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As continued growth in gut microbiota studies in captive and model animals elucidates the importance of their role in host biology, further pursuit of how to retain a wild-like microbial community is becoming increasingly important to obtain representative results from captive animals.
In this study, we assessed how the gut microbiota of two wild-caught small mammals, namely Crocidura russula (Eulipotyphla, insectivore) and Apodemus sylvaticus (Rodentia, omnivore), changed when bringing them into captivity.
We analyzed fecal samples of 15 A. sylvaticus and 21 C. russula, immediately after bringing them into captivity and 5 weeks later, spread over two housing treatments: a "natural" setup enriched with elements freshly collected from nature and a "laboratory" setup with sterile artificial elements.
Through sequencing of the V3-V4 region of the 16S recombinant RNA gene, we found that the initial microbial diversity dropped during captivity in both species, regardless of treatment. Community composition underwent a change of similar magnitude in both species and under both treatments.
However, we did observe that the temporal development of the gut microbiome took different trajectories (i.e., changed in different directions) under different treatments, particularly in C. russula, suggesting that C. russula may be more susceptible to environmental change.
The results of this experiment do not support the use of microbially enriched environments to retain wild-like microbial diversities and compositions, yet show that specific housing conditions can significantly affect the drift of microbial communities under captivity.
As a concrete setting where stochastic partial differential equations (SPDEs) are able to model real phenomena, we propose a stochastic Meinhardt model for cell repolarization and study how parameter estimation techniques developed for simple linear SPDE models apply in this situation. We establish the existence of mild SPDE solutions, and we investigate the impact of the driving noise process on pattern formation in the solution. We then pursue estimation of the diffusion term and show asymptotic normality for our estimator as the space resolution becomes finer. The finite sample performance is investigated for synthetic and real data.
Impacts of late Miocene normal faulting on Yarlung-Tsangpo River evolution, southeastern Tibet
(2022)
The Jiacha Gorge in southeastern Tibet is the second-largest deeply incised gorge of the Yarlung-Tsangpo River, after the Tsangpo Gorge. A late Cenozoic N-S-trending normal fault, the Woka Rift fault, coincides with the western limit of the gorge.
However, the relationship between the formation of the gorge, drainage evolution, and rift activity remains unclear.
Analysis of the river long profile suggests that the Jiacha Gorge developed as a similar to 45-km-wide knickzone, rather than a local knickpoint. Projection of tributary stream profiles indicate significantly deeper incision in the gorge than in the downstream area, suggesting different controls on incision. Thermochronological data collected along two age-elevation profiles in the Woka Rift footwall and the Jiacha Gorge record rapid cooling at ca. 12-10 Ma followed by moderate cooling between ca. 10 and 7 Ma, with additional accelerated cooling after ca. 5 Ma in the gorge.
We interpret late Miocene (ca. 12-10 Ma) rapid cooling to reflect the onset of east-west extension and normal faulting along the Woka Rift, whereas the Pliocene (post-ca. 5 Ma) accelerated cooling is inferred to be driven by river incision in the Jiacha Gorge. Geomorphic and sedimentologic observations suggest diversion of the Yarlung-Tsangpo River through the Jiacha Gorge, from an earlier more southerly course, after the onset of rifting.
Therefore, we suggest that normal faulting of the Woka Rift anchored the Jiacha Gorge knickzone on its shoulder, while footwall uplift and drainage diversion led to enhanced incision, forming the steepest channel upstream of the Tangpo Gorge along the Yarlung-Tsangpo River.
Influence of a 265 °C heat treatment on the residual stress state of a PBF-LB/M AlSi10Mg alloy
(2022)
Laser Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-LB/M) additive manufacturing (AM) induces high magnitude residual stress (RS) in structures due to the extremely heterogeneous cooling and heating rates. As the RS can be deleterious to the fatigue resistance of engineering components, great efforts are focused on understanding their generation and evolution after post-process heat treatments.
In this study, one of the few of its kind, the RS relaxation induced in an as-built PBF-LB/M AlSi10Mg material by a low-temperature heat treatment (265 & DEG;C for 1 h) is studied by means of X-ray and neutron diffraction. Since the specimens are manufactured using a baseplate heated up to 200 & DEG;C, low RS are found in the as-built condition.
After heat treatment a redistribution of the RS is observed, while their magnitude remains constant. It is proposed that the redistribution is induced by a repartition of stresses between the alpha-aluminium matrix and the silicon phase, as the morphology of the silicon phase is affected by the heat treatment.
A considerable scatter is observed in the neutron diffraction RS profiles, which is principally correlated to the presence (or absence) of pockets of porosity developed at the borders of the chessboard pattern.
Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) is a popular geophysical method for imaging subsurface structures with a resolution at decimeter scale, which is based on the emission, propagation, and reflection of electromagnetic waves.
GPR surveys for imaging the cryosphere benefit from the typically highly resistive conditions in frozen ground, resulting in low electromagnetic attenuation and, thus, an increased penetration depth.
In permafrost environments, seasonal changes might affect not only GPR performance in terms of vertical resolution, attenuation, and penetration depth, but also regarding the general complexity of data (e.g., due to multiple reflections at thaw boundaries).
The experimental setup of our study comparing seasonal differences of summertime thawed and winter- and springtime frozen active layer conditions above ice-rich permafrost allows for estimating advantages and disadvantages of both scenarios.
Our results demonstrate major differences in the data and the final GPR image and, thus, will help in future studies to decide about particular survey seasons based on the GPR potential for non-invasive and high-resolution investigations of permafrost properties.
Spatial predictions of biomass production and biodiversity at regional scale in grasslands are critical to evaluate the effects of management practices across environmental gradients. New generations of remote sensing sensors and machine learning approaches can predict these grassland characteristics with varying accuracy. However, such studies frequently fail to cover a sufficiently broad range of environmental conditions, and their prediction models are often case-specific. To address this gap, we have modelled above-ground biomass and species richness in 150 spatially independent grassland plots of three geographical regions in Germany. These regions follow a North-South climate gradient and differ in soil types, topography, elevation, climatic conditions, historical contexts, and management intensities. The predictors tested in this study are Sentinel-1 backscatter, Sentinel-2 time series of surface reflectance along with derived vegetation indices and Rao's Q, and a set of topoedaphic variables. We compared the performance of a feed-forward deep neural network (DNN) with a random forest (RF) regression algorithm. The DNN achieved the best estimations of biomass (r2 = 0.45) when trained with Sentinel-2 surface reflectance only. Moreover, the DNN showed a higher generalizability than RF during spatial cross-validations (i.e., calibrating and validating in different regions, r2 = 0.38 vs. 0.26). Species richness pre-dictions by both algorithms improved when the full time series of Sentinel-2 surface reflectance values were used (highest r2 = 0.42 achieved by the DNN), but both performed poorly during spatial cross-validations. Overall, the DNN-based models were more robust than RF models, showed a lower bias and lower systematic error, and required fewer inputs. Explainability analysis indicated that red-edge and near infrared information from May and October was the most relevant to predict species richness. This study presents an important step forward in generating robust spatially explicit predictions of grassland attributes and biodiversity variables across large areas, environmental gradients, and phenological stages.
Crops are often simultaneously threatened by abiotic and biotic stress factors but the stress response of the plant holobiont is not well understood, despite the high importance of this response to ensure future plant production. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the impact of individual and combined abiotic (ionic and osmotic) and biotic ( Verticillium dahliae and Fusarium oxysporum) stress factors on plant performance and on the bacterial composition of the root endosphere in tomato. Structure and function of the microbiota was analyzed by 16S ribosomal RNA gene amplicon sequencing and a complementary cultivation approach, including in vitro and in vivo assays. Under all stress conditions, tomato growth and photosynthetic activity was reduced. Combined abiotic stressors with F. oxysporum but not with V. dahliae infection led to an additive negative effect on plant performance. All stress conditions induced a microbiome shift, and changed the relative abundance of phyla such as Firmicutes and classes of Proteobacteria. Endophytes identified as Bacillus, Paenibacillus, and Microbacterium spp. showed tolerance to abiotic stress conditions and plant beneficial effects. Stressor-specific enrichments of beneficial bacteria in the root were discovered (e.g., Paenibacillus in roots infected with F. oxysporum and Microbacterium in roots infected with V. dahliae). Interestingly, endophytes that were able to promote plant growth were obtained only from roots exposed to individual biotic and combined abiotic and biotic stress conditions but not individual abiotic stressors. Our study revealed stressor-specific enrichment of beneficial bacteria in tomato roots, which has implications for novel plant protection strategies.
Despite the impressive performance and incredible promise for a variety of applications, the wide-scale commercialization of graphene is still behind its full potential. One of the main challenges is related to preserving graphene's unique properties upon transfer onto practically desirable substrates. In this work, few-layer graphene sheets deposited via liquid-phase transfer from copper onto a quartz substrate have been studied using a suite of experimental techniques, including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Raman spectroscopy, admittance spectroscopy, and four-point probe electrical measurements. SEM measurements suggest that the transfer of graphene from copper foil to quartz using the aqueous solution of ammonium persulfate was accompanied by unintentional etching of the entire surface of the quartz substrate and, as a result, the formation of microscopic facet structures covering the etched surface of the substrate. As revealed by Raman spectroscopy and the electrical measurements, the transfer process involving the etching of the copper foil in a 0.1 M solution of (NH4)(2)S2O8 resulted in its p-type doping. This was accompanied by the appearance of an electronic gap of 0.022 eV, as evidenced by the Arrhenius analysis. The observed increase in the conductance of the samples with temperature can be explained by thermally activated carrier transport, dominating the scattering processes.
Animals that depend on ephemeral, patchily distributed prey often use public information to locate resource patches. The use of public information can lead to the aggregation of foragers at prey patches, a mechanism known as local enhancement. However, when ephemeral resources are distributed over large areas, foragers may also need to increase search efficiency, and thus apply social strategies when sampling the landscape. While sensory networks of visually oriented animals have already been confirmed, we lack an understanding of how acoustic eavesdropping adds to the formation of sensory networks. Here we radio-tracked a total of 81 aerial-hawking bats at very high spatiotemporal resolution during five sessions over 3 y, recording up to 19 individuals simultaneously. Analyses of interactive flight behavior provide conclusive evidence that bats form temporary mobile sensory networks by adjusting their movements to neighboring conspecifics while probing the airspace for prey. Complementary agent-based simulations confirmed that the observed movement patterns can lead to the formation of mobile sensory networks, and that bats located prey faster when networking than when relying only on local enhancement or searching solitarily. However, the benefit of networking diminished with decreasing group size. The combination of empirical analyses and simulations elucidates how animal groups use acoustic information to efficiently locate unpredictable and ephemeral food patches. Our results highlight that declining local populations of social foragers may thus suffer from Allee effects that increase the risk of collapses under global change scenarios, like insect decline and habitat degradation.
Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a global disease with no effective medication. The fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) can reverse this liver dysfunction, but requires targeted delivery to the liver, which can be achieved via oral administration. Therefore, we fused FGF21 to transferrin (Tf) via a furin cleavage site (F), to promote uptake from the intestine into the portal vein, yielding FGF21-F-Tf, and established its production in both seeds and leaves of commercial Nicotiana tabacum cultivars, compared their expression profile and tested the bioavailability and bioactivity in feeding studies. Since biopharmaceuticals need to be produced in a contained environment, e.g., greenhouses in case of plants, the seed production was increased in this setting from 239 to 380 g m(-2) a(-1) seed mass with costs of 1.64 euro g(-1) by side branch induction, whereas leaves yielded 8,193 g m(-2) a(-1) leave mass at 0.19 euro g(-1). FGF21-F-Tf expression in transgenic seeds and leaves yielded 6.7 and 5.6 mg kg(-1) intact fusion protein, but also 4.5 and 2.3 mg kg(-1) additional Tf degradation products. Removing the furin site and introducing the liver-targeting peptide PLUS doubled accumulation of intact FGF21-transferrin fusion protein when transiently expressed in Nicotiana benthamiana from 0.8 to 1.6 mg kg(-1), whereas truncation of transferrin (nTf338) and reversing the order of FGF21 and nTf338 increased the accumulation to 2.1 mg kg(-1) and decreased the degradation products to 7% for nTf338-FGF21-PLUS. Application of partially purified nTf338-FGF21-PLUS to FGF21(-/-) mice by oral gavage proved its transfer from the intestine into the blood circulation and acutely affected hepatic mRNA expression. Hence, the medication of NASH via oral delivery of nTf338-FGF21-PLUS containing plants seems possible.
Accessions of one plant species may show significantly different levels of susceptibility to stresses. The Arabidopsis thaliana accessions Col-0 and C24 differ significantly in their resistance to the pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato (Pst). To help unravel the underlying mechanisms contributing to this naturally occurring variance in resistance to Pst, we analyzed changes in transcripts and compounds from primary and secondary metabolism of Col-0 and C24 at different time points after infection with Pst. Our results show that the differences in the resistance of Col-0 and C24 mainly involve mechanisms of salicylic-acid-dependent systemic acquired resistance, while responses of jasmonic-acid-dependent mechanisms are shared between the two accessions. In addition, arginine metabolism and differential activity of the biosynthesis pathways of aliphatic glucosinolates and indole glucosinolates may also contribute to the resistance. Thus, this study highlights the difference in the defense response strategies utilized by different genotypes.
New continuum and polarization observations of the Cygnus Loop with FAST. II. Images and analyses
(2022)
We present total-intensity and polarized-intensity images of the Cygnus Loop supernova remnant (SNR) observed by the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope. The high angular-resolution and high-sensitivity images enable us to thoroughly compare the properties of the northern part with the southern part of the SNR. The central filament in the northern part and the southern part have a similar foreground rotation measure, meaning their distances are likely similar. The polarization analysis indicates that the random magnetic field is larger than the regular field in the northern part, but negligible in the southern part. The total-intensity image is decomposed into components of various angular scales, and the brightness-temperature spectral index of the shell structures in the northern part is similar to that in the southern part in the component images. All the evidence suggests that the northern and southern parts of the Cygnus Loop are situated and thus evolved in different environments of interstellar medium, while belonging to the same SNR.
We analyze diffusion processes with finite propagation speed in a non-homogeneous medium in terms of the heterogeneous telegrapher's equation. In the diffusion limit of infinite-velocity propagation we recover the results for the heterogeneous diffusion process. The heterogeneous telegrapher's process exhibits a rich variety of diffusion regimes including hyperdiffusion, ballistic motion, superdiffusion, normal diffusion and subdiffusion, and different crossover dynamics characteristic for complex systems in which anomalous diffusion is observed. The anomalous diffusion exponent in the short time limit is twice the exponent in the long time limit, in accordance to the crossover dynamics from ballistic diffusion to normal diffusion in the standard telegrapher's process. We also analyze the finite-velocity heterogeneous diffusion process in presence of stochastic Poissonian resetting. We show that the system reaches a non-equilibrium stationary state. The transition to this non-equilibrium steady state is analyzed in terms of the large deviation function.
Background: Fasting is beneficial in many diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA), with lasting effects for up to 1 year. However, existing data dates back several decades before the introduction of modern therapeutic modalities. Objective: This exploratory RCT compares the effects of a 7-day fast followed by a plant-based diet (PBD) to the effects of the dietary recommendations of the German society for nutrition (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Ernährung, DGE) on RA disease activity, cardiovascular (CV) risk factors, and well-being. Methods: In this RCT we randomly assigned 53 RA patients to either a 7-day fast followed by an 11-week PBD or a 12-week standard DGE diet. The primary endpoint was the group change from baseline to 12 weeks on the Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index (HAQ-DI). Further outcomes included other disease activity scores, body composition, and quality of life. Results: Of 53 RA patients enrolled, 50 participants (25 per group) completed the trial and were included into the per-protocol analysis. The primary endpoint was not statistically significant. However, HAQ-DI improved rapidly in the fasting group by day 7 and remained stable over 12 weeks (Δ-0.29, p = 0.001), while the DGE group improved later at 6 and 12 weeks (Δ-0.23, p = 0.032). DAS28 ameliorated in both groups by week 12 (Δ-0.97, p < 0.001 and Δ-1.14, p < 0.001; respectively), with 9 patients in the fasting but only 3 in the DGE group achieving ACR50 or higher. CV risk factors including weight improved stronger in the fasting group than in the DGE group (Δ-3.9 kg, p < 0.001 and Δ-0.7 kg, p = 0.146). Conclusions: Compared with a guideline-based anti-inflammatory diet, fasting followed by a plant-based diet showed no benefit in terms of function and disability after 12 weeks. Both dietary approaches had a positive effect on RA disease activity and cardiovascular risk factors in patients with RA. Clinical trial registration: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03856190, identifier: NCT03856190.
About 10% of Europe's surface area is prone to rapid flooding of rivers confined in valleys. The devastating potential of such floods is exacerbated by the deficits of existing gauging networks, including low station densities and recording frequencies, and lack of information beyond stage height. Here, we use seismic data of the July 2021 Ahrtal flood, Germany, to extract information to complement sparse hydrometric data, and to reconstruct the rapid evolution of this fatal event. We show that a seismic station can deliver essential flood metrics such as magnitude, propagation velocity and debris transport rate. These seismic products provide high resolution insight to the non-linear flood behavior. We argue that an approach combining distributed low-cost seismometers with existing seismic stations, can provide important real time data on future catastrophic floods and associated hazards in upland catchments, offering precious response time also in currently ungauged landscapes.
Plant-based diets are associated with numerous health benefits but also bear risks of micronutrient deficiencies if inadequately planned.
The risk of nutrient deficiencies can be reliably reduced by supplementation but requires risk-awareness.
We distributed a paper-and-pencil questionnaire to n = 902 healthcare professionals attending a congress on plant-based nutrition (VegMed 2018, Berlin).
On the day of the survey (21 April 2018), n = 475 questionnaires were returned and analyzed descriptively. Of the n = 213 strict vegan participants, 2% (n = 5) took no supplements at all. All supplementing vegans reported taking vitamin B12. Almost three-quarters of vegans (73%, n = 152) took vitamin D, and 22% (n = 45) reported taking omega-3 fatty acids. Iron was supplemented by 13% (n = 28), iodine by 12% (n = 25), calcium by 11% (n = 22), zinc by 7% (n = 14), magnesium by 5% (n = 11), and selenium by 4% (n = 9). For 11%, a supplement other than vitamin B12 was subjectively most important. Nearly 50% had their vitamin B12 levels laboratory tested at least once a year; nearly one-quarter reported testing every two years, and another one-quarter rarely or never. Participants following a vegan diet were better informed about institutional recommendations of the German Nutrition Society and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics for vegan diets than participants following vegetarian or omnivorous diets. Vegan nutrition in pregnancy/lactation period and childhood was considered most appropriate by vegans. Despite a high awareness of potential health risks associated with vitamin B12 deficiency on a strict vegan diet and a comprehensive understanding of the official dietary recommendations of nutrition societies, use of supplements and performance of regular laboratory tests were only moderate among vegan healthcare professionals.
Considering the paramount importance of adequate supplementation of critical nutrients to avoid nutrient deficiencies, scientific and public discourse should be further facilitated. Further investigation of the supplementation behavior of vegan health professionals could be of particular interest, as a possible correlation with the quality of their own nutrition counseling is not inconceivable.
Limb regeneration is a fascinating and medically interesting trait that has been well preserved in arthropod lineages, particularly in crustaceans.
However, the molecular mechanisms underlying arthropod limb regeneration remain largely elusive. The Chinese mitten crab Eriocheir sinensis shows strong regenerative capacity, a trait that has likely allowed it to become a worldwide invasive species.
Here, we report a chromosome-level genome of E. sinensis as well as large-scale transcriptome data during the limb regeneration process.
Our results reveal that arthropod -specific genes involved in signal transduction, immune response, histone methylation, and cuticle development all play fundamental roles during the regeneration process. Particularly, Innexin2-mediated signal transduction likely facilitates the early stage of the regeneration process, while an effective crustacean-specific prophenoloxidase system (ProPo-AS) plays crucial roles in the initial immune response.
Collectively, our findings uncover novel genetic pathways pertaining to arthropod limb regeneration and provide valuable resources for studies on regeneration from a comparative perspective.
Earthquake models can produce aftershock forecasts, which have recently been released to lay audiences. While visualization literature suggests that displaying forecast uncertainty can improve how forecast maps are used, research on uncertainty visualization is missing from earthquake science.
We designed a pre-registered online experiment to test the effectiveness of three visualization techniques for displaying aftershock forecast maps and their uncertainty. These maps showed the forecasted number of aftershocks at each location for a week following a hypothetical mainshock, along with the uncertainty around each location's forecast.
Three different uncertainty visualizations were produced:
(1) forecast and uncertainty maps adjacent to one another;
(2) the forecast map depicted in a color scheme, with the uncertainty shown by the transparency of the color; and
(3) two maps that showed the lower and upper bounds of the forecast distribution at each location.
We compared the three uncertainty visualizations using tasks that were specifically designed to address broadly applicable and user-generated communication goals.
We compared task responses between participants using uncertainty visualizations and using the forecast map shown without its uncertainty (the current practice).
Participants completed two map-reading tasks that targeted several dimensions of the readability of uncertainty visualizations. Participants then performed a Comparative Judgment task, which demonstrated whether a visualization was successful in reaching two key communication goals: indicating where many aftershocks and no aftershocks are likely (sure bets) and where the forecast is low but the uncertainty is high enough to imply potential risk (surprises).
All visualizations performed equally well in the goal of communicating sure bet situations. But the visualization with lower and upper bounds was substantially better than the other designs at communicating surprises.
These results have implications for the visual communication of forecast uncertainty both within and beyond earthquake science.
Introduction
The aim of this study is to develop a new measure of victimization and perpetration of two frequent forms of image-based sexual abuse, namely sextortion (i.e., the threat of distributing sexual images to pressure the victim into doing something) and nonconsensual sexting (i.e., distributing sexual images of someone without the consent of the victim). Additional aims were to analyze the prevalence of these forms of victimization and perpetration and to examine their temporal stability over a 1-year period.
Methods
The sample was made up of 1820 Spanish adolescents (mean age = 13.38, SD = 1.42; 929 girls, 878 boys, 3 nonbinary, and 10 did not indicate gender) who completed self-report instruments on image-based sexual abuse and related variables (e.g., cyberbullying victimization).
Results
Confirmatory factor analysis supported a structure composed of the four hypothesized factors: sextortion victimization and perpetration, and nonconsensual sexting victimization and perpetration. Higher sexting, cyberbullying victimization, and symptoms of depression and anxiety had stronger associations with image-based sexual victimization than with perpetration, which showed evidence of concurrent validity. Prevalence was 2.6% and 0.7% for sextortion victimization and perpetration, respectively, and 3.4% and 4.9% for nonconsensual sexting victimization and perpetration, respectively. Temporal stability over 1 year was .26 for sextortion victimization, .19 for nonconsensual sexting victimization, .33 for nonconsensual sexting perpetration (all ps < .001), and nonsignificant for sextortion perpetration. The stability of nonconsensual sexting victimization was significantly higher for girls compared to boys, whereas nonconsensual sexting perpetration was more stable over 1 year for boys.
Conclusions
Future studies must advance the analysis of the predictors and consequences of image-based sexual abuse among adolescents to better prevent this problem. Prevalence of sextortion and nonconsensual sexting is not negligible, and these problems should be particularly addressed in prevention programs.
Background
Previous studies report vast mental health problems in sexual minority people. Representative national proportion estimates on self-identifying LGB+ persons are missing in Belgium. Lacking data collection regarding sexual orientation in either census or governmental survey data limits our understanding of the true population sizes of different sexual orientation groups and their respective health outcomes.
This study assessed the proportion of LGB+ and heterosexual persons in Belgium, LGB+ persons' self-identification as sexual minority, mental health, and experienced minority stress.
Method
A representative sample of 4632 individuals drawn from the Belgian National Register completed measures of sexual orientation, subjective minority status, and its importance for their identity as well as a range of mental-health measures.
Results
LGB+ participants made up 10.02% of the total sample and 52.59% of LGB+ participants self-identified as sexual minority. Most sexual minority participants considered sexual minority characteristics important for their identity. LGB+ persons reported significantly worse mental health than heterosexual persons. Sexual minority participants did not report high levels of minority stress, but those who considered minority characteristics key for their identity reported higher levels of minority stress. LGB+ participants who did not identify as minority reported fewer persons they trust.
Conclusions
The proportion of persons who identified as LGB+ was twice as large as the proportion of persons who identified as a minority based on their sexual orientation. LGB+ persons show poorer mental health compared to heterosexual persons. This difference was unrelated to minority stress, sociodemographic differences, minority identification, or the importance attached to minority characteristics.
In this study, the virulence genes, antibiotic resistance of culturable Vibrio and the environmental factors affecting Vibrio abundance were analyzed in four seasons in DongShan Bay with different intensity of aquaculture practice. A total of 253 bacteria isolates were obtained, of which 177 Vibrio strains belonged to 26 species. Annual Vibrio abundance in this region ranged from 20 to 11,600 CFU mL(-1) and the most significant positive correlation occurred with temperature. Detection of 9 different Vibrio virulence genes revealed that most isolates contained atypical virulence genes in addition to the typical ones. In particular, virulence genes of hemolysin such as tdh, trh, and hlyA (6.32 %, 15.52 %, and 11.30 %) showed different degrees of horizontal gene transfer (HGT). In our antibiotic resistance test, the multiple antibiotic resistance (MAR) index of the isolates ranged from 0.01 to 0.03 in different seasons, and three MAR Vibrio strains were detected. Overall, our study sheds new light on the spatial distribution patterns and the occurrence of virulence genes and antibiotics resistance Vibrio iso-lated from a subtropical bay with intensive aquaculture. Our study provides a suitable microbial quality sur-veillance in a mariculture impacted coastal environment. It will help to establish effective disease prevention measures in this area and provide useful guidance and support for formulating local antibiotics use policies.
The integration of imaging spectroscopy and aeromagnetics provides a cost-effective and promising way to extend the initial analysis of a mineral deposit. While imaging spectroscopy retrieves surface spectral information, magnetic responses are used to determine magnetization at both shallower and greater depths using 2D and 3D modeling. Integration of imaging spectroscopy and magnetics improves upon knowledge concerning lithology with magnetic properties, enhances understanding of the geological origin of magnetic anomalies, and is a promising approach for analyzing a prospective area for minerals having a high iron-bearing content. To combine iron diagnostic information from airborne hyperspectral and magnetic data, we (a) used an iron absorption feature ratio to model pseudo-magnetic responses and compare them with the measured magnetic data and (b) estimated the apparent susceptibility along the surface by some equivalent source modeling, and compared them with iron ratios along the surface. For this analysis, a Modified Iron Feature Depth index was developed and compared to the surface geochemistry of the rock samples in order to validate the spectral information of iron. The comparison revealed a linear increase in iron absorption feature depths with iron content. The analysis was performed by empirically modeling the statistical relationship between the diagnostic absorption features of hyperspectral (HS) image spectra of selected rock samples and their corresponding geochemistry. Our results clearly show a link between the spectral absorption features and the magnetic response from iron-bearing ultra/-mafic rocks. The iron absorption feature ratio of Fe3+/Fe2+ integrated with aeromagnetic data (residual magnetic anomaly) allowed us to distinguish main rock types based on physical properties. This separation matches the lithology of the Niaqornarssuit complex, our study area in West Greenland.
Bacterial-fungal interactions under agricultural settings: from physical to chemical interactions
(2022)
Bacteria and fungi are dominant members of environmental microbiomes. Various bacterial-fungal interactions (BFIs) and their mutual regulation are important factors for ecosystem functioning and health.
Such interactions can be highly dynamic, and often require spatiotemporally resolved assessments to understand the interplay which ranges from antagonism to mutualism. Many of these interactions are still poorly understood, especially in terms of the underlying chemical and molecular interplay, which is crucial for inter-kingdom communication and interference. BFIs are highly relevant under agricultural settings; they can be determinative for crop health.
Advancing our knowledge related to mechanisms underpinning the interactions between bacteria and fungi will provide an extended basis for biological control of pests and pathogens in agriculture.
Moreover, it will facilitate a better understanding of complex microbial community networks that commonly occur in nature. This will allow us to determine factors that are crucial for community assembly under different environmental conditions and pave the way for constructing synthetic communities for various biotechnological applications. Here, we summarize the current advances in the field of BFIs with an emphasis on agriculture.
In this paper we introduce new birth-and-death processes with partial catastrophe and study some of their properties.
In particular, we obtain some estimates for the mean catastrophe time, and the first and second moments of the distribution of the process at a fixed time t.
This is completed by some asymptotic results.
While the Indonesian higher education has been growing rapidly, poor student mental health including a high level of mental health shame is a cause for concern in Indonesia. This study aimed to evaluate their mental health, shame, and self-compassion.
One hundred fifty six participants completed self-report measures regarding mental health problems (depression, anxiety, and stress), mental health shame (negative attitudes, and external, internal, and reflected shame), and self-compassion.
Data were first compared with 145 U.K. students, then correlation and regression analyses were performed.
Indonesian students showed higher levels of mental health problems, family-related mental health shame, and self-compassion than U.K. students. Each type of mental health problem and mental health shame were positively associated with each other. Self-compassion was negatively associated with mental health problems, but not with mental health shame. Self-compassion was consistently the strongest predictor of mental health problems.
Among the mental health shame types, only family external shame predicted the level of depression.
Self-compassion training and mental health education for their family are recommended to protect the mental health of university students in Indonesia.
Niobium pentoxides have received considerable attention and are promising anode materials for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), due to their fast Li storage kinetics and high capacity. However, their cycling stability and rate performance are still limited owing to their intrinsic insulating properties and structural degradation during charging and discharging. Herein, a series of mesoporous Nb2O5@TiO2 core-shell spherical heterostructures have been prepared for the first time by a sol-gel method and investigated as anode materials in LIBs. Mesoporosity can provide numerous open and short pathways for Li+ diffusion; meanwhile, heterostructures can simultaneously enhance the electronic conductivity and thus improve the rate capability. The TiO2 coating layer shows robust crystalline skeletons during repeated lithium insertion and extraction processes, retaining high structural integrity and, thereby, enhancing cycling stability. The electrochemical behavior is strongly dependent on the thickness of the TiO2 layer. After optimization, a mesoporous Nb2O5@TiO2 core-shell structure with a similar to 13 nm thick TiO2 layer delivers a high specific capacity of 136 mA h g-1 at 5 A g-1 and exceptional cycling stability (88.3% retention over 1000 cycles at 0.5 A g-1). This work provides a facile strategy to obtain mesoporous Nb2O5@TiO2 core-shell spherical structures and underlines the importance of structural engineering for improving the performance of battery materials.
Context. Galactic cosmic rays (CRs) are widely assumed to arise from diffusive shock acceleration, specifically at shocks in supernova remnants (SNRs). These shocks expand in a complex environment, particularly in the core-collapse scenario as these SNRs evolve inside the wind-blown bubbles created by their progenitor stars. The CRs at core-collapse SNRs may carry spectral signatures of that complexity. Aims. We study particle acceleration in the core-collapse SNR of a progenitor with an initial mass of 60 M-circle dot and realistic stellar evolution. The SNR shock interacts with discontinuities inside the wind-blown bubble and generates several transmitted and reflected shocks. We analyse their impact on particle spectra and the resulting emission from the remnant. Methods. To model the particle acceleration at the forward shock of a SNR expanding inside a wind bubble, we initially simulated the evolution of the pre-supernova circumstellar medium (CSM) by solving the hydrodynamic equations for the entire lifetime of the progenitor star. As the large-scale magnetic field, we considered parameterised circumstellar magnetic field with passive field transport. We then solved the hydrodynamic equations for the evolution of a SNR inside the pre-supernova CSM simultaneously with the transport equation for CRs in test-particle approximation and with the induction equation for the magnetohydrodynamics in 1D spherical symmetry. Results. The evolution of a core-collapse SNR inside a complex wind-blown bubble modifies the spectra of both the particles and their emission on account of several factors including density fluctuations, temperature variations, and the magnetic field configuration. We find softer particle spectra with spectral indices close to 2.5 during shock propagation inside the shocked wind, and this softness persists at later evolutionary stages. Further, our calculated total production spectrum released into the interstellar medium demonstrates spectral consistency at high energy (HE) with the injection spectrum of Galactic CRs, which is required in propagation models. The magnetic field structure effectively influences the emission morphology of SNRs as it governs the transportation of particles and the synchrotron emissivity. There is rarely a full correspondence of the intensity morphology in the radio, X-ray, and gamma-ray bands.
We examine the implementation of ambient noise array tomography in an urban environment to assess the 3D near-surface shear wave velocity (VS) structure at an intermediate spatial scale (-1 km2, depth range 200-300 m). The application employs cross correlation traces of vertical component ambient noise recordings from a local network installed in Thessaloniki city (Northern Greece), allowing the determination of Rayleigh wave travel times for the frequency range of 1.5-14 Hz. The results confirm the presence of a complex subsurface with strong lateral variations in the geology, with travel times varying up to almost one order of magnitude. A surface wave travel time tomography approach was applied for each frequency to determine the spatial variability of the group velocity, involving the use of approximate Fresnel volumes, as well as damping and spatial smoothing constraints to stabilize the results. We also employed an interfrequency smoothing scheme to obtain smooth but data-compatible dispersion curves at the cost of inverting all travel time data simultaneously. Following the application of several quality cutoff criteria, we reconstructed local group slowness dispersion curves for a predefined tomographic grid in the study area. The final 3D velocity model was determined by a modified Monte Carlo inversion of these dispersion curves and the spatial integration of the obtained 1D VS profiles. Different model parameterizations were tested for the inversion to determine the optimal datafit. The final 3D velocity model is in a very good agreement with the local geology, previous larger scale studies, and other geophysical surveys, providing additional structural constraints (such as hidden fault identification) for the complex sedimentary deposits and bedrock formation in Thessaloniki, up to the depth of - 250-300 m. The introduction of the aforementioned modifications to the ambient noise array tomography suggests that it can be efficiently adjusted and employed as a reliable tool for imaging the 3D seismic structure in urban environments with complex geology.
OBJECTIVEAlthough dietary intake of trans fatty acid (TFA) is a major public health concern because of the associated increase in the risk of cardiovascular events, it remains unclear whether TFAs also influence risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D) and whether industrial TFAs (iTFAs) and ruminant TFAs (rTFAs) exert the same effect on health. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODSTo investigate the relationship of 7 rTFAs and iTFAs, including 2 conjugated linoleic acids (CLAs), plasma phospholipid TFAs were measured in a case-cohort study nested within the European Prospective Investigation Into Cancer and Nutrition-Potsdam cohort. The analytical sample was a random subsample (n = 1,248) and incident cases of T2D (n = 801) over a median follow-up of 6.5 years. Using multivariable Cox regression models, we examined associations of TFAs with incident T2D. RESULTSThe TFA subtypes were intercorrelated with each other, with other fatty acids, and with different food sources. After controlling for other TFAs, the iTFAs (18:1n-6t, 18:1n-9t, 18:2n-6,9t) were not associated with diabetes risk. Some rTFA subtypes were inversely associated with diabetes risk: vaccenic acid (18:1n-7t; hazard ratio [HR] per SD 0.72; 95% CI 0.58-0.89) and t10c12-CLA (HR per SD 0.81; 95% CI 0.70-0.94), whereas c9t11-CLA was positively associated (HR per SD 1.39; 95% CI 1.19-1.62). Trans-palmitoleic acid (16:1n-7t) was not associated with diabetes risk when adjusting for the other TFAs (HR per SD 1.08; 95% CI 0.88-1.31). CONCLUSIONSThe TFAs' conformation plays an essential role in their relationship to diabetes risk. rTFA subtypes may have opposing relationships to diabetes risk. Previous observations for reduced diabetes risk with higher levels of circulating trans-palmitoleic acid are likely due to confounding.
Background While the majority of the German population was fully vaccinated at the time (about 65%), COVID-19 incidence started growing exponentially in October 2021 with about 41% of recorded new cases aged twelve or above being symptomatic breakthrough infections, presumably also contributing to the dynamics. So far, it remained elusive how significant this contribution was and whether targeted non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) may have stopped the amplification of the crisis. <br /> Methods We develop and introduce a contribution matrix approach based on the nextgeneration matrix of a population-structured compartmental infectious disease model to derive contributions of respective inter- and intragroup infection pathways of unvaccinated and vaccinated subpopulations to the effective reproduction number and new infections, considering empirical data of vaccine efficacies against infection and transmission. <br /> Results Here we show that about 61%-76% of all new infections were caused by unvaccinated individuals and only 24%-39% were caused by the vaccinated. Furthermore, 32%-51% of new infections were likely caused by unvaccinated infecting other unvaccinated. Decreasing the transmissibility of the unvaccinated by, e. g. targeted NPIs, causes a steeper decrease in the effective reproduction number R than decreasing the transmissibility of vaccinated individuals, potentially leading to temporary epidemic control. Reducing contacts between vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals serves to decrease R in a similar manner as increasing vaccine uptake. <br /> Conclusions A minority of the German population-the unvaccinated-is assumed to have caused the majority of new infections in the fall of 2021 in Germany. Our results highlight the importance of combined measures, such as vaccination campaigns and targeted contact reductions to achieve temporary epidemic control.
Wrapped up
(2022)
A huge number of bacterial species are motile by flagella, which allow them to actively move toward favorable environments and away from hazardous areas and to conquer new habitats. The general perception of flagellum-mediated movement and chemotaxis is dominated by the Escherichia coli paradigm, with its peritrichous flagellation and its famous run-and-tumble navigation pattern, which has shaped the view on how bacteria swim and navigate in chemical gradients. However, a significant amount-more likely the majority-of bacterial species exhibit a (bi)polar flagellar localization pattern instead of lateral flagella. Accordingly, these species have evolved very different mechanisms for navigation and chemotaxis. Here, we review the earlier and recent findings on the various modes of motility mediated by polar flagella.
L1 French participants learned novel L2 English words over two days of learning sessions, with half of the words presented with their orthographic forms (Audio-Ortho) and half without (Audio only). One group heard the words pronounced by a single talker, while another group heard them pronounced by multiple talkers. On the third day, they completed a variety of tasks to evaluate their learning. Our results show a robust influence of orthogra-phy, with faster response times in both production (Picture naming) and recognition (Picture mapping) tasks for words learned in the Audio-Ortho condition. Moreover, formant analyses of the Picture naming responses show that orthographic input pulls pronunciations of English novel words towards a non-native (French) phonological target. Words learned with their orthographic forms were pronounced more precisely (with smaller Dispersion Scores), but were misplaced in the vowel space (as reflected by smaller Euclidian distances with respect to French vowels). Finally, we found only limited evidence of an effect of talker-based acoustic variability: novel words learned with multiple talkers showed faster responses times in the Picture naming task, but only in the Audio-only condition, which suggests that orthographic information may have overwhelmed any advantage of talker-based acoustic variability.CO 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
A recent advancement in the field of neuromodulation is to adapt stimulation parameters according to prespecified biomarkers tracked in real-time. These markers comprise short and transient signal features, such as bursts of elevated band power. To capture these features, instantaneous measures of phase and/or amplitude are employed, which inform stimulation adjustment with high temporal specificity. For adaptive neuromodulation it is therefore necessary to precisely estimate a signal's phase and amplitude with minimum delay and in a causal way, i.e. without depending on future parts of the signal. Here we demonstrate a method that utilizes oscillation theory to estimate phase and amplitude in real-time and compare it to a recently proposed causal modification of the Hilbert transform. By simulating real-time processing of human LFP data, we show that our approach almost perfectly tracks offline phase and amplitude with minimum delay and is computationally highly efficient.
Analysis of physicians' probability estimates of a medical outcome based on a sequence of events
(2022)
A basic law of probability is that the probability of a conjunction of 2 independent events is the product of both components and cannot exceed the likelihood of either component. When this basic law is violated, it is known as the conjunction fallacy. In clinical practice, the conjunction fallacy may arise when physicians estimate the probability of the overall outcome that requires >= 2 steps to be successful. For example, if a successful procedure requires the success of step A and step B, then the probability of overall success of the procedure cannot exceed the likelihood of success of either step A or step B. The aim of this study was to determine whether physicians could correctly estimate the overall probability of success from 2 independent events. <br /> This was a 3-part, Internet-based survey study designed to evaluate the presence of the conjunction fallacy in 2 separate obstetric contexts and 1 pulmonary context. Respondents were board-certified or board-eligible physicians in obstetrics and gynecology and pulmonary, recruited from a commercial survey service. In each context, physicians were presented with scenarios related to their medical specialty and asked to judge the probability of the overall outcome, or conjunction, and of the 2 individual events, or conjuncts. <br /> The first substudy, conducted April 2-4, 2021, described a delivery in brow presentation discovered during labor. To assess the overall probability of a successful spontaneous vaginal delivery, an obstetrician must consider the likelihood of the brow presentation converting to a deliverable position and the likelihood of vaginal delivery from the converted position. The second substudy, conducted November 2-11, 2021, described the diagnostic evaluation of pulmonary nodule discovered incidentally. To assess the overall probability that a biopsy reveals cancer, the physician must consider the likelihood that the nodule is cancerous and the likelihood that the biopsy successfully and accurately detects cancer. The third study, conducted May 13-19, 2021, modified the first substudy and asked responding obstetricians to consider the likelihood of the individual conjuncts before estimating the overall probability of successful vaginal delivery. <br /> The survey included responses from 215 physicians: 66% were male and 34% were female with a mean (SD) age of 53.6 (9.5) years and mean time since obtaining a medical degree of 27.5 (10.6) years. Overall, 78.1% of physicians committed the conjunction fallacy, estimating that the overall probability of success was greater than the likelihood of at least 1 of the 2 conjuncts. In the first substudy, 74.6% of 67 obstetricians committed the conjunction fallacy; respondents overestimated the combined probability by 12.8% (95% confidence interval [CI], 9.6%-16.1%), compared with the product of the 2 estimated conjuncts with statistically significant deviation (t66 = 7.94; P < 0.001; Cohen d = 0.97 [95% CI, 0.68-1.26]). In the second substudy, 86.9% of 84 pulmonologists committed the conjunction fallacy; respondents overestimated the combined probability by 19.8% (95% CI, 16.6%-23.0%), with statistically significant deviation of (t83 = 7.94; P < 0.001; Cohen d = 1.34 [95% CI, 1.04-1.64]). In the third substudy, 70.3% of 64 committed the conjunction fallacy; respondents overestimated the combined probability by 18.0% (95% CI, 13.4%-22.5%) with statistically significant deviation (t63 = 7.89; P < 0.001; Cohen d = 0.99 [95% CI, 0.68-1.28]). <br /> In this study, it was common for seasoned obstetricians and pulmonologists to commit the conjunction fallacy. Given that physicians often need to estimate the successful outcome of a multistep procedure, they may be doing so in a flawed manner that may negatively impact decision-making.
Diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) is a severe complication of diabetes and a challenging medical condition. Conventional treatments for DFU have not been effective enough to reduce the amputation rates, which urges the need for additional treatment. Stem cell-based therapy for DFU has been investigated over the past years. Its therapeutic effect is through promoting angiogenesis, secreting paracrine factors, stimulating vascular differentiation, suppressing inflammation, improving collagen deposition, and immunomodulation. It is controversial which type and origin of stem cells, and which administration route would be the most optimal for therapy. We reviewed the different types and origins of stem cells and routes of administration used for the treatment of DFU in clinical and preclinical studies. Diabetes leads to the impairment of the stem cells in the diseased patients, which makes it less ideal to use autologous stem cells, and requires looking for a matching donor. Moreover, angioplasty could be complementary to stem cell therapy, and scaffolds have a positive impact on the healing process of DFU by stem cell-based therapy. In short, stem cell-based therapy is promising in the field of regenerative medicine, but more studies are still needed to determine the ideal type of stem cells required in therapy, their safety, proper dosing, and optimal administration route.
The microstructure of permafrost ground contains clues to its formation and hence its preconditioning to future change.
We applied X-ray computed microtomography (CT) to obtain high-resolution data (Delta x = 50 mu m) of the composition of a 164 cm long permafrost core drilled in a Yedoma upland in north-eastern Siberia.
The CT analysis allowed the microstructures to be directly mapped and volumetric contents of excess ice, gas inclusions, and two distinct sediment types to be quantified. Using laboratory measurements of coarsely resolved core samples, we statistically estimated the composition of the sediment types and used it to indirectly quantify volumetric contents of pore ice, organic matter, and mineral material along the core.
We conclude that CT is a promising method for obtaining physical properties of permafrost cores which opens novel research potentials.
In contrast to molecular-dipole polymers, such as PVDF, ferroelectrets are a new class of flexible spatially heterogeneous piezoelectric polymers with dosed or open voids that act as deformable macro-dipoles after charging.
With a spectrum of manufacturing processes being developed to engineer the heterogeneous structures, ferroelectrets are made with attractive piezoelectric properties well-suited for applications, such as pressure sensors, acoustic transducers, etc.
However, the sources of the macro-dipole charges have usually been the same, microscopic dielectric barrier discharges within the voids, induced when the ferroelectrets are poled under a large electric field typically via a so-called corona poling, resulting in the separation and trapping of opposite charges into the interior walls of the voids.
Such a process is inherently self-limiting, as the reverse internal field from the macro-dipoles eventually extinguishes the microdischarges, resulting in limited density of ions and not too high overall piezoelectric performance. Here, a new method to form ferroelectrets with gigantic electroactivity is proposed and demonstrated with the aid of an external ion booster.
A laminate consisting of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) and fluorinated-ethylene-propylene (FEP) was prefilled with bipolar ions produced externally by an ionizer and sequentially poled to force the separation of positive and negative ions into the open fibrous structure, rendering an impressive piezoelectric d(33)( )coefficient of 1600 pC/N-an improvement by a factor of 4 in comparison with the d(33) of a similar sandwich poled with nonenhanced corona poling.
The (pre)filling dearly increases the ion density in the open voids significantly. The charges stored in the open-cell structure stays at a high level for at least 4 months. In addition, an all-organic nanogenerator was made from an ePTFE-based ferroelectret, with conducting poly(3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene): poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT: PSS) coated fabric electrodes.
When poled with this ion-boosting process, it yielded an output power twice that of a similar sample poled in a conventional corona-only process. The doubling in output power is mainly brought about by the significantly higher charge density achieved with the aid of external booster.
Furthermore, aside from the bipolar ions, extra monopolar ions can during the corona poling be blown into the open pores by using for instance a negative ionic hair dryer to produce a unipolar ePTFE-based ferroelectret with its d(33) coefficient enhanced by a factor of 3. Ion-boosting poling thus unleashes a new route to produce bipolar or unipolar open-cell ferroelectrets with highly enhanced piezoelectric response.
Hepatocytes secrete retinol-binding pro-tein 4 (RBP4) into circulation, thereby mobilizing vitamin A from the liver to provide retinol for extrahepatic tissues. Obesity and insulin resistance are associated with elevated RBP4 levels in the blood.
However, in a previous study, we observed that chronically increased RBP4 by forced Rbp4 expres-sion in the liver does not impair glucose homeostasis in mice.
Here, we investigated the effects of an acute mobilization of hepatic vitamin A stores by hepatic overexpression of RBP4 in mice.
We show that he-patic retinol mobilization decreases body fat content and enhances fat turnover. Mechanistically, we found that acute retinol mobilization increases hepatic expression and serum levels of fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21), which is regulated by retinol mobilization and retinoic acid in primary hepato-cytes.
Moreover, we provide evidence that the insulin-sensitizing effect of FGF21 is associated with organ-specific adaptations in retinoid homeostasis.
Taken together, our findings identify a novel cross-talk between retinoid homeostasis and FGF21 in mice with acute RBP4-mediated retinol mobilization from the liver.
For an effectively one-dimensional, semi-infinite disordered system connected to a reservoir of tracer particles kept at constant concentration, we provide the dynamics of the concentration profile.
Technically, we start with the Montroll-Weiss equation of a continuous time random walk with a scale-free waiting time density.
From this we pass to a formulation in terms of the fractional diffusion equation for the concentration profile C(x, t) in a semi-infinite space for the boundary condition C(0, t) = C-0, using a subordination approach.
From this we deduce the tracer flux and the so-called breakthrough curve (BTC) at a given distance from the tracer source.
In particular, BTCs are routinely measured in geophysical contexts but are also of interest in single-particle tracking experiments.
For the "residual' BTCs, given by 1- P(x, t), we demonstrate a long-time power-law behaviour that can be compared conveniently to experimental measurements.
For completeness we also derive expressions for the moments in this constant-concentration boundary condition.
Optics is a core field in the curricula of secondary physics education. In this study, we present the development and validation of a test instrument in the field of optics, the ray optics in converging lenses concept inventory (ROC-CI). It was developed for and validated with middle school students, but can also be adapted for the use in higher levels of physics education.
The ROC-CI can be used as a formative or a summative assessment of students' conceptual understanding of image formation by converging lenses, assessing the following: (i) the overall understanding of fundamental concepts related to converging lenses, (ii) the understanding of specific concepts, and (iii) students' propensity for difficulties within this topic.
The initial ROC-CI consists of 16 multiple-choice items; however, one item was removed based on various quality checks.
We validated the ROC-CI thoroughly with distractor analyses, classical test theory, item response theory, structural analyses, and analyses of students' total scores at different measurement points as quantitative approaches, as well as student interviews and an expert survey as qualitative approaches. The quantitative analyses are mostly based on a dataset of N 1/4 318 middle school students who took the ROC-CI as a post-test. The student interviews were conducted with seven middle school students after they were taught the concepts of converging lenses.
The expert survey included five experts who evaluated both individual items and the test as a whole.
The analyses showed good to excellent results for the test instrument, corroborating the 15-item ROC-CI's validity and its compliance with the three foci outlined above.
We estimate the source parameters of small-magnitude earthquakes that occurred during 2008-2020 in the Irpinia faults area (southern Italy).
We apply a spectral decomposition approach to isolate the source contribution from propagation and site effects for similar to 3000 earthquakes in the local magnitude range between M-L 0 and 4.2.
We develop our analyses in three steps. First, we fit the Brune (1970) model to the nonparametric source spectra to estimate corner frequency and seismic moment, and we map the spatial distribution of stress drop across the Irpinia area.
We found stress drops in the range 0.4-8.1 MPa, with earthquakes deeper than 7 km characterized by higher average stress drop (i.e., 3.2 MPa).
Second, assuming a simple stress-release model (kanamori and Heaton, 2000), we derive fracture energy and critical slip-weakening distance. The spatial variability of stress drop and fracture energy allows us to image the present stress conditions of fault segments activated during the 23 November 1980 M-s 6.9 earthquake.
The variability of the source parameters shows clear patterns of the fault mechanical properties, suggesting that the Irpinia fault system can be divided into three main sectors, with the northern and southern ones showing different properties from the central one.
Our results agree with previous studies indicating the presence of fluids with different composition in the different sectors of the Irpinia fault system. In the third step, we compare the time evolution of source parameters with a time series of geodetic displacement recorded near the fault system.
Temporal trends in the correlation between geodetic displacement and different source parameters indicate that the poroelastic deformation perturbation generated by the karst aquifer recharge is modulating not only the occurrence rate of micro-seismicity ( D' Agostino et al., 2018) but may lead to rupture asperities with different sizes and characteristics.
Polyzwitterions are generally known for their anti-adhesive properties, including resistance to protein and cell adhesion, and overall high bio-inertness.
Yet there are a few polyzwitterions to which mammalian cells do adhere.
To understand the structural features of this behavior, a panel of polyzwitterions with different functional groups and overall degrees of hydrophobicity is analyzed here, and their physical and biological properties are correlated to these structural differences. Cell adhesion is focused on, which is the basic requirement for cell viability, proliferation, and growth.
With the here presented polyzwitterion panel, three different types of cell-surface interactions are observed: adhesion, slight attachment, and cell repellency. Using immunofluorescence methods, it is found that human keratinocytes (HaCaT) form focal adhesions on the cell-adhesive polyzwitterions, but not on the sample that has only slight cell attachment.
Gene expression analysis indicates that HaCaT cells cultivated in the presence of a non-adhesive polyzwitterion have up-regulated inflammatory and apoptosis-related cell signaling pathways, while the gene expression of HaCaT cells grown on a cell-adhesive polyzwitterion does not differ from the gene expression of the growth control, and thus can be defined as fully cell-compatible.
On 21 April 2021, the European Commission presented its long-awaited proposal for a Regulation “laying down harmonized rules on Artificial Intelligence”, the so-called “Artificial Intelligence Act” (AIA). This article takes a critical look at the proposed regulation. After an introduction (1), the paper analyzes the unclear preemptive effect of the AIA and EU competences (2), the scope of application (3), the prohibited uses of Artificial Intelligence (AI) (4), the provisions on high-risk AI systems (5), the obligations of providers and users (6), the requirements for AI systems with limited risks (7), the enforcement system (8), the relationship of the AIA with the existing legal framework (9), and the regulatory gaps (10). The last section draws some final conclusions (11).
Mit dem Klima wandelt sich auch notwendig die offene Gesellschaft. Und mit ihr wandelt sich wiederum auch die Verfassung(-sinterpretation). Periodisch wiederkehrende Gesundheits- und Sicherheitskrisen fordern eine dynamische Reaktion des Grundgesetzes auf mit ihnen einhergehende Probleme. In andauernden Krisen wie der Umweltkrise muss die Verfassung gleichzeitig in vielerlei Hinsicht nachhaltig sein. Dabei muss das, was wir unter Freiheit, Klima‑, Umwelt- oder Tierschutz verstehen, immer im Wandel bleiben.
Keine Reform für die Zukunft
(2021)
Am 1. Januar 2021 trat die jüngste Reform des Erneuerbare-Energien-Gesetzes (EEG) in Kraft. Sie führte mit der finanziellen Beteiligung der Gemeinden an den Erträgen der Windenergie klammheimlich eine verfassungswidrige Abgabe ein: Durch das Zusammenspiel des neuen § 36k EEG 2021 mit der altbekannten EEG-Umlage fließt eine bei den Strom-Endverbrauchern erhobene Abgabe in die kommunalen Haushalte. Das kann auf keine Gesetzgebungskompetenz gestützt werden. Darüber hinaus führt die Deckelung der EEG-Umlage in den Jahren 2021 und 2022 in Verbindung mit § 36k EEG 2021 dazu, dass in verfassungswidriger Weise Bundesmittel den Gemeinden zur freien Verfügung gestellt werden.
Strength of weakness
(2020)
The paper investigates quality management in teaching and learning in higher education institutions from a principal-agent perspective. Based on data gained from semi-structured interviews and from a nation-wide survey with quality managers of German higher education institutions, the study shows how quality managers position themselves in relation to their perception of the interests of other actors in higher education institutions. The paper describes the various interests and discusses the main implications of this constellation of actors. It argues that quality managers, although they may be considered as rather weak actors within the higher education institution, may be characterised as having a strength of weakness due to diverging interests of their principals.
Strategic social media use positively influences organizational goals such as the long-term accrual of social capital, and thus social media information governance has become an increasingly important organizational objective. It is particularly important for humanitarian nongovernmental organizations (HNGOs), whose work relies on accurate and timely information regarding socially altruistic behavior (donations, volunteerism, etc.). Despite the potential of social media for increasing social capital, tensions in governing social media information across an organization's different operational levels (regional, intermediate, and national) pose a difficult challenge. Prominent governance frameworks offer little guidance, as their focus on control and incremental policymaking is largely incompatible with the processes, roles, standards, and metrics needed for managing self-governing social media. This study offers a notion of dynamic and co-evolutionary process management of multi-level organizations as a means of conceptualizing social media information governance for the accrual of organizational social capital. Based on interviews with members of HNGOs, this study reveals tensions that emerge within eight focus areas of accruing social capital in multi-level organizations, explains how dynamic process management can ease those tensions, and proposes corresponding strategy recommendations.
Electrochemical methods offer great promise in meeting the demand for user-friendly on-site devices for monitoring important parameters. The food industry often runs own lab procedures, for example, for mycotoxin analysis, but it is a major goal to simplify analysis, linking analytical methods with smart technologies. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, with photometric detection of 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB), form a good basis for sensitive detection. To provide a straightforward approach for the miniaturization of the detection step, we have studied the pitfalls of the electrochemical TMB detection. By cyclic voltammetry it was found that the TMB electrochemistry is strongly dependent on the pH and the electrode material. A stable electrode response to TMB could be achieved at pH 1 on gold electrodes. We created a smartphone-based, electrochemical, immunomagnetic assay for the detection of ochratoxin A in real samples, providing a solid basis for sensing of further analytes.
With the latest technological developments and associated new possibilities in teaching, the personalisation of learning is gaining more and more importance. It assumes that individual learning experiences and results could generally be improved when personal learning preferences are considered. To do justice to the complexity of the personalisation possibilities of teaching and learning processes, we illustrate the components of learning and teaching in the digital environment and their interdependencies in an initial model. Furthermore, in a pre-study, we investigate the relationships between the learner's ability to (digital) self-organise, the learner’s prior- knowledge learning in different variants of mode and learning outcomes as one part of this model. With this pre-study, we are taking the first step towards a holistic model of teaching and learning in digital environments.
Solar filaments often erupt partially. Although how they split remains elusive, the splitting process has the potential of revealing the filament structure and eruption mechanism. Here we investigate the pre-eruption splitting of an apparently single filament and its subsequent partial eruption on 2012 September 27. The evolution is characterized by three stages with distinct dynamics. During the quasi-static stage, the splitting proceeds gradually for about 1.5 hr, with the upper branch rising at a few kilometers per second and displaying swirling motions about its axis. During the precursor stage that lasts for about 10 minutes, the upper branch rises at tens of kilometers per second, with a pair of conjugated dimming regions starting to develop at its footpoints; with the swirling motions turning chaotic, the axis of the upper branch whips southward, which drives an arc-shaped extreme-ultraviolet front propagating in a similar direction. During the eruption stage, the upper branch erupts with the onset of a C3.7-class two-ribbon flare, while the lower branch remains stable. Judging from the well-separated footpoints of the upper branch from those of the lower one, we suggest that the pre-eruption filament processes a double-decker structure composed of two distinct flux bundles, whose formation is associated with gradual magnetic flux cancellations and converging photospheric flows around the polarity inversion line.
Although distally steepened carbonate ramps have been studied by numerous researchers, the processes that control the development of these carbonate systems, including tectonics, differential carbonate production along the ramp profile, or antecedent physiography of the slopes, are an ongoing discussion. We use a stratigraphic forward model to test different hypotheses to unravel controls over distally steepened ramp development, referenced to the well-known Upper Miocene Menorca carbonate ramp (Spain). Sensitivity tests show that distally steepened ramps develop under complex interaction among accommodation, carbonate production and sediment transport parameters. Ramp slope initiation is favoured by still stands and falls of sea-level, in a setting with high-frequency sea-level fluctuations with amplitude between 20 m and 40 m. Low-frequency and higher amplitude sea-level fluctuations of about 115 m tend to form models with no significant slope development. The impact of antecedent slope on the geometry of ramps is determined by the paleoslope inclination, with flat to subhorizontal paleosurfaces resulting in ramps that mirror the antecedent slope. In contrast, steeper paleosurfaces tend to result in ramps with well-defined slopes. Our models, therefore, show that the ramp profile becomes more influenced by the depth constraints on the carbonate sediment producers than by the geometry of the underlying topography as the inclination of the paleosurface increases. The presented models also show that seagrass-dominated shallow carbonate production tends to result in steep slopes due to the low-transport characteristic imposed by seagrass trapping. This steepness can, however, be altered by the introduction of high transport sediment grains from deeper carbonate producers, which fill the slopes and more distal sections of the ramp profile.
Non-local muscle fatigue effects on muscle strength, power, and endurance in healthy individuals
(2021)
Background
The fatigue of a muscle or muscle group can produce global responses to a variety of systems (i.e., cardiovascular, endocrine, and others). There are also reported strength and endurance impairments of non-exercised muscles following the fatigue of another muscle; however, the literature is inconsistent.
Objective
To examine whether non-local muscle fatigue (NLMF) occurs following the performance of a fatiguing bout of exercise of a different muscle(s).
Design
Systematic review and meta-analysis.
Search and Inclusion
A systematic literature search using a Boolean search strategy was conducted with PubMed, SPORTDiscus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar in April 2020, and was supplemented with additional 'snowballing' searches up to September 2020. To be included in our analysis, studies had to include at least one intentional performance measure (i.e., strength, endurance, or power), which if reduced could be considered evidence of muscle fatigue, and also had to include the implementation of a fatiguing protocol to a location (i.e., limb or limbs) that differed to those for which performance was measured. We excluded studies that measured only mechanistic variables such as electromyographic activity, or spinal/supraspinal excitability. After search and screening, 52 studies were eligible for inclusion including 57 groups of participants (median sample = 11) and a total of 303 participants.
Results
The main multilevel meta-analysis model including all effects sizes (278 across 50 clusters [median = 4, range = 1 to 18 effects per cluster) revealed a trivial point estimate with high precision for the interval estimate [- 0.02 (95% CIs = - 0.14 to 0.09)], yet with substantial heterogeneity (Q((277)) = 642.3, p < 0.01), I-2 = 67.4%). Subgroup and meta-regression analyses showed that NLMF effects were not moderated by study design (between vs. within-participant), homologous vs. heterologous effects, upper or lower body effects, participant training status, sex, age, the time of post-fatigue protocol measurement, or the severity of the fatigue protocol. However, there did appear to be an effect of type of outcome measure where both strength [0.11 (95% CIs = 0.01-0.21)] and power outcomes had trivial effects [- 0.01 (95% CIs = - 0.24 to 0.22)], whereas endurance outcomes showed moderate albeit imprecise effects [- 0.54 (95% CIs = - 0.95 to - 0.14)].
Conclusions
Overall, the findings do not support the existence of a general NLMF effect; however, when examining specific types of performance outcomes, there may be an effect specifically upon endurance-based outcomes (i.e., time to task failure). However, there are relatively fewer studies that have examined endurance effects or mechanisms explaining this possible effect, in addition to fewer studies including women or younger and older participants, and considering causal effects of prior training history through the use of longitudinal intervention study designs. Thus, it seems pertinent that future research on NLMF effects should be redirected towards these still relatively unexplored areas.
Involvement in sport and exercise not only provides participants with health benefits but can be an important aspect of living a meaningful life. The COVID-19 pandemic and the temporary cessation of public life in March/April/May 2020 came with restrictions, which probably also made it difficult, if not impossible, to participate in certain types of sport or exercise. Following the philosophical position that different types of sport and exercise offer different ways of "relating to the world," this study explored (dis)continuity in the type of sport and exercise people practiced during the pandemic-related lockdown, and possible effects on mood. Data from a survey of 601 adult exercisers, collected shortly after the COVID-19 outbreak in Finland, were analyzed. Approximately one third (35%) of the participants changed their "worldmaking" and shifted to "I-Nature"-type activities. We observed worse mood during the pandemic in those who shifted from "I-Me," compared to those who had preferred the "I-Nature" relation already before the pandemic and thus experienced continuity. The clouded mood of those experiencing discontinuity may be the result of a temporary loss of "feeling at home" in their new exercise life-world. However, further empirical investigation must follow, because the observed effect sizes were small.
Mining of metabolite-protein interaction networks facilitates the identification of design principles underlying the regulation of different cellular processes. However, identification and characterization of the regulatory role that metabolites play in interactions with proteins on a genome-scale level remains a pressing task. Based on availability of high-quality metabolite-protein interaction networks and genome-scale metabolic networks, here we propose a supervised machine learning approach, called CIRI that determines whether or not a metabolite is involved in a competitive inhibitory regulatory interaction with an enzyme. First, we show that CIRI outperforms the naive approach based on a structural similarity threshold for a putative competitive inhibitor and the substrates of a metabolic reaction. We also validate the performance of CIRI on several unseen data sets and databases of metabolite-protein interactions not used in the training, and demonstrate that the classifier can be effectively used to predict competitive inhibitory interactions. Finally, we show that CIRI can be employed to refine predictions about metabolite-protein interactions from a recently proposed PROMIS approach that employs metabolomics and proteomics profiles from size exclusion chromatography in E. coli to predict metaboliteprotein interactions. Altogether, CIRI fills a gap in cataloguing metabolite-protein interactions and can be used in directing future machine learning efforts to categorize the regulatory type of these interactions.
We have directly resolved in the present work the interfacial composition during and after the interactions of a saturated atmosphere of oil vapor with soluble surfactant solutions at a planar water/air interface for the first time. Experiments were conducted on interactions of hexane vapor with solutions of alkyltrimethylammonium bromides and sodium dodecyl sulfate to observe the balance between cooperativity and competition of the components at the interface.
In all cases, hexane adsorption was strongly enhanced by the presence of the surfactant, even at bulk surfactant concentrations four orders of magnitude below the critical micelle concentration. Cooperativity of the surfactant adsorption was observed only for sodium dodecyl sulfate at intermediate bulk concentrations, yet for all four systems, competition set in at higher concentrations, as hexane adsorption reduced the surfactant surface excess. The data fully supported the complete removal of hexane from the interface following venting of the system to remove the saturated atmosphere of oil vapor.
These results help to identify future experiments that would elaborate and could explain the cooperativity of surfactant adsorption, such as on cationic surfactants with short alkyl chains and a broader series of anionic surfactants. This work holds relevance for oil recovery applications with foam, where there is a gas phase saturated with oil vapor.
The human language processing mechanism assigns a structure to the incoming materials as they unfold. There is evidence that the parser prefers some attachment types over others; however, theories of sentence processing are still in dispute over the stage at which each source of information contributes to the parsing system. The present study aims to identify the nature of initial parsing decisions during sentence processing through manipulating attachment type and verbs' argument structure. To this end, we designed a self-paced reading task using globally ambiguous constructions in Dutch. The structures included double locative prepositional phrases (PPs) where the first PP could attach both to the verb (high attachment) and the noun preceding it (low attachment). To disambiguate the structures, we presented a visual context in the form of short animation clips prior to each reading task. Furthermore, we manipulated the argument structure of the sentences using 2- and 3-argument verbs. The results showed that parsing decisions were influenced by contextual cues depending on the argument structure of the verb. That is, the visual context overcame the preference for high attachment only in the case of 2-argument verbs, while this preference persisted in structures including 3-argument verbs as represented by longer reading times for the low attachment interpretations. These findings can be taken as evidence that our language processing system actively integrates information from linguistic and non-linguistic sources from the initial stages of analysis to build up meaning. We discuss our findings in light of serial and parallel models of sentence processing.
Recent studies indicated severe decline of insect diversity and abundance across major parts of Central Europe.
Theoretical studies showed that the drivers behind biodiversity loss vary considerably over time. However, these scenarios so far have been insufficiently approved by long-term and large-scale data.
In this study we analysed the temporal trends of butterflies and Zygaenid moths across the federal state of Salzburg, northern Austria, from 1920 to 2019. Our study area covers a large variety of habitats and altitudes.
Various changes of land use and intensification occurred during and shortly before our studied period, with a first wave of habitat destruction starting in the late 19th century, followed by the deterioration of habitat quality since the mid-20th century. We used 59,870 presence-only data of 168 butterfly and burnet moth species.
Each of these species was classified according to ecological characteristics. Break point analyses for non-linear temporal trends in the community composition returned two major time windows.
These time windows coincide with periods characterized by severe habitat destruction and the deterioration of habitat quality due to agricultural intensification. We found significant reductions of the proportion of species requiring specific habitats since 1920 and until today.
We identified additional break points for species requiring high habitat qualities, endangered butterfly species, and sedentary species, particularly after a main break point in the 1960s.
Our findings underline that, apart from habitat destruction, the deterioration of habitat quality is a main driver of biodiversity loss in general.
Therefore, nature conservation should focus on maintaining the highest possible habitat quality.
Nudix hydrolase NUDT19 regulates mitochondrial function and ATP production in murine hepatocytes
(2022)
Changes in intracellular CoA levels are known to contribute to the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in type 2 diabetes (T2D) in human and rodents. However, the underlying genetic basis is still poorly understood.
Due to their diverse susceptibility towards metabolic diseases, mouse inbred strains have been proven to serve as powerful tools for the identification of novel genetic factors that underlie the patho-physiology of NAFLD and diabetes. Transcriptome analysis of mouse liver samples revealed the nucleoside diphosphate linked moiety X-type motif Nudt19 as novel candidate gene responsible for NAFLD and T2D development. Knockdown (KD) of Nudt19 increased mitochondrial and glycolytic ATP production rates in Hepa 1-6 cells by 41% and 10%, respectively.
The enforced utilization of glutamine or fatty acids as energy substrate reduced uncoupled respiration by 41% and 47%, respectively, in non-target (NT) siRNA transfected cells.
This reduction was prevented upon Nudt19 KD. Furthermore, incubation with palmitate or oleate respectively increased mitochondrial ATP production by 31% and 20%, and uncoupled respiration by 23% and 30% in Nudt19 KD cells, but not in NT cells.
The enhanced fatty acid oxidation in Nudt19 KD cells was accompanied by a 1.3-fold increased abundance of Pdk4.
This study is the first to describe Nudt19 as regulator of hepatic lipid metabolism and potential mediator of NAFLD and T2D development.
Due to the great potential of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) as local vibrational probe of lipid-nanostructure interaction in lipid bilayers, it is important to characterize these interactions in detail.
The interpretation of SERS data of lipids in living cells requires an understanding of how the molecules interact with gold nanostructures and how intermolecular interactions influence the proximity and contact between lipids and nanoparticles.
Ceramide, a sphingolipid that acts as important structural component and regulator of biological function, therefore of interest to probing, lacks a phosphocholine head group that is common to many lipids used in liposome models.
SERS spectra of liposomes of a mixture of ceramide, phosphatidic acid, and phosphatidylcholine, as well as of pure ceramide and of the phospholipid mixture are reported.
Distinct groups of SERS spectra represent varied contributions of the choline, sphingosine, and phosphate head groups and the structures of the acyl chains. Spectral bands related to the state of order of the membrane and moreover to the amide function of the sphingosine head groups indicate that the gold nanoparticles interact with molecules involved in different intermolecular relations.
While cryogenic electron microscopy shows the formation of bilayer liposomes in all preparations, pure ceramide was found to also form supramolecular, concentric stacked and densely packed lamellar, nonliposomal structures. That the formation of such supramolecular assemblies supports the intermolecular interactions of ceramide is indicated by the SERS data.
The unique spectral features that are assigned to the ceramide-containing lipid model systems here enable an identification of these molecules in biological systems and allow us to obtain information on their structure and interaction by SERS.
Describing the heterogeneous structure of forests is often challenging.
One possibility is to analyze forest biomass in different plots and to derive plot-based frequency distributions.
However, these frequency distributions depend on the plot size and thus are scale dependent.
This study provides insights about transferring them between scales. Understanding the effects of scale on distributions of biomass is particularly important for comparing information from different sources such as inventories, remote sensing and modeling, all of which can operate at different spatial resolutions. Reliable methods to compare results of vegetation models at a grid scale with field data collected at smaller scales are still missing.
The scaling of biomass and variables, which determine the forest biomass, was investigated for a tropical forest in Panama. Based on field inventory data from Barro Colorado Island, spanning 50 ha over 30 years, the distributions of aboveground biomass, biomass gain and mortality were derived at different spatial resolutions, ranging from 10 to 100 m. Methods for fitting parametric distribution functions were compared.
Further, it was tested under which assumptions about the distributions a simple stochastic simulation forest model could best reproduce observed biomass distributions at all scales. Also, an analytical forest model for calculating biomass distributions at equilibrium and assuming mortality as a white shot noise process was tested.
Scaling exponents of about 0.47 were found for the standard deviations of the biomass and gain distributions, while mortality showed a different scaling relationship with an exponent of 0.3. Lognormal and gamma distribution functions fitted with the moment matching estimation method allowed for consistent parameter transfers between scales. Both forest models (stochastic simulation and analytical solution) were able to reproduce observed biomass distributions across scales, when combined with the derived scaling relationships.
The study demonstrates a way of how to approach the scaling problem in model-data comparisons by providing a transfer relationship. Further research is needed for a better understanding of the mechanisms that shape the frequency distributions at the different scales.
Clusty is a new open source toolbox dedicated to earthquake clustering based on waveforms recorded across a network of seismic stations. Its main application is the study of active faults and the detection and characterization of faults and fault networks. By using a density-based clustering approach, earthquakes pertaining to a common fault can be recognized even over long fault segments, and the first-order geometry and extent of active faults can be inferred. Clusty implements multiple techniques to compute a waveform based network similarity from maximum cross-correlation coefficients at multiple stations. The clustering procedure is designed to be transparent and parameters can be easily tuned. It is supported by a number of analysis visualization tools which help to assess the homogeneity within each cluster and the differences among distinct clusters. The toolbox returns graphical representations of the results. A list of representative events and stacked waveforms facilitate further analyses like moment tensor inversion. Results obtained in various frequency bands can be combined to account for large magnitude ranges. Thanks to the simple configuration, the toolbox is easily adaptable to new data sets and to large magnitude ranges. To show the potential of our new toolbox, we apply Clusty to the aftershock sequence of the M-w 6.9 25 October 2018 Zakynthos (Greece) Earthquake. Thanks to the complex tectonic setting at the western termination of the Hellenic Subduction System where multiple faults and faulting styles operate simultaneously, the Zakynthos data set provides an ideal case-study for our clustering analysis toolbox. Our results support the activation of several faults and provide insight into the geometry of faults or fault segments. We identify two large thrust faulting clusters in the vicinity of the main shock and multiple strike-slip clusters to the east, west and south of these clusters. Despite its location within the largest thrust cluster, the main shock does not show a high waveform similarity to any of the clusters. This is consistent with the results of other studies suggesting a complex failure mechanism for the main shock. We propose the existence of conjugated strike-slip faults in the south of the study area. Our waveform similarity based clustering toolbox is able to reveal distinct event clusters which cannot be discriminated based on locations and/or timing only. Additionally, the clustering results allows distinction between fault and auxiliary planes of focal mechanisms and to associate them to known active faults.
Scanning manufacturing parameters determining the residual stress state in LPBF IN718 small parts
(2021)
The influence of scan strategy on the residual stress (RS) state of an as-built IN718 alloy produced by means of laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) is investigated. Two scan vector rotations (90 degrees-alternation and 67 degrees-rotation), each produced following two different scan vector lengths (long and short), are used to manufacture four rectangular prisms. Neutron diffraction (ND) and laboratory X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques are used to map the bulk and surface RS state, respectively. The distortion induced upon removal from the baseplate is measured via profilometry. XRD measurements show that the two long scan vector strategies lead to higher RS when compared with the equivalent short scan vector strategies. Also, the 67 degrees-rotation strategies generate lower RS than their 90 degrees-alternation counterparts. Due to the lack of reliable stress-free d0 references, the ND results are analyzed using von Mises stress. In general, ND results show significant RS spatial non-uniformity. A comparison between ND and distortion results indicates that the RS component parallel to the building direction (Z-axis) has a predominant role in the Z-displacement. The use of a stress balance scheme allows to discuss the d0 variability along the length of the specimens, as well as examine the absolute RS state.
Impact of Late Pleistocene climate variability on paleo-erosion rates in the western Himalaya
(2022)
It has been proposed that at short timescales of 10(2)-10(5) yr, climatic variability can explain variations in sediment flux, but in orogens with pronounced climatic gradients rate changes caused by the oscillating efficiency in rainfall, runoff, and/or sediment transport and deposition are still not well-constrained.
To explore landscape responses under variable climatic forcing, we evaluate time windows of prevailing sediment aggradation and related paleo-erosion rates from the southern flanks of the Dhauladhar Range in the western Himalaya.
We compare past and present Be-10-derived erosion rates of well-dated Late Pleistocene fluvial landforms and modern river sediments and reconstruct the sediment aggradation and incision history based on new luminescence data.
Our results document significant variations in erosion rates ranging from 0.1 to 3.4 mm/yr over the Late Pleistocene.
We find that, during times of weak monsoon intensity, the moderately steep areas (hillslope angles of 27 +/- 13 degrees) erode at lower rates of 0.1-0.4 mm/yr compared to steeper (>40 degrees) crestal regions of the Dhauladhar Range that erode at 0.8-1.3 mm/yr.
In contrast, during several millennia of stronger monsoon intensity, both the moderately steep and high slope areas record higher erosion rates (>1-3.4 mm/yr). Lithological clast-count analysis shows that this increase of erosion is focused in the moderately steep areas, where Lesser Himalayan rocks are exposed.
Our data thus highlight the highly non-linear response of climatic forcing on landscape evolution and suggest complex depositional processes and sedimentary signals in downstream areas. (C) 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
The current study examined the impact of the Good Behavior Game (GBG) on the academic engagement (AE) and disruptive behavior (DB) of at-risk students' in a German inclusive primary school sample using behavioral progress monitoring.
A multiple baseline design across participants was employed to evaluate the effects of the GBG on 35 primary school students in seven classrooms from grade 1 to 3 (M-age = 8.01 years, SDage = 0.81 years).
The implementation of the GBG was randomly staggered by 2 weeks across classrooms. Teacher-completed Direct Behavior Rating (DBR) was applied to measure AE and DB. We used piecewise regression and a multilevel extension to estimate the individual case-specific treatment effects as well as the generalized effects across cases.
Piecewise regressions for each case showed significant immediate treatment effects for the majority of participants (82.86%) for one or both outcome measures.
The multilevel approach revealed that the GBG improved at-risk students' classroom behaviors generally with a significant immediate treatment effect across cases (for AE, B = 0.74, p < 0.001; for DB, B = -1.29, p < 0.001).
The moderation between intervention effectiveness and teacher ratings of students' risks for externalizing psychosocial problems was significant for DB (B = -0.07, p = 0.047) but not for AE.
Findings are consistent with previous studies indicating that the GBG is an appropriate classroom-based intervention for at-risk students and expand the literature regarding differential effects for affected students.
In addition, the study supports the relevance of behavioral progress monitoring and data-based decision-making in inclusive schools in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the GBG and, if necessary, to modify the intervention for individual students or the whole group.
The efficient use of natural resources is considered a necessary condition for their sustainable use. Extending the lifetime of products and using resources circularly are two popular strategies to increase the efficiency of resource use.
Both strategies are usually assumed to contribute to the eco-efficiency of resource use independently.
We argue that a move to a circular economy creates opportunity costs for consumers holding on to their products, due to the resource embedded in the product. Assuming rational consumers, we develop a model that determines optimal replacement times for products subject to minimizing average costs over time.
We find that in a perfectly circular economy, consumers are incentivized to discard their products more quickly than in a perfectly linear economy.
A direct consequence of our finding is that extending product use is in direct conflict with closing resource loops in the circular economy.
We identify the salvage value of discarded products and technical progress as two factors that determine the impact that closing resource loops has on the duration of product use. The article highlights the risk that closing resource loops and moving to a more circular economy incentivizes more unsustainable behavior.
Bastnsite [REE(CO3)F] is the main mineral of REE ore deposits in carbonatites. Synthetic bastnsite-like compounds were precipitated from aqueous solutions by many different methods, but previous attempts to model magmatic crystallization of bastnsite from hydrous calciocarbonatite melts were unsuccessful.
Here we present the first experimental evidence that bastnsite and two other REE carbonates, burbankite, and lukechangite, can crystallize from carbonatite melt in the synthetic system La(CO3)F-CaCO3-Na2CO3 at temperatures between 580 and 850 degrees C and a pressure 100 MPa.
The experiments on starting mixtures of reagent-grade CaCO3, Na2CO3, La-2(CO3)(3), and LaF3 were carried out in cold-seal rapid-quench pressure vessels.
The studied system is an isobaric pseudoternary join of a quinary system where CO2 and fluorides act as independent components. Liquidus phases in the run products are calcite, nyerereite, Na carbonate, bastnsite, burbankite solid solution (Na,Ca)(3)(Ca,La)(3)(CO3)(5), and lukechangite Na3La2(CO3)(4)F. Calcite and bastnite form a eutectic in the boundary join La(CO3)F-CaCO3 at 780 +/- 20 degrees C and 58 wt% La(CO3)F. Phase equilibria in the boundary join La(CO3)F-Na2CO3 are complicated by peritectic reaction between Ca-free end-member of burbankite solid solution petersenite (Pet) and lukechangite (Luk) with liquid (L): Na4La2(CO3)(5) (Pet) + NaF (L) = Na3La2(CO3)(4)F (Luk) + Na2CO3 (Nc).
The right-hand-side assemblage becomes stable below 600 +/- 20 degrees C. In ternary mixtures, bastnsite (Bst), burbankite (Bur), and calcite (Cc) are involved in another peritectic reaction: 2La(CO3)F (Bst) + CaCO3 (Cc) + 2Na(2)CO(3) (L) = Na2CaLa2(CO3)(5) (Bur) + 2NaF (L). Burbankite in equilibrium with calcite replaces bastnsite below 730 +/- 20 degrees C. Stable solidus assemblages in the pseudoternary system are: basnsite-burbankite-fluorite-calcite, basnasite-burbankite-fluorite-lukechangite, bastnsite-burbankite-lukechangite, burbankite-lukechangite-nyerereitecalcite, and burbankite-lukechangite-nyerereite-natrite. Addition of 10 wt% Ca-3(PO4)(2) to one of the ternary mixtures resulted in massive crystallization of La-bearing apatite and monazite and complete disappearance of bastnsite and burbankite.
Our results confirm that REE-bearing phosphates are much more stable than carbonates and fluorocarbonates.
Therefore, primary crystallization of the latter from common carbonatite magmas is unlikely. Possible exceptions are carbonatites at Mountain Pass that are characterized by very low P2O5 concentrations (usually at or below 0.5 wt%) and extremely high REE contents in the order of a few weight percent or more. In other carbonatites, bastnsite and burbankite probably crystallized from highly concentrated alkaline carbonate-chloride brines that were found in melt inclusions and are thought to be responsible for widespread fenitization around carbonatite bodies.
Objective:
Little attention has been given to the relationship between cyber polyvictimization and academic outcomes (e.g., classroom misconduct, school readiness, academic performance, absenteeism, school behavioral problems), and the factors, such as parent social support, that buffer against the negative outcomes associated with experiencing multiple forms of victimization. Addressing gaps in the literature by including a longitudinal design and objective assessments of academic outcomes, the present study examined the moderating effect of parent social support in the association between cyber polyvictimization and academic outcomes over one and a half years later.
Method:
Participants were 371 8th graders (50% female) from middle schools in the United States, who completed questionnaires on offline and cyber polyvictimization and parent social support during the 7th grade. Teachers completed questionnaires on students' classroom misconduct and school readiness during 7th and 8th grade. School records were used to determine absenteeism, academic performance, and school behavioral problems (i.e., referrals, in-school suspension, out-of-school suspension) during 7th and 8th grade.
Results:
Findings revealed that 7th grade cyber polyvictimization was related positively to 8th grade classroom misconduct, absenteeism, and school behavioral problems, while it was negatively associated with 8th grade academic performance and school readiness. Parent social support moderated the associations between cyber polyvictimization and school readiness, academic performance, and absenteeism. Conclusion: The results highlight the importance of intervening in adolescents' experience of cyber polyvictimization to reduce negative academic outcomes.
Fractional Brownian motion, a Gaussian non-Markovian self-similar process with stationary long-correlated increments, has been identified to give rise to the anomalous diffusion behavior in a great variety of physical systems. The correlation and diffusion properties of this random motion are fully characterized by its index of self-similarity or the Hurst exponent.
However, recent single-particle tracking experiments in biological cells revealed highly complicated anomalous diffusion phenomena that cannot be attributed to a class of self-similar random processes.
Inspired by these observations, we here study the process that preserves the properties of the fractional Brownian motion at a single trajectory level; however, the Hurst index randomly changes from trajectory to trajectory.
We provide a general mathematical framework for analytical, numerical, and statistical analysis of the fractional Brownian motion with the random Hurst exponent.
The explicit formulas for probability density function, mean-squared displacement, and autocovariance function of the increments are presented for three generic distributions of the Hurst exponent, namely, two-point, uniform, and beta distributions.
The important features of the process studied here are accelerating diffusion and persistence transition, which we demonstrate analytically and numerically.
The chaotic spatio-temporal electrical activity during life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias like ventricular fibrillation is governed by the dynamics of vortex-like spiral or scroll waves. The organizing centers of these waves are called wave tips (2D) or filaments (3D) and they play a key role in understanding and controlling the complex and chaotic electrical dynamics. Therefore, in many experimental and numerical setups it is required to detect the tips of the observed spiral waves. Most of the currently used methods significantly suffer from the influence of noise and are often adjusted to a specific situation (e.g. a specific numerical cardiac cell model). In this study, we use a specific type of deep neural networks (UNet), for detecting spiral wave tips and show that this approach is robust against the influence of intermediate noise levels. Furthermore, we demonstrate that if the UNet is trained with a pool of numerical cell models, spiral wave tips in unknown cell models can also be detected reliably, suggesting that the UNet can in some sense learn the concept of spiral wave tips in a general way, and thus could also be used in experimental situations in the future (ex-vivo, cell-culture or optogenetic experiments).
Background & aims:
This study aimed to describe the association of healthy eating literacy (HEL) with energy, nutrients, and food consumption in young women who had normal and lean weight at a Japanese university, considering their resident status.
Methods:
Cross-sectional data from the Ochanomizu Health Study were used in this study. Participants answered a self-administered, two-part, anonymous survey in 2018 and 2019.
A total of 203 female undergraduate students with lean and normal body mass index (BMI) were included in the analysis. Single and stepwise multiple linear regression analysis was used to examine the association of HEL and resident status with healthy food consumption, such as vegetables, fish, and shellfish.
The dependent variables were HEL and resident status, and the covariates were age, BMI, and the total metabolic equivalents.
Results:
The median (25th and 75th percentiles) age, BMI, and total HEL score were 20 (19, 21) years, 20.2 (18.9, 21.3) kg/m 2, and 18 (16, 20), respectively.
Resident status and HEL were independently associated with vegetables, fish, and shellfish intake.
Participants who had higher total HEL scores and lived in their family home consumed significantly more vegetables (b = 0.17 and-0.34, p < 0.05) and fish and shellfish (b = 0.24,-0.28, p < 0.001).
Conclusion:
This study provides an insight into the association between HEL and dietary consumption in young women with normal and lean BMI.
Cosmic-ray (CR) diffusion is the result of the interaction of such charged particles against magnetic fluctuations. These fluctuations originate from large-scale turbulence cascading toward smaller spatial scales, decomposed into three different modes, as described by magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) theory.
As a consequence, the description of particle diffusion strongly depends on the model describing the injected turbulence.
Moreover, the amount of energy assigned to each of the three modes is, in general, not equally divided, which implies that diffusion properties might be different from one region to another.
Here, motivated by the detection of different MHD modes inside the Cygnus-X star-forming region, we study the 3D transport of CRs injected by two prominent sources within a two-zone model that represents the distribution of the modes.
Then, by convolving the propagated CR distribution with the neutral gas, we are able to explain the 𝛾-ray diffuse emission in the region, observed by the Fermi-LAT and HAWC Collaborations.
Such a result represents an important step in the long-standing problem of connecting the CR observables with the microphysics of particle transport.
Die Rolle von Kommunen wird in diesem Buch einem europäischen Vergleich unterzogen. Dabei werden Kategorien wie kommunale Autonomie, Aufgabenprofile, territoriale und politische sowie finanzielle Rahmenbedingungen miteinander verglichen. Auch vergangene und bestehende Reformtrends und -diskurse werden beschrieben und eingeordnet. Die Studie ist eine umfassende Sekundäranalyse und bereitet aktuelle Zahlen aus verschiedenen Quellen auf. Durchgeführt wurde sie von einem Team um Prof. Sabine Kuhlmann vom Lehrstuhl für Politikwissenschaft, Verwaltung und Organisation an der Universität Potsdam.
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is the most common substance use disorder worldwide. Although dopamine-related findings were often observed in AUD, associated neurobiological mechanisms are still poorly understood. Therefore, in the present study, we investigate D2/3 receptor availability in healthy participants, participants at high risk (HR) to develop addiction (not diagnosed with AUD), and AUD patients in a detoxified stage, applying F-18-fallypride positron emission tomography (F-18-PET). Specifically, D2/3 receptor availability was investigated in (1) 19 low-risk (LR) controls, (2) 19 HR participants, and (3) 20 AUD patients after alcohol detoxification. Quality and severity of addiction were assessed with clinical questionnaires and (neuro)psychological tests. PET data were corrected for age of participants and smoking status. In the dorsal striatum, we observed significant reductions of D2/3 receptor availability in AUD patients compared with LR participants. Further, receptor availability in HR participants was observed to be intermediate between LR and AUD groups (linearly decreasing). Still, in direct comparison, no group difference was observed between LR and HR groups or between HR and AUD groups. Further, the score of the Alcohol Dependence Scale (ADS) was inversely correlated with D2/3 receptor availability in the combined sample. Thus, in line with a dimensional approach, striatal D2/3 receptor availability showed a linear decrease from LR participants to HR participants to AUD patients, which was paralleled by clinical measures. Our study shows that a core neurobiological feature in AUD seems to be detectable in an early, subclinical state, allowing more individualized alcohol prevention programs in the future.
White mica and tourmaline are the dominant hydrothermal alteration minerals at the world-class Panasqueira W-Sn-Cu deposit in Portugal. Thus, understanding the controls on their chemical composition helps to constrain ore formation processes at this deposit and determine their usefulness as pathfinder minerals for mineralization in general. We combine whole-rock geochemistry of altered and unaltered metasedimentary host rocks with in situ LA-ICP-MS measurements of tourmaline and white mica from the alteration halo. Principal component analysis (PCA) is used to better identify geochemical patterns and trends of hydrothermal alteration in the datasets. The hydrothermally altered metasediments are enriched in As, Sn, Cs, Li, W, F, Cu, Rb, Zn, Tl, and Pb relative to unaltered samples. In situ mineral analyses show that most of these elements preferentially partition into white mica over tourmaline (Li, Rb, Cs, Tl, W, and Sn), whereas Zn is enriched in tourmaline. White mica has distinct compositions in different settings within the deposit (greisen, vein selvages, wall rock alteration zone, late fault zone), indicating a compositional evolution with time. In contrast, tourmaline from different settings overlaps in composition, which is ascribed to a stronger dependence on host rock composition and also to the effects of chemical zoning and microinclusions affecting the LA-ICP-MS analyses. Hence, in this deposit, white mica is the better recorder of the fluid composition. The calculated trace-element contents of the Panasqueira mineralizing fluid based on the mica data and estimates of mica-fluid partition coefficients are in good agreement with previous fluid-inclusion analyses. A compilation of mica and tourmaline trace-element compositions from Panasqueira and other W-Sn deposits shows that white mica has good potential as a pathfinder mineral, with characteristically high Li, Cs, Rb, Sn, and W contents. The trace-element contents of hydrothermal tourmaline are more variable. Nevertheless, the compiled data suggest that high Sn and Li contents are distinctive for tourmaline from W-Sn deposits.
In nature, plants are constantly exposed to many transient, but recurring, stresses. Thus, to complete their life cycles, plants require a dynamic balance between capacities to recover following cessation of stress and maintenance of stress memory. Recently, we uncovered a new functional role for macroautophagy/autophagy in regulating recovery from heat stress (HS) and resetting cellular memory of HS inArabidopsis thaliana. Here, we demonstrated that NBR1 (next to BRCA1 gene 1) plays a crucial role as a receptor for selective autophagy during recovery from HS. Immunoblot analysis and confocal microscopy revealed that levels of the NBR1 protein, NBR1-labeled puncta, and NBR1 activity are all higher during the HS recovery phase than before. Co-immunoprecipitation analysis of proteins interacting with NBR1 and comparative proteomic analysis of annbr1-null mutant and wild-type plants identified 58 proteins as potential novel targets of NBR1. Cellular, biochemical and functional genetic studies confirmed that NBR1 interacts with HSP90.1 (heat shock protein 90.1) and ROF1 (rotamase FKBP 1), a member of the FKBP family, and mediates their degradation by autophagy, which represses the response to HS by attenuating the expression ofHSPgenes regulated by the HSFA2 transcription factor. Accordingly, loss-of-function mutation ofNBR1resulted in a stronger HS memory phenotype. Together, our results provide new insights into the mechanistic principles by which autophagy regulates plant response to recurrent HS.
Induced point mutations are important genetic resources for their ability to create hypo- and hypermorphic alleles that are useful for understanding gene functions and breeding. However, such mutant populations have only been developed for a few temperate maize varieties, mainly B73 and W22, yet no tropical maize inbred lines have been mutagenized and made available to the public to date. We developed a novel Ethyl Methanesulfonate (EMS) induced mutation resource in maize comprising 2050 independent M2 mutant families in the elite tropical maize inbred ML10. By phenotypic screening, we showed that this population is of comparable quality with other mutagenized populations in maize. To illustrate the usefulness of this population for gene discovery, we performed rapid mapping-by-sequencing to clone a fasciated-ear mutant and identify a causal promoter deletion in ZmCLE7 (CLE7). Our mapping procedure does not require crossing to an unrelated parent, thus is suitable for mapping subtle traits and ones affected by heterosis. This first EMS population in tropical maize is expected to be very useful for the maize research community. Also, the EMS mutagenesis and rapid mapping-by-sequencing pipeline described here illustrate the power of performing forward genetics in diverse maize germplasms of choice, which can lead to novel gene discovery due to divergent genetic backgrounds.
Organic-inorganic composite materials with tailored properties can be designed in the lab through bioinspired approaches.
In this context, we exploited the particle-based crystallisation process of calcium sulfate, a technologically important mineral, to hybridise inorganic and organic matter.
We identified and synthesised an organic polymer showing strong affinity to bind to the surfaces of mineral precursors as well as intrinsic tendency to self-organise. Subsequently, polymer-coated building units were allowed to self-assemble via oriented attachment, aggregation and phase transformation, which produced ordered superstructures where the organic polymer is intercalated between the subunits and surrounds the hybrid core as a shell.
This specific architecture across multiple length scales leads to unique mechanical properties, comparable to those of natural biominerals.
Thus, our results devise a straightforward pathway to prepare organic-inorganic hybrid structures via bottom-up self-assembly processes innate to the crystallisation of the inorganic phase.
This approach can likely be transferred to other inorganic minerals, affording next-generation materials for applications in the construction sector, biomedicine and beyond.
Evolutionary reduction of adult body size (miniaturization) has profound consequences for organismal biology and is an important subject of evolutionary research. Based on two individuals we describe a new, extremely miniaturized chameleon, which may be the world's smallest reptile species. The male holotype of Brookesia nana sp. nov. has a snout-vent length of 13.5 mm (total length 21.6 mm) and has large, apparently fully developed hemipenes, making it apparently the smallest mature male amniote ever recorded. The female paratype measures 19.2 mm snout-vent length (total length 28.9 mm) and a micro-CT scan revealed developing eggs in the body cavity, likewise indicating sexual maturity. The new chameleon is only known from a degraded montane rainforest in northern Madagascar and might be threatened by extinction. Molecular phylogenetic analyses place it as sister to B. karchei, the largest species in the clade of miniaturized Brookesia species, for which we resurrect Evoluticauda Angel, 1942 as subgenus name. The genetic divergence of B. nana sp. nov. is rather strong (9.914.9% to all other Evoluticauda species in the 16S rRNA gene). A comparative study of genital length in Malagasy chameleons revealed a tendency for the smallest chameleons to have the relatively largest hemipenes, which might be a consequence of a reversed sexual size dimorphism with males substantially smaller than females in the smallest species. The miniaturized males may need larger hemipenes to enable a better mechanical fit with female genitals during copulation. Comprehensive studies of female genitalia are needed to test this hypothesis and to better understand the evolution of genitalia in reptiles.
The desiccation of the Aral Sea represents one of the largest human-made environmental regional disasters. The salt- and toxin-enriched dried-out basin provides a natural laboratory for studying ecosystem functioning and rhizosphere assembly under extreme anthropogenic conditions.
Here, we investigated the prokaryotic rhizosphere communities of the native pioneer plant Suaeda acuminata (C.A.Mey.) Moq. in comparison to bulk soil across a gradient of desiccation (5, 10, and 40 years) by metagenome and amplicon sequencing combined with quantitative PCR (qPCR) analyses. The rhizosphere effect was evident due to significantly higher bacterial abundances but less diversity in the rhizosphere compared to bulk soil. Interestingly, in the highest salinity (5 years of desiccation), rhizosphere functions were mainly provided by archaeal communities.
Along the desiccation gradient, we observed a significant change in the rhizosphere microbiota, which was reflected by (i) a decreasing archaeon-bacterium ratio, (ii) replacement of halophilic archaea by specific plant-associated bacteria, i.e., Alphaproteobacteria and Actinobacteria, and (iii) an adaptation of specific, potentially plant-beneficial biosynthetic pathways.
In general, both bacteria and archaea were found to be involved in carbon cycling and fixation, as well as methane and nitrogen metabolism.
Analysis of metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) showed specific signatures for production of osmoprotectants, assimilatory nitrate reduction, and transport system induction.
Our results provide evidence that rhizosphere assembly by cofiltering specific taxa with distinct traits is a mechanism which allows plants to thrive under extreme conditions. Overall, our findings highlight a function-based rhizosphere assembly, the importance of plant-microbe interactions in salinated soils, and their exploitation potential for ecosystem restoration approaches.IMPORTANCE
The desertification of the Aral Sea basin in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan represents one of the most serious anthropogenic environmental disasters of the last century. Since the 1960s, the world's fourth-largest inland body of water has been constantly shrinking, which has resulted in an extreme increase of salinity accompanied by accumulation of many hazardous and carcinogenic substances, as well as heavy metals, in the dried-out basin.
Here, we investigated bacterial and archaeal communities in the rhizosphere of pioneer plants by combining classic molecular methods with amplicon sequencing as well as metagenomics for functional insights.
By implementing a desiccation gradient, we observed (i) remarkable differences in the archaeon-bacterium ratio of plant rhizosphere samples, (ii) replacement of archaeal indicator taxa during succession, and (iii) the presence of specific, potentially plant-beneficial biosynthetic pathways in archaea present during the early stages.
In addition, our results provide hitherto-undescribed insights into the functional redundancy between plant-associated archaea and bacteria.
The desertification of the Aral Sea basin in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan represents one of the most serious anthropogenic environmental disasters of the last century.
Since the 1960s, the world's fourth-largest inland body of water has been constantly shrinking, which has resulted in an extreme increase of salinity accompanied by accumulation of many hazardous and carcinogenic substances, as well as heavy metals, in the dried-out basin.
From June to August 2021, we deployed a dense seismic nodal network across the Hengill geothermal area in southwest Iceland to image and characterize faults and high-temperature zones at high resolution.
The nodal network comprised 498 geophone nodes spread across the northern Nesjavellir and southern Hverahlio geothermal fields and was complemented by an existing permanent and temporary backbone seismic network of a total of 44 short-period and broadband stations.
In addition, we recorded distributed acoustic sensing data along two fiber optic telecommunication cables near the Nesjavellir geothermal power plant with commercial interrogators.
During the time of deployment, a vibroseis survey took place around the Nesjavellir power plant.
Here, we describe the network and the recorded datasets.
Furthermore, we showsome initial results that indicate a high data quality and highlight the potential of the seismic records for various follow up studies, such as high-resolution event location to delineate faults and body- and surface-wave tomographies to image the subsurface velocity structure in great detail.
Lakes act as important sinks for inorganic and organic sediment components. However, investigations of sedimentary carbon budgets within glacial lakes are currently absent from Arctic Siberia. The aim of this paper is to provide the first reconstruction of accumulation rates, sediment and carbon budgets from a lacustrine sediment core from Lake Rauchuagytgyn, Chukotka (Arctic Siberia). We combined multiple sediment biogeochemical and sedimentological parameters from a radiocarbon-dated 6.5m sediment core with lake basin hydroacoustic data to derive sediment stratigraphy, sediment volumes and infill budgets. Our results distinguished three principal sediment and carbon accumulation regimes that could be identified across all measured environmental proxies including early Marine Isotope Stage 2 (MIS2) (ca. 29-23.4 ka cal BP), mid-MIS2-early MIS1 (ca. 23.4-11.69 ka cal BP) and the Holocene (ca. 11.69-present). Estimated organic carbon accumulation rates (OCARs) were higher within Holocene sediments (average 3.53 gOCm(-2) a(-1)) than Pleistocene sediments (average 1.08 gOCm(-2) a(-1)) and are similar to those calculated for boreal lakes from Quebec and Finland and Lake Baikal but significantly lower than Siberian thermokarst lakes and Alberta glacial lakes. Using a bootstrapping approach, we estimated the total organic carbon pool to be 0.26 +/- 0.02 Mt and a total sediment pool of 25.7 +/- 1.71 Mt within a hydroacoustically derived sediment volume of ca. 32 990 557m(3). The total organic carbon pool is substantially smaller than Alaskan yedoma, thermokarst lake sediments and Alberta glacial lakes but shares similarities with Finnish boreal lakes. Temporal variability in sediment and carbon accumulation dynamics at Lake Rauchuagytgyn is controlled predominantly by palaeoclimate variation that regulates lake ice-cover dynamics and catchment glacial, fluvial and permafrost processes through time. These processes, in turn, affect catchment and within-lake primary productivity as well as catchment soil development. Spatial differences compared to other lake systems at a trans-regional scale likely relate to the high-latitude, mountainous location of Lake Rauchuagytgyn.
Martian atmospheric spectral end-members retrieval from ExoMars Thermal Infrared (TIRVIM) data
(2022)
Key knowledge about planetary composition can be recovered from the study of thermal infrared spectral range datasets.
This range has a huge diagnostic potential because it contains diagnostic absorptions from a planetary surface and atmosphere. The main goal of this study is to process and interpret the dataset from the Thermal Infrared channel (TIRVIM) which is part of the Atmospheric Chemistry Suite of the ExoMars2016 Trace Gas Orbiter mission to find and characterize dust and water ice clouds in the atmosphere.
The method employed here is based on the application of principal component analysis and target transformation techniques to extract the independent variable components present in the analyzed dataset. Spectral shapes of both atmospheric dust and water ice aerosols have been recovered from the analysis of TIRVIM data.
The comparison between our results with those previously obtained on Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) data and with previous analysis on TIRVIM data, validates the methodology here applied, showing that it allows to correctly recover the atmospheric spectral endmembers present in the TIRVIM data.
Moreover, comparison with atmospheric retrievals on PFS, TES and IRIS data, allowed us to assess the temporal stability and homogeneity of dust and water ice components in the Martian atmosphere over a time period of almost 50 years.
Heat shock factor HSFA2 fine-tunes resetting of thermomemory via plastidic metalloprotease FtsH6
(2022)
The transcription factor HSFA2 fine-tunes a balance between prolongation and resetting of thermomemory in Arabidopsis via the regulation of both memory-supporting and memory-resetting genes.
Plants 'memorize' stressful events and protect themselves from future, often more severe, stresses. To maximize growth after stress, plants 'reset' or 'forget' memories of stressful situations, which requires an intricate balance between stress memory formation and the degree of forgetfulness.
HEAT SHOCK PROTEIN 21 (HSP21) encodes a small heat shock protein in plastids of Arabidopsis thaliana. HSP21 functions as a key component of thermomemory, which requires a sustained elevated level of HSP21 during recovery from heat stress. A heat-induced metalloprotease, filamentation temperature-sensitive H6 (FtsH6), degrades HSP21 to its pre-stress abundance, thereby resetting memory during the recovery phase. The transcription factor heat shock factor A2 (HSFA2) activates downstream genes essential for mounting thermomemory, acting as a positive regulator in the process.
Here, using a yeast one-hybrid screen, we identify HSFA2 as an upstream transactivator of the resetting element FtsH6. Constitutive and inducible overexpression of HSFA2 increases expression of FtsH6, whereas it is drastically reduced in the hsfa2 knockout mutant. Chromatin immunoprecipitation reveals in planta binding of HSFA2 to the FtsH6 promoter. Importantly, overexpression of HSFA2 improves thermomemory more profoundly in ftsh6 than wild-type plants.
Thus, by activating both memory-supporting and memory-resetting genes, HSFA2 acts as a cellular homeostasis factor during thermomemory.
As cultural diversity is increasing around the globe, a more nuanced understanding of the cultural diversity climate in classroom settings is needed, including how its different aspects relate to student outcomes. We developed the Classroom Cultural Diversity Climate Scale (CCDCS), integrating theory and research from social psychology and multicultural education and including novel facets like polyculturalism, which has not been studied in the school context before. We then studied associations with intergroup relations, socio-emotional adjustment, and school achievement among students of immigrant and non-immigrant background at the individual and classroom levels. The scale includes six subscales in the two broad dimensions of equality and inclusion: contact and cooperation, (un)equal treatment, and color-evasion, and cultural pluralism: heritage and intercultural learning, critical consciousness, and polyculturalism. Using data from 1,335 secondary school students in Germany (Mage = 14.7; 51% male; 51% immigrant background), the scale demonstrated measurement invariance by immigrant background, gender, and school track, and reliability at individual and classroom levels. A more positive diversity climate, with better intercultural relations (equality and inclusion) and more opportunities to learn about cultural diversity (cultural pluralism), was associated with more positive student outcomes. Interestingly, polyculturalism was not associated with negative effects observed for other facets of cultural pluralism. Relations for different climate aspects also varied by outcome and students' immigrant background. This underscores the importance of a nuanced perspective when evaluating different approaches to cultural diversity in context.
Aim: Study aim was to investigate the effects of therapeutic phlebotomy on ambulatory blood pressure in patients with grade 1 hypertension.
Methods: In this randomized-controlled intervention study, patients with unmedicated hypertension grade 1 were randomized into an intervention group (phlebotomy group; 500 mL bloodletting at baseline and after 6 weeks) and a control group (waiting list) and followed up for 8 weeks. Primary endpoint was the 24-h ambulatory mean arterial pressure between the intervention and control groups after 8 weeks. Secondary outcome parameters included ambulatory/resting systolic/diastolic blood pressure, heart rate, and selected laboratory parameters (e.g., hemoglobin, hematocrit, erythrocytes, and ferritin). Resting systolic/diastolic blood pressure/heart rate and blood count were also assessed at 6 weeks before the second phlebotomy to ensure safety. A per-protocol analysis was performed.
Results: Fifty-three hypertension participants (56.7 +/- 10.5 years) were included in the analysis (n = 25 intervention group, n = 28 control group). The ambulatory measured mean arterial pressure decreased by -1.12 +/- 5.16mmHg in the intervention group and increased by 0.43 +/- 3.82mmHg in the control group (between-group difference: -1.55 +/- 4.46, p = 0.22). Hemoglobin, hematocrit, erythrocytes, and ferritin showed more pronounced reductions in the intervention group in comparison with the control group, with significant between-group differences. Subgroup analysis showed trends regarding the effects on different groups classified by serum ferritin concentration, body mass index, age, and sex. Two adverse events (AEs) (anemia and dizziness) occurred in association with the phlebotomy, but no serious AEs.
Conclusions: Study results showed that therapeutic phlebotomy resulted in only minimal reductions of 24-h ambulatory blood pressure measurement values in patients with unmedicated grade 1 hypertension. Further high-quality clinical studies are warranted, as this finding contradicts the results of other studies.
The early exhumation history of the Tauern Window in the European Eastern Alps and its surface expression is poorly dated and quantified, partly because thermochronological and provenance information are sparse from the Upper Austrian Northern Alpine Foreland Basin. For the first time, we combine a single-grain double-dating approach (Apatite Fission Track and U-Pb dating) with trace-element geochemistry analysis on the same apatites to reconstruct the provenance and exhumation history of the late Oligocene/early Miocene Eastern Alps. The results from 22 samples from the Chattian to Burdigalian sedimentary infill of the Upper Austrian Northern Alpine Foreland Basin were integrated with a 3D seismic-reflection data set and published stratigraphic reports. Our highly discriminative data set indicates an increasing proportion of apatites (from 6% to 23%) with Sr/Y values <0.1 up-section and an increasing amount of apatites (from 24% to 38%) containing >1,000 ppm light rare-earth elements from Chattian to Burdigalian time. The number of U-Pb ages with acceptable uncertainties increases from 40% to 59% up-section, with mostly late Variscan/Permian ages, while an increasing number of grains (10%-27%) have Eocene or younger apatite fission track cooling ages. The changes in the apatite trace-element geochemistry and U-Pb data mirror increased sediment input from an >= upper amphibolite-facies metamorphic source of late Variscan/Permian age - probably the otztal-Bundschuh nappe system - accompanied by increasing exhumation rates indicated by decreasing apatite fission track lag times. We attribute these changes to the surface response to upright folding and doming in the Penninic units of the future Tauern Window starting at 29-27 Ma. This early period of exhumation (0.3-0.6 mm/a) is triggered by early Adriatic indentation along the Giudicarie Fault System.
We investigate the failed partial eruption of a filament system in NOAA AR 12104 on 2014 July 5, using multiwavelength EUV, magnetogram, and H alpha observations, as well as magnetic field modeling. The filament system consists of two almost co-spatial segments with different end points, both resembling a C shape. Following an ejection and a precursor flare related to flux cancellation, only the upper segment rises and then displays a prominent twisted structure, while rolling over toward its footpoints. The lower segment remains undisturbed, indicating that the system possesses a double-decker structure. The erupted segment ends up with a reverse-C shape, with material draining toward its footpoints, while losing its twist. Using the flux rope insertion method, we construct a model of the source region that qualitatively reproduces key elements of the observed evolution. At the eruption onset, the model consists of a flux rope atop a flux bundle with negligible twist, which is consistent with the observational interpretation that the filament possesses a double-decker structure. The flux rope reaches the critical height of the torus instability during its initial relaxation, while the lower flux bundle remains in stable equilibrium. The eruption terminates when the flux rope reaches a dome-shaped quasi-separatrix layer that is reminiscent of a magnetic fan surface, although no magnetic null is found. The flux rope is destroyed by reconnection with the confining overlying flux above the dome, transferring its twist in the process.
Natural gas can be temporarily stored in a variety of underground facilities, such as depleted gas and oil fields, natural aquifers and caverns in salt rocks. Being extensively monitored during operations, these systems provide a favourable opportunity to investigate how pressure varies in time and space and possibly induces/triggers earthquakes on nearby faults. Elaborate and detailed numerical modelling techniques are often applied to study gas reservoirs. Here we show the possibilities and discuss the limitations of a flexible and easily formulated tool that can be straightforwardly applied to simulate temporal pore-pressure variations and study the relation with recorded microseismic events. We use the software POEL (POroELastic diffusion and deformation) which computes the poroelastic response to fluid injection/extraction in a horizontally layered poroelastic structure. We further develop its application to address the presence of vertical impermeable faults bounding the reservoir and of multiple injection/extraction sources. Exploiting available information on the reservoir geometry and physical parameters, and records of injection/extraction rates for a gas reservoir in southern Europe, we perform an extensive parametric study considering different model configurations. Comparing modelled spatiotemporal pore-pressure variations with in situ measurements, we show that the inclusion of vertical impermeable faults provides an improvement in reproducing the observations and results in pore-pressure accumulation near the faults and in a variation of the temporal pore-pressure diffusion pattern. To study the relation between gas storage activity and recorded local microseismicity, we applied different seismicity models based on the estimated porepressure distribution. This analysis helps to understand the spatial distribution of seismicity and its temporal modulation. The results show that the observed microseismicity could be partly linked to the storage activity, but the contribution of tectonic background seismicity cannot be excluded.
The administrative language used in imperial and city chanceries illustrates formal language use in the Early Modern period, as most evident in its syntactic complexity. Since administrative language was considered prestigious by the literate people of the time, the syntactic features in question are increasingly found in other text types as well (Lötscher 1995, Schwitalla 2002). The present paper investigates early newspapers published in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries to evalute their degree of syntactic complexity and hence the extent of formal language used. Contrary to common belief (Admoni 1980, von Polenz 2013), it will be shown that early newspapers do not allow a uniform assessment in terms of their syntactic complexity, when they emerge as a new genre in the seventeenth century: some news segments display a fairly simple syntax, whereas others are of high syntactic complexity. By the end of the eighteenth century, the growing conventionalization of the new genre as well as the impact of standardization processes render newspapers much more balanced in terms of syntactic complexity. Unlike previous work on the syntactic complexity of newspaper language, the measurement of syntactic complexity takes into account not only sentence length and the relationship between independent and dependent clauses, but also the placement of adverbial clauses in relation to their associated clause.
Reservoir-triggered seismicity has been observed near dams during construction, impoundment, and cyclic filling in many parts of the earth. In Turkey, the number of dams has increased substantially over the last decade, with Ataturk Dam being the largest dam in Turkey with a total water capacity of 48.7 billion m(3). After the construction of the dam, the monitoring network has improved. Considering earthquakes above the long-term completeness magnitude of M-C = 3.5, the local seismicity rate has substantially increased after the filling of the reservoir. Recently, two damaging earthquakes of M-w 5.5 and M-w 5.1 occurred in the town of Samsat near the Ataturk Reservoir in 2017 and 2018, respectively. In this study, we analyze the spatio-temporal evolution of seismicity and its source properties in relation to the temporal water-level variations and the stresses resulting from surface loading and pore-pressure diffusion. We find that water-level and seismicity rate are anti-correlated, which is explained by the stabilization effect of the gravitational induced stress imposed by water loading on the local faults. On the other hand, we find that the overall effective stress in the seismogenic zone increased over decades due to pore-pressure diffusion, explaining the enhanced background seismicity during recent years. Additionally, we observe a progressive decrease of the Gutenberg-Richter b-value. Our results indicate that the stressing rate finally focused on the region where the two damaging earthquakes occurred in 2017 and 2018.
Synthesis of organic-inorganic hybrids based on the conjugated polymer P3HT and mesoporous silicon
(2022)
Organic-inorganic hybrids are a class of functional materials that combine favorable properties of their constituents to achieve an overall improved performance for a wide range of applications. This article presents the synthesis route for P3HT-porous silicon hybrids for thermoelectric applications. The conjugated polymer P3HT is incorporated into the porous silicon matrix by means of melt infiltration. Gravimetry, sorption isotherms and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) mapping indicate that the organic molecules occupy more than 50% of the void space in the inorganic host. We demonstrate that subsequent diffusion-based doping of the confined polymer in a FeCl3 solution increases the electrical conductivity of the hybrid by five orders of magnitude compared to the empty porous silicon host.
The accelerating climatic changes and new infrastructure development across the Arctic require more robust risk and environmental assessment, but thus far there is no consistent record of human impact. We provide a first panarctic satellite-based record of expanding infrastructure and anthropogenic impacts along all permafrost affected coasts (100 km buffer, approximate to 6.2 Mio km(2)), named the Sentinel-1/2 derived Arctic Coastal Human Impact (SACHI) dataset. The completeness and thematic content goes beyond traditional satellite based approaches as well as other publicly accessible data sources. Three classes are considered: linear transport infrastructure (roads and railways), buildings, and other impacted area. C-band synthetic aperture radar and multi-spectral information (2016-2020) is exploited within a machine learning framework (gradient boosting machines and deep learning) and combined for retrieval with 10 m nominal resolution. In total, an area of 1243 km(2) constitutes human-built infrastructure as of 2016-2020. Depending on region, SACHI contains 8%-48% more information (human presence) than in OpenStreetMap. 221 (78%) more settlements are identified than in a recently published dataset for this region. 47% is not covered in a global night-time light dataset from 2016. At least 15% (180 km(2)) correspond to new or increased detectable human impact since 2000 according to a Landsat-based normalized difference vegetation index trend comparison within the analysis extent. Most of the expanded presence occurred in Russia, but also some in Canada and US. 31% and 5% of impacted area associated predominantly with oil/gas and mining industry respectively has appeared after 2000. 55% of the identified human impacted area will be shifting to above 0 C-circle ground temperature at two meter depth by 2050 if current permafrost warming trends continue at the pace of the last two decades, highlighting the critical importance to better understand how much and where Arctic infrastructure may become threatened by permafrost thaw.
This article presents inelastic thermal neutron scattering experiments probing the phonon dispersion in mesoporous silicon with pores 8 nm across. Scattering studies reveal the energy-momentum relation for transverse and longitudinal phonons along the high symmetry directions , and in the Brillouin zone. The dispersion up to phonon energies of 35 meV unambiguously proves that the phonon group velocities in highly-crystalline silicon are not modified by nanostructuring down to sub-10 nanometer length scales. On these length scales, there is apparently no effect of structuring on the elastic moduli of mesoporous silicon. No evidence can be found for phonon-softening in topologically complex, geometrically disordered mesoporous silicon putting it in contrast to silicon nanotubes and nanoribbons.
Instructional videos are widely used to study teachers' professional vision. A new technological development in video research is mobile eye-tracking (MET). It has the potential to provide fine-grained insights into teachers' professional vision in action, but has yet been scarcely employed. We addressed this research gap by using MET video feedback to examine how expert and novice teachers differed in their noticing and weighing of alternative teaching strategies. Expert and novice teachers' lessons were recorded with MET devices. Then, they commented on what they observe while watching their own teaching videos. Using a mixed methods approach, we found that expert and novice teachers did not differ in the number of classroom events they noticed and alternative teaching strategies they mentioned. However, novice teachers were more critical of their own teaching than expert teachers, particularly when they considered alternative teaching strategies. Practical implications for the field of teacher education are discussed.
We revise the conceptual model of calcite varves and present, for the first time, a dual lake monitoring study in two alkaline lakes providing new insights into the seasonal sedimentation processes forming these varves. The study lakes, Tiefer See in NE Germany and Czechowskie in N Poland, have distinct morphology and bathymetry, and therefore, they are ideal to decipher local effects on seasonal deposition. The monitoring setup in both lakes is largely identical and includes instrumental observation of (i) meteorological parameters, (ii) chemical profiling of the lake water column including water sampling, and (iii) sediment trapping at both bi-weekly and monthly intervals. We then compare our monitoring data with varve micro-facies in the sediment record. One main finding is that calcite varves form complex laminae triplets rather than simple couplets as commonly thought. Sedimentation of varve sub-layers in both lakes is largely dependent on the lake mixing dynamics and results from the same seasonality, commencing with diatom blooms in spring turning into a pulse of calcite precipitation in summer and terminating with a re-suspension layer in autumn and winter, composed of calcite patches, plant fragments and benthic diatoms. Despite the common seasonal cycle, the share of each of these depositional phases in the total annual sediment yield is different between the lakes. In Lake Tiefer See calcite sedimentation has the highest yields, whereas in Lake Czechowskie, the so far underestimated re-suspension sub-layer dominates the sediment accumulation. Even in undisturbed varved sediments, re-suspended material becomes integrated in the sediment fabric and makes up an important share of calcite varves. Thus, while the biogeochemical lake cycle defines the varves' autochthonous components and micro-facies, the physical setting plays an important role in determining the varve sub-layers' proportion.
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), as a consequence of overnutrition caused by high-calorie diets, results in obesity and disturbed lipid homeostasis leading to hepatic lipid droplet formation. Lipid droplets can impair hepatocellular function; therefore, it is of utmost importance to degrade these cellular structures. This requires the normal function of the autophagic-lysosomal system and the ubiquitin-proteasomal system. We demonstrated in NZO mice, a polygenic model of obesity, which were compared to C57BL/6J (B6) mice, that a high-fat diet leads to obesity and accumulation of lipid droplets in the liver. This was accompanied by a loss of autophagy efficiency whereas the activity of lysosomal proteases and the 20S proteasome remained unaffected. The disturbance of cellular protein homeostasis was further demonstrated by the accumulation of 3-nitrotyrosine and 4-hydroxynonenal modified proteins, which are normally prone to degradation. Therefore, we conclude that fat accumulation in the liver due to a high-fat diet is associated with a failure of autophagy and leads to the disturbance of proteostasis. This might further contribute to lipid droplet stabilization and accumulation.
Large earthquakes can increase the amount of water feeding stream flows, raise groundwater levels, and thus grant plant roots more access to water in water-limited environments. We examine growth and photosynthetic responses of Pine plantations to the Maule M-w 8.8 earthquake in headwater catchments of Chile's Coastal Range. We combine high-resolution wood anatomic (lumen area) and biogeochemical (delta 13C of wood cellulose) proxies of daily to weekly tree growth sampled from trees on floodplains and close to ridge lines. We find that, immediately after the earthquake, at least two out of six tree trees on valley floors had increased lumen area and decreased delta 13C, while trees on hillslopes had a reverse trend. Our results indicate a control of soil water on this response, largely consistent with models that predict how enhanced postseismic vertical soil permeability causes groundwater levels to rise on valley floors, but fall along the ridges. Statistical analysis with boosted regression trees indicates that streamflow discharge gained predictive importance for photosynthetic activity on the ridges, but lost importance on the valley floor after the earthquake. We infer that earthquakes may stimulate ecohydrological conditions favoring tree growth over days to weeks by triggering stomatal opening. The weak and short-lived signals that we identified, however, show that such responses are only valid under water-limited, rather than energy-limited tree, growth. Hence, dendrochronological studies targeted at annual resolution may overlook some earthquake effects on tree vitality.
The use of post-processing heat treatments is often considered a necessary approach to relax high-magnitude residual stresses (RS) formed during the layerwise additive manufacturing laser powder bed fusion (LPBF). In this work, three heat treatment strategies using temperatures of 450 degrees C, 800 degrees C, and 900 degrees C are applied to austenitic stainless steel 316L samples manufactured by LPBF. These temperatures encompass the suggested lower and upper bounds of heat treatment temperatures of conventionally processed 316L. The relaxation of the RS is characterized by neutron diffraction (ND), and the associated changes of the microstructure are analyzed using electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The lower bound heat treatment variant of 450 degrees C for 4 hours exhibited high tensile and compressive RS. When applying subsequent heat treatments, we show that stress gradients are still observed after applying 800 degrees C for 1 hour but almost completely vanish when applying 900 degrees C for 1 hour. The observed near complete relaxation of the RS appears to be closely related to the evolution of the characteristic subgrain solidification cellular microstructure.
The vertical flux of marine snow particles significantly reduces atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration. In the mesopelagic zone, a large proportion of the organic carbon carried by sinking particles dissipates thereby escaping long term sequestration. Particle associated prokaryotes are largely responsible for such organic carbon loss. However, links between this important ecosystem flux and ecological processes such as community development of prokaryotes on different particle fractions (sinking vs. non-sinking) are yet virtually unknown. This prevents accurate predictions of mesopelagic organic carbon loss in response to changing ocean dynamics. Using combined measurements of prokaryotic heterotrophic production rates and species richness in the North Atlantic, we reveal that carbon loss rates and associated microbial richness are drastically different with particle fractions. Our results demonstrate a strong negative correlation between prokaryotic carbon losses and species richness. Such a trend may be related to prokaryotes detaching from fast-sinking particles constantly enriching non-sinking associated communities in the mesopelagic zone. Existing global scale data suggest this negative correlation is a widespread feature of mesopelagic microbes.