Tech

A scientific team from the Biosciences and Biotechnology Institute of Aix-Marseille in Saint-Paul lez Durance, in collaboration with researchers from the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces in Potsdam and the University of Göttingen, determined the trajectory and swimming speed of the magnetotactic bacterium Magnetococcus marinus, known to move rapidly. The actual speed is 400-500 μm/s for a 1 μm bacterium, making it a swimming champion. More surprisingly, the trajectory is made up of complex spirals. The exceptional properties of this bacterium make possible to imagine its use as a micro-robot in the fields of biotechnology and the environment.

The magnetotactic bacterium Magnetococcus marinus lives in marine sediments. Its apparent swimming speed, which is very fast, was previously estimated at 100 μm/s. Spherical in shape, it has two packs of flagella on one of its hemispheres. The exact movement, supposedly helical in the presence of a magnetic field, with the head in front and the flagella at the back, however, remained hypothetical.

To answer this question and determine the real swimming speed of this bacterium, scientists from the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces in Potsdam, the University of Göttingen and their colleagues from BIAM at CEA-Cadarache had to develop new experimental and numerical tools. The movement of these micro-swimmers was tracked by 3-dimensional microscopy and analysed by very high frequency black field imaging to decompose the movement of the flagella. This experimental work was complemented by original simulations to see which flagellum configurations could reproduce the movement observed experimentally.

The conclusion is astonishing. The flagella are arranged at 180° on either side of the head of the bacterium, with one bundle pulling and another growing, a configuration never observed before for bacteria or even for any known microorganism. The resulting movement describes double or even triple spirals! Magnetococcus marinus makes complex loops of sorts.

What about speed? The real speed is not the apparent speed, as the spirals considerably increase the travelled distance. The real speed is in the range of 400 to 500 μm/s for a bacteria measuring 1 μm. So it moves 500 times its own size, every second. This figure should be compared to the speed of movement of other known bacteria (40 to 50 μm/s), or to the swimming speed of our champions, of the order of 2 m/s, i.e. about one time its size per second for humans...

So Magnetococcus marinus is the queen of the podiums! Researchers are wondering about the origin of these performances and propose the hypothesis that this type of spiral swimming has an advantage in a sedimentary environment full of obstacles, which loops would allow to avoid. This particularity could be exploited in medical micro-robotics, to move in the blood of patients. It could also be used to sanitize areas polluted with oil or heavy metals, for example, which the bacteria could suck up and release in suitable spaces.

Researchers from the Institute for Quantum Computing (IQC) at the University of Waterloo report the first occurrence of directly splitting one photon into three.

The occurrence, the first of its kind, used the spontaneous parametric down-conversion method (SPDC) in quantum optics and created what quantum optics researchers call a non-Gaussian state of light. A non-Gaussian state of light is considered a critical ingredient to gain a quantum advantage.

"It was understood that there were limits to the type of entanglement generated with the two-photon version, but these results form the basis of an exciting new paradigm of three-photon quantum optics," said Chris Wilson, a principle investigator at IQC faculty member and a professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Waterloo. "Given that this research brings us past the known ability to split one photon into two entangled daughter photons, we're optimistic that we've opened up a new area of exploration."

"The two-photon version has been a workhorse for quantum research for over 30 years," said Wilson. "We think three photons will overcome the limits and will encourage further theoretical research and experimental applications and hopefully the development of optical quantum computing using superconducting units."

Wilson used microwave photons to stretch the known limits of SPDC. The experimental implementation used a superconducting parametric resonator. The result clearly showed the strong correlation among three photons generated at different frequencies. Ongoing work aims to show that the photons are entangled.

"Non-Gaussian states and operations are a critical ingredient for obtaining the quantum advantage," said Wilson. "They are very difficult to simulate and model classically, which has resulted in a dearth of theoretical work for this application."

Instead of blocking hackers, a new cybersecurity defense approach developed by University of Texas at Dallas computer scientists actually welcomes them.

The method, called DEEP-Dig (DEcEPtion DIGging), ushers intruders into a decoy site so the computer can learn from hackers' tactics. The information is then used to train the computer to recognize and stop future attacks.

UT Dallas researchers presented a paper on their work, "Improving Intrusion Detectors by Crook-Sourcing," at the annual Computer Security Applications Conference in December in Puerto Rico. They presented another paper, "Automating Cyberdeception Evaluation with Deep Learning," in January at the Hawaii International Conference of System Sciences.

DEEP-Dig advances a rapidly growing cybersecurity field known as deception technology, which involves setting traps for hackers. Researchers hope that the approach can be especially useful for defense organizations.

"There are criminals trying to attack our networks all the time, and normally we view that as a negative thing," said Dr. Kevin Hamlen, Eugene McDermott Professor of computer science. "Instead of blocking them, maybe what we could be doing is viewing these attackers as a source of free labor. They're providing us data about what malicious attacks look like. It's a free source of highly prized data."

The approach aims to solve a major challenge to using artificial intelligence for cybersecurity: a shortage of data needed to train computers to detect intruders. The lack of data is due to privacy concerns. Better data will mean better ability to detect attacks, said Gbadebo Ayoade MS'14, PhD'19, who presented the findings at the recent conferences.

"We're using the data from hackers to train the machine to identify an attack," said Ayoade, now a data scientist at Procter & Gamble Co. "We're using deception to get better data."

Hackers typically begin with their simplest tricks and then use increasingly sophisticated tactics, Hamlen said. But most cyberdefense programs try to disrupt intruders before anyone can monitor the intruders' techniques. DEEP-Dig will give researchers a window into hackers' methods as they enter a decoy site stocked with disinformation. The decoy site looks legitimate to intruders, said Dr. Latifur Khan, professor of computer science at UT Dallas.

"Attackers will feel they're successful," Khan said.

Governmental agencies, businesses, nonprofits and individuals face a constant threat from cyberattacks, which cost the U.S. economy more than $57 billion in 2016, according to a report to the White House from the Council of Economic Advisers.

As hackers' tactics change, DEEP-Dig could help cybersecurity defense systems keep up with their new tricks.

"It's an endless game," Khan said.

While DEEP-Dig aims to outsmart hackers, is it possible that hackers could have the last laugh if they realize they have entered a decoy site and try to deceive the program?

Maybe, Hamlen said. But that possibility does not worry him.

"So far, we've found this doesn't work. When an attacker tries to play along, the defense system just learns how hackers try to hide their tracks," Hamlen said. "It's an all-win situation -- for us, that is."

New research from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging shows that adults who have low fruit and vegetable intakes have a higher likelihood of being diagnosed with an anxiety disorder.

"For those who consumed less than 3 sources of fruits and vegetables daily, there was at least at 24% higher odds of anxiety disorder diagnosis," says study lead Karen Davison, health science faculty member, nutrition informatics lab director at Kwantlen Polytechnic University, (KPU) and North American Primary Care Research Group Fellow.

"This may also partly explain the findings associated with body composition measures. As levels of total body fat increased beyond 36%, the likelihood of anxiety disorder was increased by more than 70%," states co-author Jose Mora-Almanza, a Mitacs Globalink Intern who worked with the study at KPU.

"Increased body fat may be linked to greater inflammation. Emerging research suggests that some anxiety disorders can be linked to inflammation," says Davison.

Other factors associated with anxiety disorders among mid-age and older Canadians

In addition to diet and body composition measures, the prevalence of anxiety disorders also differed by gender, marital status, income, immigrant status and several health issues.

One in nine women had an anxiety disorder compared to one in fifteen men.

"Our findings are in keeping with previous research which has also indicated that women are more vulnerable to anxiety disorders than men," says co-author Karen Kobayashi, Professor in the Department of Sociology and a Research Affiliate at the Institute on Aging & Lifelong Health at the University of Victoria.

The prevalence of anxiety disorders among those who had always been single (13.9%) was much higher than among those who were living with a partner (7.8%). Approximately one in five respondents with household incomes under $20,000 per year had anxiety disorders, more than double the prevalence of their richer peers.

"We were not surprised to find that those in poverty had such a high prevalence of anxiety disorders; struggling to afford basics such as food and housing causes relentless stress and is inherently anxiety inducing," says co-author Hongmei Tong, Assistant Professor of Social Work at MacEwan University in Edmonton.

Individuals with three or more health conditions had fivefold the prevalence of anxiety disorders in comparison to those with no chronic conditions (16.4% vs 3%). Those in chronic pain had double the prevalence of anxiety disorders in comparisons to those who were free of pain.

"Chronic pain and multiple health conditions make life very unpredictable and can be anxiety producing. One never knows whether health problems will interfere with work or family responsibilities and many activities become more challenging and time consuming," says co-author Shen (Lamson) Lin, a doctoral student at University of Toronto's Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work (FIFSW).

Immigrants to Canada had a lower prevalence of anxiety disorders compared to their peers born in Canada (6.4% vs 9.3%).

"Immigrants may face a myriad of challenges associated with resettling in a new country, including language barriers, poverty, difficulties in getting qualifications recognized, and limited social support, so it seems counter-intuitive that they should have a lower likelihood of anxiety disorders than those born in Canada. It may be that potential immigrants with anxiety disorders would find the challenges of relocation too anxiety-inducing and would therefore not choose to immigrate, so there is a 'self-selection' for those with lower anxiety," says senior author, Esme Fuller-Thomson, professor at FIFSW and director of the Institute for Life Course & Aging. Fuller-Thomson is also cross-appointed to the Department of Family and Community Medicine and the Faculty of Nursing.

The study team analyzed data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging which included 26,991 men and women between the ages of 45 and 85. The article was published this week in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.

An important limitation of the study was that the assessment of anxiety disorders was based upon self-reporting of a medical diagnosis. The authors also conducted multivariate analyses taking into account the use of a family physician in the past year to address the possibility of under-reporting of anxiety disorders among those who rarely visited health professionals. This adjustment was not found to substantially change the associations discussed above.

"It is estimated that 10% of the global population will suffer from anxiety disorders which are a leading cause of disability" says Karen Davison "Our findings suggest that comprehensive approaches that target health behaviors, including diet, as well as social factors, such as economic status, may help to minimize the burden of anxiety disorders among middle-aged and older adults, including immigrants."

The newly developed [55Co]55Co-DOTATATE imaging agent has emerged as a more accurate and sensitive radiopharmaceutical to aid in the diagnosis of neuroendocrine tumor metastases. According to research published in the February issue of the Journal of Nuclear Medicine, positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) imaging with [55Co]Co-DOTATATE resulted in superior image contrast and enhanced detection of metastases as compared with other commonly used radiopharmaceuticals.

"Currently, [68Ga]Ga-DOTATATE and [64Cu]Cu-DOTATATE are the two imaging agents that are most widely used in patients with neuroendocrine tumors," said Helge Thisgaard, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Nuclear Medicine at Odense University Hospital in Odense, Denmark. "However, there are limitations associated with both agents; particularly the short half-life of [68Ga]Ga-DOTATATE and the low positron yield of [64Cu]Cu-DOTATATE."

To address the shortcomings of these common imaging agents, researchers produced the non-conventional radiometal, 55Co, which has a relatively long half-life and high positron yield. After radiolabeling 55Co with DOTATATE, researchers evaluated the new PET-imaging agent in comparison to [68Ga]Ga-DOTATATE and [64Cu]Cu-DOTATATE.

In the study, ten male mice were inoculated with neuroendocrine tumor cells. After the growth of a five millimeter tumor, the mice underwent PET/CT scanning with the different radiopharmaceuticals--four mice with [68Ga]Ga-DOTATATE, three with [64Cu]Cu-DOTATATE and three with [55Co]Co-DOTATATE. All mice were dynamically scanned within one hour after injection. Due to their longer half-lives, additional imaging was also performed at four hours and 24 hours after injection for the [64Cu]Cu-DOTATATE and [55Co]Co-DOTATATE mice.

Data analysis of the PET/CT images revealed a rapid increase in tumor uptake within the first hour for all imaging agents. Normal-tissue ratios as represented by tumor-to-liver, tumor-to-kidney and tumor-to-muscle increased significantly over time, with [55Co]Co-DOTATATE showing the highest contrast. Most notably, the tumor-to-liver ratio of [55Co]Co-DOTATATE was 15 times and 30 times higher than the [64Cu]Cu-DOTATATE ratio at four hours and 24 hours, respectively, and was five times higher than [68Ga]Ga-DOTATATE at one hour. Furthermore, the tumor-to-kidney ratio at 24 hours for [55Co]Co-DOTATATE was four times higher than [64Cu]Cu-DOTATATE and eight times higher than [68Ga]Ga-DOTATATE at one hour.

"With [55Co]Co-DOTATATE, we found a highly increased tumor uptake relative to the uptake in healthy tissues, including the liver, which is a major site of metastasis of neuroendocrine tumors," said Thomas Lund Andersen, assistant professor in the Department of Nuclear Medicine at Odense University Hospital in Odense, Denmark. "These results warrant further translation into clinical practice and could lead to an improved detection of metastases, giving increased diagnostic confidence in ensuring the best possible patient care."

Looking toward the future of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging, Thisgaard believes this research has meaningful ramifications. "This study highlights the importance of optimizing not only the biological vector, but also selecting the most appropriate radionuclide to obtain the best imaging agent for a given indication. It illustrates that the use of promising, non-conventional PET isotopes may significantly improve the kinetics of the imaging agent, warranting further studies with novel combinations of biological vectors and new isotopes."

TORONTO AND OSAKA - Neurodegenerative diseases, like Huntington's disease and myotonic dystrophy, are often referred to as DNA repeat diseases, named because of long repeated sequences in the DNA of patients. Increasing repeat expansion length in the affected tissues contribute to earlier age of disease onset and worsen the progression and severity of the disease over time.

In an international study published in the February 14 online edition of Nature Genetics, scientists from The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), Canada, along with research teams from Osaka University, Japan, reveal the ability to reverse this repeat mutation length in the brains of a mouse model with Huntington's disease. The team discovered a compound that targets the unusual DNA structure and was shown to reverse repeat expansions with undetectable off-target effects.

First evidence of a molecule that induces in-vivo repeat contractions

Huntington's disease is one of more than 40 neurodegenerative diseases caused by DNA repeat expansion mutations in specific genes. The unusual DNA structures, called slipped-DNAs, are formed by the repeats, and levels of slipped-DNAs are greater in affected tissues that have longer repeat expansions, causing more severe mutations.

The study found evidence that the molecule compound called Naphthyridine-Azaquinolone (NA) can recognize slipped-DNAs and reverse the mutation — essentially causing a contraction of the expansion. In the lab, the research team was able to successfully reduce the repeat expansions in the brain of a Huntington's disease mouse model, as well as in cells extracted from tissues of individuals affected by Huntington's disease.

"We found that targeting the unusual slipped-DNA structures, which are critical to ongoing mutations in patient tissues, allowed us to reverse the size of repeat expansion mutations. Since longer expansions over time are directly associated with more severe disease, our findings offer hope for the ability to delay the onset of Huntington's and slow its progression," says Dr. Christopher E. Pearson, SickKids Senior Scientist in Genetics & Genome Biology, and principal investigator of the study.

Critical to the findings was that no off-target effects were detected anywhere else in the DNA, suggesting high specificity of the compound for the disease gene. This is important for any treatment, as off-target effects could be harmful.

"This is the first evidence for a small molecule that can induce contractions of disease-causing expansions in vivo in an affected brain region," says Dr. Masayuki Nakamori, Assistant Professor, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine.

Potential future treatment option for individuals with Huntington's disease

The findings suggest that NA could be a possible drug therapy for individuals who inherit the disease from a parent. Applying this compound to cells or tissues with repeat expansions could both block the expansions and kick start contractions of the mutant genes.

"Consider the gene as a sentence that reads, 'THE CAT ATE THE FAT FAT RAT.' In repeat-associated diseases, the mutation would be 'THE CAT ATE THE FAT FAT FAT FAT FAT FAT FAT RAT.' More FAT units lead to more severe disease. We are now able to reverse the disease-causing repeat mutation — in other words, we can reduce the number of 'FAT' units," says Pearson, who is also Professor in the Department of Molecular Genetics at the University of Toronto and holds a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Disease-Associated Genome Instability.

"Until now, we have only dreamed of finding a compound like this. When we first began research into repeat expansions in the mid '90s, there were only three diseases known to be caused by them. Now, we know nearly 50 diseases are involved. Our finding reveals a new avenue by which Huntington's and other diseases, like myotonic dystrophy, could be treated by other compounds directed at the mutant repeats that are causing those diseases," says Pearson.

Korea Institute of Energy Research (President Kim, Jong-nam) found an efficiency improvement mechanism of polymer-substrate flexible CIGS thin-film solar cells* and published the results in 'Nano Energy' (IF: 15.548).

*CIGS thin film solar cell: A kind of next-generation thin-film solar cell that has Cu(In,Ga)Se2-based compound materials. The CIGS-based solar cells can be fabricated on glass or (flexible) plastic substrate. This kind of solar cell shows high conversion efficiencies even with very a thin absorber layer with 1-2 μm thickness.

CIGS thin-film solar cells offer high conversion efficiencies with less materials and simpler processes than crystalline silicon solar cells yet chemically very stable and durable. However, due to the recent rapid price drops of crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells/modules, the technology development direction of CIGS-based thin-film solar cells is changing to the urban environment-friendly energy source market represented by Building Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV).

Thus, to meet the requirements of the upcoming needs, the conventional substrates of CIGS thin-film solar cells, hard and heavy glass substrates, should be replaced to flexible lightweight substrates without efficiency loss. However, compared with the conventional CIGS thin-film solar cell manufacturing technology based glass substrate, the demonstration of high-efficiency CIGS solar cells on the lightweight/flexible polymer substrate is technically difficult and therefore only a few research groups are able to demonstrate high conversion efficiencies from the flexible polymer substrate cells.

The Korea Institute of Energy Research's photovoltaic Reseach Department has succeeded in developing a lightweight and flexible, high-efficiency CIGS thin-film solar cells on polymer substrate and elucidating the mechanisms of extrinsic alkali incorporation in CIGS solar cells using advanced nanoscale analyses.

In general, the conventional CIGS deposition process undergoes a high temperature of approximately 550 °C; which is not suitable for the polymer substrate having a low melting point. Therefore, the researchers introduced a new low-temperature film formation technology to lower the deposition temperature while maintaining efficiency**

**flexible thin film CIGS solar cell efficiency of KIER: 20.4% (Existing highest efficiency: Swiss EMPA 20.8%)

The researchers also attempted to enhance device efficiencies by an external alkali incorporation technology that apply alkali-fluoride (sodium-fluoride and potassium-fluoride) in the CIGS absorber layers. In particular, state-of-the-art analytical methods were employed to investigate the mechanism of external alkali incorporation into the CIGS absorber layers and the origin of the efficiency enhancement by the alkali incorporation.

Principal Researcher Kihwan Kim of Korea Institute of Energy Research who is the first author of the research paper said, "This achievement is evaluated as the establishment of a standard process for high efficiency of ultra-light flexible CIGS thin film solar cells. It is worthwhile to note that we have secured the original technology for Korea." Co-author and Principal Researcher Jaeho Yoon said "This developed technology will contribute to urban development by producing new high value-added solar cell products and creating next-generation applications fields."

Based on the developed technology, the research team will continue further researches such as large-area high-speed CIGS thin-film solar cell manufacturing technology, advancement of materials, components, and equipment technologies related to ultra-thin flexible thin-film solar cell, and ultra-thin flexible high-performance thin-film solar module manufacturing technology that can be installed on building walls and roofing materials.

A team of the University of Barcelona has studied for the first time the presence of microplastics in the coasts of Barcelona, thanks to the participation of the citizens gathering scientific samples. The study, published in the journal Science of Total Environment, is a pioneer citizen science study worldwide, since it analyses a hard-access area for oceanography research ships, due its too shallow depth and chance to run aground, and the danger it involves regarding swimmers.

To sample the unexplored area, researchers Elsa Camins, Miquel Canals, William P. de Haan and Anna Sanchez-Vidal, from the consolidated Research Group on Marine Geosciences of the Faculty of Earth Sciences of the UB, in collaboration of the Spanish delegate of the NGO Surfrider Europe, worked on a net which can be dragged by a paddle surfboard. "This net allows us to get valuable scientific samples from an inaccessible area for other kinds of boats, while we involve citizens in this and raise environmental awareness on plastic pollution", says Anna Sanchez-Vidal.

"Many studies have modelled the abundance and features of microplastics that are adrift in the open sea -continues the researcher- but there was no information on the microplastic pollution in littoral areas, where it is believed there is the largest flow of plastic in the marine environment and where the microplastic generation and overlap of these with marine ecosystems is bigger".

Study in Prat and Barceloneta beaches

With this lack of data, researchers launched a citizen science project as part of Elsa Camins' final project of the bachelor's degree on Marine Sciences. In collaboration with Surfrider Europe, they designed the new net, called paddle trawl, to adapt the net oceanographers usually use in the paddle surf boards. Once it was designed, the NGO volunteers gathered samples in Barceloneta and Prat beaches, and these were later analysed in the laboratories of the UB research group. According to the authors, this study is "a change of paradigm and it opens the door to citizen participation getting samples with a space and time resolution which has not been carried out by any study so far".

The first results of this collaboration show the areas of the Barcelona coasts have an average microplastic concentration of about 112,000 units per km2, reaching a maximum of 330,000 units per km2 (many are polyethylene and polypropylene fragments), average values similar to those found in the open sea in the Mediterranean or areas of accumulation of microplastics in great ocean gyres. "We think breakwaters can cause a concentrating effect of microplastics in the swimming areas of Barceloneta, but we need studies with a higher time-resolution", says researcher William P. de Haan.

A growing research project

After the good results obtained with the new sample device, the research team is carrying out a wider study in the Barceloneta beach, where volunteers from the same NGO are gathering samples every 15 days, which are later analysed in the UB. "The objective is to determine the temporary variability in the abundance of microplastics in the coastal area, and therefore the mechanisms of entrance, transport, accumulation and exportation offshore", says Anna Sanchez-Vidal.

Moreover, together with Surfrider Foundation Europe, they launched a collaboration with the Catalan Association of Oceanic Paddle to get scientific samples not only during their training but also during trips around the Costa Brava and Balearic Islands. "This is a strategy to advance in the scientific knowledge regarding pollution due plastics while it involves citizens and raises environmental awareness on this global crisis", concludes the researcher.

Pollution due microplastics, the environment and our health in danger

The relevance of microplastics as a key indicator of the environmental state of the oceans is recognized by the Marine Strategy Framework Directive and the UN Program for the Environment and the World Health Organization. Its presence in the planet and its properties of durability (resistance to degradation processes), chemical composition and ability to absorb toxic substances (persistent organic pollutants, metals) make it a dangerous waste. Also, due its small size, microplastics are usually eaten by a great variety of marine organisms, and can expand in the trophic chain and therefore get to humans.

Long-lived inverted perovskite solar cells can achieve efficiencies close to that of highly efficient yet fragile conventional perovskite solar cells, researchers at KAUST have shown. The discovery could lead to perovskite solar panels that have operational lifetimes and light-capturing efficiencies that rival traditional silicon solar panels, but that are significantly simpler, less energy-intensive and less expensive to make.

In the lab, metal halide perovskite solar cells have jumped from power conversion efficiencies of 3.8 percent to 25.2 percent in just a decade. "Conventional perovskite solar cells, with their component layers arranged in an 'n-i-p' structure, offer the highest efficiencies," says Osman Bakr from the KAUST Catalysis Center, who led the research. However, these devices require ionic dopants, which are unstable and shorten the solar panel's lifetime.

"Inverted 'p-i-n' perovskites do not need the unstable dopants, extending their operational lifetime," says Xiaopeng Zheng, first author of the study. "Unfortunately, the efficiencies of inverted perovskite solar cells lag significantly behind those of regular structured devices," he says. Until now, the best inverted perovskite reached 20.9 percent efficiency.

Now Bakr and colleagues, in collaboration with researchers from the University of Toronto in Canada, have significantly improved inverted perovskite cell efficiency. By adding long-chain alkylamine ligands (AALs) into the mixture during perovskite production, the team created an inverted perovskite solar cell with enhanced stability and with a record-certified efficiency of 22.3 percent. "Just a trace amount of alkylamine was enough to improve the structural and optoelectronic properties of the perovskite in multiple ways," Zheng says.

Adding long-chain AALs into the perovskite mix during fabrication meant the tails of the AALs interacted--this aligned neighboring grains to reduce boundary defects in the final perovskite film. As the perovskite grains came together, the AALs were pushed to the outer surface, forming a protective coating. The amine head of each AAL molecule could also fill point defects in the perovskite structure. Overall, adding long-chain AALs boosted the electrical output of the material in sunlight and also further improved stability and longevity.

"In the next stage of our research, we will scale up the production of perovskite cells to achieve a high-performance and market-ready product," Zheng says. "Developing a scalable method for creating large-area, high-quality perovskite films on different surfaces, including flexible substrates and silicon wafers, will overcome the key remaining hurdle to commercialization," he says.

Researchers at Wits University in Johannesburg, South Africa, have created the world's first framework, to better guide the management of terrestrial invasive species.

By using a big data approach and combining information from the South African National Census of 2011, with the South African Plant Invaders Atlas, the researchers found a way to prioritise targets in the control of invasive species. This will ensure the greatest benefits for both the environment and rural communities.

"South Africa spends R1,5 billion per year on controlling invasive species and while the country is really at the forefront alien species control in the world, we still have a wicked problem," says lead author, Dr Chevonne Reynolds, a lecturer at Wits University. "However, by using our new framework, we can now target invasive control activities by prioritising localities that are most impacted. Typically, these are the poorest municipalities in the country."

Invasive species cost South Africa's economy R6,5 billion in damage from fire, loss of viable land and drinking water. These weeds also threaten our biodiversity and ecosystem services. as

The main finding of the research, published in the journal Ecosystem Services, shows that poorer rural communities are the most heavily impacted by the negative effects of invasive weeds.

"We looked at the livelihoods of people on a national level, what their household income is and how they use natural resources to aid or supplement their daily living need, and then examined how this is affected by invasive species," says Reynolds.

While invasive species have both positive and negative impacts on the environment and communities, the team weighed up these trade-offs for a variety of invasive species to find their overall impact on the livelihoods of all South Africans.

For instance, people use the fruit of the prickly pear cactus (Opuntia ficus-indica) to supplement their diet and income. However, because it aggressively invades grassland it makes pastures unsuitable for livestock, while also competing for water and other resources. So, overall it has a negative impact on the affected community.

The team combined data on household incomes and their use of natural resource (provisioning ecosystem services) for all municipalities in South Africa, with the distribution data of 57 invasive weeds establish which communities are most affected.

"We found that poorer rural communities are the most impacted by invasive species, as these people make most use of natural resources on a day-to-day basis," says Reynolds. "Their ability to make a living is severely restricted by the invasion of alien species in their environments."

Some of the worst affected municipalities are Port St Johns, Nyandeni, King Sabata Dalindyebo and Mbhashe municipalities all in the Eastern Cape. Stellenbosch and Knysna are the municipalities with the highest diversity of invasive weeds but depend less on natural resources.

"What we have done is create a framework for government to direct efforts to eradicate invasive species more effectively, by targeting municipalities where both people and the environment are most at risk," says Reynolds. "Our model can also be used and adapted for other countries with a similar problem, where the novel approach of combining big data with citizen science can provide answers to problems."

Celiac disease affects 0.3-2.4% of people in most countries world-wide, and approx. 2% in Finland. Celiac patients suffer from a variety of symptoms, typically intestinal complaints, such as diarrhea, but are often symptom-free. Immunologist Tobias Freitag co-developed and tested nanoparticles containing gliadin for the immunomodulatory treatment of celiac disease in Professor Seppo Meri's research group at the University of Helsinki, in collaboration with industry.

Gluten is the name of storage proteins contained in wheat, barley and rye. An alcohol-soluble gluten fraction from wheat is called gliadin.

After acquiring celiac disease, patients can no longer tolerate cereal-based diets containing gluten without developing signs of disease, e.g. the loss of villi in the intestinal mucosa.

The exact reasons that may explain why some people develop celiac disease are unknown, but only about 30-40% of the population is at risk to develop celiac disease, based on identified genetic predispositions, Freitag states. These predispositions may lead to the loss of immune tolerance to gliadin during childhood, adolescence or adulthood.

Loss of tolerance to gliadin is caused by a failure in the regulation of gliadin-specific T lymphocytes within the immune system, leading to the destruction of the intestinal mucosa. The only available treatment for celiac disease is life-long gluten-free diet.

But nanoparticles containing gliadin could possibly allow celiac disease patients to eat a normal diet again.

In a collaborative project led by Dr. Tobias Freitag working in Professor Seppo Meri's research group in the Translational Immunology Research Program at the University of Helsinki, scientists developed and tested nanoparticles containing gliadin for the immunomodulatory treatment of celiac disease. When injected into the blood of mice in three different celiac disease models, absorbable, spherical, 500nm gliadin nanoparticles (TIMP-GLIA) significantly reduced markers of gliadin-specific T cell activation, inflammation and tissue damage. Gliadin nanoparticle treatment also induced gene expression profiles associated with immune tolerance. These findings support the concept that it may be possible to "reprogram" the immune system in celiac patients, and to instruct T lymphocytes to tolerate gluten again. If this would result in clinical unresponsiveness to gluten-containing diet in trials with celiac patients, TIMP-GLIA treatment could lead to the cure of celiac disease. Patients may then be able to eat normal food again without harmful consequences.

The gliadin nanoparticle project at the University of Helsinki was conducted in collaboration with Cour Pharmaceutical Development Company, Inc. A license for the development of TIMP-GLIA has since been acquired by Takeda Pharmaceuticals. Project results informed early clinical trials in celiac patients conducted in the US. Results from these clinical trials were demonstrated at UEG Week 2019 in Barcelona. Based on these results, treatment of celiac disease patients with TIMP-GLIA silences or reduces inflammatory gliadin-specific T cells in blood.

The pre-clinical results in mice have now been published as an article in press in the scientific journal Gastroenterology.

Similar nanoparticles may also be developed for the treatment of other autoimmune diseases, e.g. diabetes, multiple sclerosis or narcolepsy. However, this is under a precondition that the underlying disease-causing factor is known.

Vegetable oil biofuels are increasingly being used as an alternative to fossil fuels despite the growing controversy regarding their sustainability. In a new study led by the University of Göttingen, researchers investigated the effect of palm-oil biodiesel on greenhouse gases for the entire life cycle. The researchers found that using palm oil from first rotation plantations where forests had been cleared to make way for palms actually leads to an increase in greenhouse gas emissions compared to using fossil fuels. However, there is potential for carbon savings in plantations established on degraded land. In addition, emissions could be reduced by introducing longer rotation cycles or new oil palm varieties with a higher yield. The results were published in Nature Communications.

The use of vegetable oil-based biofuels has rocketed in recent years because they are considered a "greener" substitute for fossil fuels. Although their sustainability is now increasingly questioned, the demand continues to grow, and this has stimulated the ongoing expansion of oil palm cultivation across the tropics, especially in Indonesia. Greenhouse gas emissions are important because they have far-ranging environmental effects such as climate change. The European Union (EU) defined minimum greenhouse gas emission saving requirements for biofuels in its Renewable Energy Directive: the entire life cycle of palm-oil biodiesel has to show at least 60% greenhouse gas emission savings compared to fossil fuel. In this study, researchers from the German-Indonesian Collaborative Research Centre "Ecological and Socioeconomic Functions of Tropical Lowland Rainforest Transformation Systems (EFForTS)" analysed the entire life cycle of palm-oil biodiesel. The researchers used field-based measurements of greenhouse gas fluxes during different stages of oil palm cultivation in the Jambi province in Indonesia.

"Mature oil palms capture high rates of CO2, but there are serious consequences for the environment from clearing forest. In fact, carbon emissions caused by cutting down forest to plant oil palms are only partially offset by the future carbon capture," says lead author Ana Meijide from the Agronomy Group at the University of Göttingen. The study showed that palm-oil biodiesel from the first-rotation cycle of palms produces 129% more emissions than fossil fuel. "The negative impact of biodiesel on greenhouse gases is reduced when palm oil comes from second generation oil palm plantations," says Professor Alexander Knohl, senior author from the Bioclimatology Group at the University of Göttingen. Only palm-oil biodiesel from second rotation plantations reaches the greenhouse gas emission savings required by the EU directive.

Based on these findings, the researchers tested alternative scenarios that could lead to higher greenhouse gas savings compared to current models. "Longer rotation cycles, such as extending the plantation cycle to 30 or even 40 years compared to the conventional 25 years, or earlier yielding varieties have a substantial positive effect on greenhouse gas emissions - both scenarios are doable and relatively easy to implement," adds Meijide. "This research highlights how important it is that farming practices and government policies prevent further losses of forest and promote longer rotation cycles."

Please Note: The 2020 American Physical Society (APS) March Meeting that was to be held in Denver, Colorado from March 2 through March 6 has been canceled. The decision was made late Saturday (February 29), out of an abundance of caution and based on the latest scientific data available regarding the transmission of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). See our official release on the cancelation for more details.

DENVER, COLO., FEBRUARY 28, 2020 -- Women in the United States hold fewer than 25% of bachelor's degrees, 20% of doctoral degrees and 19% of faculty positions in physics. At the American Physical Society March Meeting in Denver, scientists will present unique approaches to engage women in science as they pursue their education and throughout every stage of their careers.

"To improve the climate for women in physics, we need to better understand the structural and social barriers women experience in the field," said Anne Marie Porter, survey scientist at the American Institute of Physics' Statistical Research Center. "The physics community should continue addressing these issues to improve conditions for women in the field."

Porter will present data from several surveys to explore the factors that hinder women in their physics careers. She will discuss the hurdles many women face compared to their male counterparts. Porter believes these findings could be used to improve the experience of women in physics to keep bright minds engaged in the field and continue advances within the physics community.

Women Supporting Women

Programs to empower women in STEM both at secondary- and undergraduate-levels aim to open educational pathways and promote career advancement. Jill Wenderott, a postdoctoral researcher in materials science and engineering at Northwestern University, will present the latest outcomes from the Women Supporting Women in the Sciences (WS2) program. WS2 provides professional development workshops that empower Tanzanian women to advance in STEM careers. Wenderott will discuss how the international group created the workshops virtually before training facilitators and the anticipated outcomes and long-term goals of the program.

"By sharing resources [and] connecting with organizations and individuals that can support your mission, your outreach goals can become a reality," said Wenderott. "From creating programming to inspire young girls and boys to choose STEM careers to hosting a lecture series for the public, there are many opportunities to make a difference in your community, be it locally or globally."

The Physics Wonder Girls Program provides a free, immersion summer camp for diverse, high-performing female students in Philadelphia and New Jersey. Roberto Ramos of University of the Sciences will present about the most recent camp experience, where participants learned about solar and wind energy during the Physics Outreach, Education and Society session on March 4. Ramos details how the students built solar cells that power boats and cars and examined model turbines, digital anemometers and a commercial turbine to understand the power of wind as a natural energy resource. Learn more about the program at the Physics Wonder Girls website: https://sites.google.com/usciences.edu/physicswondergirlscamp/

With the goal of eliminating brownouts and blackouts, new research from UBC's Okanagan School of Engineering is redesigning how electricity is distributed within power grids.

The research describes a power system operation that will consist of multiple microgrids--separate grids operating like individual islands that can disconnect from the main power supply and run independently.

These islanded systems will provide electricity to smaller geographical areas, such as cities and large neighbourhoods. In the case of a failure in the main system, the local grid operation system will keep the lights on.

"The microgrid will recognize the problem in the main power system and will isolate itself, avoiding previously inevitable power outages," explains Yuri Rodrigues, a UBCO electrical engineering doctoral student and study co-author.

He explains, however, that a continued supply of power in this mode will depend on locally available generating reserves. This means that conserving energy is vital to keeping the islanded grid operational for as long as possible.

Rodrigues describes their approach as the difference between using the sports mode on your car versus the eco mode. The microgrid can distribute power at a slightly diluted level that won't negatively impact electronics while allowing power to flow for longer periods without running out.

"Our new proposed method takes a more sustainable approach, allowing the microgrids to conserve power so any shortfall can be better handled by the microgrid itself," Rodrigues says.

The challenge with using this concept in a larger system is that those larger systems may experience too much instability--this could result in the entire system shutting down. Rodrigues points to a similar occurrence in 2003 when most of the eastern seaboard of North America collapsed leaving millions in the dark.

Many safeguards already exist within power distribution systems to enlarge the system operation, but they only help by prioritizing power based on urgency, meaning hospitals and infrastructure would take precedence over regular consumer needs, he says.

This new approach of conserving power that is distributed within microgrids and thereby reducing or eliminating brownouts and blackouts could soon be an option for power systems around the world. It would also allow for global energy conservation that would decrease the network's demand and improve the self-sufficiency of the microgrid as a whole.

According to Rodrigues, their testing indicates this approach can significantly enhance microgrid autonomy and stability with no impact on the wider power system.

"There are many components that make up a power system from generation to distribution before electricity arrives in the outlets of consumers," says Rodrigues. "Creating a system this is more self-sufficient, robust and sustainable is key to creating a reliable and blackout-free experience for future power consumers."

(New York, NY - February 27, 2020) -Mount Sinai researchers have designed an artificial intelligence model that can determine whether lower back pain is acute or chronic by scouring doctors' notes within electronic medical records, an approach that can help to treat patients more accurately, according to a study published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research in February.

About 80 percent of adults experience lower back pain in their lifetime; it is the most common cause of job-related disability. Many argue that prescribing opioids for lower back pain contributed to the opioid crisis; thus, determining the quality of lower back pain in clinical practice could provide an effective tool not only to improve the management of lower back pain but also to curb unnecessary opioid prescriptions.

Acute and chronic lower back pain are different conditions with different treatments. However, they are coded in electronic health records with the same code and can be differentiated only by retrospective reviews of the patient's chart, which includes the review of clinical notes.

The single code for two different conditions prevents appropriate billing and therapy recommendations, including different return-to-work scenarios. The artificial intelligence model in this study, the first of its kind, could be used to improve the accuracy of coding, billing, and therapy for patients with lower back pain.

The researchers used 17,409 clinical notes for 16,715 patients to train artificial intelligence models to determine the severity of lower back pain.

"Several studies have documented increases in medication prescriptions and visits to physicians, physical therapists, and chiropractors for lower back pain episodes," said Ismail Nabeel, MD, MPH, Associate Professor of Environmental Medicine and Public Health at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. "This study is important because artificial intelligence can potentially more accurately distinguish whether the pain is acute or chronic, which would determine whether a patient should return to normal activities quickly or rest and schedule follow-up visits with a physician. This study also has implications for diagnosis, treatment, and billing purposes in other musculoskeletal conditions, such as the knee, elbow, and shoulder pain, where the medical codes also do not differentiate by pain level and acuity."