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Selective enrichments enabled the recovery of moderately thermophilic isolates with copper bioleaching ability from a spent copper sulfide heap. Phylogenetic and physiological characterization revealed that the isolates were closely related to Sulfobacillus thermosulfidooxidans, Acidithiobacillus caldus and Acidimicrobium ferrooxidans. While isolates exhibited similar physiological characteristics to their corresponding type strains, in general they displayed similar or greater tolerance of high copper, zinc, nickel and cobalt concentrations. Considerable variation was found between species and between several strains related to S. thermosulfidooxidans. It is concluded that adaptation to metals present in the bioleaching heap from which they were isolated contributed to but did not entirely explain high metals tolerances. Higher metals tolerance did not confer stronger bioleaching performance, suggesting that a physical, mineralogical or chemical process is rate limiting for a specific ore or concentrate.

The aim of this study was to determine the mechanisms underlying the uptake of Cd by durum wheat (Triticum turgidum L. ssp. durum cv. “acalou”) in the presence of citrate under hydroponic conditions. Wheat seedlings were exposed for 3 h to simplified nutrient solutions initially containing 35 nM of free Cd with or without citrate. Uptake experiments with citrate alone were also performed. Solutions were radio labelled with 109Cd or citrate-14C. The depletion of Cd and citrate in the exposure solution was followed, and at the end of the exposure Cd and citrate were quantified in all compartments of the experimental system (root surface, inner roots and aerial parts). The apparent rates of internalization of Cd (r Cd) and citrate (r cit) were estimated from the ratio of the uptake flux to the contents adsorbed at the root surface. About two times more Cd was taken up in the presence of citrate. Assuming that citrate and Cd-citrate complexes were taken up at the same rate, a direct uptake of intact complexes could not account for the higher uptake of Cd in presence of citrate. In addition, Cd was internalized at the same rate in the absence or presence of citrate (r Cd = 3.62 h−1), whereas the internalization rate constants of Cd and citrate were different (r Cd ≈ 8 r cit). This strengthens the idea that a direct uptake of non-dissociated Cd-citrate complexes probably did not account for the higher Cd uptake in presence of citrate. A dissociation of Cd-citrate complexes within the diffusion layer or at the root surface and the subsequent additional supply of free Cd were more likely to explain the higher Cd uptake in presence of citrate.

This study tested the hypothesis that Cd uptake is correlated with the shoot or root growth of Arabidopsis thaliana ecotype Columbia cultivated hydroponically at environmentally relevant Cd concentrations: 20, 100 and 350 nmol L-1. Growth of both roots and shoots were delayed at 350 nmol L-1. The rate of Cd uptake determined by spiking the nutrient solution with Cd-109 for 24 h, was significantly correlated with the root growth rate. The fraction of Cd absorbed that was allocated to shoots was constant with time but decreased with increasing exposure to Cd. Autoradiography and gamma counting showed that Cd was preferentially allocated to developing leaves. Hence, the quantity of Cd in shoots depended both on the root growth, which probably governed the uptake, and on the maturity of the leaves, which may have determined the Cd allocated to shoots through changes in the transpiration stream.

Recently, warm dense matter has emerged as an interdisciplinary field that draws increasing interest in plasma physics, condensed matter physics, high pressure science, astrophysics, inertial confinement fusion, as well as material science under extreme conditions. To allow the study of well-defined warm dense matter states, we introduced the concept of idealized slab plasma (ISP) that can be realized in the laboratory via (1) the isochoric heating of a solid and (2) the propagation of a shock wave in a solid. The application of this concept provides new means for probing AC conductivity, equation of state, ionization, and opacity. These approaches are presented here using results derived from numerical simulations.

The possibility to probe new physics scenarios of light Majorana neutrino exchange and right-handed currents at the planned next generation neutrinoless double β decay experiment SuperNEMO is discussed. Its ability to study different isotopes and track the outgoing electrons provides the means to discriminate different underlying mechanisms for the neutrinoless double β decay by measuring the decay half-life and the electron angular and energy distributions.

The NEMO-3 results for the double- β decay of¹⁵⁰ Nd to the 0 ⁺₁and 2 ⁺₁excited states of¹⁵⁰ Sm are reported. The data recorded during 5.25 year with 36.6 g of the isotope¹⁵⁰ Nd are used in the analysis. The signal of the2ν β β transition to the 0 ⁺₁excited state is detected with a statistical significance exceeding 5 σ . The half-life is measured to beT_(1/2)^(2ν β β)(0⁺₁) = \\left[ 1.11 ^(+0.19)_(-0.14) \\left( \\hbox stat\\right) ^(+0.17)_(-0.15) \\left( \\hbox syst\\right) \\right] × 10²⁰  year, which is the most precise value that has been measured to date. 90% confidence-level limits are set for the other decay modes. For the2ν β β decay to the 2 ⁺₁level the limit isT^(2ν β β)_(1/2)(2⁺₁) > 2.42 × 10²⁰ \\hbox year . The limits on the0ν β β decay to the 0 ⁺₁and 2 ⁺₁levels of¹⁵⁰ Sm are significantly improved toT_(1/2)^(0ν β β)(0⁺₁) > 1.36 × 10²² \\hbox yearandT_(1/2)^(0ν β β)(2⁺₁) > 1.26 × 10²² \\hbox year .

The effect of subphase pH (5.5 and 10.5) on the structure of behenic-acid monolayers was investigated during Mg(2+) adsorption by means of Grazing Incidence X-ray Diffraction (GIXD) and Brewster Angle Microscopy (BAM). The final phase corresponding to an ion superlattice commensurate to the behenic-acid cell is pH-independent. In contrast, the sequence of phases evidenced from the initial L(2)-phase to this final state presents at pH 10.5 an additional stage associated to a film condensation toward the L' (2)-phase. The structures of the intermediate states preceding the superstructure nucleation are slightly different, both with a short-range fatty-acid order. Finally, a laser light effect that could result from visible light absorption by the inorganic complexes is evidenced in the final state as well as in the intermediate phases.

Importance: Approximately one-quarter of adnexal masses detected at ultrasonography are indeterminate for benignity or malignancy, posing a substantial clinical dilemma.Objective: To validate the accuracy of a 5-point Ovarian-Adnexal Reporting Data System Magnetic Resonance Imaging (O-RADS MRI) score for risk stratification of adnexal masses.Design, setting, and participants: This multicenter cohort study was conducted between March 1, 2013, and March 31, 2016. Among patients undergoing expectant management, 2-year follow-up data were completed by March 31, 2018. A routine pelvic MRI was performed among consecutive patients referred to characterize a sonographically indeterminate adnexal mass according to routine diagnostic practice at 15 referral centers. The MRI score was prospectively applied by 2 onsite readers and by 1 reader masked to clinical and ultrasonographic data. Data analysis was conducted between April and November 2018.Main outcomes and measures: The primary end point was the joint analysis of true-negative and false-negative rates according to the MRI score compared with the reference standard (ie, histology or 2-year follow-up).Results: A total of 1340 women (mean [range] age, 49 [18-96] years) were enrolled. Of 1194 evaluable women, 1130 (94.6%) had a pelvic mass on MRI with a reference standard (surgery, 768 [67.9%]; 2-year follow-up, 362 [32.1%]). A total of 203 patients (18.0%) had at least 1 malignant adnexal or nonadnexal pelvic mass. No invasive cancer was assigned a score of 2. Positive likelihood ratios were 0.01 for score 2, 0.27 for score 3, 4.42 for score 4, and 38.81 for score 5. Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.961 (95% CI, 0.948-0.971) among experienced readers, with a sensitivity of 0.93 (95% CI, 0.89-0.96; 189 of 203 patients) and a specificity of 0.91 (95% CI, 0.89-0.93; 848 of 927 patients). There was good interrater agreement among both experienced and junior readers (κ = 0.784; 95% CI, 0.743-0824). Of 580 of 1130 women (51.3%) with a mass on MRI and no specific gynecological symptoms, 362 (62.4%) underwent surgery. Of them, 244 (67.4%) had benign lesions and a score of 3 or less. The MRI score correctly reclassified the mass origin as nonadnexal with a sensitivity of 0.99 (95% CI, 0.98-0.99; 1360 of 1372 patients) and a specificity of 0.78 (95% CI, 0.71-0.85; 102 of 130 patients).Conclusions and relevance: In this study, the O-RADS MRI score was accurate when stratifying the risk of malignancy in adnexal masses.

Using data from the NEMO-3 experiment, we have measured the two-neutrino double beta decay (\\[2\\nu \\beta \\beta \\]) half-life of \\[^{82}\\]Se as \\[T_{\\smash {1/2}}^{2\\nu } \\!=\\! \\left[ 9.39 \\pm 0.17\\left( \\text{ stat }\\right) \\pm 0.58\\left( \\text{ syst }\\right) \\right] \\times 10^{19}\\] y under the single-state dominance hypothesis for this nuclear transition. The corresponding nuclear matrix element is \\[\\left| M^{2\\nu }\\right| = 0.0498 \\pm 0.0016\\]. In addition, a search for neutrinoless double beta decay (\\[0\\nu \\beta \\beta \\]) using 0.93 kg of \\[^{82}\\]Se observed for a total of 5.25 y has been conducted and no evidence for a signal has been found. The resulting half-life limit of \\[T_{1/2}^{0\\nu } > 2.5 \\times 10^{23} \\,\\text{ y } \\,(90\\%\\,\\text{ C.L. })\\] for the light neutrino exchange mechanism leads to a constraint on the effective Majorana neutrino mass of \\[\\langle m_{\\nu } \\rangle < \\left( 1.2{-}3.0\\right) \\,\\text{ eV }\\], where the range reflects \\[0\\nu \\beta \\beta \\] nuclear matrix element values from different calculations. Furthermore, constraints on lepton number violating parameters for other \\[0\\nu \\beta \\beta \\] mechanisms, such as right-handed currents, majoron emission and R-parity violating supersymmetry modes have been set.

Abstract The NEMO-3 results for the double-β β decay of¹⁵⁰150 Nd to the 0⁺₁1 + and 2⁺₁1 + excited states of¹⁵⁰150 Sm are reported. The data recorded during 5.25 year with 36.6 g of the isotope¹⁵⁰150 Nd are used in the analysis. The signal of the2ν β β 2 ν β β transition to the 0⁺₁1 + excited state is detected with a statistical significance exceeding 5σ σ . The half-life is measured to beT_(1/2)^(2ν β β)(0⁺₁) = \\left[ 1.11 ^(+0.19)_(-0.14) \\left( \\hbox stat\\right) ^(+0.17)_(-0.15) \\left( \\hbox syst\\right) \\right] × 10²⁰T 1 / 2 2 ν β β ( 0 1 + ) = 1 . 11 - 0.14 + 0.19 stat - 0.15 + 0.17 syst × 10 20  year, which is the most precise value that has been measured to date. 90% confidence-level limits are set for the other decay modes. For the2ν β β 2 ν β β decay to the 2⁺₁1 + level the limit isT^(2ν β β)_(1/2)(2⁺₁) > 2.42 × 10²⁰ \\hbox yearT 1 / 2 2 ν β β ( 2 1 + ) > 2.42 × 10 20 year . The limits on the0ν β β 0 ν β β decay to the 0⁺₁1 + and 2⁺₁1 + levels of¹⁵⁰150 Sm are significantly improved toT_(1/2)^(0ν β β)(0⁺₁) > 1.36 × 10²² \\hbox yearT 1 / 2 0 ν β β ( 0 1 + ) > 1.36 × 10 22 year andT_(1/2)^(0ν β β)(2⁺₁) > 1.26 × 10²² \\hbox yearT 1 / 2 0 ν β β ( 2 1 + ) > 1.26 × 10 22 year .