The Application of Electron Backscatter Diffraction on Halide Perovskite Materials

Recently, the application of electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) in halide perovskites has enabled the correlation of the micro‐structural arrangement of polycrystalline grains with other properties (optical, electrical, mechanical, and chemical) in a “pixel‐by‐pixel” approach. Most studies so far have used an ultra‐sensitive electron beam detector that has sensitivity thousands of times higher than a traditional scintillator screen and charge coupled device camera, enabling much lower beam currents. An alternative approach has been the use of low vacuum measurement conditions to avoid charge buildup that leads to damage. This review focuses on introducing the classical EBSD technique to the halide perovskite community, where it has been highly underutilized due to beaminduced damage in these relatively unstable materials. Recent research is used to dispel some common misconceptions about grain boundaries in halide perovskites and highlight what has been learned by comparing and correlating EBSD with other techniques. Additionally, the remaining limitations, development challenges, and future of the EBSD technique for halide perovskites are discussed. Successful utilization of the EBSD technique as a common characterization tool in the halide perovskite community will enable scientists and engineers to develop maps of cross correlated properties, helping to unlock the full potential of this complex material system.     

Field trials of synthetic sex pheromone lures for the large cabbage-heart caterpillar moth, Crocidolomia pavonana (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) in Indonesia

The efficacy of synthetic female sex pheromone lures for Crocidolomia pavonana (Fabricius) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) in the cabbage fields of Java and Bali, Indonesia, was investigated by varying the composition and dosage of the components. The lure containing a synthetic pheromone blend of (Z)-11-hexadecenyl acetate (Z11–16: Ac) and (Z)-9-tetradecenyl acetate (Z9–14: Ac) at a 10:1 ratio acquired significantly more male catches than single component lures and the control lure. Meanwhile, no attraction was observed when lures with 1:1 and 1:10 blends were tested. The composition of Z11–16: Ac and Z9–14: Ac at a ratio of 5, 10 and 20:1 attracted more males than the control lures. Dosage studies showed that 0.055 and 0.55 mg of a mixture of Z11–16: Ac and Z9–14: Ac (10:1 ratio) attracted more males than the control. These results are the first demonstration of the efficacy of synthetic pheromone for C. pavonana in field conditions. The present study suggests the feasibility of pheromone-based monitoring as a simple and low-cost technique for integrated pest management of this pest.     

抗坏血酸对酵母蔗糖酶的激活动力学研究

采用甲苯自溶法从鲜酵母中提取了蔗糖酶,并用乙醇分级及ＤＥＡＥ－纤维素柱层析进行了纯化,用ＰＡＧ凝胶电泳作了纯度鉴定,在ｐＨ５．０,３０℃条件下进行了酶反应,用双倒数作图法测出其Ｋｍ＝２．１×１０－２ｍｏｌ／Ｌ,Ｖｍａｘ＝０．２６（每分钟的光密度值）．在此系统中,加入不同浓度的抗坏血酸（Ｖｉｔ．Ｃ）,发现其具有激活作用并存在量效关系．双倒数作图显示：酶的表观Ｖｍａｘ（Ｖｐ）随抗坏血酸浓度的增加而增大,但其表观Ｋｍ（Ｋｐ）不变（Ｋｐ＝Ｋｍ）．经实验结果分析,推论出抗坏血酸激活作用的酶促反应方程式,并推导出反应速度公式     

A bioenergetic model for simulating athletic performance of intermediate duration

Simulating factors affecting human athletic performance, including fatigue, requires a dynamic model of the bioenergetic capabilities of the athlete. To address general cases, the model needs inputs, outputs, and states with a set of differential equations describing how the inputs affect the states and outputs as functions of time. We improve an existing phenomenological muscle model, removing unnecessarily fast dynamic behavior, adding force–velocity dependence, and generalizing it to task level activities. This makes it more suitable for simulating and calculating optimal strategies of athletic events of medium duration (longer than a sprint but shorter than a marathon). To examine the validity and limitations of the model, parameters have been identified from numerical fits to published experimental data.     

Effect of sulphur nutrition on redistribution of sulphur in vegetative barley

Xenobiotics directed against sterol biosynthesis have proved to be useful tools in the determination of which sterol molecules are necessary for successful plant cell growth. However, the exact mode of action by which sterols are able to trigger cell growth remains to be elucidated. Previous studies using the triazole paclobutrazol, demonstrated that in Apium graveolens (cv. New Dwarf White) suspension cultures, sterol and phosphatidylcholine biosynthesis are co-ordinately regulated (C. E. Rolph and L. J. Goad 1991, Physiol. Plant. 83: 605–610). The studies presented herein, were designed to investigate the possible role of phosphatidylcholine in the stimulation of plant cell growth. Sterol biosynthesis, and hence cell growth, was inhibited by the use of the azole xenobiotic miconazole. Treatment of the cultures with miconazole lead to compositional changes in the free sterol content of the cells. For example, 30 μM miconazole treatment led to a reduction in the stigmasterol/sitosterol ratios from 1.53 to 1.24. In contrast, the phospholipid content of the cells remained relatively unchanged with phosphatidylcholine accounting for approximately 25% of the total phospholipids present in both control and miconazole-treated cells. The cytostatic effect of miconazole could be partially counteracted by supplementation of the growth medium with the phytosterol stigmasterol and/or the unsaturated fatty acids oleate and linoleate. The activity of CTP:cholinephosphate cytidylyltransferase (EC 2.7.7.15), a rate-limiting enzyme in phosphatidylcholine biosynthesis, was significantly reduced in cells whose growth had been arrested by miconazole treatment. In miconazole-treated cultures whose growth had been partially restored by supplementation with either specific sterols or unesterified fatty acids, the activity of this key enzyme was increased. In the case of stigmasterol, oleate and linoleate supplementation, the microsomal activity was found to be similar to that exhibited by control cultures. From these studies, it may be concluded that certain phytosterols and unsaturated fatty acids play key roles with respect to phosphatidylcholine biosynthesis and that phosphatidylcholine biosynthesis via the CDP-base pathway is an important pre- and/or co-requisite for successful culture growth.     

Quantifying killing of orangutans and human-orangutan conflict in Kalimantan, Indonesia

Human-orangutan conflict and hunting are thought to pose a serious threat to orangutan existence in Kalimantan, the Indonesian part of Borneo. No data existed prior to the present study to substantiate these threats. We investigated the rates, spatial distribution and causes of conflict and hunting through an interview-based survey in the orangutan's range in Kalimantan, Indonesia. Between April 2008 and September 2009, we interviewed 6983 respondents in 687 villages to obtain socio-economic information, assess knowledge of local wildlife in general and orangutan encounters specifically, and to query respondents about their knowledge on orangutan conflicts and killing, and relevant laws. This survey revealed estimated killing rates of between 750 and 1800 animals killed in the last year, and between 1950 and 3100 animals killed per year on average within the lifetime of the survey respondents. These killing rates are higher than previously thought and are high enough to pose a serious threat to the continued existence of orangutans in Kalimantan. Importantly, the study contributes to our understanding of the spatial variation in threats, and the underlying causes of those threats, which can be used to facilitate the development of targeted conservation management.     

Cerebrospinal fluid neopterin as marker of the meningo-encephalitic stage of Trypanosoma brucei gambiense sleeping sickness

Background

Sleeping sickness, or human African trypanosomiasis (HAT), is a protozoan disease that affects rural communities in sub-Saharan Africa. Determination of the disease stage, essential for correct treatment, represents a key issue in the management of patients. In the present study we evaluated the potential of CXCL10, CXCL13, ICAM-1, VCAM-1, MMP-9, B2MG, neopterin and IgM to complement current methods for staging Trypanosoma brucei gambiense patients.

Methods and Findings

Five hundred and twelve T. b. gambiense HAT patients originated from Angola, Chad and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (D.R.C.). Their classification as stage 2 (S2) was based on the number of white blood cells (WBC) (>5/µL) or presence of parasites in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). The CSF concentration of the eight markers was first measured on a training cohort encompassing 100 patients (44 S1 and 56 S2). IgM and neopterin were the best in discriminating between the two stages of disease with 86.4% and 84.1% specificity respectively, at 100% sensitivity. When a validation cohort (412 patients) was tested, neopterin (14.3 nmol/L) correctly classified 88% of S1 and S2 patients, confirming its high staging power. On this second cohort, neopterin also predicted both the presence of parasites, and of neurological signs, with the same ability as IgM and WBC, the current reference for staging.

Conclusions

This study has demonstrated that neopterin is an excellent biomarker for staging T. b. gambiense HAT patients. A rapid diagnostic test for detecting this metabolite in CSF could help in more accurate stage determination.