Orbital-selective confinement effect of Ru 4d4d orbitals in SrRuO3_3 ultrathin film

The electronic structure of SrRuO$_3$ thin film with thickness from 50 to 1 unit cell (u.c.) is investigated via the resonant inelastic x-ray scattering (RIXS) technique at the O K-edge to unravel the intriguing interplay of orbital and charge degrees of freedom. We found that orbital-selective quantum confinement effect (QCE) induces the splitting of Ru $4d$ orbitals. At the same time, we observed a clear suppression of the electron-hole continuum across the metal-to-insulator transition (MIT) occurring at the 4 u.c. sample. From these two clear observations we conclude that QCE gives rise to a Mott insulating phase in ultrathin SrRuO$_3$ films. Our interpretation of the RIXS spectra is supported by the configuration interaction calculations of RuO$_6$ clusters.Comment: 7 pages, 7 figure

The politics of impunity: a study of journalists’ experiential accounts of impunity in Bulgaria, Democratic Republic of Congo, India, Mexico and Pakistan

Definitions of impunity regarding crimes against journalists have thus far been too narrow. Therefore we propose a new approach to understanding impunity as also being grounded in journalists’ lived reality and perceptions to better understand the complexity and breadth of impunity. It is based on the findings obtained through a set of semi-structured interviews with 40 editors and senior journalists in five countries and expressed in a new typology of impunity. We argue that what we call the ‘Politics of Impunity’ is a policy of governance whereby impunity is used as a political tool by the state and state-sponsored actors to achieve journalistic self-censorship. This is done through the deliberate deprivation of private autonomy brought about by the enforced exile of journalists into a ‘space of exception’ where they are both within and beyond the law. The exercise of the ‘Politics of Impunity’ in an increasing number of states creates an environment that only allows for politically compliant journalism

Nol9 is a novel polynucleotide 5′-kinase involved in ribosomal RNA processing

The production and processing of ribosomal RNA is an essential and complex process. Here, a polynucleotide 5′-kinase, Nol9, is shown to have an important function in pre-rRNA processing and 60S ribosomal subunit biogenesis

Extraction of bodily features for gait recognition and gait attractiveness evaluation

This is the author's accepted manuscript. The final publication is available at Springer via http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11042-012-1319-2. Copyright @ 2012 Springer.Although there has been much previous research on which bodily features are most important in gait analysis, the questions of which features should be extracted from gait, and why these features in particular should be extracted, have not been convincingly answered. The primary goal of the study reported here was to take an analytical approach to answering these questions, in the context of identifying the features that are most important for gait recognition and gait attractiveness evaluation. Using precise 3D gait motion data obtained from motion capture, we analyzed the relative motions from different body segments to a root marker (located on the lower back) of 30 males by the fixed root method, and compared them with the original motions without fixing root. Some particular features were obtained by principal component analysis (PCA). The left lower arm, lower legs and hips were identified as important features for gait recognition. For gait attractiveness evaluation, the lower legs were recognized as important features.Dorothy Hodgkin Postgraduate Award and HEFCE

Invasive Lionfish Drive Atlantic Coral Reef Fish Declines

Indo-Pacific lionfish (Pterois volitans and P. miles) have spread swiftly across the Western Atlantic, producing a marine predator invasion of unparalleled speed and magnitude. There is growing concern that lionfish will affect the structure and function of invaded marine ecosystems, however detrimental impacts on natural communities have yet to be measured. Here we document the response of native fish communities to predation by lionfish populations on nine coral reefs off New Providence Island, Bahamas. We assessed lionfish diet through stomach contents analysis, and quantified changes in fish biomass through visual surveys of lionfish and native fishes at the sites over time. Lionfish abundance increased rapidly between 2004 and 2010, by which time lionfish comprised nearly 40% of the total predator biomass in the system. The increase in lionfish abundance coincided with a 65% decline in the biomass of the lionfish's 42 Atlantic prey fishes in just two years. Without prompt action to control increasing lionfish populations, similar effects across the region may have long-term negative implications for the structure of Atlantic marine communities, as well as the societies and economies that depend on them

Some Like It Fat: Comparative Ultrastructure of the Embryo in Two Demosponges of the Genus Mycale (Order Poecilosclerida) from Antarctica and the Caribbean

0000-0002-7993-1523© 2015 Riesgo et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License [4.0], which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. The attached file is the published version of the article

Evaluating the Viscoelastic Properties of Tissue from Laser Speckle Fluctuations

Most pathological conditions such as atherosclerosis, cancer, neurodegenerative, and orthopedic disorders are accompanied with alterations in tissue viscoelasticity. Laser Speckle Rheology (LSR) is a novel optical technology that provides the invaluable potential for mechanical assessment of tissue in situ. In LSR, the specimen is illuminated with coherent light and the time constant of speckle fluctuations, τ, is measured using a high speed camera. Prior work indicates that τ is closely correlated with tissue microstructure and composition. Here, we investigate the relationship between LSR measurements of τ and sample mechanical properties defined by the viscoelastic modulus, G*. Phantoms and tissue samples over a broad range of viscoelastic properties are evaluated using LSR and conventional mechanical testing. Results demonstrate a strong correlation between τ and |G*| for both phantom (r = 0.79, p <0.0001) and tissue (r = 0.88, p<0.0001) specimens, establishing the unique capability of LSR in characterizing tissue viscoelasticity

Leftward Lateralization of Auditory Cortex Underlies Holistic Sound Perception in Williams Syndrome

BACKGROUND: Individuals with the rare genetic disorder Williams-Beuren syndrome (WS) are known for their characteristic auditory phenotype including strong affinity to music and sounds. In this work we attempted to pinpoint a neural substrate for the characteristic musicality in WS individuals by studying the structure-function relationship of their auditory cortex. Since WS subjects had only minor musical training due to psychomotor constraints we hypothesized that any changes compared to the control group would reflect the contribution of genetic factors to auditory processing and musicality. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Using psychoacoustics, magnetoencephalography and magnetic resonance imaging, we show that WS individuals exhibit extreme and almost exclusive holistic sound perception, which stands in marked contrast to the even distribution of this trait in the general population. Functionally, this was reflected by increased amplitudes of left auditory evoked fields. On the structural level, volume of the left auditory cortex was 2.2-fold increased in WS subjects as compared to control subjects. Equivalent volumes of the auditory cortex have been previously reported for professional musicians. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: There has been an ongoing debate in the neuroscience community as to whether increased gray matter of the auditory cortex in musicians is attributable to the amount of training or innate disposition. In this study musical education of WS subjects was negligible and control subjects were carefully matched for this parameter. Therefore our results not only unravel the neural substrate for this particular auditory phenotype, but in addition propose WS as a unique genetic model for training-independent auditory system properties