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A foreseeable relatively high wind power penetration of global electricity demand will be reached in the near future. This research aims to improve aggregation modeling techniques for large wind farms considering the effect of local windspeed variations. A new structurally complete dynamic model of a doubly-fed induction generator (DFIG) consisting of an induction machine, a back to back converter, and a step-up transformer are developed in a compact state-space form. A structure-preserving aggregation method to select the model’s parameters so that the major collective dynamic characteristics of a group of DFIGs is closely approximated. The proposed aggregation method maintains the same steady-state results compared with the original unreduced model. It also preserves the major collective dynamic responses of the clustered DFIGs. A particular three-winding transformer model with current magnifying functions is developed to realize the DFIGs aggregation for Electromagnetic Transient (EMT) simulations. Furthermore, the impact of the wake effect and varying wind speed within a wind farm on the aggregated model is investigated. Although complex models can estimate and simulate wind interaction with high accuracy, a simpler model is needed for system level simulations. First, Jensen’s model is used to estimate the local windspeeds at each generator location from the ambient windspeed. Next, the aggregation algorithm generates a single representative windspeed for a cluster of generators for use in the DFIG dynamic model. The mechanism responsible for loss of synchronization following ac faults for a DFIG is identified in the thesis. A dq frame theoretical model for the DFIG and its phase locked loop (PLL) is developed which identifies positive and negative feedback mechanisms involved in synchronization. This is combined with a large signal plot of the synchronizing signal (proportional to measured q axis voltage Vmq) and a signal dependent on the PLL’s output phase ang

The distribution of fitness effects of new mutations shapes evolution, but it is challenging to observe how it changes as organisms adapt. Using Escherichia coli lineages spanning 50,000 generations of evolution, we quantify the fitness effects of insertion mutations in every gene. Macroscopically, the fraction of deleterious mutations changed little over time whereas the beneficial tail declined sharply, approaching an exponential distribution. Microscopically, changes in individual gene essentiality and deleterious effects often occurred in parallel; altered essentiality is only partly explained by structural variation. The identity and effect sizes of beneficial mutations changed rapidly over time, but many targets of selection remained predictable because of the importance of loss-of-function mutations. Taken together, these results reveal the dynamic-but statistically predictable-nature of mutational fitness effects.

L'objectiu d'aquesta tesi és estudiar les representacions de GL2(Fp). Subdividim la nostra presentació en tres capítols. El primer dóna una visió general bàsica de la teoria de representació i les eines necessàries per construir els tipus de representacions més senzills. Les més difícils les creem a partir del que es coneix com la representació de Weil. Això implica alguns conceptes de cohomologia de grups, que s'expliquen al Capítol 2 i ocupen la major part de l'exposició. Finalment, en l'últim capítol, acabem la construcció de les representacions., El objetivo de esta tesis es estudiar las representaciones de GL2(Fp). Dividimos nuestra presentación en tres capítulos. El primero proporciona una visión general básica de la teoría de representación y las herramientas necesarias para construir los tipos más simples de representaciones. Las más difíciles las creamos a partir de lo que se conoce como la representación de Weil. Esto implica algunos conceptos de cohomología de grupos, que se explican en el Capítulo 2 y ocupan la mayor parte de la exposición. Finalmente, en el último capítulo completamos la construcción de las representaciones., The aim of this thesis is to study the representations of GL2(Fp). We subdivide our presentation into three chapters. The first gives a basic overview of representation theory and the necessary tools to construct the easier types of representations. We make the harder ones out of what is known as the Weil representation. This involves some group cohomology concepts, which are explained in Chapter 2 and take the largest portion of the exposition. Finally, in the last chapter we complete the construction of the representations., Outgoing

IFPRI1; Africa Rising, This dataset was generated from the study conducted to determine whether there is any significant difference in the uptake of sustainable intensification (SI) technologies by farmers because of their interaction with the research team during project implementation. Africa RISING project started interacting with farmers during the 2012/13 cropping season in three agro-ecologies in central Malawi. International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) started interacting with farmers who were using conservation agriculture-based SI technologies since the 2007/2008 cropping season in three agro-ecologies in central Malawi. In this study, both CIMMYT and Michigan State University (MSU) led trials were selected. Over time, some new farmers were engaged, creating an opportunity to also study exposure time as a factor to understand the intensity and use of SI technologies. We grouped farmers into two categories to assess the effect of exposure time: (1) farmers who were engaged at the onset of the project (2012/2013), and (2) farmers who were engaged starting 2016/2017 cropping season. Farmers were primarily engaged at different levels. I. Mother trial farmers ? these were farmers who hosted fully replicated trials with a range of technologies, often more than 8 treatments. They were a nucleus group of farmers, who anchored the learning process. They were visited more by researchers and often hosted field days. Farmer interaction with researchers and extension was rated as ?high?. Three mother trials per agroecology were selected for the determination of water-limited yield potential. II. Mother trial farmer experimenter ? these were the same host farmers who were applying SI technologies on their wider farms. Three fields were selected to capture yield data from these. III. Baby farmers: These were a selected group of farmers who were associated with a mother trial. These farmers usually participated in field days and engaged with extension staff. IV. Local controls: T

Non-PR, IFPRI1; CRP2; MyanmarSSP; CRP4; MAPSA; Capacity Strengthening; DCA; 3 Building Inclusive and Efficient Markets, Trade Systems, and Food Industry; COVID-19 Measuring Impacts and Prioritizing Policies for Recovery, PHND; DSGD; PIM; A4NH, CGIAR Research Program on Policies, Institutions, and Markets (PIM); CGIAR Research Program on Agriculture for Nutrition and Health (A4NH), COVID-19ကမ ာကပ်ေရာဂါကာလအတွင်း မ ကာေသးမီက အိ ိယ ိုင်ငံတွင် ၂၁ရက် ကာ တင်း ကပ်ေသာ ပိတ်ဆို ့ ကန ့ ်သတ်မ ့ (lockdown)ကို ုတ်တရက်ချမှတ်ခဲ့ ြခင်းသည် ထိခိုက်လွယ်သည့် များစွာေသာ အိ ိယ ိုင်ငံသားများ၏ အစားအစာဖူလံုမ ကို ဆိုးကျိုးများ ြဖစ်ေပါ်ေစခဲ့ ပါသည်။ လုပ်သားအများစုသည် မေရရာေသာ လုပ်ခနည်းသည့် ကျပမ်းအလုပ်လုပ်ကိုင်သူများြဖစ် ပီး လဟာြပင်ေစျး များကိုသာ ကျယ်ကျယ်ြပန်ြပန့ ် အသံုးြပုလျ ့ က် ှိသည့် စနစ်ြဖင့ ်ချုပ်ကိုင်ထားမ နည်းေသာ(informal) အစားအစာစိုက်ပျိုးထုတ်လုပ်ေရး စနစ် ှိသည့် ေနာက်ခံဝန်းကျင်များတွင် အစိုးရ၏ ထိုသိုေသာ ့ COVID-19ကာကွယ်ေရးလုပ်ငန်းများသည် စိန်ေခါ်မ များစွာ ြဖစ်ေစ ိုင်ေ ကာင်း အိ ိယမှြဖစ်ရပ်များက မီးေမာင်းထိုးြပေနပါသည်။ ြမန်မာ ိုင်ငံ သည် ထိုသိုေသာေနာက်ခံဝန်းကျင် ှိသည့် ့ ိုင်ငံတစ် ိုင်ငံ ြဖစ်ပါသည်။ အိ ိယ၏lockdownကာလအတွင်း စားနပ်ရိက ာဖူလံုေရး ှင့ ်ပတ်သတ်သည့် ချို ယွင်းချက်များစွာ ှိခဲ့ ေသာ အေတွ အ ကံုက ြမန်မာ ိုင်ငံ၏ အစားအစာဖူလံုမ ကိုထိန်းသိမ်းရန်အတွက် ေအာက်ပါလုပ်ငန်းများသည်အ လွန်အ ေရး ကီးေ ကာင်း အ ကံုြပုေနပါသည်။ ကုန်စည်အမျိုးအစားအားလံုးအား လွပ်လပ်စွာ စီးဆင်းခွင့ ်ေပးြခင်း- တည် ငိမ်ေသာ အစားအစာစိုက်ပျိုးထုတ်လုပ် ေရးစနစ်သည် အစားအစာအမျိုးအမည်အစံု (အနည်းလိုအာဟာရများ ကယ်ဝသည့် သစ်သီးဝလံများ၊ ဟင်းသီး ဟင်းရွက်များ၊ တိရစ ာန်များမှရေသာ အစားအစာများ အပါအဝင်) ှင့ ်အတူ မ ှိမြဖစ်လိုအပ်ေသာ စားစရာမဟုတ်သည့်ကုန်စည်များပါ လွပ်လပ်စွာ စီးဆင်းမ ှိေစရန် လိုအပ်ပါသည်။ ြပဿနာများေပါ်ေပါက်လာပါက ၎င်းတိုကိုေြဖ ှင်း ိုင်ရန် အစားအစာေစျးကွက်များ ှင ့ ့ ် တန်ဖိုးကွင်းဆက်များကို ြဖစ် ိုင်သမ နီးကပ်စွာ ေစာင့ ် ကည့်ြခင်း ြမန်မာ ိုင်ငံအတွင်း ှိ အစားအစာေရာင်းချသည့်ေစျးများတွင် သန် ှင်းမ ကိုြမ ့ င့ ်တင်ြခင်းြဖင့ ် COVID-19ပျံ ှံ ိုင်မ အ ရာယ်ကို ့ ေလ ာချ ့ ြခင်း ကုန်စည်စီးဆင်းမ ကို မတားဆီးေစရန် ရဲ၊စစ်တပ် ှင့ ်အြခားေဒသအာဏာပိုင်များသို ှင်းလင်းေသာ န် ကားချက်များ ထု ့ တ်ြပန် ထားြခင်း ြမန်မာအစိုးရသည် ဤ ပ်ေထွးေသာ ကျန်းမာေရး ှင့ ်လူမ စီးပွားေရးအကျပ်အတည်းကာလတေလ ာက် အချိန်တိုင်းတွင် အေြခခံအစားအစာ ှင့ ်အာဟာရဖူလံုမ ကို ထိန်းသိမ်းရမည်ြဖစ်ေ ကာင်း အိ ိယ ှင့ ်အြခားဖွံ ဖိုးဆဲ ိုင်ငံများ၏ အမှားအယွင်းများမှ သင်ခန်းစာရယူသင့ ်ပါသည်။

The resonant ionization laser ion source is an element-selective, efficient and versatile ion source which generates radioactive ion beams at on-line mass separator facilities. Elements with complex atomic structures and incomplete spectroscopic data require ionization scheme development. A grating-tuned titanium:sapphire (Ti:Sa) laser was used in applications for spectroscopy studies. A regiment of automated and continuous frequency-doubled and frequency tripled scans was developed to investigate different energy regions and electronic configurations of the elements. An intra-cavity frequency doubled chromium:forsterite laserwas built, to cover the spectral gap between the orange and red wavelengths as these are not attainable using Ti:Sa lasers. Laser resonance ionization spectroscopy has been performed on lanthanum (La) and thulium (Tm) at TRIUMF’s off-line laser ion source test stand to identify the highest efficiency ionization scheme for delivery of radioactive ion beams. Upon identification of possible two-step Ti:Sa laser based ionization schemes, systematic laser resonance ionization spectroscopy was performed by conducting laser scans across Rydberg states, ionization potentials, and auto-ionizing states. The spectroscopy of high-lying Rydberg states and auto-ionizing Rydberg states allowed to confirm and remeasure the ionization potential of Tm and La atom with improved accuracy. In-source resonance ionization spectroscopy of the purely radioactive astatine (At) atom was performed at the ISAC/TRIUMF radioactive ion beam facility to search for an efficient ionization scheme throughout auto-ionizing states. Apart from developing and implementing resonance ionization spectroscopy (RIS) schemes for elements, the issue of isobaric contamination in radioactive ion beam (RIB) delivery was addressed. On the newly implemented ion guide laser ion source (IG-LIS) for isobarically pure i ii RIB, operating modes and parameters were being developed and optimized. Desig

The radionuclide22Na is a target of¿-ray astronomy searches, predicted to be produced during thermonuclearrunaways driving classical novae. The22Na(p,¿)23Mg reaction is the main destruction channel of22Na during anova, hence, its rate is needed to accurately predict the22Na yield. However, experimental determinations of theresonance strengths have led to inconsistent results. In this Rapid Communication, we report a measurementof the branching ratios of the23Alß-delayed protons as a probe of the key 204-keV (center-of-mass)22Na(p,¿)23Mg resonance strength. We report a factor of 5 lower branching ratio compared to the most recentliterature value. The variation in22Na yield due to nuclear data inconsistencies was assessed using a series ofhydrodynamic nova outburst simulations and has increased to a factor of 3.8, corresponding to a factor of˜2uncertainty in the maximum detectability distance. This is the first reported scientific measurement using theGaseous Detector with Germanium Tagging system., Postprint (published version)

The Open Cluster Chemical Abundances and Mapping (OCCAM) survey aims to constrain key Galactic dynamical and chemical evolution parameters by the construction of a large, comprehensive, uniform, infrared-based spectroscopic data set of hundreds of open clusters. This fourth contribution from the OCCAM survey presents analysis using Sloan Digital Sky Survey/APOGEE DR16 of a sample of 128 open clusters, 71 of which we designate to be "high quality" based on the appearance of their color-magnitude diagram. We find the APOGEE DR16 derived [Fe/H] abundances to be in good agreement with previous high-resolution spectroscopic open cluster abundance studies. Using the high-quality sample, we measure Galactic abundance gradients in 16 elements, and find evolution of some of the [X/Fe] gradients as a function of age. We find an overall Galactic [Fe/H] versus R gradient of -0.068 ± 0.001 dex kpc over the range of 6 < R < 13.9 kpc; however, we note that this result is sensitive to the distance catalog used, varying as much as 15%. We formally derive the location of a break in the [Fe/H] abundance gradient as a free parameter in the gradient fit for the first time. We also measure significant Galactic gradients in O, Mg, S, Ca, Mn, Cr, Cu, Na, Al, and K, some of which are measured for the first time. Our large sample allows us to examine four well-populated age bins in order to explore the time evolution of gradients for a large number of elements and comment on possible implications for Galactic chemical evolution and radial migration.

Non-PR, IFPRI1; MyanmarSSP; CRP2; 2 Promoting Healthy Diets and Nutrition for all; 3 Building Inclusive and Efficient Markets, Trade Systems, and Food Industry; 4 Transforming Agricultural and Rural Economies; G Cross-cutting gender theme; MAPSA; UNFSS, DSGD; PHND; PIM, CGIAR Research Program on Policies, Institutions, and Markets (PIM), Between April and October 2020, the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and Michigan State University (MSU), with support from the United States Agency of International Development (USAID) and the Livelihoods and Food Security Fund (LIFT), have undertaken analyses of secondary data combined with regular telephone surveys of actors at all stages of Myanmar’s agri-food system in order to better understand the impacts of COVID-19 on the system. These analyses show that the volume of agribusiness has slowed considerably in Myanmar since COVID-19 restrictions were put in place. There is lower demand from farmers for agricultural inputs and mechanization services and lower volumes of produce traded, especially exports to neighboring countries whose borders are closed. All actors in the agri-food system are facing liquidity constraints and experiencing increased difficulties in both borrowing and recovering loans.

Non-PR, IFPRI5; Feed the Future Innovation Laboratory for Food Security Policy (FSP); CRP2, DSGD; DGO; PIM, CGIAR Research Program on Policies, Institutions, and Markets (PIM), Also known as CD4AIS. This interactive guidebook brings together tools and resources to help practitioners design and implement capacity development activities with an innovation systems approach in mind. The guidance provided here is not prescriptive. Rather, it offers practical applications from experiences that will enable agricultural innovation systems actors—and development practitioners more widely—to better identify capacity development opportunities and activities that continuously improve innovation capabilities within value chains, agrifood systems, and agricultural innovation systems.

Non-PR, IFPRI1; CRP2; MyanmarSSP; CRP4; MAPSA; Capacity Strengthening; DCA; 3 Building Inclusive and Efficient Markets, Trade Systems, and Food Industry; COVID-19 Measuring Impacts and Prioritizing Policies for Recovery, PHND; DSGD; PIM; A4NH, CGIAR Research Program on Policies, Institutions, and Markets (PIM); CGIAR Research Program on Agriculture for Nutrition and Health (A4NH), The recent sudden imposition of a stringent 21-day lockdown in India in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic has adversely affected the food security of many vulnerable Indians. These impacts highlight the many challenges that this kind of anti-COVID intervention can pose in other settings where the labor force is mostly informally employed with poor job security and low wages, and where the agri-food systems is similarly informal with widespread use of open-air markets. Myanmar is such a setting. India’s chastening experience with food security during its lockdown suggests the following actions would be imperative for maintaining food security in Myanmar: • Allow the free movement of all goods. A stable and reliable agri-food system requires free movements of a wide range of food products (including micronutrient-rich fruits, vegetables and animal-sourced foods) as well as essential non-food goods. • Monitor food markets and agricultural value chains as closely as possible to address problems when they do arise. • Reduce risk of COVID-19 contagion by improving hygiene in Myanmar’s food markets. • Issue clear directives to police, military, and local authorities not to impede the movement of goods. The Government of Myanmar should learn from the mistakes made in India and other developing countries. We must recognize that basic food and nutrition security must be maintained at all times through this complex health and socioeconomic crisis.

The resonant ionization laser ion source is an element-selective, efficient and versatile ion source which generates radioactive ion beams at on-line mass separator facilities. Elements with complex atomic structures and incomplete spectroscopic data require ionization scheme development. A grating-tuned titanium:sapphire (Ti:Sa) laser was used in applications for spectroscopy studies. A regiment of automated and continuous frequency-doubled and frequency tripled scans was developed to investigate different energy regions and electronic configurations of the elements. An intra-cavity frequency doubled chromium:forsterite laserwas built, to cover the spectral gap between the orange and red wavelengths as these are not attainable using Ti:Sa lasers. Laser resonance ionization spectroscopy has been performed on lanthanum (La) and thulium (Tm) at TRIUMF’s off-line laser ion source test stand to identify the highest efficiency ionization scheme for delivery of radioactive ion beams. Upon identification of possible two-step Ti:Sa laser based ionization schemes, systematic laser resonance ionization spectroscopy was performed by conducting laser scans across Rydberg states, ionization potentials, and auto-ionizing states. The spectroscopy of high-lying Rydberg states and auto-ionizing Rydberg states allowed to confirm and remeasure the ionization potential of Tm and La atom with improved accuracy. In-source resonance ionization spectroscopy of the purely radioactive astatine (At) atom was performed at the ISAC/TRIUMF radioactive ion beam facility to search for an efficient ionization scheme throughout auto-ionizing states. Apart from developing and implementing resonance ionization spectroscopy (RIS) schemes for elements, the issue of isobaric contamination in radioactive ion beam (RIB) delivery was addressed. On the newly implemented ion guide laser ion source (IG-LIS) for isobarically pure i ii RIB, operating modes and parameters were being developed and optimized. Desig

IFPRI1; CRP2; Open Access, EPTD; PIM, CGIAR Research Program on Roots, Tuber, and Bananas (RTB); CGIAR Research Programs on Policies, Institutions, and Markets (PIM), Many developing-country farmers cultivating vegetatively propagated crops (VPCs)—crops such as cassava, potato, sweetpotato, and yam—face constrained access to quality planting material. This challenge is distinct from the challenges facing cereal crops, and is associated with both the unique biological and economic nature of vegetative propagation. Although technological solutions exist, there are other limiting factors relating to policies, institutions, and markets that shape VPC seed systems, e.g., quality assurance mechanisms, certification regulations, sanitary and phytosanitary standards, and plant variety protection. This research project aims to provide actionable evidence on policy and investment options to accelerate seed system and market development in countries where VPCs are important to food security and agricultural development. By taking a collaborative and multidisciplinary approach to the research, the project (1) analyzes current policy initiatives and success factors underpinning models that incentivize cost-effective multiplication and distribution of VPC seed to smallholders; and (2) develops a set of crop-specific case studies in Kenya, Nigeria, and Vietnam that encourage closer consideration of more appropriate policy options. This document provides a brief summary of the project and accompanies the key informant interview guides to collect data for analysis purposes.

La majoria dels esforços de transformació en STEM se centren a incorporar tècniques pedagògiques, en lloc de redissenyar el currículum i les avaluacions. Les avaluacions que posen l’èmfasi en les pràctiques científiques tenen més probabilitats d’obtenir proves sobre allò que els estudiants saben i poden fer que les avaluacions basades en fragments de contingut. En aquest article, examino un nou currículum de química general, «Química, vida, l’univers i tot», que il·lustra una aproximació a la reforma centrada en les idees bàsiques, les pràctiques científiques i els conceptes transversals, i que se sosté en avaluacions que aporten evidències sobre el fet que l’estudiant utilitza el seu coneixement.paraules clau: Transformació curricular, avaluació, investigació en educació química, tecnologia instructiva, pràctiques científiques., Most of transformation efforts in STEM are focused on incorporating pedagogical techniques, rather than redesigning the curriculum and assessments. Assessments that emphasize scientific practices are more likely to elicit evidence about what students know and can do than assessments based on content fragments. Here I discuss a new general chemistry curriculum, «Chemistry, life, the universe and everything», which illustrates an approach to reform that focuses on core ideas, scientific practices and cross-cutting concepts, and is supported by assessments that elicit evidence of student use of their knowledge.keywords: Curriculum transformation, assessment, chemistry education research, instructional technology, scientific practices.

Insects play a key role in the regulation and dynamics of many ecosystem services (ES). However, this role is often assumed, with limited or no experimental quantification of its real value. We examined publication trends in the research on ES provided by insects, ascertaining which ES and taxa have been more intensively investigated, and which methodologies have been used, with particular emphasis on experimental approaches. We first performed a systematic literature search to identify which ES have been attributed to insects. Then we classified the references retrieved according to the ES, taxonomic group and ecosystem studied, as well as to the method applied to quantify each ES (in four categories: no quantification, proxies, direct quantification and experiments). Pollination, biological control, food provisioning, and recycling organic matter are the most studied ES. However, the majority of papers do not specify the ES under consideration, and from those that do, most do not quantify the ES provided. From the rest, a large number of publications use proxies as indicators for ES, assuming or inferring their provision through indirect measurements such as species abundances, species density, species richness, diversity indices, or the number of functional groups. Pollinators, predators, parasitoids, herbivores, and decomposers are the most commonly studied functional groups, while Hymenoptera, Coleoptera, and Diptera are the most studied taxa. Experimental studies are relatively scarce and they mainly focus on biological control, pollination, and decomposition performed in agroecosystems. These results suggest that our current knowledge on the ES provided by insects is relatively scarce and biased, and show gaps in the least-studied functional and taxonomic groups. An ambitious research agenda to improve the empirical and experimental evidence of the role played by insects in ES provision is essential to fully assess synergies between functional ecology, commun

Non-PR, IFPRI1; CRP2; Feed the Future Innovation Laboratory for Food Security Policy (FSP); 1 Fostering Climate-Resilient and Sustainable Food Supply, EPTD; PIM, CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems (WLE); CGIAR Research Program on Policies, Institutions, and Markets (PIM), Myanmar is home to 54 million people, of whom 70 percent live in rural areas (MOALI 2016). In 2014, agriculture contributed 30 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), 16 percent of total export earnings, and 50 percent of total employment (MOALI 2016). Given the key role of agriculture in the national economy, agricultural development has been high on Myanmar’s national development agenda and irrigation is a key component of it. Irrigation can address freshwater shortages, especially during the dry season, and reduce the impacts of rainfall variability in the monsoon season. Irrigation has the potential to both increase rice production and expand the production of other crops, such as pulses, oil crops, and vegetables. Of the 12 million hectares (ha) with crops in 2014, about 7 million ha were devoted to rice. Currently, irrigation supplies about 2.2 million ha, or 18 percent, of the country’s total harvested area. The advantages of applying irrigation include increases in crop yield, protection of crops from inadequate rainfall and drought, enabling dry season cropping, creating the potential for crop diversification into higher‐valued crops, and crop area expansion to promote farm technologies and higher efficiencies (adaptation options in the face of climate change). Furthermore, effective development of affordable irrigation and water resources can improve agricultural production and enhance income and food security. This Project Policy Note summarizes key findings from the analysis of the development potential of irrigated agriculture in Myanmar.

The lar operon in Lactobacillus plantarum encodes five Lar proteins (LarA/B/C/D/E) that collaboratively synthesize and incorporate a niacin-derived Ni-containing cofactor into LarA, an Ni-dependent lactate racemase. Previous studies have established that two molecules of LarE catalyze successive thiolation reactions by donating the sulfur atom of their exclusive cysteine residues to the substrate. However, the catalytic mechanism of this very unusual sulfur-sacrificing reaction remains elusive. In this work, we present the crystal structures of LarE in ligand-free and several ligand-bound forms, demonstrating that LarE is a member of the N-type ATP pyrophosphatase (PPase) family with a conserved N-terminal ATP PPase domain and a unique C-terminal domain harboring the putative catalytic site. Structural analysis, combined with structure-guided mutagenesis, leads us to propose a catalytic mechanism that establishes LarE as a paradigm for sulfur transfer through sacrificing its catalytic cysteine residue.

Resonant ionization laser ion sources are applied worldwide to increase purity and intensity of rare isotopes at radioactive ion beam facilities. Especially for heavy elements the laser wavelengths required for efficient resonant laser ionization are not only element dependent, but also vary to small degrees from isotope to isotope. Since the first operation of an actinide target at ISAC-TRIUMF in 2008, the demand for neutron-rich isotopes far away from stability has steadily increased. Those isotopes often have very low production rates so that often only a few ions per second are released. In order to study isotope shifts and hyperfine structure of silver, actinium and astatine, in-source resonant ionization spectroscopy in combination with radioactive decay detection has been applied. Despite the Doppler limited resolution, it has the advantage that it is ultra-sensitive and the atomic spectrum for the nuclear ground and isomeric states can be investigated individually. An isobaric separation has been demonstrated for 115-119Ag, where the hyperfine structure of one state showed a splitting of 22 GHz to 38 GHz while for the other state only a single peak spectrum can be resolved. For astatine and actinium, the main interest is to measure and study the optical isotope shift, which is for the first excitation step for neutron-rich isotopes in the order of IS_FES≈±3.7GHz/u for both elements, as these observables give insight into nuclear moments and shape. In addition, also the isotope shift of the second excitation step for astatine has been measured to IS_SES,At≈-1.7GHz/u. Laser spectroscopy on astatine has mainly been performed on the neutron-deficient isotopes 199,205At due to high count rates and low isobaric contamination. With the results obtained it is possible to extrapolate the required wavelength for ionizing and delivering the isotopes 221-225At which are of interest to e.g. electric dipole moment studies.

IFPRI1; Africa Rising, This data contains data produced from cross-sectional survey and lab experiment on shelf life of processed legume.

IFPRI1; Africa Rising, This study contains data based on investigations on technologies being used by farmers in Malawi as part of sustainable intensification. Project title: Africa Rising Malawi-Nutrition. Project abstract: The project focuses on profiling farmer innovations around legume technologies

IFPRI1; Africa Rising, This study contains data from the survey conducted to assess gender roles in household legume utilization for complementary feeding in Dedza and Ntcheu districts of Malawi.

We present a generalized Richardson solution for fermions interacting with the pairing interaction in both discrete and continuum parts of the single-particle (s.p.) spectrum. The pairing Hamiltonian is based on the rational Gaudin model which is formulated in the Berggren ensemble. We show that solutions of the generalized Richardson equations are exact in the two limiting situations: (i) in the pole approximation and (ii) in the s.p. continuum. If the s.p. spectrum contains both discrete and continuum parts, then the generalized Richardson equations provide accurate solutions for the Gamow shell model.

Background: Odd-odd nuclei, around doubly closed shells, have been extensively used to study proton-neutron interactions. However, the evolution of these interactions as a function of the binding energy, ultimately when nuclei become unbound, is poorly known. The F-26 nucleus, composed of a deeply bound pi 0d(5/2) proton and an unbound v0d(3/2) neutron on top of an O-24 core, is particularly adapted for this purpose. The coupling of this proton and neutron results in a J(pi) = 1(1)(+) - 4(1)(+) multiplet, whose energies must be determined to study the influence of the proximity of the continuum on the corresponding proton-neutron interaction. The J(pi) = 1(1)(+), 2(1)(+), 4(1)(+) bound states have been determined, and only a clear identification of the J(pi) = 3(1)(+) is missing. Purpose: We wish to complete the study of the J(pi) = 1(1)(+) - 4(1)(+) multiplet in F-26, by studying the energy and width of the J(pi) = 3(1)(+) unbound state. The method was first validated by the study of unbound states in F-25, for which resonances were already observed in a previous experiment. Method: Radioactive beams of Ne-26 and Ne-27, produced at about 440AMeV by the fragment separator at the GSI facility were used to populate unbound states in F-25 and F-26 via one-proton knockout reactions on a CH2 target, located at the object focal point of the (RB)-B-3/LAND setup. The detection of emitted. rays and neutrons, added to the reconstruction of the momentum vector of the A - 1 nuclei, allowed the determination of the energy of three unbound states in F-25 and two in F-26. Results: Based on its width and decay properties, the first unbound state in F-25, at the relative energy of 49(9) keV, is proposed to be a J(pi) = 1/ 2(-) arising from a p1/2 proton- hole state. In F-26, the first resonance at 323(33) keV is proposed to be the J(pi) = 3(1)(+) member of the J(pi) = 1(1)(+) - 4(1)(+) multiplet. Energies of observed states in F-25,F-26 have been compared to calculations using the i

Resonant ionization laser ion sources are applied worldwide to increase purity and intensity of rare isotopes at radioactive ion beam facilities. Especially for heavy elements the laser wavelengths required for efficient resonant laser ionization are not only element dependent, but also vary to small degrees from isotope to isotope. Since the first operation of an actinide target at ISAC-TRIUMF in 2008, the demand for neutron-rich isotopes far away from stability has steadily increased. Those isotopes often have very low production rates so that often only a few ions per second are released. In order to study isotope shifts and hyperfine structure of silver, actinium and astatine, in-source resonant ionization spectroscopy in combination with radioactive decay detection has been applied. Despite the Doppler limited resolution, it has the advantage that it is ultra-sensitive and the atomic spectrum for the nuclear ground and isomeric states can be investigated individually. An isobaric separation has been demonstrated for 115-119Ag, where the hyperfine structure of one state showed a splitting of 22 GHz to 38 GHz while for the other state only a single peak spectrum can be resolved. For astatine and actinium, the main interest is to measure and study the optical isotope shift, which is for the first excitation step for neutron-rich isotopes in the order of IS_FES≈±3.7GHz/u for both elements, as these observables give insight into nuclear moments and shape. In addition, also the isotope shift of the second excitation step for astatine has been measured to IS_SES,At≈-1.7GHz/u. Laser spectroscopy on astatine has mainly been performed on the neutron-deficient isotopes 199,205At due to high count rates and low isobaric contamination. With the results obtained it is possible to extrapolate the required wavelength for ionizing and delivering the isotopes 221-225At which are of interest to e.g. electric dipole moment studies.

When dictators seize power, they face a choice about how to deal with the pre-existing political parties. Some simply repress all parties, some ally themselves with one of the traditional parties and use it to help organize their rule, and others repress pre-existing parties but create a new party to support themselves. This study examines how these decisions affect the subsequent development of party systems after redemocratization. Looking at the experience of Latin America, a region that has experienced its share of dictatorships, we show that dictators who allied with traditional parties or repressed existing ones have contributed to very stable party systems. By contrast, dictators who repressed the old parties but created a new one destabilized their countries’ party systems for some time after the return of democracy., Cuando los dictadores toman el poder, se enfrentan a la decisión de cómo lidiar con los partidos políticos existentes. Algunos deciden reprimir todos los partidos, otros hacen una alianza con alguno de los partidos tradicionales y lo utilizan para ayudar a organizar su gobierno, y otros reprimen los partidos existentes y crean un nuevo partido para mantenerse en el poder. Este estudio examina cómo estas decisiones afectan el desarrollo posterior de los sistemas de partidos después de la redemocratización. La experiencia de América Latina, una región que ha experimentado una buena cuota de dictaduras, muestra que los dictadores que se han alineado con partidos tradicionales o han reprimidos partidos existentes han contribuido a sistemas de partidos muy estables. Por el contrario, los dictadores que reprimen los viejos partidos y a la vez crean un partido nuevo han contribuido a desestabilizar el sistema de partidos por un tiempo luego del retorno a la democracia.

Non-PR, Feed the Future Innovation Laboratory for Food Security Policy (FSP); IFPRI5, DSGD

IFPRI1; Africa Rising, This data study contains data on the intensification of production of soyabean, groundnut, cowpea and maize. Project title: Malawi: Grain Legumes Productivity in Different Crop Arrangements Project abstract: The Malawi project has local theme 'Agro-ecological intensification in Malawi through action research with smallholder farmers' with a lot of emphasis on co-learning with farmers and other stakeholders.The purpose of the Africa RISING Malawi component is to enhance farmer knowledge and support sustainable intensification (SI) pathways for productivity gains in maize-legume diversified systems, that also integrates livestock-related enterprises such as improved fodder for intensified dairy production. The project is setting up a research approach that systematically assesses SI best-bet options that appropriately respond to the needs of resource-poor farmers - particularly female headed households. Building on successful examples of participatory action research and experiences from biophysical research on smallholder farms in Malawi over the past 2 decades, the research team has begun taping into these products of agricultural research to move towards more sustainable smallholder production systems. We envisage that farm-scale production strategies employed by different farm/farmer typologies will be further distilled through scenario analyses using farming systems simulation modeling approaches. The project works with an alliance of actors, (agro-dealers, extension services, NGOs, local government structures, etc) as R4D platforms for the two districts. Project website: http://africa-rising.net

Non-PR, IFPRI2; 1 Fostering Climate-Resilient and Sustainable Food Supply; 4 Transforming Agricultural and Rural Economies; DCA; Capacity Strengthening, DSGD, The purpose of this policy brief is to provide national and state-level policymakers, private sector investors, civil society and donors with an analysis of the rural economy of Mon State and pathways to improved prosperity for its population. The analysis is based on a representative survey (the Mon State Rural Household Survey 2015) of 1680 rural households, which comprise 73% of Mon State’s 2 million residents, and extensive interviews with farmers, traders, processors, local leaders and government officials.

Non-PR, IFPRI2; A Ensuring Sustainable food production; D Transforming Agriculture; DCA; Capacity Strengthening, DSGD, The purpose of this report is to provide information and analysis to government, civil society, and donors interested in improving the well-being of the rural population of Mon State. Specifically, the report analyzes the different sources of income for rural households, as well as their socioeconomic characteristics, with a view to identifying potential pathways to improving incomes, especially for poor households, and stimulating inclusive rural growth. The overall picture that emerges is one of an economy heavily dependent on services for local employment and on international migration for income. Like a two-legged stool, such an economy is potentially unstable in the face of external shocks. Diversification of the Mon State economy, including diversification and increased productivity within the agricultural sector, will lessen the relative dependence on external migration remittances and result in more resilient growth in the future

Non-PR, IFPRI2; A Ensuring Sustainable food production; D Transforming Agriculture; DCA; Capacity Strengthening, DSGD, The purpose of this report is to provide national- and state-level policymakers, private-sector investors, civil society, and donors with an analysis of the rural economy of Mon State and pathways to improved prosperity for its population. The analysis is based on a representative survey of rural households, which make up 73 percent of Mon State’s 2 million residents, and extensive interviews with farmers, traders, processors, local leaders, and government officials. Whereas some parts of the Mon State economy are quite dynamic, such as construction, others are stagnant and far from reaching their full potential. Furthermore, the dynamic sectors are heavily dependent on remittances from migrants to neighboring countries. The current pattern of donor investment is heavily focused on necessary infrastructure and energy investments, but with only very limited support to productive sectors, especially agriculture and fisheries. Major investments in education, both formal and vocational training, are also necessary to support the growth of a modern economy. The analysis in this report identifies options for more balanced growth, leading to a vibrant economy in which returning migrants can invest and find employment.

Non-PR, IFPRI2; A Ensuring Sustainable food production; D Transforming Agriculture; DCA; Capacity Strengthening, DSGD, The purpose of this policy brief is to provide national and state-level policymakers, private sector investors, civil society and donors with an analysis of the rural economy of Mon State and pathways to improved prosperity for its population. The analysis is based on a representative survey (the Mon State Rural Household Survey 2015) of 1680 rural households, which comprise 73% of Mon State’s 2 million residents, and extensive interviews with farmers, traders, processors, local leaders and government officials.

TPP (tetraphenylporphine)-SnO2 photovoltaic cell is constructed with two transparent electrodes made of a single plate of Nesa glass coated on both sides, one of which is further coated with TPP, producing a photovoltaic effect and serving as a photocathode under illumination. It is found that the photovoltage (Voc) of the cell is greatly enhanced from 350 mv by adding sodium dodecyl sulfonate (SDS) to the solution of redox electrolyte Fe3+/Fe2+. Some other anion surfactants have similar effect. From the data of the surface tension and the contact angle which we have measured, the interface excess of SDS at the interface between the TPP layer of the photocathode and the solution has been calculated. Then the relationship between the Voc of the cell and the conformation of the adsorbed SDS molecules at the interface as well as the critical micell concentration (CMC) of SDS in the solution are discussed.

The sensory transduction in living cells is thought to involve a change of electrical parameters across the reccptor membrane following a specific binding event at the membrane surface. Because of complexities of the biomembrane structure and environmental factors associated with it, experimental bilayer lipid membranes (planar BLMs and vesicular liposomes) have been employed in the elucidation of a host of processes at the membrane level. Recent advances in microelectronics and biotechnology have aroused interest in the development of BLM-based eletrochemical/biosensors. This paper reviews, in the first part, the techniques of BLM formation and the fundamental properties af BLMs from the viewpoint of surface science. In the second part of the paper, a variety of electrochemical/biosensors based on the BLM are described. The presence of ubiquitious interfaces and ultrathin bilayer lipid membranes are expected to play an increasingly important role in the development of biomolecular electronic devices.

TPP (tetraphenylporphine)-SnO2 photovoltaic cell is constructed with two transparent electrodes made of a single plate of Nesa glass coated on both sides, one of which is further coated with TPP, producing a photovoltaic effect and serving as a photocathode under illumination. It is found that the photovoltage (Voc) of the cell is greatly enhanced from 350 mv by adding sodium dodecyl sulfonate (SDS) to the solution of redox electrolyte Fe3+/Fe2+. Some other anion surfactants have similar effect. From the data of the surface tension and the contact angle which we have measured, the interface excess of SDS at the interface between the TPP layer of the photocathode and the solution has been calculated. Then the relationship between the Voc of the cell and the conformation of the adsorbed SDS molecules at the interface as well as the critical micell concentration (CMC) of SDS in the solution are discussed.

The sensory transduction in living cells is thought to involve a change of electrical parameters across the reccptor membrane following a specific binding event at the membrane surface. Because of complexities of the biomembrane structure and environmental factors associated with it, experimental bilayer lipid membranes (planar BLMs and vesicular liposomes) have been employed in the elucidation of a host of processes at the membrane level. Recent advances in microelectronics and biotechnology have aroused interest in the development of BLM-based eletrochemical/biosensors. This paper reviews, in the first part, the techniques of BLM formation and the fundamental properties af BLMs from the viewpoint of surface science. In the second part of the paper, a variety of electrochemical/biosensors based on the BLM are described. The presence of ubiquitious interfaces and ultrathin bilayer lipid membranes are expected to play an increasingly important role in the development of biomolecular electronic devices.

IFPRI1; Africa Rising, This study contains data from a survey about yield cuts in Malawi. Project title: Malawi: Yield Cuts Survey. Project abstract: The Malawi project has local theme 'Agro-ecological intensification in Malawi through action research with smallholder farmers' with a lot of emphasis on co-learning with farmers and other stakeholders.The purpose of the Africa RISING Malawi component is to enhance farmer knowledge and support sustainable intensification (SI) pathways for productivity gains in maize-legume diversified systems, that also integrates livestock-related enterprises such as improved fodder for intensified dairy production. The project is setting up a research approach that systematically assesses SI best-bet options that appropriately respond to the needs of resource-poor farmers - particularly female headed households. Building on successful examples of participatory action research and experiences from biophysical research on smallholder farms in Malawi over the past 2 decades, the research team has begun taping into these products of agricultural research to move towards more sustainable smallholder production systems. We envisage that farm-scale production strategies employed by different farm/farmer typologies will be further distilled through scenario analyses using farming systems simulation modeling approaches. The project works with an alliance of actors, (agro-dealers, extension services, NGOs, local government structures, etc) as R4D platforms for the two districts. Project website: http://africa-rising.net

IFPRI1; Africa Rising, This data study contains data on pigeonpea and soybean intensification through phosphorous fertilization. It contains data on cropping system, phosphorous level, treatments and variety of pigeonpea, and yields among many others. Project title: AfricaRISING - Sustainable Intensification of Maize-Legume-Livestock Integrated Farming Systems in East and Southern Africa Project abstract: The Malawi project has local theme 'Agro-ecological intensification in Malawi through action research with smallholder farmers' with a lot of emphasis on co-learning with farmers and other stakeholders.The purpose of the Africa RISING Malawi component is to enhance farmer knowledge and support sustainable intensification (SI) pathways for productivity gains in maize-legume diversified systems, that also integrates livestock-related enterprises such as improved fodder for intensified dairy production. The project is setting up a research approach that systematically assesses SI best-bet options that appropriately respond to the needs of resource-poor farmers - particularly female headed households. Building on successful examples of participatory action research and experiences from biophysical research on smallholder farms in Malawi over the past two decades, the research team has begun taping into these products of agricultural research to move towards more sustainable smallholder production systems. We envisage that farm-scale production strategies employed by different farm/farmer typologies will be further distilled through scenario analyses using farming systems simulation modeling approaches. The project works with an alliance of actors (agro-dealers, extension services, NGOs, local government structures, etc) as R4D platforms for the two districts. Project website: http://africa-rising.net

IFPRI1; Africa Rising, This data study contains legume maize sequencing yield data. Project title: Africa RISING - Malawi Productivity of Maize after Legumes Project abstract: The Malawi project has local theme 'Agro-ecological intensification in Malawi through action research with smallholder farmers' with a lot of emphasis on co-learning with farmers and other stakeholders.The purpose of the Africa RISING Malawi component is to enhance farmer knowledge and support sustainable intensification (SI) pathways for productivity gains in maize-legume diversified systems, that also integrates livestock-related enterprises such as improved fodder for intensified dairy production. The project is setting up a research approach that systematically assesses SI best-bet options that appropriately respond to the needs of resource-poor farmers - particularly female headed households. Building on successful examples of participatory action research and experiences from biophysical research on smallholder farms in Malawi over the past 2 decades, the research team has begun taping into these products of agricultural research to move towards more sustainable smallholder production systems. We envisage that farm-scale production strategies employed by different farm/farmer typologies will be further distilled through scenario analyses using farming systems simulation modeling approaches. The project works with an alliance of actors, (agro-dealers, extension services, NGOs, local government structures, etc) as R4D platforms for the two districts. Project website: http://africa-rising.net http://africa-rising.net/where-we-work/west-africa

This article deconstructs the events surrounding the initial deletion of Richard Drew's "Falling Man" photograph from the archive of September 11. Via such philosophers as Paul Ricoeur and Georges Didi-Huberman, it explores the ethical implications of examining the photograph, both by itself and in montage, and investigates American views of death and dying in that context. The testimonies and images that followed the collapse of the World Trade Center brought to the fore several prescient, though often ignored, philosophical questions which surround the nature of the image, its role in shaping the narrative of an event, and whether an image of a man in the last seconds of his life, directly following his decision to die but preceding his death, functions as a reminder that we might carefully interrogate what it means to deem something unimaginable, unfathomable, unrepresentable.

HarvestChoice; IFPRI1, EPTD, CGIAR Research Program on Policies, Institutions, and Markets (PIM), One of the obstacles in applying advanced crop simulation models such as DSSAT at a grid-based platform is the lack of gridded soil input data at various resolutions. Recently, there has been many efforts in scientific communities to develop spatially continuous soil database across the globe. The most representative example is the SoilGrids 1km released by ISRIC in 2014. In addition recent AfSIS project put a lot of efforts to develop more accurate soil database in Africa at high spatial resolution. Taking advantage of those two available high resolution soil databases (SoilGrids 1km and ISRIC-AfSIS at 1km resolution), this project aims to develop a set of DSSAT compatible soil profiles on 5 arc-minute grid (which is HarvestChoice’s standard grid). Six soil properties (bulk density, organic carbon, percentage of clay and silt, soil pH and cation exchange capacity) available from the original SoilGrids 1km or ISRIC-AfSIS were directly used as DSSAT inputs. We applied a pedo-transfer function to derive some soil hydraulic properties (saturated hydraulic conductivity, soil water content at field capacity, wilting point and saturation) which are critical to simulate crop growth. For other required variables, HarvestChoice’s HC27 database are used as a reference. Final outputs are provided in *.SOL file format (DSSAT soil database) for each country at 5-min resolution. In addition, uncertainty maps for organic carbon and soil water content at wilting points at the top 15 cm soil layers were generated to provide brief idea about accuracy of the final products. The generated soil properties were evaluated by visualizing their global maps and by comparing them with IIASA-IFPRI cropland map and AfSIS-GYGA’s available water content maps.

This article deconstructs the events surrounding the initial deletion of Richard Drew's "Falling Man" photograph from the archive of September 11. Via such philosophers as Paul Ricoeur and Georges Didi-Huberman, it explores the ethical implications of examining the photograph, both by itself and in montage, and investigates American views of death and dying in that context. The testimonies and images that followed the collapse of the World Trade Center brought to the fore several prescient, though often ignored, philosophical questions which surround the nature of the image, its role in shaping the narrative of an event, and whether an image of a man in the last seconds of his life, directly following his decision to die but preceding his death, functions as a reminder that we might carefully interrogate what it means to deem something unimaginable, unfathomable, unrepresentable.

In 1743, Jean-Jacques Rousseau visited a hospice in Venice, called the Ospedale dei Mendicanti, to hear its all-girl choir perform a concert. He described the girls’ performance as “far superior to the Opera […] which has not its like in all Italy nor anywhere else perhaps.” What he heard was an anomaly, distinctive to seventeenth- and eighteenth-century Italy, because, except for the occasional opera star, European society ordinarily looked down upon women performing music publicly. Nevertheless, the Mendicantiand other Venetian orphanages – henceforthospedali– grew into grand music conservatories for displaced girls. Visitors from around the continent came to theospedalito hear their performances. Like Rousseau, many scholars have also recognized the high-quality music of theospedali, but they emphasize the male composers and teachers such as Antonio Vivaldi, who taught violin at the Ospedale della Pietà in the eighteenth century. Research on theospedalistudents is lacking. We have yet to establish how these talented girls were able to subvert social norms to become soloists, music teachers, and virtuosi.I intend to address this deficiency. I will first discuss the prevalence of abandonment, the system that grew around it, and the social expectations for women in regards to music. I will then offer a few reasons why it became acceptable for these girls to perform music publicly.

In 1743, Jean-Jacques Rousseau visited a hospice in Venice, called the Ospedale dei Mendicanti, to hear its all-girl choir perform a concert. He described the girls’ performance as “far superior to the Opera […] which has not its like in all Italy nor anywhere else perhaps.” What he heard was an anomaly, distinctive to seventeenth- and eighteenth-century Italy, because, except for the occasional opera star, European society ordinarily looked down upon women performing music publicly. Nevertheless, the Mendicantiand other Venetian orphanages – henceforthospedali– grew into grand music conservatories for displaced girls. Visitors from around the continent came to theospedalito hear their performances. Like Rousseau, many scholars have also recognized the high-quality music of theospedali, but they emphasize the male composers and teachers such as Antonio Vivaldi, who taught violin at the Ospedale della Pietà in the eighteenth century. Research on theospedalistudents is lacking. We have yet to establish how these talented girls were able to subvert social norms to become soloists, music teachers, and virtuosi.I intend to address this deficiency. I will first discuss the prevalence of abandonment, the system that grew around it, and the social expectations for women in regards to music. I will then offer a few reasons why it became acceptable for these girls to perform music publicly.

Background The further application of conventional ultrasound (US) image-guided microwave (MW) ablation of liver cancer is often limited by two-dimensional (2D) imaging, inaccurate needle placement and the resulting skill requirement. The three-dimensional (3D) image-guided robotic-assisted system provides an appealing alternative option, enabling the physician to perform consistent, accurate therapy with improved treatment effectiveness. Methods Our robotic system is constructed by integrating an imaging module, a needle-driven robot, a MW thermal field simulation module, and surgical navigation software in a practical and user-friendly manner. The robot executes precise needle placement based on the 3D model reconstructed from freehand-tracked 2D B-scans. A qualitative slice guidance method for fine registration is introduced to reduce the placement error caused by target motion. By incorporating the 3D MW specific absorption rate (SAR) model into the heat transfer equation, the MW thermal field simulation module determines the MW power level and the coagulation time for improved ablation therapy. Two types of wrists are developed for the robot: a ???remote centre of motion??? (RCM) wrist and a non-RCM wrist, which is preferred in real applications. Results The needle placement accuracies were < 3 mm for both wrists in the mechanical phantom experiment. The target accuracy for the robot with the RCM wrist was improved to 1.6 ?? 1.0 mm when real-time 2D US feedback was used in the artificial-tissue phantom experiment. By using the slice guidance method, the robot with the non-RCM wrist achieved accuracy of 1.8 ?? 0.9 mm in the ex vivo experiment; even target motion was introduced. In the thermal field experiment, a 5.6% relative mean error was observed between the experimental coagulated neurosis volume and the simulation result. Conclusion The proposed robotic system holds promise to enhance the clinical performance of percutaneous MW ablation of malignant liver t

Weaning represents a challenging transition for young mammals, one particularly difficult for species coping with extreme conditions during feeding. Spotted hyenas ( Crocuta crocuta ) experience such extreme conditions imposed by intense feeding competition during which the ability to consume large quantities of food quickly is highly advantageous. As adult spotted hyenas have massive skulls specialized for durophagy and can feed very rapidly, young individuals are likely at a competitive disadvantage until that specialized morphology is completely developed. Here we document developmental changes in skull size, shape, and mechanical advantage of the jaws. Sampling an ontogenetic series of Crocuta skulls from individuals ranging in age from 2 months to 18 years, we use linear measurements and geometric morphometrics to test hypotheses suggesting that size, limited mechanical advantage of the jaws, and/or limited attachment sites for jaw muscles might constrain the feeding performance of juveniles. We also examine skull development in relation to key life history events, including weaning and reproductive maturity, to inquire whether ontogeny of the feeding apparatus is slower or more protracted in this species than in carnivores not specialized for durophagy. We find that, although mechanical advantage reaches maturity in hyenas at 22 months, adult skull size is not achieved until 29 months of age, and skull shape does not reach maturity until 35 months. The latter is nearly 2 years after mean weaning age, and more than 1 year after reproductive maturity. Thus, skull development in Crocuta is indeed protracted relative to that in most other carnivores. Based on the skull features that continue to change and to provide additional muscle attachment area, protracted development may be largely due to development of the massive musculature required by durophagy. These findings may ultimately shed light on the adaptive significance of the unusual ???role-reversed??? patte

This report describes the sequencing in the Escherichia coli B genome of 36 randomly chosen regions that are present in most or all of the fully sequenced E. coli genomes. The phylogenetic relationships among E. coli strains were examined, and evidence for the horizontal gene transfer and variation in mutation rates was determined. The overall phylogenetic tree indicated that E. coli B and K-12 are the most closely related strains, with E. coli O157:H7 being more distantly related, Shigella flexneri 2a even more, and E. coli CFT073 the most distant strain. Within the B, K-12, and O157:H7 clusters, several regions supported alternative topologies. While horizontal transfer may explain these phylogenetic incongruities, faster evolution at synonymous sites along the O157:H7 lineage was also identified. Further interpretation of these results is confounded by an association among genes showing more rapid evolution and results supporting horizontal transfer. Using genes supporting the B and K-12 clusters, an estimate of the genomic mutation rate from a long-term experiment with E. coli B, and an estimate of 200 generations per year, it was estimated that B and K-12 diverged several hundred thousand years ago, while O157:H7 split off from their common ancestor about 1.5–2 million years ago [Int Microbiol 2005 8(4):271-278]