bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Limiting motorboat noise on coral reefs boosts fish reproductive success
Authors: Nedelec Sophie L. , Radford Andrew N. , Gatenby Peter , Davidson Isla Keesje , Velasquez Jimenez Laura , Travis Maggie , Chapman Katherine E. , McCloskey Kieran P. , Lamont Timothy A. C. , Illing Björn , McCormick Mark I. , Simpson Stephen D.
Published: May 2022

Anthropogenic noise impacts are pervasive across taxa, ecosystems and the world. Here, we experimentally test the hypothesis that protecting vulnerable habitats from noise pollution can improve animal reproductive success. Using a season-long field manipulation with an established model system on the Great Barrier Reef, we demonstrate that limiting motorboat activity on reefs leads to the survival of more fish offspring compared to reefs experiencing busy motorboat traffic. A complementary laboratory experiment isolated the importance of noise and, in combination with the field study, showed that the enhanced reproductive success on protected reefs is likely due to improvements in parental care and offspring length. Our results suggest noise mitigation could have benefits that carry through to the population-level by increasing adult reproductive output and offspring growth, thus helping to protect coral reefs from human impacts and presenting a valuable opportunity for enhancing ecosystem resilience.
Structural rearrangements allow nucleic acid discrimination by type I-D Cascade
Authors: Schwartz Evan A. , McBride Tess M. , Bravo Jack P. K. , Wrapp Daniel , Fineran Peter C. , Fagerlund Robert D. , Taylor David W.
Published: May 2022

CRISPR-Cas systems are adaptive immune systems that protect prokaryotes from foreign nucleic acids, such as bacteriophages. Two of the most prevalent CRISPR-Cas systems include type I and type III. Interestingly, the type I-D interference proteins contain characteristic features of both type I and type III systems. Here, we present the structures of type I-D Cascade bound to both a double-stranded (ds)DNA and a single-stranded (ss)RNA target at 2.9 and 3.1 Å, respectively. We show that type I-D Cascade is capable of specifically binding ssRNA and reveal how PAM recognition of dsDNA targets initiates long-range structural rearrangements that likely primes Cas10d for Cas3′ binding and subsequent non-target strand DNA cleavage. These structures allow us to model how binding of the anti-CRISPR protein AcrID1 likely blocks target dsDNA binding via competitive inhibition of the DNA substrate engagement with the Cas10d active site. This work elucidates the unique mechanisms used by type I-D Cascade for discrimination of single-stranded and double stranded targets. Thus, our data supports a model for the hybrid nature of this complex with features of type III and type I systems.
Molecular basis for gating of cardiac ryanodine receptor explains the mechanisms for gain- and loss-of function mutations
Authors: Kobayashi Takuya , Tsutsumi Akihisa , Kurebayashi Nagomi , Saito Kei , Kodama Masami , Sakurai Takashi , Kikkawa Masahide , Murayama Takashi , Ogawa Haruo
Published: May 2022

Cardiac ryanodine receptor (RyR2) is a large Ca2+ release channel in the sarcoplasmic reticulum and indispensable for excitation-contraction coupling in the heart. RyR2 is activated by Ca2+ and RyR2 mutations are implicated in severe arrhythmogenic diseases. Yet, the structural basis underlying channel opening and how mutations affect the channel remains unknown. Here, we address the gating mechanism of RyR2 by combining high-resolution structures determined by cryo-electron microscopy with quantitative functional analysis of channels carrying various mutations in specific residues. We demonstrated two fundamental mechanisms for channel gating: interactions close to the channel pore stabilize the channel to prevent hyperactivity and a series of interactions in the surrounding regions is necessary for channel opening upon Ca2+ binding. Mutations at the residues involved in the former and the latter mechanisms cause gain-of-function and loss-of-function, respectively. Our results reveal gating mechanisms of the RyR2 channel and alterations by pathogenic mutations at the atomic level.
Proteome allocations change linearly with the specific growth rate of Saccharomyces cerevisiae under glucose limitation
Authors: Xia Jianye , Sánchez Benjamin J. , Chen Yu , Campbell Kate , Kasvandik Sergo , Nielsen Jens
Published: May 2022

Saccharomyces cerevisiaeis a widely used cell factory; therefore, it is important to understand how it organizes key functional parts when cultured under different conditions. Here, we perform a multiomics analysis ofS. cerevisiaeby culturing the strain with a wide range of specific growth rates using glucose as the sole limiting nutrient. Under these different conditions, we measure the absolute transcriptome, the absolute proteome, the phosphoproteome, and the metabolome. Most functional protein groups show a linear dependence on the specific growth rate. Proteins engaged in translation show a perfect linear increase with the specific growth rate, while glycolysis and chaperone proteins show a linear decrease under respiratory conditions. Glycolytic enzymes and chaperones, however, show decreased phosphorylation with increasing specific growth rates; at the same time, an overall increased flux through these pathways is observed. Further analysis show that even though mRNA levels do not correlate with protein levels for all individual genes, the transcriptome level of functional groups correlates very well with its corresponding proteome. Finally, using enzyme-constrained genome-scale modeling, we find that enzyme usage plays an important role in controlling flux in amino acid biosynthesis.
HER2-low-positive breast cancer: evolution from primary tumor to residual disease after neoadjuvant treatment
Authors: Miglietta Federica , Griguolo Gaia , Bottosso Michele , Giarratano Tommaso , Lo Mele Marcello , Fassan Matteo , Cacciatore Matilde , Genovesi Elisa , De Bartolo Debora , Vernaci Grazia , Amato Ottavia , Porra Francesca , Conte PierFranco , Guarneri Valentina , Dieci Maria Vittoria
Published: May 2022

Approximately a half of breast tumors classified as HER2-negative exhibit HER2-low-positive expression. We recently described a high instability of HER2-low-positive expression from primary breast cancer (BC) to relapse. Previous studies reporting discordance in HER2 status between baseline biopsy and residual disease (RD) in patients undergoing neoadjuvant treatment did not include the HER2-low-positive category. The aim of this study is to track the evolution of HER2-low-positive expression from primary BC to RD after neoadjuvant treatment. Patients undergoing neoadjuvant treatment with available baseline tumor tissue and matched samples of RD (in case of no pCR) were included. HER2-negative cases were sub-classified as HER2-0 or HER2-low-positive (IHC 1+ or 2+ and ISH negative). Four-hundred forty-six patients were included. Primary BC phenotype was: HR-positive/HER2-negative 23.5%, triple-negative (TN) 35%, HER2-positive 41.5%. HER2-low-positive cases were 55.6% of the HER2-negative cohort and were significantly enriched in the HR-positive/HER2-negative vs. TN subgroup (68.6% vs. 46.8%, p = 0.001 χ2 test). In all, 35.3% of non-pCR patients (n = 291) had a HER2-low-positive expression on RD. The overall rate of HER2 expression discordance was 26.4%, mostly driven by HER2-negative cases converting either from (14.8%) or to (8.9%) HER2-low-positive phenotype. Among HR-positive/HER2-negative patients with HER2-low-positive expression on RD, 32.0% and 57.1% had an estimated high risk of relapse according to the residual proliferative cancer burden and CPS-EG score, respectively. In conclusion, HER2-low-positive expression showed high instability from primary BC to RD after neoadjuvant treatment. HER2-low-positive expression on RD may guide personalized adjuvant treatment for high-risk patients in the context of clinical trials with novel anti-HER2 antibody-drug conjugates.
How advances in low-g plumbing enable space exploration
Authors: Weislogel M. M. , Graf J. C. , Wollman A. P. , Turner C. C. , Cardin K. J. T. , Torres L. J. , Goodman J. E. , Buchli J. C.
Published: May 2022

In many ways, plumbing is essential to life support. In fact, the advance of humankind on Earth is directly linked to the advance of clean, healthy, reliable plumbing solutions. Shouldn’t this also be true for the advancement of humankind in space? Unfortunately, the reliability of even the simplest plumbing element aboard spacecraft is rarely that of its terrestrial counterpart. This state of affairs is due entirely to the near-weightless “low-g” state of orbiting and coast spacecraft. But the combined passive capillary effects of surface tension, wetting, and system geometry in space can be exploited to replace the passive role of gravity on earth, and thus achieve similar outcomes there. In this paper, we review a selection of experiments conducted in low-g environments (i.e., ISS and drop towers) that focus on capillary fluidic phenomena. The results of each experiment are highly applicable to subsequent advances in spacecraft plumbing. With examples ranging from spurious droplet ejections to passive bubble coalescence, to droplet bouncing, to complex container wicking, we show how simple low-g demonstrations can lead to significant reliability improvements in practical passive plumbing processes from pipetting to liquid-gas separations, to wastewater transport, to drinking in space.
Convolutional neural network-based reconstruction for positronium annihilation localization
Authors: Jegal Jin , Jeong Dongwoo , Seo Eun-Suk , Park HyeoungWoo , Kim Hongjoo
Published: May 2022

A novel hermetic detector composed of 200 bismuth germanium oxide crystal scintillators and 393 channel silicon photomultipliers has been developed for positronium (Ps) annihilation studies. This compact 4π detector is capable of simultaneously detecting γ-ray decay in all directions, enabling not only the study of visible and invisible exotic decay processes but also tumor localization in positron emission tomography for small animals. In this study, we investigate the use of a convolutional neural network (CNN) for the localization of Ps annihilation synonymous with tumor localization. Two-γ decay systems of the Ps annihilation from 22Na and 18F radioactive sources are simulated using a GEANT4 simulation. The simulated datasets are preprocessed by applying energy cutoffs. The spatial error in the XY plane from the CNN is compared to that from the classical weighted k-means algorithm centroiding, and the feasibility of CNN-based Ps annihilation reconstruction with tumor localization is discussed.
Type 1 diabetes and the challenges of emotional support in crisis situations: results from a feasibility study of a multidisciplinary teleintervention
Authors: Alessi Janine , Becker Alice Scalzilli , Amaral Bibiana , de Oliveira Giovana Berger , Franco Débora Wilke , Knijnik Carolina Padilla , Kobe Gabriel Luiz , de Brito Ariane , de Carvalho Taíse Rosa , Telo Guilherme Heiden , Schaan Beatriz D. , Telo Gabriela Heiden
Published: May 2022

The association between type 1 diabetes and mental health disorders could be exacerbated in a stressful environment. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of a teleguided intervention on emotional disorders in patients with type 1 diabetes during the COVID-19 outbreak. This study was performed during the social distancing period in the COVID-19 outbreak in Brazil. Individuals with type 1 diabetes aged ≥ 18 years were selected to receive a teleguided multidisciplinary intervention or the usual care plus an educational website access. The proposed intervention aimed addressing aspects of mental health, diabetes care and lifestyle habits during the pandemic. The feasibility outcome included the assessment of recruitment capability and adherence to the proposed intervention. Moreover, we evaluated the presence of positive screening for emotional disorders (Self Report Questionnaire 20) after a 16-week intervention, patients’ perceptions of pandemic-related changes, diabetes-related emotional distress, eating disorders, and sleep disorders. Data were analyzed with the intent‐to‐treat principle. Fifty-eight individuals (mean age, 43.8 ± 13.6 years) were included (intervention group, n = 29; control group, n = 29). At the end of the study, a total of 5 participants withdrew from the study in the intervention group compared to only 1 in the control group. Participants who dropout from the study had similar mean age, sex and income to those who remained in the study. The analysis of mental health disorders was not different between the groups at the follow up: a positive screening result was found in 48.3% and 34.5% of participants in the intervention and control groups, respectively (P = 0.29). The intervention group felt more supported in their diabetes care during the social distancing period (82.8% vs. 48.3% in the control group, P < 0.01). Our study identified a disproportionate higher number of withdrawals in the intervention group when compared to the control group. This difference may have compromised the power of the study for the proposed assessments and should be reevaluated in future studies.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04344210). Date of registration: 14/04/2020.
Impact of different pretreatments and attachment materials on shear bond strength between monolithic zirconia restorations and metal brackets
Authors: Jungbauer Rebecca , Proff Peter , Edelhoff Daniel , Stawarczyk Bogna
Published: May 2022

To investigate the influence of different pretreatment methods, attachment materials and artificial aging on shear bond strength (SBS) between monolithic zirconia and metal brackets. Zirconia substrates were pretreated with silica coated alumina (CoJet) and (1) clearfill ceramic primer plus (CF), (2) RelyX ceramic primer (RXP), (3) Futurabond U (FU). The brackets were bonded with (1) Transbond XT Adhesive (TB), (2) BrackFix Adhesive (BF), (3) bracepaste adhesive (BP). SBS was tested after 24 h, 500 thermal cycles, 90 d at 37 °C with a universal testing machine. SBS values reached from 8.3 to 16.9 MPa. The Weibull moduli ranged between 0.37 (RXP combined with BP after 90 d) and 7.42 (CF combined with TB after 24 h). The pretreatment with FU after 90 d, independent of the attachment material, and RXP with BF resulted in the lowest SBS values 8.3–9.9 MPa, the combination of RXP or CF with TB showed the highest (13.2–16.9 MPa) independent of aging. After FU pretreatment the proportion of ARI 1 and 0 was higher, of ARI 3 lower as after CF and RXP pretreatment. All tested combinations showed sufficiently high SBS values for clinical use. Pretreatment with FU presented the lowest values after 90 days.
Murine cardiac fibrosis localization using adaptive Bayesian cardiac strain imaging in vivo
Authors: Al Mukaddim Rashid , Weichmann Ashley M. , Taylor Rachel , Hacker Timothy A. , Pier Thomas , Hardin Joseph , Graham Melissa , Mitchell Carol C. , Varghese Tomy
Published: May 2022

An adaptive Bayesian regularized cardiac strain imaging (ABR-CSI) algorithm for in vivo murine myocardial function assessment is presented. We report on 31 BALB/CJ mice (n = 17 females, n = 14 males), randomly stratified into three surgical groups: myocardial infarction (MI, n = 10), ischemia–reperfusion (IR, n = 13) and control (sham, n = 8) imaged pre-surgery (baseline- BL), and 1, 2, 7 and 14 days post-surgery using a high frequency ultrasound imaging system (Vevo 2100). End-systole (ES) radial and longitudinal strain images were used to generate cardiac fibrosis maps using binary thresholding. Percentage fibrotic myocardium (PFM) computed from regional fibrosis maps demonstrated statistically significant differences post-surgery in scar regions. For example, the MI group had significantly higher PFMRadial (%) values in the anterior mid region (p = 0.006) at Day 14 (n = 8, 42.30 ± 14.57) compared to BL (n = 12, 1.32 ± 0.85). A random forest classifier automatically detected fibrotic regions from ground truth Masson’s trichrome stained histopathology whole slide images. Both PFMRadial (r = 0.70) and PFMLongitudinal (r = 0.60) results demonstrated strong, positive correlation with PFMHistopathology (p < 0.001).
Deep learning network for integrated coil inhomogeneity correction and brain extraction of mixed MRI data
Authors: Chuang Kai-Hsiang , Wu Pei-Huan , Li Zengmin , Fan Kang-Hsing , Weng Jun-Cheng
Published: May 2022

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) has been widely used to acquire structural and functional information about the brain. In a group- or voxel-wise analysis, it is essential to correct the bias field of the radiofrequency coil and to extract the brain for accurate registration to the brain template. Although automatic methods have been developed, manual editing is still required, particularly for echo-planar imaging (EPI) due to its lower spatial resolution and larger geometric distortion. The needs of user interventions slow down data processing and lead to variable results between operators. Deep learning networks have been successfully used for automatic postprocessing. However, most networks are only designed for a specific processing and/or single image contrast (e.g., spin-echo or gradient-echo). This limitation markedly restricts the application and generalization of deep learning tools. To address these limitations, we developed a deep learning network based on the generative adversarial net (GAN) to automatically correct coil inhomogeneity and extract the brain from both spin- and gradient-echo EPI without user intervention. Using various quantitative indices, we show that this method achieved high similarity to the reference target and performed consistently across datasets acquired from rodents. These results highlight the potential of deep networks to integrate different postprocessing methods and adapt to different image contrasts. The use of the same network to process multimodality data would be a critical step toward a fully automatic postprocessing pipeline that could facilitate the analysis of large datasets with high consistency.
A facile hydrothermal synthesis of high-efficient NiO nanocatalyst for preparation of 3,4-dihydropyrimidin-2(1H)-ones
Authors: Khashaei Maryam , Kafi-Ahmadi Leila , Khademinia Shahin , Poursattar Marjani Ahmad , Nozad Ehsan
Published: May 2022

The present work introduces a one-step and facile hydrothermal procedure as a green process for the first time to synthesize nickel(II) oxide (NiO) nanoparticles. The as-prepared nanomaterials were used as high efficient, low toxic and cost catalyst for the synthesis of some organic compounds. Ni(NO3)2 and some natural extract were used as a surfactant for the first time to synthesis NiO nanomaterials. A high synthesis yield (91%) was obtained for S2. Rietveld analysis affirmed the cubic crystal system of the obtained NiO nanocatalyst. The morphology studies were carried out with the FESEM method and the images revealed a change from non-homogenous to homogenous spherical particles when the Barberryas was used instead of orange blossom surfactant. Besides, the images revealed that the particle size distribution was in the range of 20 to 60 nm. The synthesized catalysts were used for the first time in Biginelli multicomponent reactions (MCRs) for the preparation of 3,4-dihydropyrimidin-2(1H)-ones (DHPMs) under the present facile reaction conditions. High yield (97%) of the final product was achieved at the optimum condensation reaction conditions (Catalyst: 60 mg; temperature: 90 °C and time: 90 min) when ethyl acetoacetate/methyl acetoacetate (1 mmol), benzaldehyde (1 mmol) and urea (1.2 mmol) were used. A kinetic study affirmed pseudo-first-order model for Biginelli reactions followed the pseudo-first-order model.
Determination of sub-ps lattice dynamics in FeRh thin films
Authors: Grimes Michael , Ueda Hiroki , Ozerov Dmitry , Pressacco Federico , Parchenko Sergii , Apseros Andreas , Scholz Markus , Kubota Yuya , Togashi Tadashi , Tanaka Yoshikazu , Heyderman Laura , Thomson Thomas , Scagnoli Valerio
Published: May 2022

Understanding the ultrashort time scale structural dynamics of the FeRh metamagnetic phase transition is a key element in developing a complete explanation of the mechanism driving the evolution from an antiferromagnetic to ferromagnetic state. Using an X-ray free electron laser we determine, with sub-ps time resolution, the time evolution of the (–101) lattice diffraction peak following excitation using a 35 fs laser pulse. The dynamics at higher laser fluence indicates the existence of a transient lattice state distinct from the high temperature ferromagnetic phase. By extracting the lattice temperature and comparing it with values obtained in a quasi-static diffraction measurement, we estimate the electron–phonon coupling in FeRh thin films as a function of laser excitation fluence. A model is presented which demonstrates that the transient state is paramagnetic and can be reached by a subset of the phonon bands. A complete description of the FeRh structural dynamics requires consideration of coupling strength variation across the phonon frequencies.
Seroprevalence and risk factors for COVID-19 in the metropolis of the Brazilian Amazon
Authors: da Silva Torres Maria Karoliny , Lopes Felipe Teixeira , de Lima Aline Cecy Rocha , Lima Carlos Neandro Cordeiro , dos Santos Brito Wandrey Roberto , dos Santos Bernardo Cintra , de Sousa Renata Santos , Gomes Jayanne Lilian Carvalho , Botelho Bruno José Sarmento , Correa Ana Carolina Alves , Machado Luiz Fernando A. , Feitosa Rosimar Neris Martins , Lima Sandra Souza , Vallinoto Izaura Maria Vieira Cayres , Vallinoto Antonio Carlos R.
Published: May 2022

The devastating effect of health system overload was observed after cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) peaked in April 2020 in Belém, a capital metropolis in the Brazilian Amazon. Our results showed a high seroprevalence (39.24%) of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies among the population of the capital of the state of Pará after the first wave of the pandemic. Old age, mixed race, a high school education level, low income and contact with infected individuals are risk factors and may be driving seropositivity and exposure to SARS-CoV-2 in this population. This study is one of the first to provide important information to understand the socioeconomic inequalities, behavioral characteristics and viral transmission dynamics associated with the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection in the capital of the state of Pará, northern Brazil.
Partial oxidation of methane to methanol on boron nitride at near critical acetonitrile
Authors: Kapuge Tharindu Kankanam , Moharreri Ehsan , Perera Inosh , Eddy Nicholas , Kriz David , Nisly Nathaniel , Shuster Seth , Nandi Partha , Suib Steven L.
Published: May 2022

Direct catalytic conversion of methane to methanol with O2 has been a fundamental challenge in unlocking abundant natural gas supplies. Metal-free methane conversion with 17% methanol yield based on the limiting reagent O2 at 275 °C was achieved with near supercritical acetonitrile in the presence of boron nitride. Reaction temperature, catalyst loading, dwell time, methane–oxygen molar ratio, and solvent-oxygen molar ratios were identified as critical factors controlling methane activation and the methanol yield. Extension of the study to ethane (C2) showed moderate yields of methanol (3.6%) and ethanol (4.5%).
Indirect organogenesis for high frequency shoot regeneration of two cultivars of Sansevieria trifasciata Prain differing in fiber production
Authors: García-Hernández Eleazar , Loera-Quezada Maribel M. , Morán-Velázquez Dalia C. , López Mercedes G. , Chable-Vega Manuel A. , Santillán-Fernández Alberto , Zavaleta-Mancera Hilda A. , Tang John Z. , Azadi Parastoo , Ibarra-Laclette Enrique , Alatorre-Cobos Fulgencio
Published: May 2022

Sansevieria trifasciata is used as an indoor plant, in traditional medicine and as a fiber source. Here we characterized fibers of two of varieties of S. trifasciata, Lorentii and Hahnii, and report a protocol for their propagation based on indirect shoot organogenesis. Structural and ribbon fibers were scattered within leaf parenchyma when viewed with confocal laser scanning microscopy. Chemical analysis of the fibers by mass spectrometry and high-performance chromatography revealed higher contents of cellulose and xylose in Lorentii than in Hahnii and significant differences for total lignin between both. A protocol for de novo shoot production was then developed using leaf explants. Time-course histological analyses showed that the first events of transdifferentiation were triggered preferentially in cells surrounding fibers and vascular bundles. Callogenesis and shoot performances were quantified for both varieties, and 2,4-D at 2 and 3 mg·L-1 yielded the best results for primary calli induction and fresh calli mass. The length, number, and mass of shoots produced did not differ significantly between the two cultivars. The fast morphogenic response of S. trifasciata to in vitro culture may be useful for mass propagation or other biotechnological purposes such as metabolite production.
Review of Laser-induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) in Food Analysis
Authors: Cáceres J. O.
Published: May 2022

Recent progress in and applications of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) analysis by direct measurement of the optical emission from a laser-induced plasma have led to a fast and efficient technique. Food adulteration, quality control, safety and traceability are the main targets of this technique. The ability to perform qualitative and quantitative multielemental analyses with little or no sample preparation, no consumables and at low cost and the possibility of online analysis make LIBS an important technique in the food industry. The purpose of this chapter is to present an overview of recent advances in and trends of this technique in food analysis. Specific examples are given to illustrate the ability of LIBS to carry out rapid qualitative and quantitative analyses of different food samples. A brief description of the fundamentals, instrumentation and data analysis of LIBS is also included.
Indirect to direct band gap transition through order to disorder transformation of Cs2AgBiBr6via creating antisite defects for optoelectronic and photovoltaic applications
Authors: Hadi M. A. , Islam Md. Nurul , Podder Jiban
Published: May 2022

The bandgap of Cs2AgBiBr6 is tuned to a direct bandgap by the disordering of Ag+/Bi3+ cations, creating antisite defects. The creation of antisite defects in the sublattice of double perovskites opens a new avenue for the design of photovoltaic and optoelectronic materials.
Machine learning enabling high-throughput and remote operations at large-scale user facilities
Authors: Konstantinova Tatiana , Maffettone Phillip M. , Ravel Bruce , Campbell Stuart I. , Barbour Andi M. , Olds Daniel
Published: May 2022

Imaging, scattering, and spectroscopy are fundamental in understanding and discovering new functional materials.
Carbon nanowires under compression and their vibrational anomalies
Authors: Argaman Uri , Makov Guy
Published: May 2022

Linear carbon chains bend under compression into sinusoidal or helical shapes depending on their confinement and strain.
Fluvirucins B7–B10, new antifungal macrolactams from a marine-derived Nonomuraea sp. MYH522
Authors: Yu Hai , Chen Shuo , Li Hongji , Wang Ruina , Jiang Yuanying , Yan Lan , Sun Peng
Published: May 2022

Four new 14-membered macrolactams, fluvirucins B7–B10, were isolated from a marine rare actinomycete with known fluvirucin B6. Some fluconazoles showed synergistic antifungal activity against fluconazole-resistant isolates of Candida albicans.
A two-step screening to optimize the signal response of an auto-fluorescent protein-based biosensor
Authors: Tajima Shunsuke , Nakata Eiji , Sakaguchi Reiko , Saimura Masayuki , Mori Yasuo , Morii Takashi
Published: May 2022

A two-step screening procedure allows optimization of the optical response of an auto-fluorescent protein-based biosensor for nitric oxide without structural information.
Microstructure of continuous shear thickening colloidal suspensions determined by rheo-VSANS and rheo-USANS
Authors: Lee Yu-Fan , Luo Yimin , Bai Tianyi , Brown Scott C. , Wagner Norman J.
Published: May 2022

We employ neutron scattering methods applied to shearing colloidal dispersions of spherical particles with two extremes of friction and lubrication surface properties to resolve the longer-length scale microstructure in the shear thickened state.
A nonflammable low-concentration electrolyte for lithium-ion batteries
Authors: Guan Dichang , Hu Guorong , Peng Zhongdong , Cao Yanbing , Wu Jiahui , Huang Min , Zhang Shuai , Dai Yuqing , Gong Yifan , Du Ke
Published: May 2022

TTE is used to regulate the Li+-solvation sheath structure in the low-concentration electrolyte (LCE). This work demonstrates the decisive role of Li+-solvation sheath structure in stabilizing the interfaces between the LCEs and cathodes.
Manganese-based layered oxides for electrochemical energy storage: a review of degradation mechanisms and engineering strategies at the atomic level
Authors: Sun Shuo , Li Jin , Xu Cuixia , Zhai Teng , Xia Hui
Published: May 2022

In this review, particular attention is focused on the atomic degradation mechanisms of Mn-based layered oxide materials induced by the Jahn–Teller effect and the manipulative strategies for structural stability are highlighted.
Recent strategies for activating the basal planes of transition metal dichalcogenides towards hydrogen production
Authors: Xia Hang , Shi Zude , Gong Chengshi , He Yongmin
Published: May 2022

The currently strategies for activating the TMDC basal planes toward hydrogen evolution reaction were summarized, which are divided into internal and external regulation, depending on whether the pristine structure is altered or not.
Anomalous luminescence properties and cytotoxicity assessment of Sr3(PO4)2 co-doped with Eu2+/3+ ions for luminescence temperature sensing
Authors: Szyszka Katarzyna , Nowak Nicole , Kowalski Robert M. , Zukrowski Jan , Wiglusz Rafal J.
Published: May 2022

In the obtained Sr3(PO4)2:Eu2+/3+ powder, the Eu3+ and Eu2+ optically active ions coexist as a result of abnormal reduction of Eu3+ ions that occurs in the air atmosphere. The powder shows an increasing blue emission and decreasing red emission with an increase of ambient temperature.
NLR receptor networks in plants
Authors: Adachi Hiroaki , Kamoun Sophien
Published: May 2022

To fight off diverse pathogens and pests, the plant immune system must recognize these invaders; however, as plant immune receptors evolve to recognize a pathogen, the pathogen often evolves to escape this recognition. Plant–pathogen co-evolution has led to the vast expansion of a family of intracellular immune receptors-nucleotide-binding domain and leucine-rich repeat proteins (NLRs). When an NLR receptor recognizes a pathogen ligand, it activates immune signaling and thus initiates defense responses. However, in contrast with the model of NLRs acting individually to activate resistance, an emerging paradigm holds that plants have complex receptor networks where the large repertoire of functionally specialized NLRs function together to act against the large repertoire of rapidly evolving pathogen effectors. In this article, we highlight key aspects of immune receptor networks in plant NLR biology and discuss NLR network architecture, the advantages of this receptor network system, and the evolution of the NLR network in asterid plants.
Reducing metabolic burden in the PACEmid evolver system by remastering high‐copy phagemid vectors
Authors: Davenport Beth India , Tica Jure , Isalan Mark
Published: May 2022

Orthogonal or non‐cross‐reacting transcription factors are used in synthetic biology as components of genetic circuits. Brödel et al. (2016) engineered 12 such cIλ transcription factor variants using a directed evolution ‘PACEmid’ system. The variants operate as dual activator/repressors and expand gene circuit construction possibilities. However, the high‐copy phagemid vectors carrying the cIλ variants imposed high metabolic burden upon cells. Here, the authors ‘remaster’ the phagemid backbones to relieve their burden substantially, exhibited by a recovery in Escherichia coli growth. The remastered phagemids' ability to function within the PACEmid evolver system is maintained, as is the cIλ transcription factors' activity within these vectors. The low‐burden phagemid versions are more suitable for use in PACEmid experiments and synthetic gene circuits; the authors have, therefore, replaced the original high‐burden phagemids on the Addgene repository. The authors’ work emphasises the importance of understanding metabolic burden and incorporating it into design steps in future synthetic biology ventures.
A novel primary frequency regulation strategy of wind farm based on wind turbine health condition
Authors: Li Shaolin , Wang Weisheng , Zhang Xing , Qin Shiyao , Ying You
Published: May 2022

In order to optimize the primary frequency regulation performance of the wind farm and increase the service life of the wind turbines (WTs), this paper presents a novel primary frequency regulation strategy of the wind farm to maintain the system frequency considering each WT's health condition level. The proposed strategy can make WTs participate in frequency regulation according to their health conditions. Thus, the unhealthy WTs can be prevented from further deteriorating by reducing the load. In this paper, condition monitoring data from WTs is applied to estimate their health condition levels. Then, the power support is estimated according to the supplementary loop which includes inertial control and droop control. An adaptive model predictive control (AMPC) algorithm is employed to improve the control accuracy and mitigate the fluctuation caused by frequency variation. The case study is carried out in a two‐area wind‐diesel power system to validate the effectiveness of the proposed method. The results show that the proposed strategy optimizes the effect of primary frequency regulation while reducing the load on unhealthy WTs.
Numerical solutions to linear transfer problems of polarized radiation
Authors: Benedusi Pietro , Janett Gioele , Riva Simone , Krause Rolf , Belluzzi Luca
Published: May 2022

Context. The polarization signals produced by the scattering of anistropic radiation in strong resonance lines encode important information about the elusive magnetic fields in the outer layers of the solar atmosphere. An accurate modeling of these signals is a very challenging problem from the computational point of view, in particular when partial frequency redistribution (PRD) effects in scattering processes are accounted for with a general angle-dependent treatment.

Aims. We aim at solving the radiative transfer problem for polarized radiation in nonlocal thermodynamic equilibrium conditions, taking angle-dependent PRD effects into account. The problem is formulated for a two-level atomic model in the presence of arbitrary magnetic and bulk velocity fields. The polarization produced by scattering processes and the Zeeman effect is considered.

Methods. The proposed solution strategy is based on an algebraic formulation of the problem and relies on a convenient physical assumption, which allows its linearization. We applied a nested matrix-free GMRES iterative method. Effective preconditioning is obtained in a multifidelity framework by considering the light-weight description of scattering processes in the limit of complete frequency redistribution (CRD).

Results. Numerical experiments for a one-dimensional (1D) atmospheric model show near optimal strong and weak scaling of the proposed CRD-preconditioned GMRES method, which converges in few iterations, independently of the discretization parameters. A suitable parallelization strategy and high-performance computing tools lead to competitive run times, providing accurate solutions in a few minutes.

Conclusions. The proposed solution strategy allows the fast systematic modeling of the scattering polarization signals of strong resonance lines, taking angle-dependent PRD effects into account together with the impact of arbitrary magnetic and bulk velocity fields. Almost optimal strong and weak scaling results suggest that this strategy is applicable to realistic 3D models. Moreover, the proposed strategy is general, and applications to more complex atomic models are possible.
Two-fluid implementation in MPI-AMRVAC with applications to the solar chromosphere
Authors: Braileanu B. Popescu , Keppens R.
Published: May 2022

Context. The chromosphere is a partially ionized layer of the solar atmosphere, which acts as the transition between the photosphere where the gas is almost neutral and the fully ionized corona. As the collisional coupling between neutral and charged particles decreases in the upper part of the chromosphere, the hydrodynamical timescales may become comparable to the collisional timescale, thus calling for the application of a two-fluid model.

Aims. In this paper, we describe the implementation and validation of a two-fluid model that simultaneously evolves charges and neutrals, coupled by collisions.

Methods. The two-fluid equations are implemented in the fully open-source MPI-AMRVAC code. In the photosphere and the lower part of the solar atmosphere, where collisions between charged and neutral particles are very frequent, an explicit time-marching would be too restrictive, since, to maintain stability, the time step needs to be proportional to the inverse of the collision frequency. This caveat can be overcome by evaluating the collisional terms implicitly, using an explicit–implicit (IMEX) scheme. Out of the various IMEX variants implemented, we focused on the IMEX-ARS3 scheme and we used it for all simulations presented in this paper. The modular structure of the code allows us to directly apply all other code functionality – in particular, its automated grid adaptivity – to the two-fluid model.

Results. Our implementation recovers and significantly extends the available (analytic or numerical) test results for two-fluid chargeneutral evolutions. We demonstrate wave damping, propagation, and interactions in stratified settings, as well as Riemann problems for coupled plasma-neutral mixtures. We generalized a shock-dominated evolution from single to two-fluid regimes and made contact with recent findings on typical plasma-neutral instabilities.

Conclusions. The cases presented here cover very different collisional regimes and our results are fully consistent with related findings from the literature. If collisional time and length scales are smaller than the hydrodynamical scales usually considered in the solar chromosphere, the density structures seen in the neutral and charged fluids will be similar, with the effect of elastic collisions between charges and neutrals shown to be similar to the effects of diffusivity. Otherwise, density structures are different and the decoupling in velocity between the two species increases, and neutrals may, for instance, show Kelvin–Helmholtz roll-up while the charges do not. The use of IMEX schemes efficiently avoids the small time step constraints of fully explicit implementations in strongly collisional regimes. Implementing an adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) greatly decreases the computational cost, as compared to uniform grid runs at the same effective resolution.
The age of North America’s youngest Paleozoic continental vertebrates: a review of data from the Middle Permian Pease River (Texas) and El Reno (Oklahoma) Groups
Authors: Laurin Michel , Hook Robert W.
Published: May 2022

The youngest Paleozoic vertebrate-bearing continental deposits of North America are Middle Permian (Guadalupian) in age and occur in the Chickasha Formation (El Reno Group) of central Oklahoma and the lithostratigraphically lower San Angelo Formation (Pease River Group) of North-Central Texas. Although regarded originally as Guadalupian, these deposits have been assigned recently to the Early Permian on the basis of marine fossils and questionable lithostratigraphic correlations between marine and continental strata. A review of ammonoid genera recovered from the Blaine Formation, which overlies both the Chickasha and San Angelo in Oklahoma and Texas, shows that they range globally in age from the Early to Late Permian, but most occur in the Guadalupian or Middle Permian. A modest but intensively studied paleobotanical record of compression fossils from the San Angelo, as well as palynomorphs in rocks associated with the Chickasha, presents an unquestionably Middle to Late Permian flora dominated by voltzian conifers. The Chickasha and San Angelo vertebrate assemblages are overwhelmingly dominated by large caseid synapsids and indicate a biostratigraphic signal of early Guadalupian. The occurrence of the tupilakosaurid temnospondylSlaugenhopia, the parareptileMacroleter, and the eureptileRothianiscussuggests a Roadian age (lowermost Guadalupian) given the global records of closely related forms. These plant and vertebrate assemblages contrast sharply with those of underlying Cisuralian rocks of the Hennessey Formation of Oklahoma and the Clear Fork Formation of Texas, both of which are much more fossiliferous than those of the Guadalupian in the region. A barren interval of up to 300 m in thickness separates these fossil-bearing intervals. This true void in the late Kungurian was first reported a half century ago but has not been recognized in recent biochronology studies. Our findings, as well as those of other vertebrate paleontologists who have evaluated the San Angelo and Chickasha data by other means, strongly refute the current notion of “Olson’s Gap” as spanning most of the Roadian.
Circular Economy of phosphorus – challenges and findings in performing comparable LCA-studies of phosphorus-recycling
Authors: Meyer Roland , Luthin Anna , Traverso Marzia
Published: May 2022

The European Union listed Phosphorus as a critical raw material. Large amounts of phosphorus are found in sludge from sewage treatment plants, from which the raw material can be recovered as fertilizer. Within the project RePhoR, funded by BMBF, recommendations to strengthen the recycling of phosphorus from sewage sludge will be developed that are methodically derived from a life cycle assessment (system perspective), an economic feasibility study and a social acceptance study. A special focus is on the comparability of various recycled fertilizers and consequently on the settings of different life cycle assessments (goal and scope) because they differ significantly in their fertilizing effect. Furthermore, combinations of different recycling technologies by extending the system boundaries will be evaluated with respect to the circular economy potential. Due to the early stage of the project, concrete results are still pending.
Preliminary analysis of the production of traditional and alternative wall-building materials in Vietnam
Authors: Ruf Lavinia , Schwede Dirk , Nguyen Van Tuan , Bui Quoc-Bao , Le Thi Song , Tran Duc Binh , Stergiaropoulos Konstantinos
Published: May 2022

Vietnam is undergoing a continuing construction boom. This enormous volume of new constructions is characterized by simple building techniques and large consumption of materials. The Vietnamese government would like to reduce the use of traditional fired clay bricks to avoid inefficient brick production with high energy use, significant CO2 emissions, and the accompanying destruction of valuable agricultural land due to clay mining. The strategy is to switch to alternative wall-building materials in efficient industrial production methods. To support this development, the BMBF-funded project “CAMaRSEC” is developing a study on life-cycle assessment of building materials that provides the basis for sustainable resource management and avoiding hazards to the local environment. A key focus is the holistic investigation of the Production Stage of traditionally fired clay bricks as well as currently existing alternative wall-building materials (non-fired bricks). At present available data sets are mainly for developed countries and cannot be applied to the production methods in Vietnam. Therefore, there is an urgent need for local data sets generated within this project.
Ex-ante LCA on an emerging electro-mass separation technology: The importance of the background system
Authors: Maes Ben , Audenaert Amaryllis , Craeye Bart , Buyle Matthias
Published: May 2022

Ex-ante LCA is a novel approach that provides a way to assess the eventual environmental performance of technologies that are currently under development. Between now and the investigated time several changes may have occurred to the foreand background system, which may affect the results of the assessment. If this is the case, such changes should be integrated in to the life cycle inventory. The goal of this study was to determine how influential those changes are to the foreground system and if it is relevant to apply a cornerstone scenario approach when assessing potential changes. This is analysed using an emerging electro-mass separation technology as a case study. This technology can separate fly ashes based on their particle size. The main benefit of the technology lies in the ultra-fine fly ashes that are produced, which can be used to produce Ultra-High-Performance Concrete. Results showed a considerable difference between the reference and mitigation scenarios, and a smaller but still noticeable difference between the different mitigation pathways.
Potentials for emission reduction and value creation in the rehabilitation of existing building stock using input-output analysis
Authors: Perez-Valdes Gerardo A , Fufa Selamawit mamo , Fjellheim Kristin
Published: May 2022

Given that most of the world’s building stock for the next 30 years already exists today, renovation of existing buildings and infrastructure represent an important pathway towards a more sustainable future. The aim of this paper was twofold: 1) to evaluate potentials for waste reduction, efficient resource utilization, economic advantages and GHG emission reduction in rehabilitation in comparison with building new, 2) demonstrate the usefulness of input-output analysis in evaluation of value creation and employment potential, and environmental effects of changes in the building stock. A macroeconomic, input-output model developed by SINTEF is used in a methodology to make comparative assessments on future scenarios on building and renovation strategies. Preliminary results show how the strategies analysed provide pros and cons when different macroeconomic indicators (value added, GHG emissions, energy efficiency) are considered. Future works will improve technical data and macroeconomic assumptions, as integrate policy analysis into the methodology.
Life Cycle Thinking as an Integral Part of Entering a New Business Field
Authors: Ko Nathanael , Bässler Tilman , Bässler Benjamin
Published: May 2022

This paper tells of a transition driven by life cycle thinking. The traditional business of producing plastic-based windows in southern Germany has reached its limits. Therefore, a new business field has been entered: wooden houses. In this transitional process, which was the biggest investment in the last 30 years, with new machines and new products, the life cycle thinking has been integrated early on in the decision making. First, literature was studied to get a general idea of environmental footprints of wooden houses versus conventional houses. Secondly, drafts of different wall design options were assessed for their environmental footprint, using data from the Ökobau.dat. The idea of modularity and re-usability of different structural components was considered in the design of the house as means to increase its lifespan and to prolong the use-phase within the life cycle. In conclusion, this case study within this small company shows, that it is possible to integrate life cycle thinking in companies even in times of drastic changes.