A generic key to the known larval Elmidae (Insecta: Coleoptera) of French Guiana

An identification key is provided for 21 larval types of Elmidae (riffle beetles) known to occur in French Guiana. Not all elmid genera known to occur in French Guiana are known in the larval stage. Nor are all the known larval types assigned to known elmid genera

Serial Interference Cancellation for Improving uplink in LoRa-like Networks

In this paper, we present a new receiver design, which significantly improves performance in the Internet of Things networks such as LoRa, i.e., having a chirp spread spectrum modulation. The proposed receiver is able to demodulate multiple users simultaneously transmitted over the same frequency channel with the same spreading factor. From a non-orthogonal multiple access point of view, it is based on the power domain and uses serial interference cancellation. Simulation results show that the receiver allows a significant increase in the number of connected devices in the network

Synthesis of T-Nb2O5 thin-films deposited by Atomic Layer Deposition for miniaturized electrochemical energy storage devices

Atomic Layer Deposition has been used to grow 30 to 90 nm-thick amorphous Nb2O5 films onto Pt current collectors deposited on Si wafer. While T-Nb2O5 polymorph is obtained by further annealing at 750 °C, the film thickness and the resulting electrode areal capacity are successfully controlled by tuning the number of ALD cycles. The electrochemical analysis reveals a lithium ion intercalation redox mechanism in the T-Nb2O5 electrode. An electrode areal capacity of 8 μAh cm-² could be achieved at 1 C, with only 40% capacity loss at 30 C(2 minutes discharging time). This paper aims at demonstrating the use of Atomic Layer Deposition method in the fabrication of Nb205-based on-chip micro-devices for Internet of Things (IoT) applications

Zusammenfassung

N-Heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) have been shown to be useful ligands for the Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling at low catalyst loadings. We now report that the commercially available and air-stable [Pd(IPr)(cin)Cl] pre-catalyst permits the formation of various functionalized biaryls from aryl chlorides and boronic acids (37 examples) under very mild conditions using a mixture of ethanol/water as solvent and an inorganic base

Biophysical and physiological processes causing oxygen loss from coral reefs

The microbialization of coral reefs predicts that microbial oxygen consumption will cause reef deoxygenation. Here we tested this hypothesis by analyzing reef microbial and primary producer oxygen metabolisms. Metagenomic data and in vitro incubations of bacteria with primary producer exudates showed that fleshy algae stimulate incomplete carbon oxidation metabolisms in heterotrophic bacteria. These metabolisms lead to increased cell sizes and abundances, resulting in bacteria consuming 10 times more oxygen than in coral incubations. Experiments probing the dissolved and gaseous oxygen with primary producers and bacteria together indicated the loss of oxygen through ebullition caused by heterogenous nucleation on algae surfaces. A model incorporating experimental production and loss rates predicted that microbes and ebullition can cause the loss of up to 67% of gross benthic oxygen production. This study indicates that microbial respiration and ebullition are increasingly relevant to reef deoxygenation as reefs become dominated by fleshy algae.This work was funded by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation (grant 3781 to FR) and Spruance Foundation. CBS was funded by CNPq (234702) and Spruance Foundation. TNFR was supported by the NSF (G00009988)

Antiinflammatory Therapy with Canakinumab for Atherosclerotic Disease

Background: Experimental and clinical data suggest that reducing inflammation without affecting lipid levels may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Yet, the inflammatory hypothesis of atherothrombosis has remained unproved. Methods: We conducted a randomized, double-blind trial of canakinumab, a therapeutic monoclonal antibody targeting interleukin-1β, involving 10,061 patients with previous myocardial infarction and a high-sensitivity C-reactive protein level of 2 mg or more per liter. The trial compared three doses of canakinumab (50 mg, 150 mg, and 300 mg, administered subcutaneously every 3 months) with placebo. The primary efficacy end point was nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke, or cardiovascular death. RESULTS: At 48 months, the median reduction from baseline in the high-sensitivity C-reactive protein level was 26 percentage points greater in the group that received the 50-mg dose of canakinumab, 37 percentage points greater in the 150-mg group, and 41 percentage points greater in the 300-mg group than in the placebo group. Canakinumab did not reduce lipid levels from baseline. At a median follow-up of 3.7 years, the incidence rate for the primary end point was 4.50 events per 100 person-years in the placebo group, 4.11 events per 100 person-years in the 50-mg group, 3.86 events per 100 person-years in the 150-mg group, and 3.90 events per 100 person-years in the 300-mg group. The hazard ratios as compared with placebo were as follows: in the 50-mg group, 0.93 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.80 to 1.07; P = 0.30); in the 150-mg group, 0.85 (95% CI, 0.74 to 0.98; P = 0.021); and in the 300-mg group, 0.86 (95% CI, 0.75 to 0.99; P = 0.031). The 150-mg dose, but not the other doses, met the prespecified multiplicity-adjusted threshold for statistical significance for the primary end point and the secondary end point that additionally included hospitalization for unstable angina that led to urgent revascularization (hazard ratio vs. placebo, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.73 to 0.95; P = 0.005). Canakinumab was associated with a higher incidence of fatal infection than was placebo. There was no significant difference in all-cause mortality (hazard ratio for all canakinumab doses vs. placebo, 0.94; 95% CI, 0.83 to 1.06; P = 0.31). Conclusions: Antiinflammatory therapy targeting the interleukin-1β innate immunity pathway with canakinumab at a dose of 150 mg every 3 months led to a significantly lower rate of recurrent cardiovascular events than placebo, independent of lipid-level lowering. (Funded by Novartis; CANTOS ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01327846.

A new taxonomic placement for Scutobates Cook, 1966, with the description of a new species from French Guiana (Acari: Hydrachnidia: Hygrobatidae)

Smit, Harry, Clavier, Simon (2019): A new taxonomic placement for Scutobates Cook, 1966, with the description of a new species from French Guiana (Acari: Hydrachnidia: Hygrobatidae). Zootaxa 4543 (4): 587-589, DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4543.4.

On the presence of the giant freshwater prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii, in French Guiana confirmed by citizen science and genetic analyses

We report for the first time the presence of self-sustaining populations of Macrobrachium rosenbergii in French Guiana. Genetic analyses of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I marker (COI) confirmed the identity of the species as well as historical records about the introduction of the species from commercial stocks. Despite the limited presence of Macrobrachium rosenbergii in French Guiana, the species is recorded in several river basins, including two where the species has never been farmed. This suggests that the species is able to disperse locally and highlights its potential invasive nature in the territory

The phylogenetic relationships of the two-winged South American Leptophlebiidae genera revisited with first description of the male imago of Bessierus Thomas & Orth (Insecta: Ephemeroptera)

Four of the 43 genera of South American Leptophlebiidae are dipterous. A previous phylogenetic hypothesis supported that clade Askola+Hagenulopsis, and that Bessierus+Perissophlebiodes, are sister groups of the Farrodes complex. Adults of Bessierus and Perissophlebiodes were not known but posteriorly Perissophlebiodes male imago was described. Here, we describe the male imago of Bessierus for the first time. Both genera share, besides the absence of the hind wings, the asymmetrical fork of MA, symmetrical fork of MP, dissimilar tarsal claws, and forceps sockets fused. Along with the description of the imago, a new diagnosis for the genus Bessierus is presented, also updating the identification key with this new information. A new cladistics analysis is performed to test the stability of the proposed relationships of these four genera within Leptophlebiidae. We obtained a single cladistic hypothesis where the addition of Bessierus adult characters resulted in new synapomorphies for the (Bessierus, Perissophlebiodes) clade, and improved its clade statistical support. The fused forceps sockets resulted in a synapomorphy uniting Bessierus, Perissophlebiodes and Simothraulopsis. As a result of this new analysis, the hypothesis of independent losses of the hind wings in the two dipterous groups studied is supported. The Farrodes lineage is not supported as proposed in previous studies, being restricted only to (Farrodes (Simothraulopsis, Homothraulus)) while the identity of “Perissophlebiodes lineage” is supported. The sister group relationship of Rondophlebia is not clearly defined.Fil: Dominguez, Eduardo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto de Biodiversidad Neotropical. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Instituto Miguel Lillo. Instituto de Biodiversidad Neotropical. Instituto de Biodiversidad Neotropical; ArgentinaFil: Cuezzo, Maria Gabriela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto de Biodiversidad Neotropical. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Instituto Miguel Lillo. Instituto de Biodiversidad Neotropical. Instituto de Biodiversidad Neotropical; ArgentinaFil: Clavier, Simon. Hydreco Guyane; Guayana Frances