First Detailed Analysis of a Relatively Deep, Low Mass-ratio Contact Binary: ATO J108.6991+27.8306

We present the first detailed photometric analysis of ATO J108.6991+27.8306 (hereinafter as J108). The short-period close binary J108 was observed by the Nanshan 1 m Wide Field Telescope of the Xinjiang Astronomical Observatory. The obtained BVRI-band light curves were used to determine the photometric solution by using the 2003 version of the Wilson-Devinney code. J108 is a typical deep ( f > 50%), low mass ratio (q < 0.25) overcontact binary system with a mass ratio of q = 0.1501 and a fill-out factor of f = 50.1 %, suggesting that it is in the late evolutionary stage of contact binary systems. We found the target to be a W-type W UMa binary and provided evidence for the presence of starspots on both components. From the temperature-luminosity diagram, the main component is the evolved main sequence star with an evolutionary age of about 7.94 Gyr.Comment: 7 pages, 6 figure

Human migration activities drive the fluctuation of ARGs : Case study of landfills in Nanjing, eastern China

Landfills are perfect sites to study the effect of human migration on fluctuation of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) as they are the final destination of municipal waste. For example, large-scale human migration during the holidays is often accompanied by changes in waste dumping having potential effects on ARG abundance. Three landfills were selected to examine fluctuation in the abundance of fifteen ARGs and Intl1 genes for 14 months in Nanjing, eastern China. Mass human migration, the amount of dumped waste and temperature exerted the most significant effects on bimonthly fluctuations of ARG levels in landfill sites. As a middle-sized cosmopolitan city in China, millions of college students and workers migrate during holidays, contributing to the dramatic increases in waste production and fluctuation in ARG abundances. In line with this, mass migration explained most of the variation in waste dumping. The waste dumping also affected the bioaccessibility of mixed-compound pollutants that further positively impacted the level of ARGs. The influence of various bioaccessible compounds on ARG abundance followed the order: antibiotics>nutrients>metals>organic pollutants. Concentrations of bioaccessible compounds were more strongly correlated with ARG levels compared to total compound concentrations. Improved waste classification and management strategies could thus help to decrease the amount of bioaccessible pollutants leading to more effective control for urban ARG dissemination

Biogas slurry as an alternative to chemical fertilizer: Changes in soil properties and microbial communities of fluvo-aquic soil in the North China Plain

Biogas slurry application offers an alternative to chemical fertilizer in realizing ecologically re-cycling agriculture. However, the responses of soil fertility and microbial communities to long term use of biogas slurry need to be explored in different soil types and regions. We investigated the effects of repeated applications over six years on the soil properties and microbial character-istics of a fluvo-aquic soil in the North China Plain. The experiment, with equivalent nitrogen in-puts, comprised: biogas slurry (BS), chemical fertilizer (CF) or substitution of half the chemical fertilizer with biogas slurry (BSCF); a control treatment had no fertilizer addition. Soil samples, at a depth of 0–20 cm, were collected for their physicochemical properties. Microbial community diversity and composition was investigated using high-throughput sequencing. Biogas slurry ap-plication treatments tended to lower the soil bulk density while increasing the water-holding ca-pacity and the water-stable aggregate mean weight diameter. Organic carbon and available nu-trient concentrations (nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus) were enhanced in all fertilization treatments relative to the control, especially in the BSCF treatment. Significant differences in mi-crobial community composition were detected between the control and all of the fertilization treatments. BSCF resulted in the greatest diversity and most evenly balanced assemblages of both bacteria and fungi at the phylum level. There were clear associations between microbial composi-tion and changes in soil environmental variables caused by the fertilization treatments. Bacterial community composition and alpha diversity were associated particularly with differences in soil total nitrogen, pH, and available potassium, whereas fungal communities were more related to available potassium. Half substitution of the chemical fertilizer by biogas slurry gave the greatest improvement in soil structure and nutrient availability and this was associated with greater microbial diversity and better balanced microbial communities. Our results suggest that partial substitution with biogas slurry is an alternative to complete chemical fertilizer and that it offers clear benefits for the topsoil structure and fertility in fluvo-aquic soils. It also represents a prom-ising approach to a biogas-linked agroecosystem that restores sustainable coordination between cropping and animal husbandry under an intensive production regime

Establishment of an AAV Reverse Infection-Based Array

Background: The development of a convenient high-throughput gene transduction approach is critical for biological screening. Adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors are broadly used in gene therapy studies, yet their applications in in vitro high-throughput gene transduction are limited. Principal Findings: We established an AAV reverse infection (RI)-based method in which cells were transduced by quantified recombinant AAVs (rAAVs) pre-coated onto 96-well plates. The number of pre-coated rAAV particles and number of cells loaded per well, as well as the temperature stability of the rAAVs on the plates, were evaluated. As the first application of this method, six serotypes or hybrid serotypes of rAAVs (AAV1, AAV2, AAV5/5, AAV8, AAV25 m, AAV28 m) were compared for their transduction efficiencies using various cell lines, including BHK21, HEK293, BEAS-2BS, HeLaS3, Huh7, Hepa1-6, and A549. AAV2 and AAV1 displayed high transduction efficiency; thus, they were deemed to be suitable candidate vectors for the RI-based array. We next evaluated the impact of sodium butyrate (NaB) treatment on rAAV vectormediated reporter gene expression and found it was significantly enhanced, suggesting that our system reflected the biological response of target cells to specific treatments. Conclusions/Significance: Our study provides a novel method for establishing a highly efficient gene transduction arra

High-Throughput Functional MicroRNAs Profiling by Recombinant AAV-Based MicroRNA Sensor Arrays

BACKGROUND: microRNAs (miRNAs) are small and non-coding RNAs which play critical roles in physiological and pathological processes. A number of methods have been established to detect and quantify miRNA expression. However, method for high-throughput miRNA function detection is still lacking. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We describe an adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector-based microRNA (miRNA) sensor (Asensor) array for high-throughput functional miRNA profiling. Each Asensor contains a Gaussia luciferase (Gluc) and a firefly luciferase (Fluc) expression cassette to sense functional miRNA and to serve as an internal control respectively. Using this array, we acquired functional profiles of 115 miRNAs for 12 cell lines and found "functional miRNA signatures" for several specific cell lines. The activities of specific miRNAs including the let-7 family, miR-17-92 cluster, miR-221, and miR-222 in HEK 293 cells were compared with their expression levels determined by quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (QRT-PCR). We also demonstrate two other practical applications of the array, including a comparison of the miRNA activity between HEK293 and HEK293T cells and the ability to monitor miRNA activity changes in K562 cells treated with 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA). CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our approach has potential applications in the identification of cell types, the characterization of biological and pathological processes, and the evaluation of responses to interventions

Juxtaposing BTE and ATE – on the role of the European insurance industry in funding civil litigation

One of the ways in which legal services are financed, and indeed shaped, is through private insurance arrangement. Two contrasting types of legal expenses insurance contracts (LEI) seem to dominate in Europe: before the event (BTE) and after the event (ATE) legal expenses insurance. Notwithstanding institutional differences between different legal systems, BTE and ATE insurance arrangements may be instrumental if government policy is geared towards strengthening a market-oriented system of financing access to justice for individuals and business. At the same time, emphasizing the role of a private industry as a keeper of the gates to justice raises issues of accountability and transparency, not readily reconcilable with demands of competition. Moreover, multiple actors (clients, lawyers, courts, insurers) are involved, causing behavioural dynamics which are not easily predicted or influenced. Against this background, this paper looks into BTE and ATE arrangements by analysing the particularities of BTE and ATE arrangements currently available in some European jurisdictions and by painting a picture of their respective markets and legal contexts. This allows for some reflection on the performance of BTE and ATE providers as both financiers and keepers. Two issues emerge from the analysis that are worthy of some further reflection. Firstly, there is the problematic long-term sustainability of some ATE products. Secondly, the challenges faced by policymakers that would like to nudge consumers into voluntarily taking out BTE LEI

Penilaian Kinerja Keuangan Koperasi di Kabupaten Pelalawan

This paper describe development and financial performance of cooperative in District Pelalawan among 2007 - 2008. Studies on primary and secondary cooperative in 12 sub-districts. Method in this stady use performance measuring of productivity, efficiency, growth, liquidity, and solvability of cooperative. Productivity of cooperative in Pelalawan was highly but efficiency still low. Profit and income were highly, even liquidity of cooperative very high, and solvability was good