Lignin is considered as a promising substitute for fossil resources, but the efficient conversion of the lignin remains a huge challenge due to its structural complexity and immiscibility with typical solvents. Herein, a series of surfactant-free microemulsion reactors comprised of octane, water and n-propanol were designed and their corresponding phase behaviors alongside their ability to intensify oxidative depolymerization of lignin was explored. Experimental results show that the phenolic monomer yield improves substantially (40-500 wt.%) when the novel microemulsion systems are employed by comparison with processes performed in a single solvent. Detailed characterizations also suggest that the above intensification is rationalized by the solubilization effect of the microemulsion system, which arise as a consequence of directional aggregation of lignin at the microemulsion interface.

Figure 1 Solenoid based linearly movable armature systemThe magnetic flux linkage can be described byWhereInitial magnetic flux linkageDifferential inductanceCoil inductanceThe magnet circuit equation will beThe force exerted by the magnetic circuit to the mass becomeThe spring-mass system model equation is given byUpon selecting the voltage V(t) as the variable to be manipulated and the linear displacement as the variable to be controlled, substituting Equation (3) in to Equation (4) and in to Equation (2) and taking the Laplace transform results the transfer functionThe system parameters are shown in Table 1 belowTable 1 System parameters

Figure 1 Electromechanical car mirror wiper systemThe motor shown is a servomotor, a dc motor designed in particular for use in a control system. The operation of this device is as follows: A fixed voltage is carried out to the field winding. A voltage is implemented as an input to the servo motor and the angular position c of the wiper arm is the output of the device. The input voltage is implemented to the armature circuit of the dc motor. A constant voltage is carried out to the field winding. If an errors exists, the motor develops a torque to rotate the output load in the sort of way as to reduce the error to zero. For constant field current, the torque evolved by using the motor isWhere K1 is the motor torque constant and ia is the armature current.When the armature is rotating, a voltage proportional to the fabricated from the flux and angular velocity is brought on within the armature. For a constant flux, the brought about voltage eb is without delay proportional to the angular velocity orWhere eb is the back emf, K 2 is the back emf constant of the motor, and is the angular displacement of the motor shaft.The speed of an armature-managed dc servomotor is managed via the armature voltage e(t). The differential equation for the armature circuit isSubstituting Equation (2) in to Equation (3) yields:Taking the Laplace transform the equation will beThe equation for torque equilibrium isTaking the Laplace transform the equation will beWhere J0 is the inertia of the combination of the motor, load, and gear train referred to the motor shaft and b0 is the viscous-friction coefficient of the aggregate of the motor, load, and gear train mentioned the motor shaft.By eliminating from Equations (5) and (7), we obtainWe assume that the gear ratio of the gear train is such that the output shaft rotates n times for each revolution of the motor shaft. Thus,The wiper arm speed can be evaluated by using an integrator to the wiper arm position asSubstituting Equation (10) in to Equations (9) and to Equations (8) gives us the transfer function between the applied voltage and the wiper speed asThe parameters of the system is shown in Table 1 below.Table 2 Parameters of the system

Carnivore protoparvovirus 1 is one of the most important pathogens affecting both wild and domestic carnivores. Here, we reported the genetic characterization of canine parvovirus strains from a rescued guiña (Leopardus guigna) and domestic dogs from Chile. Guiña sequence was classified as CPV-2c and phylogenetic analysis of the complete coding genome showed that the guiña CPV-2c strain share a recent common ancestor with Chilean domestic dogs strains. These viruses presented >99% identity and showed three changes in the NS1 protein, CHL-17 V596A, CHL-71 E661K and CHL-guigna L582F. This is the first detection and genetic characterization of CPV-2c infection in guiña worldwide and one of the few comparative studies that undoubtedly determine that the source of infection were domestic dogs. The current findings highlight that guiña is a susceptible species to protoparvovirus infection and that domestic dogs represent an important thread to its conservation. The CPV cross-species transmission between domestic dogs and guiña should be taken into account for protection programs of this endangerous species.

Similar to the effects of changes in land use and cover, forest transitions have implications for biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. However, forest transition theory ignores ecologically important characteristics, such as forest age, species composition, vertical structure, and all but the most severe levels of degradation. In this study, based on National Forestry Inventories (NFIs) data and socioeconomic panel data covering more than 40 years (1977–2018), we investigate the spatial-temporal dynamics and the spatial determinants of forest quality transition at the province level in China using spatial econometric regression models. Based on our results, we reached the conclusions that follow. (1) Forest area, forest volume, and forest coverage have greatly improved as of 2018, especially for plantations, but uneven forest distribution is an important feature of forest adaptation to the environment. (2) The global Moran’s I value is greater than 0.3, and the forest quality of the provinces has a positive spatial correlation and exhibits obvious spatial clustering characteristics. In particular, the spatial expansion of forest quality has shown an accelerated concentration from 1977 to 2018. (3) The most suitable model for empirical analysis and interpretation was the Spatial Durbin Model (SDM) with fixed effects. The average annual precipitation and the area ratio of the collective forest are positively correlated with forested quality (significance level 1%). Ultimately, this framework can guide future research, describe actual and potential changes in forest quality associated with forest transitions, and promote management plans that incorporate forest area changes.

INTRODUCTION: Obesity is an important health condition that is related to high rates of morbidity and mortality. Bariatric surgery, although effective, has limited indications and may pose a risk of early and late postoperative complications, one of which is related to the gastric retaining ring, such as erosion, sliding of the device, and food intolerance. One of the modalities used in the endoscopic treatment of ring extraction is the use of stents, which represents a minimally invasive, safe, and effective alternative to the detriment of surgical treatment. OBJECTIVE: To characterize the modalities of endoscopic treatment using Stents for the treatment of complications associated with the retaining ring in the postoperative period of bariatric surgery and to determine the success rate of the different methods of endoscopic treatment. METHODS: The present study will follow an international model of systematic review and meta-analysis, following the rules of PRISMA. The search strategies for this systematic review will be based on the keywords (MeSH Terms) “Obesity. Endoscopy. Bariatric surgery. Gastric Bypass. Stents ”, with publications between 2010 and 2020, in order to analyze more recent scientific publications. Meta-analysis: A common descriptive statistical analysis will be carried out, obtaining the values of total N, mean, standard deviation, confidence interval (CI), and percentage (frequency) for all predictors. The One-Way test (ANOVA) will be applied, adopting the α level less than 0.05 with a statistically significant difference for the 95% CI. The value of R-sq (I2) will be analyzed to discover the inaccuracy or heterogeneity of the analyzes. The S factor will indicate the standard deviation between the data points and the adjusted values.  Keywords: Obesity. Endoscopy. Bariatric surgery. Gastric Bypass. Stent.

Tonsillitis accounts for between 5 and 10% of all cases of illness seen by the general practitioner. This has been a rather stable prevalence over the last 100 years or so. The analysis of the incidence by age shows, for both tonsillitis and sore throat, a relatively high incidence in childhood and young adults, while after that period there is a fall with age. Laryngitis, on the other hand, appears to occur more frequently among adults than among children. The incidence of tonsillitis, sore throat and other pharynx diseases is higher among females than males. There is no indication among school-age children that there is a higher incidence in women. There is a fairly regular seasonal variation in incidence as well, with higher incidence in winter and spring. The UK was put into lockdown on 23 March 2020 in an unprecedented step to attempt to limit the spread of coronavirus. From an audit of over a total population of 9534 people, starting from the beginning of the lockdown to the 18 May 2020, the number of patients with diagnosis of tonsillitis was audited. The data were compared to those recorded in the 5 precedent five years during the very same period of time. Tonsillitis accounted, on average, for 8% of all cases of illness seen by the general practitioner from 2015 to 2019. The mean number of patients seen for tonsillitis was 805.8 with SD of 28.96. In 2020, the number of cases of tonsillitis was 593. From 2015 to 2020, the higher incidence in the female sex was confirmed from all the age bands>19.  The greatest drop in cases was not recorded in the age group 0 to 9, but - in the order - 10 to 19, 20 to 29 and 30 to 39 with a reduction above the 30% in the first 2 age bands. Overall, the drop was seen across all the age bands.

Tiny predators, especially like phytoseiid mites, often experience a host of threats or stresses by fluctuating environmental factors. Heat acclimation as a superior adaptation strategy critically enhances abilities for organisms to handle with changing climate, but little is known about the molecular mechanism determining tolerant plastic responses in Phytoseiid mites. The relative expression of four identified HSP70 genes in two strains of Neoseiulus barkeri increased within a short time in temperature ramping treatment; meanwhile the expression of NbHSP70-1 and NbHSP70-2 in the conventional strain (CS) sharply decreased after 4 h displaying distinct contrast with the stable expression in the high-temperature adapted strain (HTAS). Western blot analysis showed that the protein level of NbHSP70-1 in CS was dramatically elevated at 0.5 h and decreased at 6 h at 42°C. Conversely, in HTAS, NbHSP70-1 was constantly induced and peaked at 6 h changed at 42°C. Furthermore, HSP70 suppression by RNAi knockdown had a greater influence on the survival of HTAS, causing a higher mortality under high temperature than CS. The recombinant certain exogenous NbHSP70-1 protein enhanced the viability of E. coli BL21 under lethal temperature of 50°C. These results suggested that HSP70 genes were a prominent contributor promoting the thermotolerance to heat stress and plastic change of HSP70 genes conferred the thermotolerance of HTAS through long-term heat acclimation. The divergent constitutive regulation of HSP70 to thermal is conducive to the flexible adaptability of predators in higher trophic level to trade off under extremely adversity stress.

We present a case of a 66-year-old male with dyspnea and bilateral lower-extremity edema. Pericardiotomy and biopsy were performed and reported malignant mesothelioma. Primary pericardial mesothelioma is a highly malignant tumor that has unfavorable prognosis, and is extremely rare, even among heart tumors. In our case, despite the large amount of pericardial effusion of the first echocardiography, the infiltrated like pericardium was still detected. In addition, cytology after pericardiocentesis reported suspicion of malignancy, which followed by pericardiotomy and biopsy, lead to our timely diagnosis.

The pattern of cyclic conjugation was thoroughly studied in the series of N- and P-acenaphthylene derivatives using several different aromaticity indices: the energy effect (ef), multicenter delocalization index (MCI), harmonic oscillator model of aromaticity (HOMA) index and nucleus independent chemical shifts (NICS). The Kekulé-structure-based reasoning predicts that there would be no cyclic conjugation in the “empty” five-membered heteroatom-containing rings in the studied molecules. It was found that, according to the ef, MCI and HOMA values, the extent of cyclic conjugation in the pentagonal rings is strongly influenced by the number and mutual arrangement of the hexagonal rings. In addition, it was revealed that in some of the examined molecules the intensity of cyclic conjugation in the “empty” pentagons is even stronger than that of some hexagonal rings within the same molecule. The obtained results refute what one would expect based on ”chemical intuition”, which is usually strongly rooted to the Kekulé structures.

1. Quantitative PCR (qPCR) has been commonly used to measure gene expression in a number of research contexts, but the measured RNA concentrations do not always represent the concentrations of active proteins which they encode. This can be due to transcriptional regulation or post-translational modifications, or localisation of immune environments, as can occur during infection. However, in studies using free-living non-model species, such as in ecoimmunological research, qPCR may be the only available option to measure a parameter of interest, and so understanding the quantitative link between gene expression and associated effector protein levels is vital. 2. Here we use qPCR to measure concentrations of RNA from mesenteric lymph node (MLN) and spleen tissue, and multiplex ELISA of blood serum to measure circulating cytokine concentrations in a wild population of a model species, Mus musculus domesticus. 3. Few significant correlations were found between gene expression levels and circulating cytokines of the same immune genes or proteins, or related functional groups. Where significant correlations were observed, these were most frequently within the measured tissue (i.e. the expression levels of genes measured from spleen tissue were more likely to correlate with each other rather than with genes measured from MLN tissue, or with cytokine concentrations measured from blood). 4. Potential reasons for discrepancies between measures, including differences in decay rates and transcriptional regulation networks are discussed. We highlight the relative usefulness of different measures under different research questions, and consider what might be inferred from immune assays.

Dear Dr. Cavalleri, I hereby resubmit my paper entitled “Fitting Elephants in the Density Functionals Zoo: Statistical Criteria for the Evaluation of DFT methods as a Suitable Replacement for Counting Parameters” with modifications that address all the concerns raised by the Referees. As such, I believe the manuscript is now ready for publication in the Authorea special issue of the International Journal of Quantum Chemistry. I want to thank the Referees for the clear and very useful remarks. For your convenience, I report below a point-by-point reply to each of the concerns raised by the Referees, and how I've addressed them in the new manuscript: 

There is increasing evidence that COVID-19 infection predisposes to thromboembolism. A 71 years-old male patient was admitted to ICU for COVID-19 related pneumonia. He developed a high troponin rise up to 6715 ng/L. By transthoracic echocardiography, we found akinesia of the full right ventricular apex with a mobile hyperechogenic mass, highly suggestive of thrombus. Unfractionated Heparin was started immediately. A subsequent echocardiogram showed no mass. To our knowledge, this is the first case showing a thrombus formation in the context of right ventricular apical akinesia in COVID-19 patients. There is upcoming evidence that the clinical relevance of thromboembolic complications may be a serious issue in COVID-19 patients even in the absence of any obvious risk factor. Our case clearly demonstrate that, in patients with COVID-19 infection and troponin rise, echocardiography should be performed to rule out possible thrombotic complications

ESP-block produce analgesia. A patient rejects GA for an intervention of capsulated under-apicalular lipoma exeresis. ESP-block is performed. The ESP represents a valid anesthetic alternative for thoracic wall operations whose patients have contraindications to the GA.

Dear Editor,We would like to comment on the systematic review by Li et al.(1)The use of steroid hormones in the first trimester is a serious issue as organogenesis takes place at this time and therefore there is the possibility of harm from not only congenital anomalies, but also long-term, and even inter-generational effects. Anyone investigating the use of steroid hormones in the first trimester should remember the diethylstilbestrol legacy of devastating harm. Oestrogen (C18H24O2) and diethylstilbestrol (C18H20O2) have similar molecular composition, but their effects are poles apart. In this review, the authors have combined progesterone with progestogens; however they are not the same, in the same way that oestrogen and diethylstilbestrol are not the same. Vaginal micronized progesterone, which we used in our large and high-quality trials (the PROMISE (2) and PRISM (3) trials), has identical molecular structure to natural progesterone, but the other drugs included in this review do not (Table 1). We chose to study vaginal micronized progesterone, as it is identical in structure to natural progesterone, and the available evidence and expert opinion suggested that this is least likely to cause harm. It is important to note that there is evidence of potential harm from dydrogesterone, particularly congenital heart disease.(4)The authors make a bold statement in the abstract about the effects of dydrogesterone on live birth rate. However, they don’t fully address the weaknesses in the evidence. Therefore, we wish to highlight the significant deficiencies in the two trials that contributed live birth data that led to the assertion of beneficial effects from dydrogesterone. Both studies were single centre, open-label studies without placebo control. El-Zibdeh et al did not randomise participants, but instead allocated patients to dydrogesterone on Saturdays, Mondays and Wednesdays, and to no treatment on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. The trial by Pandian RU was not just a single-centre, but also a single-author study, with insufficient details of the methods to assess its quality. Thus, the effectiveness evidence from these trials cannot be considered reliable.Approximately 80% (4038 of 5056) of the data used in this systematic review come from our PRISM trial.(3) The PRISM trial is a prospectively-registered, randomised, placebo-controlled, multi-centre trial conducted to the highest standards in the UK. The trial found a 3% increase in live birth rate, but with borderline statistical significance (RR, 1.03; 95% CI, 1.00 to 1.07; P=0.08). A pre-specified subgroup analysis in women with the dual risk factors of current pregnancy bleeding and one or more previous miscarriages found a 5% increase in live birth rate (RR, 1.09; 95% CI, 1.03-1.15; P=0.003). In those with three or more previous miscarriages, a 15% increase in live birth rate was observed (RR, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.08 to 1.51; P=0.004).(3, 5) No short-term safety concerns were identified. Based on these data, our recommendation is to consider vaginal micronized progesterone for women with early pregnancy bleeding and one or more previous miscarriages. As for the role of dydrogesterone, we need not only high-quality, randomised trial evidence of its effects but also credible evidence of its safety. As dydrogesterone is a synthetic progesterone-like drug, i.e. a progestogen but not progesterone, the burden of proof to demonstrate short- and long-term safety rests on those promoting this drug.

Dear EditorBirth Trauma organisations advocate on behalf of women and babies who have experienced adverse outcomes and naturally they will take a risk-averse perspective on birth-related care. The latest version of the Assisted Vaginal Birth (AVB) RCOG Guideline (previously called Operative Vaginal Delivery) has focussed specifically on revisions designed to minimise the risk of traumatic injuries for the mother and baby.1 The landmark Montgomery ruling that raised the bar on the standard required for informed consent has been embraced and endorsed within the guideline. 2 It is disappointing to read that Hull et al have concluded that “Montgomery is missing from RCOG’s Assisted Vaginal Birth guideline”.3Hull et al have acknowledged the important counselling advice that has been recommended – antenatal discussion about AVB when planning birth in the third trimester (especially for first-time mothers), review of birth preferences when conducting routine labour ward rounds, and in depth counselling, where circumstances allow, if complications arise during the course of labour particularly during the second stage. However, the guideline apparently falls short of the Montgomery ruling in that we have not recommended “planned caesarean” as an option to prevent assisted vaginal birth.The AVB guideline went through an extensive scoping process. The agreed scope was to address all key questions that arise in relation to labouring women who may require obstetric assistance in the second stage of labour - the assumption being that these women have the intention to labour and deliver vaginally. A guideline addressing maternal request “planned” caesarean section is an entirely different guideline. It is also incorrect to state that the RCOG have provided no direct guidance on this (see Choosing to have a Caesarean section , RCOG Patient Information (2015) based on NICE Clinical Guideline Caesarean Section (2011)).4 The issue of pelvic floor morbidity was included in the literature search and has been discussed in detail.The Montgomery ruling related to a woman with diabetes in pregnancy and a large for gestational age fetus who experienced shoulder dystocia resulting in her baby developing cerebral palsy. The importance of outlining, in advance, the birth options for this woman is clear, given the specific known risks associated with labour in her circumstances. Hull et al suggest on the same basis that all women should be advised that a planned caesarean section is an option to prevent assisted vaginal birth. If taken one step further the Montgomery ruling could be cited to support the argument that all women should be advised that the best way to avoid pregnancy-related complications is to avoid getting pregnant. Common sense would infer that this was not the intention of the Montgomery ruling.Where this RCOG guideline is likely to be consistent with Birth Trauma organisations is in the recommendations on careful assessment, supervision and decision-making; clear communication and transparent consent procedures; and an overall approach that places safety as the first priority when deciding when and when not to attempt a vacuum or forceps assisted delivery, and when to discontinue any such attempt. It is hoped that all relevant health professionals will review and implement the evidence-based, peer-reviewed recommendations within this guideline. They are designed to support women in achieving safe and joyful births, even when obstetric assistance is required.Deirdre J Murphy,1 Rachna Bahl,2Bryony Strachan21) Coombe Women & Infants University HospitalCork St, Dublin 8, Republic of Ireland2) St Michael’s Hospital, Bristol

In the world today, huge volumes of data are generated in short text form. Many topics modelling techniques have been developed. Among these techniques is the popular Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA), however the effectiveness of this and other techniques has been shown to increase linearly with the document size while being less effective when modelling topics from short texts. Furthermore, the generated topics exhibit poor semantic coherence. We present an n-gram based multi-level clustering model for discovering coherent topics from short texts. By taking advantage of the natural arrangement of words in the n-grams in the topic form stage, the model is able to discover semantically coherent topics that are easily interpreted. n-grams are discovered recursively starting with larger n-grams down to n-grams whose length is governed by a pre-defined lower limit. The discovered n-grams are then subjected to a multi-level clustering algorithm, with the lowest clustering level being constituted from the shortest n-grams that occur most frequently in the entire corpus, and the highest level from least common n-grams at level n. We evaluate the model against the standard LDA and Bi-Term models by measuring and presenting the comparative coherence scores achieved by the topics generated from two datasets.

Aims: The aim of this study was to investigate in detail the traumatic birth experiences of midwives in the delivery rooms, and their attitudes, reactions, and coping strategies. Methods: The design of the study is descriptive and the purposive sampling method was used. This approach is ideal for a preliminary exploration of the nature of a phenomenon. Between October 2018 and January 2019, semi-structured interviews were conducted with a purposeful sample of midwives. The research was carried out with the participation of 29 midwives, who work in labour and birth room. They were asked to describe a particular stressful situation they had experienced during the birth process, their emotions about the event, and their coping strategies and support systems. All interviews were digitally recorded, stored in a database, and transferred to MAX Qualitative Data Analysis 18.1.0 for analysis. Results: As a result of the content analysis, three main themes emerged: Psychological impact, defensive practice, and expectations from the hospital. It was revealed that, after the traumatic birth, midwives experienced highly emotional exhaustion in the form of sadness, flashbacks, guilt, fear, and empathy, and that they performed an increasingly defensive practice. Besides, midwives explicitly stated that they were not prepared enough for traumatic events and that most traumatic births were simply ignored in their workplace. Eventually, it was determined that midwives received support mostly from their colleagues in case of a traumatic birth. Conclusion(s): Midwives need to feel valued and be supported by their institutions in coping with emotional stress. Therefore, performing clinical inspections by experienced or specialist midwives may serve as a supporting framework for reducing defensive interventions.

A document by CHENXIANG CAO, written on Authorea.

Since the first description of anaphylaxis in 1902, its clinical importance as an emergency condition has been recognized worldwide. Anaphylaxis is a severe, potentially life-threatening systemic hypersensitivity reaction characterized by rapid onset and the potential to endanger life through respiratory or circulatory compromise. It is usually, although not always, associated with skin and mucosal changes. Although the academic/scientific communities have advocated to promote greater awareness and protocols for management of anaphylaxis based on best evidence, there are few efforts documenting feedback as to the success of these efforts. In this document, we review the key unmet needs related to the diagnosis and management of anaphylaxis, propose a public health initiative for prevention measures and a timetable action plan which intends to strengthen the collaboration among health professionals and especially primary care physicians dealing with anaphylaxis that can encourage enhanced quality of care of patients with anaphylaxis. More than calling for harmonized action for best management of anaphylaxis to prevent undue morbidity and mortality, the Montpellier World Health Organization Collaborating Centre here proposes an action plan as a baseline for a global initiative against anaphylaxis. We strongly believe these collaborative efforts are a strong public health and societal priority that is consistent with the overarching goals of providing optimal care of allergic patients and best practices of allergology.

The phosphorylation states of two serine residues within the C-terminal domain of AtPIP2;1 (S280, S283) regulate its trafficking to the plasma membrane in response to salt and osmotic stress. Here we investigated whether the phosphorylation states of S280 and S283 also influence AtPIP2;1 facilitated water and cation transport. A series of single and double S280 and S283 phospho-mimic and -deficient AtPIP2;1 mutants were tested in heterologous systems. In Xenopus laevis oocytes, phospho-mimic mutants AtPIP2;1 S280D, S283D and S280D/S283D, had significantly greater ion conductance for Na+ and K+, whereas the S280A single and S280A/S283A double mutants, had greater water permeability. A phospho-mimic-dependent inverse relationship between AtPIP2;1 water and ion transport with a 10-fold change in both was observed. These results revealed that phosphorylation of S280 and S283 influences the preferential facilitation between ion and water permeability by AtPIP2;1. The results also hint at other sites playing a role that are yet to be elucidated. Expression of the phospho-mimic AtPIP2;1 mutants in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, confirmed that phosphorylation influences plasma membrane localisation, and revealed higher Na+ accumulation for S280A and S283D. Collectively, the results show that phosphorylation in the C-terminal domain of AtPIP2;1 influences its subcellular localisation and cation transport capacity.

Plant growth depends on the diurnal regulation of cellular processes, but it is not well understood if and how transcriptional regulation controls diurnal fluctuations at the protein-level. Here we report a high-resolution Arabidopsis thaliana (Arabidopsis) leaf rosette proteome acquired over a 12 h light : 12 h dark diurnal cycle and the phosphoproteome immediately before and after the light-to-dark and dark-to-light transitions. We quantified nearly 5000 proteins and 800 phosphoproteins, of which 288 fluctuated in their abundance and 226 fluctuated in their phosphorylation status. Of the phosphoproteins, 60% were quantified for changes in protein abundance. This revealed six proteins involved in nitrogen and hormone metabolism that had concurrent changes in both protein abundance and phosphorylation status. The diurnal proteome and phosphoproteome changes involve proteins in key cellular processes, including protein translation, light perception, photosynthesis, metabolism and transport. The phosphoproteome at the light-dark transitions revealed the dynamics at phosphorylation sites in either anticipation of or response to a change in light regime. Phosphorylation site motif analyses implicate casein kinase II and calcium/calmodulin dependent kinases among the primary light-dark transition kinases. The comparative analysis of the diurnal proteome and diurnal and circadian transcriptome established how mRNA and protein accumulation intersect in leaves during the diurnal cycle of the plant.

Ecosystem responses to external inputs of nutrients and organisms are highly variable. Theory predicts that ecosystem traits will determine the responses to spatial subsidies, but evidence for how vegetation structure can modulate those effects is lacking. We investigated how vegetation structure (i.e., leaf area index [LAI] and vegetation height) influenced the ecosystem and community responses to insect spatial subsidies in a subarctic grassland. Our experiment consisted of a 2 x 2 manipulation where in one treatment we either blocked flying insects over a 2-year period in 1-m2 plots near the shore of Lake Mývatn, Iceland where deposition of aquatic adult midges (Diptera: Chironomidae) to land is high, or we left control plots accessible to flying midges. In the second treatment, grassland vegetation was cut (Tall vs. Short) at the start of each season and then allowed to regrow. Within each plot (n = 6 replicates x 4 treatments), we measured litter decomposition and arthropod composition and density. Midge-exclusion cages reduced midge deposition by 81% relative to the open plots. Vegetation cutting initially reduced LAI and vegetation height by 3x and 1.5x, respectively, but these were not different by the end of the second growing season. We found that vegetation structure modulated the effects of midge subsides on litter decomposition, with taller canopies intercepting more insect subsidies than shorter ones, leading to 18% faster litter decomposition. In contrast, the short-vegetation plots intercepted fewer subsidies, had higher temperatures and sunlight, and thus resulted in no effects of midges on decomposition. However, by the end of the experiment when all vegetation structure characteristics had converged across all plots, we found no differences in decomposition between treatments. The effects of midge subsidies on arthropod composition depended on vegetation structure in the last year, suggesting that arthropod predators might also be responding to vegetation structure effects on insect subsidies. Our findings indicate that vegetation structure can modify the quantity of subsidies entering a recipient ecosystem as aerial insects, resulting in ecosystem- and community-level responses. Thus, changing vegetation structure via habitat disturbances will likely have important implications for ecosystem functions that depend on spatial subsidies.

Monitoring the genetic structure of pathogen populations may be an economical and sensitive approach to quantify the impact of control on transmission dynamics, highlighting the need for a better understanding of changes in population genetic parameters as transmission declines. Here we describe the first population genetic analysis of the major human malaria parasites, Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) and Plasmodium vivax (Pv) populations following nationwide distribution of long-lasting insecticide treated nets (LLIN) in Papua New Guinea (PNG). Parasite isolates from pre- (2005-6) and post-LLIN (2010-2014) were genotyped using microsatellite markers. Despite parasite prevalence declining substantially (East Sepik: Pf=54.9-8.5%, Pv=35.7-5.6%, Madang: Pf=38.0-9.0%, Pv: 31.8-19.7%), genetically diverse and intermixing parasite populations remained. Pf diversity declined modestly post-LLIN relative to pre-LLIN (East Sepik: Rs = 7.1-6.4, He = 0.77-0.71; Madang: Rs= 8.2-6.1, He = 0.79-0.71). Unexpectedly, population structure present in pre-LLIN populations was lost post-LLIN, suggesting that more frequent human movement between provinces may have contributed to higher gene flow. Pv prevalence initially declined but increased again in one province, yet diversity remained high throughout the study period (East Sepik: Rs=11.4-9.3, He=0.83-0.80; Madang: Rs=12.2-14.5, He=0.85-0.88). Although genetic differentiation values increased between provinces over time, no significant population structure was observed at any time point. For both species, a decline in multiple infections and increasing clonal transmission and significant multilocus linkage disequilibrium (mLD) post-LLIN was a positive indicator of impact on the parasite population using microsatellite markers. These parameters may be useful adjuncts to traditional epidemiological tools in the early stages of transmission reduction.