Isoliquiritigenin, a Strong nod Gene- and Glyceollin Resistance- Inducing Flavonoid from Soybean Root Exudate

Isoflavonoid signal molecules from soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) seed and root exudate induce the transcription of nodulation (nod) genes in Bradyrhizobium japonicum. In this study, a new compound with symbiotic activity was isolated from soybean root exudate. The isolated 2',4',4-trihydroxychalcone (isoliquiritigenin) is characterized by its strong inducing activity for the nod genes of B. japonicum. These genes are already induced at concentrations 1 order of magnitude below those required of the previously described isoflavonoid inducers genistein and daidzein. Isoliquiritigenin is also a potent inducer of glyceollin resistance in B. japonicum, which renders this bacterium insensitive to potentially bactericidal concentrations of glyceollin, the phytoalexin of G. max. No chemotactic effect of isoliquiritigenin was observed. The highly efficient induction of nod genes and glyceollin resistance by isoliquiritigenin suggests the ecological significance of this compound, although it is not a major flavonoid constituent of the soybean root exudate in quantitative terms

Impact of Weak Lensing Mass Calibration on eROSITA Galaxy Cluster Cosmological Studies -- a Forecast

We forecast the impact of weak lensing (WL) cluster mass calibration on the cosmological constraints from the X-ray selected galaxy cluster counts in the upcoming eROSITA survey. We employ a prototype cosmology pipeline to analyze mock cluster catalogs. Each cluster is sampled from the mass function in a fiducial cosmology and given an eROSITA count rate and redshift, where count rates are modeled using the eROSITA effective area, a typical exposure time, Poisson noise and the scatter and form of the observed X-ray luminosity-- and temperature--mass--redshift relations. A subset of clusters have mock shear profiles to mimic either those from DES and HSC or from the future Euclid and LSST surveys. Using a count rate selection, we generate a baseline cluster cosmology catalog that contains 13k clusters over 14,892~deg$^2$ of extragalactic sky. Low mass groups are excluded using raised count rate thresholds at low redshift. Forecast parameter uncertainties for $\Omega_\mathrm{M}$, $\sigma_8$ and $w$ are 0.023 (0.016; 0.014), 0.017 (0.012; 0.010), and 0.085 (0.074; 0.071), respectively, when adopting DES+HSC WL (Euclid; LSST), while marginalizing over the sum of the neutrino masses. A degeneracy between the distance--redshift relation and the parameters of the observable--mass scaling relation limits the impact of the WL calibration on the $w$ constraints, but with BAO measurements from DESI an improved determination of $w$ to 0.043 becomes possible. With Planck CMB priors, $\Omega_\text{M}$ ($\sigma_8$) can be determined to $0.005$ ($0.007$), and the summed neutrino mass limited to $\sum m_\nu < 0.241$ eV (at 95\%). If systematics on the group mass scale can be controlled, the eROSITA group and cluster sample with 43k objects and LSST WL could constrain $\Omega_\mathrm{M}$ and $\sigma_8$ to 0.007 and $w$ to 0.050.Comment: 28 pages, 13 figur

Improving the NRTidal model for binary neutron star systems

Accurate and fast gravitational waveform (GW) models are essential to extract information about the properties of compact binary systems that generate GWs. Building on previous work, we present an extension of the NRTidal model for binary neutron star (BNS) waveforms. The upgrades are: (i) a new closed-form expression for the tidal contribution to the GW phase which includes further analytical knowledge and is calibrated to more accurate numerical relativity data than previously available; (ii) a tidal correction to the GW amplitude; (iii) an extension of the spin-sector incorporating equation-of-state-dependent finite size effects at quadrupolar and octupolar order; these appear in the spin-spin tail terms and cubic-in-spin terms, both at 3.5PN. We add the new description to the precessing binary black hole waveform model IMRPhenomPv2 to obtain a frequency-domain precessing binary neutron star model. In addition, we extend the SEOBNRv4_ROM and IMRPhenomD aligned-spin binary black hole waveform models with the improved tidal phase corrections. Focusing on the new IMRPhenomPv2_NRTidalv2 approximant, we test the model by comparing with numerical relativity waveforms as well as hybrid waveforms combining tidal effective-one-body and numerical relativity data. We also check consistency against a tidal effective-one-body model across large regions of the BNS parameter space.Comment: Accepted manuscrip

It\u27s all about living sustainable: (A research of communicating sustainable way of living to the public)

Living sustainable, a vision that I developed at the Design Studio Schwarz, University of Liechtenstein. Living sustainable raises questions about living in balance with our natural resources. We are living on costs of next generations, so we are responsible to make the changes with architectural interventions in our society for our society. Based on „World Energy Council“ report of 2011, our planet will have 2.2 billion inhabitants more on 2050, reaching 9.2 billion, by challenging a huge demand on mobility, food, goods and building as well. In order to having a bigger impact and a better control over growing up-mentioned demands, professionals have to take the first steps on treating these issues not only in universities, schools or other institutions, but to make aware also the common people, considering as main starting point where the „problems“ or demands start from. Better communication of sustainable architecture to the common people could help to understand that humans are living in a planet with limited bio capacity and their demands will have to be reduced and controlled by professionals, which helps living and growing future settlements in balance with nature and helps reducing their ecological footprint, as one of the most important aspect of sustainability

The Chiloé Mw 7.6 earthquake of 25 December 2016 in Southern Chile and its relation to the Mw 9.5 1960 Valdivia earthquake

On 25 December 2016, a Mw 7.6 earthquake broke a portion of the Southern Chilean subduction zone south of Chiloé Island, located in the central part of the Mw 9.5 1960 Valdivia earthquake. This region is characterized by repeated earthquakes in 1960 and historical times with very sparse interseismic activity due to the subduction of a young (~15 Ma), and therefore hot, oceanic plate. We estimate the co-seismic slip distribution based on a kinematic finite fault source model, and through joint inversion of teleseismic body waves and strong motion data. The coseismic slip model yields a total seismic moment of 3.94×1020 Nm that occurred over ~30 s, with the rupture propagating mainly downdip, reaching a peak-slip of ~4.2 m. Regional moment tensor inversion of stronger aftershocks reveals thrust type faulting at depths of the plate interface. The fore- and aftershock seismicity is mostly related to the subduction interface with sparse seismicity in the overriding crust. The 2016 Chiloé event broke a region with increased locking and most likely broke an asperity of the 1960 earthquake. The updip limit of the main event, aftershocks, foreshocks and interseismic activity are spatially similar, located ~15 km offshore and parallel to Chiloé Islands west coast. The coseismic slip model of the 2016 Chiloé earthquake suggests a peak slip of 4.2 m that locally exceeds the 3.38 m slip deficit that has accumulated since 1960. Therefore, the 2016 Chiloé earthquake possibly released strain that has built up prior to the 1960 Valdivia earthquake