copper Ni-Ti (Ormco, Glendora, Calif) and Nitinol SE (3M Unitek, Monrovia, Calif). In the oral environment, the first 2 superelastic wires have shape memory, and the third wire has superelastic behavior but not shape memory. All wires had cross-section dimensions of 0.016 x 0.022 in. Archwires in the as-received condition and after bending 135 degrees were cut into 5 or 6 segments for test specimens. TMDSC analyses (Model 2910 DSC, TA Instruments, Wilmington, Del) were conducted between -125 degrees C and 100 degrees C, using a linear heating and cooling rate of 2 degrees C per min, an oscillation amplitude of 0.318 degrees C with a period of 60 seconds, and helium as the purge gas. For all 3 wire alloys, strong low-temperature martensitic transformations, resolved on the nonreversing heat-flow curves, were not present on the reversing heat-flow curves, and bending appeared to increase the enthalpy change for these peaks in some cases. For Neo Sentalloy, TMDSC showed that transformation between martensitic and austenitic nickel-titanium, suggested as occurring directly in the forward and reverse directions by conventional DSC, was instead a 2-step process involving the R-phase. Two-step transformations in the forward and reverse directions were also found for 35 degrees C Copper Ni-Ti and Nitinol SE. The TMDSC results show that structural transformations in these wires are complex. Some possible clinical implications of these observations are discussed.

  15. Mineralogy and geochemistry of boehmite-rich coals: New insights from the Haerwusu Surface Mine, Jungar Coalfield, Inner Mongolia, China

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dai, S.; Li, D.; Chou, C.-L.; Zhao, L.; Zhang, Y.; Ren, D.; Ma, Y.; Sun, Y.

    2008-01-01

    Boehmite-rich coal of Pennsylvanian age was discovered earlier at the Heidaigou Surface Mine, Jungar Coalfield, Inner Mongolia, China. This paper reports new results on 29 bench samples of the no. 6 coal from a drill core from the adjacent Haerwusu Surface Mine, and provides new insights into the origin of the minerals and elements present. The results show that the proportion of inertinite in the no. 6 coal is higher than in other Late Paleozoic coals in northern China. Based on mineral proportions (boehmite to kaolinite ratio) and major element concentrations in the coal benches of the drill core, the no. 6 coal may be divided into five sections (I to V). Major minerals in Sections I and V are kaolinite. Sections II and IV are mainly kaolinite with a trace of boehmite, and Section III is high in boehmite. The boehmite is derived from bauxite in the weathered surface (Benxi Formation) in the sediment-source region. The no. 6 coal is rich in Al2O3 (8.89%), TiO2 (0.47%), Li (116????g/g), F (286????g/g), Ga (18????g/g), Se (6.1????g/g), Sr (350????g/g), Zr (268????g/g), REEs (172????g/g), Pb (30????g/g), and Th (17????g/g). The elements are classified into five associations by cluster analysis, i.e. Groups A, B, C, D, and E. Group A (ash-SiO2-Al2O3-Na2O-Li) and Group B (REE-Sc-In-Y-K2O-Rb-Zr-Hf-Cs-U-P2O5-Sr-Ba-Ge) are strongly correlated with ash yield and mainly have an inorganic affinity. The elements that are negatively or less strongly correlated with ash yield (with exceptions of Fe2O3, Be, V, and Ni) are grouped in the remaining three associations: Group C, Se-Pb-Hg-Th-TiO2-Bi-Nb-Ta-Cd-Sn; Group D, Co-Mo-Tl-Be-Ni-Sb-MgO-Re-Ga-W-Zn-V-Cr-F-Cu; and Group E, S-As-CaO-MnO-Fe2O3. Aluminum is mainly distributed in boehmite, followed by kaolinite. The high correlation coefficients of the Li-ash, Li-Al2O3, and Li-SiO2 pairs indicate that Li is related to the aluminosilicates in the coal. The boehmite-rich coal is high in gallium and F, which occur in boehmite and the

  16. Femtosecond-laser induced dynamics of CO on Ru(0001): Deep insights from a hot-electron friction model including surface motion

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scholz, Robert; Floß, Gereon; Saalfrank, Peter; Füchsel, Gernot; Lončarić, Ivor; Juaristi, J. I.

    2016-10-01

    A Langevin model accounting for all six molecular degrees of freedom is applied to femtosecond-laser induced, hot-electron driven dynamics of Ru(0001)(2 ×2 ):CO. In our molecular dynamics with electronic friction approach, a recently developed potential energy surface based on gradient-corrected density functional theory accounting for van der Waals interactions is adopted. Electronic friction due to the coupling of molecular degrees of freedom to electron-hole pairs in the metal are included via a local density friction approximation, and surface phonons by a generalized Langevin oscillator model. The action of ultrashort laser pulses enters through a substrate-mediated, hot-electron mechanism via a time-dependent electronic temperature (derived from a two-temperature model), causing random forces acting on the molecule. The model is applied to laser induced lateral diffusion of CO on the surface, "hot adsorbate" formation, and laser induced desorption. Reaction probabilities are strongly enhanced compared to purely thermal processes, both for diffusion and desorption. Reaction yields depend in a characteristic (nonlinear) fashion on the applied laser fluence, as well as branching ratios for various reaction channels. Computed two-pulse correlation traces for desorption and other indicators suggest that aside from electron-hole pairs, phonons play a non-negligible role for laser induced dynamics in this system, acting on a surprisingly short time scale. Our simulations on precomputed potentials allow for good statistics and the treatment of long-time dynamics (300 ps), giving insight into this system which hitherto has not been reached. We find generally good agreement with experimental data where available and make predictions in addition. A recently proposed laser induced population of physisorbed precursor states could not be observed with the present low-coverage model.

  17. Measures of phylogenetic differentiation provide robust and complementary insights into microbial communities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parks, Donovan H; Beiko, Robert G

    2013-01-01

    High-throughput sequencing techniques have made large-scale spatial and temporal surveys of microbial communities routine. Gaining insight into microbial diversity requires methods for effectively analyzing and visualizing these extensive data sets. Phylogenetic β-diversity measures address this challenge by allowing the relationship between large numbers of environmental samples to be explored using standard multivariate analysis techniques. Despite the success and widespread use of phylogenetic β-diversity measures, an extensive comparative analysis of these measures has not been performed. Here, we compare 39 measures of phylogenetic β diversity in order to establish the relative similarity of these measures along with key properties and performance characteristics. While many measures are highly correlated, those commonly used within microbial ecology were found to be distinct from those popular within classical ecology, and from the recently recommended Gower and Canberra measures. Many of the measures are surprisingly robust to different rootings of the gene tree, the choice of similarity threshold used to define operational taxonomic units, and the presence of outlying basal lineages. Measures differ considerably in their sensitivity to rare organisms, and the effectiveness of measures can vary substantially under alternative models of differentiation. Consequently, the depth of sequencing required to reveal underlying patterns of relationships between environmental samples depends on the selected measure. Our results demonstrate that using complementary measures of phylogenetic β diversity can further our understanding of how communities are phylogenetically differentiated. Open-source software implementing the phylogenetic β-diversity measures evaluated in this manuscript is available at http://kiwi.cs.dal.ca/Software/ExpressBetaDiversity.

  18. Nitrogenase gene amplicons from global marine surface waters are dominated by genes of non-cyanobacteria

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Farnelid, Hanna; Andersson, Anders F.; Bertilsson, Stefan

    2011-01-01

    analysis of 79,090 nitrogenase (nifH) PCR amplicons encoding 7,468 unique proteins from surface samples (ten DNA samples and two RNA samples) collected at ten marine locations world-wide provides the first in-depth survey of a functional bacterial gene and yield insights into the composition and diversity...... by unicellular cyanobacteria, 42% of the identified non-cyanobacterial nifH clusters from the corresponding DNA samples were also detected in cDNA. The study indicates that non-cyanobacteria account for a substantial part of the nifH gene pool in marine surface waters and that these genes are at least...

  19. New insight in the microscopic mechanism of the catalytic synthesis of ammonia

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Flemming Yssing; Henriksen, Niels Engholm; Billing, Gert D.

    1995-01-01

    Theoretical quantum calculations and molecular beam experiments of the dissociative chemisorption of N-2 molecules on catalytic active metal surfaces have given new insight in the fundamental process of the ammonia synthesis. This new approach to the study of catalytic process supplements the con...

  20. Weakly hydrated surfaces and the binding interactions of small biological solutes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brady, John W; Tavagnacco, Letizia; Ehrlich, Laurent; Chen, Mo; Schnupf, Udo; Himmel, Michael E; Saboungi, Marie-Louise; Cesàro, Attilio

    2012-04-01

    Extended planar hydrophobic surfaces, such as are found in the side chains of the amino acids histidine, phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan, exhibit an affinity for the weakly hydrated faces of glucopyranose. In addition, molecular species such as these, including indole, caffeine, and imidazole, exhibit a weak tendency to pair together by hydrophobic stacking in aqueous solution. These interactions can be partially understood in terms of recent models for the hydration of extended hydrophobic faces and should provide insight into the architecture of sugar-binding sites in proteins.

  1. Nanofriction: Skating on hot surfaces

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meyer, Ernst; Gnecco, Enrico

    2007-03-01

    Simulations of nanoscale sharp tips sliding on a salt surface predict vanishing friction at temperatures close to the melting temperature, as the tip skates on a layer of liquefied salt. This insight opens the way to applications in MEMS, NEMS and auto/aerospace engines.

  2. Classical theory for the in-plane scattering of atoms from corrugated surfaces: application to the Ar-Ag(111) system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pollak, Eli; Miret-Artés, Salvador

    2009-05-21

    A classical Wigner in-plane atom surface scattering perturbation theory within the generalized Langevin equation formalism is proposed and discussed with applications to the Ar-Ag(111) system. The theory generalizes the well-known formula of Brako as well as the "washboard model." Explicit expressions are derived for the joint angular and final momentum distributions, joint final energy, and angular distributions as well as average energy losses to the surface. The theory provides insight into the intertwining between the energy loss and angular dependence of the scattering. At low energies the energy loss in the horizontal direction is expected to be large, leading to a shift of the maximum of the angular distribution to subspecular angles, while at high energies the energy loss in the vertical direction dominates, leading to a superspecular maximum in the angular distribution. The same effect underlies the negative slope of the average final (relative) energy versus scattering angle at low energies which becomes positive at high energies. The theory also predicts that the full width at half maximum of the angular distribution varies as the square root of the temperature. We show how the theory provides insight into the experimental results for scattering of Ar from the Ag(111) surface.

  3. Surface obstacles in pulsatile flow

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carr, Ian A.; Plesniak, Michael W.

    2017-11-01

    Flows past obstacles mounted on flat surfaces have been widely studied due to their ubiquity in nature and engineering. For nearly all of these studies, the freestream flow over the obstacle was steady, i.e., constant velocity, unidirectional flow. Unsteady, pulsatile flows occur frequently in biology, geophysics, biomedical engineering, etc. Our study is aimed at extending the comprehensive knowledge base that exists for steady flows to considerably more complex pulsatile flows. Characterizing the vortex and wake dynamics of flows around surface obstacles embedded in pulsatile flows can provide insights into the underlying physics in all wake and junction flows. In this study, we experimentally investigate the wake of two canonical obstacles: a cube and a circular cylinder with an aspect ratio of unity. Our previous studies of a surface-mounted hemisphere in pulsatile flow are used as a baseline for these two new, more complex geometries. Phase-averaged PIV and hot-wire anemometry are used to characterize the dynamics of coherent structures in the wake and at the windward junction of the obstacles. Complex physics occur during the deceleration phase of the pulsatile inflow. We propose a framework for understanding these physics based on self-induced vortex propagation, similar to the phenomena exhibited by vortex rings.

  4. Reconstruction of freeform surfaces for metrology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    El-Hayek, N; Nouira, H; Anwer, N; Damak, M; Gibaru, O

    2014-01-01

    The application of freeform surfaces has increased since their complex shapes closely express a product's functional specifications and their machining is obtained with higher accuracy. In particular, optical surfaces exhibit enhanced performance especially when they take aspheric forms or more complex forms with multi-undulations. This study is mainly focused on the reconstruction of complex shapes such as freeform optical surfaces, and on the characterization of their form. The computer graphics community has proposed various algorithms for constructing a mesh based on the cloud of sample points. The mesh is a piecewise linear approximation of the surface and an interpolation of the point set. The mesh can further be processed for fitting parametric surfaces (Polyworks ® or Geomagic ® ). The metrology community investigates direct fitting approaches. If the surface mathematical model is given, fitting is a straight forward task. Nonetheless, if the surface model is unknown, fitting is only possible through the association of polynomial Spline parametric surfaces. In this paper, a comparative study carried out on methods proposed by the computer graphics community will be presented to elucidate the advantages of these approaches. We stress the importance of the pre-processing phase as well as the significance of initial conditions. We further emphasize the importance of the meshing phase by stating that a proper mesh has two major advantages. First, it organizes the initially unstructured point set and it provides an insight of orientation, neighbourhood and curvature, and infers information on both its geometry and topology. Second, it conveys a better segmentation of the space, leading to a correct patching and association of parametric surfaces

  5. Analysis of the Phlebiopsis gigantea Genome, Transcriptome and Secretome Provides Insight into Its Pioneer Colonization Strategies of Wood

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hori, Chiaki; Ishida, Takuya; Igarashi, Kiyohiko; Samejima, Masahiro; Suzuki, Hitoshi; Master, Emma; Ferreira, Patricia; Ruiz-Dueñas, Francisco J.; Held, Benjamin; Canessa, Paulo; Larrondo, Luis F.; Schmoll, Monika; Druzhinina, Irina S.; Kubicek, Christian P.; Gaskell, Jill A.; Kersten, Phil; St. John, Franz; Glasner, Jeremy; Sabat, Grzegorz; Splinter BonDurant, Sandra; Syed, Khajamohiddin; Yadav, Jagjit; Mgbeahuruike, Anthony C.; Kovalchuk, Andriy; Asiegbu, Fred O.; Lackner, Gerald; Hoffmeister, Dirk; Rencoret, Jorge; Gutiérrez, Ana; Sun, Hui; Lindquist, Erika; Barry, Kerrie; Riley, Robert; Grigoriev, Igor V.; Henrissat, Bernard; Kües, Ursula; Berka, Randy M.; Martínez, Angel T.; Covert, Sarah F.; Blanchette, Robert A.; Cullen, Daniel

    2014-01-01

    Collectively classified as white-rot fungi, certain basidiomycetes efficiently degrade the major structural polymers of wood cell walls. A small subset of these Agaricomycetes, exemplified by Phlebiopsis gigantea, is capable of colonizing freshly exposed conifer sapwood despite its high content of extractives, which retards the establishment of other fungal species. The mechanism(s) by which P. gigantea tolerates and metabolizes resinous compounds have not been explored. Here, we report the annotated P. gigantea genome and compare profiles of its transcriptome and secretome when cultured on fresh-cut versus solvent-extracted loblolly pine wood. The P. gigantea genome contains a conventional repertoire of hydrolase genes involved in cellulose/hemicellulose degradation, whose patterns of expression were relatively unperturbed by the absence of extractives. The expression of genes typically ascribed to lignin degradation was also largely unaffected. In contrast, genes likely involved in the transformation and detoxification of wood extractives were highly induced in its presence. Their products included an ABC transporter, lipases, cytochrome P450s, glutathione S-transferase and aldehyde dehydrogenase. Other regulated genes of unknown function and several constitutively expressed genes are also likely involved in P. gigantea's extractives metabolism. These results contribute to our fundamental understanding of pioneer colonization of conifer wood and provide insight into the diverse chemistries employed by fungi in carbon cycling processes. PMID:25474575

  6. Tile-based rigidization surface parametric design study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Giner Munoz, Laura; Luntz, Jonathan; Brei, Diann; Kim, Wonhee

    2018-03-01

    variations in geometric design parameters, operating parameters, and architectural variations on the performance evaluation metrics. The results of this study bring insight into the rigidization behavior of this architecture, and provide design guidelines and expose tradeoffs to form the basis for the design of tile-based rigidization surfaces for a wide range of applications.

  7. Analysis of DNA binding by human factor xeroderma pigmentosum complementation group A (XPA) provides insight into its interactions with nucleotide excision repair substrates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sugitani, Norie; Voehler, Markus W; Roh, Michelle S; Topolska-Woś, Agnieszka M; Chazin, Walter J

    2017-10-13

    Xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) complementation group A (XPA) is an essential scaffolding protein in the multiprotein nucleotide excision repair (NER) machinery. The interaction of XPA with DNA is a core function of this protein; a number of mutations in the DNA-binding domain (DBD) are associated with XP disease. Although structures of the central globular domain of human XPA and data on binding of DNA substrates have been reported, the structural basis for XPA's DNA-binding activity remains unknown. X-ray crystal structures of the central globular domain of yeast XPA (Rad14) with lesion-containing DNA duplexes have provided valuable insights, but the DNA substrates used for this study do not correspond to the substrates of XPA as it functions within the NER machinery. To better understand the DNA-binding activity of human XPA in NER, we used NMR to investigate the interaction of its DBD with a range of DNA substrates. We found that XPA binds different single-stranded/double-stranded junction DNA substrates with a common surface. Comparisons of our NMR-based mapping of binding residues with the previously reported Rad14-DNA crystal structures revealed similarities and differences in substrate binding between XPA and Rad14. This includes direct evidence for DNA contacts to the residues extending C-terminally from the globular core, which are lacking in the Rad14 construct. Moreover, mutation of the XPA residue corresponding to Phe-262 in Rad14, previously reported as being critical for DNA binding, had only a moderate effect on the DNA-binding activity of XPA. The DNA-binding properties of several disease-associated mutations in the DBD were investigated. These results suggest that for XPA mutants exhibiting altered DNA-binding properties, a correlation exists between the extent of reduction in DNA-binding affinity and the severity of symptoms in XP patients. © 2017 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  8. Electron-beam-induced current measurements with applied bias provide insight to locally resolved acceptor concentrations at p-n junctions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    D. Abou-Ras

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available Electron-beam-induced current (EBIC measurements have been employed for the investigation of the local electrical properties existing at various types of electrical junctions during the past decades. In the standard configuration, the device under investigation is analyzed under short-circuit conditions. Further insight into the function of the electrical junction can be obtained when applying a bias voltage. The present work gives insight into how EBIC measurements at applied bias can be conducted at the submicrometer level, at the example of CuInSe2 solar cells. From the EBIC profiles acquired across ZnO/CdS/CuInSe2/Mo stacks exhibiting p-n junctions with different net doping densities in the CuInSe2 layers, values for the width of the space-charge region, w, were extracted. For all net doping densities, these values decreased with increasing applied voltage. Assuming a linear relationship between w2 and the applied voltage, the resulting net doping densities agreed well with the ones obtained by means of capacitance-voltage measurements.

  9. Insight Is Not in the Problem: Investigating Insight in Problem Solving across Task Types.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Webb, Margaret E; Little, Daniel R; Cropper, Simon J

    2016-01-01

    The feeling of insight in problem solving is typically associated with the sudden realization of a solution that appears obviously correct (Kounios et al., 2006). Salvi et al. (2016) found that a solution accompanied with sudden insight is more likely to be correct than a problem solved through conscious and incremental steps. However, Metcalfe (1986) indicated that participants would often present an inelegant but plausible (wrong) answer as correct with a high feeling of warmth (a subjective measure of closeness to solution). This discrepancy may be due to the use of different tasks or due to different methods in the measurement of insight (i.e., using a binary vs. continuous scale). In three experiments, we investigated both findings, using many different problem tasks (e.g., Compound Remote Associates, so-called classic insight problems, and non-insight problems). Participants rated insight-related affect (feelings of Aha-experience, confidence, surprise, impasse, and pleasure) on continuous scales. As expected we found that, for problems designed to elicit insight, correct solutions elicited higher proportions of reported insight in the solution compared to non-insight solutions; further, correct solutions elicited stronger feelings of insight compared to incorrect solutions.

  10. Delayed frost formation on hybrid nanostructured surfaces with patterned high wetting contrast

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hou, Youmin; Zhou, Peng; Yao, Shuhuai

    2014-11-01

    Engineering icephobic surfaces that can retard the frost formation and accumulation are important to vehicles, wind turbines, power lines, and HVAC systems. For condensation frosting, superhydrophobic surfaces promote self-removal of condensed droplets before freezing and consequently delay the frost growth. However, a small thermal fluctuation may lead to a Cassie-to-Wenzel transition, and thus dramatically enhance the frost formation and adhesion. In this work, we investigated the heterogeneous ice nucleation on hybrid nanostructured surfaces with patterned high wetting contrast. By judiciously introducing hydrophilic micro-patches into superhydrophobic nanostructured surface, we demonstrated that such a novel hybrid structure can efficiently defer the ice nucleation as compared to a superhydrophobic surface with nanostructures only. We observed efficient droplet jumping and higher coverage of droplets with diameter smaller than 10 μm, both of which suppress frost formation. The hybrid surface avoids the formation of liquid-bridges for Cassie-to-Wenzel transition, therefore eliminating the `bottom-up' droplet freezing from the cold substrate. These findings provide new insights to improve anti-frosting and anti-icing by using heterogeneous wettability in multiscale structures.

  11. Investigating biomolecular recognition at the cell surface using atomic force microscopy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Congzhou; Yadavalli, Vamsi K

    2014-05-01

    Probing the interaction forces that drive biomolecular recognition on cell surfaces is essential for understanding diverse biological processes. Force spectroscopy has been a widely used dynamic analytical technique, allowing measurement of such interactions at the molecular and cellular level. The capabilities of working under near physiological environments, combined with excellent force and lateral resolution make atomic force microscopy (AFM)-based force spectroscopy a powerful approach to measure biomolecular interaction forces not only on non-biological substrates, but also on soft, dynamic cell surfaces. Over the last few years, AFM-based force spectroscopy has provided biophysical insight into how biomolecules on cell surfaces interact with each other and induce relevant biological processes. In this review, we focus on describing the technique of force spectroscopy using the AFM, specifically in the context of probing cell surfaces. We summarize recent progress in understanding the recognition and interactions between macromolecules that may be found at cell surfaces from a force spectroscopy perspective. We further discuss the challenges and future prospects of the application of this versatile technique. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Influence of surface effects on the pull-in instability of NEMS electrostatic switches

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ma, Jianming Bryan; Jiang Liying; Asokanthan, Samuel F, E-mail: lyjiang@eng.uwo.ca, E-mail: sasokanthan@eng.uwo.ca [Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A 5B9 (Canada)

    2010-12-17

    The influence of surface effects, including residual surface stress and surface elasticity, on the pull-in instability of electrostatic switches in nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS) is studied using an Euler-Bernoulli beam model. This model is inherently nonlinear due to the driving electrostatic force and Casimir force which become dominant at the nanoscale. Since no exact solutions are available for the resulting nonlinear differential equation, He's homotopy perturbation method (HPM) is used to get the approximate analytical solutions to the static bending of NEMS switches, which are validated by numerical solutions of the finite difference method (FDM). The results demonstrate that surface effects play a significant role in the selection of basic design parameters of NEMS switches, such as static deflection, pull-in voltage and detachment length. Surface effects on low-voltage actuation windows are also characterized for these switches. The present study is envisaged to provide useful insights for the design of NEMS switches.

  13. Construction of mechanically durable superhydrophobic surfaces by thermal spray deposition and further surface modification

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Xiuyong; Gong, Yongfeng; Suo, Xinkun; Huang, Jing; Liu, Yi; Li, Hua

    2015-11-01

    Here we report a simple and cost-effective technical route for constructing superhydrophobic surfaces with excellent abrasion resistance on various substrates. Rough surface structures were fabricated by thermal spray deposition of a variety of inorganic materials, and further surface modification was made by applying a thin layer of polytetrafluoroethylene. Results show that the Al, Cu, or NiCrBSi coatings with the surface roughness of up to 13.8 μm offer rough surface profile to complement the topographical morphology in micro-/nano-scaled sizes, and the hydrophobic molecules facilitate the hydrophobicity. The contact angles of water droplets of ∼155° with a sliding angle of up to 3.5° on the samples have been achieved. The newly constructed superhydrophobic coatings tolerate strong abrasion, giving clear insight into their long-term functional applications.

  14. Structure of the extracellular portion of CD46 provides insights into its interactions with complement proteins and pathogens.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    B David Persson

    2010-09-01

    Full Text Available The human membrane cofactor protein (MCP, CD46 is a central component of the innate immune system. CD46 protects autologous cells from complement attack by binding to complement proteins C3b and C4b and serving as a cofactor for their cleavage. Recent data show that CD46 also plays a role in mediating acquired immune responses, and in triggering autophagy. In addition to these physiologic functions, a significant number of pathogens, including select adenoviruses, measles virus, human herpes virus 6 (HHV-6, Streptococci, and Neisseria, use CD46 as a cell attachment receptor. We have determined the crystal structure of the extracellular region of CD46 in complex with the human adenovirus type 11 fiber knob. Extracellular CD46 comprises four short consensus repeats (SCR1-SCR4 that form an elongated structure resembling a hockey stick, with a long shaft and a short blade. Domains SCR1, SCR2 and SCR3 are arranged in a nearly linear fashion. Unexpectedly, however, the structure reveals a profound bend between domains SCR3 and SCR4, which has implications for the interactions with ligands as well as the orientation of the protein at the cell surface. This bend can be attributed to an insertion of five hydrophobic residues in a SCR3 surface loop. Residues in this loop have been implicated in interactions with complement, indicating that the bend participates in binding to C3b and C4b. The structure provides an accurate framework for mapping all known ligand binding sites onto the surface of CD46, thereby advancing an understanding of how CD46 acts as a receptor for pathogens and physiologic ligands of the immune system.

  15. Stage I surface crack formation in thermal fatigue: A predictive multi-scale approach

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Osterstock, S.; Robertson, C.; Sauzay, M.; Aubin, V.; Degallaix, S.

    2010-01-01

    A multi-scale numerical model is developed, predicting the formation of stage I cracks, in thermal fatigue loading conditions. The proposed approach comprises 2 distinct calculation steps. Firstly, the number of cycles to micro-crack initiation is determined, in individual grains. The adopted initiation model depends on local stress-strain conditions, relative to sub-grain plasticity, grain orientation and grain deformation incompatibilities. Secondly, 2-4 grains long surface cracks (stage I) is predicted, by accounting for micro-crack coalescence, in 3 dimensions. The method described in this paper is applied to a 500 grains aggregate, loaded in representative thermal fatigue conditions. Preliminary results provide quantitative insight regarding position, density, spacing and orientations of stage I surface cracks and subsequent formation of crack networks. The proposed method is fully deterministic, provided all grain crystallographic orientations and micro-crack linking thresholds are specified. (authors)

  16. Development of Innovative Technology to Provide Low-Cost Surface Atmospheric Observations in Data Sparse Regions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kucera, Paul; Steinson, Martin

    2017-04-01

    Accurate and reliable real-time monitoring and dissemination of observations of surface weather conditions is critical for a variety of societal applications. Applications that provide local and regional information about temperature, precipitation, moisture, and winds, for example, are important for agriculture, water resource monitoring, health, and monitoring of hazard weather conditions. In many regions of the World, surface weather stations are sparsely located and/or of poor quality. Existing stations have often been sited incorrectly, not well-maintained, and have limited communications established at the site for real-time monitoring. The University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR)/National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), with support from USAID, has started an initiative to develop and deploy low-cost weather instrumentation in sparsely observed regions of the world. The project is focused on improving weather observations for environmental monitoring and early warning alert systems on a regional to global scale. Instrumentation that has been developed use innovative new technologies such as 3D printers, Raspberry Pi computing systems, and wireless communications. The goal of the project is to make the weather station designs, software, and processing tools an open community resource. The weather stations can be built locally by agencies, through educational institutions, and residential communities as a citizen effort to augment existing networks to improve detection of natural hazards for disaster risk reduction. The presentation will provide an overview of the open source weather station technology and evaluation of sensor observations for the initial networks that have been deployed in Africa.

  17. Atomic force microscopic study of the effects of ethanol on yeast cell surface morphology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Canetta, Elisabetta; Adya, Ashok K; Walker, Graeme M

    2006-02-01

    The detrimental effects of ethanol toxicity on the cell surface morphology of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (strain NCYC 1681) and Schizosaccharomyces pombe (strain DVPB 1354) were investigated using an atomic force microscope (AFM). In combination with culture viability and mean cell volume measurements AFM studies allowed us to relate the cell surface morphological changes, observed on nanometer lateral resolution, with the cellular stress physiology. Exposing yeasts to increasing stressful concentrations of ethanol led to decreased cell viabilities and mean cell volumes. Together with the roughness and bearing volume analyses of the AFM images, the results provided novel insight into the relative ethanol tolerance of S. cerevisiae and Sc. pombe.

  18. Studies of the aggregation of mutant proteins in vitro provide insights into the genetics of amyloid diseases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chiti, Fabrizio; Calamai, Martino; Taddei, Niccolo; Stefani, Massimo; Ramponi, Giampietro; Dobson, Christopher M

    2002-12-10

    Protein aggregation and the formation of highly insoluble amyloid structures is associated with a range of debilitating human conditions, which include Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and the Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Muscle acylphosphatase (AcP) has already provided significant insights into mutational changes that modulate amyloid formation. In the present paper, we have used this system to investigate the effects of mutations that modify the charge state of a protein without affecting significantly the hydrophobicity or secondary structural propensities of the polypeptide chain. A highly significant inverse correlation was found to exist between the rates of aggregation of the protein variants under denaturing conditions and their overall net charge. This result indicates that aggregation is generally favored by mutations that bring the net charge of the protein closer to neutrality. In light of this finding, we have analyzed natural mutations associated with familial forms of amyloid diseases that involve alteration of the net charge of the proteins or protein fragments associated with the diseases. Sixteen mutations have been identified for which the mechanism of action that causes the pathological condition is not yet known or fully understood. Remarkably, 14 of these 16 mutations cause the net charge of the corresponding peptide or protein that converts into amyloid deposits to be reduced. This result suggests that charge has been a key parameter in molecular evolution to ensure the avoidance of protein aggregation and identifies reduction of the net charge as an important determinant in at least some forms of protein deposition diseases.

  19. Risk insights from seismic margin reviews

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Budnitz, R.J.

    1990-01-01

    This paper discusses the information that has been derived from the three seismic-margin reviews conducted so far, and the information that is potentially available from using the seismic-margin method more generally. There are two different methodologies for conducting seismic margin reviews of nuclear power plants, one developed under NRC sponsorship and one developed under sponsorship of the Electric Power Research Institute. Both methodologies will be covered in this paper. The paper begins with a summary of the steps necessary to complete a margin review, and will then outline the key technical difficulties that need to be addressed. After this introduction, the paper covers the safety and operational insights derived from the three seismic-margin reviews already completed: the NRC-sponsored review at Maine Yankee; the EPRI-sponsored review at Catawba; and the joint EPRI/NRC/utility effort at Hatch. The emphasis is on engineering insights, with attention to the aspects of the reviews that are easiest to perform and that provide the most readily available insights

  20. Molecular details of secretory phospholipase A2 from flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) provide insight into its structure and function.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gupta, Payal; Dash, Prasanta K

    2017-09-11

    Secretory phospholipase A 2 (sPLA 2 ) are low molecular weight proteins (12-18 kDa) involved in a suite of plant cellular processes imparting growth and development. With myriad roles in physiological and biochemical processes in plants, detailed analysis of sPLA 2 in flax/linseed is meagre. The present work, first in flax, embodies cloning, expression, purification and molecular characterisation of two distinct sPLA 2 s (I and II) from flax. PLA 2 activity of the cloned sPLA 2 s were biochemically assayed authenticating them as bona fide phospholipase A 2 . Physiochemical properties of both the sPLA 2 s revealed they are thermostable proteins requiring di-valent cations for optimum activity.While, structural analysis of both the proteins revealed deviations in the amino acid sequence at C- & N-terminal regions; hydropathic study revealed LusPLA 2 I as a hydrophobic protein and LusPLA 2 II as a hydrophilic protein. Structural analysis of flax sPLA 2 s revealed that secondary structure of both the proteins are dominated by α-helix followed by random coils. Modular superimposition of LusPLA 2 isoforms with rice sPLA 2 confirmed monomeric structural preservation among plant phospholipase A 2 and provided insight into structure of folded flax sPLA 2 s.

  1. Passivation of hexagonal SiC surfaces by hydrogen termination

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Seyller, Thomas

    2004-01-01

    Surface hydrogenation is a well established technique in silicon technology. It is easily accomplished by wet-chemical procedures and results in clean and unreconstructed surfaces, which are extremely low in charged surface states and stable against oxidation in air, thus constituting an ideal surface preparation. As a consequence, methods for hydrogenation have been sought for preparing silicon carbide (SiC) surfaces with similar well defined properties. It was soon recognized, however, that due to different surface chemistry new ground had to be broken in order to find a method leading to the desired monatomic hydrogen saturation. In this paper the results of H passivation of SiC surfaces by high-temperature hydrogen annealing will be discussed, thereby placing emphasis on chemical, structural and electronic properties of the resulting surfaces. In addition to their unique properties, hydrogenated hexagonal SiC {0001} surfaces offer the interesting possibility of gaining insight into the formation of silicon- and carbon-rich reconstructions as well. This is due to the fact that to date hydrogenation is the only method providing oxygen-free surfaces with a C to Si ratio of 1:1. Last but not least, the electronic properties of hydrogen-free SiC {0001} surfaces will be alluded to. SiC {0001} surfaces are the only known semiconductor surfaces that can be prepared in their unreconstructed (1 x 1) state with one dangling bond per unit cell by photon induced hydrogen desorption. These surfaces give indications of a Mott-Hubbard surface band structure

  2. Heterogeneous Ice Nucleation: Interplay of Surface Properties and Their Impact on Water Orientations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Glatz, Brittany; Sarupria, Sapna

    2018-01-23

    Ice is ubiquitous in nature, and heterogeneous ice nucleation is the most common pathway of ice formation. How surface properties affect the propensity to observe ice nucleation on that surface remains an open question. We present results of molecular dynamics studies of heterogeneous ice nucleation on model surfaces. The models surfaces considered emulate the chemistry of kaolinite, an abundant component of mineral dust. We investigate the interplay of surface lattice and hydrogen bonding properties in affecting ice nucleation. We find that lattice matching and hydrogen bonding are necessary but not sufficient conditions for observing ice nucleation at these surfaces. We correlate this behavior to the orientations sampled by the metastable supercooled water in contact with the surfaces. We find that ice is observed in cases where water molecules not only sample orientations favorable for bilayer formation but also do not sample unfavorable orientations. This distribution depends on both surface-water and water-water interactions and can change with subtle modifications to the surface properties. Our results provide insights into the diverse behavior of ice nucleation observed at different surfaces and highlight the complexity in elucidating heterogeneous ice nucleation.

  3. Experimental study of gas entrainment from surface swirl

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Moudjed, B., E-mail: brahim.moudjed@cea.fr; Excoffon, J.; Riva, R.; Rossi, L., E-mail: lionel.rossi@cea.fr

    2016-12-15

    Gas entrainment from surface swirls is characterized using water experiments. A free surface shear flow is generated in an open channel flow. A suction nozzle is set at the bottom of the test section to induce a downward flow and provoke gas entrainment. An important originality of these experiments is the possibility to change the inlet condition so as to generate different turbulent shear flows. This is done by adding obstacles of different sizes and shapes at the end of a flat plate separating the inlet flow from a “stagnant” water area. Velocity fields and profiles, measured with the PIV technique, are provided both to describe the inlet conditions corresponding to various geometries and flow rates, and to characterize the temporal average shear flow generated within the centre part of the channel. Gas entrainment mappings are established from direct observations of the different flow configurations. These new results show that the threshold for the suction velocities required to entrain gas are similar for the configurations with small obstacles and the flat plate configuration triggering a standard shear flow. Increasing the size of the obstacles promotes gas entrainment and reduces the threshold values of the suction velocity to trigger gas entrainment. Shadowgraphy with image processing is used to present new results characterizing the geometrical properties of surface swirls and the quantity of gas entrained. Inlet configurations with obstacles generate larger surface swirls which move upstream from the suction nozzle centre whereas they are situated downstream with the flat plate configuration. Moreover, dimensionless power laws are found to be good approximations for the surface swirl width and the quantity of gas entrained. In addition to provide new insights about gas entrainment in analytical configurations relevant to Sodium cooled fast nuclear reactor, these results should provide different test cases for the validation of MCFD codes.

  4. Monitoring the on-surface synthesis of graphene nanoribbons by mass spectrometry

    KAUST Repository

    Zhang, Wen

    2017-06-14

    We present a mass spectrometric approach to monitor and characterize the intermediates of graphene nanoribbon (GNR) formation by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) on top of Au(111) surfaces. Information regarding the repeating units, lengths, and termini can be obtained directly from the surface sample by a modified matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) method. The mass spectrometric results reveal ample oxidative side reactions under CVD conditions which can, however, be diminished drastically by introduction of protective H2 gas at ambient pressure. Simultaneously, addition of hydrogen extends the lengths of the oligophenylenes and thus the final GNRs. Moreover, the prematurely formed cyclodehydrogenation products during the oligomer growth can be assigned by the mass spectrometric method. The obtained mechanistic insights provide valuable information for optimizing and upscaling the bottom-up fabrication of GNRs. Given the important role of GNRs as semiconductors, the mass spectrometric characterization provides a readily available tool to improve and characterize their structural perfection.

  5. Laboratory insights into the detection of surface biosignatures by remote-sensing techniques

    Science.gov (United States)

    Poch, O.; Pommerol, A.; Jost, B.; Roditi, I.; Frey, J.; Thomas, N.

    2014-03-01

    With the progress of direct imaging techniques, it will be possible in the short or long-term future to retrieve more efficiently the information on the physical properties of the light reflected by rocky exoplanets (Traub et al., 2010). The search for visible-infrared absorption bands of peculiar gases (O2, CH4 etc.) in this light could give clues for the presence of life (Kaltenegger and Selsis, 2007). Even more uplifting would be the direct detection of life itself, on the surface of an exoplanet. Considering this latter possibility, what is the potential of optical remote-sensing methods to detect surface biosignatures? Reflected light from the surface of the Earth exhibits a strong surface biosignature in the form of an abrupt change of reflectance between the visible and infrared range of the spectrum (Seager et al., 2005). This spectral feature called "vegetation red-edge" is possibly the consequence of biological evolution selecting the right chemical structures enabling the plants to absorb the visible energy, while preventing them from overheating by reflecting more efficiently the infrared. Such red-edge is also found in primitive photosynthetic bacteria, cyanobacteria, that colonized the surface of the Earth ocean and continents billions of years before multicellular plants (Knacke, 2003). If life ever arose on an Earth-like exoplanet, one could hypothesize that some form of its surface-life evolves into similar photo-active organisms, also exhibiting a red-edge. In this paper, we will present our plan and preliminary results of a laboratory study aiming at precising the potentiality of remote sensing techniques in detecting such surface biosignatures. Using equipment that has been developed in our team for surface photometry studies (Pommerol 2011, Jost 2013, Pommerol 2013), we will investigate the reflectance spectra and bidirectional reflectance function of soils containing bacteria such as cyanobacteria, in various environmental conditions. We will

  6. Insight into Antigenic Diversity of VAR2CSA-DBL5 epsilon Domain from Multiple Plasmodium falciparum Placental Isolates

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gnidehou, Sedami; Jessen, Leon Ivar; Gangnard, Stephane

    2010-01-01

    on the surface of placental parasites. Despite high DBL5e sequence homology among parasite isolates, sequence analyses identified motifs in DBL5e that discriminate parasites according to donor's parity. Moreover, recombinant proteins of two VAR2CSA DBL5e variants displayed diverse recognition patterns by plasma...... from malaria-exposed women, and diverse proteoglycan binding abilities. Conclusions/Significance: This study provides insights into conserved and exposed B cell epitopes in DBL5e that might be a focus for cross reactivity. The importance of sequence variation in VAR2CSA as a critical challenge...

  7. Insight and illness perception in Mexican patients with psychosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gómez-de-Regil, Lizzette

    2015-03-01

    Insight and illness perception are two concepts of interest in the study of factors related to clinical outcome in patients with psychosis. Insight implies a risk of emotional distress for the patient. Illness perceptions, regardless of their accuracy, might be favorable or not to illness. Literature provides evidence of significant correlates of these factors with clinical outcome, but they are rarely included in a single study. 1) assessing insight and illness perception in a sample of Mexican patients who have experienced psychosis and, 2) analyzing how insight and illness perception relate to each other and how they relate to clinical status (i.e., positive, negative, and general psychopathology, depression, and anxiety). Sixty-one participants (55.7% females) were recruited from a public psychiatric hospital; insight and illness perceptions were assessed with the SUMD and the Brief-IPQ, respectively. Clinical status was assessed with the PANSS, CDS and BAI scales. Participants showed good insight, favorable illness perceptions for the cognitive and comprehension dimensions, but unfavorable for the emotional dimension. Clinical status of sample was characterized by mild symptoms. Poor insight related to positive symptoms and general psychopathology. Cognitive and emotional perceptions of illness were significantly associated to most clinical status parameters, whereas comprehension showed no significant results. The study not only replicates the significant association on insight and illness perception with clinical outcome, but shows how their patterns of interactions are different, reinforcing the idea that they are two distinct factors worthy of being habitually acknowledged in research and clinical practice.

  8. Water inSight : An exploration into landscape architectonic transformations of polder water

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bobbink, I.; Loen, S.

    2013-01-01

    Water inSight provides insight into the ‘water machine’ that forms the basis of the Dutch polder landscape. Authors Inge Bobbink and Suzanne Loen approach the polder landscape from a landscape-architectonic point of view, using technical and spatial analysis drawings, images, plans and experiments

  9. Recent Insights into Cell Surface Heparan Sulphate Proteoglycans and Cancer

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Couchman, John R; Multhaupt, Hinke; Sanderson, Ralph D

    2016-01-01

    behaviour. Here, we review some recent advances, emphasising that many tumour-related functions of proteoglycans are revealed only after their modification in processes subsequent to synthesis and export to the cell surface. These include enzymes that modify heparan sulphate structure, recycling of whole...

  10. Insights into the Toba Super-Eruption using SEM Analysis of Ash Deposits

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gatti, E.; Achyuthan, H.; Durant, A. J.; Gibbard, P.; Mokhtar, S.; Oppenheimer, C.; Raj, R.; Shridar, A.

    2010-12-01

    The ~74 ka Youngest Toba Tuff (YTT) super-eruption of Toba volcano, Northern Sumatra, was the largest eruption of the Quaternary (magnitude M= 8.8) and injected massive quantities of volcanic gases and ash into the stratosphere. YTT deposits covered at least 40,000,000 km2 of Southeast Asia and are preserved in river valleys across peninsular India and Malaysia, and in deep-sea tephra layers in the Indian Ocean, Bay of Bengal and South China Sea. Initial studies hypothesized the eruption caused immediate and substantial global cooling during the ~ 1 kyr between Dansgaard-Oeschger events 19 and 20 which devastated ecosystems and hominid populations. A more recent review argues against severe post-YTT climatic deterioration and cannot find clear evidence for considerable impacts on ecosystems or bio-diversity. The determination of the eruptive parameters is crucial in this issue to document the eruption and understand the potential impacts from future super-volcanic eruptions. Volcanic ash deposits can offer dramatic insights into key eruptive parameters, including magnitude, duration and plume height. The composition and shape of volcanic ashes can be used to interpret physical properties of an erupting magma and tephra transport, while textural characteristics such as grain roughness and surface vescicularity can provide insights into degassing history, volatile content and explosive activity of the volcano. We present a stratigraphic and sedimentological analysis of YTT deposits in stratified contexts at three localities in India, at two sites in Peninsular Malaysia, and at several localities around Lake Toba and on Samosir Island, Sumatra. These sites offer excellent constraints on the spatial distribution of YTT deposits which can be used to infer dispersal directions of the cloud, and provide insights into environmental controls on preservation of tephra beds. The research aims at a systematic interpretation of the Toba tephra to understand the volcanic

  11. Structural insights into viral determinants of nematode mediated Grapevine fanleaf virus transmission.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pascale Schellenberger

    2011-05-01

    Full Text Available Many animal and plant viruses rely on vectors for their transmission from host to host. Grapevine fanleaf virus (GFLV, a picorna-like virus from plants, is transmitted specifically by the ectoparasitic nematode Xiphinema index. The icosahedral capsid of GFLV, which consists of 60 identical coat protein subunits (CP, carries the determinants of this specificity. Here, we provide novel insight into GFLV transmission by nematodes through a comparative structural and functional analysis of two GFLV variants. We isolated a mutant GFLV strain (GFLV-TD poorly transmissible by nematodes, and showed that the transmission defect is due to a glycine to aspartate mutation at position 297 (Gly297Asp in the CP. We next determined the crystal structures of the wild-type GFLV strain F13 at 3.0 Å and of GFLV-TD at 2.7 Å resolution. The Gly297Asp mutation mapped to an exposed loop at the outer surface of the capsid and did not affect the conformation of the assembled capsid, nor of individual CP molecules. The loop is part of a positively charged pocket that includes a previously identified determinant of transmission. We propose that this pocket is a ligand-binding site with essential function in GFLV transmission by X. index. Our data suggest that perturbation of the electrostatic landscape of this pocket affects the interaction of the virion with specific receptors of the nematode's feeding apparatus, and thereby severely diminishes its transmission efficiency. These data provide a first structural insight into the interactions between a plant virus and a nematode vector.

  12. Developmental Social Cognitive Neuroscience: Insights from Deafness

    Science.gov (United States)

    Corina, David; Singleton, Jenny

    2009-01-01

    The condition of deafness presents a developmental context that provides insight into the biological, cultural, and linguistic factors underlying the development of neural systems that impact social cognition. Studies of visual attention, behavioral regulation, language development, and face and human action perception are discussed. Visually…

  13. Long-chain alkenones in Baltic Sea surface sediments: New insights

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kaiser, J.; van der Meer, M.T.J.; Arz, H.W.

    2017-01-01

    C37 alkenones produced by certain haptophytes of the Isochrysidales are valuable sedimentary biomarkers used to estimate sea surface temperature (SST) in the open ocean. However, in coastal seas the role of salinity gradients on alkenone producing species and SST estimates is poorly known. Alkenones

  14. Insights on STEM Careers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wendelberger, Joanne Roth [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

    2014-11-05

    This presentation will provide career advice for individuals seeking to go beyond just having a job to building a successful career in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. Careful planning can be used to turn a job into a springboard for professional advancement and personal satisfaction. Topics to be addressed include setting priorities, understanding career ladders, making tough choices, overcoming stereotypes and assumptions by others, networking, developing a professional identify, and balancing a career with family and other personal responsibilities. Insights on the transition from individual technical work to leadership will also be provided. The author will draw upon experiences gained in academic, industrial, and government laboratory settings, as well as extensive professional service and community involvement.

  15. Insight in seasonal affective disorder.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ghaemi, S N; Sachs, G S; Baldassano, C F; Truman, C J

    1997-01-01

    Lack of insight complicates the evaluation and treatment of patients with psychotic and affective disorders. No studies of insight in seasonal affective disorder (SAD) have been reported. Thirty patients with SAD diagnosed by the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R but no other axis I conditions were treated short-term with light-therapy. Insight was measured with the Scale to Assess Unawareness of Mental Disorder (SUMD) as modified by the authors to assess the self-report of insight into depressive symptoms. Increasing scores (1 to 5) indicated increasing unawareness of illness (i.e., less insight). SAD patients displayed a moderate amount of insight when depressed (mean SUMD score, 2.5). When recovered, they showed no significant change in insight into past depressive symptoms (mean SUMD score, 2.8). Greater insight into current depressive symptoms correlated with more depressive symptoms on the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression score ([HRSD] r = .35, P depressive symptoms that does not change after recovery, a result in agreement with studies of insight in psychosis and mania. Further, in SAD, increased severity of illness may be associated with increased insight into depressive symptoms, consistent with the hypothesis of depressive realism.

  16. In situ tagging technique for fishes provides insight into growth and movement of invasive lionfish.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Akins, John L; Morris, James A; Green, Stephanie J

    2014-10-01

    Information on fish movement and growth is primarily obtained through the marking and tracking of individuals with external tags, which are usually affixed to anesthetized individuals at the surface. However, the quantity and quality of data obtained by this method is often limited by small sample sizes owing to the time associated with the tagging process, high rates of tagging-related mortality, and displacement of tagged individuals from the initial capture location. To address these issues, we describe a technique for applying external streamer and dart tags in situ, which uses SCUBA divers to capture and tag individual fish on the sea floor without the use of anesthetic. We demonstrate this method for Indo-Pacific lionfish (Pterois volitans/P. miles), species which are particularly vulnerable to barotrauma when transported to and handled at the surface. To test our method, we tagged 161 individuals inhabiting 26 coral reef locations in the Bahamas over a period of 3 years. Our method resulted in no instances of barotrauma, reduced handling and recovery time, and minimal post-tagging release displacement compared with conventional ex situ tag application. Opportunistic resighting and recapture of tagged individuals reveals that lionfish exhibit highly variable site fidelity, movement patterns, and growth rates on invaded coral reef habitats. In total, 24% of lionfish were resighted between 29 and 188 days after tagging. Of these, 90% were located at the site of capture, while the remaining individuals were resighted between 200 m and 1.1 km from initial site of capture over 29 days later. In situ growth rates ranged between 0.1 and 0.6 mm/day. While individuals tagged with streamer tags posted slower growth rates with increasing size, as expected, there was no relationship between growth rate and fish size for individuals marked with dart tags, potentially because of large effects of tag presence on the activities of small bodied lionfish (i.e., lionfish

  17. Surface conductivity of Mercury provides current closure and may affect magnetospheric symmetry

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    P. Janhunen

    2004-04-01

    Full Text Available We study what effect a possible surface conductivity of Mercury has on the closure of magnetospheric currents by making six runs with a quasi-neutral hybrid simulation. The runs are otherwise identical but use different synthetic conductivity models: run 1 has a fully conducting planet, run 2 has a poorly conducting planet ( $sigma{=}10^{-8} Omega^{-1}$ m$^{-1}$ and runs 3-6 have one of the hemispheres either in the dawn-dusk or day-night directions, conducting well, the other one being conducting poorly. Although the surface conductivity is not known from observations, educated guesses easily give such conductivity values that magnetospheric currents may close partly within the planet, and as the conductivity depends heavily on the mineral composition of the surface, the possibility of significant horizontal variations cannot be easily excluded. The simulation results show that strong horizontal variations may produce modest magnetospheric asymmetries. Beyond the hybrid simulation, we also briefly discuss the possibility that in the nightside there may be a lack of surface electrons to carry downward current, which may act as a further source of surface-related magnetospheric asymmetry.

    Key words. Magnetospheric physics (planetary magnetospheres; current systems; solar wind-magnetosphere interactions.6

  18. Surface Spectroscopic Signatures of Mechanical Deformation in HDPE.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Averett, Shawn C; Stanley, Steven K; Hanson, Joshua J; Smith, Stacey J; Patterson, James E

    2018-01-01

    High-density polyethylene (HDPE) has been extensively studied, both as a model for semi-crystalline polymers and because of its own industrial utility. During cold drawing, crystalline regions of HDPE are known to break up and align with the direction of tensile load. Structural changes due to deformation should also manifest at the surface of the polymer, but until now, a detailed molecular understanding of how the surface responds to mechanical deformation has been lacking. This work establishes a precedent for using vibrational sum-frequency generation (VSFG) spectroscopy to investigate changes in the molecular-level structure of the surface of HDPE after cold drawing. X-ray diffraction (XRD) was used to confirm that the observed surface behavior corresponds to the expected bulk response. Before tensile loading, the VSFG spectra indicate that there is significant variability in the surface structure and tilt of the methylene groups away from the surface normal. After deformation, the VSFG spectroscopic signatures are notably different. These changes suggest that hydrocarbon chains at the surface of visibly necked HDPE are aligned with the direction of loading, while the associated methylene groups are oriented with the local C 2 v symmetry axis roughly parallel to the surface normal. Small amounts of unaltered material are also found at the surface of necked HDPE, with the relative amount of unaltered material decreasing as the amount of deformation increases. Aspects of the nonresonant SFG response in the transition zone between necked and undeformed polymer provide additional insight into the deformation process and may provide the first indication of mechanical deformation. Nonlinear surface spectroscopy can thus be used as a noninvasive and nondestructive tool to probe the stress history of a HPDE sample in situations where X-ray techniques are not available or not applicable. Vibrational sum-frequency generation thus has great potential as a platform for

  19. Influence of radioactivity on surface charging and aggregation kinetics of particles in the atmosphere.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Yong-Ha; Yiacoumi, Sotira; Lee, Ida; McFarlane, Joanna; Tsouris, Costas

    2014-01-01

    Radioactivity can influence surface interactions, but its effects on particle aggregation kinetics have not been included in transport modeling of radioactive particles. In this research, experimental and theoretical studies have been performed to investigate the influence of radioactivity on surface charging and aggregation kinetics of radioactive particles in the atmosphere. Radioactivity-induced charging mechanisms have been investigated at the microscopic level, and heterogeneous surface potential caused by radioactivity is reported. The radioactivity-induced surface charging is highly influenced by several parameters, such as rate and type of radioactive decay. A population balance model, including interparticle forces, has been employed to study the effects of radioactivity on particle aggregation kinetics in air. It has been found that radioactivity can hinder aggregation of particles because of similar surface charging caused by the decay process. Experimental and theoretical studies provide useful insights into the understanding of transport characteristics of radioactive particles emitted from severe nuclear events, such as the recent accident of Fukushima or deliberate explosions of radiological devices.

  20. The construction, fouling and enzymatic cleaning of a textile dye surface.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Onaizi, Sagheer A; He, Lizhong; Middelberg, Anton P J

    2010-11-01

    The enzymatic cleaning of a rubisco protein stain bound onto Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) biosensor chips having a dye-bound upper layer is investigated. This novel method allowed, for the first time, a detailed kinetic study of rubisco cleanability (defined as fraction of adsorbed protein removed from a surface) from dyed surfaces (mimicking fabrics) at different enzyme concentrations. Analysis of kinetic data using an established mathematical model able to decouple enzyme transfer and reaction processes [Onaizi, He, Middelberg, Chem. Eng. Sci. 64 (2008) 3868] revealed a striking effect of dyeing on enzymatic cleaning performance. Specifically, the absolute rate constants for enzyme transfer to and from a dye-bound rubisco stain were significantly higher than reported previously for un-dyed surfaces. These increased transfer rates resulted in higher surface cleanability. Higher enzyme mobility (i.e., higher enzyme adsorption and desorption rates) at the liquid-dye interface was observed, consistent with previous suggestions that enzyme surface mobility is likely correlated with overall enzyme cleaning performance. Our results show that reaction engineering models of enzymatic action at surfaces may provide insight able to guide the design of better stain-resistant surfaces, and may also guide efforts to improve cleaning formulations. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. Effect of interstitial impurities on the field dependent microwave surface resistance of niobium

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martinello, M.; Grassellino, A.; Checchin, M.; Romanenko, A.; Melnychuk, O.; Sergatskov, D. A.; Posen, S.; Zasadzinski, J. F.

    2016-08-01

    Previous work has demonstrated that the radio frequency surface resistance of niobium resonators is dramatically reduced when nitrogen impurities are dissolved as interstitial in the material. This effect is attributed to the lowering of the Mattis-Bardeen surface resistance with increasing accelerating field; however, the microscopic origin of this phenomenon is poorly understood. Meanwhile, an enhancement of the sensitivity to trapped magnetic field is typically observed for such cavities. In this paper, we conduct a systematic study on these different components contributing to the total surface resistance as a function of different levels of dissolved nitrogen, in comparison with standard surface treatments for niobium resonators. Adding these results together, we are able to show which is the optimum surface treatment that maximizes the Q-factor of superconducting niobium resonators as a function of expected trapped magnetic field in the cavity walls. These results also provide insights on the physics behind the change in the field dependence of the Mattis-Bardeen surface resistance, and of the trapped magnetic vortex induced losses in superconducting niobium resonators.

  2. Design of a surface alloy catalyst for steam reforming

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Besenbacher, F.; Chorkendorff, Ib; Clausen, B.S.

    1998-01-01

    Detailed studies of elementary chemical processes on well-characterized single crystal surfaces have contributed substantially to the understanding of heterogeneous catalysis. insight into the structure of surface alloys combined with an understanding of the relation between the surface compositi...... and reactivity is shown to lead directly to new ideas for catalyst design, The feasibility of such an approach is illustrated by the synthesis, characterization, and tests of a high-surface area gold-nickel catalyst for steam reforming....

  3. A Flexible Binding Site Architecture Provides New Insights into CcpA Global Regulation in Gram-Positive Bacteria

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yunpeng Yang

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Catabolite control protein A (CcpA is the master regulator in Gram-positive bacteria that mediates carbon catabolite repression (CCR and carbon catabolite activation (CCA, two fundamental regulatory mechanisms that enable competitive advantages in carbon catabolism. It is generally regarded that CcpA exerts its regulatory role by binding to a typical 14- to 16-nucleotide (nt consensus site that is called a catabolite response element (cre within the target regions. However, here we report a previously unknown noncanonical flexible architecture of the CcpA-binding site in solventogenic clostridia, providing new mechanistic insights into catabolite regulation. This novel CcpA-binding site, named crevar, has a unique architecture that consists of two inverted repeats and an intervening spacer, all of which are variable in nucleotide composition and length, except for a 6-bp core palindromic sequence (TGTAAA/TTTACA. It was found that the length of the intervening spacer of crevar can affect CcpA binding affinity, and moreover, the core palindromic sequence of crevar is the key structure for regulation. Such a variable architecture of crevar shows potential importance for CcpA’s diverse and fine regulation. A total of 103 potential crevar sites were discovered in solventogenic Clostridium acetobutylicum, of which 42 sites were picked out for electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSAs, and 30 sites were confirmed to be bound by CcpA. These 30 crevar sites are associated with 27 genes involved in many important pathways. Also of significance, the crevar sites are found to be widespread and function in a great number of taxonomically different Gram-positive bacteria, including pathogens, suggesting their global role in Gram-positive bacteria.

  4. New insights on the structure of the picloram-montmorillonite surface complexes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marco-Brown, Jose L; Trinelli, María Alcira; Gaigneaux, Eric M; Sánchez, Rosa M Torres; Afonso, María dos Santos

    2015-04-15

    The environmental mobility and bioavailability of Picloram (PCM) are determined by the amine and carboxylate chemical groups interaction with the soils mineral phases. Clay particles, such as montmorillonite (Mt), and the pH value of the media could play an important role in adsorption processes. Thus, the study of the role of soil components other than organic matter deserves further investigation for a more accurate assessment of the risk of groundwater contamination. Samples with PCM adsorbed on Mt dispersions were prepared at pH 3-9. Subsequently, the dispersions were separated, washed, centrifuged and stored at room temperature. Picloram (PCM) herbicide interaction with surface groups of montmorillonite (Mt) was studied using XRD, DTA, FTIR and XPS techniques. The entrance of PCM into the Mt basal space, in two different arrangements, perpendicular and planar, is proposed and the final arrangement depends on PCM concentration. The interaction of PCM with Mt surface sites through the nitrogen of the pyridine ring and carboxylic group of PCM, forming bidentate and bridge inner-sphere complexes was confirmed by FTIR and XPS analysis. The acidity constant of the PCM adsorbed on the Mt surface was calculated. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Supplementary Material for: Mycobacterium tuberculosis whole genome sequencing and protein structure modelling provides insights into anti-tuberculosis drug resistance

    KAUST Repository

    Phelan, Jody

    2016-01-01

    Abstract Background Combating the spread of drug resistant tuberculosis is a global health priority. Whole genome association studies are being applied to identify genetic determinants of resistance to anti-tuberculosis drugs. Protein structure and interaction modelling are used to understand the functional effects of putative mutations and provide insight into the molecular mechanisms leading to resistance. Methods To investigate the potential utility of these approaches, we analysed the genomes of 144 Mycobacterium tuberculosis clinical isolates from The Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR) collection sourced from 20 countries in four continents. A genome-wide approach was applied to 127 isolates to identify polymorphisms associated with minimum inhibitory concentrations for first-line anti-tuberculosis drugs. In addition, the effect of identified candidate mutations on protein stability and interactions was assessed quantitatively with well-established computational methods. Results The analysis revealed that mutations in the genes rpoB (rifampicin), katG (isoniazid), inhA-promoter (isoniazid), rpsL (streptomycin) and embB (ethambutol) were responsible for the majority of resistance observed. A subset of the mutations identified in rpoB and katG were predicted to affect protein stability. Further, a strong direct correlation was observed between the minimum inhibitory concentration values and the distance of the mutated residues in the three-dimensional structures of rpoB and katG to their respective drugs binding sites. Conclusions Using the TDR resource, we demonstrate the usefulness of whole genome association and convergent evolution approaches to detect known and potentially novel mutations associated with drug resistance. Further, protein structural modelling could provide a means of predicting the impact of polymorphisms on drug efficacy in the absence of phenotypic data. These approaches could ultimately lead to novel

  6. Ligand-specific regulation of the extracellular surface of a G-protein-coupled receptor

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bokoch, Michael P; Zou, Yaozhong; Rasmussen, Søren Gøgsig Faarup

    2010-01-01

    extending from the orthosteric ligand-binding site in the transmembrane core to the cytoplasmic G-protein-coupling domains. In contrast, the extracellular surface (ECS) of GPCRs is remarkably diverse and is therefore an ideal target for the discovery of subtype-selective drugs. However, little is known...... conformational coupling between the ECS and the orthosteric binding site, showing that drugs targeting this diverse surface could function as allosteric modulators with high subtype selectivity. Moreover, these studies provide a new insight into the dynamic behaviour of GPCRs not addressable by static, inactive...... about the functional role of the ECS in receptor activation, or about conformational coupling of this surface to the native ligand-binding pocket. Here we use NMR spectroscopy to investigate ligand-specific conformational changes around a central structural feature in the ECS of the beta(2) adrenergic...

  7. A numerical investigation of the effect of surface wettability on the boiling curve.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hua-Yi Hsu

    Full Text Available Surface wettability is recognized as playing an important role in pool boiling and the corresponding heat transfer curve. In this work, a systematic study of pool boiling heat transfer on smooth surfaces of varying wettability (contact angle range of 5° - 180° has been conducted and reported. Based on numerical simulations, boiling curves are calculated and boiling dynamics in each regime are studied using a volume-of-fluid method with contact angle model. The calculated trends in critical heat flux and Leidenfrost point as functions of surface wettability are obtained and compared with prior experimental and theoretical predictions, giving good agreement. For the first time, the effect of contact angle on the complete boiling curve is shown. It is demonstrated that the simulation methodology can be used for studying pool boiling and related dynamics and providing more physical insights.

  8. Exploring the surface reactivity of 3d metal endofullerenes: a density-functional theory study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Estrada-Salas, Rubén E; Valladares, Ariel A

    2009-09-24

    Changes in the preferential sites of electrophilic, nucleophilic, and radical attacks on the pristine C60 surface with endohedral doping using 3d transition metal atoms were studied via two useful reactivity indices, namely the Fukui functions and the molecular electrostatic potential. Both of these were calculated at the density functional BPW91 level of theory with the DNP basis set. Our results clearly show changes in the preferential reactivity sites on the fullerene surface when it is doped with Mn, Fe, Co, or Ni atoms, whereas there are no significant changes in the preferential reactivity sites on the C60 surface upon endohedral doping with Cu and Zn atoms. Electron affinities (EA), ionization potentials (IP), and HOMO-LUMO gaps (Eg) were also calculated to complete the study of the endofullerene's surface reactivity. These findings provide insight into endofullerene functionalization, an important issue in their application.

  9. Surface characterization of pretreated and microbial-treated populus cross-sections

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tolbert, Allison K. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

    2017-05-01

    The first objective of this thesis is to illustrate the advantages of surface characterization in biomass utilization studies. The second objective is to gain insight into the workings of potential consolidated bioprocessing microorganisms on the surface of poplar samples. The third objective is to determine the impact biomass recalcitrance has on enzymatic hydrolysis and microbial fermentation in relation to the surface chemistry.

  10. Elementary excitations of biomembranes: Differential geometry of undulations in elastic surfaces

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hemmen, J. Leo van [Physik Department, Technical University of Munich, 85747 Garching (Germany)]. E-mail: lvh@tum.de; Leibold, Christian [Physik Department, Technical University of Munich, 85747 Garching (Germany)

    2007-06-15

    Biomembrane undulations are elementary excitations in the elastic surfaces of cells and vesicles. As such they can provide surprising insights into the mechanical processes that shape and stabilize biomembranes. We explain how naturally these undulations can be described by classical differential geometry. In particular, we apply the analytical formalism of differential-geometric calculus to the surfaces generated by a cell membrane and underlying cytoskeleton. After a short derivation of the energy due to a membrane's elasticity, we show how undulations arise as elementary excitations originating from the second derivative of an energy functional. Furthermore, we expound the efficiency of classical differential-geometric formalism to understand the effect of differential operators that characterize processes involved in membrane physics. As an introduction to concepts the paper is self-contained and rarely exceeds calculus level.

  11. Elementary excitations of biomembranes: Differential geometry of undulations in elastic surfaces

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hemmen, J. Leo van; Leibold, Christian

    2007-01-01

    Biomembrane undulations are elementary excitations in the elastic surfaces of cells and vesicles. As such they can provide surprising insights into the mechanical processes that shape and stabilize biomembranes. We explain how naturally these undulations can be described by classical differential geometry. In particular, we apply the analytical formalism of differential-geometric calculus to the surfaces generated by a cell membrane and underlying cytoskeleton. After a short derivation of the energy due to a membrane's elasticity, we show how undulations arise as elementary excitations originating from the second derivative of an energy functional. Furthermore, we expound the efficiency of classical differential-geometric formalism to understand the effect of differential operators that characterize processes involved in membrane physics. As an introduction to concepts the paper is self-contained and rarely exceeds calculus level

  12. Insight into nucleon structure from generalized parton distributions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    J.W. Negele; R.C. Brower; P. Dreher; R. Edwards; G. Fleming; Ph. Hagler; Th. Lippert; A.V.Pochinsky; D.B. Renner; D. Richards; K. Schilling; W. Schroers

    2004-01-01

    The lowest three moments of generalized parton distributions are calculated in full QCD and provide new insight into the behavior of nucleon electromagnetic form factors, the origin of the nucleon spin, and the transverse structure of the nucleon

  13. ErpC, a member of the complement regulator-acquiring family of surface proteins from Borrelia burgdorferi, possesses an architecture previously unseen in this protein family

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Caesar, Joseph J. E.; Johnson, Steven; Kraiczy, Peter; Lea, Susan M.

    2013-01-01

    The structure of ErpC, a member of the complement regulator-acquiring surface protein family from B. burgdorferi, has been solved, providing insights into the strategies of complement evasion by this zoonotic bacterium and suggesting a common architecture for other members of this protein family. Borrelia burgdorferi is a spirochete responsible for Lyme disease, the most commonly occurring vector-borne disease in Europe and North America. The bacterium utilizes a set of proteins, termed complement regulator-acquiring surface proteins (CRASPs), to aid evasion of the human complement system by recruiting and presenting complement regulator factor H on its surface in a manner that mimics host cells. Presented here is the atomic resolution structure of a member of this protein family, ErpC. The structure provides new insights into the mechanism of recruitment of factor H and other factor H-related proteins by acting as a molecular mimic of host glycosaminoglycans. It also describes the architecture of other CRASP proteins belonging to the OspE/F-related paralogous protein family and suggests that they have evolved to bind specific complement proteins, aiding survival of the bacterium in different hosts

  14. Stability of thin liquid films containing surface active particles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Umashankar, Hariharan; Kalpathy, Sreeram; Dixit, Harish

    2017-11-01

    The stability and dynamics of thin liquid films(industrial settings like coating and printing processes and extraction of oil from porous rocks. In this study a hydrodynamic model is introduced to capture the long term evolution of a Newtonian liquid film containing insoluble surfaceactive particles.We consider here the possibility of four distinct interaction regimes based on the surface rheological effects of the particles, such that either, both or neither of Marangoni and surface viscosity effects would be present at the leading order in the governing equations. The liquid film is bounded by a rigid impermeable solid below and covered by passive air phase above.A standard linear stability analysis and nonlinear simulations are performed on the set of highly coupled partial differential evolution equations. Linear stability analysis gives insights on whether a particular imposed perturbationwavenumber will grow or decay in time and also evaluating the fastest growing wavenumber. Parametric studies for all four regimes provides a strong confirmation that surface viscosity and Marangoni effects are indeed rupture delaying effects.

  15. The effects of gender and self-insight on early semantic processing.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xu Xu

    Full Text Available This event-related potential (ERP study explored individual differences associated with gender and level of self-insight in early semantic processing. Forty-eight Chinese native speakers completed a semantic judgment task with three different categories of words: abstract neutral words (e.g., logic, effect, concrete neutral words (e.g., teapot, table, and emotion words (e.g., despair, guilt. They then assessed their levels of self-insight. Results showed that women engaged in greater processing than did men. Gender differences also manifested in the relationship between level of self-insight and word processing. For women, level of self-insight was associated with level of semantic activation for emotion words and abstract neutral words, but not for concrete neutral words. For men, level of self-insight was related to processing speed, particularly in response to abstract and concrete neutral words. These findings provide electrophysiological evidence for the effects of gender and self-insight on semantic processing and highlight the need to take into consideration subject variables in related research.

  16. Ancient duplications and functional divergence in the interferon regulatory factors of vertebrates provide insights into the evolution of vertebrate immune systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Du, Kang; Zhong, Zaixuan; Fang, Chengchi; Dai, Wei; Shen, Yanjun; Gan, Xiaoni; He, Shunping

    2018-04-01

    Interferon regulatory factors (IRFs) were first discovered as transcription factors that regulate the transcription of human interferon (IFN)-β. Increasing evidence shows that they might be important players involved in Adaptive immune system (AIS) evolution. Although numbers of IRFs have been identified in chordates, the evolutionary history and functional diversity of this gene family during the early evolution of vertebrates have remained obscure. Using IRF HMM profile and HMMER searches, we identified 148 IRFs in 11 vertebrates and 4 protochordates. For them, we reconstructed the phylogenetic relationships, determined the synteny conservation, investigated the profile of natural selection, and analyzed the expression patterns in four "living fossil" vertebrates: lamprey, elephant shark, coelacanth and bichir. The results from phylogeny and synteny analysis imply that vertebrate IRFs evolved from three predecessors, instead of four as suggested in a previous study, as results from an ancient duplication followed by special expansions and lost during the vertebrate evolution. The profile of natural selection and expression reveals functional dynamics during the process. Together, they suggest that the 2nd whole-genome duplication (2WGD) provided raw materials for innovation in the IRF family, and that the birth of type-I IFN might be an important factor inducing the establishment of IRF-mediated immune networks. As a member involved in the AIS evolution, IRF provide insights into the process and mechanism involved in the complexity and novelties of vertebrate immune systems. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  17. Chlorine stress mediates microbial surface attachment in drinking water systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Li; Le, Yang; Jin, Juliang; Zhou, Yuliang; Chen, Guowei

    2015-03-01

    Microbial attachment to drinking water pipe surfaces facilitates pathogen survival and deteriorates disinfection performance, directly threatening the safety of drinking water. Notwithstanding that the formation of biofilm has been studied for decades, the underlying mechanisms for the origins of microbial surface attachment in biofilm development in drinking water pipelines remain largely elusive. We combined experimental and mathematical methods to investigate the role of environmental stress-mediated cell motility on microbial surface attachment in chlorination-stressed drinking water distribution systems. Results show that at low levels of disinfectant (0.0-1.0 mg/L), the presence of chlorine promotes initiation of microbial surface attachment, while higher amounts of disinfectant (>1.0 mg/L) inhibit microbial attachment. The proposed mathematical model further demonstrates that chlorination stress (0.0-5.0 mg/L)-mediated microbial cell motility regulates the frequency of cell-wall collision and thereby controls initial microbial surface attachment. The results reveal that transport processes and decay patterns of chlorine in drinking water pipelines regulate microbial cell motility and, thus, control initial surface cell attachment. It provides a mechanistic understanding of microbial attachment shaped by environmental disinfection stress and leads to new insights into microbial safety protocols in water distribution systems.

  18. 10Be surface exposure dating of raised marine terraces and glacial moraines

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Graham, I.J.; Zondervan, A.

    2004-01-01

    Geological processes at the Earth's surface have a profound effect on human activity. Interactions between various elements of the landscape influence the harshness of floods, the danger of earthquakes, the severity of landslides, the potential of soil erosion of croplands, and the reliability of water supplies. Landscape constantly evolves through the forces of tectonics, climate, weathering and hydrology, and analysis of its evolution provides insight into the controls on processes. Of prime importance is an understanding of the timing of events, allowing determination of cause and effect, and rates of change. The time period most relevant to this is the last two million years, the Quaternary Period. Geological surfaces and deposits are, however, difficult to date by conventional methods within this time period. Surface exposure-age dating (SED) using cosmogenic isotopes (i.e. nuclides produced by cosmic rays) can help solve this problem. (author). 10 refs., 2 figs., 1 tab

  19. Experimental studies of photon-surface interaction dynamics in the alkali halides

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Haglund, R.F. Jr.; Tolk, N.H.

    1986-01-01

    We describe recent measurements which have provided, in unprecedented detail, insights into the electronic mechanisms through which energy carried into a material by photon irradiation is absorbed, localized and rechanneled to produce desorption, surface modification, erosion and damage. The specific object of these studies has been desorption induced by electronic transition in alkali halide crystals, with particular emphasis on the dynamics of changes in the surface and near-surface regions. In our experiments, the irradiating ultraviolet photons are provided by a synchrotron storage ring, and the dynamical information about desorption products is obtained from optical measurements of the quantum states, yields and velocity distributions of neutral ground-state and excited-state atoms ejected from the surface of the irradiating material. These studies have shown that the dominant exit channels in photon-induced particle emission are those producing ground-state and excited-state neutral atoms. Using dynamical information about these desorbing neutral species, obtained, for example, by laser-induced fluorescence and laser Doppler spectroscopy, we are generating an increasingly comprehensive picture of the dynamics of electronic energy flow into and out of pure crystalline surfaces in these prototypical dielectrics. We are also beginning to be able to relate desorption dynamics to specific materials properties, and to discriminate between pure surface and near-surface effects in these materials. Applications of these techniques to the problem of photon-induced surface damage and to analysis of surface dynamics in dielectric materials are discussed, and the relationships between these nearly ideal model materials and the non-crystalline, covalently bonded materials more typical of real optical elements are pointed out. 19 refs., 13 figs

  20. Topological characterization of antireflective and hydrophobic rough surfaces: are random process theory and fractal modeling applicable?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Borri, Claudia; Paggi, Marco

    2015-02-01

    The random process theory (RPT) has been widely applied to predict the joint probability distribution functions (PDFs) of asperity heights and curvatures of rough surfaces. A check of the predictions of RPT against the actual statistics of numerically generated random fractal surfaces and of real rough surfaces has been only partially undertaken. The present experimental and numerical study provides a deep critical comparison on this matter, providing some insight into the capabilities and limitations in applying RPT and fractal modeling to antireflective and hydrophobic rough surfaces, two important types of textured surfaces. A multi-resolution experimental campaign using a confocal profilometer with different lenses is carried out and a comprehensive software for the statistical description of rough surfaces is developed. It is found that the topology of the analyzed textured surfaces cannot be fully described according to RPT and fractal modeling. The following complexities emerge: (i) the presence of cut-offs or bi-fractality in the power-law power-spectral density (PSD) functions; (ii) a more pronounced shift of the PSD by changing resolution as compared to what was expected from fractal modeling; (iii) inaccuracy of the RPT in describing the joint PDFs of asperity heights and curvatures of textured surfaces; (iv) lack of resolution-invariance of joint PDFs of textured surfaces in case of special surface treatments, not accounted for by fractal modeling.

  1. Impaired insight into illness and cognitive insight in schizophrenia spectrum disorders: Resting state functional connectivity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gerretsen, Philip; Menon, Mahesh; Mamo, David C.; Fervaha, Gagan; Remington, Gary; Pollock, Bruce G.; Graff-Guerrero, Ariel

    2015-01-01

    Background Impaired insight into illness (clinical insight) in schizophrenia has negative effects on treatment adherence and clinical outcomes. Schizophrenia is described as a disorder of disrupted brain connectivity. In line with this concept, resting state networks (RSNs) appear differentially affected in persons with schizophrenia. Therefore, impaired clinical, or the related construct of cognitive insight (which posits that impaired clinical insight is a function of metacognitive deficits), may reflect alterations in RSN functional connectivity (fc). Based on our previous research, which showed that impaired insight into illness was associated with increased left hemisphere volume relative to right, we hypothesized that impaired clinical insight would be associated with increased connectivity in the DMN with specific left hemisphere brain regions. Methods Resting state MRI scans were acquired for participants with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder (n = 20). Seed-to-voxel and ROI-to-ROI fc analyses were performed using the CONN-fMRI fc toolbox v13 for established RSNs. Clinical and cognitive insight were measured with the Schedule for the Assessment of Insight—Expanded Version and Beck Cognitive Insight Scale, respectively, and included as the regressors in fc analyses. Results As hypothesized, impaired clinical insight was associated with increased connectivity in the default mode network (DMN) with the left angular gyrus, and also in the self-referential network (SRN) with the left insula. Cognitive insight was associated with increased connectivity in the dorsal attention network (DAN) with the right inferior frontal cortex (IFC) and left anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). Conclusion Increased connectivity in DMN and SRN with the left angular gyrus and insula, respectively, may represent neural correlates of impaired clinical insight in schizophrenia spectrum disorders, and is consistent with the literature attributing impaired insight to left

  2. Enhancement of nitric oxide release and hemocompatibility by surface chirality of D-tartaric acid grafting

    Science.gov (United States)

    Han, Honghong; Wang, Ke; Fan, Yonghong; Pan, Xiaxin; Huang, Nan; Weng, Yajun

    2017-12-01

    Nitric Oxide (NO) generation from endogenous NO-donors catalyzed by diselenide modified biomaterials has been reported. Here we reported surface chirality by L-tartaric acid and D-tartaric acid grafting on the outermost showed a significant impact on diselenide modified biomaterials, which modulated protein adsorption, NO release and anti-platelet adhesion properties. D-tartaric acid grafted surface showed more blood protein adsorption than that of L-surfaces by QCM analysis, however, ELISA analysis disclosed less fibrinogen denatured on the D surfaces. Due to the surface ratio of selenium decreasing, NO release catalyzed by L-tartaric acid grafting on the outermost significantly decreased in comparison to that of only selenocystamine immobilized surfaces. While NO release catalyzed by D-tartaric acid grafting on the outermost didn't decrease and was similar with that of selenocystamine immobilized surfaces. Surface chirality combined with NO release had synergetic effects on platelet adhesion, and it showed the lowest number of platelets adhered on the D-tartaric acid grafted surfaces. Thus surface chirality from D-tartaric acid grafting enhanced hemocompatibility of the surface in this study. Our work provides new insights into engineering novel blood contacting biomaterials by taking into account surface chirality.

  3. New technological developments provide deep-sea sediment density flow insights: the Monterey Coordinated Canyon Experiment

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Reilly, T. C.; Kieft, B.; Chaffey, M. R.; Wolfson-Schwehr, M.; Herlien, R.; Bird, L.; Klimov, D.; Paull, C. K.; Gwiazda, R.; Lundsten, E. M.; Anderson, K.; Caress, D. W.; Sumner, E. J.; Simmons, S.; Parsons, D. R.; Talling, P.; Rosenberger, K. J.; Xu, J.; Maier, K. L.; Gales, J. A.

    2017-12-01

    The Monterey Coordinated Canyon Experiment (CCE) deployed an array of instruments along the Monterey Canyon floor to characterize the structure, velocity and frequency of sediment flows. CCE utilized novel technologies developed at MBARI to capture sediment flow data in unprecedented detail. 1. The Seafloor Instrument Node (SIN) at 1850 meters depth housed 3 ADCPs at 3 different frequencies, CTD, current meter, oxygen optode, fluorometer/backscatter sensor, and logged data at 10 second intervals or faster. The SIN included an acoustic modem for communication with shore through a Wave Glider relay, and provided high-resolution measurements of three flow events during three successive deployments over 1.5 years. 2. Beachball-sized Benthic Event Detectors (BEDs) were deployed on or under the seafloor to measure the characteristics of sediment density flows. Each BED recorded data from a pressure sensor and a 3-axis accelerometer and gyro to characterize motions during transport events (e.g. tumble vs rotation). An acoustic modem capable of operating through more than a meter of sediment enabled communications with a ship or autonomous surface vehicle. Multiple BEDs were deployed at various depths in the canyon during CCE, detecting and measuring many transport events; one BED moved 9 km down canyon in 50 minutes during one event. 3. Wave Glider Hot Spot (HS), equipped with acoustic and RF modems, acted as data relay between SIN, BEDs and shore, and acoustically located BEDs after sediment density flows.. In some cases HS relayed BED motion data to shore within a few hours of the event. HS provided an acoustic console to the SIN, allowing shore-based users to check SIN health and status, perform maintenance, etc. 4. Mapping operations were conducted 4 times at the SIN site to quantify depositional and erosional patterns, utilizing a prototype ultra-high-resolution mapping system on the ROV Doc Ricketts. The system consists of a 400-kHz Reson 7125 multibeam sonar, a 3

  4. New insights into controlling tube-bundle fouling using alternative amines

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Turner, C.W.; Klimas, S.J.; Guzonas, D.A.; Frattini, P.L.; Fruzzetti, K.

    2002-01-01

    A volatile amine is added to the secondary heat-transport system of a nuclear power plant to reduce the rate of corrosion and corrosion product transport in the feedwater and to protect steam generator (SG) crevices and materials exposed to steam condensate. Volatility and base strength of the amine at the SG operating temperature are two important considerations when choosing the optimum amine (or mixture of amines) for corrosion control in the steam cycle. Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) and Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) have been collaborating in an extensive investigation of the effectiveness of amines at controlling the rate of tube-bundle fouling under SG operating conditions. Tests have been performed using a radiotracing technique in a high-temperature fouling loop facility at Chalk River Laboratories operated by AECL. This investigation has provided new insights into the role played by the amine in determining the rate of tube-bundle fouling in the SG. These insights are being used by AECL and EPRI to develop criteria for the selection of an amine that has optimum properties for both corrosion control and deposit control in the secondary heat transport system. The investigation has found that the rate of tube-bundle fouling is strongly dependent upon the surface chemistry of the corrosion products. For example, the fouling rates of fully oxidized iron oxides, such as hematite and lepidocrocite, are at least an order of magnitude greater than the fouling rate of magnetite under identical operating conditions. The difference is related to the sign of the surface charge on the corrosion products at temperature. The choice of amine for pH-control also influences the fouling rate. This was originally thought to be a surface-charge effect as well, but recent tests have suggested that it is related to the role that the amine plays in governing the rate of deposit consolidation on the heat-transfer surface. Amines that promote a high rate of

  5. Fractal binding and dissociation kinetics of lecithin cholesterol acyl transferase (LCAT), a heart-related compound, on biosensor surfaces

    Science.gov (United States)

    Doke, Atul M.; Sadana, Ajit

    2006-05-01

    A fractal analysis is presented for the binding and dissociation of different heart-related compounds in solution to receptors immobilized on biosensor surfaces. The data analyzed include LCAT (lecithin cholesterol acyl transferase) concentrations in solution to egg-white apoA-I rHDL immobilized on a biosensor chip surface.1 Single- and dual- fractal models were employed to fit the data. Values of the binding and the dissociation rate coefficient(s), affinity values, and the fractal dimensions were obtained from the regression analysis provided by Corel Quattro Pro 8.0 (Corel Corporation Limited).2 The binding rate coefficients are quite sensitive to the degree of heterogeneity on the sensor chip surface. Predictive equations are developed for the binding rate coefficient as a function of the degree of heterogeneity present on the sensor chip surface and on the LCAT concentration in solution, and for the affinity as a function of the ratio of fractal dimensions present in the binding and the dissociation phases. The analysis presented provided physical insights into these analyte-receptor reactions occurring on different biosensor surfaces.

  6. He atom surface scattering: Surface dynamics of insulators, overlayers and crystal growth

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1992-01-01

    Investigations have focused primarily on surface structure and dynamics of ionic insulators, epitaxial growth onto alkali halide crystals and multiphoton studies. The surface dynamics of RbCl has been re-examined. We have developed a simple force constant model which provides insight into the dynamics of KBr overlayers on NaCl(001), a system with a large lattice mismatch. The KBr/NaCl(001) results are compared to Na/Cu(001) and NaCl/Ge(001). We have completed epitaxial growth experiments for KBr onto RbCl(001). Slab dynamics calculations using a shell model for this system with very small lattice mismatch are being carried out in collaboration with Professor Manson of Clemson University and with Professor Schroeder in Regensburg, Germany. Extensive experiments on multiphoton scattering of helium atoms onto NaCl and, particularly, LiF have been carried out and the theory has been developed to a rather advanced stage by Professor Manson. This work will permit the extraction of more information from time-of-flight spectra. It is shown that the theoretical model provides a very good description of the multiphoton scattering from organic films. Work has started on self-assembling organic films on gold (alkyl thiols/Au(111)). We have begun to prepare and characterize the gold crystal; one of the group members has spent two weeks at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory learning the proper Au(111) preparation techniques. One of our students has carried out neutron scattering experiments on NiO, measuring both bulk phonon and magnon dispersion curves

  7. Proofs that Develop Insight

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weber, Keith

    2010-01-01

    Many mathematics educators have noted that mathematicians do not only read proofs to gain conviction but also to obtain insight. The goal of this article is to discuss what this insight is from mathematicians' perspective. Based on interviews with nine research-active mathematicians, two sources of insight are discussed. The first is reading a…

  8. STM, SECPM, AFM and Electrochemistry on Single Crystalline Surfaces

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ulrich Stimming

    2010-08-01

    Full Text Available Scanning probe microscopy (SPM techniques have had a great impact on research fields of surface science and nanotechnology during the last decades. They are used to investigate surfaces with scanning ranges between several 100 mm down to atomic resolution. Depending on experimental conditions, and the interaction forces between probe and sample, different SPM techniques allow mapping of different surface properties. In this work, scanning tunneling microscopy (STM in air and under electrochemical conditions (EC-STM, atomic force microscopy (AFM in air and scanning electrochemical potential microscopy (SECPM under electrochemical conditions, were used to study different single crystalline surfaces in electrochemistry. Especially SECPM offers potentially new insights into the solid-liquid interface by providing the possibility to image the potential distribution of the surface, with a resolution that is comparable to STM. In electrocatalysis, nanostructured catalysts supported on different electrode materials often show behavior different from their bulk electrodes. This was experimentally and theoretically shown for several combinations and recently on Pt on Au(111 towards fuel cell relevant reactions. For these investigations single crystals often provide accurate and well defined reference and support systems. We will show heteroepitaxially grown Ru, Ir and Rh single crystalline surface films and bulk Au single crystals with different orientations under electrochemical conditions. Image studies from all three different SPM methods will be presented and compared to electrochemical data obtained by cyclic voltammetry in acidic media. The quality of the single crystalline supports will be verified by the SPM images and the cyclic voltammograms. Furthermore, an outlook will be presented on how such supports can be used in electrocatalytic studies.

  9. Mudskipper genomes provide insights into the terrestrial adaptation of amphibious fishes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    You, Xinxin; Bian, Chao; Zan, Qijie; Xu, Xun; Liu, Xin; Chen, Jieming; Wang, Jintu; Qiu, Ying; Li, Wujiao; Zhang, Xinhui; Sun, Ying; Chen, Shixi; Hong, Wanshu; Li, Yuxiang; Cheng, Shifeng; Fan, Guangyi; Shi, Chengcheng; Liang, Jie; Tom Tang, Y; Yang, Chengye; Ruan, Zhiqiang; Bai, Jie; Peng, Chao; Mu, Qian; Lu, Jun; Fan, Mingjun; Yang, Shuang; Huang, Zhiyong; Jiang, Xuanting; Fang, Xiaodong; Zhang, Guojie; Zhang, Yong; Polgar, Gianluca; Yu, Hui; Li, Jia; Liu, Zhongjian; Zhang, Guoqiang; Ravi, Vydianathan; Coon, Steven L; Wang, Jian; Yang, Huanming; Venkatesh, Byrappa; Wang, Jun; Shi, Qiong

    2014-12-02

    Mudskippers are amphibious fishes that have developed morphological and physiological adaptations to match their unique lifestyles. Here we perform whole-genome sequencing of four representative mudskippers to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying these adaptations. We discover an expansion of innate immune system genes in the mudskippers that may provide defence against terrestrial pathogens. Several genes of the ammonia excretion pathway in the gills have experienced positive selection, suggesting their important roles in mudskippers' tolerance to environmental ammonia. Some vision-related genes are differentially lost or mutated, illustrating genomic changes associated with aerial vision. Transcriptomic analyses of mudskippers exposed to air highlight regulatory pathways that are up- or down-regulated in response to hypoxia. The present study provides a valuable resource for understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying water-to-land transition of vertebrates.

  10. SERS, XPS, and DFT Study of Adenine Adsorption on Silver and Gold Surfaces.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pagliai, Marco; Caporali, Stefano; Muniz-Miranda, Maurizio; Pratesi, Giovanni; Schettino, Vincenzo

    2012-01-19

    The adsorption of adenine on silver and gold surfaces has been investigated combining density functional theory calculations with surface-enhanced Raman scattering and angle-resolved X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements, obtaining useful insight into the orientation and interaction of the nucleobase with the metal surfaces.

  11. Insight in the outside

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Brongersma, H.H.; Ridder, de M.; Gildenpfennig, A.; Viitanen, M.M.

    2003-01-01

    Modern low energy ion scattering (LEIS) can provide new information on the atomic composition of both outermost surface and sub-surface layers. The wide scope of new possibilities is illustrated with results on ceramics, polymers and ultra-thin layers. Most of the results presented are difficult or

  12. Copper plasmonics and catalysis: role of electron-phonon interactions in dephasing localized surface plasmons

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Qi-C.; Ding, Yuchen; Goodman, Samuel M.; H. Funke, Hans; Nagpal, Prashant

    2014-10-01

    Copper metal can provide an important alternative for the development of efficient, low-cost and low-loss plasmonic nanoparticles, and selective nanocatalysts. However, poor chemical stability and lack of insight into photophysics and plasmon decay mechanisms has impeded study. Here, we use smooth conformal ALD coating on copper nanoparticles to prevent surface oxidation, and study dephasing time for localized surface plasmons on different sized copper nanoparticles. Using dephasing time as a figure of merit, we elucidate the role of electron-electron, electron-phonon, impurity, surface and grain boundary scattering on the decay of localized surface plasmon waves. Using our quantitative analysis and different temperature dependent measurements, we show that electron-phonon interactions dominate over other scattering mechanisms in dephasing plasmon waves. While interband transitions in copper metal contributes substantially to plasmon losses, tuning surface plasmon modes to infrared frequencies leads to a five-fold enhancement in the quality factor. These findings demonstrate that conformal ALD coatings can improve the chemical stability for copper nanoparticles, even at high temperatures (>300 °C) in ambient atmosphere, and nanoscaled copper is a good alternative material for many potential applications in nanophotonics, plasmonics, catalysis and nanoscale electronics.Copper metal can provide an important alternative for the development of efficient, low-cost and low-loss plasmonic nanoparticles, and selective nanocatalysts. However, poor chemical stability and lack of insight into photophysics and plasmon decay mechanisms has impeded study. Here, we use smooth conformal ALD coating on copper nanoparticles to prevent surface oxidation, and study dephasing time for localized surface plasmons on different sized copper nanoparticles. Using dephasing time as a figure of merit, we elucidate the role of electron-electron, electron-phonon, impurity, surface and grain

  13. Insight in schizophrenia: a review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dam, Jesper

    2006-01-01

    The issue of insight in schizophrenia must be assumed to be one of the most important aspects of the clinical examination. Comprehensive studies have shown that between 50% and 80% of all patients suffering from schizophrenia do not believe that they have a disorder. In recent years, poor insight in schizophrenia has been the subject of increasing interest, as manifested in a number of studies discussed in the present review. Some of these studies focus on insight correlated to various parameters such as psychopathology, neuropsychology, clinical relevance and compliance. Other studies refer to more theoretical implications, among these the issue of defining the concept of insight: whether insight can be seen as a "primary" phenomenon in schizophrenia, and whether insight may be graduated, dimensioned or increased. Several authors have developed rating scales in an attempt to obtain a measure for the degree or dimension of insight. Here, the range of parameters employed gives an excellent impression of the complexity of the concept of insight. In the concluding discussion, a phenomenological aspect is brought in, in an attempt to place the concept of insight in relation to disturbances of the self in schizophrenia and to primary symptoms in schizophrenia, amongst these autism.

  14. Association between prefrontal N-acetylaspartate and insight in psychotic disorders.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Larabi, Daouia I; Liemburg, Edith J; Pijnenborg, Gerdina H M; Sibeijn-Kuiper, Anita; de Vos, Annerieke E; Bais, Leonie; Knegtering, Henderikus; Ćurčić-Blake, Branislava; Aleman, André

    2017-01-01

    Insight is impaired in most patients with psychosis and has been associated with poorer prognosis. The exact neural basis of impaired insight is still unknown, but it may involve disrupted prefrontal neural connectivity. Numerous studies have indeed found white matter (WM) abnormalities in psychosis. The association between prefrontal WM abnormalities and insight has not been studied yet by means of proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ( 1 H-MRS). 1 H-MRS can be used to measure N-acetylaspartate (NAA), which is considered to be a marker of neuronal integrity. We measured insight with the Birchwood Insight Scale (BIS) as well as item G12 of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) in 88 patients with psychosis. Prefrontal WM concentrations of NAA and ratios of NAA to creatine (Cr) were assessed with 1 H-MRS. Nonparametric partial correlational analyses were conducted between NAA concentrations and insight controlling for illness duration, standardized antipsychotic dose, symptom scores, voxel grey matter content and voxel cerebrospinal fluid content. We found a significant correlation between reduced NAA/Cr ratios and poorer insight as measured with the BIS, which remained significant after additional correction for full width at half maximum, signal/noise and age. This is the first study reporting a relationship between lower prefrontal concentrations of a marker of neuronal integrity and impaired insight, providing further evidence that prefrontal pathology may play an important role in impaired insight in psychosis. This may be explained by the involvement of the prefrontal cortex in several executive and metacognitive functions, such as cognitive flexibility and perspective taking. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Discovery of cyclotides in the fabaceae plant family provides new insights into the cyclization, evolution, and distribution of circular proteins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Poth, Aaron G; Colgrave, Michelle L; Philip, Reynold; Kerenga, Bomai; Daly, Norelle L; Anderson, Marilyn A; Craik, David J

    2011-04-15

    Cyclotides are plant proteins whose defining structural features are a head-to-tail cyclized backbone and three interlocking disulfide bonds, which in combination are known as a cyclic cystine knot. This unique structural motif confers cyclotides with exceptional resistance to proteolysis. Their endogenous function is thought to be as plant defense agents, associated with their insecticidal and larval growth-inhibitory properties. However, in addition, an array of pharmaceutically relevant biological activities has been ascribed to cyclotides, including anti-HIV, anthelmintic, uterotonic, and antimicrobial effects. So far, >150 cyclotides have been elucidated from members of the Rubiaceae, Violaceae, and Cucurbitaceae plant families, but their wider distribution among other plant families remains unclear. Clitoria ternatea (Butterfly pea) is a member of plant family Fabaceae and through its usage in traditional medicine to aid childbirth bears similarity to Oldenlandia affinis, from which many cyclotides have been isolated. Using a combination of nanospray and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) analyses, we examined seed extracts of C. ternatea and discovered cyclotides in the Fabaceae, the third-largest family of flowering plants. We characterized 12 novel cyclotides, thus expanding knowledge of cyclotide distribution and evolution within the plant kingdom. The discovery of cyclotides containing novel sequence motifs near the in planta cyclization site has provided new insights into cyclotide biosynthesis. In particular, MS analyses of the novel cyclotides from C. ternatea suggest that Asn to Asp variants at the cyclization site are more common than previously recognized. Moreover, this study provides impetus for the examination of other economically and agriculturally significant species within Fabaceae, now the largest plant family from which cyclotides have been described.

  16. Photo-induced surface functionalization of carbon surfaces: The role of photoelectron ejection

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Colavita, Paula E.; Sun Bin; Tse, K.-Y.; Hamers, Robert J.

    2008-01-01

    Carbon-based materials are attractive for a wide range of applications, from biomaterials to fuel cells; however, their effective use often requires controlling the surface chemistry to incorporate recognition moieties or reactive centers. The high stability of carbon also makes it a challenging material to functionalize; recently, the use of ultraviolet light (254 nm) to initiate functionalization of carbon surfaces has emerged as a way to obtain carbon/organic interfaces with tailored properties. The authors have investigated the mechanism of covalent grafting of amorphous carbon surfaces with functional organic molecules using the photochemical reaction of terminal alkenes. Measurements comparing the reactivity of different n-alkenes bearing different terminal groups at the terminus opposite the olefin showed pronounced differences in reactivity. They characterized the rate and final coverage of the resulting organic layers using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and infrared reflection-absorption spectroscopy. Ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy and photocurrent measurements suggested that the reaction involves photoelectron emission from the carbon surface into the liquid phase. Density functional calculations show a strong correlation between the electron affinity of the alkenes and the observed reactivity. The specific terminal group opposite to the olefin was found to play an important role in the stabilization of excess negative charges on the molecule, thus explaining the strong dependence of reactivity on the particular terminal group. These findings suggest that the reaction involves injection of photoelectrons into the alkene acceptor levels, leading to the formation of radical anions in the liquid phase. Finally, the authors demonstrate that the grafting of marginally reactive alkenes can be enhanced by seeding the surface with a small amount of good electron accepting groups. These results provide fundamental new insights into the role of

  17. Insights into the Surface Transformation and Electrochemical Dissolution Process of Bornite in Bioleaching

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hongbo Zhao

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available In this work, density functional theory (DFT calculations, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS and electrochemistry analysis were combined to analyze the electrochemical dissolution process of bornite during bioleaching. DFT calculations showed that bornite was a conductor with metallic conductivity. The formula of bornite may be (Cu+5Fe3+(S2−4 and the surface reconstruction of (111-S surface was discussed. Electrochemistry and XPS analysis showed that bornite tended to be directly oxidized with high conductivity when the potential was higher than 0.3 V vs. Ag/AgCl. Elemental sulfur (S0, FeOOH and CuS were the main intermediate species on the bornite surface during the oxidation process. The production of S0 and FeOOH on bornite surface can be significantly accelerated with increased redox potential, but no insoluble sulfate (SO42− formed on bornite surface in 0.3–0.65 V vs. Ag/AgCl. The oxidative dissolution of bornite was significantly accelerated with increasing redox potential, which was one important reason why mixed culture was more effective than single strains of A. caldus and L. ferriphilum in bornite bioleaching. The insoluble SO42− was formed mainly through the chemical reactions in solution and then covered the bornite surface in bioleaching. Based on the obtained results, a model for interpreting the dissolution process of bornite in bioleaching was proposed.

  18. Whole genome sequencing of a banana wild relative Musa itinerans provides insights into lineage-specific diversification of the Musa genus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Wei; Yang, Yu-Lan; He, Wei-Ming; Rouard, Mathieu; Li, Wei-Ming; Xu, Meng; Roux, Nicolas; Ge, Xue-Jun

    2016-08-17

    Crop wild relatives are valuable resources for future genetic improvement. Here, we report the de novo genome assembly of Musa itinerans, a disease-resistant wild banana relative in subtropical China. The assembled genome size was 462.1 Mb, covering 75.2% of the genome (615.2Mb) and containing 32, 456 predicted protein-coding genes. Since the approximate divergence around 5.8 million years ago, the genomes of Musa itinerans and Musa acuminata have shown conserved collinearity. Gene family expansions and contractions enrichment analysis revealed that some pathways were associated with phenotypic or physiological innovations. These include a transition from wood to herbaceous in the ancestral Musaceae, intensification of cold and drought tolerances, and reduced diseases resistance genes for subtropical marginally distributed Musa species. Prevalent purifying selection and transposed duplications were found to facilitate the diversification of NBS-encoding gene families for two Musa species. The population genome history analysis of M. itinerans revealed that the fluctuated population sizes were caused by the Pleistocene climate oscillations, and that the formation of Qiongzhou Strait might facilitate the population downsizing on the isolated Hainan Island about 10.3 Kya. The qualified assembly of the M. itinerans genome provides deep insights into the lineage-specific diversification and also valuable resources for future banana breeding.

  19. Transcriptomic analyses on muscle tissues of Litopenaeus vannamei provide the first profile insight into the response to low temperature stress.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wen Huang

    Full Text Available The Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei is an important cultured crustacean species worldwide. However, little is known about the molecular mechanism of this species involved in the response to cold stress. In this study, four separate RNA-Seq libraries of L. vannamei were generated from 13°C stress and control temperature. Total 29,662 of Unigenes and overall of 19,619 annotated genes were obtained. Three comparisons were carried out among the four libraries, in which 72 of the top 20% of differentially-expressed genes were obtained, 15 GO and 5 KEGG temperature-sensitive pathways were fished out. Catalytic activity (GO: 0003824 and Metabolic pathways (ko01100 were the most annotated GO and KEGG pathways in response to cold stress, respectively. In addition, Calcium, MAPK cascade, Transcription factor and Serine/threonine-protein kinase signal pathway were picked out and clustered. Serine/threonine-protein kinase signal pathway might play more important roles in cold adaptation, while other three signal pathway were not widely transcribed. Our results had summarized the differentially-expressed genes and suggested the major important signaling pathways and related genes. These findings provide the first profile insight into the molecular basis of L. vannamei response to cold stress.

  20. Single ion induced surface nanostructures: a comparison between slow highly charged and swift heavy ions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aumayr, Friedrich; Facsko, Stefan; El-Said, Ayman S; Trautmann, Christina; Schleberger, Marika

    2011-10-05

    This topical review focuses on recent advances in the understanding of the formation of surface nanostructures, an intriguing phenomenon in ion-surface interaction due to the impact of individual ions. In many solid targets, swift heavy ions produce narrow cylindrical tracks accompanied by the formation of a surface nanostructure. More recently, a similar nanometric surface effect has been revealed for the impact of individual, very slow but highly charged ions. While swift ions transfer their large kinetic energy to the target via ionization and electronic excitation processes (electronic stopping), slow highly charged ions produce surface structures due to potential energy deposited at the top surface layers. Despite the differences in primary excitation, the similarity between the nanostructures is striking and strongly points to a common mechanism related to the energy transfer from the electronic to the lattice system of the target. A comparison of surface structures induced by swift heavy ions and slow highly charged ions provides a valuable insight to better understand the formation mechanisms. © 2011 IOP Publishing Ltd

  1. A Genomic Survey of SCPP Family Genes in Fishes Provides Novel Insights into the Evolution of Fish Scales.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lv, Yunyun; Kawasaki, Kazuhiko; Li, Jia; Li, Yanping; Bian, Chao; Huang, Yu; You, Xinxin; Shi, Qiong

    2017-11-16

    The family of secretory calcium-binding phosphoproteins (SCPPs) have been considered vital to skeletal tissue mineralization. However, most previous SCPP studies focused on phylogenetically distant animals but not on those closely related species. Here we provide novel insights into the coevolution of SCPP genes and fish scales in 10 species from Otophysi . According to their scale phenotypes, these fishes can be divided into three groups, i.e., scaled, sparsely scaled, and scaleless. We identified homologous SCPP genes in the genomes of these species and revealed an absence of some SCPP members in some genomes, suggesting an uneven evolutionary history of SCPP genes in fishes. In addition, most of these SCPP genes, with the exception of SPP1 , individually form one or two gene cluster(s) on each corresponding genome. Furthermore, we constructed phylogenetic trees using maximum likelihood method to estimate their evolution. The phylogenetic topology mostly supports two subclasses in some species, such as Cyprinus carpio , Sinocyclocheilus anshuiensis , S. grahamin , and S. rhinocerous , but not in the other examined fishes. By comparing the gene structures of recently reported candidate genes, SCPP1 and SCPP5 , for determining scale phenotypes, we found that the hypothesis is suitable for Astyanax mexicanus , but denied by S. anshuiensis , even though they are both sparsely scaled for cave adaptation. Thus, we conclude that, although different fish species display similar scale phenotypes, the underlying genetic changes however might be diverse. In summary, this paper accelerates the recognition of the SCPP family in teleosts for potential scale evolution.

  2. Comparative proteomic study on Brassica hexaploid and its parents provides new insights into the effects of polyploidization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shen, Yanyue; Zhang, Yu; Zou, Jun; Meng, Jinling; Wang, Jianbo

    2015-01-01

    Polyploidy has played an important role in promoting plant evolution through genomic merging and doubling. Although genomic and transcriptomic changes have been observed in polyploids, the effects of polyploidization on proteomic divergence are poorly understood. In this study, we reported quantitative analysis of proteomic changes in leaves of Brassica hexaploid and its parents using isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ) coupled with mass spectrometry. A total of 2044 reproducible proteins were quantified by at least two unique peptides. We detected 452 proteins differentially expressed between Brassica hexaploid and its parents, and 100 proteins were non-additively expressed in Brassica hexaploid, which suggested a trend of non-additive protein regulation following genomic merger and doubling. Functional categories of cellular component biogenesis, immune system process, and response to stimulus, were significantly enriched in non-additive proteins, probably providing a driving force for variation and adaptation in allopolyploids. In particular, majority of the total 452 differentially expressed proteins showed expression level dominance of one parental expression, and there was an expression level dominance bias toward the tetraploid progenitor. In addition, the percentage of differentially expressed proteins that matched previously reported differentially genes were relatively low. This study aimed to get new insights into the effects of polyploidization on proteomic divergence. Using iTRAQ LC-MS/MS technology, we identified 452 differentially expressed proteins between allopolyploid and its parents which involved in response to stimulus, multi-organism process, and immune system process, much more than previous studies using 2-DE coupled with mass spectrometry technology. Therefore, our manuscript represents the most comprehensive analysis of protein profiles in allopolyploid and its parents, which will lead to a better understanding of

  3. Reaction pathways of model compounds of biomass-derived oxygenates on Fe/Ni bimetallic surfaces

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Weiting; Chen, Jingguang G.

    2015-10-01

    Controlling the activity and selectivity of converting biomass-derivatives to fuels and valuable chemicals is critical for the utilization of biomass feedstocks. There are primarily three classes of non-food competing biomass, cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. In the current work, glycolaldehyde, furfural and acetaldehyde are studied as model compounds of the three classes of biomass-derivatives. Monometallic Ni(111) and monolayer (ML) Fe/Ni(111) bimetallic surfaces are studied for the reaction pathways of the three biomass surrogates. The ML Fe/Ni(111) surface is identified as an efficient surface for the conversion of biomass-derivatives from the combined results of density functional theory (DFT) calculations and temperature programmed desorption (TPD) experiments. A correlation is also established between the optimized adsorption geometry and experimental reaction pathways. These results should provide helpful insights in catalyst design for the upgrading and conversion of biomass.

  4. Physical properties of the martian surface from the Viking 1 lander: preliminary results

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shorthill, R.W.; Hutton, R.E.; Moore, H.J. II; Scott, R.E.; Spitzer, C.R.

    1976-01-01

    The purpose of the physical properties experiment is to determine the characteristics of the martian ''soil'' based on the use of the Viking lander imaging system, the surface sampler, and engineering sensors. Viking 1 lander made physical contact with the surface of Mars at 11:53:07.1 hours on 20 July 1976 G.M.T. Twenty-five seconds later a high-resolution image sequence of the area around a footpad was started which contained the first information about surface conditions on Mars. The next image is a survey of the martian landscape in front of the lander, including a view of the top support of two of the landing legs. Each leg has a stroke gauge which extends from the top of the leg support an amount equal to the crushing experienced by the shock absorbers during touchdown. Subsequent images provided views of all three stroke gauges which, together with the knowledge of the impact velocity, allow determination of ''soil'' properties. In the images there is evidence of surface erosion from the engines. Several laboratory tests were carried out prior to the mission with a descent engine to determine what surface alterations might occur during a Mars landing. On sol 2 the shroud, which protected the surface sampler collector head from biological contamination, was ejected onto the surface. Later a cylindrical pin which dropped from the boom housing of the surface sampler during the modified unlatching sequence produced a crater (the second Mars penetrometer experiment). These two experiments provided further insight into the physical properties of the martian surface

  5. Illness Insight and Recovery: How Important is Illness Insight in Peoples’ Recovery Process?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Korsbek, Lisa

    2013-01-01

    . Sources Used:The writing is based on research literature related to illness insight and on personal recovery experiences.Conclusions and Implications for Practice: It is helpful to consider the integration of the issue of illness insight when addressing the questions and consequences of diagnosis......Topic: This account reflects on the topic of illness insight and recovery. Purpose: The purpose of the account is to clarify our understanding about the importance of illness insight in peoples’ recovery process, especially when relating the question of illness insight to the question of identity......, and to assist individuals to work through the false analogy between illness and identity while supporting the transformation from patient to person. It is also necessary for clinicians to develop a clear understanding of peoples’ actual needs and gain more knowledge about peoples’ own views and experiences...

  6. Cognitive insight: A systematic review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Van Camp, L S C; Sabbe, B G C; Oldenburg, J F E

    2017-07-01

    Cognitive insight is the ability to re-evaluate thoughts and beliefs in order to make thoughtful conclusions. It differs from clinical insight, as it focuses on more general metacognitive processes. Therefore, it could be relevant to diverse disorders and non-clinical subjects. There is a growing body of research on cognitive insight in individuals with and without psychosis. This review has summarised the current state of the art regarding this topic. We conclude that while cognitive insight in its current form seems valid for use in individuals with psychosis, it is less so for individuals without psychosis. Additionally, higher cognitive insight not always leads to better psychological functioning. For instance, higher levels of self-reflection are often associated with depressive mood. We therefore recommend the sub-components of cognitive insight to be studied separately. Also, it is unclear what position cognitive insight takes within the spectrum of metacognitive processes and how it relates to other self-related concepts that have been defined previously in literature. Combining future and past research on cognitive insight and its analogue concepts will help in the formation of a uniform definition that fits all subjects discussed here. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  7. Genomic Insights into Growth and Its Disorders: An Update

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Bruin, Christiaan; Dauber, Andrew

    2016-01-01

    Purpose of review To provide an update of the most striking new developments in the field of growth genetics over the past 12 months Recent findings A number of large genome-wide association studies have identified new genetic loci and pathways associated to human growth and adult height as well as related traits and comorbidities. New genetic etiologies of primordial dwarfism and several short stature syndromes have been elucidated. Moreover, a breakthrough finding of Xq26 microduplications as a cause of pituitary gigantism was made. Several new developments in imprinted growth-related genes (including the first human mutation in IGF-II) and novel insights into the epigenetic regulation of growth have been reported. Summary Genomic investigations continue to provide new insights into the genetic basis of human growth as well as its disorders. PMID:26702851

  8. Electrochemical Insights into Platinum Catalysts for Fuel Cells

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Kim Degn

    . A preliminary electrochemical study of in-house synthesized Pt-Y nanoparticles have also been presented revealing specific mass actives of 0.3 ± 0.1A/mgPt in HClO4. The study revealed that extensive optimizations of the Pt-Y nanoparticles are required and their performance is severely impeded by poor......Development of sustainable energy production, conversion and storage technologies must be considered one of the major challenges of the 21st century. Insight and understanding of the oxygen reduction reaction is imperative in these pursuits. In this work electrochemical investigations and physical...... characterization of various model systems ranging from extended surfaces, to thin films and nanoparticle electrocatalysts have been presented and discussed. This have been done with a special focus on governing factors controlling the electroreduction of oxygen. Preparation of Cu/Pt(111) near-surface alloys...

  9. Water surface elevation from the upcoming SWOT mission under different flows conditions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Domeneghetti, Alessio; Schumann, Guy J. P.; Wei, Rui; Frasson, Renato P. M.; Durand, Michael; Pavelsky, Tamlin; Castellarin, Attilio; Brath, Armando

    2017-04-01

    The upcoming SWOT (Surface Water and Ocean Topography) satellite mission will provide unprecedented bi-dimensional observations of terrestrial water surface heights along rivers wider than 100m. Despite the literature reports several activities showing possible uses of SWOT products, potential and limitations of satellite observations still remain poorly understood and investigated. We present one of the first analyses regarding the spatial observation of water surface elevation expected from SWOT for a 140 km reach of the middle-lower portion of the Po River, in Northern Italy. The river stretch is characterized by a main channel varying from 100-500 m in width and a floodplain delimited by a system of major embankments that can be as wide as 5 km. The reconstruction of the hydraulic behavior of the Po River is performed by means of a quasi-2D model built with detailed topographic and bathymetric information (LiDAR, 2m resolution), while the simulation of remotely sensed hydrometric data is performed with a SWOT simulator that mimics the satellite sensor characteristics. Referring to water surface elevations associated with different flow conditions (maximum, minimum and average flow) this work characterizes the spatial observations provided by SWOT and highlights the strengths and limitations of the expected products. The analysis provides a robust reference for spatial water observations that will be available from SWOT and assesses possible effects of river embankments, river width and river topography under different hydraulic conditions. Results of the study characterize the expected accuracy of the upcoming SWOT mission and provide additional insights towards the appropriate exploitation of future hydrological observations.

  10. Physics of Surfaces and Interfaces

    CERN Document Server

    Ibach, Harald

    2006-01-01

    This graduate-level textbook covers the major developments in surface sciences of recent decades, from experimental tricks and basic techniques to the latest experimental methods and theoretical understanding. It is unique in its attempt to treat the physics of surfaces, thin films and interfaces, surface chemistry, thermodynamics, statistical physics and the physics of the solid/electrolyte interface in an integral manner, rather than in separate compartments. The Physics of Surfaces and Interfaces is designed as a handbook for the researcher as well as a study-text for graduate students in physics or chemistry with special interest in the surface sciences, material science, or the nanosciences. The experienced researcher, professional or academic teacher will appreciate the opportunity to share many insights and ideas that have grown out of the author's long experience. Readers will likewise appreciate the wide range of topics treated, each supported by extensive references. Graduate students will benefit f...

  11. Quantifying the role of National Forest system lands in providing surface drinking water supply for the Southern United States

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peter Caldwell; Corinne Muldoon; Chelcy Ford-Miniat; Erika Cohen; Suzanne Krieger; Ge Sun; Steven McNulty; Paul V. Bolstad

    2014-01-01

    Forests and water are inextricably linked, and people are dependent on forested lands to provide clean, reliable water supplies for drinking and to support local economies. These water supplies are at risk of degradation from a growing population, continued conversion of forests to other land uses, and climate change. Given the variety of threats to surface water, it...

  12. Dreaming and insight

    Science.gov (United States)

    Edwards, Christopher L.; Ruby, Perrine M.; Malinowski, Josie E.; Bennett, Paul D.; Blagrove, Mark T.

    2013-01-01

    This paper addresses claims that dreams can be a source of personal insight. Whereas there has been anecdotal backing for such claims, there is now tangential support from findings of the facilitative effect of sleep on cognitive insight, and of REM sleep in particular on emotional memory consolidation. Furthermore, the presence in dreams of metaphorical representations of waking life indicates the possibility of novel insight as an emergent feature of such metaphorical mappings. In order to assess whether personal insight can occur as a result of the consideration of dream content, 11 dream group discussion sessions were conducted which followed the Ullman Dream Appreciation technique, one session for each of 11 participants (10 females, 1 male; mean age = 19.2 years). Self-ratings of deepened self-perception and personal gains from participation in the group sessions showed that the Ullman technique is an effective procedure for establishing connections between dream content and recent waking life experiences, although wake life sources were found for only 14% of dream report text. The mean Exploration-Insight score on the Gains from Dream Interpretation questionnaire was very high and comparable to outcomes from the well-established Hill (1996) therapist-led dream interpretation method. This score was associated between-subjects with pre-group positive Attitude Toward Dreams (ATD). The need to distinguish “aha” experiences as a result of discovering a waking life source for part of a dream, from “aha” experiences of personal insight as a result of considering dream content, is discussed. Difficulties are described in designing a control condition to which the dream report condition can be compared. PMID:24550849

  13. Insight and analysis problem solving in microbes to machines.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clark, Kevin B

    2015-11-01

    A key feature for obtaining solutions to difficult problems, insight is oftentimes vaguely regarded as a special discontinuous intellectual process and/or a cognitive restructuring of problem representation or goal approach. However, this nearly century-old state of art devised by the Gestalt tradition to explain the non-analytical or non-trial-and-error, goal-seeking aptitude of primate mentality tends to neglect problem-solving capabilities of lower animal phyla, Kingdoms other than Animalia, and advancing smart computational technologies built from biological, artificial, and composite media. Attempting to provide an inclusive, precise definition of insight, two major criteria of insight, discontinuous processing and problem restructuring, are here reframed using terminology and statistical mechanical properties of computational complexity classes. Discontinuous processing becomes abrupt state transitions in algorithmic/heuristic outcomes or in types of algorithms/heuristics executed by agents using classical and/or quantum computational models. And problem restructuring becomes combinatorial reorganization of resources, problem-type substitution, and/or exchange of computational models. With insight bounded by computational complexity, humans, ciliated protozoa, and complex technological networks, for example, show insight when restructuring time requirements, combinatorial complexity, and problem type to solve polynomial and nondeterministic polynomial decision problems. Similar effects are expected from other problem types, supporting the idea that insight might be an epiphenomenon of analytical problem solving and consequently a larger information processing framework. Thus, this computational complexity definition of insight improves the power, external and internal validity, and reliability of operational parameters with which to classify, investigate, and produce the phenomenon for computational agents ranging from microbes to man-made devices. Copyright

  14. Modular assembly of low-dimensional coordination architectures on metal surfaces

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stepanow, Sebastian; Lin, Nian; Barth, Johannes V

    2008-01-01

    The engineering of highly organized molecular architectures has attracted strong interest because of its potential for novel materials and functional nanoscopic devices. An important factor in the development, integration, and exploitation of such systems is the capability to prepare them on surfaces or in nanostructured environments. Recent advances in supramolecular design on metal substrates provide atomistic insight into the underlying self-assembly processes, mainly by scanning tunneling microscopy observations. This review summarizes progress in noncovalent synthesis strategies under ultra-high vacuum conditions employing metal ions as coordination centers directing the molecular organization. The realized metallosupramolecular compounds and arrays combine the properties of their constituent metal ions and organic ligands, and present several attractive features: their redox, magnetic and spin-state transitions. The presented exemplary molecular level studies elucidate the arrangement of organic adsorbates on metal surfaces, demonstrating the interplay between intermolecular and molecule-substrate interactions that needs to be controlled for the fabrication of low-dimensional structures. The understanding of metallosupramolecular organization and metal-ligand interactions on solid surfaces is important for the control of structure and concomitant function

  15. Reflections on the theoretical contributions and clinical applications of parental insightfulness.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lieberman, Alicia F

    2018-06-01

    This paper outlines the theoretical antecedents that contextualize parental insightfulness and examines this concept's value in assessing parental functioning and in monitoring treatment progress with parents and young children who experience mental health and relationship problems. As a concept, parental insightfulness provides a much-needed bridge linking important aspects of attachment theory with their psychoanalytic origins, including early contributions that conceptualize parenting as a developmental process that furthers the unfolding capacities of the adult self. The paper examines the compatibility between the dimensions of parental insightfulness and the criteria for a healthy adult sense of self. The empirical body of knowledge generated by the concept of parental insightfulness is briefly reviewed as the basis for using the concept as a valuable tool for the empirical exploration of intrapsychic, interpersonal, and clinical processes in parents and their children.

  16. Enhanced photoelectrochemical water splitting performance of anodic TiO(2) nanotube arrays by surface passivation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gui, Qunfang; Xu, Zhen; Zhang, Haifeng; Cheng, Chuanwei; Zhu, Xufei; Yin, Min; Song, Ye; Lu, Linfeng; Chen, Xiaoyuan; Li, Dongdong

    2014-10-08

    One-dimensional anodic titanium oxide nanotube (TONT) arrays provide a direct pathway for charge transport, and thus hold great potential as working electrodes for electrochemical energy conversion and storage devices. However, the prominent surface recombination due to the large amount surface defects hinders the performance improvement. In this work, the surface states of TONTs were passivated by conformal coating of high-quality Al2O3 onto the tubular structures using atomic layer deposition (ALD). The modified TONT films were subsequently employed as anodes for photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting. The photocurrent (0.5 V vs Ag/AgCl) recorded under air mass 1.5 global illumination presented 0.8 times enhancement on the electrode with passivation coating. The reduction of surface recombination rate is responsible for the substantially improved performance, which is proposed to have originated from a decreased interface defect density in combination with a field-effect passivation induced by a negative fixed charge in the Al2O3 shells. These results not only provide a physical insight into the passivation effect, but also can be utilized as a guideline to design other energy conversion devices.

  17. Long, paired A'A/Pahoehoe flows of Mauna Loa: Volcanological significance and insights they provide into volcano plumbing systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rowland, Scott K.; Walker, George P. L.

    1987-01-01

    The long lava flows of Mauna Loa, Hawaii have been cited as Earth's closed analogs to the large Martian flows. It is therefore important to understand the flow mechanics and characteristics of the Mauna Loa flows and to make use of these in an attempt to gain insights into Martian eruptive processes. Two fundamentally different kinds of long lava flows can be distinguished on Hawaiian volcanoes as in Martian flows. The two kinds may have identical initial viscosities, chemical compositions, flow lengths, and flow volumes, but their flow mechanisms and thermal energy budgets are radically different. One travels a distance set by the discharge rate as envisaged by Walker and Wadge, and the other travels a distance set mainly by the eruption duration and ground slope. In the Mauna Loa lavas, yield strength becomes an important flow morphology control only in the distal part of a'a lavas. The occurrence of paired flows on Mauna Loa yields insights into the internal plumbing systems of the volcano, and it is significant that all of the volume of the a'a flow must be stored in a magma chamber before eruption, while none of the volume of the pahoehoe needs to be so stored. Differentiation between the two kinds of flows on images of Martian volcanoes is possible and hence an improved understanding of these huge structures is acquired.

  18. Long, paired A'A/Pahoehoe flows of Mauna Loa: Volcanological significance and insights they provide into volcano plumbing systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rowland, S.K.; Walker, G.P.L.

    1987-01-01

    The long lava flows of Mauna Loa, Hawaii have been cited as Earth's closed analogs to the large Martian flows. It is therefore important to understand the flow mechanics and characteristics of the Mauna Loa flows and to make use of these in an attempt to gain insights into Martian eruptive processes. Two fundamentally different kinds of long lava flows can be distinguished on Hawaiian volcanoes as in Martian flows. The two kinds may have identical initial viscosities, chemical compositions, flow lengths, and flow volumes, but their flow mechanisms and thermal energy budgets are radically different. One travels a distance set by the discharge rate as envisaged by Walker and Wadge, and the other travels a distance set mainly by the eruption duration and ground slope. In the Mauna Loa lavas, yield strength becomes an important flow morphology control only in the distal part of a'a lavas. The occurrence of paired flows on Mauna Loa yields insights into the internal plumbing systems of the volcano, and it is significant that all of the volume of the a'a flow must be stored in a magma chamber before eruption, while none of the volume of the pahoehoe needs to be so stored. Differentiation between the two kinds of flows on images of Martian volcanoes is possible and hence an improved understanding of these huge structures is acquired

  19. INSIGHT: RFID and Bluetooth enabled automated space for the blind and visually impaired.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ganz, Aura; Gandhi, Siddhesh Rajan; Wilson, Carole; Mullett, Gary

    2010-01-01

    In this paper we introduce INSIGHT, an indoor location tracking and navigation system to help the blind and visually impaired to easily navigate to their chosen destination in a public building. INSIGHT makes use of RFID and Bluetooth technology deployed within the building to locate and track the users. The PDA based user device interacts with INSIGHT server and provides the user navigation instructions in an audio form. The proposed system provides multi-resolution localization of the users, facilitating the provision of accurate navigation instructions when the user is in the vicinity of the RFID tags as well as accommodating a PANIC button which provides navigation instructions when the user is anywhere in the building. Moreover, the system will continuously monitor the zone in which the user walks. This will enable the system to identify if the user is located in the wrong zone of the building which may not lead to the desired destination.

  20. Enhanced Electron-Phonon Coupling at Metal Surfaces

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Plummer, Ward E.

    2010-08-04

    The Born-Oppenheimer approximation (BOA) decouples electronic from nuclear motion, providing a focal point for most quantum mechanics textbooks. However, a multitude of important chemical, physical and biological phenomena are driven by violations of this approximation. Vibronic interactions are a necessary ingredient in any process that makes or breaks a covalent bond, for example, conventional catalysis or enzymatically delivered biological reactions. Metastable phenomena associated with defects and dopants in semiconductors, oxides, and glasses entail violation of the BOA. Charge exchange in inorganic polymers, organic slats and biological systems involves charge- induced distortions of the local structure. A classic example is conventional superconductivity, which is driven by the electron-lattice interaction. High-resolution angle-resolved photoemission experiments are yielding new insight into the microscopic origin of electron-phonon coupling (EPC) in anisotropic two-dimensional systems. Our recent surface phonon measurement on the surface of a high-Tc material clearly indicates an important momentum dependent EPC in these materials. In the last few years we have shifted our research focus from solely looking at electron phonon coupling to examining the structure/functionality relationship at the surface of complex transition metal compounds. The investigation on electron phonon coupling has allowed us to move to systems where there is coupling between the lattice, the electrons and the spin.

  1. Influence of impaired lipoprotein biogenesis on surface and exoproteome of Streptococcus pneumoniae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pribyl, Thomas; Moche, Martin; Dreisbach, Annette; Bijlsma, Jetta J E; Saleh, Malek; Abdullah, Mohammed R; Hecker, Michael; van Dijl, Jan Maarten; Becher, Dörte; Hammerschmidt, Sven

    2014-02-07

    Surface proteins are important for the fitness and virulence of the Gram-positive pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae. They are crucial for interaction of the pathogen with its human host during infection. Therefore, the analysis of the pneumococcal surface proteome is an important task that requires powerful tools. In this study, two different methods, an optimized biotinylation approach and shaving with trypsin beads, were applied to study the pneumococcal surface proteome and to identify surface-exposed protein domains, respectively. The identification of nearly 95% of the predicted lipoproteins and 75% of the predicted sortase substrates reflects the high coverage of the two classical surface protein classes accomplished in this study. Furthermore, the biotinylation approach was applied to study the impact of an impaired lipoprotein maturation pathway on the cell envelope proteome and exoproteome. Loss of the lipoprotein diacylglyceryl transferase Lgt leads to striking changes in the lipoprotein distribution. Many lipoproteins disappear from the surface proteome and accumulate in the exoproteome. Further insights into lipoprotein processing in pneumococci are provided by immunoblot analyses of bacterial lysates and corresponding supernatant fractions. Taken together, the first comprehensive overview of the pneumococcal surface and exoproteome is presented, and a model for lipoprotein processing in S. pneumoniae is proposed.

  2. Phylogenetic analyses provide insights into the historical biogeography and evolution of Brachyrhaphis fishes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ingley, Spencer J; Reina, Ruth G; Bermingham, Eldredge; Johnson, Jerald B

    2015-08-01

    The livebearing fish genus Brachyrhaphis (Poeciliidae) has become an increasingly important model in evolution and ecology research, yet the phylogeny of this group is not well understood, nor has it been examined thoroughly using modern phylogenetic methods. Here, we present the first comprehensive phylogenetic analysis of Brachyrhaphis by using four molecular markers (3mtDNA, 1nucDNA) to infer relationships among species in this genus. We tested the validity of this genus as a monophyletic group using extensive outgroup sampling based on recent phylogenetic hypotheses of Poeciliidae. We also tested the validity of recently described species of Brachyrhaphis that are part of the B. episcopi complex in Panama. Finally, we examined the impact of historical events on diversification of Brachyrhaphis, and made predictions regarding the role of different ecological environments on evolutionary diversification where known historical events apparently fail to explain speciation. Based on our results, we reject the monophyly of Brachyrhaphis, and question the validity of two recently described species (B. hessfeldi and B. roswithae). Historical biogeography of Brachyrhaphis generally agrees with patterns found in other freshwater taxa in Lower Central America, which show that geological barriers frequently predict speciation. Specifically, we find evidence in support of an 'island' model of Lower Central American formation, which posits that the nascent isthmus was partitioned by several marine connections before linking North and South America. In some cases where historic events (e.g., vicariance) fail to explain allopatric species breaks in Brachyrhaphis, ecological processes (e.g., divergent predation environments) offer additional insight into our understanding of phylogenetic diversification in this group. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. De novo Sequencing and Analysis of Lemongrass Transcriptome Provides First Insights into the Essential Oil Biosynthesis of Aromatic Grasses

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Seema Meena

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Aromatic grasses of the genus Cymbopogon (Poaceae family represent unique group of plants that produce diverse composition of monoterpene rich essential oils, which have great value in flavour, fragrance, cosmetic and aromatherapy industries. Despite the commercial importance of these natural aromatic oils, their biosynthesis at the molecular level remains unexplored. As the first step towards understanding the essential oil biosynthesis, we performed de novo transcriptome assembly and analysis of C. flexuosus (lemongrass by employing Illumina sequencing. Mining of transcriptome data and subsequent phylogenetic analysis led to identification of terpene synthases (TPS, pyrophosphatases (PPase, alcohol dehydrogenases (ADH, aldo-keto reductases (AKR, carotenoid cleavage dioxygenases (CCD, alcohol acetyltransferases (AAT and aldehyde dehydrogenases (ALDH, which are potentially involved in essential oil biosynthesis. Comparative essential oil profiling and mRNA expression analysis in three Cymbopogon species (C. flexuosus, aldehyde type; C. martinii, alcohol type; and C. winterianus, intermediate type with varying essential oil composition indicated the involvement of identified candidate genes in the formation of alcohols, aldehydes and acetates. Molecular modeling and docking further supported the role of identified enzymes in aroma formation in Cymbopogon. Also, simple sequence repeats (SSRs were found in the transcriptome with many linked to terpene pathway genes including the genes potentially involved in aroma biosynthesis. This work provides the first insights into the essential oil biosynthesis of aromatic grasses, and the identified candidate genes and markers can be a great resource for biotechnological and molecular breeding approaches to modulate the essential oil composition.

  4. De Novo Sequencing and Analysis of Lemongrass Transcriptome Provide First Insights into the Essential Oil Biosynthesis of Aromatic Grasses

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meena, Seema; Kumar, Sarma R.; Venkata Rao, D. K.; Dwivedi, Varun; Shilpashree, H. B.; Rastogi, Shubhra; Shasany, Ajit K.; Nagegowda, Dinesh A.

    2016-01-01

    Aromatic grasses of the genus Cymbopogon (Poaceae family) represent unique group of plants that produce diverse composition of monoterpene rich essential oils, which have great value in flavor, fragrance, cosmetic, and aromatherapy industries. Despite the commercial importance of these natural aromatic oils, their biosynthesis at the molecular level remains unexplored. As the first step toward understanding the essential oil biosynthesis, we performed de novo transcriptome assembly and analysis of C. flexuosus (lemongrass) by employing Illumina sequencing. Mining of transcriptome data and subsequent phylogenetic analysis led to identification of terpene synthases, pyrophosphatases, alcohol dehydrogenases, aldo-keto reductases, carotenoid cleavage dioxygenases, alcohol acetyltransferases, and aldehyde dehydrogenases, which are potentially involved in essential oil biosynthesis. Comparative essential oil profiling and mRNA expression analysis in three Cymbopogon species (C. flexuosus, aldehyde type; C. martinii, alcohol type; and C. winterianus, intermediate type) with varying essential oil composition indicated the involvement of identified candidate genes in the formation of alcohols, aldehydes, and acetates. Molecular modeling and docking further supported the role of identified protein sequences in aroma formation in Cymbopogon. Also, simple sequence repeats were found in the transcriptome with many linked to terpene pathway genes including the genes potentially involved in aroma biosynthesis. This work provides the first insights into the essential oil biosynthesis of aromatic grasses, and the identified candidate genes and markers can be a great resource for biotechnological and molecular breeding approaches to modulate the essential oil composition. PMID:27516768

  5. De Novo Sequencing and Analysis of Lemongrass Transcriptome Provide First Insights into the Essential Oil Biosynthesis of Aromatic Grasses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meena, Seema; Kumar, Sarma R; Venkata Rao, D K; Dwivedi, Varun; Shilpashree, H B; Rastogi, Shubhra; Shasany, Ajit K; Nagegowda, Dinesh A

    2016-01-01

    Aromatic grasses of the genus Cymbopogon (Poaceae family) represent unique group of plants that produce diverse composition of monoterpene rich essential oils, which have great value in flavor, fragrance, cosmetic, and aromatherapy industries. Despite the commercial importance of these natural aromatic oils, their biosynthesis at the molecular level remains unexplored. As the first step toward understanding the essential oil biosynthesis, we performed de novo transcriptome assembly and analysis of C. flexuosus (lemongrass) by employing Illumina sequencing. Mining of transcriptome data and subsequent phylogenetic analysis led to identification of terpene synthases, pyrophosphatases, alcohol dehydrogenases, aldo-keto reductases, carotenoid cleavage dioxygenases, alcohol acetyltransferases, and aldehyde dehydrogenases, which are potentially involved in essential oil biosynthesis. Comparative essential oil profiling and mRNA expression analysis in three Cymbopogon species (C. flexuosus, aldehyde type; C. martinii, alcohol type; and C. winterianus, intermediate type) with varying essential oil composition indicated the involvement of identified candidate genes in the formation of alcohols, aldehydes, and acetates. Molecular modeling and docking further supported the role of identified protein sequences in aroma formation in Cymbopogon. Also, simple sequence repeats were found in the transcriptome with many linked to terpene pathway genes including the genes potentially involved in aroma biosynthesis. This work provides the first insights into the essential oil biosynthesis of aromatic grasses, and the identified candidate genes and markers can be a great resource for biotechnological and molecular breeding approaches to modulate the essential oil composition.

  6. Molecular characterization of Babesia peircei and Babesia ugwidiensis provides insight into the evolution and host specificity of avian piroplasmids

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michael J. Yabsley

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available There are 16 recognized species of avian-infecting Babesia spp. (Piroplasmida: Babesiidae. While the classification of piroplasmids has been historically based on morphological differences, geographic isolation and presumed host and/or vector specificities, recent studies employing gene sequence analysis have provided insight into their phylogenetic relationships and host distribution and specificity. In this study, we analyzed the sequences of the 18S rRNA gene and ITS-1 and ITS-2 regions of two Babesia species from South African seabirds: Babesia peircei from African penguins (Spheniscus demersus and Babesia ugwidiensis from Bank and Cape cormorants (Phalacrocorax neglectus and P. capensis, respectively. Our results show that avian Babesia spp. are not monophyletic, with at least three distinct phylogenetic groups. B. peircei and B. ugwidiensis are closely related, and fall within the same phylogenetic group as B. ardeae (from herons Ardea cinerea, B. poelea (from boobies Sula spp. and B. uriae (from murres Uria aalge. The validity of B. peircei and B. ugwidiensis as separate species is corroborated by both morphological and genetic evidence. On the other hand, our results indicate that B. poelea might be a synonym of B. peircei, which in turn would be a host generalist that infects seabirds from multiple orders. Further studies combining morphological and molecular methods are warranted to clarify the taxonomy, phylogeny and host distribution of avian piroplasmids. Keywords: Africa, Babesia, Piroplasmida, Phalacrocoracidae, Spheniscidae, Tick-borne pathogen

  7. Unveiling the Low Surface Brightness Stellar Peripheries of Galaxies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ferguson, Annette M. N.

    2018-01-01

    The low surface brightness peripheral regions of galaxies contain a gold mine of information about how minor mergers and accretions have influenced their evolution over cosmic time. Enormous stellar envelopes and copious amounts of faint tidal debris are natural outcomes of the hierarchical assembly process and the search for and study of these features, albeit highly challenging, offers the potential for unrivalled insight into the mechanisms of galaxy growth. Over the last two decades, there has been burgeoning interest in probing galaxy outskirts using resolved stellar populations. Wide-field surveys have uncovered vast tidal debris features and new populations of very remote globular clusters, while deep Hubble Space Telescope photometry has provided exquisite star formation histories back to the earliest epochs. I will highlight some recent results from studies within and beyond the Local Group and conclude by briefly discussing the great potential of future facilities, such as JWST, Euclid, LSST and WFIRST, for major breakthroughs in low surface brightness galaxy periphery science.

  8. Nanoscale mechanical and tribological properties of fluorocarbon films grafted onto plasma-treated low-density polyethylene surfaces

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cheng, Q; Komvopoulos, K

    2012-01-01

    Fluorocarbon (FC) films were grafted onto Ar plasma-treated low-density polyethylene (LDPE) surfaces by plasma polymerization and deposition. The evolution of the surface morphology of the grafted FC films was investigated at different scales with an atomic force microscope. Nanoscale sliding experiments performed with a surface force microscope provided insight into the nanotribological properties of Ar plasma-treated LDPE, with and without grafted FC films, in terms of applied normal load and number of sliding cycles. The observed trends are explained in the context of microstructure models accounting for morphological and structure changes at the LDPE surface due to the effects of plasma treatment (e.g., selective etching of amorphous phase, chain crosslinking and FC film grafting) and surface sliding (e.g., crystalline lamellae alignment along the sliding direction). Nanoindentation experiments elucidated the effect of plasma treatment on surface viscoelasticity and global contact stiffness. The results of this study demonstrate that plasma-assisted grafting of FC films is an effective surface modification method for tuning the nanomechanical/tribological properties of polymers. (paper)

  9. Insights into structural and dynamical features of water at halloysite interfaces probed by DFT and classical molecular dynamics simulations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Presti, Davide; Pedone, Alfonso; Mancini, Giordano; Duce, Celia; Tiné, Maria Rosaria; Barone, Vincenzo

    2016-01-21

    Density functional theory calculations and classical molecular dynamics simulations have been used to investigate the structure and dynamics of water molecules on kaolinite surfaces and confined in the interlayer of a halloysite model of nanometric dimension. The first technique allowed us to accurately describe the structure of the tetrahedral-octahedral slab of kaolinite in vacuum and in interaction with water molecules and to assess the performance of two widely employed empirical force fields to model water/clay interfaces. Classical molecular dynamics simulations were used to study the hydrogen bond network structure and dynamics of water adsorbed on kaolinite surfaces and confined in the halloysite interlayer. The results are in nice agreement with the few experimental data available in the literature, showing a pronounced ordering and reduced mobility of water molecules at the hydrophilic octahedral surfaces of kaolinite and confined in the halloysite interlayer, with respect to water interacting with the hydrophobic tetrahedral surfaces and in the bulk. Finally, this investigation provides new atomistic insights into the structural and dynamical properties of water-clay interfaces, which are of fundamental importance for both natural processes and industrial applications.

  10. Genome-wide trans-ancestry meta-analysis provides insight into the genetic architecture of type 2 diabetes susceptibility

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mahajan, Anubha; Go, Min Jin; Zhang, Weihua

    2014-01-01

    To further understanding of the genetic basis of type 2 diabetes (T2D) susceptibility, we aggregated published meta-analyses of genome-wide association studies (GWAS), including 26,488 cases and 83,964 controls of European, east Asian, south Asian and Mexican and Mexican American ancestry. We obs...... and characterization of complex trait loci and emphasize an exciting opportunity to extend insight into the genetic architecture and pathogenesis of human diseases across populations of diverse ancestry....... observed a significant excess in the directional consistency of T2D risk alleles across ancestry groups, even at SNPs demonstrating only weak evidence of association. By following up the strongest signals of association from the trans-ethnic meta-analysis in an additional 21,491 cases and 55,647 controls...

  11. Surface strategies for control of neuronal cell adhesion: A review

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roach, P.; Parker, T.; Gadegaard, N.; Alexander, M. R.

    2010-06-01

    Material engineering methods have been used for many years to develop biomedical devices for use within the body to augment, repair or replace damaged tissues ranging from contact lenses to heart valves. Here we review the findings gathered from the wide and varied surface analytical approaches applied to study the interaction between biology and man-made materials. The key material characteristics identified to be important for biological recognition are surface chemistry, topography and compliance. Model surfaces with controlled chemistry and topography have provided insight into biological response to various types of topographical features over a wide range of length scales from nano to micrometres, along with 3D matrices that have been used as scaffolds to support cells for tissue formation. The cellular response to surfaces with localised areas of patterned chemistry and to those presenting gradually changing chemistry are discussed. Where previous reviews have been structured around specific classes of surface modification, e.g. self-assembly, or have broadly examined the response of various cells to numerous surfaces, we aim in this article to focus in particular on the tissues involved in the nervous system whilst providing a broad overview of key issues from the field of cell and protein surface interactions with surfaces. The goal of repair and treatment of diseases related to the central and peripheral nervous systems rely on understanding the local interfacial environment and controlling responses at the cellular level. The role of the protein layer deposited from serum containing media onto man-made surfaces is discussed. We highlight the particular problems associated with the repair of the nervous system, and review how neuronal attachment and axon guidance can be accomplished using various surface cues when cultured with single and multiple cell types. We include a brief glossary of techniques discussed in the body of this article aimed at the

  12. Once more with feeling: Normative data for the aha experience in insight and noninsight problems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Webb, Margaret E; Little, Daniel R; Cropper, Simon J

    2017-10-19

    Despite the presumed ability of insight problems to elicit the subjective feeling of insight, as well as the use of so-called insight problems to investigate this phenomenon for over 100 years, no research has collected normative data regarding the ability of insight problems to actually elicit the feeling of insight in a given individual. The work described in this article provides an overview of both classic and contemporary problems used to examine the construct of insight and presents normative data on the success rate, mean time to solution, and mean rating of aha experience for each problem and task type. We suggest using these data in future work as a reference for selecting problems on the basis of their ability to elicit an aha experience.

  13. Incorporating evolutionary insights to improve ecotoxicology for freshwater species

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brady, Steven P.; Richardson, Jonathan L.; Kunz, Bethany K.

    2017-01-01

    Ecotoxicological studies have provided extensive insights into the lethal and sublethal effects of environmental contaminants. These insights are critical for environmental regulatory frameworks, which rely on knowledge of toxicity for developing policies to manage contaminants. While varied approaches have been applied to ecotoxicological questions, perspectives related to the evolutionary history of focal species or populations have received little consideration. Here, we evaluate chloride toxicity from the perspectives of both macroevolution and contemporary evolution. First, by mapping chloride toxicity values derived from the literature onto a phylogeny of macroinvertebrates, fish, and amphibians, we tested whether macroevolutionary relationships across species and taxa are predictive of chloride tolerance. Next, we conducted chloride exposure tests for two amphibian species to assess whether potential contemporary evolutionary change associated with environmental chloride contamination influences chloride tolerance across local populations. We show that explicitly evaluating both macroevolution and contemporary evolution can provide important and even qualitatively different insights from those obtained via traditional ecotoxicological studies. While macroevolutionary perspectives can help forecast toxicological end points for species with untested sensitivities, contemporary evolutionary perspectives demonstrate the need to consider the environmental context of exposed populations when measuring toxicity. Accounting for divergence among populations of interest can provide more accurate and relevant information related to the sensitivity of populations that may be evolving in response to selection from contaminant exposure. Our data show that approaches accounting for and specifically examining variation among natural populations should become standard practice in ecotoxicology.

  14. What are System Dynamics Insights?

    OpenAIRE

    Stave, K.; Zimmermann, N. S.; Kim, H.

    2016-01-01

    This paper explores the concept of system dynamics insights. In our field, the term “insight” is generally understood to mean dynamic insight, that is, a deep understanding about the relationship between structure and behavior. We argue this is only one aspect of the range of insights possible from system dynamics activities, and describe a broader range of potential system dynamics insights. We also propose an initial framework for discussion that relates different types of system dynamics a...

  15. Al2O3 dielectric layers on H-terminated diamond: Controlling surface conductivity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Yu; Koeck, Franz A.; Dutta, Maitreya; Wang, Xingye; Chowdhury, Srabanti; Nemanich, Robert J.

    2017-10-01

    This study investigates how the surface conductivity of H-terminated diamond can be preserved and stabilized by using a dielectric layer with an in situ post-deposition treatment. Thin layers of Al2O3 were grown by plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) on H-terminated undoped diamond (100) surfaces. The changes of the hole accumulation layer were monitored by correlating the binding energy of the diamond C 1s core level with electrical measurements. The initial PEALD of 1 nm Al2O3 resulted in an increase of the C 1s core level binding energy consistent with a reduction of the surface hole accumulation and a reduction of the surface conductivity. A hydrogen plasma step restored the C 1s binding energy to the value of the conductive surface, and the resistance of the diamond surface was found to be within the range for surface transfer doping. Further, the PEALD growth did not appear to degrade the surface conductive layer according to the position of the C 1s core level and electrical measurements. This work provides insight into the approaches to establish and control the two-dimensional hole-accumulation layer of the H-terminated diamond and improve the stability and performance of H-terminated diamond electronic devices.

  16. Theoretical insight into ArO2 surface-wave microwave discharges

    OpenAIRE

    2010-01-01

    Abstract A zero-dimensional kinetic model has been developed to investigate the coupled electron and heavy-particle kinetics in Ar-O 2 surface-wave microwave discharges generated in long cylindrical tubes, such as those launched with a surfatron or a surfaguide. The model has been validated by comparing the calculated electron temperature and species densities with experimental data available in the literature for different discharge conditions. Systematic studies have been carried out for...

  17. The state of multiple sclerosis: current insight into the patient/health care provider relationship, treatment challenges, and satisfaction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tintoré, Mar; Alexander, Maggie; Costello, Kathleen; Duddy, Martin; Jones, David E; Law, Nancy; O’Neill, Gilmore; Uccelli, Antonio; Weissert, Robert; Wray, Sibyl

    2017-01-01

    Background Managing multiple sclerosis (MS) treatment presents challenges for both patients and health care professionals. Effective communication between patients with MS and their neurologist is important for improving clinical outcomes and quality of life. Methods A closed-ended online market research survey was used to assess the current state of MS care from the perspective of both patients with MS (≥18 years of age) and neurologists who treat MS from Europe and the US and to gain insight into perceptions of treatment expectations/goals, treatment decisions, treatment challenges, communication, and satisfaction with care, based on current clinical practice. Results A total of 900 neurologists and 982 patients completed the survey, of whom 46% self-identified as having remitting-relapsing MS, 29% secondary progressive MS, and 11% primary progressive MS. Overall, patients felt satisfied with their disease-modifying therapy (DMT); satisfaction related to comfort in speaking with their neurologist and participation in their DMT decision-making process. Patients who self-identified as having relapsing-remitting MS were more likely to be very satisfied with their treatment. Top challenges identified by patients in managing their DMT were cost, side effects/tolerability of treatment, and uncertainty if treatment was working. Half of the patients reported skipping doses, but only 68% told their health care provider that they did so. Conclusion Several important differences in perception were identified between patients and neurologists concerning treatment selection, satisfaction, expectations, goals, and comfort discussing symptoms, as well as treatment challenges and skipped doses. The study results emphasize that patient/neurologist communication and patient input into the treatment decision-making process likely influence patient satisfaction with treatment. PMID:28053511

  18. The state of multiple sclerosis: current insight into the patient/health care provider relationship, treatment challenges, and satisfaction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tintoré, Mar; Alexander, Maggie; Costello, Kathleen; Duddy, Martin; Jones, David E; Law, Nancy; O'Neill, Gilmore; Uccelli, Antonio; Weissert, Robert; Wray, Sibyl

    2017-01-01

    Managing multiple sclerosis (MS) treatment presents challenges for both patients and health care professionals. Effective communication between patients with MS and their neurologist is important for improving clinical outcomes and quality of life. A closed-ended online market research survey was used to assess the current state of MS care from the perspective of both patients with MS (≥18 years of age) and neurologists who treat MS from Europe and the US and to gain insight into perceptions of treatment expectations/goals, treatment decisions, treatment challenges, communication, and satisfaction with care, based on current clinical practice. A total of 900 neurologists and 982 patients completed the survey, of whom 46% self-identified as having remitting-relapsing MS, 29% secondary progressive MS, and 11% primary progressive MS. Overall, patients felt satisfied with their disease-modifying therapy (DMT); satisfaction related to comfort in speaking with their neurologist and participation in their DMT decision-making process. Patients who self-identified as having relapsing-remitting MS were more likely to be very satisfied with their treatment. Top challenges identified by patients in managing their DMT were cost, side effects/tolerability of treatment, and uncertainty if treatment was working. Half of the patients reported skipping doses, but only 68% told their health care provider that they did so. Several important differences in perception were identified between patients and neurologists concerning treatment selection, satisfaction, expectations, goals, and comfort discussing symptoms, as well as treatment challenges and skipped doses. The study results emphasize that patient/neurologist communication and patient input into the treatment decision-making process likely influence patient satisfaction with treatment.

  19. Comparative transcriptional profiling provides insights into the evolution and development of the zygomorphic flower of Vicia sativa (Papilionoideae.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhipeng Liu

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Vicia sativa (the common vetch possesses a predominant zygomorphic flower and belongs to the subfamily Papilionoideae, which is related to Arabidopsis thaliana in the eurosid II clade of the core eudicots. Each vetch flower consists of 21 concentrically arranged organs: the outermost five sepals, then five petals and ten stamens, and a single carpel in the center. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We explored the floral transcriptome to examine a genome-scale genetic model of the zygomorphic flower of vetch. mRNA was obtained from an equal mixture of six floral organs, leaves and roots. De novo assembly of the vetch transcriptome using Illumina paired-end technology produced 71,553 unigenes with an average length of 511 bp. We then compared the expression changes in the 71,553 unigenes in the eight independent organs through RNA-Seq Quantification analysis. We predominantly analyzed gene expression patterns specific to each floral organ and combinations of floral organs that corresponded to the traditional ABC model domains. Comparative analyses were performed in the floral transcriptomes of vetch and Arabidopsis, and genomes of vetch and Medicago truncatula. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our comparative analysis of vetch and Arabidopsis showed that the vetch flowers conform to a strict ABC model. We analyzed the evolution and expression of the TCP gene family in vetch at a whole-genome level, and several unigenes specific to three different vetch petals, which might offer some clues toward elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying floral zygomorphy. Our results provide the first insights into the genome-scale molecular regulatory network that controls the evolution and development of the zygomorphic flower in Papilionoideae.

  20. Community proteomics provides functional insight into polyhydroxyalkanoate production by a mixed microbial culture cultivated on fermented dairy manure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hanson, Andrea J; Guho, Nicholas M; Paszczynski, Andrzej J; Coats, Erik R

    2016-09-01

    Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are bio-based, biodegradable polyesters that can be produced from organic-rich waste streams using mixed microbial cultures (MMCs). To maximize PHA production, MMCs are enriched for bacteria with a high polymer storage capacity through the application of aerobic dynamic feeding (ADF) in a sequencing batch reactor (SBR), which consequently induces a feast-famine metabolic response. Though the feast-famine response is generally understood empirically at a macro-level, the molecular level is less refined. The objective of this study was to investigate the microbial community composition and proteome profile of an enriched MMC cultivated on fermented dairy manure. The enriched MMC exhibited a feast-famine response and was capable of producing up to 40 % (wt. basis) PHA in a fed-batch reactor. High-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed a microbial community dominated by Meganema, a known PHA-producing genus not often observed in high abundance in enrichment SBRs. The application of the proteomic methods two-dimensional electrophoresis and LC-MS/MS revealed PHA synthesis, energy generation, and protein synthesis prominently occurring during the feast phase, corroborating bulk solution variable observations and theoretical expectations. During the famine phase, nutrient transport, acyl-CoA metabolism, additional energy generation, and housekeeping functions were more pronounced, informing previously under-determined MMC functionality under famine conditions. During fed-batch PHA production, acetyl-CoA acetyltransferase and PHA granule-bound phasin proteins were in increased abundance relative to the SBR, supporting the higher PHA content observed. Collectively, the results provide unique microbial community structural and functional insight into feast-famine PHA production from waste feedstocks using MMCs.

  1. The state of multiple sclerosis: current insight into the patient/health care provider relationship, treatment challenges, and satisfaction

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tintoré M

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Mar Tintoré,1 Maggie Alexander,2 Kathleen Costello,3 Martin Duddy,4 David E Jones,5 Nancy Law,6 Gilmore O’Neill,7 Antonio Uccelli,8 Robert Weissert,9 Sibyl Wray10 1Multiple Sclerosis Centre of Catalonia, Hospital Vall d’Hebron, Barcelona, Spain; 2European Multiple Sclerosis Platform, Brussels, Belgium; 3National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Denver, CO, USA; 4Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK; 5Department of Neurology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA; 6Nancy Law Consulting LLC, Parker, CO, USA; 7Biogen, Cambridge, MA, USA; 8Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Research, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy; 9Department of Neurology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany; 10Hope Neurology Multiple Sclerosis Center, Knoxville, TN, USA Background: Managing multiple sclerosis (MS treatment presents challenges for both patients and health care professionals. Effective communication between patients with MS and their neurologist is important for improving clinical outcomes and quality of life. Methods: A closed-ended online market research survey was used to assess the current state of MS care from the perspective of both patients with MS (≥18 years of age and neurologists who treat MS from Europe and the US and to gain insight into perceptions of treatment expectations/goals, treatment decisions, treatment challenges, communication, and satisfaction with care, based on current clinical practice. Results: A total of 900 neurologists and 982 patients completed the survey, of whom 46% self-identified as having remitting-relapsing MS, 29% secondary progressive MS, and 11% primary progressive MS. Overall, patients felt satisfied with their disease-modifying therapy (DMT; satisfaction related to comfort in speaking with their neurologist and participation in their DMT decision-making process. Patients who self-identified as having relapsing-remitting MS were more likely to be very satisfied with their treatment

  2. Genetic influences on insight problem solving: the role of catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene polymorphisms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiang, Weili; Shang, Siyuan; Su, Yanjie

    2015-01-01

    People may experience an "aha" moment, when suddenly realizing a solution of a puzzling problem. This experience is called insight problem solving. Several findings suggest that catecholamine-related genes may contribute to insight problem solving, among which the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene is the most promising candidate. The current study examined 753 healthy individuals to determine the associations between 7 candidate single nucleotide polymorphisms on the COMT gene and insight problem-solving performance, while considering gender differences. The results showed that individuals carrying A allele of rs4680 or T allele of rs4633 scored significantly higher on insight problem-solving tasks, and the COMT gene rs5993883 combined with gender interacted with correct solutions of insight problems, specifically showing that this gene only influenced insight problem-solving performance in males. This study presents the first investigation of the genetic impact on insight problem solving and provides evidence that highlights the role that the COMT gene plays in insight problem solving.

  3. iTRAQ and RNA-Seq Analyses Provide New Insights into Regulation Mechanism of Symbiotic Germination of Dendrobium officinale Seeds (Orchidaceae).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Juan; Liu, Si Si; Kohler, Annegret; Yan, Bo; Luo, Hong Mei; Chen, Xiao Mei; Guo, Shun Xing

    2017-06-02

    Mycorrhizal fungi colonize orchid seeds and induce germination. This so-called symbiotic germination is a critical developmental process in the lifecycle of all orchid species. However, the molecular changes that occur during orchid seed symbiotic germination remain largely unknown. To better understand the molecular mechanism of orchid seed germination, we performed a comparative transcriptomic and proteomic analysis of the Chinese traditional medicinal orchid Dendrobium officinale to explore the change in protein expression at the different developmental stages during asymbiotic and symbiotic germination and identify the key proteins that regulate the symbiotic germination of orchid seeds. Among 2256 identified plant proteins, 308 were differentially expressed across three developmental stages during asymbiotic and symbiotic germination, and 229 were differentially expressed during symbiotic germination compared to asymbiotic development. Of these, 32 proteins were coup-regulated at both the proteomic and transcriptomic levels during symbiotic germination compared to asymbiotic germination. Our results suggest that symbiotic germination of D. officinale seeds shares a common signaling pathway with asymbiotic germination during the early germination stage. However, compared to asymbiotic germination, fungal colonization of orchid seeds appears to induce higher and earlier expression of some key proteins involved in lipid and carbohydrate metabolism and thus improves the efficiency of utilization of stored substances present in the embryo. This study provides new insight into the molecular basis of orchid seed germination.

  4. Accounting choices of controllers : An insight into controller deliberations

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    de Groot, Therèse

    2015-01-01

    This doctoral thesis provides insights into the accounting choice process of business controllers. The main contribution is a new approach in analyzing financial accounting choices, using an interpretive methodology. Moreover, the overall framework of analysis developed in this thesis can help

  5. Recent enhancements of the INSIGHT integrated in-core fuel management tool

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Akio, Yamamoto

    2001-01-01

    Recent enhancements of the INSIGHT system are described in this paper. The INSIGHT system is an integrated in-core fuel management tool for pressurized water reactors (PWRs) runs on UNIX workstations. The INSIGHT system provides various capabilities which contribute to reduce fuel cycle cost and workload of in-core fuel management tasks, i.e. core follow calculations, interactive loading pattern design, automated multicycle analysis and interface between detailed core calculation codes. To minimize engineers' workload, most of input data for analysis modules are automatically generated by the INSIGHT system through specification of calculation conditions in the graphic user interface. Recent enhancements of the INSIGHT system are mainly focused to improve efficiency of loading pattern optimization and flexibility of multicycle analyses. To increase optimization efficiency, a parallel calculation capability, various optimization theories, extension of heuristic rules, screening by neural networks and so on were incorporated in the loading pattern optimization module. The multicycle analyses module was rewritten to increase flexibility such as cycle dependent specification of loading pattern search methods and so on. The INSIGHT system is currently used by Japanese utilities not only for regular in-core fuel management tasks but also for strategic fuel management studies to reduce fuel cycle cost

  6. Insightful practice: a reliable measure for medical revalidation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guthrie, Bruce; Sullivan, Frank M; Mercer, Stewart W; Russell, Andrew; Bruce, David A

    2012-01-01

    Background Medical revalidation decisions need to be reliable if they are to reassure on the quality and safety of professional practice. This study tested an innovative method in which general practitioners (GPs) were assessed on their reflection and response to a set of externally specified feedback. Setting and participants 60 GPs and 12 GP appraisers in the Tayside region of Scotland, UK. Methods A feedback dataset was specified as (1) GP-specific data collected by GPs themselves (patient and colleague opinion; open book self-evaluated knowledge test; complaints) and (2) Externally collected practice-level data provided to GPs (clinical quality and prescribing safety). GPs' perceptions of whether the feedback covered UK General Medical Council specified attributes of a ‘good doctor’ were examined using a mapping exercise. GPs' professionalism was examined in terms of appraiser assessment of GPs' level of insightful practice, defined as: engagement with, insight into and appropriate action on feedback data. The reliability of assessment of insightful practice and subsequent recommendations on GPs' revalidation by face-to-face and anonymous assessors were investigated using Generalisability G-theory. Main outcome measures Coverage of General Medical Council attributes by specified feedback and reliability of assessor recommendations on doctors' suitability for revalidation. Results Face-to-face assessment proved unreliable. Anonymous global assessment by three appraisers of insightful practice was highly reliable (G=0.85), as were revalidation decisions using four anonymous assessors (G=0.83). Conclusions Unlike face-to-face appraisal, anonymous assessment of insightful practice offers a valid and reliable method to decide GP revalidation. Further validity studies are needed. PMID:22653078

  7. Anisotropic surface strain in single crystalline cobalt nanowires and its impact on the diameter-dependent Young's modulus

    KAUST Repository

    Huang, Xiaohu

    2013-01-01

    Understanding and measuring the size-dependent surface strain of nanowires are essential to their applications in various emerging devices. Here, we report on the diameter-dependent surface strain and Young\\'s modulus of single-crystalline Co nanowires investigated by in situ X-ray diffraction measurements. Diameter-dependent initial longitudinal elongation of the nanowires is observed and ascribed to the anisotropic surface stress due to the Poisson effect, which serves as the basis for mechanical measurements. As the nanowire diameter decreases, a transition from the "smaller is softer" regime to the "smaller is tougher" regime is observed in the Young\\'s modulus of the nanowires, which is attributed to the competition between the elongation softening and the surface stiffening effects. Our work demonstrates a new nondestructive method capable of measuring the initial surface strain and estimating the Young\\'s modulus of single crystalline nanowires, and provides new insights on the size effect. © 2013 The Royal Society of Chemistry.

  8. Control of Surface and Edge Oxidation on Phosphorene.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuntz, Kaci L; Wells, Rebekah A; Hu, Jun; Yang, Teng; Dong, Baojuan; Guo, Huaihong; Woomer, Adam H; Druffel, Daniel L; Alabanza, Anginelle; Tománek, David; Warren, Scott C

    2017-03-15

    Phosphorene is emerging as an important two-dimensional semiconductor, but controlling the surface chemistry of phosphorene remains a significant challenge. Here, we show that controlled oxidation of phosphorene determines the composition and spatial distribution of the resulting oxide. We used X-ray photoemission spectroscopy to measure the binding energy shifts that accompany oxidation. We interpreted these spectra by calculating the binding energy shift for 24 likely bonding configurations, including phosphorus oxides and hydroxides located on the basal surface or edges of flakes. After brief exposure to high-purity oxygen or high-purity water vapor at room temperature, we observed phosphorus in the +1 and +2 oxidation states; longer exposures led to a large population of phosphorus in the +3 oxidation state. To provide insight into the spatial distribution of the oxide, transmission electron microscopy was performed at several stages during the oxidation. We found crucial differences between oxygen and water oxidants: while pure oxygen produced an oxide layer on the van der Waals surface, water oxidized the material at pre-existing defects such as edges or steps. We propose a mechanism based on the thermodynamics of electron transfer to interpret these observations. This work opens a route to functionalize the basal surface or edges of two-dimensional (2D) black phosphorus through site-selective chemical reactions and presents the opportunity to explore the synthesis of 2D phosphorene oxide by oxidation.

  9. Insight, Cognitive Insight and Sociodemographic Features in Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Presenting with Reactive and Autogeneus Features

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Katre ÇAMLI

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available Objective: The aim of the present study was to test hypothesis that obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD patients who have autogenous obsessions and reactive obsessions show different sociodemographic and clinical characteristics with different insight and cognitive insight levels. Method: Sixty-one patients diagnosed as OCD according to the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R (SCID-I are recruited. 31 patients had reactive obsessions and 30 had autogenous obsessions. The sociodemographic characteristics of patients and the symptomatology were evaluated using psychiatric scales including SCID-I, Yale Brown Obsessive- Compulsive Scale (YBOCS, Yale Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale-Symptom Checklist (YBOCS-SC and Beck Insight Scale. Results: The percentage of women in reactive obsessive group was higher and also this group had significantly less antipsychotic medication prescribed than the autogenous obsessive group. No significant difference was found for the other demographic variables. No significant difference was identified for the Beck Insight Self-Reflectiveness subscale but for the Self-Certainty subscale, reactive obsessives had higher scores. Although there was no significant difference for the composit index points, which is the subtraction of the two subscales, the p value was close to the limit. On the other hand YBOCS item- 11 scores which evaluates insight were higher in autogenous obsessives meaning low levels of insight. Conclusion: For the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics; there was no significant difference between the groups except gender distribution and antipsychotic medication. Our data about insight seems inconsistent but insight and cognitive insight can be different entities which show different levels of insight. Further investigation with different obsession types is needed.

  10. Comparative Riftology: Insights into the Evolution of Passive Continental Margins and Continental Rifts from the Failed Midcontinent Rift (MCR)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elling, R. P.; Stein, C. A.; Stein, S.; Kley, J.; Keller, G. R.; Wysession, M. E.

    2017-12-01

    Continental rifts evolve to seafloor spreading and are preserved in passive margins, or fail and remain as fossil features in continents. Rifts at different stages give insight into these evolutionary paths. Of particular interest is the evolution of volcanic passive margins, which are characterized by seaward dipping reflectors, volcanic rocks yielding magnetic anomalies landward of the oldest spreading anomalies, and are underlain by high-velocity lower crustal bodies. How and when these features form remains unclear. Insights are given by the Midcontinent Rift (MCR), which began to form during the 1.1 Ga rifting of Amazonia from Laurentia, but failed when seafloor spreading was established elsewhere. MCR volcanics are much thicker than other continental flood basalts, due to deposition in a narrow rift rather than a broad region, giving a rift's geometry but a LIP's magma volume. The MCR provides a snapshot of the deposition of a thick and highly magnetized volcanic section during rifting. Surface exposures and reflection seismic data near Lake Superior show a rift basin filled by inward-dipping flood basalt layers. Had the rift evolved to seafloor spreading, the basin would have split into two sets of volcanics with opposite-facing SDRs, each with a magnetic anomaly. Because the rift formed as a series of alternating half-grabens, structural asymmetries between conjugate margins would have naturally occurred had it gone to completion. Hence the MCR implies that many passive margin features form prior to seafloor spreading. Massive inversion of the MCR long after it failed has provided a much clearer picture of its structure compared to failed rifts with lesser degrees of inversion. Seismic imaging as well as gravity and magnetic modeling provide important insight into the effects of inversion on failed rifts. The MCR provides an end member for the evolution of actively extending rifts, characterized by upwelling mantle and negative gravity anomalies, to failed

  11. The Association of Insight and Change in Insight with Clinical Symptoms in Depressed Inpatients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    He, Hongbo; Chang, Qing; Ma, Yarong

    2018-04-25

    Lack of insight has been extensively studied and was found to be adversely correlated with impaired treatment compliance and worse long term clinical outcomes among patients with schizophrenia, while not much is known about this phenonmenon in patients with severe depression. To explore the correlates of insight and its relation to symptom changes among the most seriously ill patients with affective disorders, those who require hospitalization. Patients hospitalized in a large psychiatric hospital in south China with either major depressive disorder (MDD)(N=55) or bipolar depression (BD) (N=85) based on ICD-10 diagnostic criteria were assessed with the Insight and Treatment Attitudes Questionnaire (ITAQ) one week after admission and at the time of discharge. Clinical symptoms were measured at the same time with the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAMD-17) and the Depression subscale of the Symptom Check list-90 (SCL-90). Length of stay (LOS), duration of illness, duration of untreated mood disorder, number of previous episodes of depression and previous admissions for depression were documented during interviews with patients and their families and from a review of medical records. Bivariate correlations and multiple regression analysis were used to examine the relationship of sociodemographic characteristics, clinical symptomatology and clinical history, to insight at the time of admission. The relationships between change in clinical symptoms and change in insight from admission to discharge were also examined. Stepwise multiple regression models suggested that any previous admissions for depression and higher anxiety factor scores on the HAMD-17 are significant independent predictors of insight accounting for 22.9% of the variance. Multiple regression analysis residual change scores (change scores adjusted for baseline values) on the ITAQ showed that improved insight over average stays of 51 days were inversely related to the residual psychomotor

  12. Temporal variation of 228Ra in the near-surface Gulf of Mexico

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Reid, F.D.; Moore, W.S.; Sackett, W.M.

    1979-01-01

    The Mn-fiber technique for extracting radium from seawater has proved useful for studying the marine geochemistry of 228 Ra. In the Gulf of Mexico, this technique was used to measure the surface and near-surface distribution of 226 Ra and 228 Ra. The observed surface distribution of 228 Ra, and particularly the radium activity ratio (228/226) can be explained by known circulation patterns, or, when local surface currents are not well understood, may provide insight into their general characteristics. The radium activity ratio has increased from 0.5 in 1968 to 0.7 in 1973 in the surface Gulf of Mexico. This observed increase cannot be attributed to known anthropogenic or natural source perturbations within the Caribbean Sea-Gulf of Mexico system. Possible causes include a change in the residence time for near-surface water, or variations in the relative dominance of the two eastern Caribbean; the North Equatorial Current and the Guiana Current. The temporal distribution of 228 Ra is unstable and naturally variable over a time period less than or equal to five years in the Gulf of Mexico and by extrapolation, the Caribbean Sea. Therefore, its usefulness in calculations of eddy diffusion coefficients for these regions is greatly diminished. (Auth.)

  13. Ninety-nine de novo assembled genomes from the moose (Alces alces) rumen microbiome provide new insights into microbial plant biomass degradation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Svartström, Olov; Alneberg, Johannes; Terrapon, Nicolas; Lombard, Vincent; de Bruijn, Ino; Malmsten, Jonas; Dalin, Ann-Marie; Muller, Emilie E.L.; Shah, Pranjul; Wilmes, Paul; Henrissat, Bernard; Aspeborg, Henrik; Andersson, Anders F.

    2017-01-01

    The moose (Alces alces) is a ruminant that harvests energy from fiber-rich lignocellulose material through carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes) produced by its rumen microbes. We applied shotgun metagenomics to rumen contents from six moose to obtain insights into this microbiome. Following binning, 99 metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) belonging to eleven prokaryotic phyla were reconstructed and characterized based on phylogeny and CAZyme profile. The taxonomy of these MAGs reflected the overall composition of the metagenome, with dominance of the phyla Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes. Unlike in other ruminants, Spirochaetes constituted a significant proportion of the community and our analyses indicate that the corresponding strains are primarily pectin digesters. Pectin-degrading genes were also common in MAGs of Ruminococcus, Fibrobacteres and Bacteroidetes, and were overall overrepresented in the moose microbiome compared to other ruminants. Phylogenomic analyses revealed several clades within the Bacteriodetes without previously characterized genomes. Several of these MAGs encoded a large numbers of dockerins, a module usually associated with cellulosomes. The Bacteroidetes dockerins were often linked to CAZymes and sometimes encoded inside polysaccharide utilization loci (PULs), which has never been reported before. The almost one hundred CAZyme-annotated genomes reconstructed in this study provides an in-depth view of an efficient lignocellulose-degrading microbiome and prospects for developing enzyme technology for biorefineries. PMID:28731473

  14. Why healthcare providers merge.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Postma, Jeroen; Roos, Anne-Fleur

    2016-04-01

    In many OECD countries, healthcare sectors have become increasingly concentrated as a result of mergers. However, detailed empirical insight into why healthcare providers merge is lacking. Also, we know little about the influence of national healthcare policies on mergers. We fill this gap in the literature by conducting a survey study on mergers among 848 Dutch healthcare executives, of which 35% responded (resulting in a study sample of 239 executives). A total of 65% of the respondents was involved in at least one merger between 2005 and 2012. During this period, Dutch healthcare providers faced a number of policy changes, including increasing competition, more pressure from purchasers, growing financial risks, de-institutionalisation of long-term care and decentralisation of healthcare services to municipalities. Our empirical study shows that healthcare providers predominantly merge to improve the provision of healthcare services and to strengthen their market position. Also efficiency and financial reasons are important drivers of merger activity in healthcare. We find that motives for merger are related to changes in health policies, in particular to the increasing pressure from competitors, insurers and municipalities.

  15. New insights into proton surface mobility processes in PEMFC catalysts using isotopic exchange methods.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ferreira-Aparicio, Paloma

    2009-09-01

    The surface chemistry and the adsorption/desorption/exchange behavior of a proton-exchange membrane fuel cell catalyst are analyzed as a case study for the development of tailor-made support materials of enhanced performance and stability. By using H2, D2, and CO as probe molecules, the relevance of some surface functional groups of the catalyst support on several diffusion processes taking place during the adsorption is shown. Sulfonic groups associated with the vulcanized carbon black surface have been detected by means of spectroscopic techniques (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy) and by analysis of the desorbed products during temperature-programmed desorption tests by mass spectrometry. Such hydrophilic species have been observed to favor proton surface mobility and exchange with Pt-adsorbed deuterium even in the presence of adsorbed CO. This behavior is relevant both for the proper characterization of these kinds of catalysts using adsorption probes and for the design of new surface-modified carbon supports, enabling alternative proton-transfer pathways throughout the catalytic layers toward the membrane.

  16. MASCOT—The Mobile Asteroid Surface Scout Onboard the Hayabusa2 Mission

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ho, Tra-Mi; Baturkin, Volodymyr; Grimm, Christian; Grundmann, Jan Thimo; Hobbie, Catherin; Ksenik, Eugen; Lange, Caroline; Sasaki, Kaname; Schlotterer, Markus; Talapina, Maria; Termtanasombat, Nawarat; Wejmo, Elisabet; Witte, Lars; Wrasmann, Michael; Wübbels, Guido; Rößler, Johannes; Ziach, Christian; Findlay, Ross; Biele, Jens; Krause, Christian; Ulamec, Stephan; Lange, Michael; Mierheim, Olaf; Lichtenheldt, Roy; Maier, Maximilian; Reill, Josef; Sedlmayr, Hans-Jürgen; Bousquet, Pierre; Bellion, Anthony; Bompis, Olivier; Cenac-Morthe, Celine; Deleuze, Muriel; Fredon, Stephane; Jurado, Eric; Canalias, Elisabet; Jaumann, Ralf; Bibring, Jean-Pierre; Glassmeier, Karl Heinz; Hercik, David; Grott, Matthias; Celotti, Luca; Cordero, Federico; Hendrikse, Jeffrey; Okada, Tatsuaki

    2017-07-01

    On December 3rd, 2014, the Japanese Space Agency (JAXA) launched successfully the Hayabusa2 (HY2) spacecraft to its journey to Near Earth asteroid (162173) Ryugu. Aboard this spacecraft is a compact landing package, MASCOT (Mobile Asteroid surface SCOuT), which was developed by the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) in collaboration with the Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES). Similar to the famous predecessor mission Hayabusa, Hayabusa2, will also study an asteroid and return samples to Earth. This time, however, the target is a C-type asteroid which is considered to be more primitive than (25143) Itokawa and provide insight into an even earlier stage of our Solar System.

  17. The Venus Emissivity Mapper - gaining a global perspective on the surface composition of Venus

    Science.gov (United States)

    Helbert, Joern; Dyar, Melinda; Widemann, Thomas; Marcq, Emmanuel; Maturilli, Alessandro; Mueller, Nils; Kappel, David; Ferrari, Sabrina; D'Amore, Mario; Tsang, Constantine; Arnold, Gabriele; Smrekar, Suzanne; VEM Team

    2017-10-01

    The permanent cloud cover of Venus prohibits observations of the surface with traditional imaging techniques over much of the EM spectral range, leading to the false notion that information about the composition of Venus’ surface could only be derived from lander missions. However, harsh environmental conditions on the surface cause landed missions to be sole site, highly complex, and riskier than orbiting missions.It is now known that 5 transparency windows occur in the Venus atmosphere, ranging from 0.86 µm to 1.18 µm. Recent advances in high temperature laboratory spectroscopy at the PSL at DLR these windows are highly diagnostic for surface mineralogy. Mapping of the southern hemisphere of Venus with VIRTIS on VEX in the 1.02 µm band was a proof-of-concept for an orbital remote sensing approach to surface composition and weathering studies[1-3]. The Venus Emissivity Mapper [4] proposed for the NASA’s Venus Origins Explorer (VOX) and the ESA EnVision proposal builds on these recent advances. It is the first flight instrument specially designed with a sole focus on mapping the surface of Venus using the narrow atmospheric windows around 1 µm. Operating in situ from Venus orbit, VEM will provide a global map of surface composition as well as redox state of the surface, providing a comprehensive picture of surface-atmosphere interaction and support for landing site selection. Continuous observation of the thermal emission of the Venus will provide tight constraints on the current day volcanic activity[5]. This is complemented by measurements of atmospheric water vapor abundance as well as cloud microphysics and dynamics. These data will allow for accurate correction of atmospheric interference on the surface measurements, which provide highly valuable science on their own. A mission combining VEM with a high-resolution radar mapper such as VOX or EnVision in a low circular orbit will provide key insights into the divergent evolution of Venus.1. Smrekar, S

  18. Monitoring groundwater-surface water interaction using time-series and time-frequency analysis of transient three-dimensional electrical resistivity changes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, Timothy C.; Slater, Lee D.; Ntarlagiannis, Dimitris; Day-Lewis, Frederick D.; Elwaseif, Mehrez

    2012-01-01

    Time-lapse resistivity imaging is increasingly used to monitor hydrologic processes. Compared to conventional hydrologic measurements, surface time-lapse resistivity provides superior spatial coverage in two or three dimensions, potentially high-resolution information in time, and information in the absence of wells. However, interpretation of time-lapse electrical tomograms is complicated by the ever-increasing size and complexity of long-term, three-dimensional (3-D) time series conductivity data sets. Here we use 3-D surface time-lapse electrical imaging to monitor subsurface electrical conductivity variations associated with stage-driven groundwater-surface water interactions along a stretch of the Columbia River adjacent to the Hanford 300 near Richland, Washington, USA. We reduce the resulting 3-D conductivity time series using both time-series and time-frequency analyses to isolate a paleochannel causing enhanced groundwater-surface water interactions. Correlation analysis on the time-lapse imaging results concisely represents enhanced groundwater-surface water interactions within the paleochannel, and provides information concerning groundwater flow velocities. Time-frequency analysis using the Stockwell (S) transform provides additional information by identifying the stage periodicities driving groundwater-surface water interactions due to upstream dam operations, and identifying segments in time-frequency space when these interactions are most active. These results provide new insight into the distribution and timing of river water intrusion into the Hanford 300 Area, which has a governing influence on the behavior of a uranium plume left over from historical nuclear fuel processing operations.

  19. Sex Change in Clownfish: Molecular Insights from Transcriptome Analysis

    KAUST Repository

    Casas, Laura; Saborido-Rey, Fran; Ryu, Tae Woo; Michell, Craig; Ravasi, Timothy; Irigoien, Xabier

    2016-01-01

    steroidogenic machinery during sex change in clownfish, with the aromatase gene playing a central role, both in the brain and the gonad. This work constitutes the first genome-wide study in a social sex-changing species and provides insights into the genetic

  20. A new CM SAF Solar Surface Radiation Climate Data Set derived from Meteosat Satellite Observations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trentmann, J.; Mueller, R. W.; Pfeifroth, U.; Träger-Chatterjee, C.; Cremer, R.

    2014-12-01

    The incoming surface solar radiation has been defined as an essential climate variable by GCOS. It is mandatory to monitor this part of the earth's energy balance, and thus gain insights on the state and variability of the climate system. In addition, data sets of the surface solar radiation have received increased attention over the recent years as an important source of information for the planning of solar energy applications. The EUMETSAT Satellite Application Facility on Climate Monitoring (CM SAF) is deriving surface solar radiation from geostationary and polar-orbiting satellite instruments. While CM SAF is focusing on the generation of high-quality long-term climate data records, also operationally data is provided in short time latency within 8 weeks. Here we present SARAH (Solar Surface Radiation Dataset - Heliosat), i.e. the new CM SAF Solar Surface Radiation data set based on Meteosat satellite observations. SARAH provides instantaneous, daily- and monthly-averaged data of the effective cloud albedo (CAL), the direct normalized solar radiation (DNI) and the solar irradiance (SIS) from 1983 to 2013 for the full view of the Meteosat satellite (i.e, Europe, Africa, parts of South America, and the Atlantic ocean). The data sets are generated with a high spatial resolution of 0.05 deg allowing for detailed regional studies, and are available in netcdf-format at no cost without restrictions at www.cmsaf.eu. We provide an overview of the data sets, including a validation against reference measurements from the BSRN and GEBA surface station networks.

  1. Theoretical insight into an empirical rule about organic corrosion inhibitors containing nitrogen, oxygen, and sulfur atoms

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Guo, Lei, E-mail: cqglei@163.com [School of Material and Chemical Engieering, Tongren University, Tongren 554300 (China); Obot, Ime Bassey [Center of Research Excellence in Corrosion, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran 31261 (Saudi Arabia); Zheng, Xingwen [Material Corrosion and Protection Key Laboratory of Sichuan province, Zigong 643000 (China); Shen, Xun [School of Material and Chemical Engieering, Tongren University, Tongren 554300 (China); Qiang, Yujie [Material Corrosion and Protection Key Laboratory of Sichuan province, Zigong 643000 (China); Kaya, Savaş; Kaya, Cemal [Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Cumhuriyet University, Sivas 58140 (Turkey)

    2017-06-01

    Highlights: • We obtained the habit information of α-Fe obtained by the “Morphology” module. • The adsorption of pyrrole, furan, and thiophene on Fe(110) surface were studied by DFT calculations. • Our DFT modeling provided a reasonable micro-explanation to the empirical rule. - Abstract: Steel is an important material in industry. Adding heterocyclic organic compounds have proved to be very efficient for steel protection. There exists an empirical rule that the general trend in the inhibition efficiencies of molecules containing heteroatoms is such that O < N < S. However, an atomic-level insight into the inhibition mechanism is still lacked. Thus, in this work, density functional theory calculations was used to investigate the adsorption of three typical heterocyclic molecules, i.e., pyrrole, furan, and thiophene, on Fe(110) surface. The approach is illustrated by carrying out geometric optimization of inhibitors on the stable and most exposed plane of α-Fe. Some salient features such as charge density difference, changes of work function, density of states were detailedly described. The present study is helpful to understand the afore-mentioned experiment rule.

  2. The InSight Mars Lander and Its Effect on the Subsurface Thermal Environment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Siegler, Matthew A.; Smrekar, Suzanne E.; Grott, Matthias; Piqueux, Sylvain; Mueller, Nils; Williams, Jean-Pierre; Plesa, Ana-Catalina; Spohn, Tilman

    2017-10-01

    The 2018 InSight (Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport) Mission has the mission goal of providing insitu data for the first measurement of the geothermal heat flow of Mars. The Heat Flow and Physical Properties Package (HP3) will take thermal conductivity and thermal gradient measurements to approximately 5 m depth. By necessity, this measurement will be made within a few meters of the lander. This means that thermal perturbations from the lander will modify local surface and subsurface temperature measurements. For HP3's sensitive thermal gradient measurements, this spacecraft influence will be important to model and parameterize. Here we present a basic 3D model of thermal effects of the lander on its surroundings. Though lander perturbations significantly alter subsurface temperatures, a successful thermal gradient measurement will be possible in all thermal conditions by proper (>3 m depth) placement of the heat flow probe.

  3. Exploration of the growth process of ultrathin silica shells on the surface of gold nanorods by the localized surface plasmon resonance

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li, Chong; Li, Yujie; Ling, Yunyang; Lai, Yangwei; Wu, Chuanliu; Zhao, Yibing

    2014-01-01

    Ultrathin silica coating (UTSC) has emerged as an effective way to improve the compatibility and stability of nanoparticles without attenuating their intrinsic optical properties. Exploration strategies to probe the growth process of ultrathin silica shells on the surface of nanoparticles would represent a valuable innovation that would benefit the development of ultrathin silica coated nanoparticles and their relevant applications. In this work, we report a unique, very effective and straightforward strategy for probing the growth of ultrathin silica shells on the surface of gold nanorods (Au NRs), which exploits the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) as a reporting signal. The thickness of the ultrathin silica shells on the surface of Au NRs can be quantitatively measured and predicted in the range of 0.5–3.5 nm. It is demonstrated that the LSPR shift accurately reflects the real-time change in the thickness of the ultrathin silica shells on Au NRs during the growth process. By using the developed strategy, we further analyze the growth of UTSC on the surface of Au NRs via feeding of Na 2 SiO 3 in a stepwise manner. The responsiveness analysis of LSPR also provides important insight into the shielding effect of UTSC on the surface of Au NRs that is not accessible with conventional strategies. This LSPR-based strategy permits exploration of the surface-mediated sol–gel reactions of silica from a new point of view. (paper)

  4. Habitat characteristics provide insights of carbon storage in seagrass meadows

    KAUST Repository

    Mazarrasa, Inés

    2018-02-17

    Seagrass meadows provide multiple ecosystem services, yet they are among the most threatened ecosystems on earth. Because of their role as carbon sinks, protection and restoration of seagrass meadows contribute to climate change mitigation. Blue Carbon strategies aim to enhance CO2 sequestration and avoid greenhouse gasses emissions through the management of coastal vegetated ecosystems, including seagrass meadows. The implementation of Blue Carbon strategies requires a good understanding of the habitat characteristics that influence Corg sequestration. Here, we review the existing knowledge on Blue Carbon research in seagrass meadows to identify the key habitat characteristics that influence Corg sequestration in seagrass meadows, those factors that threaten this function and those with unclear effects. We demonstrate that not all seagrass habitats have the same potential, identify research priorities and describe the implications of the results found for the implementation and development of efficient Blue Carbon strategies based on seagrass meadows.

  5. Surface damage in TEM thick α-Fe samples by implantation with 150 keV Fe ions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aliaga, M.J.; Caturla, M.J.; Schäublin, R.

    2015-01-01

    We have performed molecular dynamics simulations of implantation of 150 keV Fe ions in pure bcc Fe. The thickness of the simulation box is of the same order of those used in in situ TEM analysis of irradiated materials. We assess the effect of the implantation angle and the presence of front and back surfaces. The number and type of defects, ion range, cluster distribution and primary damage morphology are studied. Results indicate that, for the very thin samples used in in situ TEM irradiation experiments the presence of surfaces affect dramatically the damage produced. At this particular energy, the ion has sufficient energy to damage both the top and the back surfaces and still leave the sample through the bottom. This provides new insights on the study of radiation damage using TEM in situ

  6. The relative contributions of social cognition and self-reflectiveness to clinical insight in enduring schizophrenia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Béland, Sophie; Lepage, Martin

    2017-12-01

    Poor clinical insight represents a major barrier to recovery in schizophrenia. Research suggests that higher-order social cognitive abilities such as theory of mind (TOM) and metacognition contribute to levels of clinical insight. However, few studies have examined whether social cognitive abilities other than TOM are related to clinical insight. Moreover, to date, no investigation has attempted to determine whether the contribution of metacognitive ability to clinical insight can be differentiated from the contribution of higher-order social cognition, despite their conceptual similarity. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the relative contribution of different social cognitive abilities, as well as metacognition, to clinical insight in a large sample of 139 enduring schizophrenia patients, and controlling for established predictors of clinical insight. Hierarchical regression analyses were used to evaluate the portion of variance explained by 3 social cognitive abilities: emotion recognition, TOM, and affective empathy, and the metacognitive ability of self-reflectiveness. Clinical insight levels were assessed using the Schedule for the Assessment of Insight-Expanded version. Results indicated that affective empathy and self-reflectiveness are the strongest predictors of clinical insight. These results provide insights on the development of targeted interventions for improving clinical insight in this population. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. Using lagged dependence to identify (de)coupled surface and subsurface soil moisture values

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carranza, Coleen D. U.; van der Ploeg, Martine J.; Torfs, Paul J. J. F.

    2018-04-01

    Recent advances in radar remote sensing popularized the mapping of surface soil moisture at different spatial scales. Surface soil moisture measurements are used in combination with hydrological models to determine subsurface soil moisture values. However, variability of soil moisture across the soil column is important for estimating depth-integrated values, as decoupling between surface and subsurface can occur. In this study, we employ new methods to investigate the occurrence of (de)coupling between surface and subsurface soil moisture. Using time series datasets, lagged dependence was incorporated in assessing (de)coupling with the idea that surface soil moisture conditions will be reflected at the subsurface after a certain delay. The main approach involves the application of a distributed-lag nonlinear model (DLNM) to simultaneously represent both the functional relation and the lag structure in the time series. The results of an exploratory analysis using residuals from a fitted loess function serve as a posteriori information to determine (de)coupled values. Both methods allow for a range of (de)coupled soil moisture values to be quantified. Results provide new insights into the decoupled range as its occurrence among the sites investigated is not limited to dry conditions.

  8. Insights into the superhydrophobicity of metallic surfaces prepared by electrodeposition involving spontaneous adsorption of airborne hydrocarbons

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu, Peng; Cao, Ling; Zhao, Wei; Xia, Yue; Huang, Wei; Li, Zelin

    2015-01-01

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Several superhydrophobic metallic surfaces were fabricated by fast electrodeposition. • Both micro/nanostructures and adsorption of airborne hydrocarbons make contributions. • XPS analyses confirm presence of airborne hydrocarbons on these metallic surfaces. • The adsorption of airborne hydrocarbons on the clean metal Au surface was very quick. • UV-O 3 treatment oxidized the hydrocarbons to hydrophilic oxygen-containing organics. - Abstract: Electrochemical fabrication of micro/nanostructured metallic surfaces with superhydrophobicity has recently aroused great attention. However, the origin still remains unclear why smooth hydrophilic metal surfaces become superhydrophobic by making micro/nanostructures without additional surface modifications. In this work, several superhydrophobic micro/nanostructured metal surfaces were prepared by a facile one-step electrodeposition process, including non-noble and noble metals such as copper, nickel, cadmium, zinc, gold, and palladium with (e.g. Cu) or without (e.g. Au) surface oxide films. We demonstrated by SEM and XPS that both hierarchical micro/nanostructures and spontaneous adsorption of airborne hydrocarbons endowed these surfaces with excellent superhydrophobicity. We revealed by XPS that the adsorption of airborne hydrocarbons at the Ar + -etched clean Au surface was rather quick, such that organic contamination can hardly be prevented in practical operation of surface wetting investigation. We also confirmed by XPS that ultraviolet-O 3 treatment of the superhydrophobic metal surfaces did not remove the adsorbed hydrocarbons completely, but mainly oxidized them into hydrophilic oxygen-containing organic substances. We hope our findings here shed new light on deeper understanding of superhydrophobicity for micro/nanostructured metal surfaces with and without surface oxide films

  9. A comprehensive comparison of four species of Onchidiidae provides insights on the morphological and molecular adaptations of invertebrates from shallow seas to wetlands

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Dongfeng; Li, Jie; Liu, Xin; Wu, Xin

    2018-01-01

    The Onchidiidae family is ideal for studying the evolution of marine invertebrate species from sea to wetland environments. However, comparative studies of Onchidiidae species are rare. A total of 40 samples were collected from four species (10 specimens per onchidiid), and their histological and molecular differences were systematically evaluated to elucidate the morphological foundations underlying the adaptations of these species. A histological analysis was performed to compare the structures of respiratory organs (gill, lung sac, dorsal skin) among onchidiids, and transcriptome sequencing of four representative onchidiids was performed to investigate the molecular mechanisms associated with their respective habitats. Twenty-six SNP markers of Onchidium reevesii revealed some DNA polymorphisms determining visible traits. Non-muscle myosin heavy chain II (NMHC II) and myosin heavy chain (MyHC), which play essential roles in amphibian developmental processes, were found to be differentially expressed in different onchidiids and tissues. The species with higher terrestrial ability and increased integrated expression of Os-MHC (NMHC II gene) and the MyHC gene, illustrating that the expression levels of these genes were associated with the evolutionary degree. This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the adaptions of a diverse and widespread group of invertebrates, the Onchidiidae. Some onchidiids can breathe well through gills and skin when under seawater, and some can breathe well through lung sacs and skin when in wetlands. A histological comparison of respiratory organs and the relative expression levels of two genes provided insights into the adaptions of onchidiids that allowed their transition from shallow seas to wetlands. This work provides a valuable reference and might encourage further study. PMID:29698429

  10. Analysis of the free-energy surface of proteins from reversible folding simulations.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lucy R Allen

    2009-07-01

    Full Text Available Computer generated trajectories can, in principle, reveal the folding pathways of a protein at atomic resolution and possibly suggest general and simple rules for predicting the folded structure of a given sequence. While such reversible folding trajectories can only be determined ab initio using all-atom transferable force-fields for a few small proteins, they can be determined for a large number of proteins using coarse-grained and structure-based force-fields, in which a known folded structure is by construction the absolute energy and free-energy minimum. Here we use a model of the fast folding helical lambda-repressor protein to generate trajectories in which native and non-native states are in equilibrium and transitions are accurately sampled. Yet, representation of the free-energy surface, which underlies the thermodynamic and dynamic properties of the protein model, from such a trajectory remains a challenge. Projections over one or a small number of arbitrarily chosen progress variables often hide the most important features of such surfaces. The results unequivocally show that an unprojected representation of the free-energy surface provides important and unbiased information and allows a simple and meaningful description of many-dimensional, heterogeneous trajectories, providing new insight into the possible mechanisms of fast-folding proteins.

  11. A holistic evolutionary and structural study of flaviviridae provides insights into the function and inhibition of HCV helicase

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dimitrios Vlachakis

    2013-05-01

    Full Text Available Viral RNA helicases are involved in duplex unwinding during the RNA replication of the virus. It is suggested that these helicases represent very promising antiviral targets. Viruses of the flaviviridae family are the causative agents of many common and devastating diseases, including hepatitis, yellow fever and dengue fever. As there is currently no available anti-Flaviviridae therapy, there is urgent need for the development of efficient anti-viral pharmaceutical strategies. Herein, we report the complete phylogenetic analysis across flaviviridae alongside a more in-depth evolutionary study that revealed a series of conserved and invariant amino acids that are predicted to be key to the function of the helicase. Structural molecular modelling analysis revealed the strategic significance of these residues based on their relative positioning on the 3D structures of the helicase enzymes, which may be used as pharmacological targets. We previously reported a novel series of highly potent HCV helicase inhibitors, and we now re-assess their antiviral potential using the 3D structural model of the invariant helicase residues. It was found that the most active compound of the series, compound C4, exhibited an IC50 in the submicromolar range, whereas its stereoisomer (compound C12 was completely inactive. Useful insights were obtained from molecular modelling and conformational search studies via molecular dynamics simulations. C12 tends to bend and lock in an almost “U” shape conformation, failing to establish vital interactions with the active site of HCV. On the contrary, C4 spends most of its conformational time in a straight, more rigid formation that allows it to successfully block the passage of the oligonucleotide in the ssRNA channel of the HCV helicase. This study paves the way and provides the necessary framework for the in-depth analysis required to enable the future design of new and potent anti-viral agents.

  12. Correlation of proteome-wide changes with social immunity behaviors provides insight into resistance to the parasitic mite, Varroa destructor, in the honey bee (Apis mellifera).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parker, Robert; Guarna, M Marta; Melathopoulos, Andony P; Moon, Kyung-Mee; White, Rick; Huxter, Elizabeth; Pernal, Stephen F; Foster, Leonard J

    2012-06-29

    Disease is a major factor driving the evolution of many organisms. In honey bees, selection for social behavioral responses is the primary adaptive process facilitating disease resistance. One such process, hygienic behavior, enables bees to resist multiple diseases, including the damaging parasitic mite Varroa destructor. The genetic elements and biochemical factors that drive the expression of these adaptations are currently unknown. Proteomics provides a tool to identify proteins that control behavioral processes, and these proteins can be used as biomarkers to aid identification of disease tolerant colonies. We sampled a large cohort of commercial queen lineages, recording overall mite infestation, hygiene, and the specific hygienic response to V. destructor. We performed proteome-wide correlation analyses in larval integument and adult antennae, identifying several proteins highly predictive of behavior and reduced hive infestation. In the larva, response to wounding was identified as a key adaptive process leading to reduced infestation, and chitin biosynthesis and immune responses appear to represent important disease resistant adaptations. The speed of hygienic behavior may be underpinned by changes in the antenna proteome, and chemosensory and neurological processes could also provide specificity for detection of V. destructor in antennae. Our results provide, for the first time, some insight into how complex behavioural adaptations manifest in the proteome of honey bees. The most important biochemical correlations provide clues as to the underlying molecular mechanisms of social and innate immunity of honey bees. Such changes are indicative of potential divergence in processes controlling the hive-worker maturation.

  13. Habitat characteristics provide insights of carbon storage in seagrass meadows.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mazarrasa, Inés; Samper-Villarreal, Jimena; Serrano, Oscar; Lavery, Paul S; Lovelock, Catherine E; Marbà, Núria; Duarte, Carlos M; Cortés, Jorge

    2018-02-16

    Seagrass meadows provide multiple ecosystem services, yet they are among the most threatened ecosystems on earth. Because of their role as carbon sinks, protection and restoration of seagrass meadows contribute to climate change mitigation. Blue Carbon strategies aim to enhance CO 2 sequestration and avoid greenhouse gasses emissions through the management of coastal vegetated ecosystems, including seagrass meadows. The implementation of Blue Carbon strategies requires a good understanding of the habitat characteristics that influence C org sequestration. Here, we review the existing knowledge on Blue Carbon research in seagrass meadows to identify the key habitat characteristics that influence C org sequestration in seagrass meadows, those factors that threaten this function and those with unclear effects. We demonstrate that not all seagrass habitats have the same potential, identify research priorities and describe the implications of the results found for the implementation and development of efficient Blue Carbon strategies based on seagrass meadows. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Real-time and label-free analysis of binding thermodynamics of carbohydrate-protein interactions on unfixed cancer cell surfaces using a QCM biosensor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Xueming; Song, Siyu; Shuai, Qi; Pei, Yihan; Aastrup, Teodor; Pei, Yuxin; Pei, Zhichao

    2015-01-01

    A novel approach to the study of binding thermodynamics and kinetics of carbohydrate-protein interactions on unfixed cancer cell surfaces using a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) biosensor was developed, in which binding events take place at the cell surface, more closely mimicking a biologically relevant environment. In this study, colon adenocarcinoma cells (KM-12) and ovary adenocarcinoma cells (SKOV-3) grew on the optimized polystyrene-coated biosensor chip without fixation. The association and dissociation between the cell surface carbohydrates and a range of lectins, including WGA, Con A, UEA-I, GS-II, PNA and SBA, were monitored in real time and without label for evaluation of cell surface glycosylation. Furthermore, the thermodynamic and kinetic parameters of the interaction between lectins and cell surface glycan were studied, providing detailed information about the interactions, such as the association rate constant, dissociation rate constant, affinity constant, as well as the changes of entropy, enthalpy and Gibbs free energy. This application provides an insight into the cell surface glycosylation and the complex molecular recognition on the intact cell surface, which may have impacts on disease diagnosis and drug discovery. PMID:26369583

  15. Financing sustainability: insights for investors, corporate executives, and policymakers

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kerste, M.; Rosenboom, N.; Sikken, B.J.; Weda, J.

    2011-01-01

    Sustainability thinking is rapidly gaining traction. It o­ffers an inspiring vision for the future of the world and provides significant business and investment opportunities. Based on insights from over 300 empirical studies, this book explores the possibilities in the field of renewable energy

  16. Monitoring peptide-surface interaction by means of molecular dynamics simulation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nonella, Marco, E-mail: mnonella@pci.uzh.ch [Physikalisch-Chemisches Institut, Universitaet Zuerich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zuerich (Switzerland); Seeger, Stefan, E-mail: sseeger@pci.uzh.ch [Physikalisch-Chemisches Institut, Universitaet Zuerich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zuerich (Switzerland)

    2010-12-09

    Graphical abstract: Protein-surface interactions play a crucial role in a wide field of research areas like biology, biotechnology, or pharmacology. Only recently, it has been shown that not only peptide adsorption represents an important process but also spreading and clustering of adsorbed proteins. By means of classical molecular dynamics, peptide adsorption as well as the dynamics of adsorbed peptides have been investigated in order to gain deeper insight into such processes. The picture shows a snapshot of an adsorbed peptide on a silica surface showing strong direct hydrogen bonding. Research highlights: {yields} Simulation of peptide surface interaction. {yields} Dynamics of hydrogen bond formation and destruction. {yields} Internal flexibility of adsorbed peptides. - Abstract: Protein adsorption and protein surface interactions have become an important research topic in recent years. Very recently, for example, it has been shown that protein clusters can undergo a surface-induced spreading after adsorption. Such phenomena emphasize the need of a more detailed insight into protein-silica interaction at an atomic level. Therefore, we have studied a model system consisting of a short peptide, a silica slab, and water molecules by means of classical molecular dynamics simulations. The study reveals that, besides of electrostatic interactions caused by the chosen charge distribution, the peptide interacts with the silica surface through formation of direct peptide-surface hydrogen bonds as well as indirect peptide-water-surface hydrogen bonds. The number of created hydrogen bonds varies considerably among the simulated structures. The strength of hydrogen bonding determines the mobility of the peptide on the surface and the internal flexibility of the adsorbed peptide.

  17. Transcriptomes and expression profiling of deep-sea corals from the Red Sea provide insight into the biology of azooxanthellate corals

    OpenAIRE

    Yum, L. K.; Baumgarten, S.; Röthig, T.; Roder, C.; Roik, Anna; Michell, C.; Voolstra, C. R.

    2017-01-01

    Despite the importance of deep-sea corals, our current understanding of their ecology and evolution is limited due to difficulties in sampling and studying deep-sea environments. Moreover, a recent re-evaluation of habitat limitations has been suggested after characterization of deep-sea corals in the Red Sea, where they live at temperatures of above 20??C at low oxygen concentrations. To gain further insight into the biology of deep-sea corals, we produced reference transcriptomes and studie...

  18. Insights gained from NRC research investigations at the Maxey Flats LLW SLB facility

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    O'Donnell, E.

    1983-01-01

    The NRC funded program of research at Maxey Flats was done to assist an Agreement State in assessing the performance of the site. That program has yielded both site specific insights and generic insights which are likely to be useful in licensing future sites. They are as follows: Site Specific Insights: (1) The principal pathway of water entry into burial trenches at Maxey Flats is through the trench caps. (2) Sampling of vegetation, soils, and streams adjoining the site indicates that the small but measureable amounts of radionuclides found offsite were from surface runoff or the site evaporator. (3) There is limited onsite subsurface movement of radionuclides where open fractures intersect burial trenches. Generic Insights: (1) Tritium in the plant transpiration stream appears useful for mapping trench boundaries. (2) Trees offer a promising means of monitoring subsurface radionuclide movement in fractured rocks of low permeability. (3) Complexing with EDTA appears to be a potentially important mechanism that increases mobility of such radionuclides as Co-60, Pu-238, Am-241, and Sr-90. (4) Changes in soil solution chemistry encountered as leachate moves from trenches generally reduce the solubility of migrating radionuclides. (5) Agronomic management techniques appear promising as a means to control deep water percolation through waste burial trench caps. 18 references

  19. The surface and interior evolution of Ceres revealed by fractures and secondary crater chains

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scully, Jennifer E. C.; Buczkowski, Debra; Schmedemann, Nico; King, Scott; O'Brien, David P.; Castillo-Rogez, Julie; Raymond, Carol; Marchi, Simone; Russell, Christopher T.; Mitri, Giuseppe; Bland, Michael T.

    2016-10-01

    Dawn became the first spacecraft to visit and orbit Ceres, a dwarf planet and the largest body in the asteroid belt (radius ~470 km) (Russell et al., 2016). Before Dawn's arrival, telescopic observations and thermal evolution modeling indicated Ceres was differentiated, with an average density of 2,100 kg/m3 (e.g. McCord & Sotin, 2005; Castillo-Rogez & McCord, 2010). Moreover, pervasive viscous relaxation in a water-ice-rich outer layer was predicted to erase most features on Ceres' surface (Bland, 2013). However, a full understanding of Ceres' surface and interior evolution remained elusive. On the basis of global geologic mapping, we identify prevalent ≥1 km wide linear features that formed: 1) as the surface expression of subsurface fractures, and 2) as material ejected during impact-crater formation impacted and scoured the surface, forming secondary crater chains. The formation and preservation of these linear features indicates Ceres' outer layer is relatively strong, and is not dominated by viscous relaxation as predicted. The fractures also give us insights into Ceres' interior: their spacing indicates the fractured layer is ~30 km thick, and we interpret the fractures formed because of uplift and extension induced by an upwelling region, which is consistent with geodynamic modeling (King et al., 2016). In addition, we find that some secondary crater chains do not form radial patterns around their source impact craters, and are located in a different hemisphere from their source impact craters, because of Ceres' fast rotation (period of ~9 hours) and relatively small radius. Our results show Ceres has a surface and outer layer with characteristics that are different than predicted, and underwent complex surface and interior evolution. Our fuller understanding of Ceres, based on Dawn data, gives us important insights into the evolution of bodies in the asteroid belt, and provides unique constraints that can be used to evaluate predictions of the surface

  20. Insight into the epitaxial growth of high optical quality GaAs{sub 1–x}Bi{sub x}

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Beaton, D. A., E-mail: daniel.beaton@nrel.gov; Mascarenhas, A.; Alberi, K. [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, Colorado 80401 (United States)

    2015-12-21

    The ternary alloy GaAs{sub 1–x}Bi{sub x} is a potentially important material for infrared light emitting devices, but its use has been limited by poor optical quality. We report on the synthesis of GaAs{sub 1–x}Bi{sub x} epi-layers that exhibit narrow, band edge photoluminescence similar to other ternary GaAs based alloys, e.g., In{sub y}Ga{sub 1–y}As. The measured spectral linewidths are as low as 14 meV and 37 meV at low temperature (6 K) and room temperature, respectively, and are less than half of previously reported values. The improved optical quality is attributed to the use of incident UV irradiation of the epitaxial surface and the presence of a partial surface coverage of bismuth in a surfactant layer during epitaxy. Comparisons of samples grown under illuminated and dark conditions provide insight into possible surface processes that may be altered by the incident UV light. The improved optical quality now opens up possibilities for the practical use of GaAs{sub 1–x}Bi{sub x} in optoelectronic devices.

  1. Molecular insight into nanoscale water films dewetting on modified silica surfaces.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Jun; Li, Wen; Yan, Youguo; Wang, Yefei; Liu, Bing; Shen, Yue; Chen, Haixiang; Liu, Liang

    2015-01-07

    In this work, molecular dynamics simulations are adopted to investigate the microscopic dewetting mechanism of nanoscale water films on methylated silica surfaces. The simulation results show that the dewetting process is divided into two stages: the appearance of dry patches and the quick contraction of the water film. First, the appearance of dry patches is due to the fluctuation in the film thickness originating from capillary wave instability. Second, for the fast contraction of water film, the unsaturated electrostatic and hydrogen bond interactions among water molecules are the driving forces, which induce the quick contraction of the water film. Finally, the effect of film thickness on water films dewetting is studied. Research results suggest that upon increasing the water film thickness from 6 to 8 Å, the final dewetting patterns experience separate droplets and striation-shaped structures, respectively. But upon further increasing the water film thickness, the water film is stable and there are no dry patches. The microscopic dewetting behaviors of water films on methylated silica surfaces discussed here are helpful in understanding many phenomena in scientific and industrial processes better.

  2. Bifidobacterial surface-exopolysaccharide facilitates commensal-host interaction through immune modulation and pathogen protection

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fanning, Saranna; Hall, Lindsay J.; Cronin, Michelle; Zomer, Aldert; MacSharry, John; Goulding, David; O'Connell Motherway, Mary; Shanahan, Fergus; Nally, Kenneth; Dougan, Gordon; van Sinderen, Douwe

    2012-01-01

    Bifidobacteria comprise a significant proportion of the human gut microbiota. Several bifidobacterial strains are currently used as therapeutic interventions, claiming various health benefits by acting as probiotics. However, the precise mechanisms by which they maintain habitation within their host and consequently provide these benefits are not fully understood. Here we show that Bifidobacterium breve UCC2003 produces a cell surface-associated exopolysaccharide (EPS), the biosynthesis of which is directed by either half of a bidirectional gene cluster, thus leading to production of one of two possible EPSs. Alternate transcription of the two opposing halves of this cluster appears to be the result of promoter reorientation. Surface EPS provided stress tolerance and promoted in vivo persistence, but not initial colonization. Marked differences were observed in host immune response: strains producing surface EPS (EPS+) failed to elicit a strong immune response compared with EPS-deficient variants. Specifically, EPS production was shown to be linked to the evasion of adaptive B-cell responses. Furthermore, presence of EPS+ B. breve reduced colonization levels of the gut pathogen Citrobacter rodentium. Our data thus assigns a pivotal and beneficial role for EPS in modulating various aspects of bifidobacterial–host interaction, including the ability of commensal bacteria to remain immunologically silent and in turn provide pathogen protection. This finding enforces the probiotic concept and provides mechanistic insights into health-promoting benefits for both animal and human hosts. PMID:22308390

  3. The Inylchek Glacier in Kyrgyzstan, Central Asia: Insight on Surface Kinematics from Optical Remote Sensing Imagery

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohamad Nobakht

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Mountain chains of Central Asia host a large number of glaciated areas that provide critical water supplies to the semi-arid populated foothills and lowlands of this region. Spatio-temporal variations of glacier flows are a key indicator of the impact of climate change on water resources as the glaciers react sensitively to climate. Satellite remote sensing using optical imagery is an efficient method for studying ice-velocity fields on mountain glaciers. In this study, temporal and spatial changes in surface velocity associated with the Inylchek glacier in Kyrgyzstan are investigated. We present a detailed map for the kinematics of the Inylchek glacier obtained by cross-correlation analysis of Landsat images, acquired between 2000 and 2011, and a set of ASTER images covering the time period between 2001 and 2007. Our results indicate a high-velocity region in the elevated part of the glacier, moving up to a rate of about 0.5 m/day. Time series analysis of optical data reveals some annual variations in the mean surface velocity of the Inylchek during 2000–2011. In particular, our findings suggest an opposite trend between periods of the northward glacial flow in Proletarskyi and Zvezdochka glacier, and the rate of westward motion observed for the main stream of the Inylchek.

  4. Groundwater recharge and flow on Montserrat, West Indies: Insights from groundwater dating

    OpenAIRE

    Hemmings, Brioch; Gooddy, Daren; Whitaker, Fiona; George Darling, W.; Jasim, Alia; Gottsmann, Joachim

    2015-01-01

    Study region Montserrat, Lesser Antilles, Caribbean. Study focus Analysis of δ2H and δ18O isotopes, and chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) anthropogenic tracers in Montserrat groundwater provides insights into the age and provenance of the spring waters. New hydrological insights δ2H and δ18O analysis indicates uniform recharge elevations for groundwaters on Montserrat. CFC-11 and CFC-12 analysis reveals age differences between isotopically similar, high elevation springs and low eleva...

  5. Human listeners provide insights into echo features used by dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) to discriminate among objects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Delong, Caroline M; Au, Whitlow W L; Harley, Heidi E; Roitblat, Herbert L; Pytka, Lisa

    2007-08-01

    Echolocating bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) discriminate between objects on the basis of the echoes reflected by the objects. However, it is not clear which echo features are important for object discrimination. To gain insight into the salient features, the authors had a dolphin perform a match-to-sample task and then presented human listeners with echoes from the same objects used in the dolphin's task. In 2 experiments, human listeners performed as well or better than the dolphin at discriminating objects, and they reported the salient acoustic cues. The error patterns of the humans and the dolphin were compared to determine which acoustic features were likely to have been used by the dolphin. The results indicate that the dolphin did not appear to use overall echo amplitude, but that it attended to the pattern of changes in the echoes across different object orientations. Human listeners can quickly identify salient combinations of echo features that permit object discrimination, which can be used to generate hypotheses that can be tested using dolphins as subjects.

  6. The correlation between gelatin macroscale differences and nanoparticle properties: providing insight into biopolymer variability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stevenson, André T; Jankus, Danny J; Tarshis, Max A; Whittington, Abby R

    2018-05-21

    From therapeutic delivery to sustainable packaging, manipulation of biopolymers into nanostructures imparts biocompatibility to numerous materials with minimal environmental pollution during processing. While biopolymers are appealing natural based materials, the lack of nanoparticle (NP) physicochemical consistency has decreased their nanoscale translation into actual products. Insights regarding the macroscale and nanoscale property variation of gelatin, one of the most common biopolymers already utilized in its bulk form, are presented. Novel correlations between macroscale and nanoscale properties were made by characterizing similar gelatin rigidities obtained from different manufacturers. Samples with significant differences in clarity, indicating sample purity, obtained the largest deviations in NP diameter. Furthermore, a statistically significant positive correlation between macroscale molecular weight dispersity and NP diameter was determined. New theoretical calculations proposing the limited number of gelatin chains that can aggregate and subsequently get crosslinked for NP formation were presented as one possible reason to substantiate the correlation analysis. NP charge and crosslinking extent were also related to diameter. Lower gelatin sample molecular weight dispersities produced statistically smaller average diameters (<75 nm), and higher average electrostatic charges (∼30 mV) and crosslinking extents (∼95%), which were independent of gelatin rigidity, conclusions not shown in the literature. This study demonstrates that the molecular weight composition of the starting material is one significant factor affecting gelatin nanoscale properties and must be characterized prior to NP preparation. Identifying gelatin macroscale and nanoscale correlations offers a route toward greater physicochemical property control and reproducibility of new NP formulations for translation to industry.

  7. Reversible tuning of the wettability on a silver mesodendritic surface by the formation and disruption of lipid-like bilayers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Yuanji; Xia, Bing; Liu, Jie; Ding, Lisheng; Li, Bangjing; Zhou, Yan

    2015-02-01

    This study reported a smart, easy to apply, flexible and green strategy for obtaining a biomimic micro-nanostructures. 1-Mercapto-12-(p-nitrophenoxy) dodecane (MPND) and n-dodecanethiol were used to form low surface energy film on a silver mesodendritic structure coated zinc substrate. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were used to characterize surface morphology and mesocrystal structures. Noncovalently linked sodium nonanoyloxy benzene sulfonate (NOBS) was used to form "lipid-like bilayers" on the surface, making it possible for the surface to switch its surface wettability reversibly. The water contact angle (CA) on the constructed surface varies from 168 ± 2° (before processed by NOBS) to 55 ± 2° (after processed by NOBS). This phenomenon can be explained by the formation and disruption of "lipid-like bilayers" to affect the wettability of the surface. This work is of great scientific interests and may provide insights into the design of novel functional devices that are relevant to surface wettability, such as microfluidic devices and sensors.

  8. Draft genome sequence of Halomonas meridiana R1t3 isolated from the surface microbiota of the Caribbean Elkhorn coral Acropora palmata.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meyer, Julie L; Dillard, Brian A; Rodgers, John M; Ritchie, Kim B; Paul, Valerie J; Teplitski, Max

    2015-01-01

    Members of the gammaproteobacterial genus Halomonas are common in marine environments. Halomonas and other members of the Oceanospirillales have recently been identified as prominent members of the surface microbiota of reef-building corals. Halomonas meridiana strain R1t3 was isolated from the surface mucus layer of the scleractinian coral Acropora palmata in 2005 from the Florida Keys. This strain was chosen for genome sequencing to provide insight into the role of commensal heterotrophic bacteria in the coral holobiont. The draft genome consists of 290 scaffolds, totaling 3.5 Mbp in length and contains 3397 protein-coding genes.

  9. Implementation of physiological fluids to provide insight into the characterization, fate, and biological interactions of silver nanoparticles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Breitner, Emily K.; Burns, Katherine E.; Hussain, Saber M.; Comfort, Kristen K.

    2018-06-01

    Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are being increasingly utilized in consumer and medical applications. However, there remains conflicting reports on their safety, which are evaluated through a combination of in vitro and in vivo exposure models. These discrepancies may arise, in part, due to the inherent differences between cell-based and animal systems. It is well established that nanotoxicological effects are highly dependent on the unique physicochemical properties and behavior of the particle set, including size, surface chemistry, agglomeration, and ionic dissolution. However, recent studies have identified that these properties vary as a function of exposure environment; providing a rationale for the contradictory results between in vitro and in vivo assessments. Artificial physiological fluids are emerging as a powerful tool as they allow for the characterization of NPs in an environment which they would likely encounter in vivo, in addition to having the experimental advantages of flexibility and consistency. Here, we demonstrated that the utilization of artificial fluids provided a mechanism to assess AgNP behavior and induced bioresponses in environments that they would likely encounter in vivo. AgNPs were introduced within an alveolar-based exposure model, which included alveolar epithelial (A549) cells incubated within artificial alveolar fluid (AF). Additionally, the particles underwent extensive characterization within both AF and lysosomal fluid, which the AgNPs would encounter following cellular internalization. Following incubation in physiological environments AgNP properties were significantly modified versus a traditional media environment, including alterations to both extent of agglomeration and rate of ionic dissolution. Moreover, when A549s were exposed to AgNPs in AF, the cells displayed lower cytotoxicity and stress rates, corresponding to a fluid-dependent drop in silver ion production. This work highlights the need for enhanced in vitro

  10. The impact of runoff and surface hydrology on Titan's climate

    Science.gov (United States)

    Faulk, Sean; Lora, Juan; Mitchell, Jonathan

    2017-10-01

    Titan’s surface liquid distribution has been shown by general circulation models (GCMs) to greatly influence the hydrological cycle. Simulations from the Titan Atmospheric Model (TAM) with imposed polar methane “wetlands” reservoirs realistically produce many observed features of Titan’s atmosphere, whereas “aquaplanet” simulations with a global methane ocean are not as successful. In addition, wetlands simulations, unlike aquaplanet simulations, demonstrate strong correlations between extreme rainfall behavior and observed geomorphic features, indicating the influential role of precipitation in shaping Titan’s surface. The wetlands configuration is, in part, motivated by Titan’s large-scale topography featuring low-latitude highlands and high-latitude lowlands, with the implication being that methane may concentrate in the high-latitude lowlands by way of runoff and subsurface flow. However, the extent to which topography controls the surface liquid distribution and thus impacts the global hydrological cycle by driving surface and subsurface flow is unclear. Here we present TAM simulations wherein the imposed wetlands reservoirs are replaced by a surface runoff scheme that allows surface liquid to self-consistently redistribute under the influence of topography. To isolate the singular impact of surface runoff on Titan’s climatology, we run simulations without parameterizations of subsurface flow and topography-atmosphere interactions. We discuss the impact of surface runoff on the surface liquid distribution over seasonal timescales and compare the resulting hydrological cycle to observed cloud and surface features, as well as to the hydrological cycles of the TAM wetlands and aquaplanet simulations. While still idealized, this more realistic representation of Titan’s hydrology provides new insight into the complex interaction between Titan’s atmosphere and surface, demonstrates the influence of surface runoff on Titan’s global climate

  11. Did Mineral Surface Chemistry and Toxicity Contribute to Evolution of Microbial Extracellular Polymeric Substances?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Campbell, Jay M.; Zhang, Nianli; Hickey, William J.

    2012-01-01

    Abstract Modern ecological niches are teeming with an astonishing diversity of microbial life in biofilms closely associated with mineral surfaces, which highlights the remarkable success of microorganisms in conquering the challenges and capitalizing on the benefits presented by the mineral–water interface. Biofilm formation capability likely evolved on early Earth because biofilms provide crucial cell survival functions. The potential toxicity of mineral surfaces toward cells and the complexities of the mineral–water–cell interface in determining the toxicity mechanisms, however, have not been fully appreciated. Here, we report a previously unrecognized role for extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), which form biofilms in shielding cells against the toxicity of mineral surfaces. Using colony plating and LIVE/DEAD staining methods in oxide suspensions versus oxide-free controls, we found greater viability of wild-type, EPS-producing strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 compared to their isogenic knockout mutant with defective biofilm-producing capacity. Oxide toxicity was specific to its surface charge and particle size. High resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) images and assays for highly reactive oxygen species (hROS) on mineral surfaces suggested that EPS shield via both physical and chemical mechanisms. Intriguingly, qualitative as well as quantitative measures of EPS production showed that toxic minerals induced EPS production in bacteria. By determining the specific toxicity mechanisms, we provide insight into the potential impact of mineral surfaces in promoting increased complexity of cell surfaces, including EPS and biofilm formation, on early Earth. Key Words: Mineral toxicity—Bacteria—EPS evolution—Biofilms—Cytotoxicity—Silica—Anatase—Alumina. Astrobiology 12, 785–798. PMID:22934560

  12. From coherent to incoherent mismatched interfaces: A generalized continuum formulation of surface stresses

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dingreville, Rémi; Hallil, Abdelmalek; Berbenni, Stéphane

    2014-12-01

    The equilibrium of coherent and incoherent mismatched interfaces is reformulated in the context of continuum mechanics based on the Gibbs dividing surface concept. Two surface stresses are introduced: a coherent surface stress and an incoherent surface stress, as well as a transverse excess strain. The coherent surface stress and the transverse excess strain represent the thermodynamic driving forces of stretching the interface while the incoherent surface stress represents the driving force of stretching one crystal while holding the other fixed and thereby altering the structure of the interface. These three quantities fully characterize the elastic behavior of coherent and incoherent interfaces as a function of the in-plane strain, the transverse stress and the mismatch strain. The isotropic case is developed in detail and particular attention is paid to the case of interfacial thermo-elasticity. This exercise provides an insight on the physical significance of the interfacial elastic constants introduced in the formulation and illustrates the obvious coupling between the interface structure and its associated thermodynamics quantities. Finally, an example based on atomistic simulations of Cu/Cu2O interfaces is given to demonstrate the relevance of the generalized interfacial formulation and to emphasize the dependence of the interfacial thermodynamic quantities on the incoherency strain with an actual material system.

  13. Gaining insight into the physics of dynamic atomic force microscopy in complex environments using the VEDA simulator

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kiracofe, Daniel; Melcher, John; Raman, Arvind

    2012-01-01

    Dynamic atomic force microscopy (dAFM) continues to grow in popularity among scientists in many different fields, and research on new methods and operating modes continues to expand the resolution, capabilities, and types of samples that can be studied. But many promising increases in capability are accompanied by increases in complexity. Indeed, interpreting modern dAFM data can be challenging, especially on complicated material systems, or in liquid environments where the behavior is often contrary to what is known in air or vacuum environments. Mathematical simulations have proven to be an effective tool in providing physical insight into these non-intuitive systems. In this article we describe recent developments in the VEDA (virtual environment for dynamic AFM) simulator, which is a suite of freely available, open-source simulation tools that are delivered through the cloud computing cyber-infrastructure of nanoHUB (www.nanohub.org). Here we describe three major developments. First, simulations in liquid environments are improved by enhancements in the modeling of cantilever dynamics, excitation methods, and solvation shell forces. Second, VEDA is now able to simulate many new advanced modes of operation (bimodal, phase-modulation, frequency-modulation, etc.). Finally, nineteen different tip-sample models are available to simulate the surface physics of a wide variety different material systems including capillary, specific adhesion, van der Waals, electrostatic, viscoelasticity, and hydration forces. These features are demonstrated through example simulations and validated against experimental data, in order to provide insight into practical problems in dynamic AFM.

  14. Plasmodium vivax Biology: Insights Provided by Genomics, Transcriptomics and Proteomics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bourgard, Catarina; Albrecht, Letusa; Kayano, Ana C. A. V.; Sunnerhagen, Per; Costa, Fabio T. M.

    2018-01-01

    During the last decade, the vast omics field has revolutionized biological research, especially the genomics, transcriptomics and proteomics branches, as technological tools become available to the field researcher and allow difficult question-driven studies to be addressed. Parasitology has greatly benefited from next generation sequencing (NGS) projects, which have resulted in a broadened comprehension of basic parasite molecular biology, ecology and epidemiology. Malariology is one example where application of this technology has greatly contributed to a better understanding of Plasmodium spp. biology and host-parasite interactions. Among the several parasite species that cause human malaria, the neglected Plasmodium vivax presents great research challenges, as in vitro culturing is not yet feasible and functional assays are heavily limited. Therefore, there are gaps in our P. vivax biology knowledge that affect decisions for control policies aiming to eradicate vivax malaria in the near future. In this review, we provide a snapshot of key discoveries already achieved in P. vivax sequencing projects, focusing on developments, hurdles, and limitations currently faced by the research community, as well as perspectives on future vivax malaria research. PMID:29473024

  15. Defect and structural imperfection effects on the electronic properties of BiTeI surfaces

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fiedler, Sebastian; Seibel, Christoph; Lutz, Peter; Bentmann, Hendrik; Reinert, Friedrich; El-Kareh, Lydia; Bode, Matthias; Eremeev, Sergey V; Tereshchenko, Oleg E; Kokh, Konstantin A; Chulkov, Evgueni V; Kuznetsova, Tatyana V; Grebennikov, Vladimir I

    2014-01-01

    The surface electronic structure of the narrow-gap seminconductor BiTeI exhibits a large Rashba-splitting which strongly depends on the surface termination. Here we report on a detailed investigation of the surface morphology and electronic properties of cleaved BiTeI single crystals by scanning tunneling microscopy, photoelectron spectroscopy (ARPES, XPS), electron diffraction (SPA-LEED) and density functional theory calculations. Our measurements confirm a previously reported coexistence of Te- and I-terminated surface areas originating from bulk stacking faults and find a characteristic length scale of ∼100 nm for these areas. We show that the two terminations exhibit distinct types of atomic defects in the surface and subsurface layers. For electronic states resided on the I terminations we observe an energy shift depending on the time after cleavage. This aging effect is successfully mimicked by depositon of Cs adatoms found to accumulate on top of the I terminations. As shown theoretically on a microscopic scale, this preferential adsorbing behaviour results from considerably different energetics and surface diffusion lengths at the two terminations. Our investigations provide insight into the importance of structural imperfections as well as intrinsic and extrinsic defects on the electronic properties of BiTeI surfaces and their temporal stability. (paper)

  16. A high-quality genome assembly of quinoa provides insights into the molecular basis of salt bladder-based salinity tolerance and the exceptional nutritional value

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zou, Changsong; Chen, Aojun; Xiao, Lihong; Muller, Heike M; Ache, Peter; Haberer, Georg; Zhang, Meiling; Jia, Wei; Deng, Ping; Huang, Ru; Lang, Daniel; Li, Feng; Zhan, Dongliang; Wu, Xiangyun; Zhang, Hui; Bohm, Jennifer; Liu, Renyi; Shabala, Sergey; Hedrich, Rainer; Zhu, Jian-Kang; Zhang, Heng

    2017-01-01

    Chenopodium quinoa is a halophytic pseudocereal crop that is being cultivated in an ever-growing number of countries. Because quinoa is highly resistant to multiple abiotic stresses and its seed has a better nutritional value than any other major cereals, it is regarded as a future crop to ensure global food security. We generated a high-quality genome draft using an inbred line of the quinoa cultivar Real. The quinoa genome experienced one recent genome duplication about 4.3 million years ago, likely reflecting the genome fusion of two Chenopodium parents, in addition to the γ paleohexaploidization reported for most eudicots. The genome is highly repetitive (64.5% repeat content) and contains 54 438 protein-coding genes and 192 microRNA genes, with more than 99.3% having orthologous genes from glycophylic species. Stress tolerance in quinoa is associated with the expansion of genes involved in ion and nutrient transport, ABA homeostasis and signaling, and enhanced basal-level ABA responses. Epidermal salt bladder cells exhibit similar characteristics as trichomes, with a significantly higher expression of genes related to energy import and ABA biosynthesis compared with the leaf lamina. The quinoa genome sequence provides insights into its exceptional nutritional value and the evolution of halophytes, enabling the identification of genes involved in salinity tolerance, and providing the basis for molecular breeding in quinoa. PMID:28994416

  17. Approaching the Distinction between Intuition and Insight.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Zhonglu; Lei, Yi; Li, Hong

    2016-01-01

    Intuition and insight share similar cognitive and neural basis. Though, there are still some essential differences between the two. Here in this short review, we discriminated between intuition, and insight in two aspects. First, intuition, and insight are toward different aspects of information processing. Whereas intuition involves judgment about "yes or no," insight is related to "what" is the solution. Second, tacit knowledge play different roles in between intuition and insight. On the one hand, tacit knowledge is conducive to intuitive judgment. On the other hand, tacit knowledge may first impede but later facilitate insight occurrence. Furthermore, we share theoretical, and methodological views on how to access the distinction between intuition and insight.

  18. Dimensions of insight in schizophrenia: Exploratory factor analysis of items from multiple self- and interviewer-rated measures of insight.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Konsztowicz, Susanna; Schmitz, Norbert; Lepage, Martin

    2018-03-10

    Insight in schizophrenia is regarded as a multidimensional construct that comprises aspects such as awareness of the disorder and recognition of the need for treatment. The proposed number of underlying dimensions of insight is variable in the literature. In an effort to identify a range of existing dimensions of insight, we conducted a factor analysis on combined items from multiple measures of insight. We recruited 165 participants with enduring schizophrenia (treated for >3years). Exploratory factor analysis was conducted on itemized scores from two interviewer-rated measures of insight: the Schedule for the Assessment of Insight-Expanded and the abbreviated Scale to assess Unawareness of Mental Disorder; and two self-report measures: the Birchwood Insight Scale and the Beck Cognitive Insight Scale. A five-factor solution was selected as the best-fitting model, with the following dimensions of insight: 1) awareness of illness and the need for treatment; 2) awareness and attribution of symptoms and consequences; 3) self-certainty; 4) self-reflectiveness for objectivity and fallibility; and 5) self-reflectiveness for errors in reasoning and openness to feedback. Insight in schizophrenia is a multidimensional construct comprised of distinct clinical and cognitive domains of awareness. Multiple measures of insight, both clinician- and self-rated, are needed to capture all of the existing dimensions of insight. Future exploration of associations between the various dimensions and their potential determinants will facilitate the development of clinically useful models of insight and effective interventions to improve outcome. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. Ruminant Nutrition Symposium: Acidosis: new insights into the persistent problem.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oba, M; Wertz-Lutz, A E

    2011-04-01

    The Ruminant Nutrition Symposium titled "Acidosis: New insights into the persistent problem" was held at the Joint Annual Meeting of the American Dairy Science Association, American Society of Animal Science, Poultry Science Association, Asociación Mexicana de Producción Animal, Western Section-ASAS, and the Canadian Society of Animal Science in Denver, Colorado, July 11 to 15, 2010. The objective of the symposium was to provide the ruminant nutrition community with new insights and perspectives from recent research findings on acidosis. Under modern production systems, ruminants are fed high-grain diets to maximize their energy intake and productivity. However, feeding highly fermentable diets often causes excess fermentation and results in accumulation of fermentation acids in the rumen, leading to a decrease in feed intake, poor feed efficiency, liver abscesses, and lameness in feedlot cattle or lactating dairy cows. Although our understanding of nutritional factors (i.e., effects of type and processing method of grains and importance of physically effective fiber) affecting rumen pH have increased substantially over the past few decades, rumen acidosis has continued to be a common problem in the ruminant livestock industry. The symposium program was organized to review recent research findings in acidosis with more emphasis on physiological aspects, and provide novel insights into the persistent problem.

  20. Insights into business student's book

    CERN Document Server

    Lannon, Michael; Trappe, Tonya

    1993-01-01

    With Challenging reading and listening texts from a range of authentic business sources, New Insights into Business will really engage your students. The thorough language and vocabulary syllabus together with the strong focus on business skills development gives students everything they need to function effectively in the workplace. New Insights into Business is a self-contained course and is also an ideal follow-on to First Insights into Business.

  1. In Search of Insight.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaplan, Craig A.; Simon, Herbert A.

    1990-01-01

    Attaining the insight needed to solve the Mutilated Checkerboard problem, which requires discovery of an effective problem representation (EPR), is described. Performance on insight problems can be predicted from the availability of generators and constraints in the search for an EPR. Data for 23 undergraduates were analyzed. (TJH)

  2. The ASCO Oncology Composite Provider Utilization File: New Data, New Insights.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barr, Thomas R; Towle, Elaine L; Barr, Thomas R; Towle, Elaine L

    2016-01-01

    As we seek to understand the changing practice environment in oncology, the need for accurate information about demand for services, distribution of the delivery system in this sector of the health economy, and other practice trends is apparent. In this article, we present analysis of the sector using one of the public use files from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services in combination with other publicly available data. Medicare data are particularly useful for this analysis because cancer is associated with aging and Medicare is the primary payer in the United States for patients older than age 65. As a result, nearly all oncologists who serve adult populations are represented in these data. By combining publicly available datasets into what we call the ASCO Provider Utilization File,we can investigate a wide range of supply, demand, and practice issues. We calculate the average work performed per physician, observe regional differences in work production,and quantify the downside risk and upside potential associated with the provision of chemotherapy drugs. Comparing the supply of oncologists by state with physician work relative value units and with estimates of cancer incidence by state reveals intriguing differences in the distribution of physicians and the demand for oncology services. In addition, our analysis demonstrates significant downside practice risk associated with the provision of drug therapy to Medicare beneficiaries. The economic risk associated with the purchase and delivery of chemotherapy is of particular concern as pressure for value increases. This article provides a description of a new dataset and interesting observations from these data.

  3. Precision Neutron Time-of-Flight Detectors Provide Insight into NIF Implosion Dynamics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schlossberg, David; Eckart, M. J.; Grim, G. P.; Hartouni, E. P.; Hatarik, R.; Moore, A. S.; Waltz, C. S.

    2017-10-01

    During inertial confinement fusion, higher-order moments of neutron time-of-flight (nToF) spectra can provide essential information for optimizing implosions. The nToF diagnostic suite at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) was recently upgraded to include novel, quartz Cherenkov detectors. These detectors exploit the rapid Cherenkov radiation process, in contrast with conventional scintillator decay times, to provide high temporal-precision measurements that support higher-order moment analyses. Preliminary measurements have been made on the NIF during several implosions and initial results are presented here. Measured line-of-sight asymmetries, for example in ion temperatures, will be discussed. Finally, advanced detector optimization is shown to advance accessible physics, with possibilities for energy discrimination, gamma source identification, and further reduction in quartz response times. Work performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under contract DE-AC52-07NA27344.

  4. Parental insightfulness: retrospect and prospect.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koren-Karie, Nina; Oppenheim, David

    2018-06-01

    We open this introductory paper to the special issue with the theoretical and clinical roots of the insightfulness concept. Next, the Insightfulness Assessment (IA) is presented, followed by a review of key empirical findings supporting the IA. The central points in the papers in this special issue are reviewed next. These include the use of the IA with parents of children ranging in age from infancy to adolescence, its applicability outside the parent-child relationship (e.g. insightfulness toward a close friend), its use with high-risk mothers, and the usefulness of insightfulness both as a continuous and a categorical measure. The clinical applications of the IA are discussed, and we close with future directions for IA research.

  5. A Monte Carlo/response surface strategy for sensitivity analysis: application to a dynamic model of vegetative plant growth

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lim, J. T.; Gold, H. J.; Wilkerson, G. G.; Raper, C. D. Jr; Raper CD, J. r. (Principal Investigator)

    1989-01-01

    We describe the application of a strategy for conducting a sensitivity analysis for a complex dynamic model. The procedure involves preliminary screening of parameter sensitivities by numerical estimation of linear sensitivity coefficients, followed by generation of a response surface based on Monte Carlo simulation. Application is to a physiological model of the vegetative growth of soybean plants. The analysis provides insights as to the relative importance of certain physiological processes in controlling plant growth. Advantages and disadvantages of the strategy are discussed.

  6. Third-person Diagnostic Interview on the Cognitive Insight Level of Psychotic Patients with an Insight at the Denial Level.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mehdizadeh, Mahsa; Rezaei, Omid

    2016-01-01

    According to the previous findings, the third-person technique improved the clinical insight of psychotic patients, therefore the present study aims to examine the effect of a third-person interview compared to a first-person interview on the level of cognitive insight of psychotic patients with an insight at the denial level. In this study, using interviews and questionnaires, a total number of 44 patients of Razi Psychiatric Educational and Treatment Center with an insight at the denial level being assessed using diagnostic interviews were divided randomly into two groups. Then, the two groups of patients' cognitive insights were evaluated using Beck Cognitive Insight Scale. The findings indicated that in psychotic patients with an insight at the denial level, the third-person technique of interview compared to the first-person had little effect on the improvement of overall cognitive insight and its components, including self-reflection and self-assurance; however, this effect was not strong enough to make a significant difference between the two groups of patients. According to the study findings, we can conclude that the third-person interview compared to the first-person interview has no effect on the improvement of the cognitive insight of psychotic patients with an insight at the denial level. This finding is consistent with the previous studies indicating that although the theory of mind has some correlations with the clinical insight of patients, it has no effect on their cognitive insight.

  7. Adsorption of molecular additive onto lead halide perovskite surfaces: A computational study on Lewis base thiophene additive passivation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Lei; Yu, Fengxi; Chen, Lihong; Li, Jingfa

    2018-06-01

    Organic additives, such as the Lewis base thiophene, have been successfully applied to passivate halide perovskite surfaces, improving the stability and properties of perovskite devices based on CH3NH3PbI3. Yet, the detailed nanostructure of the perovskite surface passivated by additives and the mechanisms of such passivation are not well understood. This study presents a nanoscopic view on the interfacial structure of an additive/perovskite interface, consisting of a Lewis base thiophene molecular additive and a lead halide perovskite surface substrate, providing insights on the mechanisms that molecular additives can passivate the halide perovskite surfaces and enhance the perovskite-based device performance. Molecular dynamics study on the interactions between water molecules and the perovskite surfaces passivated by the investigated additive reveal the effectiveness of employing the molecular additives to improve the stability of the halide perovskite materials. The additive/perovskite surface system is further probed via molecular engineering the perovskite surfaces. This study reveals the nanoscopic structure-property relationships of the halide perovskite surface passivated by molecular additives, which helps the fundamental understanding of the surface/interface engineering strategies for the development of halide perovskite based devices.

  8. Quantification of acute vocal fold epithelial surface damage with increasing time and magnitude doses of vibration exposure.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tsuyoshi Kojima

    Full Text Available Because the vocal folds undergo repeated trauma during continuous cycles of vibration, the epithelium is routinely susceptible to damage during phonation. Excessive and prolonged vibration exposure is considered a significant predisposing factor in the development of vocal fold pathology. The purpose of the present study was to quantify the extent of epithelial surface damage following increased time and magnitude doses of vibration exposure using an in vivo rabbit phonation model. Forty-five New Zealand white breeder rabbits were randomized to nine groups and received varying phonation time-doses (30, 60, or 120 minutes and magnitude-doses (control, modal intensity phonation, or raised intensity phonation of vibration exposure. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy was used to quantify the degree of epithelial surface damage. Results revealed a significant reduction in microprojection density, microprojection height, and depth of the epithelial surface with increasing time and phonation magnitudes doses, signifying increased epithelial surface damage risk with excessive and prolonged vibration exposure. Destruction to the epithelial cell surface may provide significant insight into the disruption of cell function following prolonged vibration exposure. One important goal achieved in the present study was the quantification of epithelial surface damage using objective imaging criteria. These data provide an important foundation for future studies of long-term tissue recovery from excessive and prolonged vibration exposure.

  9. Abnormal small-world brain functional networks in obsessive-compulsive disorder patients with poor insight.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lei, Hui; Cui, Yan; Fan, Jie; Zhang, Xiaocui; Zhong, Mingtian; Yi, Jinyao; Cai, Lin; Yao, Dezhong; Zhu, Xiongzhao

    2017-09-01

    There are limited data on neurobiological correlates of poor insight in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). This study explored whether specific changes occur in small-world network (SWN) properties in the brain functional network of OCD patients with poor insight. Resting-state electroencephalograms (EEGs) were recorded for 12 medication-free OCD patients with poor insight, 50 medication-free OCD patients with good insight, and 36 healthy controls. Both of the OCD groups exhibited topological alterations in the brain functional network characterized by abnormal small-world parameters at the beta band. However, the alterations at the theta band only existed in the OCD patients with poor insight. A relatively small sample size. Subjects were naïve to medications and those with Axis I comorbidity were excluded, perhaps limiting generalizability. Disrupted functional integrity at the beta bands of the brain functional network may be related to OCD, while disrupted functional integrity at the theta band may be associated with poor insight in OCD patients, thus this study might provide novel insight into our understanding of the pathophysiology of OCD. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. Unique genome organization of non-mammalian papillomaviruses provides insights into the evolution of viral early proteins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Van Doorslaer, Koenraad; Ruoppolo, Valeria; Schmidt, Annie; Lescroël, Amelie; Jongsomjit, Dennis; Elrod, Megan; Kraberger, Simona; Stainton, Daisy; Dugger, Katie M; Ballard, Grant; Ainley, David G; Varsani, Arvind

    2017-07-01

    estimated the divergence time between Northern fulmar-associated papillomavirus and the other Sauropsid papillomaviruses be to around 250 million years ago, during the Paleozoic-Mesozoic transition and our analysis dates the root of the papillomavirus tree between 400 and 600 million years ago. Our analysis shows evidence for niche adaptation and that these non-mammalian viruses have highly divergent E6 and E7 proteins, providing insights into the evolution of the early viral (onco-)proteins.

  11. Unique genome organization of non-mammalian papillomaviruses provides insights into the evolution of viral early proteins

    Science.gov (United States)

    Van Doorslaer, Koenraad; Ruoppolo, Valeria; Schmidt, Annie; Lescroël, Amelie; Jongsomjit, Dennis; Elrod, Megan; Kraberger, Simona; Stainton, Daisy; Dugger, Katie M.; Ballard, Grant; Ainley, David G.; Varsani, Arvind

    2017-01-01

    divergence time between Northern fulmar-associated papillomavirus and the other Sauropsid papillomaviruses be to around 250 million years ago, during the Paleozoic-Mesozoic transition and our analysis dates the root of the papillomavirus tree between 400 and 600 million years ago. Our analysis shows evidence for niche adaptation and that these non-mammalian viruses have highly divergent E6 and E7 proteins, providing insights into the evolution of the early viral (onco-)proteins.

  12. Characterization of Arabidopsis FPS isozymes and FPS gene expression analysis provide insight into the biosynthesis of isoprenoid precursors in seeds.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keim, Verónica; Manzano, David; Fernández, Francisco J; Closa, Marta; Andrade, Paola; Caudepón, Daniel; Bortolotti, Cristina; Vega, M Cristina; Arró, Montserrat; Ferrer, Albert

    2012-01-01

    Arabidopsis thaliana contains two genes encoding farnesyl diphosphate (FPP) synthase (FPS), the prenyl diphoshate synthase that catalyzes the synthesis of FPP from isopentenyl diphosphate (IPP) and dimethylallyl diphosphate (DMAPP). In this study, we provide evidence that the two Arabidopsis short FPS isozymes FPS1S and FPS2 localize to the cytosol. Both enzymes were expressed in E. coli, purified and biochemically characterized. Despite FPS1S and FPS2 share more than 90% amino acid sequence identity, FPS2 was found to be more efficient as a catalyst, more sensitive to the inhibitory effect of NaCl, and more resistant to thermal inactivation than FPS1S. Homology modelling for FPS1S and FPS2 and analysis of the amino acid differences between the two enzymes revealed an increase in surface polarity and a greater capacity to form surface salt bridges of FPS2 compared to FPS1S. These factors most likely account for the enhanced thermostability of FPS2. Expression analysis of FPS::GUS genes in seeds showed that FPS1 and FPS2 display complementary patterns of expression particularly at late stages of seed development, which suggests that Arabidopsis seeds have two spatially segregated sources of FPP. Functional complementation studies of the Arabidopsis fps2 knockout mutant seed phenotypes demonstrated that under normal conditions FPS1S and FPS2 are functionally interchangeable. A putative role for FPS2 in maintaining seed germination capacity under adverse environmental conditions is discussed.

  13. Insights into Near-Surface Structural Control of Hydrothermal Fluid Movement at Rabbit Creek Thermal Area, Yellowstone National Park

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carr, B.; Elliot, M.; Sims, K. W. W.

    2017-12-01

    Recent geophysical imaging efforts at Yellowstone National Park have generated questions about the geologic controls of hydrothermal fluid movement within the parks thermal areas. Currently, faults and lava flow contacts are assumed to be the primary permeability pathways for deeper fluid migration to the surface. Although intuition dictates that these structures are responsible, few studies have definitively shown that this is true. Earlier geophysical imaging efforts of phase separation in Norris Geyser Basin have shown strong evidence for fractures and faulting conducting hydrothermal waters. However, no geologically mapped faults are at the surface to confirm these interpretations. Therefore, during the summer of 2017, UW surface geophysical data acquisition focused on understanding the geologic controls for a thermal area within the well-mapped Rabbit Creek Fault Zone (RCFZ). The RCFZ strikes N-S along the eastern edge of Midway Geyser Basin (i.e. the western edge of the Mallard Lake Dome) about 2.8 Km SE of Grand Prismatic spring. The section of the fault zone within the Rabbit Creek thermal area is exposed on the eastern valley wall and dips steeply to the west. Regardless at our site, this puts the two of the plateau rhyolites (i.e. the Biscuit Basin Flow and Mallard Lake flow) next to each other ( 100 m apart) with a small amount of overlying alluvial, glacial and hydrothermal deposits covering the actual fault trace. Interestingly, at least two mapped reverse faults from the Mallard Lake Dome trend NW-SE into the site and are interpreted to intersect to the RCFZ. At RCFZ, DC resistivity and seismic refraction profiling combined with Self-Potential, Magnetics, and Transient Electromagnetic soundings were acquired to provide images and in situ geophysical properties. These data highlight the variable fracturing and surface expressions of the hydrothermal fluids associated with the RCFZ and the NW trending fault zone associated with the Mallard Lake Dome

  14. FRET structure with non-radiative acceptor provided by dye-linker-glass surface complex and single-molecule photodynamics by TIRFM-polarized imaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tani, Toshiro; Mashimo, Kei; Suzuki, Tetsu; Horiuchi, Hiromi; Oda, Masaru

    2008-01-01

    We present our recent study of microscopic single-molecule imaging on the artificial complex of tetramethylrhodamine linked with a propyl chain onto silica glass surface, i.e. an asymmetric fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) structure with non-radiative acceptor. In the synthesis of the complex, we used a mixture of two kinds of isomers to introduce rather small photodynamic difference among them. This isomeric structure change will provide more or less a distinctive photophysical change in e.g. non-radiative relaxation rate. Our recent observation at room temperatures, so far, shows that such contributions can be discriminated in the histograms of the fluorescent spot intensities; broad but distinctive multi-components appear. To identify the isomeric difference as a cause of structures, some configurational assumptions are necessary. One such basic prerequisite is that the transition dipoles of the chromophores should be oriented almost parallel to the glass surface. In order to make clear the modeling, we also provide preliminary experiments on the polarization dependence of the imaging under rotating polarization in epi-illumination

  15. Associations of suicidality with cognitive ability and cognitive insight in outpatients with Schizophrenia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Villa, Jennifer; Choi, Jennifer; Kangas, Julie L; Kaufmann, Christopher N; Harvey, Philip D; Depp, Colin A

    2018-02-01

    Previous literature suggests that better cognitive ability and insight are associated with greater lifetime risk of suicide attempts in schizophrenia, counter to the direction of association in the general population. However, the conjoint association between distinct cognitive domains, insight, and suicidality has not been assessed. In a cross-sectional study, 162 adults with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder completed cognitive testing via the MATRICS battery, symptom and cognitive insight assessments, along with the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale. We then contrasted participants based on history of suicidality by cognitive domains and insight measures and conducted multivariate analyses. Although a history of any passive ideation was not associated with cognitive ability or insight, verbal learning was positively associated with a greater history of suicidal attempt and prior ideation with a plan and intent. Higher cognitive insight, and the self-reflectiveness subscale insight, was also associated with history of passive or active suicidal ideation. Cognitive insight and cognitive ability were independent from each other, and there were no moderating influences of insight on the effect of cognitive ability on suicide related history. Exploratory analyses revealed that history of planned attempts were associated with greater verbal learning, whereas histories of aborted attempts were associated with poorer reasoning and problem-solving. Although cross-sectional and retrospective, this study provides support that greater cognitive ability, specifically verbal learning, along with self-reflectiveness, may confer elevated risk for more severe suicidal ideation and behavior in an independent fashion. Interestingly, poorer problem-solving was associated with aborted suicide attempts. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  16. Insight into the adsorption of chloramphenicol on a vermiculite surface

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tri, Nguyen Ngoc; Carvalho, A. J. P.; Dordio, A. V.; Nguyen, Minh Tho; Trung, Nguyen Tien

    2018-05-01

    Four stable configurations were found upon adsorption of the chloramphenicol on a period slab model of the vermiculite surface, using the PBE and C09-vdW functionals in a projector-augmented wave (PAW) method approach. The adsorption is a strong chemisorption process, characterized by an adsorption energy of -106.5 kcal mol-1 at the most stable configuration. Stability of configurations contributed mainly by Mg⋯O/Cl attractive electrostatic interactions and C/Osbnd H⋯O hydrogen bonds. It is remarkable that the vermiculite is found to be a solid material with good potential to be used for adsorption and consequent removal of this type of antibiotic drugs.

  17. Insights into the feeding ecology of the Seychelles Black Parrot ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Insights into the feeding ecology of the Seychelles Black Parrot Coracopsis barklyi using two monitoring approaches. ... The incidental method is not suitable for quantitative conclusions but complements the transect method, providing information about rarely occurring feeding events. Keywords: Coracopsis barklyi, feeding ...

  18. Modulating macrophage polarization with divalent cations in nanostructured titanium implant surfaces

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Chung-Ho; Kim, Youn-Jeong; Jang, Je-Hee; Park, Jin-Woo

    2016-01-01

    Nanoscale topographical modification and surface chemistry alteration using bioactive ions are centrally important processes in the current design of the surface of titanium (Ti) bone implants with enhanced bone healing capacity. Macrophages play a central role in the early tissue healing stage and their activity in response to the implant surface is known to affect the subsequent healing outcome. Thus, the positive modulation of macrophage phenotype polarization (i.e. towards the regenerative M2 rather than the inflammatory M1 phenotype) with a modified surface is essential for the osteogenesis funtion of Ti bone implants. However, relatively few advances have been made in terms of modulating the macrophage-centered early healing capacity in the surface design of Ti bone implants for the two important surface properties of nanotopography and and bioactive ion chemistry. We investigated whether surface bioactive ion modification exerts a definite beneficial effect on inducing regenerative M2 macrophage polarization when combined with the surface nanotopography of Ti. Our results indicate that nanoscale topographical modification and surface bioactive ion chemistry can positively modulate the macrophage phenotype in a Ti implant surface. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first demonstration that chemical surface modification using divalent cations (Ca and Sr) dramatically induces the regenerative M2 macrophage phenotype of J774.A1 cells in nanostructured Ti surfaces. In this study, divalent cation chemistry regulated the cell shape of adherent macrophages and markedly up-regulated M2 macrophage phenotype expression when combined with the nanostructured Ti surface. These results provide insight into the surface engineering of future Ti bone implants that are harmonized between the macrophage-governed early wound healing process and subsequent mesenchymal stem cell-centered osteogenesis function. (paper)

  19. Modulating macrophage polarization with divalent cations in nanostructured titanium implant surfaces

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Chung-Ho; Kim, Youn-Jeong; Jang, Je-Hee; Park, Jin-Woo

    2016-02-01

    Nanoscale topographical modification and surface chemistry alteration using bioactive ions are centrally important processes in the current design of the surface of titanium (Ti) bone implants with enhanced bone healing capacity. Macrophages play a central role in the early tissue healing stage and their activity in response to the implant surface is known to affect the subsequent healing outcome. Thus, the positive modulation of macrophage phenotype polarization (i.e. towards the regenerative M2 rather than the inflammatory M1 phenotype) with a modified surface is essential for the osteogenesis funtion of Ti bone implants. However, relatively few advances have been made in terms of modulating the macrophage-centered early healing capacity in the surface design of Ti bone implants for the two important surface properties of nanotopography and and bioactive ion chemistry. We investigated whether surface bioactive ion modification exerts a definite beneficial effect on inducing regenerative M2 macrophage polarization when combined with the surface nanotopography of Ti. Our results indicate that nanoscale topographical modification and surface bioactive ion chemistry can positively modulate the macrophage phenotype in a Ti implant surface. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first demonstration that chemical surface modification using divalent cations (Ca and Sr) dramatically induces the regenerative M2 macrophage phenotype of J774.A1 cells in nanostructured Ti surfaces. In this study, divalent cation chemistry regulated the cell shape of adherent macrophages and markedly up-regulated M2 macrophage phenotype expression when combined with the nanostructured Ti surface. These results provide insight into the surface engineering of future Ti bone implants that are harmonized between the macrophage-governed early wound healing process and subsequent mesenchymal stem cell-centered osteogenesis function.

  20. Thermally controlled growth of surface nanostructures on ion-modified AIII-BV semiconductor crystals

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trynkiewicz, Elzbieta; Jany, Benedykt R.; Wrana, Dominik; Krok, Franciszek

    2018-01-01

    The primary motivation for our systematic study is to provide a comprehensive overview of the role of sample temperature on the pattern evolution of several AIII-BV semiconductor crystal (001) surfaces (i.e., InSb, InP, InAs, GaSb) in terms of their response to low-energy Ar+ ion irradiation conditions. The surface morphology and the chemical diversity of such ion-modified binary materials has been characterized by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM). In general, all surface textures following ion irradiation exhibit transitional behavior from small islands, via vertically oriented 3D nanostructures, to smoothened surface when the sample temperature is increased. This result reinforces our conviction that the mass redistribution of adatoms along the surface plays a vital role during the formation and growth process of surface nanostructures. We would like to emphasize that this paper addresses in detail for the first time the topic of the growth kinetics of the nanostructures with regard to thermal surface diffusion, while simultaneously offering some possible approaches to supplementing previous studies and therein gaining a new insight into this complex issue. The experimental results are discussed with reference to models of the pillars growth, abutting on preferential sputtering, the self-sustained etch masking effect and the redeposition process recently proposed to elucidate the observed nanostructuring mechanism.

  1. In_sight : Using Existing Wi-Fi networks to Provide Information on Occupancy and Exploitation of Educational Facilities using at Delft University of Technology

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van der Spek, S.C.; Verbree, E.; Meijers, B.M.; Bot, F.J.; Braaksma, H.H.; Braggaar, R.C.; Ligtvoet, B.R.; Staats, B.R.; Gartner, G.; Huang, H.

    2016-01-01

    The distribution of people in buildings, the occupancy of lecture-, work- and study places and the accessibility of facilities are essential information at university campuses who have to cope with limited and even shrinking budgets and huge, rising real estate costs. Only little insight is gained

  2. Insight in psychosis: Metacognitive processes and treatment

    OpenAIRE

    de Vos, Annerieke

    2016-01-01

    Insight is impaired in 50- 80% of the patients with schizophrenia. Annerieke de Vos working at GGZ Drenthe and the University Medical Hospital Groningen, aimed to elucidate which processes underlie impaired insight and tried to improve insight in patients by targeting these processes. On September 21st she will defend her thesis entitled: "Insight in psychosis. Metacognitive processes and treatment.". Patients with impaired insight may fail to recognize that things in life are not going well ...

  3. Impaired insight in cocaine addiction: laboratory evidence and effects on cocaine-seeking behaviour

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Moeller, S.J.; Moeller, S.J.; Maloney, T.; Parvaz, M.A.; Alia-Klein, N.; Woicik, P.A.; Telang, F.; Wang, G.-J.; Volkow, N.D.; Goldstein, R.Z.

    2010-04-15

    Neuropsychiatric disorders are often characterized by impaired insight into behaviour. Such an insight deficit has been suggested, but never directly tested, in drug addiction. Here we tested for the first time this impaired insight hypothesis in drug addiction, and examined its potential association with drug-seeking behaviour. We also tested potential modulation of these effects by cocaine urine status, an individual difference known to impact underlying cognitive functions and prognosis. Sixteen cocaine addicted individuals testing positive for cocaine in urine, 26 cocaine addicted individuals testing negative for cocaine in urine, and 23 healthy controls completed a probabilistic choice task that assessed objective preference for viewing four types of pictures (pleasant, unpleasant, neutral and cocaine). This choice task concluded by asking subjects to report their most selected picture type; correspondence between subjects self-reports with their objective choice behaviour provided our index of behavioural insight. Results showed that the urine positive cocaine subjects exhibited impaired insight into their own choice behaviour compared with healthy controls; this same study group also selected the most cocaine pictures (and fewest pleasant pictures) for viewing. Importantly, however, it was the urine negative cocaine subjects whose behaviour was most influenced by insight, such that impaired insight in this subgroup only was associated with higher cocaine-related choice on the task and more severe actual cocaine use. These findings suggest that interventions to enhance insight may decrease drug-seeking behaviour, especially in urine negative cocaine subjects, potentially to improve their longer-term clinical outcomes.

  4. COMBINED THEORETICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION OF MECHANISMS AND KINETICS OF VAPOR-PHASE MERCURY UPTAKE BY CARBONACEOUS SURFACES; ANNUAL

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Radisav D. Vidic; Eric V. Borguet; Karl J. Johnson

    2000-01-01

    The overall goal of this research program is to gain fundamental understanding of the important chemistry and physics involved in mercury adsorption on carbonaceous surfaces. This knowledge will then be used to optimize adsorption processes and operating conditions to maximize the uptake of mercury within the required contact time. An additional long-term benefit of this research is the basic understanding of the Hg adsorption process, which may facilitate the design of new adsorbents for more efficient and cost-effective removal of Hg from a variety of effluent streams. Molecular modeling of the adsorption of Hg on carbonaceous surfaces will greatly increase the insight into the physics of the adsorption process and combined with in situ rate measurements of mercury adsorption and desorption (conventional and pulsed laser) on graphite using linear and nonlinear optical probes with real time optical resolution have the potential to provide fundamental insight into the process of mercury uptake by carbonaceous surfaces. Besides accurate assessment of key parameters influencing adsorption equilibrium, fundamental understanding of the kinetics of mercury adsorption, desorption, and diffusion will be developed in this study. These key physical and chemical processes postulated through molecular modeling efforts and verified by in situ measurements will be utilized to select (or develop) promising sorbents for mercury control, which will be tested under dynamic conditions using simulated flue gas

  5. Surface tailored organobentonite enhances bacterial proliferation and phenanthrene biodegradation under cadmium co-contamination

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mandal, Asit; Biswas, Bhabananda; Sarkar, Binoy; Patra, Ashok K.; Naidu, Ravi

    2016-01-01

    Co-contamination of soil and water with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) and heavy metals makes biodegradation of the former extremely challenging. Modified clay-modulated microbial degradation provides a novel insight in addressing this issue. This study was conducted to evaluate the growth and phenanthrene degradation performance of Mycobacterium gilvum VF1 in the presence of a palmitic acid (PA)-grafted Arquad® 2HT-75-based organobentonite in cadmium (Cd)-phenanthrene co-contaminated water. The PA-grafted organobentonite (ABP) adsorbed a slightly greater quantity of Cd than bentonite at up to 30 mg L"−"1 metal concentration, but its highly negative surface charge imparted by carboxylic groups indicated the potential of being a significantly superior adsorbent of Cd at higher metal concentrations. In systems co-contained with Cd (5 and 10 mg L"−"1), the Arquad® 2HT-75-modified bentonite (AB) and PA-grafted organobentonite (ABP) resulted in a significantly higher (72–78%) degradation of phenanthrene than bentonite (62%) by the bacterium. The growth and proliferation of bacteria were supported by ABP which not only eliminated Cd toxicity through adsorption but also created a congenial microenvironment for bacterial survival. The macromolecules produced during ABP–bacteria interaction could form a stable clay-bacterial cluster by overcoming the electrostatic repulsion among individual components. Findings of this study provide new insights for designing clay modulated PAH bioremediation technologies in mixed-contaminated water and soil. - Highlights: • Surface tailored organobentonite synthesised and characterised • Modified clay adsorbs Cd and reduces toxicity to Mycobacterium gilvum. • It creates congenial microenvironment for bacterial survival. • It enhances phenanthrene biodegradation in metal co-contaminated condition.

  6. Surface tailored organobentonite enhances bacterial proliferation and phenanthrene biodegradation under cadmium co-contamination

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mandal, Asit [Future Industries Institute (formerly Centre for Environmental Risk Assessment and Remediation), University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, SA 5095 (Australia); Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Indian Institute of Soil Science, Bhopal (India); Biswas, Bhabananda [Future Industries Institute (formerly Centre for Environmental Risk Assessment and Remediation), University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, SA 5095 (Australia); Cooperative Research Centre for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of the Environment (CRC CARE), ACT Building, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308 (Australia); Sarkar, Binoy, E-mail: binoy.sarkar@unisa.edu.au [Future Industries Institute (formerly Centre for Environmental Risk Assessment and Remediation), University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, SA 5095 (Australia); Cooperative Research Centre for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of the Environment (CRC CARE), ACT Building, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308 (Australia); Patra, Ashok K. [Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Indian Institute of Soil Science, Bhopal (India); Naidu, Ravi, E-mail: ravi.naidu@newcastle.edu.au [Cooperative Research Centre for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of the Environment (CRC CARE), ACT Building, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308 (Australia); Global Centre for Environmental Remediation (GCER), Faculty of Science and Information Technology, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308 (Australia)

    2016-04-15

    Co-contamination of soil and water with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) and heavy metals makes biodegradation of the former extremely challenging. Modified clay-modulated microbial degradation provides a novel insight in addressing this issue. This study was conducted to evaluate the growth and phenanthrene degradation performance of Mycobacterium gilvum VF1 in the presence of a palmitic acid (PA)-grafted Arquad® 2HT-75-based organobentonite in cadmium (Cd)-phenanthrene co-contaminated water. The PA-grafted organobentonite (ABP) adsorbed a slightly greater quantity of Cd than bentonite at up to 30 mg L{sup −1} metal concentration, but its highly negative surface charge imparted by carboxylic groups indicated the potential of being a significantly superior adsorbent of Cd at higher metal concentrations. In systems co-contained with Cd (5 and 10 mg L{sup −1}), the Arquad® 2HT-75-modified bentonite (AB) and PA-grafted organobentonite (ABP) resulted in a significantly higher (72–78%) degradation of phenanthrene than bentonite (62%) by the bacterium. The growth and proliferation of bacteria were supported by ABP which not only eliminated Cd toxicity through adsorption but also created a congenial microenvironment for bacterial survival. The macromolecules produced during ABP–bacteria interaction could form a stable clay-bacterial cluster by overcoming the electrostatic repulsion among individual components. Findings of this study provide new insights for designing clay modulated PAH bioremediation technologies in mixed-contaminated water and soil. - Highlights: • Surface tailored organobentonite synthesised and characterised • Modified clay adsorbs Cd and reduces toxicity to Mycobacterium gilvum. • It creates congenial microenvironment for bacterial survival. • It enhances phenanthrene biodegradation in metal co-contaminated condition.

  7. Methanotrophy in surface sediments of streams

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bagnoud, Alexandre; Pramateftaki, Paraskevi; Peter, Hannes; Battin, Tom

    2017-04-01

    Because streams are often found to be supersaturated in methane (CH4), they are considered as atmospheric sources of this greenhouse gas. However, little is known about the processes driving CH4 cycling in these environments, i.e. production, consumption and fluxes. CH4 is thought to be produced in deeper anoxic sediments, before it migrates up to reach the oxic stream water, where it can be oxidized by methanotrophs. In order to gain insights into this process, we investigated 14 different streams across Switzerland. We characterized the chemistry of surface and sediment waters by measuring dissolved chemical profiles. We also sampled surface sediments and determined methanotrophic rates with laboratory incubations and Michaelis-Menten modeling. Interestingly, rates were strongly correlated with the CH4 concentrations in stream waters, rather than in sediment waters. This indicates that methantrophic populations feed on CH4 from the surface streamwater, even though CH4 concentrations are higher in the sediment waters. Methanotrophy rates were also correlated with Crenothrix counts (based on 16S rRNA sequencing), a strict methanotroph, while this latter was correlated with pmoA counts (based on quantitative PCR), a gene involved in methanotrophy. These results show that Crenothrix genera are the most active methanotrophs in surface sediments of streams, and can represent more than 2% of microbial communities. Remarkably, the dominating Crenothrix species was detected in all 14 samples. This work allows the assessment of in situ methanotrophic rates, of the environmental parameters driving this process, and of the microbial populations carrying it out, and thus brings useful insights about carbon cycling in streams.

  8. Insight and satisfaction with life among adolescents with mental disorders: assessing associations with self-stigma and parental insight.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gaziel, M; Hasson-Ohayon, I; Morag-Yaffe, M; Schapir, L; Zalsman, G; Shoval, G

    2015-02-01

    The purpose of the current study was to assess the associations of illness perception-related variables with satisfaction with life (SwL) among adolescents with mental disorders. Insight into mental disorder (SAI-E), Internalized stigma of mental illness (ISMI) and Multidimensional Students' Life Satisfaction Scale (MSLSS) were administrated to 30 adolescent patients. Adapted version for parents of the SAI-E was also administrated to 37 of their parents. Significant positive correlations were found between insight into the illness, self-stigma and parental insight. Insight and self-stigma were significantly negatively related to the total score of SwL and few of its dimensions while parental insight was significantly associated only with the SwL dimensions of school and self. Regression models revealed main negative effects of insight and self-stigma on SwL and no interaction effect. The possible independent contribution of insight and self-stigma to SwL should be addressed in interventions designed for family and adolescents coping with mental illness. Special attention should be given to the possible negative implications that insight possesses. In lack of support of the moderation role of self-stigma, reported in studies among adults with mental illness, future studies should trace other variables in order to further understand the insight paradox among adolescents. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  9. Insight into carrier lifetime impact on band-modulation devices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parihar, Mukta Singh; Lee, Kyung Hwa; Park, Hyung Jin; Lacord, Joris; Martinie, Sébastien; Barbé, Jean-Charles; Xu, Yue; El Dirani, Hassan; Taur, Yuan; Cristoloveanu, Sorin; Bawedin, Maryline

    2018-05-01

    A systematic study to model and characterize the band-modulation Z2-FET device is developed bringing light to the relevance of the carrier lifetime influence. This work provides guidelines to optimize the Z2-FETs for sharp switching, ESD protection, and 1T-DRAM applications. Lower carrier lifetime in the Z2-FET helps in attaining the sharp switch. We provide new insights into the correlation between generation/recombination, diffusion, electrostatic barriers and carrier lifetime.

  10. Stigma as a predictor of insight in schizophrenia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pruß, Linda; Wiedl, Karl Heinz; Waldorf, Manuel

    2012-07-30

    Insight in schizophrenia can be seen as a multifactorial phenomenon. Although multifactorial pathways have also been suggested for insight formation, motivational explanations have rarely been tested. The present study explores stigma as one possible determinant of a motivated lack of insight in integrated models of insight formation. It examines the contribution of socio-demographic and clinical variables, neurocognitive functions, symptoms, and stigma to the prediction of insight into illness. Patients diagnosed with schizophrenia spectrum disorders (N=111) participated in a comprehensive battery of instruments to measure insight dimensions, stigma, neurocognitive functions, symptoms, socio-demographic and clinical variables. Blockwise multiple regression analysis indicates significant association of variability in insight dimensions with gender (7%) and stigma (i. e., stereotype agreement: 5%). Our findings demonstrate an incremental validity of stigma, which indicates a motivational pathway of insight formation. This study enables better understanding of the multifactorial nature of insight, which should be considered in therapeutic interventions to improve insight. The roles of gender and neurocognitive functions in insight formation are also discussed. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Array processing for seismic surface waves

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Marano, S.

    2013-07-01

    This dissertation submitted to the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology ETH in Zurich takes a look at the analysis of surface wave properties which allows geophysicists to gain insight into the structure of the subsoil, thus avoiding more expensive invasive techniques such as borehole drilling. This thesis aims at improving signal processing techniques for the analysis of surface waves in various directions. One main contribution of this work is the development of a method for the analysis of seismic surface waves. The method also deals with the simultaneous presence of multiple waves. Several computational approaches to minimize costs are presented and compared. Finally, numerical experiments that verify the effectiveness of the proposed cost function and resulting array geometry designs are presented. These lead to greatly improved estimation performance in comparison to arbitrary array geometries.

  12. Array processing for seismic surface waves

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Marano, S.

    2013-01-01

    This dissertation submitted to the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology ETH in Zurich takes a look at the analysis of surface wave properties which allows geophysicists to gain insight into the structure of the subsoil, thus avoiding more expensive invasive techniques such as borehole drilling. This thesis aims at improving signal processing techniques for the analysis of surface waves in various directions. One main contribution of this work is the development of a method for the analysis of seismic surface waves. The method also deals with the simultaneous presence of multiple waves. Several computational approaches to minimize costs are presented and compared. Finally, numerical experiments that verify the effectiveness of the proposed cost function and resulting array geometry designs are presented. These lead to greatly improved estimation performance in comparison to arbitrary array geometries

  13. Course of insight in manic episode

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A Kumar

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Insight is an important factor associated with non compliance and poor outcome. Poor level of insight has been described as a characteristic in patients with acute bipolar disorder with more unawareness in social consequences with increasing severity in manic episode. Aim: Main aim of study was to see the baseline and longitudinal relationship between dimensions of insight with improvement in psychopathology. Setting and Design: Forty four patients diagnosed with mania, were selected from an inpatient setting at Institute of Mental Health and Hospital, Agra with mean age of 31.07(±9.00 years. They were assessed at base line and were followed up weekly or psychopathology and insight. Materials and Methods: The Young′s mania rating scale for psychopathology and insight was assessed on three dimensions of SUMD. Results: Twenty five patients eventually completed the study. There was a positive correlation with global insight and with psychopathology consistent in longitudinal follow-up (P<0.05, but not correlating for awareness for achieved effect of medication and social consequences. Linear regression showed a positive relationship at the first and second week of assessment of SUMD and YMRS scores (P=0.001; 0.019. Conclusion: Improvement in insight is graded in a manic episode as compared to psychopathology. There is slower improvement in awareness of social consequences of mental disorder. It means that improvement in psychopathology may not necessarily indicate remission and need further supervision to improve insight and hence monitoring.

  14. Use of Human Reliability Insights to Improve Decision-Making

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Julius, J. A.; Moieni, P.; Grobbelaar, J.; Kohlhepp, K.

    2016-01-01

    This paper describes the use of insights obtained during the development and application of human reliability analysis (HRA) as part of a probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) to support decision-making, including improvements to operations, training, and safety culture. Insights have been gained from the development and application of HRA as part of a PRA for nuclear power plants in the USA, Europe and Asia over the last two decades. These models consist of Level 1 and Level 2 PRA models of internal and external events, during full power and shutdown modes of plant operation. These insights include the use of human factors information to improve the qualitative portion of the HRA. The subsequent quantification in the HRA effectively prioritises the contributors to the unreliability of operator actions, and the process facilitates the identification of the factors that are important to the success of the operator actions. Additionally, the tools and techniques also allow for the evaluation of key assumptions and sources of uncertainty. The end results have been used to effectively support decision-making for day-to-day plant operations as well as licensing issues. HRA results have been used to provide feedback and improvements to plant procedures, operator training and other areas contributing the plant safety culture. Examples of the types of insights are presented in this paper. (author)

  15. Consumer Insight as Competitive Advantage Using Big Data and Analytics

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Adnan Veysel Ertemel

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Digital revolution serves as a competitive advantage to businesses that are able to analyze consumer behavior in order to gain insights for their strategic advantage. After the advent of Internet, the past two decades witnessed generation of vast amount of business data. The amount of data is so huge that traditional database management system approaches falls short of managing and analyzing this data. This paper explores the characteristics of this phenomenon called Big Data together with Analytics as a tool for marketers to gain insights about consumer behavior and hence provide competitive advantage to the businesses. It also discusses some best practices as case studies.

  16. Excitations of surface plasmon polaritons by attenuated total reflection, revisited

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barchesi, D.; Otto, A.

    2013-01-01

    Many textbooks and review papers are devoted to plasmonics based on a selection of the numerous bibliography. But none describes the details of the first culmination of plasmonics in 1968, when surface plasmons become a field of optics. The coupling of light with the surface plasmon leads to the surface plasmon polariton (SPP). Therefore, the authors chose to associate historical insight (not avoiding a personal touch), a modern mathematical formulation of the excitation of the SPP by attenuated total reflection (ATR), considered as well understood since decades, and experimental applications since 1969, including recent developments.

  17. On designing of a low leakage patient-centric provider network.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zheng, Yuchen; Lin, Kun; White, Thomas; Pickreign, Jeremy; Yuen-Reed, Gigi

    2018-03-27

    detect leakage, gaining insight on how to minimize leakage. We identify patient-driven provider organization by surfacing providers who share a large number of patients. By analyzing the import-export behavior of each identified community using a novel approach and profiling community patient and provider composition we understand the key features of having a balanced number of PCP and specialists and provider heterogeneity.

  18. New hyperekplexia mutations provide insight into glycine receptor assembly, trafficking, and activation mechanisms

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bode, Anna; Wood, Sian-Elin; Mullins, Jonathan G L

    2013-01-01

    Hyperekplexia is a syndrome of readily provoked startle responses, alongside episodic and generalized hypertonia, that presents within the first month of life. Inhibitory glycine receptors are pentameric ligand-gated ion channels with a definitive and clinically well stratified linkage...... a structural mechanism for channel activation. Receptors incorporating p.P230S (which is heterozygous with p.R65W) desensitized much faster than wild type receptors and represent a new TM1 site capable of modulating desensitization. The recessive mutations p.R72C, p.R218W, p.L291P, p.D388A, and p.E375X...... precluded cell surface expression unless co-expressed with α1 wild type subunits. The recessive p.E375X mutation resulted in subunit truncation upstream of the TM4 domain. Surprisingly, on the basis of three independent assays, we were able to infer that p.E375X truncated subunits are incorporated...

  19. Surface potential-governed cellular osteogenic differentiation on ferroelectric polyvinylidene fluoride trifluoroethylene films.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tang, Bolin; Zhang, Bo; Zhuang, Junjun; Wang, Qi; Dong, Lingqing; Cheng, Kui; Weng, Wenjian

    2018-05-02

    Surface potential of biomaterials can dramatically influence cellular osteogenic differentiation. In this work, a wide range of surface potential on ferroelectric polyvinylidene fluoride trifluoroethylene (P(VDF-TrFE)) films was designed to get insight into the interfacial interaction of cell-charged surface. The P(VDF-TrFE) films poled by contact electric poling at various electric fields obtained well stabilized surface potential, with wide range from -3 to 915 mV. The osteogenic differentiation level of cells cultured on the films was strongly dependent on surface potential and reached the optimum at 391 mV in this system. Binding specificity assay indicated that surface potential could effectively govern the binding state of the adsorbed fibronectin (FN) with integrin. Molecular dynamic (MD) simulation further revealed that surface potential brought a significant difference in the relative distance between RGD and synergy PHSRN sites of adsorbed FN, resulting in a distinct integrin-FN binding state. These results suggest that the full binding of integrin α5β1 with both RGD and PHSRN sites of FN possesses a strong ability to activate osteogenic signaling pathway. This work sheds light on the underlying mechanism of osteogenic differentiation behavior on charged material surfaces, and also provides a guidance for designing a reasonable charged surface to enhance osteogenic differentiation. The ferroelectric P(VDF-TrFE) films with steady and a wide range of surface potential were designed to understand underlying mechanism of cell-charged surface interaction. The results showed that the charged surface well favored upregulation of osteogenic differentiation of MC3T3-E1 cells, and more importantly, a highest level occurred on the film with a moderate surface potential. Experiments and molecular dynamics simulation demonstrated that the surface potential could govern fibronectin conformation and then the integrin-fibronectin binding. We propose that a full binding

  20. Search for the maximum efficiency of a ribbed-surfaces device, providing a tight seal

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boutin, Jeanne.

    1977-04-01

    The purpose of this experiment was to determine the geometrical characteristics of ribbed surfaces used to equip devices in translation or slow rotation motion and having to form an acceptable seal between slightly viscous fluids. It systematically studies the pressure loss coefficient lambda in function of the different parameters setting the form of ribs and their relative position on the opposite sides. It shows that the passages with two ribbed surfaces lead to highly better results than those with only one, the maximum value of lambda, equal to 0.5, being obtained with the ratios: pitch/clearance = 5, depth of groove/clearance = 1,2, and with their teeth face to face on the two opposite ribbed surfaces. With certain shapes, alternate position of ribs can lead to the maximum of lambda yet lower than 0.5 [fr

  1. Modelling the formation of nanostructures on metal surface induced by femtosecond laser ablation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Djouder, M.; Itina, T.E.; Deghiche, D.; Lamrous, O.

    2012-01-01

    We employ the particle-in-cell method to simulate the mechanisms of femtosecond (fs) laser interactions with a metallic target. The theoretical approach considers the solid as a gas of free electrons in a lattice of immobile ions and the laser fluences close to the ablation threshold. At first moments of the interaction, our simulations mapped out different nanostructures. We carefully characterized the rippling phase and found that its morphology is dependent on the distribution of the electron density and the period of the ripples depends on the laser intensity. The simulation method provides new insights into the mechanisms that are responsible for surface grating formation.

  2. Modelling the formation of nanostructures on metal surface induced by femtosecond laser ablation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Djouder, M. [Laboratoire de Physique et Chimie Quantique, Universite Mouloud Mammeri de Tizi-ouzou, BP 17 RP, 15000 Tizi-Ouzou (Algeria); Itina, T.E. [Laboratoire Hubert Curien, UMR CNRS 5516/Universite Jean Monnet, 18 rue de Professeur Benoit Lauras, 42000 Saint-Etienne (France); Deghiche, D. [Laboratoire de Physique et Chimie Quantique, Universite Mouloud Mammeri de Tizi-ouzou, BP 17 RP, 15000 Tizi-Ouzou (Algeria); Lamrous, O., E-mail: omarlamrous@mail.ummto.dz [Laboratoire de Physique et Chimie Quantique, Universite Mouloud Mammeri de Tizi-ouzou, BP 17 RP, 15000 Tizi-Ouzou (Algeria)

    2012-01-15

    We employ the particle-in-cell method to simulate the mechanisms of femtosecond (fs) laser interactions with a metallic target. The theoretical approach considers the solid as a gas of free electrons in a lattice of immobile ions and the laser fluences close to the ablation threshold. At first moments of the interaction, our simulations mapped out different nanostructures. We carefully characterized the rippling phase and found that its morphology is dependent on the distribution of the electron density and the period of the ripples depends on the laser intensity. The simulation method provides new insights into the mechanisms that are responsible for surface grating formation.

  3. Effective Wettability of Heterogenous Fracture Surfaces Using the Lattice-Boltzmann Method

    Science.gov (United States)

    E Santos, J.; Prodanovic, M.; Landry, C. J.

    2017-12-01

    Fracture walls in the subsurface are often structured by minerals of different composition (potentially further altered in contact with fluids during hydrocarbon extraction or CO2 sequestration), this yields in a heterogeneous wettability of the surface in contact with the fluids. The focus of our work is to study how surfaces presenting different mineralogy and roughness affect multiphase flow in fractures. Using the Shan-Chen model of the lattice-Boltzmann method (LBM) we define fluid interaction and surface attraction parameters to simulate a system of a wetting and a non-wetting fluid. In this work, we use synthetically created fractures presenting different arrangements of wetting and non-wetting patches, and with or without roughness; representative of different mineralogy, similar workflow can be applied to fractures extracted from X-ray microtomography images of fractures porous media. The results from the LBM simulations provide an insight on how the distribution of mineralogy and surface roughness are related with the observed macroscopic contact angle. We present a comparison between the published analytical models, and our results based on surface areas, spatial distribution and local fracture aperture. The understanding of the variables that affect the contact angle is useful for the comprehension of multiphase processes in naturally fractured reservoirs like primary oil production, enhanced oil recovery and CO2 sequestration. The macroscopic contact angle analytical equations for heterogeneous surfaces with variable roughness are no longer valid in highly heterogeneous systems; we quantify the difference thus offering an alternative to analytical models.

  4. Understanding Insight in the Context of Q

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coghlan, David

    2012-01-01

    In Revans' learning formula, L = P + Q, Q represents "questioning insight", by which Revans means that insight comes out of the process of questioning programmed knowledge (P) in the light of experience. We typically focus on the content of an insight rather than on the act of insight. Drawing primarily on the work of Bernard Lonergan this paper…

  5. Adsorption of cobalt (II) octaethylporphyrin and 2H-octaethylporphyrin on Ag(111): new insight into the surface coordinative bond

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bai Yun; Buchner, Florian; Kellner, Ina; Schmid, Martin; Vollnhals, Florian; Steinrueck, Hans-Peter; Marbach, Hubertus; Michael Gottfried, J

    2009-01-01

    The adsorption of cobalt (II) octaethylporphyrin (CoOEP) and 2H-octaethylporphyrin (2HOEP) on Ag(111) was investigated with scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS/UPS), in order to achieve a detailed mechanistic understanding of the surface chemical bond of coordinated metal ions. Previous studies of related systems, especially cobalt (II) tetraphenylporphyrin (CoTPP) on Ag(111), have revealed adsorption-induced changes of the oxidation state of the Co ion and the appearance of a new valence state. These effects were attributed to a covalent interaction of the Co ion with the silver substrate. However, recent studies show that the porphyrin ligand of adsorbed CoTPP undergoes a pronounced saddle-shape distortion, which could alter the electronic structure and thus provide an alternative explanation for the new valence state previously attributed to the formation of a surface coordinative bond. With the octaethylporphyrins investigated here, which were found to adsorb in a flat, undistorted conformation on Ag(111), the effects of geometric distortion can be separated from those of the electronic interaction with the substrate. The CoOEP monolayer gives rise to an adsorption-induced shift of the Co 2p signal (-1.9 eV relative to the multilayer), a new valence state at 0.6 eV below the Fermi energy, and a work-function shift of -0.84 eV (2HOEP: -0.44 eV) relative to the clean surface. Comparison with data for the distorted CoTPP confirms the existence of a covalent ion-surface interaction that is insensitive to the conformation of the ligand.

  6. Seasonal and multi-year surface displacements measured by DInSAR in a High Arctic permafrost environment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rudy, Ashley C. A.; Lamoureux, Scott F.; Treitz, Paul; Short, Naomi; Brisco, Brian

    2018-02-01

    Arctic landscapes undergo seasonal and long-term changes as the active layer thaws and freezes, which can result in localized or irregular subsidence leading to the formation of thermokarst terrain. Differential Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (DInSAR) is a technique capable of measuring ground surface displacements resulting from thawing permafrost at centimetre precision and is quickly gaining acceptance as a means of measuring ground displacement in permafrost regions. Using RADARSAT-2 stacked DInSAR data from 2013 and 2015 we determined the magnitude and patterns of land surface change in a continuous permafrost environment. At our study site situated in the Canadian High Arctic, DInSAR seasonal ground displacement patterns were consistent with field observations of permafrost degradation. As expected, many DInSAR values are close to the detection threshold (i.e., 1 cm) and therefore do not indicate significant change; however, DInSAR seasonal ground displacement patterns aligned well with climatological and soil conditions and offer geomorphological insight into subsurface processes in permafrost environments. While our dataset is limited to two years of data representing a three-year time period, the displacements derived from DInSAR provide insight into permafrost change in a High Arctic environment and demonstrate that DInSAR is an applicable tool for understanding environmental change in remote permafrost regions.

  7. Capillary-induced crack healing between surfaces of nanoscale roughness.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Soylemez, Emrecan; de Boer, Maarten P

    2014-10-07

    Capillary forces are important in nature (granular materials, insect locomotion) and in technology (disk drives, adhesion). Although well studied in equilibrium state, the dynamics of capillary formation merit further investigation. Here, we show that microcantilever crack healing experiments are a viable experimental technique for investigating the influence of capillary nucleation on crack healing between rough surfaces. The average crack healing velocity, v̅, between clean hydrophilic polycrystalline silicon surfaces of nanoscale roughness is measured. A plot of v̅ versus energy release rate, G, reveals log-linear behavior, while the slope |d[log(v̅)]/dG| decreases with increasing relative humidity. A simplified interface model that accounts for the nucleation time of water bridges by an activated process is developed to gain insight into the crack healing trends. This methodology enables us to gain insight into capillary bridge dynamics, with a goal of attaining a predictive capability for this important microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) reliability failure mechanism.

  8. Integrated application of transcriptomics and metabolomics provides insights into glycogen content regulation in the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Busu; Song, Kai; Meng, Jie; Li, Li; Zhang, Guofan

    2017-09-11

    stress. These findings will not only provide insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying oyster quality, but also promote research into the molecular breeding of oysters.

  9. Structural studies of Pseudomonas and Chromobacterium ω-aminotransferases provide insights into their differing substrate specificity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sayer, Christopher; Isupov, Michail N.; Westlake, Aaron; Littlechild, Jennifer A.

    2013-01-01

    The X-ray structures of two ω-aminotransferases from P. aeruginosa and C. violaceum in complex with an inhibitor offer the first detailed insight into the structural basis of the substrate specificity of these industrially important enzymes. The crystal structures and inhibitor complexes of two industrially important ω-aminotransferase enzymes from Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Chromobacterium violaceum have been determined in order to understand the differences in their substrate specificity. The two enzymes share 30% sequence identity and use the same amino acceptor, pyruvate; however, the Pseudomonas enzyme shows activity towards the amino donor β-alanine, whilst the Chromobacterium enzyme does not. Both enzymes show activity towards S-α-methylbenzylamine (MBA), with the Chromobacterium enzyme having a broader substrate range. The crystal structure of the P. aeruginosa enzyme has been solved in the holo form and with the inhibitor gabaculine bound. The C. violaceum enzyme has been solved in the apo and holo forms and with gabaculine bound. The structures of the holo forms of both enzymes are quite similar. There is little conformational difference observed between the inhibitor complex and the holoenzyme for the P. aeruginosa aminotransferase. In comparison, the crystal structure of the C. violaceum gabaculine complex shows significant structural rearrangements from the structures of both the apo and holo forms of the enzyme. It appears that the different rigidity of the protein scaffold contributes to the substrate specificity observed for the two ω-aminotransferases

  10. Conceptual Models of the Individual Public Service Provider

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andersen, Lotte Bøgh; Pedersen, Lene Holm; Bhatti, Yosef

    are used to gain insight on the motivation of public service providers; namely principal-agent theory, self-determination theory and public service motivation theory. We situate the theoretical discussions in the context of public service providers being transferred to private organizations......Individual public service providers’ motivation can be conceptualized as either extrinsic, autonomous or prosocial, and the question is how we can best theoretically understand this complexity without losing too much coherence and parsimony. Drawing on Allison’s approach (1969), three perspectives...... theoretical – to develop a coherent model of individual public service providers – but the empirical illustration also contributes to our understanding of motivation in the context of public sector outsourcing....

  11. Surface Reaction Kinetics of Ga(1-x)In(x)P Growth During Pulsed Chemical Beam Epitaxy

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Dietz, N; Beeler, S. C; Schmidt, J. W; Tran, H. T

    2000-01-01

    ... into the surface reaction kinetics during an organometallic deposition process. These insights will allow us to move the control point closer to the point where the growth occurs, which in a chemical been epitaxy process is a surface reaction layer (SRL...

  12. Can administrative data provide insights into the mental health of Indigenous Queenslanders?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kisely, Steve; Pais, Joanne

    2011-07-01

    The Australian Government has provided $20 million to establish the Population Health Research Network (PHRN), with representation from all States and Territories to facilitate population health research through data linkage. Health LinQ is part of the Queensland node involving four Queensland universities, Queensland Health and the Australian e-Health Research Centre. This paper reviews the potential for using administrative databases to study the mental health experience of Indigenous Queenslanders. Researchers can define cohorts for study within the administrative data or link them to their own data. Robust protocols preserve confidentiality so that researchers only receive anonymized data. Indigenous status can be defined either through place of residence or through the recording of Indigenous status in datasets such as the Queensland Hospital Admitted Patient Data Collection. Available data include hospital morbidity, mental health data and mortality. Indigenous status is correctly identified in about 89% of cases with variation by definition used. Administrative data provide researchers and decision makers with accessible, cost-effective information without the intrusion and cost of additional data collection. These techniques are especially useful in studying regional, rural and remote populations where access may be difficult.

  13. Characterization of Arabidopsis FPS isozymes and FPS gene expression analysis provide insight into the biosynthesis of isoprenoid precursors in seeds.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Verónica Keim

    Full Text Available Arabidopsis thaliana contains two genes encoding farnesyl diphosphate (FPP synthase (FPS, the prenyl diphoshate synthase that catalyzes the synthesis of FPP from isopentenyl diphosphate (IPP and dimethylallyl diphosphate (DMAPP. In this study, we provide evidence that the two Arabidopsis short FPS isozymes FPS1S and FPS2 localize to the cytosol. Both enzymes were expressed in E. coli, purified and biochemically characterized. Despite FPS1S and FPS2 share more than 90% amino acid sequence identity, FPS2 was found to be more efficient as a catalyst, more sensitive to the inhibitory effect of NaCl, and more resistant to thermal inactivation than FPS1S. Homology modelling for FPS1S and FPS2 and analysis of the amino acid differences between the two enzymes revealed an increase in surface polarity and a greater capacity to form surface salt bridges of FPS2 compared to FPS1S. These factors most likely account for the enhanced thermostability of FPS2. Expression analysis of FPS::GUS genes in seeds showed that FPS1 and FPS2 display complementary patterns of expression particularly at late stages of seed development, which suggests that Arabidopsis seeds have two spatially segregated sources of FPP. Functional complementation studies of the Arabidopsis fps2 knockout mutant seed phenotypes demonstrated that under normal conditions FPS1S and FPS2 are functionally interchangeable. A putative role for FPS2 in maintaining seed germination capacity under adverse environmental conditions is discussed.

  14. "Combining equity and utilitarianism"-additional insights into a novel approach

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Lemmen-Gerdessen, van Joke; Kanellopoulos, Argyris; Claassen, Frits

    2018-01-01

    Recently, a novel approach (to be referred to as CEU) was introduced for the frequently arising problem of combining the conflicting criteria of equity and utilitarianism. This paper provides additional insights into CEU and assesses its added value for practice by comparing it with a commonly used

  15. Fermi-LAT Gamma-Ray Bursts and Insights from Swift

    Science.gov (United States)

    Racusin, Judith L.

    2010-01-01

    A new revolution in Gamma-ray Burst (GRB) observations and theory has begun over the last two years since the launch of the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope. The new window into high energy gamma-rays opened by the Fermi-Large Area Telescope (LAT) is providing insight into prompt emission mechanisms and possibly also afterglow physics. The LAT detected GRBs appear to be a new unique subset of extremely energetic and bright bursts compared to the large sample detected by Swift over the last 6 years. In this talk, I will discuss the context and recent discoveries from these LAT GRBs and the large database of broadband observations collected by the Swift X-ray Telescope (XRT) and UV/Optical Telescope (UVOT). Through comparisons between the GRBs detected by Swift-BAT, G8M, and LAT, we can learn about the unique characteristics, physical differences, and the relationships between each population. These population characteristics provide insight into the different physical parameters that contribute to the diversity of observational GRB properties.

  16. Providing Real Research Opoportunities to Undergraduates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ragozzine, Darin

    2016-01-01

    The current approach to undergraduate education focuses on teaching classes which provide the foundational knowledge for more applied experiences such as scientific research. Like most programs, Florida Institute of Technology (Florida Tech or FIT) strongly encourages undergraduate research, but is dominated by content-focused courses (e.g., "Physical Mechanics"). Research-like experiences are generally offered through "lab" classes, but these are almost always reproductions of past experiments: contrived, formulaic, and lacking the "heart" of real (i.e., potentially publishable) scientific research. Real research opportunities 1) provide students with realistic insight into the actual scientific process; 2) excite students far more than end-of-chapter problems; 3) provide context for the importance of learning math, physics, and astrophysics concepts; and 4) allow unique research progress for well-chosen problems. I have provided real research opportunities as an "Exoplanet Lab" component of my Introduction to Space Science (SPS1020) class at Florida Tech, generally taken by first-year majors in our Physics, Astronomy & Astrophysics, Planetary Science, and Astrobiology degree programs. These labs are a hybrid between citizen science (e.g., PlanetHunters) and simultaneously mentoring ~60 undergraduates in similar small research projects. These projects focus on problems that can be understood in the context of the course, but which benefit from "crowdsourcing". Examples include: dividing up the known planetary systems and developing a classification scheme and organizing them into populations (Fall 2013); searching through folded light curves to discover new exoplanets missed by previous pipelines (Fall 2014); and fitting n-body models to all exoplanets with known Transit Timing Variations to estimate planet masses (Fall 2015). The students love the fact that they are doing real potentially publishable research: not many undergraduates can claim to have discovered

  17. Surface tension driven aggregation of organic nanowires via lab in a droplet.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gu, Jianmin; Yin, Baipeng; Fu, Shaoyan; Feng, Man; Zhang, Ziming; Dong, Haiyun; Gao, Faming; Zhao, Yong Sheng

    2018-06-05

    Directing the architecture of complex organic nanostructures is desirable and still remains a challenge in areas of materials science due to their structure-dependent collective optoelectronic properties. Herein, we demonstrate a simple and versatile solution strategy that allows surface tension to drive low-dimensional nanostructures to aggregate into complex structures via a lab in a droplet technique. By selecting a suitable combination of a solvent and an anti-solvent with controllable surface tension difference, the droplets can be automatically cracked into micro-droplets, which provides an aggregation force directed toward the centre of the droplet to drive the low-dimensional building blocks to form the special aggregations during the self-assembly process. This synthetic strategy has been shown to be universal for organic materials, which is beneficial for further optimizing the optoelectronic properties. These results contribute to gaining an insightful understanding on the detailed growth mechanism of complex organic nanostructures and greatly promoting the development of organic nanophotonics.

  18. Genome-wide characterization of differentially expressed genes provides insights into regulatory network of heat stress response in radish (Raphanus sativus L.).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Ronghua; Mei, Yi; Xu, Liang; Zhu, Xianwen; Wang, Yan; Guo, Jun; Liu, Liwang

    2018-03-01

    Heat stress (HS) causes detrimental effects on plant morphology, physiology, and biochemistry that lead to drastic reduction in plant biomass production and economic yield worldwide. To date, little is known about HS-responsive genes involved in thermotolerance mechanism in radish. In this study, a total of 6600 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) from the control and Heat24 cDNA libraries of radish were isolated by high-throughput sequencing. With Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis, some genes including MAPK, DREB, ERF, AP2, GST, Hsf, and Hsp were predominantly assigned in signal transductions, metabolic pathways, and biosynthesis and abiotic stress-responsive pathways. These pathways played significant roles in reducing stress-induced damages and enhancing heat tolerance in radish. Expression patterns of 24 candidate genes were validated by reverse-transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). Based mainly on the analysis of DEGs combining with the previous miRNAs analysis, the schematic model of HS-responsive regulatory network was proposed. To counter the effects of HS, a rapid response of the plasma membrane leads to the opening of specific calcium channels and cytoskeletal reorganization, after which HS-responsive genes are activated to repair damaged proteins and ultimately facilitate further enhancement of thermotolerance in radish. These results could provide fundamental insight into the regulatory network underlying heat tolerance in radish and facilitate further genetic manipulation of thermotolerance in root vegetable crops.

  19. The "Insight Paradox" in Schizophrenia: Magnitude, Moderators and Mediators of the Association Between Insight and Depression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Belvederi Murri, Martino; Amore, Mario; Calcagno, Pietro; Respino, Matteo; Marozzi, Valentina; Masotti, Mattia; Bugliani, Michele; Innamorati, Marco; Pompili, Maurizio; Galderisi, Silvana; Maj, Mario

    2016-09-01

    The so-called "insight paradox" posits that among patients with schizophrenia higher levels of insight are associated with increased levels of depression. Although different studies examined this issue, only few took in account potential confounders or factors that could influence this association. In a sample of clinically stable patients with schizophrenia, insight and depression were evaluated using the Scale to assess Unawareness of Mental Disorder and the Calgary Depression Scale for Schizophrenia. Other rating scales were used to assess the severity of psychotic symptoms, extrapyramidal symptoms, hopelessness, internalized stigma, self-esteem, and service engagement. Regression models were used to estimate the magnitude of the association between insight and depression while accounting for the role of confounders. Putative psychological and sociodemographic factors that could act as mediators and moderators were examined using the PROCESS macro. By accounting for the role of confounding factors, the strength of the association between insight into symptoms and depression increased from 13% to 25% explained covariance. Patients with lower socioeconomic status (F = 8.5, P = .04), more severe illness (F = 4.8, P = .03) and lower levels of service engagement (F = 4.7, P = .03) displayed the strongest association between insight and depression. Lastly, hopelessness, internalized stigma and perceived discrimination acted as significant mediators. The relationship between insight and depression should be considered a well established phenomenon among patients with schizophrenia: it seems stronger than previously reported especially among patients with lower socioeconomic status, severe illness and poor engagement with services. These findings may have relevant implications for the promotion of insight among patients with schizophrenia. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center. All rights reserved

  20. Mechanistic insights of intestinal absorption and renal conservation of folate in chronic alcoholism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wani, Nissar Ahmad; Thakur, Shilpa; Najar, Rauf Ahmad; Nada, Ritambhara; Khanduja, Krishan Lal; Kaur, Jyotdeep

    2013-03-01

    Folate mediated one-carbon metabolism is of fundamental importance for various cellular processes, including DNA synthesis and methylation of biological molecules. Due to the exogenous requirement of folate in mammals, there exists a well developed epithelial folate transport system for regulation of normal folate homeostasis. The intestinal and renal folate uptake is tightly and diversely regulated and disturbances in folate homeostasis like in alcoholism have pathological consequences. The study was sought to delineate the regulatory mechanism of folate uptake in intestine and reabsorption in renal tubular cells that could evaluate insights of malabsorption during alcoholism. The folate transporters PCFT and RFC were found to be associated with lipid rafts of membrane surfaces in intestine and kidney. Importantly, the observed lower intestinal and renal folate uptake was associated with decreased levels of folate transporter viz. PCFT and RFC in lipid rafts of intestinal and renal membrane surfaces. The decreased association of folate transporters in lipid rafts was associated with decreased protein and mRNA levels. In addition, immunohistochemical studies showed that alcoholic conditions deranged that localization of PCFT and RFC. These findings could explain the possible mechanistic insights that may result in folate malabsorption during alcoholism. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.