Second case of European bat lyssavirus type 2 detected in a Daubenton’s bat in Finland

European bat lyssavirus type 2 (EBLV-2) was detected in Finland in a Daubenton’s bat (Myotis daubentonii) found in the municipality of Inkoo (60°02′45″N, 024°00′20″E). The bat showed neurological signs and was later found dead. The laboratory analysis revealed the presence of lyssavirus, and the virus was characterized as EBLV-2. This isolation of EBLV-2 was the second time that the virus has been detected in a Daubenton’s bat in Finland. This provides additional proof that EBLV-2 is endemic in the Finnish Daubenton’s bat population

The effect of the noncentral impurity-matrix interaction upon the thermal expansion and polyamorphism of solid CO-C60 solutions at low temperatures

Orientational glasses with CO molecules occupying 26% and 90% of the octahedral interstitial sites in the C60 lattice have been investigated by the dilatometric method in a temperature interval of 2.5 - 23 K. At temperatures 4 - 6 K the glasses undergo a first-order phase transition which is evident from the hysteresis of the thermal expansion and the maxima in the temperature dependences of the linear thermal expansion coefficients, and the thermalization times of the samples. The effect of the noncentral CO-C60 interaction upon the thermal expansion and the phase transition in these glasses was clarified by comparing the behavior of the properties of the CO-C60 and N2-C60 solutions.Comment: 11 pages, 7 figure

Metabolic synergies in the biotransformation of organic and metallic toxic compounds by a saprotrophic soil fungus

The saprotrophic fungus Penicillium griseofulvum was chosen as model organism to study responses to a mixture of hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) isomers (α-HCH, β-HCH, γ-HCH, δ-HCH) and of potentially toxic metals (vanadium, lead) in solid and liquid media. The P. griseofulvum FBL 500 strain was isolated from polluted soil containing high concentrations of HCH isomers and potentially toxic elements (Pb, V). Experiments were performed in order to analyse the tolerance/resistance of this fungus to xenobiotics, and to shed further light on fungal potential in inorganic and organic biotransformations. The aim was to examine the ecological and bioremedial potential of this fungus verifying the presence of mechanisms that allow it to transform HCH isomers and metals under different, extreme, test conditions. To our knowledge, this work is the first to provide evidence on the biotransformation of HCH mixtures, in combination with toxic metals, by a saprotrophic non-white-rot fungus and on the metabolic synergies involved

Small Big Data: Using multiple data-sets to explore unfolding social and economic change

Bold approaches to data collection and large-scale quantitative advances have long been a preoccupation for social science researchers. In this commentary we further debate over the use of large-scale survey data and official statistics with ‘Big Data’ methodologists, and emphasise the ability of these resources to incorporate the essential social and cultural heredity that is intrinsic to the human sciences. In doing so, we introduce a series of new data-sets that integrate approximately 30 years of survey data on victimisation, fear of crime and disorder and social attitudes with indicators of socio-economic conditions and policy outcomes in Britain. The data-sets that we outline below do not conform to typical conceptions of ‘Big Data’. But, we would contend, they are ‘big’ in terms of the volume, variety and complexity of data which has been collated (and to which additional data can be linked) and ‘big’ also in that they allow us to explore key questions pertaining to how social and economic policy change at the national level alters the attitudes and experiences of citizens. Importantly, they are also ‘small’ in the sense that the task of rendering the data usable, linking it and decoding it, required both manual processing and tacit knowledge of the context of the data and intentions of its creators

Biotransformation of lanthanum by Aspergillus niger

Lanthanum is an important rare earth element and has many applications in modern electronics and catalyst manufacturing. However, there exist several obstacles in the recovery and cycling of this element due to a low average grade in exploitable deposits and low recovery rates by energy-intensive extraction procedures. In this work, a novel method to transform and recover La has been proposed using the geoactive properties of Aspergillus niger. La-containing crystals were formed and collected after A. niger was grown on Czapek-Dox agar medium amended with LaCl 3. Energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDXA) showed the crystals contained C, O, and La; scanning electron microscopy revealed that the crystals were of a tabular structure with terraced surfaces. X-ray diffraction identified the mineral phase of the sample as La 2(C 2O 4) 3·10H 2O. Thermogravimetric analysis transformed the oxalate crystals into La 2O 3 with the kinetics of thermal decomposition corresponding well with theoretical calculations. Geochemical modelling further confirmed that the crystals were lanthanum decahydrate and identified optimal conditions for their precipitation. To quantify crystal production, biomass-free fungal culture supernatants were used to precipitate La. The results showed that the precipitated lanthanum decahydrate achieved optimal yields when the concentration of La was above 15 mM and that 100% La was removed from the system at 5 mM La. Our findings provide a new aspect in the biotransformation and biorecovery of rare earth elements from solution using biomass-free fungal culture systems. </p

Neural correlates of multi-day learning and savings in sensorimotor adaptation

Abstract In the present study we evaluated changes in neural activation that occur over the time course of multiple days of sensorimotor adaptation, and identified individual neural predictors of adaptation and savings magnitude. We collected functional MRI data while participants performed a manual adaptation task during four separate test sessions over a three-month period. This allowed us to examine changes in activation and associations with adaptation and savings at subsequent sessions. Participants exhibited reliable savings of adaptation across the four sessions. Brain activity associated with early adaptation increased across the sessions in a variety of frontal, parietal, cingulate, and temporal cortical areas, as well as various subcortical areas. We found that savings was positively associated with activation in several striatal, parietal, and cingulate cortical areas including the putamen, precuneus, angular gyrus, dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC), and cingulate motor area. These findings suggest that participants may learn how to better engage cognitive processes across days, potentially reflecting improvements in action selection. We propose that such improvements may rely on action-value assignments, which previously have been linked to the dACC and striatum. As correct movements are assigned a higher value than incorrect movements, the former are more likely to be performed again

Low temperature heat capacity of fullerite C60 doped with nitrogen

The heat capacity Cm of polycrystalline fullerite C60 doped with nitrogen has been measured in the temperature interval 2 - 13 K. The contributions to heat capacity from translational lattice vibrations (Debye contribution), orientational vibrations of the C60 molecules (Einstein contribution) and from the motion of the N2 molecules in the octahedral cavities of the C60 lattice have been estimated. However, we could not find (beyond the experimental error limits) any indications of the first - order phase transformation that had been detected earlier in the dilatometric investigation of the orientational N2-C60 glass. A possible explanation of this fact is proposed.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, to be published in Fiz. Nizk. Temp. (Low Temp. Phys.

A registry-based follow-up study, comparing the incidence of cardiovascular disease in native Danes and immigrants born in Turkey, Pakistan and the former Yugoslavia: do social inequalities play a role?

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>This study compared the incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and acute myocardial infarction (AMI) between native Danes and immigrants born in Turkey, Pakistan and the former Yugoslavia. Furthermore, we examined whether different indicators of socioeconomic status (SES), such as employment, income and housing conditions influenced potential differences.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>In this registry-based follow-up study individuals were identified in a large database that included individuals from two major regions in Denmark, corresponding to about 60% of the Danish population. Incident cases of CVD and AMI included fatal and non-fatal events and were taken from registries. Using Cox regression models, we estimated incidence rates at 5-year follow-up.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Immigrant men and women from Turkey and Pakistan had an increased incidence of CVD, compared with native Danish men. In the case of AMI, a similar pattern was observed; however, differences were more pronounced. Pakistanis and Turks with a shorter duration of residence had a lower incidence, compared with those of a longer residence. Generally, no notable differences were observed between former Yugoslavians and native Danes. In men, differences in CVD and AMI were reduced after adjustment for SES, in particular, among Turks regarding CVD. In women, effects were particularly reduced among Yugoslavians in the case of CVD and in Turks in the case of CVD and AMI after adjustment for SES.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>In conclusion, country of birth-related differences in the incidence of CVD and AMI were observed. At least some of the differences that we uncovered were results of a socioeconomic effect. Duration of residence also played a certain role. Future studies should collect and test different indicators of SES in studies of CVD among immigrants.</p

Low temperature thermal expansion of pure and inert gas-doped Fullerite C60

The low temperature (2-24 K) thermal expansion of pure (single crystal and polycrystalline) C60 and polycrystalline C60 intercalated with He, Ne, Ar, and Kr has been investigated using high-resolution capacitance dilatometer. The investigation of the time dependence of the sample length variations on heating shows that the thermal expansion is determined by the sum of positive and negative contributions, which have different relaxation times. The negative thermal expansion usually prevails at helium temperatures. The positive expansion is connected with the phonon thermalization of the system. The negative expansion is caused by reorientation of the C60 molecules. It is assumed that the reorientation is of quantum character. The inert gas impurities affect very strongly the reorientation of the C60 molecules especially at liquid helium temperatures. A temperature hysteresis of the thermal expansion coefficient of Kr- and He- C60 solutions has been revealed. The hysteresis is attributed to orientational polyamorphous transformation in these systems.Comment: 18 pages, 12 figure

Structure-guided design and optimization of small molecules targeting the protein-protein interaction between the von hippel-lindau (VHL) E3 ubiquitin ligase and the hypoxia inducible factor (HIF) alpha subunit with in vitro nanomolar affinities

E3 ubiquitin ligases are attractive targets in the ubiquitin-proteasome system, however, the development of small-molecule ligands has been rewarded with limited success. The von Hippel-Lindau protein (pVHL) is the substrate recognition subunit of the VHL E3 ligase that targets HIF-1α for degradation. We recently reported inhibitors of the pVHL:HIF-1α interaction, however they exhibited moderate potency. Herein, we report the design and optimization, guided by X-ray crystal structures, of a ligand series with nanomolar binding affinities