The persistence of infectious adenovirus (type 35) in mussels (Mytilus edulis) and oysters (Ostrea edulis)

Microbiological analyses of fruits and vegetables produced by farms in Minnesota and Wisconsin were conducted to determine the prevalence of Escherichia coli in pre-harvest fruits and vegetables. During the 2003 and 2004 harvest seasons, 14 organic (certified by accredited organic agencies), 30 semi-organic (used organic practices but not certified) and 19 conventional farms were sampled to analyze 2029 pre-harvest produce samples (473 organic, 911 semi-organic, 645 conventional). Before each harvest season, a farmer survey was conducted to collect relevant information on farm management practices that might affect the risk of E. coli contamination in fresh produce. The use of animal wastes for fertilization of produce plants increased the risk of E. coli contamination in organic (OR = 13.2, 95% CI = 2.2–61.2, P-value < 0.0001) and semi-organic (OR = 12.9, 95% CI = 2.9–56.3, P-value < 0.0001) produce significantly. Improper ageing of untreated animal manure significantly increased this risk in organic produce (OR = 4.2 95% CI = 1.7–12.3, P-value = 0.005) grown using such manure as a fertilizer. Organic growers who used cattle manure for fertilization of their crops showed significantly greater risk of contamination with the E. coli (OR = 7.4, 95% CI = 1.6–36.8, P-value = 0.003), compared to those who used other types of manure-based fertilizer. In Minnesota, organic and semi-organic produce collected from the southeastern (SE) part of the state were at a significantly greater risk of E. coli contamination (OR = 3.45, 95% CI = 1.8–35.2, P = 0.008), compared to those collected from farms located in the southern (S) regions of the state. In Wisconsin, organic and semi-organic produce collected from the southern (S) cluster of farms were at approximately 3-times greater risk of E. coli contamination (OR = 2.67, 95% CI = 1.3–9.4, P = 0.004), compared to those grown in the northern (N) cluster of farms.     

Broadband scattering of the solar spectrum by spherical metal nanoparticles

Metal nanoparticles offer the possibility of improved light trapping in solar cells, but careful design is required to maximise scattering and minimise parasitic absorption across the wavelength range of interest. We present an analysis of the broadband scattering and absorption characteristics of spherical metal nanoparticles, optimized for either crystalline silicon (c‐Si) or amorphous silicon (a‐Si:H) solar cells. A random two‐dimensional array of optimally sized Ag spheres can scatter over 97% of the AM1.5 spectrum from 400 to 1100 nm. Larger particles are required for c‐Si devices than a‐Si:H due to the increased spectral range, with optimum particle sizes ranging from 60 nm for a‐Si:H to 116 nm for c‐Si. Positioning the particles at the rear of the solar cell decreases absorption losses because these principally occur at short wavelengths. Increasing the refractive index of the surrounding medium beyond the optimum value, which is 1.0 for a‐Si:H and 1.6 for c‐Si, shifts absorption to longer wavelengths and decreases scattering at short wavelengths. Ag nanoparticles scatter more of the solar spectrum than Au, Cu or Al nanoparticles. Of these other metals, Al can only be considered for a‐Si:H applications due to high absorption in the near‐infrared, whereas Au and Cu can only be considered for the rear of c‐Si devices due to high absorption in the ultraviolet (UV) and visible. In general, we demonstrate the importance of considering the broadband optical properties of metal nanoparticles for photovoltaic applications. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A spray pyrolysis route to the undoped ZnO layer of Cu(In,Ga)(S,Se)2 solar cells

The undoped ZnO in the window layer of Cu(In,Ga)(S,Se)₂ solar cells is deposited here by a non-vacuum spray pyrolysis method yielding solar cells of similar efficiencies to cells prepared with the standard sputtered layer. The spray pyrolysis method allows the undoped ZnO to be deposited in sequence on the same apparatus or in-line directly after deposition of the spray-‘ILGAR’ (ion layer gas reaction) In₂S₃ buffer layer. Thus it is highly suitable for manufacturing, not only is spray pyrolysis economical, avoiding the need for two target sputtering systems, but for monolithic integrated modules the second ‘P2’ scribe, carried out to interconnect cells, can be undertaken before sputtering permitting the highly doped ZnO:Al front contact to directly connect to the rear Mo back contact.     

Woven Surface and Form

The Advanced Geometry Unit (AGU) at Arup, founded by Cecil Balmond and Charles Walker, has become synonymous with a highly mathematical, topological approach to architecture. It has, however, collaborated on some of the most exciting experimental fabric structures of recent years, including Anish Kapoor's Marsyas at Tate Modern and Rem Koolhaas's Cosmic Egg at the Serpentine Gallery. Here, the unit's Tristan Simmonds, Martin Self and Daniel Bosia describe how the AGU has progressed research into textile techniques that encompass tailored biomorphic forms alongside knot diagrams. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Scalable Functionalization of Optical Fibers Using Atomically Thin Semiconductors

Atomically thin transition metal dichalcogenides are highly promising for integrated optoelectronic and photonic systems due to their exciton-driven linear and nonlinear interactions with light. Integrating them into optical fibers yields novel opportunities in optical communication, remote sensing, and all-fiber optoelectronics. However, the scalable and reproducible deposition of high-quality monolayers on optical fibers is a challenge. Here, the chemical vapor deposition of monolayer MoS₂ and WS₂ crystals on the core of microstructured exposed-core optical fibers and their interaction with the fibers’ guided modes are reported. Two distinct application possibilities of 2D-functionalized waveguides to exemplify their potential are demonstrated. First, the excitonic 2D material photoluminescence is simultaneously excited and collected with the fiber modes, opening a novel route to remote sensing. Then it is shown that third-harmonic generation is modified by the highly localized nonlinear polarization of the monolayers, yielding a new avenue to tailor nonlinear optical processes in fibers. It is anticipated that the results may lead to significant advances in optical-fiber-based technologies.     

Asparaginyl Ligases: New Enzymes for the Protein Engineer's Toolbox

Enzyme-catalysed site-specific protein modifications enable the precision manufacture of conjugates for the study of protein function and/or for therapeutic or diagnostic applications. Asparaginyl ligases are a class of highly efficient transpeptidases with the capacity to modify proteins bearing only a tripeptide recognition motif. Herein, we review the types of protein modification that are accessible using these enzymes, including N- and C-terminal protein labelling, head-to-tail cyclisation, and protein-protein conjugation. We describe the progress that has been made to engineer highly efficient ligases as well as efforts to chemically manipulate the enzyme reaction to favour product formation. These enzymes are powerful additions to the protein engineer‘s toolbox.     

Misfit Layer Compounds: A Platform for Heavily Doped 2D Transition Metal Dichalcogenides

Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) display a rich variety of instabilities such as spin and charge orders, Ising superconductivity, and topological properties. Their physical properties can be controlled by doping in electric double-layer field-effect transistors (FET). However, for the case of single layer NbSe₂, FET doping is limited to ≈ 1 × 10¹⁴ cm⁻², while a somewhat larger charge injection can be obtained via deposition of K atoms. Here, by performing angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, scanning tunneling microscopy, quasiparticle interference measurements, and first-principles calculations it is shown that a misfit compound formed by sandwiching NbSe₂ and LaSe layers behaves as a NbSe₂ single layer with a rigid doping of 0.55–0.6 electrons per Nb atom or ≈ 6 × 10¹⁴ cm⁻². Due to this huge doping, the 3 × 3 charge density wave is replaced by a 2 × 2 order with very short coherence length. As a tremendous number of different misfit compounds can be obtained by sandwiching TMDs layers with rock salt or other layers, this work paves the way to the exploration of heavily doped 2D TMDs over an unprecedented wide range of doping.     

Confinement of Dyes inside Boron Nitride Nanotubes: Photostable and Shifted Fluorescence down to the Near Infrared

Fluorescence is ubiquitous in life science and used in many fields of research ranging from ecology to medicine. Among the most common fluorogenic compounds, dyes are being exploited in bioimaging for their outstanding optical properties from UV down to the near IR (NIR). However, dye molecules are often toxic to living organisms and photodegradable, which limits the time window for in vivo experiments. Here, it is demonstrated that organic dye molecules are passivated and photostable when they are encapsulated inside a boron nitride nanotube (dyes@BNNT). The results show that the BNNTs drive an aggregation of the encapsulated dyes, which induces a redshifted fluorescence from visible to NIR-II. The fluorescence remains strong and stable, exempt of bleaching and blinking, over a time scale longer than that of free dyes by more than 10⁴. This passivation also reduces the toxicity of the dyes and induces exceptional chemical robustness, even in harsh conditions. These properties are highlighted in bioimaging where the dyes@BNNT nanohybrids are used as fluorescent nanoprobes for in vivo monitoring of Daphnia Pulex microorganisms and for diffusion tracking on human hepatoblastoma cells with two-photon imaging.     

Skill in sport.

Presents data to illustrate chunking and categorizing performance for sport experts similar to that found for experts in traditional cognitive skills. 11 professional basketball players and 4 graduate student controls recalled 10 basketball plays to demonstrate chunking; the same 11 players and 10 nonplayer controls sorted 30 pictures of plays to demonstrate categorization performance. Extending the analysis to the acquisition of motor skill suggests that motor skills become proceduralized as do cognitive skills. The nature of proceduralization for the motor system is considered. Data from an experiment using Ss from the "best" and "worst" softball leagues in a city who attempted to bat with several interfering conditions are presented to indicate that sport experts develop the same sort of specialized declarative and procedural knowledge as experts in cognitive domains. (French abstract) (36 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)