All-optical hyperpolarization of electron and nuclear spins in diamond

Low thermal polarization of nuclear spins is a primary sensitivity limitation for nuclear magnetic resonance. Here we demonstrate optically pumped (microwave-free) nuclear spin polarization of $^{13}\mathrm{C}$ and $^{15}\mathrm{N}$ in $^{15}\mathrm{N}$-doped diamond. $^{15}\mathrm{N}$ polarization enhancements up to $-2000$ above thermal equilibrium are observed in the paramagnetic system $\mathrm{N_s}^{0}$. Nuclear spin polarization is shown to diffuse to bulk $^{13}\mathrm{C}$ with NMR enhancements of $-200$ at room temperature and $-500$ at $\mathrm{240~K}$, enabling a route to microwave-free high-sensitivity NMR study of biological samples in ambient conditions.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figure

Magnon-photon coupling in the noncollinear magnetic insulator Cu 2 OSeO 3

Anticrossing behavior between magnons in the noncollinear chiral magnet Cu2OSeO3 and a two-mode X-band microwave resonator was studied in the temperature range 5–100 K. In the field-induced ferrimagnetic phase, we observed a strong-coupling regime between magnons and two microwave cavity modes with a cooperativity reaching 3600. In the conical phase, cavity modes are dispersively coupled to a fundamental helimagnon mode, and we demonstrate that the magnetic phase diagram of Cu2OSeO3 can be reconstructed from the measurements of the cavity resonance frequency. In the helical phase, a hybridized state of a higher-order helimagnon mode and a cavity mode—a helimagnon polariton—was found. Our results reveal a class of magnetic systems where strong coupling of microwave photons to nontrivial spin textures can be observed

Employability and the UseMyAbility Online Tool: Raising Sports Students’ Awareness to Inform the Development of Their Skills and Attributes

The collaborative project UseMyAbility (UMA) sought to reduce discrimination and enhance disabled graduates’ employability through equipping them with the skills to match employability skills and attributes. An outcome from the project, completed in 2011, was a web-based tool which gave students advice on how to improve their employability. Subsequently, an online self-audit questionnaire was developed, which allowed students to record and map their employability skills and attributes. This paper reports on two projects that used this UMA online questionnaire with undergraduate sports students at a UK University. The first group were students undertaking a second-year Physical Education (PE) module and the second were students undertaking internships in a variety of sporting contexts. Drawing on data gained from questionnaires and student and mentor interviews, the two projects sought to evaluate the effectiveness of the UMA questionnaire for the students in these two contexts. It aimed to enhance students’ employability profiles, enable them to benchmark and track their development, provide practical help in preparing job applications, tackle interview questions and develop evidence-based curricula vitae. It is hoped that through identifying ways of adapting the use of the questionnaire to these contexts, learning from participant data from the completion of the questionnaires, and gaining a better understanding of students’ and mentors’ perceptions of its use, that insights may be gained that will aid the wider adoption of the online tool

Controlling palladium morphology in electrodeposition from nanoparticles to dendrites via the use of mixed solvents

By changing the mole fraction of water (χwater) in the solvent acetonitrile (MeCN), we report a simple procedure to control nanostructure morphology during electrodeposition. We focus on the electrodeposition of palladium (Pd) on electron beam transparent boron-doped diamond (BDD) electrodes. Three solutions are employed, MeCN rich (90% v/v MeCN, χwater = 0.246), equal volumes (50% v/v MeCN, χwater = 0.743) and water rich (10% v/v MeCN, χwater = 0.963), with electrodeposition carried out under a constant, and high overpotential (−1.0 V), for fixed time periods (50, 150 and 300 s). Scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) reveals that in MeCN rich solution, Pd atoms, amorphous atom clusters and (majority) nanoparticles (NPs) result. As water content is increased, NPs are again evident but also elongated and defected nanostructures which grow in prominence with time. In the water rich environment, NPs and branched, concave and star-like Pd nanostructures are now seen, which with time translate to aggregated porous structures and ultimately dendrites. We attribute these observations to the role MeCN adsorption on Pd surfaces plays in retarding metal nucleation and growth

Editorial: summary for policymakers of the thematic assessment on pollinators, pollination and food production

Values of pollinators and pollination 1. Animal pollination plays a vital role as a regulating ecosystem service in nature. Globally, nearly 90 per cent of wild flowering plant species depend, at least in part, on the transfer of pollen by animals. These plants are critical for the continued functioning of ecosystems as they provide food, form habitats, and provide other resources for a wide range of other species. 2. More than three quarters of the leading types of global food crops rely to some extent on animal pollination for yield and/or quality. Pollinator-dependent crops contribute to 35 per cent of global crop production volume. 3. Given that pollinator-dependent crops rely on animal pollination to varying degrees, it is estimated that 5–8 per cent of current global crop production is directly attributed to animal pollination with an annual market value of $235 billion–$577 billion (in 2015, United States dollars1) worldwide

The assessment report of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services on pollinators, pollination and food production

The thematic assessment of pollinators, pollination and food production carried out under the auspices of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services aims to assess animal pollination as a regulating ecosystem service underpinning food production in the context of its contribution to nature’s gifts to people and supporting a good quality of life. To achieve this, it focuses on the role of native and managed pollinators, the status and trends of pollinators and pollinator-plant networks and pollination, drivers of change, impacts on human well-being, food production in response to pollination declines and deficits and the effectiveness of responses

HGF -rs12536657 and Ocular Biometric Parameters in Hyperopic Children, Emmetropic Adolescents, and Young Adults: A Multicenter Quantitative Trait Study

Introduction. Even though ocular refractive state is highly heritable and under strong genetic control, the identification of susceptibility genes remains a challenge. Several HGF (hepatocyte growth factor) gene variants have been associated with ocular refractive errors and corneal pathology. Purpose. Here, we assess the association of an HGF gene variant, previously reported as associated with hyperopia, and ocular biometric parameters in a multicenter Spanish cohort. Methods. An observational prospective multicenter cross-sectional study was designed, including a total of 403 unrelated subjects comprising 188 hyperopic children (5 to 17 years) and 2 control groups: 52 emmetropic adolescents (13 to 17 years) and 163 emmetropic young adults (18 to 28 years). Each individual underwent a comprehensive eye examination including cycloplegic refraction, and topographic and ocular biometric analysis. Genomic DNA was extracted from oral swabs. HGF single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs12536657 was genotyped. Genotypic, allelic, and logistic regression analyses were performed comparing the different groups. A quantitative trait association test analyzing several biometric parameters was also performed using generalized estimating equations (GEEs) adjusting for age and gender. Results. No association between rs12536657 and hyperopia was found through gender-adjusted logistic regression comparing the hyperopic children with either of the two control groups. Significant associations between mean topographic corneal curvature and rs12536657 for G/A (slope = +0.32; CI 95%: 0.04-0.60; p=0.023) and A/A (slope = +0.76; CI 95%: 0.12-1.40; p=0.020) genotypes were observed with the age- and gender-adjusted univariate GEE model. Both flat and steep corneal topographic meridians were also significantly associated with rs12536657 for the G/A and A/A genotypes. No association was found between rs12536657 and any other topographic or biometric measurements. Conclusions. Our results support a possible role for HGF gene variant rs12536657 in corneal curvature in our population. To our knowledge, this is the first multicenter quantitative trait association study of HGF genotypes and ocular biometric parameters comprising a pediatric cohort

Summary for policymakers of the thematic assessment on pollinators, pollination and food production

The thematic assessment of pollinators, pollination and food production carried out under the auspices of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services aims to assess animal pollination as a regulating ecosystem service underpinning food production in the context of its contribution to nature’s gifts to people and supporting a good quality of life. To achieve this, it focuses on the role of native and managed pollinators, the status and trends of pollinators and pollinator-plant networks and pollination, drivers of change, impacts on human well-being, food production in response to pollination declines and deficits and the effectiveness of responses. The chapters and their executive summaries of this assessment are available as document IPBES/4/INF/1/Rev.2 (www.ipbes.net). The present document is a summary for policymakers of the information presented in these chapters

Apple pollination: demand depends on variety and supply depends on pollinator identity

Insect pollination underpins apple production but the extent to which different pollinator guilds supply this service, particularly across different apple varieties, is unknown. Such information is essential if appropriate orchard management practices are to be targeted and proportional to the potential benefits pollinator species may provide. Here we use a novel combination of pollinator effectiveness assays (floral visit effectiveness), orchard field surveys (flower visitation rate) and pollinator dependence manipulations (pollinator exclusion experiments) to quantify the supply of pollination services provided by four different pollinator guilds to the production of four commercial varieties of apple. We show that not all pollinators are equally effective at pollinating apples, with hoverflies being less effective than solitary bees and bumblebees, and the relative abundance of different pollinator guilds visiting apple flowers of different varieties varies significantly. Based on this, the taxa specific economic benefits to UK apple production have been established. The contribution of insect pollinators to the economic output in all varieties was estimated to be £92.1M across the UK, with contributions varying widely across taxa: solitary bees (£51.4M), honeybees (£21.4M), bumblebees (£18.6M) and hoverflies (£0.7M). This research highlights the differences in the economic benefits of four insect pollinator guilds to four major apple varieties in the UK. This information is essential to underpin appropriate investment in pollination services management and provides a model that can be used in other entomolophilous crops to improve our understanding of crop pollination ecology