Characterization of an endogenous gene expressed in Aedes aegypti using an orally infectious recombinant Sindbis virus

Sindbis virus expression vectors have been used successfully to express and silence genes of interest in vivo in several mosquito species, including Aedes aegypti, Ae. albopictus, Ae. triseriatus,Culex pipiens, Armigeres subalbatus and Anopheles gambiae. Here we describe the expression of an endogenous gene, defensin, in Ae. aegypti using the orally infectious Sindbis virus, MRE/3′2J expression vector. We optimized conditions to infect mosquito larvae per os using C6/36 Ae. albopictus cells infected with the recombinant virus to maximize virus infection and expression of defensin. Infection with the parental Sindbis virus (MRE/3′2J) did not induce defensin expression. Mosquito larvae infected by ingestion of recombinant Sindbis virus-infected C6/36 cells expressed defensin when they emerged as adults. Defensin expression was observed by western analysis or indirect fluorescent assay in all developmental stages of mosquitoes infected with MRE/3′2J virus that contained the defensin insert. The multiplicity of infection of C6/36 cells and the quantity of infected cells consumed by larvae played an important role in defensin expression. Parental viruses, missing the defensin insert, and/or other defective interfering virus may have contributed to these observations

A comparative study of FLL and PLL in boost PFC converter control for smart greenhouse farming application

LED lights have become very popular recently for smart farming applications, where they provide artificial light as the substitute for sunlight in a greenhouse or indoor farming environment. To ensure a low total operational cost and improve the efficiency of farming in those environments, it is imperative that the overall LED lighting system is energy efficient. LED is a dc system, whereas the grid is an ac system. As such, an LED driver is needed to perform the necessary voltage conversion. The boost power factor correction (PFC) converter is a popular LED driver that provides output voltage regulation and power factor correction at the same time. As the LED driver is grid-connected, its control system requires real-time estimation of the grid voltage parameter information for reference current generation. In this study, a comparison between frequency-and phase-locked loops as the grid detection method inside the converter control system is provided. For the phase-locked loop (PLL), a single-phase quasi-type-1 structure is considered. It is then compared with the conventional second-order generalised integrator (SOGI)frequency-locked loop (FLL). Comprehensive numerical studies are performed to evaluate the performance of FLL and PLL in challenging grid voltage cases. Results show that the source current has a lower total harmonic distortion when PLL is used as the synchronisation tool over the FLL counterpart. This can be attributed to the use of moving average filter in the PLL, which provides additional harmonic robustness compared to FLL. Lower distortion by the PLL method will the make LED driver, consequently smart farming more energy efficient

Unravelling the size distribution of social groups with information theory on complex networks

The minimization of Fisher's information (MFI) approach of Frieden et al. [Phys. Rev. E {\bf 60} 48 (1999)] is applied to the study of size distributions in social groups on the basis of a recently established analogy between scale invariant systems and classical gases [arXiv:0908.0504]. Going beyond the ideal gas scenario is seen to be tantamount to simulating the interactions taking place in a network's competitive cluster growth process. We find a scaling rule that allows to classify the final cluster-size distributions using only one parameter that we call the competitiveness. Empirical city-size distributions and electoral results can be thus reproduced and classified according to this competitiveness, which also allows to correctly predict well-established assessments such as the "six-degrees of separation", which is shown here to be a direct consequence of the maximum number of stable social relationships that one person can maintain, known as Dunbar's number. Finally, we show that scaled city-size distributions of large countries follow the same universal distribution

Social inequality in cancer survivorship:Educational differences in health‐related quality of life among 27,857 cancer survivors in Denmark

BackgroundWith a growing population of cancer survivors in Denmark, the evaluation of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) has become increasingly important. We describe variations in HRQoL between educational groups in a national population of cancer survivors.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional questionnaire study among breast, prostate, lung, and colon cancer survivors diagnosed in 2010–2019 in Denmark. We used the EORTC QLQ-C30 to assess HRQoL including physical, role, emotional, cognitive, social functioning, and symptoms (fatigue, nausea and vomiting, pain, dyspnea, insomnia, appetite loss, constipation, diarrhea, and financial difficulties). Information on educational level and clinical data were extracted from national registers and clinical databases. Levels of impaired functioning and severe symptoms were identified using newly established thresholds for clinical importance. Multivariate logistic regression was used to examine associations between education and HRQoL. All statistical tests were 2-sided.ResultsIn total, 27,857 (42%) participated in the study. Up to 72% and 75% of cancer survivors with short education (≤9 years) reported impaired functioning and severe symptoms, respectively. Cancer survivors with short compared to long education (>12 years) were more likely to report impaired functioning and severe symptoms, with for example significantly higher odds ratios (ORs) for impaired physical function (breast OR = 2.41, 99% CI = 2.01–2.89; prostate OR = 1.81, 99% CI = 1.48–2.21; lung OR = 2.97, 99% CI = 1.95–4.57; and colon cancer OR = 1.69, 99% CI = 1.28–2.24).ConclusionsCancer survivors with short education are at greater risk of impaired HRQoL than survivors with long education 2–12 years after diagnosis. This underscores the need for systematic screening and symptom management in cancer aftercare, in order to reach all cancer survivors, also cancer survivors with short education

Second harmonic generation and birefringence of some ternary pnictide semiconductors

A first-principles study of the birefringence and the frequency dependent second harmonic generation (SHG) coefficients of the ternary pnictide semiconductors with formula ABC$_2$ (A = Zn, Cd; B = Si, Ge; C = As, P) with the chalcopyrite structures was carried out. We show that a simple empirical observation that a smaller value of the gap is correlated with larger value of SHG is qualitatively true. However, simple inverse power scaling laws between gaps and SHG were not found. Instead, the real value of the nonlinear response is a result of a very delicate balance between different intraband and interband terms.Comment: 13 pages, 12 figure

Modeling magnetospheric fields in the Jupiter system

The various processes which generate magnetic fields within the Jupiter system are exemplary for a large class of similar processes occurring at other planets in the solar system, but also around extrasolar planets. Jupiter's large internal dynamo magnetic field generates a gigantic magnetosphere, which is strongly rotational driven and possesses large plasma sources located deeply within the magnetosphere. The combination of the latter two effects is the primary reason for Jupiter's main auroral ovals. Jupiter's moon Ganymede is the only known moon with an intrinsic dynamo magnetic field, which generates a mini-magnetosphere located within Jupiter's larger magnetosphere including two auroral ovals. Ganymede's magnetosphere is qualitatively different compared to the one from Jupiter. It possesses no bow shock but develops Alfv\'en wings similar to most of the extrasolar planets which orbit their host stars within 0.1 AU. New numerical models of Jupiter's and Ganymede's magnetospheres presented here provide quantitative insight into the processes that maintain these magnetospheres. Jupiter's magnetospheric field is approximately time-periodic at the locations of Jupiter's moons and induces secondary magnetic fields in electrically conductive layers such as subsurface oceans. In the case of Ganymede, these secondary magnetic fields influence the oscillation of the location of its auroral ovals. Based on dedicated Hubble Space Telescope observations, an analysis of the amplitudes of the auroral oscillations provides evidence that Ganymede harbors a subsurface ocean. Callisto in contrast does not possess a mini-magnetosphere, but still shows a perturbed magnetic field environment. Callisto's ionosphere and atmospheric UV emission is different compared to the other Galilean satellites as it is primarily been generated by solar photons compared to magnetospheric electrons.Comment: Chapter for Book: Planetary Magnetis