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Skin epidermis secretes apical extracellular matrix (aECM) as a protective barrier from the external environment. The aECM is highly dynamic and constantly undergoes remodeling during animal development. How aECM dynamics is temporally regulated during development, and whether and how its mis-regulation may impact epidermal cell morphology or function remains to be fully elucidated. Here, we report that the conserved Zn-finger transcription factor BLMP-1/Blimp1, which regulates epidermal development in C. elegans, controls apical cell shape of the epidermis by downregulation of aECM remodeling. Loss of blmp-1 causes upregulation of genes essential for molting, including bus-8 and mlt-8, in adult, leading to an abnormal shape in the apical region of adult epidermal cells. The apical epidermal morphological defect is suppressed by reduction of bus-8 or mlt-8. BUS-8 is a key mannosyltransferase, which functions in glycosylation of N-linked glycoproteins; MLT-8 has a ganglioside GM2 lipid-binding domain and is implicated in signaling during molting, a process where the old cuticle is shed and synthesized anew. Overexpression of bus-8 or mlt-8 induces an apical epidermal cell defect as observed in blmp-1 mutants. MLT-8::GFP fusion protein is localized to lysosomes and secreted to aECM. BUS-8 is important for MLT-8 stability and lysosomal targeting, which may be regulated by BUS-8-mediated glycosylation of MLT-8 and function as a molting signaling cue in aECM remodeling. We propose that BLMP-1 represses MLT-8 expression and glycosylation in the epidermis to prevent inappropriate aECM remodeling, which is essential for maintenance of apical epidermal cell morphology during larva-to-adult transition.

Restaurant industry is continuously growing not only locally but internationally. As Filipino people love eating and travelling, restaurants located in different tourist spots became one of the trends today. For the owners of restaurants, customer satisfaction on their quality of service is important. This research explored the customer satisfaction on the service quality of the selected dining restaurants in the city of Tagaytay. The study used quantitative research design and was conducted in five restaurants such as Claw Daddy's, Kenny Rogers, Leslies, Mama Lou's and Mang Jose. There were 100 respondents in the study who were the guests of the restaurants (20 each) in which the researchers distributed questionnaire. The results of the study showed the customers have the highest level of satisfaction on the service quality of the selected restaurants as all the dimensions of service quality such as reliability, assurance, empathy, tangibles, and responsiveness got a weighted mean equivalent to the verbal interpretation of “Excellent”. With regards to the significant difference in each demographic profile, this study reveals that there is a significant difference on their perception on the service quality when grouped according to gender in reliability, assurance, and empathy. In terms of age, there is significant difference on the customers’ satisfaction specifically in assurance and tangibles. On the other hand, this study also reveals that there is no significant difference on the customer satisfaction to service quality when grouped according to their civil status, occupation, and educational attainment. Keywords: Service Quality, Restaurants, Customer Satisfaction, Tangible, Reliability, Responsiveness, Empathy, Asssurance. Title: CUSTOMER SATISFACTION WITH THE SERVICE QUALITY OF SELECTED DINING RESTAURANTS IN TAGAYTAY CITY Author: Joung Hae Min R., Duenog Nerizza E., Mr. Mario Luis Jamoralin International Journal of Social Science and Humanities Research ISSN 2348-3156 (Print), ISSN 2348-3164 (online) Vol. 11, Issue 1, January 2023 - March 2023 Page No: 113-128 Research Publish Journals Website: www.researchpublish.com Published Date: 15-February-2023 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7643415 Paper Download Link (Source) https://www.researchpublish.com/papers/customer-satisfaction-with-the-service-quality-of-selected-dining-restaurants-in-tagaytay-city, International Journal of Social Science and Humanities Research, ISSN 2348-3156 (Print), ISSN 2348-3164 (online), Research Publish Journals, Website: www.researchpublish.com

Aphelenchoides besseyi is a plant-parasitic nematode (PPN) in the Aphelenchoididae family capable of infecting more than 200 plant species. A. besseyi is also a species complex with strains exhibiting varying pathogenicity to plants. We present the genome and annotations of six Aphelenchoides species, four of which belonged to the A. besseyi species complex. Most Aphelenchoides genomes have a size of 44.7-47.4 Mb and are amongst the smallest in clade IV, with the exception of A. fujianensis, which has a size of 143.8 Mb and is the largest. Phylogenomic analysis successfully delimited the species complex into A. oryzae and A. pseudobesseyi and revealed a reduction of transposon elements in the last common ancestor of Aphelenchoides. Synteny analyses between reference genomes indicated that three chromosomes in A. besseyi were derived from fission and fusion events. A systematic identification of horizontal gene transfer (HGT) genes across 27 representative nematodes allowed us to identify two major episodes of acquisition corresponding to the last common ancestor of clade IV or major PPNs, respectively. These genes were mostly lost and differentially retained between clades or strains. Most HGT events were acquired from bacteria, followed by fungi, and also from plants; plant HGT was especially prevalent in Bursaphelenchus mucronatus. Our results comprehensively improve the understanding of horizontal gene transfer in nematodes.

Background The Fusarium solani species complex (FSSC) comprises fungal pathogens responsible for mortality in a diverse range of animals and plants, but their genome diversity and transcriptome responses in animal pathogenicity remain to be elucidated. We sequenced, assembled and annotated six chromosome-level FSSC clade 3 genomes of aquatic animal and plant host origins. We established a pathosystem and investigated the expression data of F. falciforme and F. keratoplasticum in Chinese softshell turtle (Pelodiscus sinensis) host. Results Comparative analyses between the FSSC genomes revealed a spectrum of conservation patterns in chromosomes categorised into three compartments: core, fast-core (FC), and lineage-specific (LS). LS chromosomes contribute to variations in genomes size, with up to 42.2% of variations between F. vanettenii strains. Each chromosome compartment varied in structural architectures, with FC and LS chromosomes contain higher proportions of repetitive elements with genes enriched in functions related to pathogenicity and niche expansion. We identified differences in both selection in the coding sequences and DNA methylation levels between genome features and chromosome compartments which suggest a multi-speed evolution that can be traced back to the last common ancestor of Fusarium. We further demonstrated that F. falciforme and F. keratoplasticum are opportunistic pathogens by inoculating P. sinensis eggs and identified differentially expressed genes also associated with plant pathogenicity. These included the most upregulated genes encoding the CFEM (Common in Fungal Extracellular Membrane) domain. Conclusions The high-quality genome assemblies provided new insights into the evolution of FSSC chromosomes, which also serve as a resource for studies of fungal genome evolution and pathogenesis. This study also establishes an animal model for fungal pathogens of trans-kingdom hosts.

Aphelenchoides besseyiis a plant-parasitic nematode (PPN) in the Aphelenchoididae family capable of infecting more than 200 plant species.A. besseyiis also a species complex with strains exhibiting varying pathogenicity to plants. We present the genome and annotations of sixAphelenchoidesspecies, four of which belonged to theA. besseyispecies complex. MostAphelenchoidesgenomes have a size of 44.7-47.4 Mb and are amongst the smallest in clade IV, with the exception ofA. fujianensis, which has a size of 143.8 Mb and is the largest. Phylogenomic analysis successfully delimited the species complex intoA. oryzaeandA. pseudobesseyiand revealed a reduction of transposon elements in the last common ancestor ofAphelenchoides. Synteny analyses between reference genomes indicated that three chromosomes inA. besseyiwere derived from fission and fusion events. A systematic identification of horizontal gene transfer (HGT) genes across 27 representative nematodes allowed us to identify two major episodes of acquisition corresponding to the last common ancestor of clade IV or major PPNs, respectively. These genes were mostly lost and differentially retained between clades or strains. Most HGT events were acquired from bacteria, followed by fungi, and also from plants; plant HGT was especially prevalent inBursaphelenchus mucronatus. Our results comprehensively improve the understanding of horizontal gene transfer in nematodes.

Following the introduction of cattle, exotic dung beetles (Coleoptera: Aphodiidae, Geotrupidae, Scarabaeidae) were imported into the Antipodes (Australia and New Zealand) and North America (primarily the United States) to accelerate the degradation of cattle dung on pastures. The history of dung beetle introductions between the two regions is similar but has not previously been assessed: this is important as new introductions are continuing in the regions. Here, we review these introduction programs, report on their current status, and discuss methodological advances. In doing so, we examine the accidental introduction of exotic (i.e., adventive) species and the contribution of both deliberately introduced and adventive species to endemic dung beetle faunas. Further, we provide a list of pest and parasite species whose populations can be reduced by dung beetle activity. We also identify a combined total of 37 introduced and 47 adventive dung beetle species that have become established in the Antipodes and North America, with exotic species dominating dung beetle assemblages from pasture habitats. Climatic and edaphic matches, the size of founding populations, abiotic and biotic stressors, and the time of year when releases are made are all critical determinants that affect the success of dung beetle introduction programs. Finally, we discuss opportunities, plus the risks and challenges associated with dung beetle introductions. We hope that this review will aid in the success of future introduction programs, either to enhance ecosystem services in areas that they are needed, or potentially to reestablish native species in regions where they have been extirpated.

The Fusarium solani species complex (FSSC) comprises fungal pathogens responsible for mortality in a diverse range of animals and plants, but their genome diversity and transcriptome responses in animal pathogenicity remain to be elucidated. We sequenced and compared six chromosome-level FSSC clade 3 genomes of aquatic animal and plant host origins and revealed a spectrum of conservation patterns in chromosomes categorised into three compartments: core, fast-core (FC), and lineage-specific (LS). Each chromosome type varied in structural architectures, with FC and LS chromosomes containing significantly higher proportions of repetitive elements and methylation levels than core chromosomes, with genes exhibiting higher dN/dS and enriched in functions related to pathogenicity and niche expansion. Mesosynteny were detected between FC chromosomes of Fusarium genomes, indicating that these chromosomes were present in a common ancestor that predated FSSC species. These findings provide evidence that genome compartmentalisation was the outcome of multi-speed evolution amongst FSSC chromosomes. We further demonstrated that F. falciforme and F. keratoplasticum are opportunistic pathogens by inoculating Pelodiscus sinensis eggs and identified differentially expressed genes also associated with plant pathogenicity. These included the most upregulated genes encoding the CFEM (Common in Fungal Extracellular Membrane) domain. The study establishes genomic resources and an animal model for fungal pathogens of trans-kingdom hosts.

Li-Na Guo,1,2 Shu-Ying Yu,1– 3 Meng Xiao,1,2 Chun-Xia Yang,4 Chun-Mei Bao,5 Yan-Hua Yu,6 Li-Yan Ye,7 Yang Yang,1,2 Ge Zhang,1,2 Jie Liu,8 Guo-Wei Liang,9 Rong Min,10 Yu Zhu,11 Hong Lei,12 Yu-Lei Liu,13 Lin-Juan Liu,14 Yun-Jian Hu,15 Po-Ren Hsueh,16 Ying-Chun Xu1,2 1Department of Clinical Laboratory, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences; 2Beijing Key Laboratory for Mechanisms Research and Precision Diagnosis of Invasive Fungal Diseases (BZ0447); 3Graduate School, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences; 4Department of Infectious Diseases & Clinical Microbiology, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University; 5Clinical Laboratory Medical Center, The Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital; 6Department of Clinical Laboratory, You’an Hospital, Capital Medical University; 7Center for Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Chinese PLA General Hospital; 8Department of Clinical Laboratory, Seventh Medical Center, PLA General Hospital; 9Department of Clinical Laboratory, Aerospace Center Hospital; 10Department of Clinical Laboratory, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University; 11Department of Clinical Laboratory, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College; 12Department of Clinical Laboratory, The 8th Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital; 13Department of Clinical Laboratory, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University; 14Department of Clinical Laboratory, Peking University Cancer Hospital and Institute; 15Department of Clinical Laboratory, Beijing Hospital, Beijing, People’s Republic of China; 16Departments of Laboratory Medicine & Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, TaiwanCorrespondence Ying-Chun XuDepartment of Clinical Laboratory, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, No. 1, Shuaifuyuan Wangfujing, Dongcheng District, Beijing 100730, People’s Republic of ChinaTel/ Fax +86 106 915 9766Email xycpumch@139.comPo-Ren HsuehDepartments of Laboratory Medicine & Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, TaiwanTel +886-2-23224262 ext. 65355Fax +886-2-23955072Email hsporen@ntu.edu.twObjective: Invasive candidiasis (IC), a life-threatening fungal infection prevalent among hospitalized patients, has highly variable regional epidemiology. We conducted a multicenter surveillance study to investigate recent trends in species distribution and antifungal susceptibility patterns among IC-associated Candida spp. in Beijing, China, from 2016 to 2017.Materials and Methods: A total of 1496 non-duplicate Candida isolates, recovered from blood and other sterile body fluids of IC patients, were identified using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry combined with ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region sequencing. Broth microdilution-based susceptibility testing using six antifungal agents was also conducted.Results: Candida albicans was the most frequently isolated species (49.9%), followed by Candida tropicalis (15.5%), Candida glabrata (14.7%) and Candida parapsilosis (14.2%). No significant differences in species distribution were observed when compared with a 2012– 2013 dataset. Overall, the rates of susceptibility to fluconazole and voriconazole were high among C. albicans (98% and 97.2%, respectively) and C. parapsilosis species complex (91.1% and 92%, respectively) isolates but low among C. tropicalis (81.5% and 81.1%, respectively) isolates. In addition, the rate of azole resistance among C. tropicalis isolates increased significantly (1.8-fold, P< 0.05) compared with that observed in 2012– 2013, while micafungin resistance rates were < 5% for all tested Candida species.Conclusion: Our results suggest that species distribution has remained stable among IC-associated Candida isolates in Beijing. Resistance to micafungin was rare, but increased azole resistance among C. tropicalis isolates was noted. Our study provides information on local epidemiology that will be important for the selection of empirical antifungal agents and contributes to global assessments of antifungal resistance.Keywords: invasive fungal infections, Candida, species distribution, antifungal resistance, surveillance, Beijing

Nematodes are highly abundant animals with diverse habitats and lifestyles. Some are free-living while others parasitize animals or plants, and among the latter, infection abilities change across developmental stages to infect hosts and complete life cycles. Although parasitism has independently arisen multiple times over evolutionary history, common pressures of parasitism—such as adapting to the host environment, evading and subverting the host immune system, and changing environments across life cycles—have led phenotypes and developmental stages among parasites to converge. To determine the relationship between transcriptome evolution and morphological divergences among nematodes, we compared 48 transcriptomes of different developmental stages across eight nematode species. The transcriptomes were clustered broadly into embryo, larva, and adult stages, suggesting that gene expression is conserved to some extent across the entire nematode life cycle. Such patterns were partly accounted for by tissue-specific genes—such as those in oocytes and the hypodermis—being expressed at different proportions. Although nematodes typically have 3-5 larval stages, the transcriptomes for these stages were found to be highly correlated within each species, suggesting high similarity among larval stages across species. For the Caenorhabditis elegans-C. briggsae and Strongyloides stercoralis-S. venezuelensis comparisons, we found that around 50% of genes were expressed at multiple stages, whereas half of their orthologues were also expressed in multiple but different stages. Such frequent changes in expression have resulted in concerted transcriptome evolution across adjacent stages, thus generating species-specific transcriptomes over the course of nematode evolution. Our study provides a first insight into the evolution of nematode transcriptomes beyond embryonic development.

Additional file 2: Fig. S1. Genome features in FSSC assemblies. Fig. S2. Multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) phylogeny tree of FSSC. Fig. S3. Genome phylogeny of Fusarium species. Fig. S4. Orthologue sharing amongst Fusarium chromosome. Fig. S5. FSSC genome synteny. Fig. S6. Synteny between F. vanettenii Fs6 and FVANE. Fig. S7. Location of FSSC-specific genes across genomes. Fig. S8. Selection level in FSSC chromosomes. Fig. S9. Orthogroup number comparison between F. falciforme Fu3 and F. oxysporum f. sp. lycopercisi 4287. Fig. S10. Syntenic dotplot between FSSC and non-FSSC species. Fig. S11. Methylation level of each chromosome in FSSC. Fig. S12. Methylation analysis of F. keratoplasticum LHS11. Fig. S13. Methylation analysis of Fusarium sp. Ph1. Fig. S14. Methylation analysis of F. vanettenii Fs6. Fig. S15. Gene density in 10 kb window per chromosome or chromosome types. Fig. S16. Host attraction assay. Fig. S17. Scanning electron microscopy images. Fig. S18. Chinese soft-shelled turtle P. sinensis egg inoculated with conidia of F. falciforme Fu3 or F. keratoplasticum Fu6. Fig. S19. Principal component analyses of pathogens’ gene expression pattern of inoculated samples. Fig. S20. Principal component analyses of pathogens’ gene expression pattern of all samples. Fig. S21. Correlation plots of log2 normalized transcript per million (TPM) of one-to-one orthologous gene of F. falciforme Fu3 and F. keratoplasticum Fu6. Fig. S22. Distribution of all differentially expressed genes of FSSC pathogens during egg inoculation experiment. Fig. S23. Gene expression pattern of the animal host P. sinensis.

Additional file 3. Extended Results and Methods.

Additional file 3. Extended Results and Methods.

Additional file 2: Fig. S1. Genome features in FSSC assemblies. Fig. S2. Multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) phylogeny tree of FSSC. Fig. S3. Genome phylogeny of Fusarium species. Fig. S4. Orthologue sharing amongst Fusarium chromosome. Fig. S5. FSSC genome synteny. Fig. S6. Synteny between F. vanettenii Fs6 and FVANE. Fig. S7. Location of FSSC-specific genes across genomes. Fig. S8. Selection level in FSSC chromosomes. Fig. S9. Orthogroup number comparison between F. falciforme Fu3 and F. oxysporum f. sp. lycopercisi 4287. Fig. S10. Syntenic dotplot between FSSC and non-FSSC species. Fig. S11. Methylation level of each chromosome in FSSC. Fig. S12. Methylation analysis of F. keratoplasticum LHS11. Fig. S13. Methylation analysis of Fusarium sp. Ph1. Fig. S14. Methylation analysis of F. vanettenii Fs6. Fig. S15. Gene density in 10 kb window per chromosome or chromosome types. Fig. S16. Host attraction assay. Fig. S17. Scanning electron microscopy images. Fig. S18. Chinese soft-shelled turtle P. sinensis egg inoculated with conidia of F. falciforme Fu3 or F. keratoplasticum Fu6. Fig. S19. Principal component analyses of pathogens’ gene expression pattern of inoculated samples. Fig. S20. Principal component analyses of pathogens’ gene expression pattern of all samples. Fig. S21. Correlation plots of log2 normalized transcript per million (TPM) of one-to-one orthologous gene of F. falciforme Fu3 and F. keratoplasticum Fu6. Fig. S22. Distribution of all differentially expressed genes of FSSC pathogens during egg inoculation experiment. Fig. S23. Gene expression pattern of the animal host P. sinensis.

Using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, we show the direct evidence of charge transfer between adsorbed molecules and metal substrate, i.e. chemisorption of CO on Pt(111) and Pt-Sn/Pt(111) 2x2 surfaces. The observed band structure shows a unique signature of charge transfer as CO atoms are adsorbed,revealing the roles of specific orbital characters participating in the chemisorption process. As the coverage of CO increases, the degree of charge transfer between CO and Pt shows clear difference to that of Pt-Sn. With comparison to DFT calculation results, the observed distinct features in the band structure are interpreted as backdonation bonding states of Pt molecular orbital to the 2{\pi} orbital of CO. Furthermore, the change in the surface charge concentration, measured from the Fermi surface area, shows Pt surface has a larger charge concentration change than Pt-Sn surface upon CO adsorption. The difference in the charge concentration change between Pt and Pt-Sn surfaces reflects the degree of electronic effects during CO adsorption on Pt-Sn., Comment: 15 pages, 9 figures, 2 tables

Red ant (Dorylus orientalis Westwood) has long been known as an important pest of potato in middle hills of Nepal. Several management approaches against this pest were studied in Fungling VDC-4 of Taplejung district in 2012. Field efficacy of botanicals (Artemisa, Eupatorium, Agave, Justicia, and Azadirachta) @ 1.44 kg/plot and chemical chlorpyrifos (pyrifos 20 EC @ 2 ml/litre of water) as treatments with four replications were tested using the susceptible variety, Kufri Jyoti. The application of agave was effective to reduce the damage by 42.93 ± 1.20% as compared to control i.e. 68.39±0.62%. Among all the treatments, the application of chemical insecticide, chlorpyrifos gave lower mean yield damage than the control plot. These findings can be verified and applied for the management of red ant of potato under farmers' field condition.

Clinical characteristicsCLCN2-related leukoencephalopathy is characterized by nonspecific neurologic findings, mild visual impairment from chorioretinopathy or optic atrophy, male infertility, and characteristic findings on brain MRI. Neurologic findings include mild ataxia (action tremor and gait instability following initially normal motor development; occasionally, mild spasticity), cognitive impairment in some (typically mild, rarely severe), psychiatric symptoms in some (depression and schizophrenia-like symptoms), headaches in some (usually intermittent, severe, and diffuse) and auditory symptoms in some (hearing loss, tinnitus, vertigo). Affected individuals remain ambulatory, do not require support for walking, and rarely become blind. To date CLCN2-related leukoencephalopathy has been reported or identified in 31 individuals from 30 families. It is not yet known if the findings occurring in a few individuals (i.e., epilepsy and paroxysmal kinesigenic dyskinesia) are part of the phenotypic spectrum or unrelated findings.Diagnosis/testingThe diagnosis of CLCN2-related leukoencephalopathy is established in a proband by identification of biallelic pathogenic variants in CLCN2 on molecular genetic testing.ManagementTreatment of manifestations: Supportive care including physical therapy and rehabilitation to improve motor function, special education as needed, treatment of headache, guidance for visual impairment. Surveillance: Annual: neurologic examination. Every 2-3 years: ophthalmologic examination and audiologic assessment. Evaluation of relatives at risk: It is appropriate to clarify the genetic status of older and younger sibs of a proband in order to identify as early as possible those who would benefit from early diagnosis and routine surveillance for motor, cognitive, vision, and hearing impairment.Genetic counselingCLCN2-related leukoencephalopathy is inherited in an autosomal recessive manner. If both parents are known to be heterozygous for a CLCN2 pathogenic variant, each sib of an affected individual has at conception a 25% chance of being affected, a 50% chance of being an asymptomatic carrier, and a 25% chance of being unaffected and not a carrier. Once the CLCN2 pathogenic variants have been identified in an affected family member, carrier testing for at-risk family members and prenatal and preimplantation genetic testing for CLCN2-related leukoencephalopathy are possible.

In the last decade rare-earth hexaborides have been investigated for their fundamental importance in condensed matter physics, and for their applications in advanced technological fields. Among these compounds, LaB$_6$ has a special place, being a traditional d-band metal without additional f- bands. In this paper we investigate the bulk electronic structure of LaB$_6$ using hard x-ray photoemission spectroscopy, measuring both core-level and angle-resolved valence-band spectra. By comparing La 3d core level spectra to cluster model calculations, we identify well-screened peak residing at a lower binding energy compared to the main poorly-screened peak; the relative intensity between these peaks depends on how strong the hybridization is between La and B atoms. We show that the recoil effect, negligible in the soft x-ray regime, becomes prominent at higher kinetic energies for lighter elements, such as boron, but is still negligible for heavy elements, such as lanthanum. In addition, we report the bulk-like band structure of LaB$_6$ determined by hard x-ray angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (HARPES). We interpret HARPES experimental results by the free-electron final-state calculations and by the more precise one-step photoemission theory including matrix element and phonon excitation effects. In addition, we consider the nature and the magnitude of phonon excitations in HARPES experimental data measured at different temperatures and excitation energies. We demonstrate that one step theory of photoemission and HARPES experiments provide, at present, the only approach capable of probing true bulk-like electronic band structure of rare-earth hexaborides and strongly correlated materials., Total 26 pages, Total 11 figures

Hybrid multiferroics such as BiFeO$_3$ (BFO) and La$_{0.7}$Sr$_{0.3}$MnO$_3$ (LSMO) heterostructures are highly interesting functional systems due to their complex electronic and magnetic properties. One of the key parameters influencing the emergent properties is the quality of interfaces, where varying interdiffusion lengths can give rise to different chemistry and distinctive electronic states. Here we report high-resolution depth resolved chemical and electronic investigation of BFO/LSMO superlattice using standing-wave hard X-ray photoemission spectroscopy in the first-order Bragg as well as near-total-reflection geometry. Our results show that the interfaces of BFO on top of LSMO are atomically abrupt, while the LSMO on top of BFO interfaces show an interdiffusion length of around 1.2 unit cells. The two interfaces also exhibit different chemical gradients, with the BFO/LSMO interface being Sr-terminated by a spectroscopically distinctive high binding energy component in Sr 2p core-level spectra, which is spatially contained within 1 unit cell from the interface. From the electronic point of view, unique valence band features were observed for bulk-BFO, bulk-LSMO and their interfaces. Our X-ray optical analysis revealed a unique electronic signature at the BFO/LSMO interface, which we attribute to the coupling between those respective layers. Valence band decomposition based on the Bragg-reflection standing-wave measurement also revealed the band alignment between BFO and LSMO layers. Our work demonstrates that standing-wave hard x-ray photoemission is a reliable non-destructive technique for probing depth-resolved electronic structure of buried layers and interfaces with sub-unit-cell resolution. Equivalent investigations can be successfully applied to a broad class of material such as perovskite complex oxides with emergent interfacial phenomena.

Background Hypertensive patients with primary aldosteronism (PA) have a higher risk of cardiovascular complications than those with blood pressure-matched essential hypertension. The excess cardiovascular consequences of PA can be attributed to the pro-inflammatory effect of excessive aldosterone and mineralocorticoid receptor activation in a range of peripheral tissues and cell types. The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is a widely available markers of inflammation which has been shown to predict cardiovascular outcome in the general population. This study aims to evaluate the use of NLR as a potential biomarker of PA and PA severity. Methods Patients with PA (n=355) were identified from two large PA databases in Australia and China, while controls (n=222) were patients with hypertension who were referred for assessment but did not meet the diagnostic criteria for PA. The NLR was retrospectively collected from routine full blood examination, prior to commencement of targeted treatment for PA. Results The NLR did not differ between PA patients and hypertensive controls (median 2.3 and 2.4, p=0.563). However, amongst patients with PA, the NLR was positively correlated with baseline and post-saline aldosterone levels (r=0.22 and p Conclusion Whilst the NLR did not distinguish PA from controls, it was a marker of PA severity, being associated with aldosterone concentration as well as the presence of CKD. A prospective study is needed to further clarify the role of NLR in predicting end-organ damage associated with PA.

Dung beetle introduction programmes were designed to accelerate exotic livestock dung degradation and to control dung breeding pestiferous flies and livestock parasites. The introduction programmes provided exotic dung beetle species with an opportunity to cross natural barriers and spread beyond their native range. There are no reports that explain what probable adaptation mechanisms enable particular dung beetle species to be the most successful invader. Here we identify the morphological, biological, physiological, ecological and behavioural attributes of the four most widespread and successful dung beetle species in introduced areas on a global scale in relation to the assumption that these species are different from other exotic and native dung beetles. We have recognisedDigitonthophagus gazella(Fabricius),Onthophagus taurus(Schreber),Euoniticellus intermedius(Reiche) andAphodius fimetarius(Linnaeus) as the most successful invaders based on their spread, predominance, distribution range and the reports of invasion. Each of these four species has different natural history traits that increase their fitness making them successful invaders.D. gazellahas high fecundity and spreading ability, can instantly locate and colonise fresh and nutritious dung, and has a broad thermal window.O. taurushas morphological plasticity, high fecundity, high brood survival rate due to bi-parenting, and is adapted to extreme thermal and moisture conditions.E. intermediushas remnant-dung feeding abilities, a wide thermal window, functioning best at upper-temperature levels, and successful breeding and survival abilities at extremely low soil moisture conditions.A. fimetariusis small-sized, has high breeding and dispersal abilities, and is adapted to lower thermal and upper moisture extremes and variable soil conditions. Discussed here are perspectives on adaptive attributes of dung beetle species that are important to consider during their selection for redistributions. We have elaborated on the fitness and success characteristics of the four species individually. Further, we recommend a prior-introduction baseline monitoring of native dung beetle assemblages so as to evaluate the future impact of exotic dung beetle introductions on the recipient ecosystem.

Significance We present the genomes of five new bonnet mushroom Mycena species, formerly the last fungal bioluminescent lineage lacking reference genomes. These genome-scale datasets allowed us to construct an evolutionary model pinpointing all possible changes in the luciferase cluster across all fungi and additional genes involved in bioluminescence. We show that luciferase clusters were differentially lost in different fungal lineages and in particular a substantial loss was observed in the mycenoid lineage. This can be attributed to genome regions of Mycena that underwent different evolutionary dynamics. Our findings offer insights into the evolution of how a gene cluster emerged 160 million years ago and was frequently lost or maintained due to differences in genome plasticity., Mushroom-forming fungi in the order Agaricales represent an independent origin of bioluminescence in the tree of life; yet the diversity, evolutionary history, and timing of the origin of fungal luciferases remain elusive. We sequenced the genomes and transcriptomes of five bonnet mushroom species (Mycena spp.), a diverse lineage comprising the majority of bioluminescent fungi. Two species with haploid genome assemblies ∼150 Mb are among the largest in Agaricales, and we found that a variety of repeats between Mycena species were differentially mediated by DNA methylation. We show that bioluminescence evolved in the last common ancestor of mycenoid and the marasmioid clade of Agaricales and was maintained through at least 160 million years of evolution. Analyses of synteny across genomes of bioluminescent species resolved how the luciferase cluster was derived by duplication and translocation, frequently rearranged and lost in most Mycena species, but conserved in the Armillaria lineage. Luciferase cluster members were coexpressed across developmental stages, with the highest expression in fruiting body caps and stipes, suggesting fruiting-related adaptive functions. Our results contribute to understanding a de novo origin of bioluminescence and the corresponding gene cluster in a diverse group of enigmatic fungal species.

Contains fulltext : 215179.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Open Access) Electrical stimulation of retina, optic nerve or cortex is found to elicit visual sensations, known as phosphenes. This allows visual prosthetics to partially restore vision by representing the visual field as a phosphene pattern. Since the resolution and performance of visual prostheses are limited, only a fraction of the information in a visual scene can be represented by phosphenes. Here, we propose a simple yet powerful image processing strategy for recognizing facial expressions with prosthetic vision, supporting communication and social interaction in the blind. A psychophysical study was conducted to investigate whether a landmark-based representation of facial expressions could improve emotion detection with prosthetic vision. Our approach was compared to edge detection, which is commonly used in current retinal prosthetic devices. Additionally, the relationship between the number of phosphenes and accuracy of emotion recognition was studied. The landmark model improved accuracy of emotion recognition, regardless of the number of phosphenes. Secondly, the accuracy improved with an increasing number of phosphenes up to a saturation point. The performance saturated with fewer phosphenes with the landmark model than with edge detection. These results suggest that landmark-based image pre-processing allows for a more efficient use of the limited information that can be stored in a phosphene pattern, providing a route towards more meaningful and higher-quality perceptual experience in subjects with prosthetic vision. MM '19: The 27th ACM International Conference on Multimedia (Nice, France, 21-25 October 2019)

Nicotinic acid adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NAADP) is the most potent calcium ion (Ca2+) activating second messenger due to its ability to release Ca2+ from intracellular acidic stores at nanomolar concentrations. NAADP has been known to play an important role in controlling excitation-contraction coupling in the heart. The ADP-ribosyl cyclase (ARC) CD38, is believed to be responsible for the production of NAADP in the heart. The first part of the thesis assesses the role of NAADP pathway in calcium handling of cardiac atrial tissues by genetically (CD38-/- mice) and pharmacologically (bafilomycin A1) impairing NAADP pathway. Optical mapping techniques were used to observe the calcium transients and action potentials of mouse atrial tissues. At baseline conditions (without the activation of β-adrenoceptors), no contribution of the NAADP signalling pathway was observed in cardiac atria with respect to its calcium handling, action potential characteristics and resting heart rate. However, under the effect of the β- adrenoceptor agonist isoprenaline, CD38-/- mouse atria and bafilomycin A1 treated wildtype mouse atria showed a blunted increase in calcium transient amplitudes and heart rate as compared to control wildtype atria. The second part of the thesis focuses on understanding the association of NAADP signalling pathway with the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR), using a Ca2+ indicator to directly observe the SR Ca2+ content. NAADP was observed to increase the Ca2+ content of the SR in wildtype and CD38-/- mice ventricular cardiomyocytes in a bafilomycin A1 sensitive manner. Moreover, stimulating β-adrenergic response using cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) showed a reduced effect on SR Ca2+ increase in CD38-/- myocytes as compared to wildtype myocytes and disruption of lysosomes using bafilomycin A1 in wildtype myocytes also reduced the SR Ca2+ increase in response to cAMP. These observations provide further evidence that the NAADP signalling pathway has a prominent role in β-adrenergic response in the heart. Although CD38 has been suggested as an enzyme that can produce both NAADP and cyclic adenosine diphosphate ribose (cADPR), several studies have attributed a non- CD38 ARC to catalyse the production of cADPR in the heart. The third part of the thesis, therefore, attempted to characterise the ARC present in sheep cardiac SR membrane preparations (SRMP). Functional and molecular biology experiments in this thesis strongly suggests that the ARC found in sheep SRMP is CD38. Finally, in the last section of this thesis, a protocol for combining optical mapping with optogenetic pacing is discussed to study intracellular Ca2+ transients in atrial tissues of mice genetically modified to express channelrhodopsin 2 (ChR2) on phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase (Pnmt)-derived cardiomyocytes (PdCMs). On optogenetic pacing, a shift in primary pacemaker sites could be seen towards the left atrium where the PdCMs were localised with minimal disturbance on the Ca2+ handling properties of the atrial tissue. Although this cell type-specific optogenetic pacing strategy targeting PdCMs as candidates for biopacemaking is still at an early stage of development, it could potentially lay foundation for an exciting prospect of clinical applications in treating heart rhythm disorders in the future.

Document recommendation systems for locating relevant literature have mostly relied on methods developed a decade ago. This is largely due to the lack of a large offline gold-standard benchmark of relevant documents that cover a variety of research fields such that newly developed literature search techniques can be compared, improved and translated into practice. To overcome this bottleneck, we have established the RElevant LIterature SearcH consortium consisting of more than 1500 scientists from 84 countries, who have collectively annotated the relevance of over 180 000 PubMed-listed articles with regard to their respective seed (input) article/s. The majority of annotations were contributed by highly experienced, original authors of the seed articles. The collected data cover 76% of all unique PubMed Medical Subject Headings descriptors. No systematic biases were observed across different experience levels, research fields or time spent on annotations. More importantly, annotations of the same document pairs contributed by different scientists were highly concordant. We further show that the three representative baseline methods used to generate recommended articles for evaluation (Okapi Best Matching 25, Term Frequency-Inverse Document Frequency and PubMed Related Articles) had similar overall performances. Additionally, we found that these methods each tend to produce distinct collections of recommended articles, suggesting that a hybrid method may be required to completely capture all relevant articles. The established database server located at https://relishdb.ict.griffith.edu.au is freely available for the downloading of annotation data and the blind testing of new methods. We expect that this benchmark will be useful for stimulating the development of new powerful techniques for title and title/abstract-based search engines for relevant articles in biomedical science. © The Author(s) 2019. Published by Oxford University Press.

Clinical characteristicsThe classic phenotype of megalencephalic leukoencephalopathy with subcortical cysts (MLC) is characterized by early-onset macrocephaly, often in combination with mild gross motor developmental delay and seizures; gradual onset of ataxia, spasticity, and sometimes extrapyramidal findings; and usually late onset of mild mental deterioration. Macrocephaly, observed in virtually all individuals, may be present at birth but more frequently develops during the first year of life. The degree of macrocephaly is variable and can be as great as 4 to 6 SD above the mean in some individuals. After the first year of life, head growth rate normalizes and growth follows a line parallel to and usually several centimeters above the 98th centile. Initial mental and motor development is normal in most individuals. Walking is often unstable, followed by ataxia of the trunk and extremities, then minor signs of pyramidal dysfunction and brisk deep-tendon stretch reflexes. Almost all individuals have epilepsy from an early age. The epilepsy is typically well controlled with medication, but status epilepticus occurs relatively frequently. Mental deterioration is late and mild. Disease severity ranges from independent walking for a few years only to independent walking in the fifth decade. Some individuals have died in their teens or twenties; others are alive in their fifties. An improving phenotype has a similar initial presentation with delayed mental or motor development, followed by an improving clinical course: macrocephaly usually persists, but some children become normocephalic; motor function improves or normalizes; hypotonia and clumsiness may persist in some or neurologic examination may become normal. Some have intellectual disability that is stable, with or without autism. Epilepsy and status epilepticus may occur.Diagnosis/testingThe diagnosis of MLC is established in individuals with typical clinical findings and characteristic abnormalities identified on brain MRI examination, including abnormal and swollen cerebral hemispheric white matter and presence of subcortical cysts in the anterior temporal region and often in the frontoparietal region. Identification of biallelic pathogenic variants in MLC1 or HEPACAM by molecular genetic testing can confirm the diagnosis of classic MLC (MLC1 or MLC2A, respectively) – particularly important if clinical features are inconclusive – and allow for family studies. Identification of a heterozygous HEPACAM pathogenic variant can confirm the diagnosis of MLC with improving phenotype (MLC2B) if clinical features are inconclusive, and/or allow for family studies.ManagementTreatment of manifestations: Physical therapy to improve motor function; speech therapy as needed; special education; antiepileptic drugs to control epileptic seizures. Prevention of secondary complications: A helmet should be considered for situations involving increased risk of head trauma. Agents/circumstances to avoid: Contact sports and other activities with a high risk of head trauma should be avoided.Genetic counselingMLC1 and MLC2A are inherited in an autosomal recessive manner. At conception, each sib of an affected individual has a 25% chance of being affected, a 50% chance of being an asymptomatic carrier, and a 25% chance of being unaffected and not a carrier. Carrier testing for at-risk relatives and prenatal diagnosis for pregnancies at increased risk are possible if both pathogenic alleles have been identified in the family. MLC2B is inherited in an autosomal dominant manner. De novo pathogenic variants are common. Each child of an individual with MLC2B has a 50% chance of inheriting the pathogenic variant. Prenatal diagnosis for pregnancies at increased risk is possible if the pathogenic variant has been identified in an affected family member.

Objective To measure the percentage of regulatory T-cells (Treg) and the expression of signalling molecules in these cells from the peripheral blood of patients with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB). Design Patients with drug-susceptible tuberculosis (S-TB), MDR-TB and healthy controls (HCs) were recruited into the study. Levels of CD4(+)CD25(+)Foxp3(+) Treg cells from peripheral blood, and programmed death-1 (PD-1), cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated antigen-4 (CTLA-4) and inducible costimulatory (ICOS) molecule expression in the cells were measured using flow cytometry. Suppression mediated by Treg cells was assessed in carboxyfluorescein succinimidyl ester (CFSE) based suppression assays with autologous CD4(+)CD25(-) T-effector (Teff) cells. Results Presence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis resulted in a higher proportion of Treg cells in S-TB patients than in HCs, and even higher levels in MDR-TB patients. Moreover, Treg cells in MDR-TB patients constitutively expressed high-level PD-1, CTLA-4 and ICOS. In addition, when cultured with activated CD4(+)CD25(-) Teff cells, Treg cells potently suppressed proliferation of Teff cells. Conclusions The high level of Treg cells found in the peripheral blood of tuberculosis patients may partly explain the poor immune response against M. tuberculosis, and could be a marker of MDR-TB.

The control of the electron spin by external means is a key issue for spintronic devices. Using spin- and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (SARPES) with three-dimensional spin detection, we demonstrate operando electrostatic spin manipulation in ferroelectric GeTe and multiferroic Ge1-xMnxTe. We not only demonstrate for the first time electrostatic spin manipulation in Rashba semiconductors due to ferroelectric polarization reversal, but are also able to follow the switching pathway in detail, and show a gain of the Rashba-splitting strength under external fields. In multiferroic Ge1-xMnxTe operando SARPES reveals switching of the perpendicular spin component due to electric field induced magnetization reversal. This provides firm evidence of effective multiferroic coupling which opens up magnetoelectric functionality with a multitude of spin-switching paths in which the magnetic and electric order parameters are coupled through ferroelastic relaxation paths. This work thus provides a new type of magnetoelectric switching entangled with Rashba-Zeeman splitting in a multiferroic system., 8 pages, 6 figures

Germanium telluride features special spin-electric effects originating from spin-orbit coupling and symmetry breaking by the ferroelectric lattice polarization, which opens up many prospectives for electrically tunable and switchable spin electronic devices. By Mn doping of the ��-GeTe host lattice, the system becomes a multiferroic semiconductor possessing magnetoelectric properties in which the electric polarization, magnetization and spin texture are coupled to each other. Employing spin- and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy in bulk- and surface-sensitive energy ranges and by varying dipole transition matrix elements, we disentangle the bulk, surface and surface-resonance states of the electronic structure and determine the spin textures for selected parameters. From our results, we derive a comprehensive model of the ��-GeTe surface electronic structure which fits experimental data and first principle theoretical predictions and we discuss the unconventional evolution of the Rashba-type spin splitting upon manipulation by external B- and E-fields., 7 pages, 7 figures, 1 ancillary file

Polymer optical fibre (POF) is a growing technology in short distance telecommunication due to its flexibility, easy connectorization, and lower cost than the mostly deployed silica optical fibre (SOF) technology. Microstructured POFs (mPOFs) have particular promising potential applica-tions in the sensors and telecommunications field, they could specially help to reduce losses in poly-mer fibres by using hollow-core fibres. However, mPOFs are intrinsically more difficult to cut due to the cladding hole structure and it becomes necessary to have a high quality polymer optical cleaver. In the well-known hot-blade cutting process, fibre and blade are heated, which requires electrical compo-nents and increases cost. A new method has recently been published to cut POF without the need for heating the blade/fibre, therefore electronically devices are not required if it is used a proper mechani-cal system. In this paper, we present a passive and portable polymer optical cleaver implemented with a mechanical system formed by a constant force spring and a damper.

The hyperfine field $B_\text{hf}$ and the magnetic properties of the BaFe$_2$As$_2$ family are studied using the fully relativistic Dirac formalism for different types of substitution. The study covers electron doped Ba(Fe$_{1-x}$Co$_x$)$_2$As$_2$ and Ba(Fe$_{1-x}$Ni$_x$)$_2$As$_2$, hole doped (Ba$_{1-x}$K$_x$)Fe$_2$As$_2$ and also isovalently doped Ba(Fe$_{1-x}$Ru$_x$)$_2$As$_2$ and BaFe$_2$(As$_{1-x}$P$_x$)$_2$ for a wide range of the concentration $x$. For the substituted compounds the hyperfine fields show a very strong dependence on the dopant type and its concentration $x$. Relativistic contributions were found to have a significantly stronger impact for the iron pnictides when compared to bulk Fe. As an important finding, we demonstrate that it is not sensible to relate the hyperfine field $B_\text{hf}$ to the average magnetic moment $\mu$ of the compound, as it was done in earlier literature.

Using the Kubo-Greenwood formalism the resistivity anisotropy for electron doped Ba(Fe$_{1-x}$Co$_x$)$_2$As$_2$, hole doped (Ba$_{1-x}$K$_x$)Fe$_2$As$_2$ and isovalently doped Ba(Fe$_{1-x}$Ru$_x$)$_2$As$_2$ in their antiferromagnetic state has been calculated in order to clarify the origin of this important phenomenon. The results show good agreement with experiment for all cases without considering impurity states extending over several unit cells or temperature induced spin fluctuations. From this it is concluded that the resistivity anisotropy at low temperatures is primarily caused by an in-plane anisotropic magnetoresistance. Accounting for the band dispersion with respect to $k_z$ is however mandatory to explain the results, showing the importance of the three-dimensional character of the electronic structure for the iron pnictides. Furthermore, it is shown that the counterintuitive sign of the resistivity anisotropy is no fundamental property but just a peculiarity of the anisotropic band structure.

Purpose: Several techniques of laparoscopic feeding jejunostomy have been described. Most of them require costly commercial kits. Here we present a novel, simple, low-cost method for laparoscopic jejunostomy tube placement. Methods: This technique involves 4 ports. A left lateral “guide” trocar is used as a landmark for tube placement. A jejunal loop is selected and 4 vicryl sutures are placed in a diamond shape on the antimesenteric side of the intestine and left untied. These 4 stitches are extracted using a transabdominal suture grasper inserted through 4 small incisions around the left lateral guide trocar. After an enterotomy is made in the center of these 4 stitches using cautery device, the left lateral trocar is removed and a 12 Fr Foley catheter is inserted in the trocar site and introduced into the bowel. The 4 stitches are pulled toward the abdominal wall and gently tied without additional suturing. Eight patients who underwent this procedure between 2007 and 2009 were reviewed. Results: The procedure was successful in all patients. The median operative time was 70.5 minutes. There were no postoperative complications with respect to infection, bleeding, or bowel obstruction, and no perioperative mortality. Conclusions: Our trocar-guided approach for laparoscopic feeding jejunostomy placement is a simple, cost-effective, safe, and effective method.

Jing Gao¹, Keith Hentel¹, Qiang Zhu², Teng Ma², George Shih¹, Kevin Mennitt¹, Robert Min¹¹Department of Radiology, New York Presbyterian Hospital, Weill Cornell Medical College, NY, USA; ²Division of Diagnostic Ultrasound, Department of Radiology, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, ChinaBackground: The aim of this study was to assess differences in intrarenal artery Doppler parameters measured without and with Doppler angle correction.Methods: We retrospectively reviewed color duplex sonography in 30 normally functioning kidneys (20 native kidneys in 10 subjects and 10 transplanted kidneys in 10 subjects) performed between January 26, 2010 and July 26, 2010. There were 10 age-matched men and10 age-matched women (mean 39.8 ± 12.2, range 21–60 years) in this study. Depending on whether the Doppler angle was corrected in the spectral Doppler measurement, Doppler parameters including peak systolic velocity (PSV), end-diastolic velocity (EDV), and resistive index (RI) measured at the interlobar artery of the kidney were divided into two groups, ie, initial Doppler parameters measured without Doppler angle correction (Group 1) and remeasured Doppler parameters with Doppler angle correction (Group 2). Values for PSV, EDV, and RI measured without Doppler angle correction were compared with those measured with Doppler angle correction, and were analyzed statistically with a paired-samples t-test.Results: There were statistical differences in PSV and EDV at the interlobar artery in the upper, mid, and lower poles of the kidney between Group 1 and Group 2 (all P< 0.001). PSV and EDV in Group 1 were significantly lower than in Group 2. RI in Group 1 was the same as that in Group 2 in the upper, mid, and lower poles of the kidneys.Conclusion: Doppler angle correction plays an important role in the accurate measurement of intrarenal blood flow velocity. The true flow velocity converted from the maximum Doppler velocity shift is produced only when the Doppler angle is 0°, so that the emission sound beam is parallel to the direction of blood flow at the sampled artery. Therefore, the Doppler angle correction should be routinely applied and displayed on renal color duplex sonography.Keywords: color duplex sonography, blood flow velocity, Doppler angle, Doppler shift, kidney

The method based on the generalisation of the phase screen method for a continuous random medium is proposed for simulating numerically the propagation of laser radiation in a turbulent atmosphere with precipitation. In the phase screen model for a discrete component of a heterogeneous 'air—rain droplet' medium, the amplitude screen describing the scattering of an optical field by discrete particles of the medium is replaced by an equivalent phase screen with a spectrum of the correlation function of the effective dielectric constant fluctuations that is similar to the spectrum of a discrete scattering component — water droplets in air. The 'turbulent' phase screen is constructed on the basis of the Kolmogorov model, while the 'rain' screen model utilises theexponential distribution of the number of rain drops with respect to their radii as a function of the rain intensity. Theresults of the numerical simulation are compared with the known theoretical estimates for a large-scale discrete scattering medium.

The construction of a multi-channel vector spin polarimeter requires the development of a new detector type, which works as a spin polarizing mirror with high reflectivity and asymmetry properties to guarantee for a high figure of merit. Technical realizations are found by spin polarized electron scattering from a surface at low energies. A very promising candidate for such a detector suitable material consists of an oxygen passivated iron surface, as for example a Fe(001)-p(1x1)-O surface. We investigate in detail the electronic structure of this adsorbate system and calculate the corresponding spin-polarized low-energy electron scattering. Our theoretical study is based on the fully relativistic SPRKKR-method in the framework of density functional theory. Furthermore, we use the local spin-density approximation in combination with dynamical mean field theory to determine the electronic structure of Fe(001)-p(1x1)-O and demonstrate that a significant impact of correlation effects occurs in the calculated figure of merit.

The magnitude of the spin polarization at the Fermi level of ferromagnetic materials at room temperature is a key property for spintronics. Investigating the Heusler compound Co$_2$MnSi a value of 93$\%$ for the spin polarization has been observed at room temperature, where the high spin polarization is related to a stable surface resonance in the majority band extending deep into the bulk. In particular, we identified in our spectroscopical analysis that this surface resonance is embedded in the bulk continuum with a strong coupling to the majority bulk states. The resonance behaves very bulk-like, as it extends over the first six atomic layers of the corresponding (001)-surface. Our study includes experimental investigations, where the bulk electronic structure as well as surface-related features have been investigated using spin-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy (SR-UPS) and for a larger probing depth spin-integrated high energy x-ray photoemission spectroscopy (HAXPES). The results are interpreted in comparison with first-principles band structure and photoemission calculations which consider all relativistic, surface and high-energy effects properly., 9 pages, 8 figures, Heusler alloy, electronic structure and photoemission

In systems with broken inversion symmetry spin-orbit coupling (SOC) yields a Rashba-type spin splitting of electronic states, manifested in a k-dependent splitting of the bands. While most research had previously focused on 2D electron systems, recently a three-dimensional (3D) form of such Rashba-effect was found in a series of bismuth tellurohalides. Whereas these materials exhibit a very large spin-splitting, they lack an important property concerning functionalization, namely the possibility to switch or tune the spin texture. This limitation can be overcome in a new class of functional materials displaying Rashba-splitting coupled to ferroelectricity: the ferroelectric Rashba semiconductors (FERS). Using spin- and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (SARPES) we show that GeTe(111) forms a prime member of this class, displaying a complex spin-texture for the Rashba-split surface and bulk bands arising from the intrinsic inversion symmetry breaking caused by the ferroelectric polarization of the bulk (FE). Apart from pure surface and bulk states we find surface-bulk resonant states (SBR) whose wavefunctions entangle the spinors from the bulk and surface contributions. At the Fermi level their hybridization results in unconventional spin topologies with cochiral helicities and concomitant gap opening. The GeTe(111) surface and SBR states make the semiconductor surface conducting. At the same time our SARPES data confirm that GeTe is a narrow-gap semiconductor, suggesting that GeTe(111) electronic states are endowed with spin properties that are theoretically challenging to anticipate. As the helicity of the spins in Rashba bands is connected to the direction of the FE polarization, this work paves the way to all-electric non-volatile control of spin-transport properties in semiconductors.

The prospective of optically inducing a spin polarized current for spintronic devices has generated a vast interest in the out-of-equilibrium electronic and spin structure of topological insulators (TIs). In this Letter we prove that only by measuring the spin intensity signal over several order of magnitude in spin, time and angle resolved photoemission spectroscopy (STAR-PES) experiments is it possible to comprehensively describe the optically excited electronic states in TIs materials. The experiments performed on $\mathrm{Bi_{2}Se_{3}}$ reveal the existence of a Surface-Resonance-State in the 2nd bulk band gap interpreted on the basis of fully relativistic ab-initio spin resolved photoemission calculations. Remarkably, the spin dependent relaxation of the hot carriers is well reproduced by a spin dynamics model considering two non-interacting electronic systems, derived from the excited surface and bulk states, with different electronic temperatures., 5 pages and 4 figures

We present a comprehensive study on the low-temperature orthorhombic phase of Ba(Fe$_{1-x}$Co$_x$)$_2$As$_2$ based on the Korringa-Kohn-Rostoker-Green function approach. Using this bandstructure method in combination with the coherent potential approximation alloy theory we are able to investigate the evolution of the magnetic and electronic properties of this prototype iron pnictide for arbitrary concentrations $x$, while dealing with the chemical disorder without uncontrolled simplifications by using solely a rigid band shift or the virtual crystal approximation. We discuss the development of the site resolved magnetic moments for the experimentally observed stripe antiferromagnetic order together with the strong electronic anisotropy of the Fermi surface and compare it with angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy measurements of detwinned crystals. We furthermore calculate magnetic exchange coupling parameters $J_{ij}$ and use them for Monte-Carlo simulations on the basis of the classical Heisenberg model to get an insight on the temperature dependence of the magnetic ordering on the cobalt concentration.

Item does not contain fulltext The aim of the study was to investigate the feeding effect of diets containing 3, 5 and 7% of cinnamon powder on meat quality and growth performance in broiler chickens. The chicken meat quality and growth performance in broiler chickens fed diets containing cinnamon powder increased significantly (P < 0.05) when compared to the control group. However, the TBARS of the meat of chickens fed diets containing cinnamon powder decreased significantly (P < 0.05) when compared to the control group. These findings suggest that the cinnamon powder can improve the shelf life and quality of chicken meat with maximize the productivity of broiler chickens. 01 januari 2013

The transition from topologically nontrivial to a trivial state is studied by first-principles calculations on bulk zinc-blende type (Hg$_{1-x}$Zn$_x$)(Te$_{1-x}$S$_x$) disordered alloy series. The random chemical disorder was treated by means of the Coherent Potential Approximation. We found that although the phase transition occurs at the strongest disorder regime (${x\approx 0.5}$), it is still manifested by well-defined Bloch states forming a clear Dirac cone at the Fermi energy of the bulk disordered material. The computed residual resistivity tensor confirm the topologically-nontrivial state of the HgTe-rich (${x0.5}$) by exhibiting the quantized behavior of the off-diagonal spin-projected component, independently on the concentration $x$.

Using a combined approach of spin-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, band structure and photoemission calculations we investigate the influence of bulk defects and surface states on the spin polarization of Co2Mn(alpha)Si thin films with bulk L21 order. We find that for Mn-poor alloys the spin polarization at EF is negative due to the presence of Co_Mn antisite and minority surface state contributions. In Mn-rich alloys, the suppression of Co(Mn) antisites leads to a positive spin polarization at the Fermi energy, and the influence of minority surface states on the photoelectron spin polarization is reduced.