Enhancement of Coherent X ray Diffraction from Nanocrystals by Introduction of X ray Optics

Coherent X-ray Diffraction is applied to investigate the structure of individual nanocrystalline silver particles in the 100nm size range. In order to enhance the available signal, Kirkpatrick-Baez focusing optics have been introduced in the 34-ID-C beamline at APS. Concerns about the preservation of coherence under these circumstances are addressed through experiment and by calculations

Action for the eleven dimensional multiple M-wave system

We present the covariant supersymmetric and kappa-symmetric action for a system of N nearly coincident M-waves (multiple M0-brane system) in flat eleven dimensional superspace.Comment: 4+ pages, RevTeX4, no figures. V2: misprints corrected, discussion extended, references added, LaTeX, 10 pages. V3: misprints corrected. V4, extended version, 1+13 pages, to appear in JHE

Supermanifolds, symplectic geometry and curvature

We present a survey of some results and questions related to the notion of scalar curvature in the setting of symplectic supermanifolds.Comment: Dedicated to Jaime Mu\~noz-Masqu\'e on occasion of his 65th birthda

Comparative Study of the Nutrient Composition of Millet and Maize-Based Complementary Weaning Foods

Children in the study area are mostly weaned on cereal gruel that is deficient in some essential nutrients. The current work compared the nutrient composition of millet (MLMX) and the (MZMX) based complementary food prepared from locally sourced food stuffs. MZMX was formulated from maize, soyabeans, groundnuts, crayfish and palm oil. MLMX contained millet in place of maize. Proximate composition of the two diets, were not significantly different (p > 0.05) and compared well with frisocream. Mineral element composition of the two diets was significantly ( p < 0.05) different when compared. Amino acid compositions of the diets were comparable to that of frisocream. Antinutritional factors in the two diets were not significantly (p > 0.05) different when compared

Uncovering psychological gratifications affecting social media utilization : a multiblock hierarchical analysis

The purpose of this study is to examine internet users’ experience and gratifications of social media, which affect the utilization of the medium. The research model was developed in hierarchical multiblock, which consists of three key psychological components–personal, tension release, and social–that are derived from the Uses and Gratifications theoretical perspective. Data were collected through stratified probability sampling of 428 social media users using a web-based questionnaire. They were selected because they spend a significant amount of time on social media sites, at least on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Instagram. Based on hierarchical multiblock PLS analysis, the results confirmed that social media utilization is affected by three key component psychological factors. All of these factors play a significant part in influencing user attitude toward utilizing social media. The findings are believed to increase understanding, especially for user-experience designers (UXD) concerning venues that can be used for direct targeting in designing social media marketing. The implications and recommendations for future research are discussed

Direct evidence for charge stripes in a layered cobalt oxide

Recent experiments indicate that static stripe-like charge order is generic to the hole-doped copper oxide superconductors and competes with superconductivity. Here we show that a similar type of charge order is present in La5/3 Sr1/3 CoO4 , an insulating analogue of the copper oxide superconductors containing cobalt in place of copper. The stripe phase we have detected is accompanied by short-range, quasi-one-dimensional, antiferromagnetic order, and provides a natural explanation for the distinctive hour- glass shape of the magnetic spectrum previously observed in neutron scattering mea- surements of La2−xSrx CoO4 and many hole-doped copper oxide superconductors. The results establish a solid empirical basis for theories of the hourglass spectrum built on short-range, quasi-static, stripe correlations

Observations préliminaires de la variabilité entre quelques morphotypes de voandzou (Vigna subterranea L. Verdc., Fabaceae) de Côte d'Ivoire

Preliminary observations of variability between some morphotypes of bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea L. Verdc., Fabaceae) from Côte d’Ivoire. Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea L. Verdc.), is a food legume mainly cultivated by women for whom it represents a source of income for the household. In Côte d’Ivoire, the cultivation of bambara groundnut is located in the western and northern parts of the country. These zones are characterised by contrasted agroecology including tropical rain forest and dry savanna. In these zones, bambara groundnut plays a key role in both food and culture of peoples. Four morphotypes of Côte d’Ivoire (ICU, BPR, RBU, NFU) were used in a preliminary study to assess the phenotypic variability between morphotypes. For each morphotype, 100 individuals were sampled to analyse 26 agromorphological traits selected from the list of bambara groundnut descriptors. Results of statistical analyses showed an important variability among morphotypes suggesting that 22 of these characters could be powerful to distinguish diversity among bambara groundnut morphotypes of Côte d’Ivoire. Three morphotypes (ICU, BPR and RBU) show a shorter reproductive cycle than the other (NFU). In our experimental conditions, morphotypes with a shorter reproductive cycle give a higher percentage of matured pods (87 to 95%), compared to morphotype NFU (60%). The morphotype ICU was particularly earlier, maturing 90 days after sowing (DAS), whereas the long reproductive cycle morphotype (NFU) required about 137 days. Based on the analysed agronomic traits, possibilities to improve bambara groundnut yield and to promote its cultivation in Côte d’Ivoire are discussed

Demonstration of the Presence of the "Deleted" MIR122 Gene in HepG2 Cells

MicroRNA 122 (miR-122) is highly expressed in the liver where it influences diverse biological processes and pathways, including hepatitis C virus replication and metabolism of iron and cholesterol. It is processed from a long non-coding primary transcript (~7.5 kb) and the gene has two evolutionarily-conserved regions containing the pri-mir-122 promoter and pre-mir-122 hairpin region. Several groups reported that the widely-used hepatocytic cell line HepG2 had deficient expression of miR-122, previously ascribed to deletion of the pre-mir-122 stem-loop region. We aimed to characterise this deletion by direct sequencing of 6078 bp containing the pri-mir-122 promoter and pre-mir-122 stem-loop region in HepG2 and Huh-7, a control hepatocytic cell line reported to express miR-122, supported by sequence analysis of cloned genomic DNA. In contrast to previous findings, the entire sequence was present in both cell lines. Ten SNPs were heterozygous in HepG2 indicating that DNA was present in two copies. Three validation isolates of HepG2 were sequenced, showing identical genotype to the original in two, whereas the third was different. Investigation of promoter chromatin status by FAIRE showed that Huh-7 cells had 6.2 ± 0.19- and 2.7 ± 0.01- fold more accessible chromatin at the proximal (HNF4α-binding) and distal DR1 transcription factor sites, compared to HepG2 cells (p=0.03 and 0.001, respectively). This was substantiated by ENCODE genome annotations, which showed a DNAse I hypersensitive site in the pri-mir-122 promoter in Huh-7 that was absent in HepG2 cells. While the origin of the reported deletion is unclear, cell lines should be obtained from a reputable source and used at low passage number to avoid discrepant results. Deficiency of miR-122 expression in HepG2 cells may be related to a relative deficiency of accessible promoter chromatin in HepG2 versus Huh-7 cells

Blind fish have cells that see light

Most animals on earth have evolved under daily light-dark cycles and consequently possess a circadian clock which regulates much of their biology, from cellular processes to behaviour. There are however some animals that have invaded dark ecosystems and have adapted to an apparently arrhythmic environment. One such example is the Mexican blind cavefish Astyanax mexicanus, a species complex with over 30 different isolated cave types, including the founding surface river fish. These cavefish have evolved numerous fascinating adaptations to the dark, such as loss of eyes, reduced sleep phenotype and alterations in their clock and light biology. While cavefish are an excellent model for studying circadian adaptations to the dark, their rarity and long generational time makes many studies challenging. To overcome these limitations, we established embryonic cell cultures from cavefish strains and assessed their potential as tools for circadian and light experiments. Here, we show that despite originating from animals with no eyes, cavefish cells in culture are directly light responsive and show an endogenous circadian rhythm, albeit that light sensitivity is relatively reduced in cave strain cells. Expression patterns are similar to adult fish, making these cavefish cell lines a useful tool for further circadian and molecular studies