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Many plant species respond to unfavorable high ambient temperatures by adjusting their vegetative body plan to facilitate cooling. This process is known as thermomorphogenesis and is induced by the phytohormone auxin. Here, we demonstrate that the chromatin-modifying enzyme HISTONE DEACETYLASE 9 (HDA9) mediates thermomorphogenesis but does not interfere with hypocotyl elongation during shade avoidance. HDA9 is stabilized in response to high temperature and mediates histone deacetylation at the YUCCA8 locus, a rate-limiting enzyme in auxin biosynthesis, at warm temperatures. We show that HDA9 permits net eviction of the H2A.Z histone variant from nucleosomes associated with YUCCA8, allowing binding and transcriptional activation by PHYTOCHROME INTERACTING FACTOR 4, followed by auxin accumulation and thermomorphogenesis.

Understanding the processes responsible for precipitation and its future change is important to develop plausible and sustainable climate change adaptation strategies, especially in regions with few available observed data like Congo Basin (CB). This paper investigates the atmospheric circulation processes associated with climate model biases in CB rainfall, and explores drivers of projected rainfall changes. Here we use an ensemble of simulations from the Swedish Regional Climate Model (RCM) RCA4, driven by eight General Circulation Models (GCMs) from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5), for the 1.5 ∘C and 2 ∘C global warming levels (GWLs), and under the representative concentration pathways (RCPs) 4.5 and 8.5. RCA4 captures reasonably well the observed patterns of CB rainfall seasonality, but shows dry biases independent of seasons and large scale driving atmospheric conditions. While simulations mimic observed peaks in transition seasons (March–May and September–November), the rain-belt is misplaced southward (northward) in December–February (June–August), reducing the latitudinal extent of rainfall. Moreover, ERA-Interim reanalysis driven RCM simulation and RCM–GCM combinations show similar results, indicating the dominance of systematic biases. Modelled dry biases are associated with dry upper-tropospheric layers, resulting from a western outflow stronger than the eastern inflow and related to the northern component of African Easterly Jet. From the analysis of the climate change signal, we found that regional scale responses to anthropogenic forcings vary across GWLs and seasons. Changes of rainfall and moisture divergence are correlated, with values higher in March–May than in September–November, and larger for global warming of 2.0 ∘C than at 1.5 ∘C. There is an increase of zonal moisture divergence fluxes in upper atmospheric layers (>700hPa) under RCP8.5 compared to RCP4.5. Moreover, it is found that additional warming of 0.5 ∘C will change the hydrological cycle and water availability in the CB, with potential to cause challenges to water resource management, agriculture, hydro-power generation, sanitation and ecosystems.

This study outlines the use of 1,2-indanedione-zinc chloride (Ind-ZnCl2) to treat fingermarks with a view to observing possible trends that may be present in a donor population. Fingermark samples from 131 donors were treated and subsequently evaluated using the grading scale devised by the Home Office Police Scientific Development Branch (now the Centre for Applied Science and Technology; CAST), United Kingdom. Out of a total of 1310 grades assigned, only 6 (0.5%) returned a score of 0, and 64.6% of all grades assigned were a 3 or 4. These tests indicated that grades for fingermarks developed within 3 days vary significantly, depending on the age of the donor and the washing of hands prior to deposition. Donors who did not wash their hands the hour prior to deposition, or were below the age of 25, were more likely to offer higher grades. With fresh fingermarks, no significant variation in fingermark grades was observed that could be associated with food consumption, sex of the donor, or recent use of cosmetics. The results for the treated 1-monthold fingermarks agreed with the findings for fresh fingermarks, with the exception of washing of hands. In this case, no significant difference was found between graded samples where donors had and had not washed their hands prior to deposition.

© 2017 Elsevier B.V. To support fingerprint expert opinion, this research proposes an approach that combines subjective human analysis (as currently applied by fingerprint practitioners) with a statistical test of the result. This approach relies on the hypothesis that there are limits to the distortion caused by skin stretch. Such limits can be modelled by applying a multivariate normal probability density function to the distances and angle formed by a marked ridge characteristic and the two closest neighbouring minutiae. This study presents a model tested on 5 donors in total. The “expected range” of distortion in a within-source comparison using 10 minutiae was determined and compared to between-source comparisons. The expected range of log probability densities for within-source comparisons marked with 10 minutiae was determined to be from −33.4 to −60.0, with all between-source data falling outside this range, between −83 and −305. These results suggest that the proposed generated metric could be a powerful tool for the assessment of fingerprint expert opinion in operational casework.

7 pages; International audience; La variabilité interannuelle des précipitations issues de dix modèles climatiques régionaux du projet CORDEXAfricaa été analysée sur la région d’Afrique australe située au sud de 20°S et au cours de la période 1990-2007. Nous avonstout d’abord diagnostiqué que la majorité des modèles sous-estime légèrement la variance relative des cumuls annuels,comparativement aux observations, mais reproduit correctement la distribution spatiale avec une variabilité relative plusforte sur les régions les plus sèches. À propos des tendances sur la période, même s’il existe une certaine hétérogénéitéintermodèles, la plupart des MCR présentent, comme les observations, des coefficients positifs (négatifs) de plus fortemagnitude sur le secteur à pluies d’été (hiver). Ainsi, la moyenne d’ensemble présente des tendances clairement structuréesdans l’espace avec des conditions qui tendent à être plus humides dans le domaine tropical et subtropical à pluies d’été etplus sèches dans le domaine subtropical à pluies d’hiver. Enfin, le signal de l’ENSO est en moyenne correctement modéliséavec une augmentation des précipitations estivales sur la quasi-totalité du secteur lors des phases La Niña et inversement,avec des cumuls plus importants en début d’hiver sur la région sud-ouest, lors des phases El Niño.

The detection and identification of volatile compounds is essential to the successful undertaking of numerous forensic analyses. Biological olfactory systems possess the extraordinary ability to not only detect many thousands of distinct volatile compounds (odors) but also to discriminate between them. Whole-organism biological sensors, such as detection canines, have been employed in forensic science as volatile compound detectors for many years. A variety of insects including bees, wasps, and moths, which have also been shown to detect volatile compounds of forensic significance, have been investigated for their potential application in field-based detection systems. While the fundamental aim for many developers of portable instruments is to replicate the remarkable ability of biological olfactory systems, such analytical equipment is yet to possess the detection and discriminatory powers achieved by biological sensors. Recent literature reveals an increasing interest in olfactory receptors - the biological components that impart olfactory ability - for detecting volatile compounds associated with forensically significant substances such as explosives and illicit drugs. This paper reviews the literature regarding the current, and potential future, use of biological organisms as sensors for forensic science applications. © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

This paper describes the application of a luminescent lipid stain, nile red, for the development of latent fingermarks on porous surfaces. An optimised formulation is presented that provides rapid development of latent fingermarks on porous surfaces that are or have been wet. A comparison with physical developer (PD), the method of choice to enhance such fingermarks, indicated that nile red was a simpler and more stable technique for the development of fingermarks. The nile red formulation showed similar performance to PD across a range of substrates and ageing conditions, although PD still showed greater sensitivity on five-year-old examination booklets used in a pseudo-operational study. The pseudo-operational trial also indicated that nile red consistently developed different fingermarks to those enhanced by PD, suggesting that it preferentially targets a different fraction of the latent fingermark deposit. Significantly, the compatibility of nile red in a detection sequence with indanedione-zinc, ninhydrin and PD is reported. © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

Conventional fingermark powders rely on contrast induced by absorption/reflection (e.g. black powder) or luminescence in the visible region (e.g. Blitz Green ®). In most cases, these powders provide sufficient contrast; however, in some circumstances surface characteristics can interfere with the visualisation of powdered fingermarks. Visualisation in the near infra-red (NIR) region, however, has been shown to eliminate interferences commonly encountered in the visible region. In this study, a mixture of rhodamine 6G and the NIR laser dye styryl 11 (STaR 11) was coated onto an aluminium oxide nanopowder and then mixed with silver magnetic powder to develop and visualise fingermarks in the NIR. When compared to Blitz Green ®, it was determined that the STaR 11 magnetic powder was better suited for marks deposited on textured surfaces and for older marks, whereas Blitz Green ® performed better on smooth glossy surfaces. The ability of the STaR 11 mixed dye formulation to be visualised in both the visible and NIR regions also provides a significant advantage over conventional luminescent fingermark powders. © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

In current casework, most post-cyanoacrylate stains rely on luminescence emission in the visible region (400-700nm). While traditional stains such as rhodamine 6G work well under most circumstances, some surfaces may generate background luminescence under the same conditions. Detection in the near-infrared region (NIR>700nm) has shown to be effective in minimizing the interferences from such surfaces. The laser dye styryl 11 generated strongly luminescent fingermarks when applied after cyanoacrylate fuming on all surfaces tested. When compared to rhodamine 6G, the dye was superior only when viewed in the NIR. Styryl 11 was subsequently combined with rhodamine 6G, and the mixed stain formulation (named StaR 11 by the authors) induced stronger luminescence compared with styryl 11 alone with an ability to visualize in both the visible and NIR regions. Reliable and consistent results were obtained when using either styryl 11 alone or the STaR 11 mixture. The enhancement achieved did not otherwise vary depending on the source of the fingermark secretions. With visualization possible in both the visible and NIR regions, the styryl 11/rhodamine 6G mixture showed significant potential as a post-cyanoacrylate stain. © 2011 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

Anecdotal evidence from forensic practitioners and studies conducted under controlled conditions have indicated that the reaction between 1,2-indanedione and the amino acids present in latent fingermark deposits is highly susceptible to ambient humidity. The addition of catalytic amounts of zinc chloride to the 1,2-indanedione working solution - usually in the order of 1:25 to 1:4 molar ratio (indanedione:zinc) - significantly improves the colour and luminescence of fingermarks treated under dry conditions but appears to have a negligible effect on fingermarks treated in humid environments. The results presented in this paper confirmed that zinc(II) ions added to the 1,2-indanedione working solution act as a Lewis acid catalyst, stabilising a key intermediate during a rate-limiting hydrolysis step. Furthermore, studying the reaction using a chromatography-grade cellulose substrate method previously reported confirmed that cellulose substrates play a major role in facilitating the indanedione-amino acid reaction by acting as a surface catalyst in the early stages of the reaction and by directing the formation of the desired luminescent product (Joullié's Pink). © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd.