Direct visualization of a static incommensurate antiferromagnetic order in Fe-doped Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ

In cuprate superconductors, due to strong electronic correlations, there are multiple intertwined orders which either coexist or compete with superconductivity. Among them, the antiferromagnetic (AF) order is the most prominent one. In the region where superconductivity sets in, the long-range AF order is destroyed. Yet the residual short-range AF spin fluctuations are present up to a much higher doping, and their role in the emergence of the superconducting phase is still highly debated. Here, by using a spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscope, we directly visualize an emergent incommensurate AF order in the nearby region of Fe impurities embedded in the optimally doped Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ (Bi2212). Remarkably, the Fe impurities suppress the superconducting coherence peaks with the gapped feature intact, but pin down the ubiquitous short-range incommensurate AF order. Our work shows an intimate relation between antiferromagnetism and superconductivity.

Short-Term Foreshock and Aftershock Patterns of the 2021 Ms 6.4 Yangbi Earthquake Sequence

An Ms 6.4 earthquake struck Yangbi County in western Yunnan province, China, on 21 May 2021, causing damage in the nearby region. Intensive foreshock activity started three days before the mainshock, and numerous aftershocks followed along a northwest–southeast-trending right-lateral main rupture fault. Double-difference relocation of the foreshock and aftershock sequence shortly before and after the Ms 6.4 mainshock is conducted using the phase picks from the local seismic network. The focal mechanisms of relatively large foreshocks and aftershocks are also derived. The results not only delineate the ruptured fault geometry during the mainshock but also indicate the mechanism of static stress transfer according to the spatiotemporal evolution of foreshocks. The low background b-values around the mainshock are also consistent with the occurrence of the Yangbi earthquake sequence.

Occurrence of juveniles Luvarus imperialis (Actinopterygii: Perciformes: Luvaridae) in the Strait of Sicily

Two juveniles Luvarus imperialis, astrodermella stage, 97.4 mm and 90.6 mm in total length, were recorded on September 2016 and August 2017 respectively, the first caught by a bottom trawler off the south-eastern coast of Sicily, Strait of Sicily, Italy, the second found stranded on the beach in the nearby region. Biometrics data of this uncommon species are given and the occurrence of juvenile stages in the Mediterranean area is briefly discussed.

The Copy Number Variation of OsMTD1 Regulates Rice Plant Architecture

Copy number variation (CNV) may have phenotypic effects by altering the expression level of the gene(s) or regulatory element(s) contained. It is believed that CNVs play pivotal roles in controlling plant architecture and other traits in plant. However, the effects of CNV contributing to special traits remain largely unknown. Here we report a CNV involved in rice architecture by modulating tiller number and leaf angle. In the genome of Oryza sativa ssp. japonica cv. Nipponbare, we found a locus Loc_Os08g34249 is derived from a 13,002-bp tandem duplication in the nearby region of OsMTD1, a gene regulating tillering in rice. Further survey of 230 rice cultivars showed that the duplication occurred in only 13 japonica rice cultivars. Phenotypic investigation indicated that this CNV region may contribute to tiller number. Moreover, we revealed that OsMTD1 not only influences rice tiller number and leaf angle, but also represses pri-miR156f transcription in the CNV region. Intriguingly, this CNV performs function through both the dosage and position effects on OsMTD1 and pri-miR156f. Thus, our work identified a CNV and revealed a molecular regulatory basis for its effects on plant architecture, implying this CNV may possess importance and application potential in molecular breeding in rice.

Island narratives in the making of Japan: The Kojiki in geocultural context

Shintō, the national religion of Japan, is grounded in the mythological narratives that are found in the 8th-Century chronicle, Kojiki 古事記 (712). Within this early source book of Japanese history, myth, and national origins, there are many accounts of islands (terrestrial and imaginary), which provide a foundation for comprehending the geographical cosmology (i.e., sacred space) of Japan’s territorial boundaries and the nearby region in the 8th Century, as well as the ritualistic significance of some of the country’s islands to this day. Within a complex geocultural genealogy of gods that links geography to mythology and the Japanese imperial line, land and life were created along with a number of small and large islands. Drawing on theoretical work and case studies that explore the geopolitics of border islands, this article offers a critical study of this ancient work of Japanese history with specific reference to islands and their significance in mapping Japan. Arguing that a characteristic of islandness in Japan has an inherent connection with Shintō religious myth, the article shows how mythological islanding permeates geographic, social, and cultural terrains. The discussion maps the island narratives found in the Kojiki within a framework that identifies and discusses toponymy, geography, and meaning in this island nation’s mythology.

Geographically Masking Addresses to Study COVID-19 Clusters

Background: The spatio-temporal analysis of cases is a good way an epidemic, and the recent COVID-19 pandemic unfortunately generated a huge amount of data. But analysing this raw data, with for instance the address of the people who contracted COVID-19, raises some privacy issues, and geomasking is necessary topreserve both people privacy and the spatial accuracy required for analysis. This paper proposes dierent geomasking techniques adapted to this COVID-19 data.Methods: Different techniques are adapted from the literature, and tested on a synthetic dataset mimicking the COVID-19 spatio-temporal spreading in Paris and a more rural nearby region. Theses techniques are assessed in terms of k-anonymity and cluster preservation.Results: Three adapted geomasking techniques are proposed: aggregation, bimodal gaussian perturbation, and simulated crowding. All three can be useful in different use cases, but the bimodal gaussian perturbation is the overall best techniques, and the simulated crowding is the most promising one, provided some improvements are introduced to avoid points with a low k-anonymity.Conclusions: It is possible to use geomasking techniques on addresses of people who caught COVID-19, while preserving the important spatial patterns.

Late Quaternary Environmental and Human Impacts on the Mitochondrial DNA Diversity of Four Commensal Rodents in Myanmar

We addressed the spatiotemporal characteristics of four commensal rodent species occurring in Myanmar in comparison with other areas of the Indo-Malayan region. We examined sequence variations of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene (Cytb) in the Pacific rat (Rattus exulans), roof rat (Rattus rattus complex, RrC), lesser bandicoot rat (Bandicota bengalensis), and house mouse (Mus musculus) using the recently developed time-dependent evolutionary rates of mtDNA. The Cytb sequences of RrC from Myanmar were shown to belong to RrC Lineage II, and their level of genetic diversity was relatively high compared to those of the other three species. RrC was found to have experienced bottleneck and rapid expansion events at least twice in the late Pleistocene period in Myanmar and a nearby region. Accordingly, paleoclimatic environmental fluctuations were shown to be an important factor affecting rodents in the subtropics of the Indo-Malayan region. Our results show that human activities during the last 10,000 years of the Holocene period affected the population dynamics of the rodent species examined, including introducing them to Myanmar from neighboring countries. Further study of these four commensal rodents in other geographic areas of the Indo-Malayan region would allow us to better understand the factors that drove their evolution and their ecological trends.

Pharmacognostical And Pharmacological Activity of Punica Granatum (Pomegranate): An Overview

Punica granatum (PG) Linn (Family Punicaceae) is also known as pomegranate in English and commonly known as Anar in Hindi, it is found in the nearby region of Iran and very often found in the Himalayas and northern region of India and also cultivated since the ancient times, all over the region of Africa, Europe, and Asia. The various parts of pomegranate plants like seeds, leaf, root, and rind, in the traditional medicine system, used to treat multiple disease ailments such as wound healing, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, decreases cancer risks, anti-arthritic, anti-proliferative and many more diseases.Punica granatum Linn. f. has an excellent level of pharmacological action, which very important according to the medicinal point of view. An enormous variety of phytochemicals such as alkaloids, flavonoids, saponin, carbohydrates, steroids, triterpenoids, carotenoids, amino acids, tannins, phenolics, and coumarins. This plant (PG) is very rich in phenolic compounds, due to the presence of such a wide variety of phytoconstituents. The whole plant was extensively used during the holistic medicine system in the treatment of the number of disease treatment.This review mainly focused on the large variety of essential pharmacognostic and pharmacological profile that is necessary to exhibit the crucial therapeutic activity and phytopharmacological properties of different parts of Punica granatum.

Ethnobotanical Survey of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants of Bhagalpur Region

Medicinal and aromatic plants have been used since the time immortal in different parts on the world including India. Ayurveda provides a detailed insight of different medicinal plants and their use. Different regions of India have a array of different types of medicinal and aromatic herbs. Depending upon climate and soil they may have different degree of pharmacological importance. Lower Gangetic plane present at around eastern part of the Bihar has some sort of Medicinal and Aromatic plants common to Bhagalpur and nearby region. These plants were surveyed on non-agricultural fields of four different localities of Bhagalpur by using quardat method. Abundance, Counts, Cover, Frequency and relative importance were calculated as a whole. About 14 plants were recorded having either well known medicinal or aromatic properties in a total survey area of 1000m2. Int. J. Appl. Sci. Biotechnol. Vol 8(2): 216-222