Genomic evaluation for breeding and genetic management in Cordia africana, a multipurpose tropical tree species.

BACKGROUND: Planting tested forest reproductive material is crucial to ensure the increased resilience of intensively managed productive stands for timber and wood product markets under climate change scenarios. Single-step Genomic Best Linear Unbiased Prediction (ssGBLUP) analysis is a cost-effective option for using genomic tools to enhance the accuracy of predicted breeding values and genetic parameter estimation in forest tree species. Here, we tested the efficiency of ssGBLUP in a tropical multipurpose tree species, Cordia africana, by partial population genotyping. A total of 8070 trees from three breeding seedling orchards (BSOs) were phenotyped for height. We genotyped 6.1% of the phenotyped individuals with 4373 single nucleotide polymorphisms. The results of ssGBLUP were compared with pedigree-based best linear unbiased prediction (ABLUP) and genomic best linear unbiased prediction (GBLUP), based on genetic parameters, theoretical accuracy of breeding values, selection candidate ranking, genetic gain, and predictive accuracy and prediction bias. RESULTS: Genotyping a subset of the study population provided insights into the level of relatedness in BSOs, allowing better genetic management. Due to the inbreeding detected within the genotyped provenances, we estimated genetic parameters both with and without accounting for inbreeding. The ssGBLUP model showed improved performance in terms of additive genetic variance and theoretical breeding value accuracy. Similarly, ssGBLUP showed improved predictive accuracy and lower bias than the pedigree-based relationship matrix (ABLUP). CONCLUSIONS: This study of C. africana, a species in decline due to deforestation and selective logging, revealed inbreeding depression. The provenance exhibiting the highest level of inbreeding had the poorest overall performance. The use of different relationship matrices and accounting for inbreeding did not substantially affect the ranking of candidate individuals. This is the first study of this approach in a tropical multipurpose tree species, and the analysed BSOs represent the primary effort to breed C. africana.

Bidirectional electrostatic MEMS-tunable VCSELs.

Microelectromechanical system (MEMS) vertical cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) are the fastest coherently tunable lasers (nm/ns) due to their unique Doppler-assisted tuning mechanism. However, in standard electrostatic actuation, the response is highly nonlinear and large (>100 V) dynamic voltages are needed for MHz sweep rates. We present a bidirectional MEMS VCSEL as a solution to these challenges where static voltages can be used to enable substantially linear and amplified wavelength tuning with respect to the fast tuning (MEMS) voltage. Using an InP/SOI MEMS bonded structure, we show a tuning range of 54.5 nm (gain limited) centered around 1586 nm at an actuation frequency of 2.73 MHz.

Being an adolescent with epilepsy during the transition from pediatric to adult hospital care: A qualitative descriptive study.

BACKGROUND: The transition from pediatric to adult care is challenging for adolescent patients despite numerous recommendations in recent decades. However, the perspective of the patients is sparsely investigated. AIM: To explore the experiences and needs of adolescents with epilepsy (AWE) during the transition from pediatric to adult hospital care. METHODS: We conducted 15 semi-structured interviews with AWEs aged 13-20 years and 10 h of field observations of consultations. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, anonymized, and entered into NVivo (version 12, QSR International) with the transcribed field notes. Data were analyzed using systematic text condensation. RESULTS: Three themes were identified: (1) Navigating epilepsy in everyday life; (2) The difficult balance between concealment and openness about epilepsy; and (3) Being seen as an individual and not an illness. AWEs' needs in transition are closely associated with their experiences and perceptions of illness, treatment, consultations, and seizures. Notably, AWEs reveal a significant concern about being overlooked beyond their medical condition in appointments. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the vulnerability and challenges of AWEs transitioning to adult care. Overall, AWEs seek understanding, acceptance, and autonomy in managing their epilepsy and transitioning to adult care. Their experiences underscore the importance of holistic support and communication in healthcare settings. A concerted effort from healthcare professionals (HCP) is necessary to foster the recognition of AWEs as individuals with distinct personalities, needs, and capabilities.

The impact of COVID-19 restrictions on sexual assault in Western Denmark.

This study sets out to investigate whether the 15-month nationwide COVID-19 lockdown in Denmark had an impact on the victim demographics, location of sexual assaults, and relationship between victim and perpetrator in the Western part of Denmark compared to the 15 months prior to the lockdown initiatives. This study is a retrospective study including a total of 596 cases. Cases were identified in the database of the Department of Forensic Medicine Aarhus, including cases labeled "rape," "attempted rape," and "later reported." 315 cases were found between March 11th 2020 and June 10th 2021 (lockdown) and 281 cases were found between December 11th 2018 and March 10th 2020(pre-lockdown). Fewer victims were in the age group 15-24 during lockdown (58.4%) than pre-lockdown (71.7%). Fewer stranger rapes occurred during lockdown (11%) than pre-lockdown (19.7%). During lockdown, more sexual assault occurred at a private site (80.1%) than pre-lockdown (60%); correspondingly, fewer public sexual assaults occurred during lockdown (10.3%) than pre-lockdown (26%). No statistically significant difference was observed regarding police reporting of the assault or alcohol intake in the victim prior to assault. We found an overall change in demographics regarding sexual assaults during the lockdown period indicating the restrictions during the lockdown could have affected the patterns of sexual assault in Denmark.

Design of a robust photonic crystal mirror for MEMS VCSELs.

Wavelength tunable lasers with narrow dynamic linewidths are essential in many applications, such as optical coherence tomography and LiDAR. In this letter, we present a 2D mirror design that provides large optical bandwidth and high reflection while being stiffer than 1D mirrors. Specifically, we investigate the effect of rounded corners of rectangles as they are transferred from the CAD to the wafer by lithography and etching.

In situoff-axis electron holography of real-time dopant diffusion in GaAs nanowires.

Off-axis electron holography was used to reveal remote doping in GaAs nanowires occurring duringin situannealing in a transmission electron microscope. Dynamic changes to the electrostatic potential caused by carbon dopant diffusion upon annealing were measured across GaAs nanowires with radial p-p+ core-shell junctions. Electrostatic potential profiles were extracted from holographic phase maps and built-in potentials (Vbi) and depletion layer widths (DLWs) were estimated as function of temperature over 300-873 K. Simulations in absence of remote doping predict a significant increase ofVbiand DLWs with temperature. In contrast, we measured experimentally a nearly constantVbiand a weak increase of DLWs. Moreover, we observed the appearance of a depression in the potential profile of the core upon annealing. We attribute these deviations from the predicted behavior to carbon diffusion from the shell to the core through the nanowire sidewalls, i.e. to remote doping, becoming significant at 673 K. The DLW in the p and p+ regions are in the 10-30 nm range.

Element concentrations, histology and serum biochemistry of arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus) and shorthorn sculpins (Myoxocephalus scorpius) in northwest Greenland.

The increasing exploratory efforts in the Greenland mineral industry, and in particular, the proposed rare earth element (REE) mining projects, requires an urgent need to generate data on baseline REE concentrations and their potential environmental impacts. Herein, we have investigated REE concentrations in anadromous Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus) and shorthorn sculpins (Myoxocephalus scorpius) from uncontaminated sites in Northwest Greenland, along with the relationships between the element concentrations in gills and liver, and gill histology and serum biochemical parameters. Concentrations of arsenic, silver, cadmium, cerium, chromium, copper, dysprosium, mercury, lanthanum, neodymium, lead, selenium, yttrium, and zinc in gills, liver and muscle are presented. No significant statistical correlations were observed between element concentrations in different organs and gill histology or serum biochemical parameters. However, we observed positive relationships between age and histopathology, emphasizing the importance of including age as a co-variable in histological studies of fish. Despite no element-induced effects were observed, this study is considered an important baseline study, which can be used as a reference for the assessment of impacts of potential future REE mine sites in Greenland.

Dynamic Interfacial Reaction Rates from Electrochemistry-Mass Spectrometry.

Electrochemistry-mass spectrometry is a versatile and reliable tool to study the interfacial reaction rates of Faradaic processes with high temporal resolutions. However, the measured mass spectrometric signals typically do not directly correspond to the partial current density toward the analyte due to mass transport effects. Here, we introduce a mathematical framework, grounded on a mass transport model, to obtain a quantitative and truly dynamic partial current density from a measured mass spectrometer signal by means of deconvolution. Furthermore, it is shown that the time resolution of electrochemistry-mass spectrometry is limited by entropy-driven processes during mass transport to the mass spectrometer. The methodology is validated by comparing the measured impulse responses of hydrogen and oxygen evolution to the model predictions and subsequently applied to uncover dynamic phenomena during hydrogen and oxygen evolution in an acidic electrolyte.

Effective electrical resistivity in a square array of oriented square inclusions.

The continuing miniaturization of optoelectronic devices, alongside the rise of electromagnetic metamaterials, poses an ongoing challenge to nanofabrication. With the increasing impracticality of quality control at a single-feature (-device) resolution, there is an increasing demand for array-based metrologies, where compliance to specifications can be monitored via signals arising from a multitude of features (devices). To this end, a square grid with quadratic sub-features is amongst the more common designs in nanotechnology (e.g. nanofishnets, nanoholes, nanopyramids, µLED arrays etc). The electrical resistivity of such a quadratic grid may be essential to its functionality; it can also be used to characterize the critical dimensions of the periodic features. While the problem of the effective electrical resistivity ρ eff of a thin sheet with resistivity ρ 1, hosting a doubly-periodic array of oriented square inclusions with resistivity ρ 2, has been treated before (Obnosov 1999 SIAM J. Appl. Math. 59 1267-87), a closed-form solution has been found for only one case, where the inclusion occupies c = 1/4 of the unit cell. Here we combine first-principle approximations, numerical modeling, and mathematical analysis to generalize ρ eff for an arbitrary inclusion size (0 < c < 1). We find that in the range 0.01 ≤ c ≤ 0.99, ρ eff may be approximated (to within <0.3% error with respect to finite element simulations) by: [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text] whereby at the limiting cases of c â†’ 0 and c â†’ 1, α approaches asymptotic values of α = 2.039 and α = 1/c - 1, respectively. The applicability of the approximation to considerably more complex structures, such as recursively-nested inclusions and/or nonplanar topologies, is demonstrated and discussed. While certainly not limited to, the theory is examined from within the scope of micro four-point probe (M4PP) metrology, which currently lacks data reduction schemes for periodic materials whose cell is smaller than the typical µm-scale M4PP footprint.

Single-shot, omni-directional x-ray scattering imaging with a laboratory source and single-photon localization.

Omni-directional, ultra-small-angle x-ray scattering imaging provides a method to measure the orientation of micro-structures without having to resolve them. In this letter, we use single-photon localization with the Timepix3 chip to demonstrate, to the best of our knowledge, the first laboratory-based implementation of single-shot, omni-directional x-ray scattering imaging using the beam-tracking technique. The setup allows a fast and accurate retrieval of the scattering signal using a simple absorption mask. We suggest that our new approach may enable faster laboratory-based tensor tomography and could be used for energy-resolved x-ray scattering imaging.

In situ TEM modification of individual silicon nanowires and their charge transport mechanisms.

Correlating the structure and composition of nanowires grown by the vapour-liquid-solid (VLS) mechanism with their electrical properties is essential for designing nanowire devices. In situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) that can image while simultaneously measuring the current-voltage (I-V) characteristics of individual isolated nanowires is a unique tool for linking changes in structure with electronic transport. Here we grow and electrically connect silicon nanowires inside a TEM to perform in situ electrical measurements on individual nanowires both at high temperature and upon surface oxidation, as well as under ambient conditions. As-grown, the oxide-free nanowires have nonlinear I-V characteristics. We analyse the I-V measurements in terms of both bulk and injection limited transport models, finding Joule heating effects, bulk-limiting effects for thin nanowires and an injection-limiting effect for thick wires when high voltages are applied. When the nanowire surface is modified by in situ oxidation, drastic changes occur in the electronic properties. We investigate the relation between the observed geometry, changes in the surface structure and changes in electronic transport, obtaining information for individual nanowires that is inaccessible to other measuring techniques.

Bioreactor-based advances in plant tissue and cell culture: challenges and prospects.

Bioreactors are engineered systems capable of supporting a biologically active situation for conducting aerobic or anaerobic biochemical processes. Stability, operational ease, improved nutrient uptake capacity, time- and cost-effectiveness, and large quantities of biomass production, make bioreactors suitable alternatives to conventional plant tissue and cell culture (PTCC) methods. Bioreactors are employed in a wide range of plant research, and have evolved over time. Such technological progress, has led to remarkable achievements in the field of PTCC. Since the classification of bioreactors has been extensively reviewed in numerous reviews, the current article avoids repeating the same material. Alternatively, it aims to highlight the principal advances in the bioreactor hardware s used in PTCC rather than classical categorization. Furthermore, our review summarizes the most significant steps as well as current state-of-the-art of PTCC carried out in various types of bioreactor.

Post-mortem toxicology in young sudden cardiac death victims: a nationwide cohort study.

Aims: Several drugs increase the risk of ventricular fibrillation and sudden cardiac death (SCD). We aimed to investigate in detail the toxicological findings of all young SCD throughout Denmark. Methods and results: Deaths in persons aged 1-49 years were included over a 10-year period. Death certificates and autopsy reports were retrieved and read to identify cases of sudden death and establish cause of death. All medico-legal autopsied SCD were included and toxicological reports collected. Positive toxicology was defined as the presence of any substance (licit and/or illicit). All toxicological findings had previously been evaluated not to have caused the death (i.e. lethal concentrations were excluded). We identified 620 medico-legal autopsied cases of SCD, of which 77% (n = 477) were toxicologically investigated post-mortem, and 57% (n = 270) had a positive toxicology profile. Sudden cardiac death with positive toxicology had higher rates of sudden arrhythmic death syndrome (SADS), compared with SCD with negative toxicology (56% vs. 42%, P < 0.01). In total, 752 agents were detected, and polypharmacy (defined as the presence of more than one drug) was present in 61% (n = 164), all substances combined. Psychotropic drugs were the most frequent (62%, n = 467), and 82% (n = 385) were in pharmacological or subpharmacological levels. Conclusion: We found that more than half of all toxicologically investigated SCD victims have positive post-mortem toxicological findings, and polypharmacy is displayed in a considerable proportion. SCD with positive toxicology had higher rate of SADS, suggesting that the compounds may play a proarrhythmic role in these cases.

Comparison of heavy metals, parasites and histopathology in sculpins (Myoxocephalus spp.) from two sites at a lead-zinc mine in North East Greenland.

The former lead-zinc mine at Mestersvig, Greenland, continues to contaminate the surrounding environment despite its operations ceasing over 50 years ago. Elevated concentrations of heavy metals are found in water, sediment and biota in the terrestrial, freshwater and marine environments. To shed light on the present contamination and its potential effects on local fish we investigated gill and liver histology of sculpins (Myoxocephalus spp.) around the former mining area. Two species of sculpins were caught; shorthorn sculpins (M. scorpius; n = 16) and fourhorn sculpins (M. quadricornis; n = 17) at a contaminated site, Nyhavn, and shorthorn sculpins (M. scorpius; n = 25) at the reference site. In a previous study we found histopathological changes in the tissues of the sculpins, and we suspected this to be related to elevated heavy metal tissue concentrations. Concentrations of Fe, Hg, Mn, Pb, Se and Zn were significantly higher in sculpins at Nyhavn compared to the reference site. Reference NOED and LOEC thresholds for biochemistry, tissue lesions, growth, survival and reproduction for hepatic Hg, As, Cd and Pb from the ERED database were exceeded in both sculpin species. Histopathological investigations of the sculpins gills revealed significant increases in the prevalence of hyperplastic epithelium, inflammation, intensity of neutral and total mucus cells and chloride cells along with an increased infection of colonial Peritricha. At the contaminated Nyhavn site, fourhorn sculpins had a significantly higher prevalence of chondroplastic tissue and intensity of neutral, mixed and total mucus cells in the gills compared to the shorthorn sculpins. The data indicate that both sculpin species could be useful indicator species for environmental monitoring of metal pollution in Arctic areas. However, confounding effects of gender and species should be investigated further. Effects on other biomarkers as well as baseline measurements should be included in future environmental monitoring efforts around mining activities in Greenland.

Strategies for stable water splitting via protected photoelectrodes.

Photoelectrochemical (PEC) solar-fuel conversion is a promising approach to provide clean and storable fuel (e.g., hydrogen and methanol) directly from sunlight, water and CO2. However, major challenges still have to be overcome before commercialization can be achieved. One of the largest barriers to overcome is to achieve a stable PEC reaction in either strongly basic or acidic electrolytes without degradation of the semiconductor photoelectrodes. In this work, we discuss fundamental aspects of protection strategies for achieving stable solid/liquid interfaces. We then analyse the charge transfer mechanism through the protection layers for both photoanodes and photocathodes. In addition, we review protection layer approaches and their stabilities for a wide variety of experimental photoelectrodes for water reduction. Finally, we discuss key aspects which should be addressed in continued work on realizing stable and practical PEC solar water splitting systems.

Field Effect in Graphene-Based van der Waals Heterostructures: Stacking Sequence Matters.

Stacked van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures where semiconducting two-dimensional (2D) materials are contacted by overlaid graphene electrodes enable atomically thin, flexible electronics. We use first-principles quantum transport simulations of graphene-contacted MoS2 devices to show how the transistor effect critically depends on the stacking configuration relative to the gate electrode. We can trace this behavior to the stacking-dependent response of the contact region to the capacitive electric field induced by the gate. The contact resistance is a central parameter and our observation establishes an important design rule for ultrathin devices based on 2D atomic crystals.

Nanomechanical Infrared Spectroscopy with Vibrating Filters for Pharmaceutical Analysis.

Standard infrared spectroscopy techniques are well-developed and widely used. However, they typically require milligrams of sample and can involve time-consuming sample preparation. A promising alternative is represented by nanomechanical infrared spectroscopy (NAM-IR) based on the photothermal response of a nanomechanical resonator, which enables the chemical analysis of picograms of analyte directly from a liquid solution in only a few minutes. Herein, we present NAM-IR using perforated membranes (filters). The method was tested with the pharmaceutical compound indomethacin to successfully perform a chemical and morphological analysis on roughly 100 pg of sample. With an absolute estimated sensitivity of 109±15 fg, the presented method is suitable for ultrasensitive vibrational spectroscopy.

Novel micro-reactor flow cell for investigation of model catalysts using in situ grazing-incidence X-ray scattering.

The design, fabrication and performance of a novel and highly sensitive micro-reactor device for performing in situ grazing-incidence X-ray scattering experiments of model catalyst systems is presented. The design of the reaction chamber, etched in silicon on insulator (SIO), permits grazing-incidence small-angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS) in transmission through 10 µm-thick entrance and exit windows by using micro-focused beams. An additional thinning of the Pyrex glass reactor lid allows simultaneous acquisition of the grazing-incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering (GIWAXS). In situ experiments at synchrotron facilities are performed utilizing the micro-reactor and a designed transportable gas feed and analysis system. The feasibility of simultaneous in situ GISAXS/GIWAXS experiments in the novel micro-reactor flow cell was confirmed with CO oxidation over mass-selected Ru nanoparticles.

Creating New VLS Silicon Nanowire Contact Geometries by Controlling Catalyst Migration.

The formation of self-assembled contacts between vapor-liquid-solid grown silicon nanowires and flat silicon surfaces was imaged in situ using electron microscopy. By measuring the structural evolution of the contact formation process, we demonstrate how different contact geometries are created by adjusting the balance between silicon deposition and Au migration. We show that electromigration provides an efficient way of controlling the contact. The results point to novel device geometries achieved by direct nanowire growth on devices.

Gold nanoparticle-based sensors activated by external radio frequency fields.

A novel molecular beacon (a nanomachine) is constructed that can be actuated by a radio frequency (RF) field. The nanomachine consists of the following elements arranged in molecular beacon configuration: a gold nanoparticle that acts both as quencher for fluorescence and a localized heat source; one reporter fluorochrome, and; a piece of DNA as a hinge and recognition sequence. When the nanomachines are irradiated with a 3 GHz RF field the fluorescence signal increases due to melting of the stem of the molecular beacon. A control experiment, performed using molecular beacons synthesized by substituting the gold nanoparticle by an organic quencher, shows no increase in fluorescence signal when exposed to the RF field. It may therefore be concluded that the increased fluorescence for the gold nanoparticle-conjugated nanomachines is not due to bulk heating of the solution, but is caused by the presence of the gold nanoparticles and their interaction with the RF field; however, existing models for heating of gold nanoparticles in a RF field are unable to explain the experimental results. Due to the biocompatibility of the construct and RF treatment, the nanomachines may possibly be used inside living cells. In a separate experiment a substantial increase in the dielectric losses can be detected in a RF waveguide setup coupled to a microfluidic channel when gold nanoparticles are added to a low RF loss liquid. This work sheds some light on RF heating of gold nanoparticles, which is a subject of significant controversy in the literature.