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By growth of Si on substrates that have been pre-patterned by electron-beam induced carbon nano-growth masks, nano-holes form at the Si surface. We have grown self-assembled Ge quantum dots in these holes by ultra high vacuum chemical vapour phase deposition (UHV-CVD). We usually find four dots in each hole. By varying the amount of deposited Ge, we can obtain either four dome-shaped or four pyram

Political participation research has consistently shown that age and education among other factors, to a large extent determine who the activists are. The rise of social media services such as Facebook has however prompted hopes that new and more flexible forms of participation might lead to reduced inequality in political participation. This paper uses unique data on the political uses of social

An emerging number of diseases and therapeutic approaches with defined involvement of the complement system justify a need for specific markers reflecting activation of particular effector arms of the complement cascade. Measurement of such soluble markers in circulation is a challenge since the specificity of antibodies must be limited to activated complement fragments but not predominant and ubi

The cerebellum is classically considered to be mainly involved in motor processing, but studies have suggested several other functions, including pain processing. Calcitonin-gene-related peptide (CGRP) is a neuropeptide involved in migraine pathology, where there is elevated release of CGRP during migraine attacks and CGRP receptor antagonists have antimigraine efficacy. In the present study, we e

Popular summary Estuarine eutrophication, the systemic limitation of oxygen in a body of water, has been increasingly monitored and scrutinized as an environmental concern needing acute and long term remediation efforts. The roots of eutrophication are largely attributed to anthropic sources within the watershed, sources that are products of modern civilization; such as agricultural and urban poll

Secondary organic aerosol (SOA) plays a significant role in climate change by altering the global atmospheric radiation budget. Biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) are major sources for the formation of SOA. Their relationship is critical to understand the continental biosphere-aerosol-cloud-climate (COBACC) feedback mechanism but receives less attention in previous studies. In this study,

Although the accounts confirming that we are in the midst of an ecological crisis are undeniable, the transformative action necessary to address climate change remains elusive. Capitalist norms of economic growth, self-interest and denialism obstructs paths towards sustainability. This research illustrates how embodied engagements with the ecological crisis through artistic practices can foster mo

Understanding how sympatric species partition resources is critical for biodiversity conservation, particularly in vulnerable ecosystems. As Arctic ecosystems undergo rapid climate change, understanding how animals use space and select habitats becomes essential for effective conservation planning. Advances in technologies can now provide high-resolution data on species movements and habitat use,

Lysostaphin is a bacteriolytic enzyme targeting peptidoglycan, the essential component of the bacterial cell envelope. It displays a very potent and specific activity toward staphylococci, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Lysostaphin causes rapid cell lysis and disrupts biofilms, and is therefore a therapeutic agent of choice to eradicate staphylococcal infections. The C-term

Background: Bark beetles are major pests of conifer forests, and their behavior is primarily mediated via olfaction. Targeting the odorant receptors (ORs) may thus provide avenues towards improved pest control. Such an approach requires information on the function of ORs and their interactions with ligands, which is also essential for understanding the functional evolution of these receptors. Henc

The ubiquity of phospho-ligands suggests that phosphate binding emerged at the earliest stage of protein evolution. To evaluate this hypothesis and unravel its details, we identified all phosphate-binding protein lineages in the Evolutionary Classification of Protein Domains database. We found at least 250 independent evolutionary lineages that bind small molecule cofactors and metabolites with ph

GTP hydrolysis is a biologically crucial reaction, being involved in regulating almost all cellular processes. As a result, the enzymes that catalyze this reaction are among the most important drug targets. Despite their vital importance and decades of substantial research effort, the fundamental mechanism of enzyme-catalyzed GTP hydrolysis by GTPases remains highly controversial. Specifically, ho