Comment on "Effective of the q-deformed pseudoscalar magnetic field on the charge carriers in graphene"

We point out a misleading treatment in a recent paper published in this Journal [J. Math. Phys. (2016) 57, 082105] concerning solutions for the two-dimensional Dirac-Weyl equation with a q-deformed pseudoscalar magnetic barrier. The authors misunderstood the full meaning of the potential and made erroneous calculations, this fact jeopardizes the main results in this system.Comment: 7 pages, 2 figure

2b-RAD genotyping for population genomic studies of Chagas disease vectors: Rhodnius ecuadoriensis in Ecuador

Background: Rhodnius ecuadoriensis is the main triatomine vector of Chagas disease, American trypanosomiasis, in Southern Ecuador and Northern Peru. Genomic approaches and next generation sequencing technologies have become powerful tools for investigating population diversity and structure which is a key consideration for vector control. Here we assess the effectiveness of three different 2b restriction site-associated DNA (2b-RAD) genotyping strategies in R. ecuadoriensis to provide sufficient genomic resolution to tease apart microevolutionary processes and undertake some pilot population genomic analyses. Methodology/Principal findings: The 2b-RAD protocol was carried out in-house at a non-specialized laboratory using 20 R. ecuadoriensis adults collected from the central coast and southern Andean region of Ecuador, from June 2006 to July 2013. 2b-RAD sequencing data was performed on an Illumina MiSeq instrument and analyzed with the STACKS de novo pipeline for loci assembly and Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) discovery. Preliminary population genomic analyses (global AMOVA and Bayesian clustering) were implemented. Our results showed that the 2b-RAD genotyping protocol is effective for R. ecuadoriensis and likely for other triatomine species. However, only BcgI and CspCI restriction enzymes provided a number of markers suitable for population genomic analysis at the read depth we generated. Our preliminary genomic analyses detected a signal of genetic structuring across the study area. Conclusions/Significance: Our findings suggest that 2b-RAD genotyping is both a cost effective and methodologically simple approach for generating high resolution genomic data for Chagas disease vectors with the power to distinguish between different vector populations at epidemiologically relevant scales. As such, 2b-RAD represents a powerful tool in the hands of medical entomologists with limited access to specialized molecular biological equipment. Author summary: Understanding Chagas disease vector (triatomine) population dispersal is key for the design of control measures tailored for the epidemiological situation of a particular region. In Ecuador, Rhodnius ecuadoriensis is a cause of concern for Chagas disease transmission, since it is widely distributed from the central coast to southern Ecuador. Here, a genome-wide sequencing (2b-RAD) approach was performed in 20 specimens from four communities from Manabí (central coast) and Loja (southern) provinces of Ecuador, and the effectiveness of three type IIB restriction enzymes was assessed. The findings of this study show that this genotyping methodology is cost effective in R. ecuadoriensis and likely in other triatomine species. In addition, preliminary population genomic analysis results detected a signal of population structure among geographically distinct communities and genetic variability within communities. As such, 2b-RAD shows significant promise as a relatively low-tech solution for determination of vector population genomics, dynamics, and spread

Enfoques de investigación en problemas verbales aritméticos aditivos

A main field in the current research in Mathematics Education is the work with arithmetical word problem solving, which is both interesting and useful. There is ample previous work on this topic and it has received a very systematic treatment from different focuses. Researchers getting involved in this field need to know previous works and current focuses to clarify their research goals. In this study we offer a review about previous research done on difficulties with arithmetical word problems

Effects of a uniform magnetic field on twisted graphene nanoribbons

In the present work, the relativistic quantum motion of massless fermions in a helicoidal graphene nanoribbon under the influence of a uniform magnetic field is investigated. Considering a uniform magnetic field ($B$) aligned along the axis of helicoid, this problem is explored in the context of Dirac equation in a curved space-time. As this system does not support exact solutions due to considered background, the bound-state solutions and local density of state (LDOS) are obtained numerically by means of the Numerov method. The combined effects of width of the nanoribbon ($D$), length of ribbon ($L$), twist parameter ($\omega$) and $B$ on the equations of motion and local density of states (LDOS) are analyzed and discussed. It is verified that the presence of $B$ produces a constant minimum value of local density of state on the axis of helicoid, which is possible only for values large enough of $\omega$, in contrast to the case for $B=0$ already studied in the literature.Comment: 10 pages, 7 figure

Expression and cellular localization of the transcription factor NeuroD1 in the developing and adult rat pineal gland

Circadian rhythms govern many aspects of mammalian physiology. The daily pattern of melatonin synthesis and secretion is one of the classic examples of circadian oscillations. It is mediated by a class of neuroendocrine cells known as pinealocytes which are not yet fully defined. An established method to evaluate functional and cytological characters is through the expression of lineage‐specific transcriptional regulators. NeuroD1 is a basic helix‐loop‐helix transcription factor involved in the specification and maintenance of both endocrine and neuronal phenotypes. We have previously described developmental and adult regulation of NeuroD1 mRNA in the rodent pineal gland. However, the transcript levels were not influenced by the elimination of sympathetic input, suggesting that any rhythmicity of NeuroD1 might be found downstream of transcription. Here, we describe NeuroD1 protein expression and cellular localization in the rat pineal gland during development and the daily cycle. In embryonic and perinatal stages, protein expression follows the mRNA pattern and is predominantly nuclear. Thereafter, NeuroD1 is mostly found in pinealocyte nuclei in the early part of the night and in cytoplasm during the day, a rhythm maintained into adulthood. Additionally, nocturnal nuclear NeuroD1 levels are reduced after sympathetic disruption, an effect mimicked by the in vivo administration of α‐ and β‐adrenoceptor blockers. NeuroD1 phosphorylation at two sites, Ser274 and Ser336, associates with nuclear localization in pinealocytes. These data suggest that NeuroD1 influences pineal phenotype both during development and adulthood, in an autonomic and phosphorylation‐dependent manner.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/111177/1/jpi12228.pd

Fluorescent in vivo imaging of reactive oxygen species and redox potential in plants

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are by-products of aerobic metabolism, and excessive production can result in oxidative stress and cell damage. In addition, ROS function as cellular messengers, working as redox regulators in a multitude of biological processes. Understanding ROS signalling and stress responses requires methods for precise imaging and quantification to monitor local, subcellular and global ROS dynamics with high selectivity, sensitivity and spatiotemporal resolution. In this review, we summarize the present knowledge for in vivo plant ROS imaging and detection, using both chemical probes and fluorescent protein-based biosensors. Certain characteristics of plant tissues, for example high background autofluorescence in photosynthetic organs and the multitude of endogenous antioxidants, can interfere with ROS and redox potential detection, making imaging extra challenging. Novel methods and techniques to measure in vivo plant ROS and redox changes with better selectivity, accuracy, and spatiotemporal resolution are therefore desirable to fully acknowledge the remarkably complex plant ROS signalling networksThis work was funded by a grant from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness ( AGL2014–53771-R ). Alfonso Blázquez-Castro acknowledges funding under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action COFUND 2015 (EU project 713366 – InterTalentum

Strongly correlated fermions with nonlinear energy dispersion and spontaneous generation of anisotropic phases

Using the bosonization approach we study fermionic systems with a nonlinear dispersion relation in dimension d>2. We explicitly show how the band curvature gives rise to interaction terms in the bosonic version of the model. Although these terms are perturbatively irrelevant in relation to the Landau Fermi liquid fixed point, they become relevant perturbations when instabilities take place. Using a coherent state path integral technique we built up the effective action that governs the dynamics of the Fermi surface fluctuations. We consider the combined effect of fermionic interactions and band curvature on possible anisotropic phases triggered by negative Landau parameters. In particular we study in some detail the phase diagram for the isotropic/nematic/hexatic quantum phase transition.Comment: RevTeX4, 9 pages, 2 eps figures, Final version as appeared in Phys.Rev.