Induced voltage in piezoelectric tube driven segments and their use in nanopositioning, an assessment

A piezoelectric tube actuator has a number of segments or electrodes. The induced voltage and the piezoelectric voltage, two easy-to-measure electrical signals in piezoelectric tubes, have been used in position estimation of these actuators since 2006 and 1982. However, since introduction, the in-duced voltage has never been compared with the piezoelectric voltage for piezoelectric tubes’ po-sition estimation. In addition, only linear models have been used to present the relationship between the induced voltage and the position of piezoelectric tubes. In other words, in the literature, it has been practically assumed that (1) the relationship between the induced voltage and the position is linear, and (2) the induced voltage can estimate the position more accurately compared to the piezoelectric voltage. This article assesses and nullifies both these assumptions. In this research, with the use of the experimental data, both aforementioned voltage signals were mapped into the position through linear and nonlinear models. It was shown that the position can be estimated less accurately with the induced voltage compared to the piezoelectric voltage, and the relationship of the position with the induced voltage presents higher and non-negligible nonlinearity compared to the one with the piezoelectric voltag

Geostationary aerosol retrievals of extreme biomass burning plumes during the 2019–2020 Australian bushfires

Extreme biomass burning (BB) events, such as those seen during the 2019-2020 Australian bushfire season, are becoming more frequent and intense with climate change. Ground-based observations of these events can provide useful information on the macro-and micro-physical properties of the plumes, but these observations are sparse, especially in regions which are at risk of intense bushfire events. Satellite observations of extreme BB events provide a unique perspective, with the newest generation of geostationary imagers, such as the Advanced Himawari Imager (AHI), observing entire continents at moderate spatial and high temporal resolution. However, current passive satellite retrieval methods struggle to capture the high values of aerosol optical thickness (AOT) seen during these BB events. Accurate retrievals are necessary for global and regional studies of shortwave radiation, air quality modelling and numerical weather prediction. To address these issues, the Optimal Retrieval of Aerosol and Cloud (ORAC) algorithm has used AHI data to measure extreme BB plumes from the 2019-2020 Australian bushfire season. The sensitivity of the retrieval to the assumed optical properties of BB plumes is explored by comparing retrieved AOT with AErosol RObotic NETwork (AERONET) level-1.5 data over the AERONET site at Tumbarumba, New South Wales, between 1 December 2019 at 00:00UTC and 3 January 2020 at 00:00UTC. The study shows that for AOT values >2, the sensitivity to the assumed optical properties is substantial. The ORAC retrievals and AERONET data are compared against the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) Aerosol Retrieval Product (ARP), Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Deep Blue over land, MODIS MAIAC, Sentinel-3 SYN and VIIRS Deep Blue products. The comparison shows the ORAC retrieval significantly improves coverage of optically thick plumes relative to the JAXA ARP, with approximately twice as many pixels retrieved and peak retrieved AOT values 1.4 times higher than the JAXA ARP. The ORAC retrievals have accuracy scores of 0.742-0.744 compared to the values of 0.718-0.833 for the polar-orbiting satellite products, despite successfully retrieving approximately 28 times as many pixels over the study period as the most successful polar-orbiting satellite product. The AHI and MODIS satellite products are compared for three case studies covering a range of BB plumes over Australia. The results show good agreement between all products for plumes with AOT values ≤2. For extreme BB plumes, the ORAC retrieval finds values of AOT >15, significantly higher than those seen in events classified as extreme by previous studies, although with high uncertainty. A combination of hard limits in the retrieval algorithms and misclassification of BB plumes as cloud prevents the JAXA and MODIS products from returning AOT values significantly greater than 5

Social Cognitive Outcomes are Associated With Improvements in Mobility Performance Following Lifestyle Intervention in Prostate Cancer Patients Undergoing Androgen Deprivation Therapy

Objective To compare the effects of an exercise and dietary intervention with those of standard-of-care management upon change in lift and carry performance and mobility-related self-efficacy beliefs and explore associations in prostate cancer patients undergoing androgen deprivation therapy. Methods 32 prostate cancer patients (M age = 66.2 years; SD = 7.8) undergoing androgen deprivation therapy were randomly assigned to a 3-month exercise and dietary lifestyle intervention (n = 16) or standard-of-care management (n = 16). Outcome assessments were obtained at baseline, 2- and 3-month follow-up. Results The lifestyle intervention resulted in significantly greater improvements in lift and carry performance (p = 0.01) at 2 Months (d = 1.01; p \u3c 0.01) and 3 Months (d = 0.95; p \u3c 0.01) and superior improvements in mobility-related self-efficacy at 2 Months (d = 0.38) and 3 Months (d = 0.58) relative to standard-of-care. Mobility-related self-efficacy (r = -.66; p = 0.006) and satisfaction with function (r = -.63; p = 0.01) were significantly correlated with lift and carry performance at 3 Months. Conclusions The exercise and dietary lifestyle intervention yielded superior improvements in lift and carry performance and mobility-related self-efficacy relative to standard-of-care and key social cognitive outcomes were associated with more favorable mobility performance

Effects of a group-mediated cognitive behavioral lifestyle intervention on select social cognitive outcomes in prostate cancer patients undergoing androgen deprivation therapy

Objective. To compare the effects of a group-mediated cognitive behavioral (GMCB) exercise and dietary (EX+D) intervention with those of standard-of-care (SC) treatment on select social cognitive outcomes in prostate cancer (PCa) patients undergoing androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). Methods. In the single-blind, 2-arm, randomized controlled Individualized Diet and Exercise Adherence–Pilot (IDEA-P) trial, 32 PCa patients (mean age = 66.2 years; SD = 7.8) undergoing ADT were randomly assigned to a 12-week EX+D intervention (n = 16) or SC treatment (n = 16). The exercise component of the personalized EX+D intervention integrated a combination of supervised resistance and aerobic exercise performed twice per week. The dietary component involved counseling and education to modify dietary intake and composition. Blinded assessments of social cognitive outcomes were obtained at baseline and 2-month and 3-month follow-up. Results. Intent-to-treat analysis of covariance demonstrated that the EX+D intervention resulted in significantly greater improvements in scheduling (P \u3c .05), coping (P \u3c .01), and exercise self-efficacy (P \u3c .05), and satisfaction with function (P \u3c .01) at 3 months relative to SC. Results of partial correlation analysis also demonstrated that select social cognitive outcomes were significantly correlated with primary trial outcomes of mobility performance and exercise participation (P \u3c .05) at 3-month follow-up. Conclusions: The GMCB lifestyle intervention yielded more favorable improvements in relevant social cognitive outcomes relative to SC among PCa patients undergoing ADT. Additionally, more favorable social cognitive outcomes were associated with superior mobility performance and exercise participation following the independent maintenance phase of the EX+D intervention

The Binding of Plasmodium falciparum Adhesins and Erythrocyte Invasion Proteins to Aldolase Is Enhanced by Phosphorylation.

Aldolase has been implicated as a protein coupling the actomyosin motor and cell surface adhesins involved in motility and host cell invasion in the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. It binds to the cytoplasmic domain (CTD) of type 1 membrane proteins of the thrombospondin-related anonymous protein (TRAP) family. Other type 1 membrane proteins located in the apical organelles of merozoites, the form of the parasite that invades red blood cells, including apical membrane antigen 1 (AMA1) and members of the erythrocyte binding ligand (EBL) and reticulocyte binding homologue (RH) protein families have been implicated in host cell binding and invasion. Using a direct binding method we confirm that TRAP and merozoite TRAP (MTRAP) bind aldolase and show that the interaction is mediated by more than just the C-terminal six amino acid residues identified previously. Single amino acid substitutions in the MTRAP CTD abolished binding to aldolase. The CTDs of AMA1 and members of the EBL and RH protein families also bound to aldolase. MTRAP competed with AMA1 and RH4 for binding to aldolase, indicating overlapping binding sites. MTRAP CTD was phosphorylated in vitro by both calcium dependent kinase 1 (CDPK1) and protein kinase A, and this modification increased the affinity of binding to aldolase by ten-fold. Phosphorylation of the CTD of members of the EBL and RH protein families also increased their affinity for aldolase in some cases. To examine whether or not MTRAP expressed in asexual blood stage parasites is phosphorylated, it was tagged with GFP, purified and analysed, however no phosphorylation was detected. We propose that CTD binding to aldolase may be dynamically modulated by phosphorylation, and there may be competition for aldolase binding between different CTDs. The use and efficiency of alternate invasion pathways may be determined by the affinity of adhesins and cell invasion proteins for aldolase, in addition to their host ligand specificity

Genome-wide analysis of the role of GlnR in Streptomyces venezuelae provides new insights into global nitrogen regulation in actinomycetes

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>GlnR is an atypical response regulator found in actinomycetes that modulates the transcription of genes in response to changes in nitrogen availability. We applied a global <it>in vivo </it>approach to identify the GlnR regulon of <it>Streptomyces venezuelae</it>, which, unlike many actinomycetes, grows in a diffuse manner that is suitable for physiological studies. Conditions were defined that facilitated analysis of GlnR-dependent induction of gene expression in response to rapid nitrogen starvation. Microarray analysis identified global transcriptional differences between <it>glnR</it>⁺and <it>glnR </it>mutant strains under varying nitrogen conditions. To differentiate between direct and indirect regulatory effects of GlnR, chromatin immuno-precipitation (ChIP) using antibodies specific to a FLAG-tagged GlnR protein, coupled with microarray analysis (ChIP-chip), was used to identify GlnR binding sites throughout the <it>S. venezuelae </it>genome.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>GlnR bound to its target sites in both transcriptionally active and apparently inactive forms. Thirty-six GlnR binding sites were identified by ChIP-chip analysis allowing derivation of a consensus GlnR-binding site for <it>S. venezuelae</it>. GlnR-binding regions were associated with genes involved in primary nitrogen metabolism, secondary metabolism, the synthesis of catabolic enzymes and a number of transport-related functions.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The GlnR regulon of <it>S. venezuelae </it>is extensive and impacts on many facets of the organism's biology. GlnR can apparently bind to its target sites in both transcriptionally active and inactive forms.</p

Aerosol indirect effects

Aerosol indirect effects continue to constitute one of the most important uncertainties for anthropogenic climate perturbations. Within the international AEROCOM initiative, the representation of aerosol-cloud-radiation interactions in ten different general circulation models (GCMs) is evaluated using three satellite datasets. The focus is on stratiform liquid water clouds since most GCMs do not include ice nucleation effects, and none of the model explicitly parameterises aerosol effects on convective clouds. We compute statistical relationships between aerosol optical depth (tau a) and various cloud and radiation quantities in a manner that is consistent between the models and the satellite data. cloud droplet number concentration (N d) compares relatively well to the satellite data at least over the ocean. The relationship between (tau a) and liquid water path is simulated much too strongly by the models. This suggests that the implementation of the second aerosol indirect effect mainly in terms of an autoconversion parameterisation has to be revisited in the GCMs. A positive relationship between total cloud fraction (fcld) and tau a as found in the satellite data is simulated by the majority of the models, albeit less strongly than that in the satellite data in most of them. In a discussion of the hypotheses proposed in the literature to explain the satellite-derived strong fcld–tau a relationship, our results indicate that none can be identified as a unique explanation. Relationships similar to the ones found in satellite data between tau a and cloud top temperature or outgoing long-wave radiation (OLR) are simulated by only a few GCMs. The GCMs that simulate a negative OLR - tau a relationship show a strong positive correlation between tau a and fcld. The short-wave total aerosol radiative forcing as simulated by the GCMs is strongly influenced by the simulated anthropogenic fraction of tau a, and parameterisation assumptions such as a lower bound on Nd. Nevertheless, the strengths of the statistical relationships are good predictors for the aerosol forcings in the models. An estimate of the total short-wave aerosol forcing inferred from the combination of these predictors for the modelled forcings with the satellite-derived statistical relationships yields a global annual mean value of −1.5±0.5Wm−2. In an alternative approach, the radiative flux perturbation due to anthropogenic aerosols can be broken down into a component over the cloud-free portion of the globe (approximately the aerosol direct effect) and a component over the cloudy portion of the globe (approximately the aerosol indirect effect). An estimate obtained by scaling these simulated clearand cloudy-sky forcings with estimates of anthropogenic tau a and satellite-retrieved Nd–tau a regression slopes, respectively, yields a global, annual-mean aerosol direct effect estimate of −0.4±0.2Wm−2 and a cloudy-sky (aerosol indirect effect) estimate of −0.7±0.5Wm−2, with a total estimate of −1.2±0.4Wm−2

Training future generations to deliver evidence-based conservation and ecosystem management

1. To be effective, the next generation of conservation practitioners and managers need to be critical thinkers with a deep understanding of how to make evidence-based decisions and of the value of evidence synthesis. 2. If, as educators, we do not make these priorities a core part of what we teach, we are failing to prepare our students to make an effective contribution to conservation practice. 3. To help overcome this problem we have created open access online teaching materials in multiple languages that are stored in Applied Ecology Resources. So far, 117 educators from 23 countries have acknowledged the importance of this and are already teaching or about to teach skills in appraising or using evidence in conservation decision-making. This includes 145 undergraduate, postgraduate or professional development courses. 4. We call for wider teaching of the tools and skills that facilitate evidence-based conservation and also suggest that providing online teaching materials in multiple languages could be beneficial for improving global understanding of other subject areas.Peer reviewe