Multiple Usages Research Articles

MS05.03 Notch Signalling

The Notch signaling pathway is a highly conserved pathway that has a vital role in embryonic development and post-embryonic functions such as hematopoiesis, neural cell development and angiogenesis (1). The signaling pathway is activated by the interaction of 4 Notch receptors and their interactions with 5 different ligands. Signaling is characterized by juxtacrine interaction between ligands and receptors on neighboring cells or within the same cell. Alterations in this pathway have been detected in several tumors both as tumor promoter and tumor suppressor. Notch signaling does appear to have relevance in non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC) (2). In approximately 30% of NSCLCs loss of Numb, a negative regulator of Notch1, leads to increased Notch activity and about 10% of NSCLCs have gain of function mutations in Notch1. A meta-analysis demonstrated that higher expression of Notch1 was correlated with more advanced tumors (3). In addition, higher expressions of both Notch1 and Notch3 were associated with poor prognosis (4,5). In pre-clinical studies inhibition of Notch3 signaling has reduced growth of lung cancers. In addition, it has been demonstrated that there is cross talk between Notch3 and EGFR pathways and inhibition of both pathways can induce expression of anti-apoptotic protein BIM. Finally, Notch signaling may have a role in induction of the epithelial to mesenchymal phenotype (EMT) in cancers (6). EMT is known to be associated with resistance to both cytotoxic agents and targeted agents and inhibition of Notch signaling can not only reverse EMT but also can enhance the anti-tumor activity of cytotoxic agents such as cisplatin and targeted agents such as erlotinib. The EMT phenotype is frequently observed in a sub-population of cancer cells with self-renewal capacity or cancer stem cells. Notch signaling may be crucial to survival of cancer stem cells and persistence of this population may contribute to resistance to therapeutic agents. In squamous cell lung cancers Notch signaling may have tumor suppressive properties (7). Loss of function mutations in Notch family of genes, predominantly in Notch receptors, are frequently identified in several squamous cell cancers including squamous cell cancer of the lung. Similarly, loss of function mutations in Notch genes, particularly Notch1 have been identified in small cell lung cancer (SCLC). Expression of Notch receptor in a mouse model of SCLC reduced tumor burden, suggesting its tumor suppressive properties. The expression of DLL3, one of the Notch ligands is induced in SCLC by a key transcription factor ASCL1.DLL3 is shown to downregulate Notch signaling in SCLCs and enhance the carcinogenic phenotype. All the above data suggest that Notch signaling is highly contextual. In some tumors this pathway may have tumor suppressive properties but in others tumor promoting properties. Defining the role of this pathway in tumor types may guide development of therapeutic strategies targeting the Notch signaling pathway. Bigas A, Espinosa L. The multiple usages of Notch signaling in development, cell differentiation and cancer. Curr Opin Cell Biol 2018;55:1-7. Westhoff B, Colaluca IN, D’Ario G, et al. Alterations of the Notch pathway in lung cancer. Proc Natl Acad Sci 2009;106:22293-8. Yuan X, Wu H, Xu H, et al. Meta-analysis reveals the correlation of Notch signaling with non-small cell lung cancer progression and prognosis. Sci Rep 2015;5:10338. Donnem T, Andersen S, Al-shibili K, et al. Prognostic impact of Notch ligands and receptors in nonsmall cell lung cancer: coexpression of Notch-1 and vascular endothelial growth factor-A predicts poor survival. Cancer 2010:116:5674-85. Hassan WA, Yoshida R, Kudoh S, et al. Evaluation of role of Notch3 signaling pathway in human lung cancer cells. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 2016;142:981-93. Yuan X, Wu H, Han N, et al. Notch signaling and EMT in non-small cell lung cancer: biological significance and therapeutic application. J Hematol Oncol 2014;7:87. Nowell CS, Radtke F. Notch as a tumor suppressor. Nat Rev Cancer 2017;17:145-159. squamous, Tumor suppressor, NOTCH

Experimental and analytical investigation of structural performance of vertical concrete formworks

In building construction, formwork plays a major role in deciding the duration and schedule of construction activities. In addition, the type of formwork decides the overall cost of a construction project. Currently, major research is being carried out by the construction industry to come up with optimum formwork which enables easy erection and multiple usages without defects. Recyclable and reusable formwork made of recycled plastic is being used as an alternative to conventional wooden formwork. However, the vertical formworks such as column and wall require lateral supports to ensure strength and serviceability, in addition to the stability of formwork. It results in the requirement of large spaces to provide lateral support all around a formwork, which may not be feasible in all the construction sites. Recently, self-sustained column and wall formworks are introduced in India. The structural performance of these formworks needs to be studied for wider application in the construction field. In this study, the strength and serviceability requirements of these formworks (≈ 2.5 m height) are investigated through field experiments without any lateral supports. The lateral pressure on formwork and lateral displacement of formwork exerted by fresh concrete are measured. In addition, measured lateral pressure is compared with estimated lateral pressure by various standards, such as ACI 347, CIRIA 108, and IS 14687. The change in lateral displacement over a time period of 25 h was measured to know the permanent displacement of the wall, as it is sacrificial formwork. These results evidenced that the self-sustained column and wall formworks can be used without any additional supports, however, minimum supports may be required to account for incidental loads.

Graphene-Based Sensing Platform for On-Chip Ochratoxin A Detection.

In this work, we report an on-chip aptasensor for ochratoxin A (OTA) toxin detection that is based on a graphene field-effect transistor (GFET). Graphene-based devices are fabricated via large-scale technology, allowing for upscaling the sensor fabrication and lowering the device cost. The sensor assembly was performed through covalent bonding of graphene’s surface with an aptamer specifically sensitive towards OTA. The results demonstrate fast (within 5 min) response to OTA exposure with a linear range of detection between 4 ng/mL and 10 pg/mL, with a detection limit of 4 pg/mL. The regeneration time constant of the sensor was found to be rather small, only 5.6 s, meaning fast sensor regeneration for multiple usages. The high reproducibility of the sensing response was demonstrated via using several recycling procedures as well as various GFETs. The applicability of the aptasensor to real samples was demonstrated for spiked red wine samples with recovery of about 105% for a 100 pM OTA concentration; the selectivity of the sensor was also confirmed via addition of another toxin, zearalenone. The developed platform opens the way for multiplex sensing of different toxins using an on-chip array of graphene sensors.

North Sea Wave Database (NSWD) and the Need for Reliable Resource Data: A 38 Year Database for Metocean and Wave Energy Assessments

The study presents a newly generated hindcast database of metocean conditions for the region of the North Sea by parametrising the newly introduced ST6 physics in a nearshore wave model. Exploring and assessing the intricacies in wave generation are vital to produce a reliable hindcast. The new parametrisations perform better, though they have a higher number of tuneable options. Parametrisation of the white capping coefficient within the ST6 package improved performance with significant differences ≈±20–30 cm. The configuration which was selected to build the database shows a good correlation ≈95 % for H m 0, has an overall minimal bias with the majority of locations being slightly over-estimated ±0.5–1 cm. The calibrated model was subsequently used to produce a database for 38 years, analysing and discussing the metocean condition. In terms of wave energy resource, the North Sea has not received attention due to its perceived “lower” resource. However, from analysing the long-term climatic data, it is evident that the level of metocean conditions, and subsequently wave power, can prove beneficial for development. The 95th percentile indicates that the majority of the time H m 0 should be expected at 3.4–5 m, and the wave energy period T e at 5–7 s. Wave power resource exceeds 15 kW/m at locations very close to the coast, and it is uniformly reduced as we move to the Southern parts, near the English Channel, with values there being ≈5 kW/m, with most energetic seas originating from the North East. Results by the analysis show that in the North Sea, conditions are moderate to high, and the wave energy resource, which has been previously overlooked, is high and easily accessible due to the low distance from coasts. The study developed a regional high-fidelity model, analysed metocean parameters and properly assessed the energy content. Although, the database and its results can have multiple usages and benefit other sectors that want to operate in the harsh waters of the North Sea.

A Cognitive Linguistic Study of the English Preposition 'in'

The present study aims at analyzing the polysemy of the English preposition in from the cognitive linguistic (CL) point of view using Evans' and Tyler's approach (2003). The perplexity faced by Iraqi second language learners (L2) due to the multi-usages of this preposition has motivated the researcher to conduct this study. Seventy-six second year university students participated in this experimental study. The data of the pre-test and post-test were analyzed by SPSS statistical editor. The results have shown the following: First, a progress of more than (0.05≤) has been detected as far as students' understanding of the multiple usages of the preposition in is concerned. Second, the results of the questionnaire have shown a prominent positive change in the students' attitude toward CL approach. Third, the main source of difficulty has been shown to be attributed to the diversity in the semantics of the preposition in. Fourth, CL as an approach has proven its effectiveness in accurately comprehending the semantics of the English preposition in.

A Cognitive Linguistic Study of the English Preposition 'in'

The present study aims at analyzing the polysemy of the English preposition in from the cognitive linguistic (CL) point of view using Evans' and Tyler's approach (2003). The perplexity faced by Iraqi second language learners (L2) due to the multi-usages of this preposition has motivated the researcher to conduct this study. Seventy-six second year university students participated in this experimental study. The data of the pre-test and post-test were analyzed by SPSS statistical editor. The results have shown the following: First, a progress of more than (0.05≤) has been detected as far as students' understanding of the multiple usages of the preposition in is concerned. Second, the results of the questionnaire have shown a prominent positive change in the students' attitude toward CL approach. Third, the main source of difficulty has been shown to be attributed to the diversity in the semantics of the preposition in. Fourth, CL as an approach has proven its effectiveness in accurately comprehending the semantics of the English preposition in.

Predicting abundances of invasive ragweed across Europe using a “top-down” approach

Common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia L.) is a widely distributed and harmful invasive plant that is an important source of highly allergenic pollen grains and a prominent crop weed. As a result, ragweed causes huge costs to both human health and agriculture in affected areas. Efficient mitigation requires accurate mapping of ragweed densities that, until now, has not been achieved accurately for the whole of Europe. Here we provide two inventories of common ragweed abundances with grid resolutions of 1 km and 10 km. These “top-down” inventories integrate pollen data from 349 stations in Europe with habitat and landscape management information, derived from land cover data and expert knowledge. This allows us to cover areas where surface observations are missing. Model results were validated using “bottom–up” data of common ragweed in Austria and Serbia. Results show high agreement between the two analytical methods. The inventory shows that areas with the lowest ragweed abundances are found in Northern and Southern European countries and the highest abundances are in parts of Russia, parts of Ukraine and the Pannonian Plain. Smaller hotspots are found in Northern Italy, the Rhône Valley in France and in Turkey. The top-down approach is based on a new approach that allows for cross-continental studies and is applicable to other anemophilous species. Due to its simplicity, it can be used to investigate such species that are difficult and costly to identify at larger scales using traditional vegetation surveys or remote sensing. The final inventory is open source and available as a georeferenced tif file, allowing for multiple usages, reducing costs for health services and agriculture through well-targeted management interventions.

Bacterial nanocellulose production from naphthalene.

SummaryPolycyclic aromatic compounds (PAHs) are toxic compounds that are released in the environment as a consequence of industrial activities. The restoration of PAH‐polluted sites considers the use of bacteria capable of degrading aromatic compounds to carbon dioxide and water. Here we characterize a new Xanthobacteraceae strain, Starkeya sp. strain N1B, previously isolated during enrichment under microaerophilic conditions, which is capable of using naphthalene crystals as the sole carbon source. The strain produced a structured biofilm when grown on naphthalene crystals, which had the shape of a half‐sphere organized over the crystal. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and GC‐MS analysis indicated that the biofilm was essentially made of cellulose, composed of several micron‐long nanofibrils of 60 nm diameter. A cellulosic biofilm was also formed when the cells grew with glucose as the carbon source. Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) confirmed that the polymer was type I cellulose in both cases, although the crystallinity of the material greatly depended on the carbon source used for growth. Using genome mining and mutant analysis, we identified the genetic complements required for the transformation of naphthalene into cellulose, which seemed to have been successively acquired through horizontal gene transfer. The capacity to develop the biofilm around the crystal was found to be dispensable for growth when naphthalene was used as the carbon source, suggesting that the function of this structure is more intricate than initially thought. This is the first example of the use of toxic aromatic hydrocarbons as the carbon source for bacterial cellulose production. Application of this capacity would allow the remediation of a PAH into such a value‐added polymer with multiple biotechnological usages.

The comparison of optimum heuristic and deterministic scheduling rules for job shop scheduling in the manufacture

There are some types of scheduling problems in the production line of manufacturing. One of the most multiple usages of the operational machine for doing some jobs is job shop scheduling. The implementation of the job shop problem in this study uses the input of random order of eight job numbers. The raw materials for the job numbers to do the process and the five type machines are considered. The machines work in different functions to do the jobs for some materials. The materials have processed the work in process (WIP) before they are sent to the warehouse. The proposed of this study is to find the optimal condition of job shop scheduling heuristic and deterministic rules to minimize the makespan, tardiness with the heuristic and some deterministic rules in the Lekin software. The heuristic methods are General SBRoutine and the DASH (shifting bottleneck). The deterministic use Critical Ratio (CR) Rule, First come First Serve Rule (FCFS), Longest Processing Time (LPT), Shortest Processing Time (SPT), Weighted Shortest Processing Time (WSPT) and Machine Sequence (MS). The result shows that the minimum makespan is FCFS method with 47 minutes, the tardiness is 27, and for the machine no3. It produces the effective percentage of The contras deviation performance among the jobs of DASH, and compare to the FCFS is as follow, DASH, LPT, MS, SPT, WSPT are increasing 4.26%; 31,91%; 8.51%; 4.26% and 12.77% respectively.

Style mówienia o zadowoleniu a wybrane cechy osobowości kobiet

<p>Celem badań było odnalezienie i opisanie stylów mówienia o emocjach oraz ukazanie ich psychologicznych mechanizmów, zwłaszcza w zakresie neurotyczności, lęku i depresyjności. Wykorzystano do tego celu metody kwestionariuszowe (SF IPIP NEO-PI-R, BDI-II, STAI) oraz metody narracyjne. Badaniami objęto 71 dorosłych kobiet, które opowiedziały historię na temat zadowolenia po usłyszeniu wystandaryzowanej instrukcji. Wypowiedzi zanalizowano poprzez zliczenie wystąpień określonych wskaźników ekspresywności, a uzyskane dane poddano analizie skupień. Wykazano, że kobiety stosują trzy style mówienia o emocjach, które określono jako zadaniowy, pogodny oraz lękowo-depresyjny. Styl lękowo-depresyjny charakteryzuje się używaniem większej ilości negatywnych określeń emocjonalnych, negacji, określeń wskazujących na dokonywanie rozróżnień, a także występowaniem większej ilości zjawisk paralingwistycznych. Ujawniają się w ten sposób przede wszystkim zniekształcenia poznawcze typowe dla depresji i wzmożonego napięcia emocjonalnego. Przeprowadzone badania wskazują na to, że sposób mówienia o emocjach trafnie odzwierciedla cechy psychiczne człowieka.</p>

Case study for hybrid power generation combining hydro- and photovoltaic energy resources in the Brazilian semiarid region

Hydropower is currently the primary energy resource to service the Brazilian electricity sector. However, the dry seasons in the Brazilian semiarid region have become longer due to climate variability, and they have affected the operation of hydropower plants during the last decade. Brazil has a growing energy demand, and energy mix diversification is essential to meet the power capacity required to support sustainable development. Investments in photovoltaic power plants are already a robust strategy to foster a new cycle of socioeconomic development based on a low-carbon economy. Hybrid power generation using hydro- and solar energy resources can be an alternative source due to the seasonal complementarity between them in the Brazilian semiarid region. During the dry periods, the photovoltaic power plant can replace hydropower generation. The present study aimed to evaluate the contribution of a solar photovoltaic plant to increase power generation in the Sobradinho hydropower plant operating in the Sao Francisco River, the most important water resource in the Brazilian semiarid region. The results showed that the PV power plant contributes to saving water for other multiple usages and avoids emissions of greenhouse gases by thermal power plants in long periods of intense drought. According to the simulation results for the 2013–2015 period, the PV plant would add around 8350 GWh to the actual power generated in Sobradinho using an area smaller than 0.5% of its water reservoir surface. In addition, hybrid power generation would avoid emissions around 27.106 t CO2 released into the atmosphere by thermal power plants using fossil fuels during 3 years.

Modeling and performance analyses of a batch-wise liquid desiccant air conditioning system

Numerous efforts have been made and reported to improve the energy efficiency of liquid desiccant air conditioning (LDAC) in recent studies. This study proposes a novel batch-wise operation strategy for LDAC that desiccant solutions in dehumidifier and regenerator are circulating independently and exchanging intermittently to get a full utilization of solution dehumidification capacity, cooling and heating energy. System models, including heat and mass transfer models of dehumidifier and regenerator, heat exchanger models and solution transfer model, are developed and verified to analyze and estimate the performance of proposed batch-wise strategy. The maximum relative errors between experimental and model predicting results are within 9.69% for outlet air temperature and within 7.97% for outlet air relative humidity. Performance and energy efficiency of proposed strategy are analyzed and compared with normal on-going solution exchange strategy. According to the simulation results, dehumidification rate and regeneration rate can be improved by average of 5.00% and 3.50% due to multiple solution usages in dehumidifier and regenerator. Moreover, the proposed batch-wise strategy demonstrates considerable energy savings with up to 16.81% and 18.60% from dehumidifier and regenerator, respectively.

Human and animal microbial source tracking in a tropical river with multiple land use activities.

The enhancement and restoration of the water quality of deteriorating surface water resources can be challenging, particularly for rivers with multiple usages, such as agriculture, animal husbandry, human residence, and industries. Recently, the performance of DNA-based microbial source tracking (MST) indicators detected by end-point and quantitative PCR assays for identifying sources of fecal pollution from human sewage, swine, and cattle and non-host-specific (universal) fecal pollution in the Tha Chin River basin, Thailand, was evaluated. The present study monitored these validated MST markers and various physicochemical and microbial water quality parameters in samples collected from twelve stations along the Tha Chin River during four sampling events in the wet and dry seasons. No significant difference in precipitation was observed between the wet and dry samplings. Universal markers (both PCR and qPCR) were detected in all 48 samples, indicating persistent and continuing fecal contamination. The sewage- and swine-specific qPCR marker concentrations did not vary among the sampling events, whereas cattle-specific qPCR markers were detected only in the wet season. Animal-specific markers were detected in the lower Tha Chin River section, which is characterized by intensive animal farming. Sewage-specific markers were also found in the lower section and near an upstream residential area. The high agreement (87.5-100%) between the PCR and qPCR results suggested that PCR could serve as a lower-cost MST screening test that requires less technical expertise. A multivariate analysis conducted using the survival analysis procedure to include censored data also emphasized the high pollution in the lower section of the river at all sampling events. Universal and swine-specific markers showed moderate correlations with microbial indicators, including total coliforms, fecal coliforms, E. coli, and enterococci. None of the MST markers or microbial parameters were associated with the measured physicochemical parameters. This study provides the first evaluation of MST markers for monitoring surface freshwater in Thailand, and the findings might aid the pollution surveillance of impaired water bodies and the development of strategies for improving their water quality.

On the Usage of a Classical Arabic Corpus as a Language Resource

This article presents a literature review of computer-science-related research applied on hadith, a kind of Arabic narration which appeared in the 7th century. We study and compare existent works in several fields of Natural Language Processing (NLP), Information Retrieval (IR), and Knowledge Extraction (KE). Thus, we illicit their main drawbacks and identify some perspectives, which may be considered by the research community. We also study the characteristics of these types of documents, by enumerating the advantages/limits of using hadith as a language resource. Moreover, our study shows that previous studies used different collections of hadiths, thus making it hard to compare their results objectively. Besides, many preprocessing steps are recurrent through these applications, thus wasting a lot of time. Consequently, the key issues for building generic language resources from hadiths are discussed, taking into account the relevance of related literature and the wide community of researchers that are interested in these narrations. The ultimate goal is to structure hadith books for multiple usages, thus building common collections which may be exploited in future applications.

Efficient, accurate and comprehensive evaluation of polysaccharides from Fritillaria and their inhibitory responses to mouse inflammation.

Fritillaria is a perennial herb with bulbs with multiple medicinal usages. Here, we optimized extraction and hydrolysis methods for different species and origins of Fritillaria to study their anti-inflammatory activities. Using ultrasound-assisted hot water extraction after hydrolysis by hydrochloric acid and trifluoroacetate (TFA), monosaccharide derived from 1-phenyl-3-methyl-5-pyrazolone (PMP) was separated by using HPLC. The optimal conditions for hot water extraction were found via single factor analysis and orthogonal experiments. The PMP derivatization HPLC method could accurately determine the Mannose (Man), Glucose (Glu), Galactose (Gal), Xylose (Xyl), and Fucose (Fuc) content values in Fritillaria. This pre-column derivatization method is simple and rapid, providing less variation, high sensitivity and good reproducibility for saccharide separation. To study Fritillaria's anti-inflammatory effects in a mouse swelling model, HE-staining was performed to observe morphological changes in liver and kidney samples. Fritillaria's active ingredients could significantly inhibit mouse ear swelling induced by xylene and inhibit toe swelling induced by egg white. They mainly inhibited the secretion of inflammatory cytokines inside the body and maintained the dynamic balance between pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory factors in the body. According to histopathological analysis, Fritillaria had good anti-inflammatory activity against LPS-induced inflammation, reducing the expression of inflammatory cytokines.

Fully Packaged Portable Thin Film Biosensor for the Direct Detection of Highly Pathogenic Viruses from On-Site Samples.

The thin film transistor (TFT) is a promising biosensor system with great sensitivity, label-free detection, and a quick response time. However, even though the TFT sensor has such advantageous characteristics, the disadvantages hamper the TFT sensor's application in the clinical field. The TFT is susceptible to light, noise, vibration, and limited usage, and this significantly limits its on-site potential as a practical biosensor. Herein, we developed a fully packaged, portable TFT electrochemical biosensor into a chip form, providing both portability through minimizing the laboratory equipment size and multiple safe usages by protecting the semiconductor sensor. Additionally, a safe environment that serves as a miniature probe station minimizes the previously mentioned disadvantages, while providing the means to properly link the TFT biosensor with a portable analyzer. The biosensor was taken into a biosafety level 3 (BSL-3) laboratory setting to analyze highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) samples. This virus quickly accumulates within a host, and therefore, early stage detection is critical to deterring the further spread of the deadly disease to other areas. However, current on-site methods have poor limits of detection (105-106 EID50/mL), and because the virus has low concentration in its early stages, it cannot be detected easily. We have compared the sample measurements from our device with virus concentration data obtained from a RT-PCR (virus range: 100-104 EID50/mL) and have identified an increasing voltage signal which corresponds to increasing virus concentration.

The addition effect of hollow glass microsphere on the dispersion behavior and physical properties of polypropylene/clay nanocomposites

ABSTRACTPolypropylene (PP) nanocomposites have been widely researched for last decade due to its high mechanical property and multiple usages in various industrial fields from automobile to consumer packaging. Dispersion of nanoclay in polyethylene and PP is the key factor due to their hydrophobic property. Adding surfactant or introducing a polymer with a functional group, and modifying a natural clay with organic ions have been tried to achieve the better dispersion of clay in polymer matrix. In this study, the PP/clay nanocomposite with maleic anhydride grafted PP and hollow glass microspheres (HGMs) at various compositions were prepared and characterized. The addition of HGMs to PP/clay nanocomposites significantly improved the tensile stress at yield point except 7 wt % of HGMs. It is assumed that this could be due to not only the reinforcing effect of HGMs in PP, but the crushing effect of HGMs on the clay resulting in interlayer increase of clay as well. The barrier properties was also found to be improved about 32% max resulting from the better dispersion and presence of HGMs. It could be assumed that the HGMs could act as a ball creating a ball milling crush force to achieve the better dispersion of clay in the polymer and improve nanocomposite performance. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019, 136, 47476.

Femtosecond Laser-Induced, Nanoparticle-Embedded Periodic Surface Structures on Crystalline Silicon for Reproducible and Multi-utility SERS Platforms.

Fabrication of reproducible and versatile surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates is crucial for real-time applications such as explosive detection for human safety and biological imaging for cancer diagnosis. However, it still remains a challenging task, even after several methodologies were developed by various research groups, primarily due to (a) a lack of consistency in detection of a variety of molecules (b) cost-effectiveness of the SERS substrates prepared, and (c) byzantine preparation procedures, etc. Herein, we establish a procedure for preparing reproducible SERS-active substrates comprised of laser-induced nanoparticle-embedded periodic surface structures (LINEPSS) and metallization of silicon (Si) LINEPSS. LINEPSS were fabricated using the technique of femtosecond laser ablation of Si in acetone. The versatile SERS-active substrates were then achieved by two ways, including the drop casting of silver (Ag)/gold (Au) nanoparticles (NPs) on Si LINEPSS and Ag plating on the Si LINEPSS structures. By controlling the LINEPSS grating periodicity, the effect of plasmonic nanoparticles/plasmonic plating on the Si NPs embedded periodic surface structures enormously improved the SPR strength, resulting in the consistent and superior Raman enhancements. The reproducible SERS signals were achieved by detecting the molecules of Methylene Blue (MB), 2,4-dinitrotoluene (DNT), and 5-amino-3-nitro-l,2,4-triazole (ANTA). The SERS signal strength is determined by the grating periodicity, which, in turn, is determined by the input laser fluence. The SERS-active platform with grating periodicity of 130 ± 10 nm and 150 ± 5 nm exhibited strong Raman enhancements of ∼108 for MB and ∼107 for ANTA molecules, respectively, and these platforms are demonstrated to be capable, even for multiple usages.

Atomic imprinting into metallic glasses

Nanoimprinting by thermoplastic forming has attracted significant attention due to its promise of low-cost fabrication of functionalized surfaces and nanostructured devices, and metallic glasses have been identified as a material class ideally suited for nanoimprinting. In particular, their featureless atomic structure suggests that there may not be an intrinsic size limit to the material’s ability to replicate a mould. Here we demonstrate atomic-scale imprinting into a platinum-based metallic glass alloy under ambient conditions using atomic step edges of a strontium titanate single crystal as a mould. The moulded metallic glass replicates the ‘atomic smoothness’ of the strontium titanate, with identical roughness to the one measured on the mould even after multiple usages and with replicas exhibiting an exceptional long-term stability of years. By providing a practical, reusable, and potentially high-throughput approach for atomic imprinting, our findings may open novel applications in surface functionalization through topographical structuring.

How does Farmer Preference matter in Crop variety Adoption? The case of Improved Cassava varieties’ Adoption in Ghana

Abstract Ghana’s National Agricultural Research Systems have officially released 24 improved cassava varieties, which are high yielding, disease and pest resistant and early maturing. However, adoption of these varieties by mainly smallholder farmers is very low, leading to low yields and incomes. The purpose of this study was to contribute to the development and adoption of improved cassava varieties by assessing the preferences of farmers for cassava variety traits. The study explored Ghanaian cassava producers’ decision-making behaviour towards variety selection and the values they place on different cassava traits. It employed mixed logit and latent class models to estimate the values place on cassava traits, by using choice experiment data of 450 cassava producers from Ghana. Results revealed farmers’ preferences for longevity of root storage in the soil and disease resistance traits of cassava. The latent class model revealed that male youths were more likely to participate in improved varieties that take into account in-soil storage and multiple usages. The need for agricultural research systems to focus on other traits in addition to high yielding and disease resistance in order to boost adoption and increase production is imperative.