Femtosecond synchronously in-well pumped vertical-external-cavity surface-emitting laser

We demonstrate the first synchronously in-well pumped vertical-external-cavity surface-emitting laser (VECSEL). Depending on the cavity mismatch, laser pulses with a duration from 1 ps to 7 ps at a repetition rate of 76 MHz were generated directly from the laser at 860 nm. The application of extra-cavity pulse compression further shortened the pulse to a duration of 210 fs providing a peak power of 226 W

Optimization of Non-Natural Nucleotides For Selective Incorporation Opposite Damaged DNA

The promutagenic process known as translesion DNA synthesis reflects the ability of a DNA polymerase to misinsert a nucleotide opposite a damaged DNA template. To study the underlying mechanism of nucleotide selection during this process, we quantified the incorporation of various non-natural nucleotide analogs opposite an abasic site, a non-templating DNA lesion. Our kinetic studies using the bacteriophage T4 DNA polymerase reveal that the π-electron surface area of the incoming nucleotide substantially contributes to the efficiency of incorporation opposite an abasic site. A remaining question is whether the selective insertion of these non-hydrogen-bonding analogs can be achieved through optimization of shape and π-electron density. In this report, we describe the synthesis and kinetic characterization of four novel nucleotide analogs, 5-cyanoindolyl-2′-deoxyriboside 5′-triphosphate (5-CyITP), 5-ethyleneindolyl-2′-deoxyriboside 5′-triphosphate (5-EyITP), 5-methylindolyl-2′-deoxyriboside 5′-triphosphate (5-MeITP), and 5-ethylindolyl-2′-deoxyriboside 5′-triphosphate (5-EtITP). Kinetic analyses indicate that the overall catalytic efficiencies of all four nucleotides are related to their base-stacking properties. In fact, the catalytic efficiency for nucleotide incorporation opposite an abasic site displays a parabolic trend in the overall π-electron surface area of the non-natural nucleotide. In addition, each non-natural nucleotide is incorporated opposite templating DNA ∼100-fold worse than opposite an abasic site. These data indicate that selectivity for incorporation opposite damaged DNA can be achieved through optimization of the base-stacking properties of the incoming nucleotide

Harnessing the Power of LLMs: Evaluating Human-AI Text Co-Creation through the Lens of News Headline Generation

To explore how humans can best leverage LLMs for writing and how interacting with these models affects feelings of ownership and trust in the writing process, we compared common human-AI interaction types (e.g., guiding system, selecting from system outputs, post-editing outputs) in the context of LLM-assisted news headline generation. While LLMs alone can generate satisfactory news headlines, on average, human control is needed to fix undesirable model outputs. Of the interaction methods, guiding and selecting model output added the most benefit with the lowest cost (in time and effort). Further, AI assistance did not harm participants' perception of control compared to freeform editing

Economic valuation of natural pest control of the summer grain aphid in wheat in South East England

Wheat (Triticum spp.) is the most important arable crop grown in the UK, and the grain aphid (Sitobion avenae) is one of the key pests of this crop. Natural enemies could help suppress grain aphid and reduce unnecessary insecticide inputs, but few studies have estimated the economic value of natural pest control in this crop-pest system, which could help inform effective integrated pest management strategies. Based on a natural enemy exclusion experiment carried out in South East England, this study used an economic surplus model to estimate the value of predators and parasitoids to control summer grain aphid in wheat in this region. Incorporating three levels of spray intensity and three levels of pest infestation, the annual economic value of natural pest control service was conservatively estimated to be £0-2.3 Million. Under the medium pest infestation level, a 10% increase in the proportion of wheat fields using economic threshold-based spray method would increase this value by 23% (£0.4 Million). 71% of the value would benefit wheat growers. A potential rise in insecticide costs due to resistance development would also enhance the value of natural pest control. These findings support growing efforts from policy-makers to promote this ecosystem service in agriculture