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9 pags., 8 figs., 4 tabs., Background: The Xe isotopic chain with four valence protons above the Z=50 shell closure is an ideal laboratory for the study of the evolution of nuclear deformation. At the N=82 shell closure, Xe136 presents all characteristics of a doubly closed shell nucleus with a spherical shape. In the very neutron-deficient isotopes close to N=50, the α-decay chain of Xe was investigated to probe the radioactive decay properties near the drip-line and the magicity of Sn100. Additionally, the Xe isotopes present higher order symmetries in the nuclear deformation such as the octupole degree of freedom near N=60 and N=90 or O(6) symmetry in stable isotopes. Purpose: The relevance of the O(6) symmetry has been investigated by measuring the spectroscopic quadrupole moment of the first excited states in Xe124. In the O(6) symmetry limit, the spectroscopic quadrupole moment of collective states is expected to be null. Method: A stable Xe124 beam with energies of 4.03A MeV and 4.11A MeV was used to bombard a natW target at the GANIL facility. Excited states were populated via the safe Coulomb excitation reaction. The collision of the heavy ions with a large Z at low energy make this reaction sensitive to the diagonal E2 matrix element of the excited states. The recoils were detected in the VAMOS++ magnetic spectrometer and the γ rays in the AGATA tracking array. The least squares fitting code gosia was used for the analysis to extract both E2 and M1 transitional and E2 diagonal matrix elements. Results: The rotational ground state band was populated up to the 81+ state as well as the 22+ and 42+ states. Using high precision spectroscopic data to constrain the gosia fit, the spectroscopic quadrupole moments of the 21+, 41+, and 61+ states were determined for the first time. Conclusions: The spectroscopic quadrupole moments were found to be negative, large, and constant in the ground state band underlining the prolate axially deformed ground state band of Xe124. The present experimental data confirm that the O(6) symmetry is substantially broken in Xe124., This work was supported by STFC(UK). This research was also supported by the OASIS Project No. ANR-17-CE31-0026, by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Nuclear Physics, under contract number DE-AC02-06CH11357, by the European Regional Development Fund with Contract No. GINOP-2.3.3-15-2016-00034 and by the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacion under contract PID2020-118265GB-C41. Work partially supported by Grants FPA2017-84756-C4, PID2020- 118265GB-C4 by MCIN/ AEI /10.13039/501100011033, PROMETEO/2019/005 by Generalitat Valenciana and by the FEDER EU funds.

International audience; The Advanced GAmma Tracking Array (AGATA) has been installed at Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro (LNL), Italy. In this installation, AGATA will consist, at the beginning, of 13 AGATA triple clusters (ATCs) with an angular coverage of 1π, and progressively the number of ATCs will increase up to a 2π angular coverage. This setup will exploit both stable and radioactive ion beams delivered by the Tandem–PIAVE-ALPI accelerator complex and the SPES facility. The new implementation of AGATA at LNL will be used in two different configurations, firstly one coupled to the PRISMA large-acceptance magnetic spectrometer and lately a second one at Zero Degrees, along the beam line. These two configurations will allow us to cover a broad physics program, using different reaction mechanisms, such as Coulomb excitation, fusion-evaporation, transfer and fission at energies close to the Coulomb barrier. These setups have been designed to be coupled with a large variety of complementary detectors such as charged particle detectors, neutron detectors, heavy-ion detectors, high-energy γ-ray arrays, cryogenic and gasjet targets and the plunger device for lifetime measurements. We present in this paper the conceptual design, characteristics and performance figures of this implementation of AGATA at LNL.

In this article, we derive the vacuum electric fields within specific cylindrically symmetric magnetically insulated transmission lines (MITLs) in the limit of an infinite speed of light for an arbitrary time-dependent current. We focus our attention on two types of MITLs: the radial MITL and a spherically curved MITL. We then simulate the motion of charged particles, such as electrons, present in these MITLs due to the vacuum fields. In general, the motion of charged particles due to the vacuum fields is highly nonlinear since the fields are nonlinear functions of spatial coordinates and depend on an arbitrary time-dependent current drive. Using guiding center theory, however, one can describe the gross particle kinetics using a combination of $\textbf {E} \times \textbf {B}$ and $\nabla B$ drifts. In addition, we compare our approximate inner MITL field models and particle kinetics with those from a fully electromagnetic simulation code. We find that the agreement between the approximate model and the electromagnetic simulations is excellent.

BACKGROUND Over 400 million people are diabetic. Type 1 and type 2 diabetes are characterized by decreased functional β-cell mass and, consequently, decreased glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. A potential intervention is transplantation of β-cell containing islets from cadaveric donors. A major impediment to greater application of this treatment is the scarcity of transplant-ready β-cells. Therefore, inducing β-cell proliferation ex vivo could be used to expand functional β-cell mass prior to transplantation. Various molecular pathways are sufficient to induce proliferation of young β-cells; however, aged β-cells are refractory to these proliferative signals. Given that the majority of cadaveric donors fit an aged demographic, defining the mechanisms that impede aged β-cell proliferation is imperative. RESULTS We demonstrate that aged rat (5-month-old) β-cells are refractory to mitogenic stimuli that otherwise induce young rat (5-week-old) β-cell proliferation. We hypothesized that this change in proliferative capacity could be due to differences in cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor expression. We measured levels of p16INK4a , p15INK4b , p18INK4c , p19INK4d , p21CIP1 , p27KIP1 and p57KIP2 by immunofluorescence analysis. Our data demonstrates an age-dependent increase of p27KIP1 in rat β-cells by immunofluorescence and was validated by increased p27KIP1 protein levels by western blot analysis. Interestingly, HDAC1, which modulates the p27KIP1 promoter acetylation state, is downregulated in aged rat islets. These data demonstrate increased p27KIP1 protein levels at 5 months of age, which may be due to decreased HDAC1 mediated repression of p27KIP1 expression. SIGNIFICANCE As the majority of transplant-ready β-cells come from aged donors, it is imperative that we understand why aged β-cells are refractory to mitogenic stimuli. Our findings demonstrate that increased p27KIP1 expression occurs early in β-cell aging, which corresponds with impaired β-cell proliferation. Furthermore, the correlation between HDAC1 and p27 levels suggests that pathways that activate HDAC1 in aged β-cells could be leveraged to decrease p27KIP1 levels and enhance β-cell proliferation.

7 pags., 3 figs., 1 tab., The reduced transition probabilities for the 4_{1}^{+}→2_{1}^{+} and 2_{1}^{+}→0_{1}^{+} transitions in ^{92}Mo and ^{94}Ru and for the 4_{1}^{+}→2_{1}^{+} and 6_{1}^{+}→4_{1}^{+} transitions in ^{90}Zr have been determined in this experiment making use of a multinucleon transfer reaction. These results have been interpreted on the basis of realistic shell-model calculations in the f_{5/2}, p_{3/2}, p_{1/2}, and g_{9/2} proton valence space. Only the combination of extensive lifetime information and large scale shell-model calculations allowed the extent of the seniority conservation in the N=50 g_{9/2} orbital to be understood. The conclusion is that seniority is largely conserved in the first πg_{9/2} orbital., This work was partially supported by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and Generalitat Valenciana, Spain, under Grants No. FPA2017-84756-C4, No. PID2020–118265GB-C4, and No. PROMETEO 2019/005, by the EU FEDER funds, by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under Grant Agreement No. n654002, by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Nuclear Physics, under Contract No. DE-AC02-06CH11357, by STFC(UK) and by the Croatian Science Foundation under Projects No. 7194 and No. IP-2018-01-1257.

Cooperation is a strategy that has been adopted by groups of organisms to execute complex tasks more efficiently than single entities. Cooperation increases the robustness and flexibility of the working groups and permits sharing of the workload among individuals. However, the utilization of this strategy in artificial systems at the molecular level, which could enable substantial advances in microrobotics and nanotechnology, remains highly challenging. Here, we demonstrate molecular transportation through the cooperative action of a large number of artificial molecular machines, photoresponsive DNA-conjugated microtubules driven by kinesin motor proteins. Mechanical communication via conjugated photoresponsive DNA enables these microtubules to organize into groups upon photoirradiation. The groups of transporters load and transport cargo, and cargo unloading is achieved by dissociating the groups into single microtubules. The group formation permits the loading and transport of cargoes with larger sizes and in larger numbers over long distances compared with single transporters. We also demonstrate that cargo can be collected at user-determined locations defined by ultraviolet light exposure. This work demonstrates cooperative task performance by molecular machines, which will help to construct molecular robots with advanced functionalities in the future.

6 pags., 8 figs., 1 tab., Excited states in the neutron-deficient nucleus Tc87 have been studied via the fusion-evaporation reaction Fe54(Ar36,2n1p)Tc87 at 115 MeV beam energy. The AGATA γ-ray spectrometer coupled to the DIAMANT, NEDA, and Neutron Wall detector arrays for light-particle detection was used to measure the prompt coincidence of γ rays and light particles. Six transitions from the deexcitation of excited states belonging to a new band in Tc87 were identified by comparing γ-ray intensities in the spectra gated under different reaction channel selection conditions. The constructed level structure was compared with the shell model and total Routhian surface calculations. The results indicate that the new band structure in Tc87 is built on a spherical configuration, which is different from that assigned to the previously identified oblate yrast rotational band., This work was supported by the Swedish Research Council under Grants No. 621-2014-5558 and No. 2019-04880; the EU 7th Framework Programme, Integrating Activities Transnational Access, Project No. 262010 ENSAR; the UK STFC under Grants No. ST/L005727/1 and No. ST/P003885/1; the Polish National Science Centre, Grants No. 2016/22/M/ST2/00269 and No. 2017/25/B/ST2/01569; COPIN-INFN, COPIN-IN2P3, and COPIGAL projects; the National Research, Development and Innovation Fund of Hungary (Project No. K128947); the European Regional Development Fund (Contract No. GINOP-2.3.3-15-2016-00034); the Hungarian National Research, Development and Innovation Office, NKFIH, Contract No. PD124717; the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación and Generalitat Valenciana, Spain, under the Grants No. SEV-2014-0398 and No. FPA2017-84756-C4; PROMETEO/2019/005; and by the EU FEDER funds. X.L. gratefully acknowledges support from the China Scholarship Council, Grant No. 201700260183, for his stay in Sweden. We acknowledge the support from the AGATA Collaboration and thank the GANIL staff for excellent technical support and operation

Those with better reputations often obtain more resources than those with poorer reputations. Consequently, gossip might be an evolved strategy to compete for valuable and scarce material and social resources. Influenced by models of non-human primate competition, we test the hypotheses that gossip: (i) targets aspects of reputation relevant to the domain in which the competition is occurring, (ii) increases when contested resources are more valuable, and (iii) increases when resources are scarcer. We then test hypotheses derived from informational warfare theory, which proposes that coalitions strategically collect, analyse and disseminate gossip. Specifically, we test whether: (iv) coalitions deter negative gossip, and (v) whether they increase expectations of reputational harm to competitors. Using experimental methods in a Mechanical Turk sample ( n = 600), and survey and ego network analysis methods in a sample of California sorority women ( n = 74), we found that gossip content is specific to the context of the competition; that more valuable and scarcer resources cause gossip, particularly negative gossip, to intensify; and that allies deter negative gossip and increase expectations of reputational harm to an adversary. These results support social competition theories of gossip. This article is part of the theme issue ‘The language of cooperation: reputation and honest signalling’.

Many veterans who need mental health treatment are reluctant to seek care, and their family members often do not know how to encourage them to do so. In 2011, a telephone-based service called Coaching Into Care (CIC) was developed to address this concern. Callers are provided with educational resources and referrals; in more complicated cases, callers are provided with up to 6 months of telephone-based coaching. This coaching of family members has been associated with an increase in veterans accessing mental health care. This program may serve as a model for community efforts to engage individuals in needed mental health care.

The low-lying excited states in the neutron-deficient $N = Z + 1$ nucleus $^{87}_{43}$Tc$_{44}$ have been studied via the fusion-evaporation reaction $^{54}$Fe $(^{36}Ar, 2n1p)$ $^{87}$Tc at the Grand Accelerateur National d'Ions Lourds (GANIL), France. The AGATA spectrometer was used in conjunction with the auxiliary NEDA, Neutron Wall, and DIAMANT detector arrays to measure coincident prompt γ rays, neutrons, and charged particles emitted in the reaction. A level scheme of $^{87}$Tc from the $(9/2^+_{g.s})$ state to the $( 33 / 2^+_1$) state was established based on six mutually coincident γ -ray transitions. The constructed level structure exhibits a rotational behavior with a sharp backbending at $ℏω ≈ 0.50$ MeV. A decrease in alignment frequency and increase in alignment sharpness in the odd-mass isotonic chains around $N=44$ is proposed as an effect of the enhanced isoscalar neutron-proton interactions in odd-mass nuclei when approaching the $N=Z$ line.

Phosphorylation of ribosomal protein S6 (RPS6) on ser235/236 and ser240/244 in the pancreatic beta cell increases cell size and insulin content and influences systemic glucose homeostasis. Our phosphoproteomic analysis identified the protein phosphatase, PPm1K, as a novel regulator of RPS6 phosphorylation. We find that beta cells account for most PPm1K expression within pancreatic islets and that exposure of INS1 832/13 beta cells to increasing concentrations of glucose results in suppression of PPm1K mRNA expression. siRNA mediated knockdown of PPm1K in INS1 832/13 cells, to levels achieved by glucose, increased insulin content and secretion in basal and glucose stimulated conditions that was accompanied by robust phosphorylation of RPS6 on ser235/236 and ser240/244. PPm1K knockdown did not increase phosphorylation of p70 S6 Kinase (S6K) or the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) upstream of RPS6 suggesting that PPm1K regulates RPS6 phosphorylation in an mTOR-S6K independent manner. Accordingly, treatment with the mTORC1 inhibitor, Rapamycin, lowered S6K and RPS6 phosphorylation but did not override the effect of PPm1K knockdown to increase RPS6 phosphorylation compared to control siRNA treated cells. Lowering phosphorylation of PPm1K’s classical target, ser293 of the branched-chain keto acid dehydrogenase (BCKDH) with the small molecule, BT2, also did not impact the effect of PPm1K knockdown to increase RPS6 phosphorylation. Thus PPm1K exerts its effects on RPS6 phosphorylation in a BCKDH and mTOR/S6K independent manner. The effects of siRNA-mediated PPm1K knockdown on RPS6 phosphorylation were accompanied by a 1.5 fold increase in protein translation and the induction of an unfolded protein response as determined by an increase in XBP-1 splicing, and BiP expression. Together our data identify a new role for the phosphatase PPm1K as a glucose sensitive modulator of RPS6 phosphorylation and protein translation that impacts beta cell insulin content and secretion. Disclosure Y. Deleye: None. J. Herring: None. K. H. Hess: None. B. Leininger: None. R. W. Mcgarrah: None. J. S. Tessem: None. P. J. White: None. Funding American Diabetes Association/Pathway to Stop Diabetes (1-16-INI-17 to P.J.W.)

Magnetized Liner Inertial Fusion (MagLIF) is a magneto-inertial fusion concept, which is presently being studied on the Z Pulsed Power Facility. The concept utilizes an axial magnetic field and laser heating to produce fusion-relevant conditions at stagnation despite a peak magnetically driven implosion velocity of less than 100 km/s. Initial mymargin experiments demonstrated the viability of the concept but left open questions about the amount of laser energy coupled to the fuel and the role that mix played in the stagnation conditions. In this paper, simple methodologies for estimating the laser energy coupled to the fuel and determining the stagnation pressure and mix are presented. These tools enabled comparisons across many experiments to establish performance trends, as well as allow comparisons with 2-D magnetohydrodynamics simulations. The initial experiments were affected by low laser energy coupling (0.2–0.6 kJ), which resulted in reduced neutron yields (1– $2\times 10^{12}$ ). In addition, all early experiments utilized mid-Z (aluminum) fuel-facing components. Mixing from these components had a significant impact on stagnation and increased with laser energy. Lower neutron yields (1– $3\times 10^{11}$ ) were measured with higher laser coupling (0.8–1.2 kJ), which significantly deviated from the predicted scaling. When all fuel-facing components were made from a low-Z material (beryllium), neutron production increased ( $3.2\times 10^{12}$ ) and scaled as expected with laser energy; experimental yields were approximately 40% of simulated yields. In addition, roughly I4 yield scaling was observed in experiments, where the load current was varied from 16–18 MA. These results represent the first step in experimental demonstration of stagnation performance scaling with input parameters in MagLIF.

New extraction technologies, including hydraulic fracturing (fracking), have increased fossil fuel reserves in the United States. Despite local economic benefits, many jurisdictions have adopted bans on fracking. We develop a dynamic learning model parameterized with a computable general equilibrium (CGE) model to quantify the associated quasi-option value (QOV), and to explore if uncertainty about environmental damages with the potential to learn can rationalize such bans. The model is calibrated to a representative municipality in Colorado, the site of several fracking bans. With plausible damages, we find that the QOV increases the incentive to delay drilling within a range of energy prices. The results suggest that improving the ability to learn about fracking impacts could increase the prevalence of bans in the short run and lead to better policymaking over time. Incorporating CGE output into a dynamic learning framework permits calculation of the locality-wide QOV associated with a range of policies.

In this study investigate the chemical physical properties of an electrolyte containing the salt aluminum bis(trifluoro-methanesulfonyl)imide [Al(TFSI)3] and the solvent acetonitrile (ACN) as well as its use in electrochemical double layer capacitors (EDLCs). We showed that the electrolyte 1M Al(TFSI)3 in ACN displays a good conductivity and viscosity, and it can be successfully used for the realization of EDLCs with operative voltage as high as 3 V. These devices display a good rate performance, and they are able to retain 80% of their initial capacitance after 50,000 cycles carried out at 2 and 5 A g−1. Taking these results into account, the use of these electrolytes appears therefore promising for the realization of high performance energy storage devices.

Physical review / C 102(5), 054304 (2020). doi:10.1103/PhysRevC.102.054304, Published by Inst., Woodbury, NY

The protein phosphatase m1K (PPm1K) dephosphorylates and activates the rate limiting enzyme in the branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) catabolism pathway, branched chain a-keto acid dehydrogenase (BCKDH). A common single nucleotide polymorphism upstream of the gene for PPm1K is associated with elevated circulating levels of BCAA and increased risk for development of type 2 diabetes; however, the function of PPm1K in the pancreatic beta cell has not been assessed. In line with our previous observations in liver, we found that increasing glucose concentrations in INS1 cells results in elevated expression of the ChREBP β isoform and lower PPM1K mRNA expression. SiRNA-mediated knockdown (KD) of PPm1K to levels achieved by glucose in INS1 cells lead to robust phosphorylation of the ribosomal protein S6 on its regulatory phosphosites ser235/236 and ser240/s244. Notably, this occurred absent any effect on the phosphorylation of the upstream proteins mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) or p70 S6 Kinase (S6K) and could not be reversed by inhibiting BCKDH phosphorylation with the small molecule, BT2. Thus Ppm1K appears to regulate S6 independently of mTOR, S6K, and BCKDH. Surface sensing of translation (SUnSET) studies revealed that the increase in S6 phosphorylation in PPm1K KD INS1 cells is associated with a 2-fold increase in protein translation rate. Accordingly, PPm1K KD increased both insulin content and glucose stimulated insulin secretion in INS1 cells. In line with the higher translation rate, PPm1K KD cells displayed signs of endoplasmic reticulum stress including increased expression of spliced xbp1 and Bip mRNA. In conclusion, our data highlight a new role for PPm1K in pancreatic beta cells, as a mechanism connecting glucose sensing to protein translation via modulation of S6 phosphorylation. Disclosure Y. Deleye: None. J. Herring: None. K.H. Hess: None. B. Leininger: None. R.W. McGarrah: None. J.S. Tessem: None. P.J. White: None. Funding American Diabetes Association/Pathway to Stop Diabetes (1-16-INI-17 to P.J.W.)

A line VISAR (Velocity Interferometer System for Any Reflector) has been designed and commissioned at the Sandia National Laboratory’s Z-machine. The instrument consists of an F/2 collection system, beam transport, and an interferometer table that contains two Mach–Zehnder type interferometers and an eight channel Gated Optical Imaging (GOI) system. The VISAR probe laser operates at the 532 nm wavelength, and the GOI bandpass is 540–600 nm. The output of each interferometer is passed to an optical streak camera with four selectable sweep speeds. The system is designed with three interchangeable optics modules to select a full field of view of 1 mm, 2 mm, or 4 mm. The optical beam transport system connects the target image plane to the interferometers and the gated optical imagers. The target is integrated into a sacrificial final optics assembly that is integral to the transport beamline.

To test the predictive power of ab initio nuclear structure theory, the lifetime of the second 2(+) state in neutron-rich O-20, tau(2(2)(+)) = 150(-30)(+80) fs, and an estimate for the lifetime of ...

A thermal calorimetric apparatus was designed, built and calibrated for measuring the activity of the artificial 144 Ce —144 Pr antineutrino source. This measurement will be performed at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso in Italy, just before the source insertion in the tunnel under the Borexino detector and a precision better than 1% is required for a disappearance technique measurement in the SOX (Short distance neutrino Oscillation with BoreXino) project. In this work the apparatus is described and the most important results from the calibration measurements are shown, where the final precision of few per thousand is demonstrated.

A challenge for the TW-class accelerators driving $Z$-pinch experiments, such as Sandia National Laboratories' $Z$ machine, is to efficiently couple power from multiple storage banks into a single multi-MA transmission line. The physical processes that lead to current loss are identified in new large-scale, multidimensional simulations of the $Z$ machine. Kinetic models follow the range of physics occurring during a pulse, from vacuum pulse propagation to charged-particle emission and magnetically-insulated current flow to electrode plasma expansion. Simulations demonstrate that current is diverted from the load through a combination of standard transport (uninsulated charged-particle flows) and anomalous transport. Standard transport occurs in regions where the electrode current density is a few $1{0}^{4}\ensuremath{-}{10}^{5}\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{A}/{\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$ and current is diverted from the load via transport without magnetic insulation. In regions with electrode current density $g{10}^{6}\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{A}/{\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$, electrode surface plasmas develop velocity-shear instabilities and a Hall-field-related transport which scales with electron density and may, therefore, lead to increased current loss.

Transient absorption (TA) spectroscopy is uniquely suited for understanding kinetic processes initiated by light over vast ranges of time. In combination with white light probes, the recorded differential absorption spectra can contain spectroscopic signatures characteristic of specific charge carrier population densities. However, disentangling the often-complex and convoluted spectra is made challenging without robust analysis methods relating the underlying physical mechanisms to the spectral components. In this work, we address the origin of the transient spectra of a model system of emerging solar energy harvesting materials using a monoclinic BiVO4 thin film. Using ground-state optical properties of the semiconductor, we find the main derivative-like spectral response to be related to shifting and broadening of oscillators, rather than specific carrier-related transitions. However, by using the Drude optical model of free carriers, we also identify the transient response related to free-hole density...

The solvent 1,2-butylene carbonate (1,2-BC) displays a set of properties and a price comparable with that of propylene carbonate (PC). In this work we investigate the use of 1,2-BC in combination with the salt butyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium tetrafluoroborate (Pyr14BF4). We showed that the electrolyte 1.5 M Pyr14BF4 in BC displays good conductivities and viscosities, and that is use allows the realization of EDLCs with operative cell potential as high as 3.15 V. These high potential devices display good cycling stability at room temperature. At higher temperature their stability appears comparable of that of devices containing standard electrolytes.

Summary This review supplies an overview about the most recent work which has been carried out toward the realization of innovative non-aqueous electrolytes for high energy electrochemical capacitors (EDLCs). The solvents, conducting salts and ionic liquids proposed in the past years are discussed, and their impact on the EDLC performance is critically analyzed. Furthermore, the actual status of the research dedicated to the identification, characterization and application of novel electrolytes is analyzed. The aim of this latter section is to supply indications about the most important aspects, which still need to be investigated in order to realize a novel generation of electrolytes suitable for the realization of high energy EDLCs.

Summary Climate change and increased extraction of agricultural residues for bioenergy can adversely affect soil fertility. A more accurate understanding of biomass that remains in or on arable soil is necessary to improve results of carbon (C) balances of cropped land. Mechanical and manual harvesting of winter wheat grain and material other than grain (MOG) were carried out at three field stations in Thuringia, Germany, in 2012 and 2013. We compared various methods of harvesting MOG, which resulted in different straw/grain ratios (SGR) and their effect on C balancing. For all experiments, the total biomass yield and SGR were larger for manual than mechanical harvesting. Substantial differences in SGR resulted for the various methods of mechanical MOG recovery. Surprisingly, methods of harvesting without biomass deposition to the soil surface cannot be regarded as more accurate in general than those with intermediate MOG deposition. Using these SGRs to determine the amount of MOG available for the maintenance of soil organic carbon (SOC) resulted in an underestimate of the actual biomass by up to 47%. For stubble heights of 5–15 cm, a mean of 8–22% of MOG remained in the field as stubble. Thus, the method of MOG assessment should be considered for SGR values used to calculate the C input as a model parameter. We demonstrated that SOC is underestimated by up to 24% when the simplified C turnover model CANDY Carbon Balance (CCB) is not parameterized correctly. Highlights How do specific straw/grain ratios (SGR) of wheat change modelled carbon accumulation? Removal of straw from arable soil for energy provision will gain more attention. Default SGR of the selected carbon model underestimates biomass input to soil by ∼47%. Consequently carbon accumulation is underestimated by up to 24%.

Heterostructured nanocomposites offer promise for creating systems exhibiting functional properties that exceed those of the isolated components. For solar energy conversion, such combinations of semiconducting nanomaterials can be used to direct charge transfer along pathways that reduce recombination and promote efficient charge extraction. However, interfacial energetics and associated kinetic pathways often differ significantly from predictions derived from the characteristics of pure component materials, particularly at the nanoscale. Here, the emergent properties of TiO2/BiVO4 nanocomposite photoanodes are explored using a combination of X-ray and optical spectroscopies, together with photoelectrochemical (PEC) characterization. Application of these methods to both the pure components and the fully assembled nanocomposites reveals unpredicted interfacial energetic alignment, which promotes ultrafast injection of electrons from BiVO4 into TiO2. Physical charge separation yields extremely long-lived photoexcited states and correspondingly enhanced photoelectrochemical functionality. This work highlights the importance of probing emergent interfacial energetic alignment and kinetic processes for understanding mechanisms of solar energy conversion in complex nanocomposites.

Antiestrogen-resistant and triple-negative breast tumors pose a serious clinical challenge because of limited treatment options. We assessed global gene expression changes in antiestrogen-sensitive compared with antiestrogen-resistant (two tamoxifen resistant and two fulvestrant resistant) MCF-7 breast cancer cell lines. The branched-chain amino acid transaminase 1 (BCAT1), which catalyzes the first step in the breakdown of branched-chain amino acids, was among the most upregulated transcripts in antiestrogen-resistant cells. Elevated BCAT1 expression was confirmed in relapsed tamoxifen-resistant breast tumor specimens. High intratumoral BCAT1 levels were associated with a reduced relapse-free survival in adjuvant tamoxifen-treated patients and overall survival in unselected patients. On a tissue microarray (n=1421), BCAT1 expression was detectable in 58% of unselected primary breast carcinomas and linked to a higher Ki-67 proliferation index, as well as histological grade. Interestingly, BCAT1 was predominantly expressed in estrogen receptor-α-negative/human epidermal growth factor receptor-2-positive (ERα-negative/HER-2-positive) and triple-negative breast cancers in independent patient cohorts. The inverse relationship between BCAT1 and ERα was corroborated in various breast cancer cell lines and pharmacological long-term depletion of ERα induced BCAT1 expression in vitro. Mechanistically, BCAT1 indirectly controlled expression of the cell cycle inhibitor p27Kip1 thereby affecting pRB. Correspondingly, phenotypic analyses using a lentiviral-mediated BCAT1 short hairpin RNA knockdown revealed that BCAT1 sustains proliferation in addition to migration and invasion and that its overexpression enhanced the capacity of antiestrogen-sensitive cells to grow in the presence of antiestrogens. Importantly, silencing of BCAT1 in an orthotopic triple-negative xenograft model resulted in a massive reduction of tumor volume in vivo, supporting our findings that BCAT1 is necessary for the growth of hormone-independent breast tumors.

Background Controlling indoor air quality and the airborne transmission of infectious agents in hospitals is critical. The most hazardous particles and pathogens are not easily eliminated by traditionally passive air cleansing. Methods We studied the effect of a novel particle control technology on airborne particulate matter in 2 live real-world operating room settings and on pathogen survival in a microbiology laboratory. Results Particle control technology reduced operating room particle and pathogen loads by 94.4% in a community hospital operating room, and by 95% in an academic medical center operating room. The addition of particle control technology to a collector loaded with a biologic warfare surrogate resulted in a 95% kill rate of an anthrax surrogate (Bacillus subtilis) within 3 hours. Discussion Deployment of this emerging technology could significantly reduce indoor air contamination and associated infections in operating rooms, hospital isolation rooms, and intensive care settings, as well as reduce inflammatory responses to airborne particles. Conclusions The particle control technology studied may protect patients from hospital-acquired infections, reduce inflammatory pulmonary disease, and mitigate exposure to biologic weapons.

The chapter explores an evolutionary, strategic account of gossip—the exchange of reputation-relevant information—arguing that gossip can be used to increase the reputations of oneself or one’s allies, relative to the reputations of competitors, in order to increase access to contested group resources. The chapter compares gossip with another strategy that can be used to deter competitors, physical aggression. It reviews developmental research on physical and nonphysical aggression, evolutionary accounts of physical and nonphysical aggression in humans, and socioecological accounts of competition for resources in nonhuman primates. It also discusses aspects of human socioecology in small-scale societies where resource competition can lead to physical aggression and/or the strategic use of gossip in reputation manipulation. The chapter argues that, whereas physical aggression predominates in competition between groups, when competition for resources is occurring within a group, gossip is superior to physical aggression as a competitive strategy.