ALBERT

Description: Mantle-derived noble gases in volcanic gases are powerful tracers of terrestrial volatile evolution, as they contain mixtures of both primordial (from Earth's accretion) and secondary (e.g., radiogenic) isotope signals that characterize the composition of deep Earth. However, volcanic gases emitted through subaerial hydrothermal systems also contain contributions from shallow reservoirs (groundwater, crust, atmosphere). Deconvolving deep and shallow source signals is critical for robust interpretations of mantle-derived signals. Here, we use a novel dynamic mass spectrometry technique to measure argon, krypton, and xenon isotopes in volcanic gas with ultrahigh precision. Data from Iceland, Germany, United States (Yellowstone, Salton Sea), Costa Rica, and Chile show that subsurface isotope fractionation within hydrothermal systems is a globally pervasive and previously unrecognized process causing substantial nonradiogenic Ar-Kr-Xe isotope variations. Quantitatively accounting for this process is vital for accurately interpreting mantle-derived volatile (e.g., noble gas and nitrogen) signals, with profound implications for our understanding of terrestrial volatile evolution.

Description: Published

Description: eadg2566

Description: OSV2: Complessità dei processi vulcanici: approcci multidisciplinari e multiparametrici

Description: JCR Journal

Description: © The Author(s), 2022. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Liu, C.-Z., Dick, H. J. B., Mitchell, R. N., Wei, W., Zhang, Z.-Y., Hofmann, A. W., Yang, J.-F., & Li, Y. Archean cratonic mantle recycled at a mid-ocean ridge. Science Advances, 8(22), (2022): eabn6749, https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abn6749.

Description: Basalts and mantle peridotites of mid-ocean ridges are thought to sample Earth’s upper mantle. Osmium isotopes of abyssal peridotites uniquely preserve melt extraction events throughout Earth history, but existing records only indicate ages up to ~2 billion years (Ga) ago. Thus, the memory of the suspected large volumes of mantle lithosphere that existed in Archean time (〉2.5 Ga) has apparently been lost somehow. We report abyssal peridotites with melt-depletion ages up to 2.8 Ga, documented by extremely unradiogenic 187Os/188Os ratios (to as low as 0.1095) and refractory major elements that compositionally resemble the deep keels of Archean cratons. These oceanic rocks were thus derived from the once-extensive Archean continental keels that have been dislodged and recycled back into the mantle, the feasibility of which we confirm with numerical modeling. This unexpected connection between young oceanic and ancient continental lithosphere indicates an underappreciated degree of compositional recycling over time.

Description: This study was financially supported by the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars 42025201 (to C.-Z.L.), the National Key Research and Development Project of China 2020YFA0714801 (to C.-Z.L.), the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences XDA13010106 (to C.-Z.L.), the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences XDB42020301 (to C.-Z.L.), and NSF grants 2114652 and 1657983 (to H.J.B.D.).

Description: © The Author(s), 2021. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Zhang, Y., Gazel, E., Gaetani, G. A., & Klein, F. Serpentinite-derived slab fluids control the oxidation state of the subarc mantle. Science Advances, 7(48), (2021): eabj2515, https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abj2515.

Description: Recent geochemical evidence confirms the oxidized nature of arc magmas, but the underlying processes that regulate the redox state of the subarc mantle remain yet to be determined. We established a link between deep subduction-related fluids derived from dehydration of serpentinite ± altered oceanic crust (AOC) using B isotopes and B/Nb as fluid proxies, and the oxidized nature of arc magmas as indicated by Cu enrichment during magma evolution and V/Yb. Our results suggest that arc magmas derived from source regions influenced by a greater serpentinite (±AOC) fluid component record higher oxygen fugacity. The incorporation of this component into the subarc mantle is controlled by the subduction system’s thermodynamic conditions and geometry. Our results suggest that the redox state of the subarc mantle is not homogeneous globally: Primitive arc magmas associated with flat, warm subduction are less oxidized overall than those generated in steep, cold subduction zones.

Description: Y.Z. acknowledges funding from the National Science Foundation of China (91958213), the Chinese Academy of Sciences (XDB42020402), and the Shandong Provincial Natural Science Foundation, China (ZR2020QD068). This study was supported in part by the U.S. National Science Foundation NSF EAR 1826673 to E.G. and G.A.G. and OCE 1756349 to E.G.

Description: © The Author(s), 2022. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Freeman, D. H., & Ward, C. P. Sunlight-driven dissolution is a major fate of oil at sea. Science Advances, 8(7), (2022): eabl7605, https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abl7605.

Description: Oxygenation reactions initiated by sunlight can transform insoluble components of crude oil at sea into water-soluble products, a process called photo-dissolution. First reported a half century ago, photo-dissolution has never been included in spill models because key parameters required for rate modeling were unknown, including the wavelength and photon dose dependence. Here, we experimentally quantified photo-dissolution as a function of wavelength and photon dose, making possible a sensitivity analysis of environmental variables in hypothetical spill scenarios and a mass balance assessment for the 2010 Deepwater Horizon (DwH) spill. The sensitivity analysis revealed that rates were most sensitive to oil slick thickness, season/latitude, and wavelength and less sensitive to photon dose. We estimate that 3 to 17% (best estimate 8%) of DwH surface oil was subject to photo-dissolution, comparable in magnitude to other widely recognized fate processes. Our findings invite a critical reevaluation of surface oil budgets for both DwH and future spills at sea.

Description: This work was supported by the Fisheries and Oceans Canada Multi-Partner Research Initiative award to C.P.W. (project #1.06), the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship awarded to D.H.F. (award #174530), and NSF-OCE grant #1841092 to C.P.W.

Description: © The Author(s), 2022. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Peng, Q., Xie, S.-P., Wang, D., Huang, R. X., Chen, G., Shu, Y., Shi, J.-R., & Liu, W. Surface warming-induced global acceleration of upper ocean currents. Science Advances, 8(16), (2022): eabj8394, https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abj8394.

Description: How the ocean circulation changes in a warming climate is an important but poorly understood problem. Using a global ocean model, we decompose the problem into distinct responses to changes in sea surface temperature, salinity, and wind. Our results show that the surface warming effect, a robust feature of anthropogenic climate change, dominates and accelerates the upper ocean currents in 77% of the global ocean. Specifically, the increased vertical stratification intensifies the upper subtropical gyres and equatorial currents by shoaling these systems, while the differential warming between the Southern Ocean upwelling zone and the region to the north accelerates surface zonal currents in the Southern Ocean. In comparison, the wind stress and surface salinity changes affect regional current systems. Our study points a way forward for investigating ocean circulation change and evaluating the uncertainty.

Description: Q.P. is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (42005035), the Science and Technology Planning Project of Guangzhou (202102020935), and the Independent Research Project Program of State Key Laboratory of Tropical Oceanography (LTOZZ2102). D.W. is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (92158204), and the Innovation Group Project of Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai) (311020004). S.-P.X. is supported by the National Science Foundation (AGS-1934392). Y.S. is supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2016YFC1401702). G.C. is supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (41822602). The numerical simulation is supported by the High-Performance Computing Division and HPC managers of W. Zhou and D. Sui in the South China Sea Institute of Oceanology.

Description: Elemental carbon exists in different structural forms including graphite, diamond, fullerenes, and amorphous carbon. In nature, these materials are produced through abiotic chemical processes under high temperature and pressure but are considered generally inaccessible to biochemical synthesis or breakdown. Here, we identified and characterized elemental carbon isolated from consortia of anaerobic methanotrophic archaea (ANME) and sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB), which together carry out the anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM). Two different AOM consortia, ANME-1a/HotSeep-1 and ANME-2a/c/Seep-SRB, produce a black material with similar characteristics to disordered graphite and amorphous carbon. Stable isotope probing studies revealed that the carbon is microbially generated during AOM. In addition, we found that select methanogens also produce amorphous carbon with similar characteristics to the carbon from AOM consortia. Biogenic amorphous carbon may serve as a conductive element to facilitate electron transfer, or redox active functional groups associated with the carbon could act as electron donors and acceptors.

Description: Methanogens are considered as one of the earliest life forms on Earth, and together with anaerobic methane-oxidizing archaea, they have crucial effects on climate stability. However, the origin and evolution of anaerobic alkane metabolism in the domain Archaea remain controversial. Here, we present evidence that methylotrophic methanogenesis was the ancestral form of this metabolism. Carbon dioxide–reducing methanogenesis developed later through the evolution of tetrahydromethanopterin S-methyltransferase, which linked methanogenesis to the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway for energy conservation. Anaerobic multicarbon alkane metabolisms in Archaea also originated early, with genes coding for the activation of short-chain or even long-chain alkanes likely evolving from an ethane-metabolizing ancestor. These genes were likely horizontally transferred to multiple archaeal clades including Candidatus (Ca.) Bathyarchaeia, Ca. Lokiarchaeia, Ca. Hadarchaeia, and the methanogenic Ca. Methanoliparia.

Description: © The Author(s), 2021. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Gomaa, F., Utter, D. R., Powers, C., Beaudoin, D. J., Edgcomb, V. P., Filipsson, H. L., Hansel, C. M., Wankel, S. D., Zhang, Y., & Bernhard, J. M. Multiple integrated metabolic strategies allow foraminiferan protists to thrive in anoxic marine sediments. Science Advances, 7(22), (2021): eabf1586, https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abf1586.

Description: Oceanic deoxygenation is increasingly affecting marine ecosystems; many taxa will be severely challenged, yet certain nominally aerobic foraminifera (rhizarian protists) thrive in oxygen-depleted to anoxic, sometimes sulfidic, sediments uninhabitable to most eukaryotes. Gene expression analyses of foraminifera common to severely hypoxic or anoxic sediments identified metabolic strategies used by this abundant taxon. In field-collected and laboratory-incubated samples, foraminifera expressed denitrification genes regardless of oxygen regime with a putative nitric oxide dismutase, a characteristic enzyme of oxygenic denitrification. A pyruvate:ferredoxin oxidoreductase was highly expressed, indicating the capability for anaerobic energy generation during exposure to hypoxia and anoxia. Near-complete expression of a diatom’s plastid genome in one foraminiferal species suggests kleptoplasty or sequestration of functional plastids, conferring a metabolic advantage despite the host living far below the euphotic zone. Through a unique integration of functions largely unrecognized among “typical” eukaryotes, benthic foraminifera represent winning microeukaryotes in the face of ongoing oceanic deoxygenation.

Description: his project was funded by the U.S. NSF IOS 1557430 and 1557566. H.L.F. acknowledges support from the Swedish Research Council VR (grant number 2017-04190).

Description: © The Author(s), 2021. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Le Roux, V., Urann, B. M., Brunelli, D., Bonatti, E., Cipriani, A., Demouchy, S., & Monteleone, B. D. Postmelting hydrogen enrichment in the oceanic lithosphere. Science Advances, 7(24), (2021): eabf6071, https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abf6071.

Description: The large range of H2O contents recorded in minerals from exhumed mantle rocks has been challenging to interpret, as it often records a combination of melting, metasomatism, and diffusional processes in spatially isolated samples. Here, we determine the temporal variations of H2O contents in pyroxenes from a 24-Ma time series of abyssal peridotites exposed along the Vema fracture zone (Atlantic Ocean). The H2O contents of pyroxenes correlate with both crustal ages and pyroxene chemistry and increase toward younger and more refractory peridotites. These variations are inconsistent with residual values after melting and opposite to trends often observed in mantle xenoliths. Postmelting hydrogen enrichment occurred by ionic diffusion during cryptic metasomatism of peridotite residues by low-degree, volatile-rich melts and was particularly effective in the most depleted peridotites. The presence of hydrous melts under ridges leads to widespread hydrogen incorporation in the oceanic lithosphere, likely lowering mantle viscosity compared to dry models.

Description: Funding for this study was supported by NSF EAR-P&G 1524311 and 1839128 to V.L.R. and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Award for Innovative Research to V.L.R. A.C. and D.B. were funded by the Italian Programma di Rilevante Interesse Nazionale PRIN 20178LPCPW and PRIN2017KY5ZX8, respectively. Revisions were performed within the duration of a “Visiting Scholar at SCIENCE 2020” award to V.L.R. (University of Copenhagen, Denmark), with support from the Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, Section for Geology.

Description: © The Author(s), 2021. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Clemens, S. C., Yamamoto, M., Thirumalai, K., Giosan, L., Richey, J. N., Nilsson-Kerr, K., Rosenthal, Y., Anand, P., & McGrath, S. M. Remote and local drivers of Pleistocene South Asian summer monsoon precipitation: a test for future predictions. Science Advances, 7(23), (2021): eabg3848, https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abg3848.

Description: South Asian precipitation amount and extreme variability are predicted to increase due to thermodynamic effects of increased 21st-century greenhouse gases, accompanied by an increased supply of moisture from the southern hemisphere Indian Ocean. We reconstructed South Asian summer monsoon precipitation and runoff into the Bay of Bengal to assess the extent to which these factors also operated in the Pleistocene, a time of large-scale natural changes in carbon dioxide and ice volume. South Asian precipitation and runoff are strongly coherent with, and lag, atmospheric carbon dioxide changes at Earth’s orbital eccentricity, obliquity, and precession bands and are closely tied to cross-equatorial wind strength at the precession band. We find that the projected monsoon response to ongoing, rapid high-latitude ice melt and rising carbon dioxide levels is fully consistent with dynamics of the past 0.9 million years.

Description: S.C.C. and S.M.M. were supported by U.S. NSF OCE1634774. M.Y. was funded by JSPS grants JPMXS05R2900001 and 19H05595 and JAMSTEC Exp. 353 postcruise study. K.N.-K. and P.A. were supported by UK-IODP, Open University, and NERC (NE/L002493/1), K.T. was supported by the Technology and Research Initiative Fund, Arizona Board of Regents.

Description: © The Author(s), 2021. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Seltzer, A. M., Bekaert, D. V., Barry, P. H., Durkin, K. E., Mace, E. K., Aalseth, C. E., Zappala, J. C., Mueller, P., Jurgens, B., & Kulongoski, J. T. Groundwater residence time estimates obscured by anthropogenic carbonate. Science Advances, 7(17), (2021): eabf3503, https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abf3503.

Description: Groundwater is an important source of drinking and irrigation water. Dating groundwater informs its vulnerability to contamination and aids in calibrating flow models. Here, we report measurements of multiple age tracers (14C, 3H, 39Ar, and 85Kr) and parameters relevant to dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) from 17 wells in California’s San Joaquin Valley (SJV), an agricultural region that is heavily reliant on groundwater. We find evidence for a major mid-20th century shift in groundwater DIC input from mostly closed- to mostly open-system carbonate dissolution, which we suggest is driven by input of anthropogenic carbonate soil amendments. Crucially, enhanced open-system dissolution, in which DIC equilibrates with soil CO2, fundamentally affects the initial 14C activity of recently recharged groundwater. Conventional 14C dating of deeper SJV groundwater, assuming an open system, substantially overestimates residence time and thereby underestimates susceptibility to modern contamination. Because carbonate soil amendments are ubiquitous, other groundwater-reliant agricultural regions may be similarly affected.

Description: his work was conducted as a part of the USGS National Water Quality Assessment Program (NAWQA) Enhanced Trends Project (https://water.usgs.gov/nawqa/studies/gwtrends/). Measurements at Argonne National Laboratory were supported by Department of Energy, Office of Science under contract DE-AC02-06CH11357. Measurements at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory were part of the Ultra-Sensitive Nuclear Measurements Initiative conducted under the Laboratory Directed Research and Development Program. PNNL is operated by Battelle for the U.S. Department of Energy under Contract DE-AC05-76RL01830. This work was also partially supported by NSF award OCE-1923915 (to A.M.S. and P.H.B. at WHOI).

Description: © The Author(s), 2021. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Trembath-Reichert, E., Shah Walter, S. R., Ortiz, M. A. F., Carter, P. D., Girguis, P. R., & Huber, J. A. Multiple carbon incorporation strategies support microbial survival in cold subseafloor crustal fluids. Science Advances, 7(18), (2021): eabg0153, https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abg0153.

Description: Biogeochemical processes occurring in fluids that permeate oceanic crust make measurable contributions to the marine carbon cycle, but quantitative assessments of microbial impacts on this vast, subsurface carbon pool are lacking. We provide bulk and single-cell estimates of microbial biomass production from carbon and nitrogen substrates in cool, oxic basement fluids from the western flank of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. The wide range in carbon and nitrogen incorporation rates indicates a microbial community well poised for dynamic conditions, potentially anabolizing carbon and nitrogen at rates ranging from those observed in subsurface sediments to those found in on-axis hydrothermal vent environments. Bicarbonate incorporation rates were highest where fluids are most isolated from recharging bottom seawater, suggesting that anabolism of inorganic carbon may be a potential strategy for supplementing the ancient and recalcitrant dissolved organic carbon that is prevalent in the globally distributed subseafloor crustal environment.

Description: The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation sponsored most of the observatory components at North Pond through grant GBMF1609. This work was supported by the National Science Foundation through grants NSF OCE-1745589, OCE-1635208, and OCE-1062006 to J.A.H. and NSF OCE-1635365 to P.R.G. and S.R.S.W.; NASA Postdoctoral Fellowship with the NASA Astrobiology Institute to E.T.-R.; L’Oréal USA For Women in Science Fellowship to E.T.-R.; and Woods Hole Partnership Education Program, sponsored by the Woods Hole Diversity Initiative to M.A.F.O. The Center for Dark Energy Biosphere Investigations (C-DEBI OCE-0939564) also supported the participation of J.A.H. and P.D.C. This is C-DEBI contribution number 564.

Description: © The Author(s), 2021. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Johnson, A. C., Ostrander, C. M., Romaniello, S. J., Reinhard, C. T., Greaney, A. T., Lyons, T. W., & Anbar, A. D. Reconciling evidence of oxidative weathering and atmospheric anoxia on Archean Earth. Science Advances, 7(40), (2021): eabj0108, https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abj0108.

Description: Evidence continues to emerge for the production and low-level accumulation of molecular oxygen (O2) at Earth’s surface before the Great Oxidation Event. Quantifying this early O2 has proven difficult. Here, we use the distribution and isotopic composition of molybdenum in the ancient sedimentary record to quantify Archean Mo cycling, which allows us to calculate lower limits for atmospheric O2 partial pressures (PO2) and O2 production fluxes during the Archean. We consider two end-member scenarios. First, if O2 was evenly distributed throughout the atmosphere, then PO2 〉 10–6.9 present atmospheric level was required for large periods of time during the Archean eon. Alternatively, if O2 accumulation was instead spatially restricted (e.g., occurring only near the sites of O2 production), then O2 production fluxes 〉0.01 Tmol O2/year were required. Archean O2 levels were vanishingly low according to our calculations but substantially above those predicted for an abiotic Earth system.

Description: We would like to thank our funding sources, including FESD “Dynamics of Earth System Oxygenation” (NSF EAR 1338810 to A.D.A.), NASA Earth and Space Science Fellowship awarded to A.C.J. (80NSSC17K0498), NSF EAR PF to A.C.J. (1952809), and WHOI Postdoctoral Fellowship to C.M.O. C.T.R. acknowledges support from the NASA Astrobiology Institute. We also acknowledge support from the Metal Utilization and Selection across Eons (MUSE) Interdisciplinary Consortium for Astrobiology Research, sponsored by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Science Mission Directorate (19-ICAR19_2-0007).

Description: © The Author(s), 2021. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Bekaert, D. V., Auro, M., Shollenberger, Q. R., Liu, M.-C., Marschall, H., Burton, K. W., Jacobsen, B., Brennecka, G. A., McPherson, G. J., von Mutius, R., Sarafian, A., & Nielsen, S. G. Fossil records of early solar irradiation and cosmolocation of the CAI factory: a reappraisal. Science Advances, 7(40), (2021): eabg8329, https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abg8329.

Description: Calcium-aluminum–rich inclusions (CAIs) in meteorites carry crucial information about the environmental conditions of the nascent Solar System prior to planet formation. Based on models of 50V–10Be co-production by in-situ irradiation, CAIs are considered to have formed within ~0.1 AU from the proto-Sun. Here, we present vanadium (V) and strontium (Sr) isotopic co-variations in fine- and coarse-grained CAIs and demonstrate that kinetic isotope effects during partial condensation and evaporation best explain V isotope anomalies previously attributed to solar particle irradiation. We also report initial excesses of 10Be and argue that CV CAIs possess essentially a homogeneous level of 10Be, inherited during their formation. Based on numerical modeling of 50V–10Be co-production by irradiation, we show that CAI formation during protoplanetary disk build-up likely occurred at greater heliocentric distances than previously considered, up to planet-forming regions (~1AU), where solar particle fluxes were sufficiently low to avoid substantial in-situ irradiation of CAIs.

Description: This study was funded by NASA Emerging Worlds grant NNX16AD36G to S.G.N. and prepared by LLNL under contract DE-AC52-07NA27344 with release number LLNL-JRNL-819045. M.C.L acknowledges the support by the NASA grant 80NSSC20K0759. The UCLA ion microprobe facility is partially supported by a grant from the NSF Instrumentation and Facilities program.

Description: Geological archives record multiple reversals of Earth's magnetic poles, but the global impacts of these events, if any, remain unclear. Uncertain radiocarbon calibration has limited investigation of the potential effects of the last major magnetic inversion, known as the Laschamps Excursion 41 to 42 thousand years ago (ka). We use ancient New Zealand kauri trees (Agathis australis) to develop a detailed record of atmospheric radiocarbon levels across the Laschamps Excursion. We precisely characterize the geomagnetic reversal and perform global chemistry-climate modeling and detailed radiocarbon dating of paleoenvironmental records to investigate impacts. We find that geomagnetic field minima ~42 ka, in combination with Grand Solar Minima, caused substantial changes in atmospheric ozone concentration and circulation, driving synchronous global climate shifts that caused major environmental changes, extinction events, and transformations in the archaeological record.

Description: © The Author(s), 2020. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in DiBenedetto, M., Qin, Z., & Suckale, J. Crystal aggregates record the pre-eruptive flow field in the volcanic conduit at Kilauea, Hawaii. Science Advances, 6(49), (2020): eabd4850, doi:10.1126/sciadv.abd4850.

Description: Developing reliable, quantitative conduit models that capture the physical processes governing eruptions is hindered by our inability to observe conduit flow directly. The closest we get to direct evidence is testimony imprinted on individual crystals or bubbles in the conduit and preserved by quenching during the eruption. For example, small crystal aggregates in products of the 1959 eruption of Kīlauea Iki, Hawaii contain overgrown olivines separated by large, hydrodynamically unfavorable angles. The common occurrence of these aggregates calls for a flow mechanism that creates this crystal misorientation. Here, we show that the observed aggregates are the result of exposure to a steady wave field in the conduit through a customized, process-based model at the scale of individual crystals. We use this model to infer quantitative attributes of the flow at the time of aggregate formation; notably, the formation of misoriented aggregates is only reproduced in bidirectional, not unidirectional, conduit flow.

Description: M.D. acknowledges support the Stanford Gerald J. Lieberman Fellowship and the Postdoctoral Scholarship from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.

Description: © The Author(s), 2021. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Torres, J. P., Lin, Z., Watkins, M., Salcedo, P. F., Baskin, R. P., Elhabian, S., Safavi-Hemami, H., Taylor, D., Tun, J., Concepcion, G. P., Saguil, N., Yanagihara, A. A., Fang, Y., McArthur, J. R., Tae, H. S., Finol-Urdaneta, R. K., Özpolat, B. D., Olivera, B. M., & Schmidt, E. W. Small-molecule mimicry hunting strategy in the imperial cone snail, Conus imperialis. Science Advances, 7(11), (2021): eabf2704, https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abf2704.

Description: Venomous animals hunt using bioactive peptides, but relatively little is known about venom small molecules and the resulting complex hunting behaviors. Here, we explored the specialized metabolites from the venom of the worm-hunting cone snail, Conus imperialis. Using the model polychaete worm Platynereis dumerilii, we demonstrate that C. imperialis venom contains small molecules that mimic natural polychaete mating pheromones, evoking the mating phenotype in worms. The specialized metabolites from different cone snails are species-specific and structurally diverse, suggesting that the cones may adopt many different prey-hunting strategies enabled by small molecules. Predators sometimes attract prey using the prey’s own pheromones, in a strategy known as aggressive mimicry. Instead, C. imperialis uses metabolically stable mimics of those pheromones, indicating that, in biological mimicry, even the molecules themselves may be disguised, providing a twist on fake news in chemical ecology.

Description: Research reported in this publication was supported by NIH R35GM12252, with contributions to biological work from NIH Fogarty International Center U19TW008163, NIH P01GM48677, and DOD CDMRP W81XWH-17-1-0413. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH.

Description: © The Author(s), 2021. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Guillermic, M., Cameron, L. P., De Corte, I., Misra, S., Bijma, J., de Beer, D., Reymond, C. E., Westphal, H., Ries, J. B., & Eagle, R. A. Thermal stress reduces pocilloporid coral resilience to ocean acidification by impairing control over calcifying fluid chemistry. Science Advances, 7(2), (2021): eaba9958, https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aba9958.

Description: The combination of thermal stress and ocean acidification (OA) can more negatively affect coral calcification than an individual stressors, but the mechanism behind this interaction is unknown. We used two independent methods (microelectrode and boron geochemistry) to measure calcifying fluid pH (pHcf) and carbonate chemistry of the corals Pocillopora damicornis and Stylophora pistillata grown under various temperature and pCO2 conditions. Although these approaches demonstrate that they record pHcf over different time scales, they reveal that both species can cope with OA under optimal temperatures (28°C) by elevating pHcf and aragonite saturation state (Ωcf) in support of calcification. At 31°C, neither species elevated these parameters as they did at 28°C and, likewise, could not maintain substantially positive calcification rates under any pH treatment. These results reveal a previously uncharacterized influence of temperature on coral pHcf regulation—the apparent mechanism behind the negative interaction between thermal stress and OA on coral calcification.

Description: R.A.E. and J.B.R. acknowledge support from National Science Foundation grants OCE-1437166 and OCE-1437371. The work was also supported by the “Laboratoire d’Excellence” LabexMER (ANR-10-LABX-19), cofunded by a grant from the French government under the program “Investissements d’Avenir,” and an IAGC student grant 2017. R.A.E. acknowledges financial and logistical support from the Pritzker Endowment to UCLA IoES, and J.B.R. acknowledges support from the ZMT and the Hanse-Wissenschaftskolleg Fellowship Program and the NSF OCE award #1437371.

Description: © The Author(s), 2021. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Skinner, C., Mill, A. C., Fox, M. D., Newman, S. P., Zhu, Y., Kuhl, A., & Polunin, N. V. C. Offshore pelagic subsidies dominate carbon inputs to coral reef predators. Science Advances, 7(8), (2021): eabf3792, https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abf3792.

Description: Coral reefs were traditionally perceived as productive hot spots in oligotrophic waters. While modern evidence indicates that many coral reef food webs are heavily subsidized by planktonic production, the pathways through which this occurs remain unresolved. We used the analytical power of carbon isotope analysis of essential amino acids to distinguish between alternative carbon pathways supporting four key reef predators across an oceanic atoll. This technique separates benthic versus planktonic inputs, further identifying two distinct planktonic pathways (nearshore reef-associated plankton and offshore pelagic plankton), and revealing that these reef predators are overwhelmingly sustained by offshore pelagic sources rather than by reef sources (including reef-associated plankton). Notably, pelagic reliance did not vary between species or reef habitats, emphasizing that allochthonous energetic subsidies may have system-wide importance. These results help explain how coral reefs maintain exceptional productivity in apparently nutrient-poor tropical settings, but also emphasize their susceptibility to future ocean productivity fluctuations.

Description: Sample analysis funding was provided by NERC LSMSF grant BRIS/102/0717 and BRIS/125/1418. C.S. was supported by a Newcastle University SAgE DTA studentship and a cooperative agreement with Banyan Tree.

Description: The Kadomtsev–Petviashvili equation is known to be the leading term of a semi-infinite hierarchy of integrable equations with evolutions given by times with positive numbers. Here, we introduce new hierarchy directed to negative numbers of times. The derivation of such systems, as well as the corresponding hierarchy, is based on the commutator identities. This approach enables introduction of linear differential equations that admit lifts up to nonlinear integrable ones by means of the special dressing procedure. Thus, one can construct not only nonlinear equations, but corresponding Lax pairs as well. The Lax operator of this evolution coincides with the Lax operator of the “positive” hierarchy. We also derive (1 + 1)-dimensional reductions of equations of this hierarchy.

Description: Among industrially important pyridoxal-5’-phosphate (PLP)-dependent transaminases of fold type IV D-amino acid transaminases are the least studied. However, the development of cascade enzymatic processes, including the synthesis of D-amino acids, renewed interest in their study. Here, we describe the identification, biochemical and structural characterization of a new D-amino acid transaminase from Haliscomenobacter hydrossis (Halhy). The new enzyme is strictly specific towards D-amino acids and their keto analogs; it demonstrates one of the highest rates of transamination between D-glutamate and pyruvate. We obtained the crystal structure of the Halhy in the holo form with the protonated Schiff base formed by the K143 and the PLP. Structural analysis revealed a novel set of the active site residues that differ from the key residues forming the active sites of the previously studied D-amino acids transaminases. The active site of Halhy includes three arginine residues, one of which is unique among studied transaminases. We identified critical residues for the Halhy catalytic activity and suggested functions of the arginine residues based on the comparative structural analysis, mutagenesis, and molecular modeling simulations. We suggested a strong positive charge in the O-pocket and the unshaped P-pocket as a structural code for the D-amino acid specificity among transaminases of PLP fold type IV. Characteristics of Halhy complement our knowledge of the structural basis of substrate specificity of D-amino acid transaminases and the sequence-structure-function relationships in these enzymes.

Description: Non-persistent viruses classically cause transient, acute infections triggering immune responses aimed at the elimination of the pathogen. Successful viruses evolved strategies to manipulate and evade these anti-viral defenses. Symptoms during the acute phase are often linked to dysregulated immune responses that disappear once the patient recovers. In some patients, however, symptoms persist or new symptoms emerge beyond the acute phase. Conditions resulting from previous transient infection are termed post-acute sequelae (PAS) and were reported for a wide range of non-persistent viruses such as rota-, influenza- or polioviruses. Here we provide an overview of non-persistent viral pathogens reported to be associated with diverse PAS, among them chronic fatigue, auto-immune disorders, or neurological complications and highlight known mechanistic details. Recently, the emergence of post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC) or long COVID highlighted the impact of PAS. Notably, PAS of non-persistent infections often resemble symptoms of persistent viral infections, defined by chronic inflammation. Inflammation maintained after the acute phase may be a key driver of PAS of non-persistent viruses. Therefore, we explore current insights into aberrant activation of innate immune signaling pathways in the post-acute phase of non-persistent viruses. Finally, conclusions are drawn and future perspectives for treatment and prevention of PAS are discussed.

Description: Dispersion of lead (Pb) in mine wastes was simulated for reproducing Pb contamination of soil in Kabwe District, Zambia. Local weather data of year 2019 were monitored in situ and used for the simulations. The plume model, weak puff model, and no puff model were adopted for calculation of Pb dispersion under different wind conditions. The results showed that Pb dispersion from the Kabwe mine was directly affected by wind directions and speeds in the dry season, although it was not appreciably affected in the rainy season. This may be because the source strength is lower in the rainy season due to higher water content of the surface. This indicates that Pb dispersion patterns depend on the season. In addition, the distribution of the amount of deposited Pb-bearing soils around the mine corresponded to the distribution of Pb contents in soils. These results suggest that Pb contamination in soils primarily results from dispersion of fine mine wastes.

Description: This paper proposes an equivalent circuit model to obtain the transient electrical stress quantitatively in medium voltage medium frequency transformers in modern power electronics. To verify this model, transient simulation is performed on a 1.5 kV/1 kHz transformer, revealing voltage overshoot quantitatively between turns and layers of the transformer’s HV winding. Effects of rise time of the input pulse voltage, stray capacitance of the winding insulation, and their interactions on the voltage overshot magnitude are presented. With these results, we propose limiting the voltage overshoot and, thereafter, enhancing medium voltage medium frequency transformer’s insulation capability, which throws light on the transformer’s insulation design. Additionally, guidance on the future studies on aging and endurance lifetime of the medium voltage medium frequency transformer’s insulation could be given.

Description: Since reinforced concrete (RC) buildings have long service life, cutout openings are generally needed in their load-bearing walls as a sustainable solution in order to meet new requirements of their users. However, the cutout openings decrease the load-bearing capacity of the walls, which may result in the failure of the buildings. In this paper, we investigate the possibility of making a door opening in a load-bearing RC wall of an existing building in Gävle in Sweden. The wall studied in the current paper rests on two individual supports at its two ends; thus, it is considered as a deep beam. However, it is called an examined wall (EW) here. The StruSoft FEM-Design software is used in this study to model, analyze, and design the building based on the Eurocodes and Swedish national annex. The potential need for the EW to be strengthened when the cutout opening is made is also evaluated. It is concluded that strengthening the EW with cutout opening is needed. Different strengthening solutions are proposed for the EW. Moreover, the situation of the EW with the solutions is assessed with regard to the utilization ratio, deflection, and weight. Consequently, it is demonstrated that the proposed strengthening solutions function well for the EW.

Description: In the current era of a strongly competitive business environment, it is more difficult for companies to attract customers. Consumer neuroscience has growing potential here, as it reveals internal consumer preferences by using innovative methods and tools, which can effectively examine consumer behavior and attract new customers. In particular, smell has a great ability to subconsciously influence customers and, thus, support profitability. This paper examines the importance of consumer neuroscience and its modern technologies used for exploring human perceptions to influence customers and benefit from the aromatization of business spaces. We focused our analysis on various service sectors. Despite the potential of the examined issue, there are a limited number of studies in the field of service providers that use neuroscience tools to examine the effect of aromas on human emotions. Most studies took place in laboratory conditions, and the used methodological procedures varied widely. Our analysis showed that, in spite of the positive impact of aromatization in the majority of aromatized spaces, service companies still do not use the potential of consumer neuroscience and aroma marketing to a sufficient degree. Innovative methods and tools, in particular, are still very underused.

Description: The Kuroshio is the strongest warm current in the western North Pacific, which plays a crucial role in climate and human activities. In terms of this, the accurate acquisition of ocean surface current velocity and direction in the Kuroshio region is of great research value. Gaofen-3 synthetic aperture radar (SAR) provides data support for the study of ocean surface current measurements in the Kuroshio region, but no relevant experimental result has been published yet. In this paper, four available stripmap mode SARs’ data acquired by Gaofen-3 in the Kuroshio region are used for measuring the ocean surface current field. In general, the Doppler centroid anomaly (DCA) estimation is a common method to infer ocean surface currents from single-antenna stripmap data, but only the radial velocity component can be retrieved. In order to measure current vectors, a novel method combining the sub-aperture processing and the least squares (LS) technology is suggested and demonstrated by applying to the Gaofen-3 SAR data processing. The experiment’s results agree well with model-derived ocean current data, indicating that the Gaofen-3 SAR has the capability to accurately retrieve the ocean surface current field in the Kuroshio region and motivate further research by providing more data.

Description: The C1q/TNF-related protein 3 (CTRP3) represents a pleiotropic adipokine reciprocally associated with obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus and exhibits anti-inflammatory properties in relation to lipopolysaccharides (LPS)-mediated effects in adipocytes, as well as monocytes/macrophages. Here, we focused on the influence of CTRP3 on LPS-mediated effects in endothelial cells in order to expand the understanding of a possible anti-inflammatory function of CTRP3 in a setting of endotoxemia. An organ- and tissue-specific expression analysis by real-time PCR revealed a considerable Ctrp3 expression in various adipose tissue compartments; however, higher levels were detected in the aorta and in abundantly perfused tissues (bone marrow and the thyroid gland). We observed a robust Ctrp3 expression in primary endothelial cells and a transient upregulation in murine endothelial (MyEND) cells by LPS (50 ng/mL). In MyEND cells, CTRP3 inhibited the LPS-induced expression of interleukin (Il)-6 and the tumor necrosis factor (Tnf)-α, and suppressed the LPS-dependent expression of the major endothelial adhesion molecules Vcam-1 and Icam-1. The LPS-induced adhesion of monocytic cells to an endothelial monolayer was antagonized by CTRP3. In C57BL/6J mice with an LPS-induced systemic inflammation, exogenous CTRP3 did not affect circulating levels of TNF-α, ICAM-1, and VCAM-1. In conclusion, we characterized CTRP3 beyond its function as an adipokine in a setting of vascular inflammation. CTRP3 inhibited LPS-induced endothelial expression of adhesion molecules and monocyte cell adhesion, indicating an important vascular anti-inflammatory role for CTRP3 in endotoxemia.

Description: The development of an efficient pretreatment, prior to enzymatic hydrolysis, is a good strategy for the sustainable use of refractory fish byproducts. This study compared hydrothermal pretreatments at 159 °C for 2 min, followed by water extraction (steam explosion-assisted extraction, SE) and 121 °C for 70 min (hot-pressure extraction, HPE), for the recovery of proteins from fish backbones. The effect of enzymatic hydrolysis on the properties of the obtained fish bone protein (FBP) was also evaluated. The results demonstrated that FBP had high contents of protein (81.09–84.88 g/100 g) and hydroxyproline (70–82 residues/1000 residues). After hydrolysis with Flavourzyme, for 3 h, the FBP hydrolysates that were pretreated with SE (SFBP-H) exhibited a better degree of hydrolysis (DH) and nitrogen recovery (NR), and a higher level of umami taste free amino acids (151.50 mg/100 mL), compared with the HPE-treated samples. The obtained SFBP-H mainly distributed below 3000 Da and had strong scavenging effects on 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazy (DPPH) (IC50 = 4.24 mg/mL) and 2,2-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS) (IC50 = 1.93 mg/mL) radicals. Steam explosion-assisted extraction is a promising route for recovering proteins from native fish bone materials, and improving the flavor and antioxidant activity of the hydrolysates.

Description: Since mineral supplements for horses commonly contain macro minerals, although the requirement for such is usually covered by roughage-based diets, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of different dietary calcium levels on mineral serum concentrations and bone metabolism. The trial was conducted in 30 young warmblood stallions (2–3 years) that were divided into two groups for a five-month feeding trial. The groups were fed a hay- and oat-based diet and were either supplied with high (Ca-High) or moderate (Ca-Moderate) calcium excess. While in Ca-High calcium supply was about 2–2.5-fold of the requirement, in Ca-Moderate calcium requirements were slightly surpassed (1.5–1.6-fold). In order to monitor the effects of the different calcium supply, blood samples were taken during the trial and analysed for levels of macro and trace elements as well as concentrations of two bone markers. In Ca-Moderate a trend towards higher phosphorus serum levels compared to Ca-High was observed which was significant at the end of the trial (p = 0.0002). Furthermore, results showed no influence of the diet on bone markers. Results support the idea that forage-based rations for horses do not necessarily have to be supplemented with macro minerals but with trace elements.

Description: COVID-19 might have long-term mental health impacts. We aim to investigate the longitudinal changes in mental problems from initial COVID-19 peak to its aftermath among general public in China. Depression, anxiety and insomnia were assessed among a large-sample nationwide cohort of 10,492 adults during the initial COVID-19 peak (28 February 2020 to 11 March 2020) and its aftermath (8 July 2020 to 8 August 2020) using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, and Insomnia Severity Index. We used generalized estimating equations and linear mixed models to explore factors associated with long-term mental health symptoms during COVID-19. During the five months, mental health symptoms remained consistently elevated (baseline 46.4%; follow-up 45.1%). Long-term depression, anxiety and insomnia were associated with several personal and work-related factors including quarantine (adjusted OR for any mental health symptoms 1.31, 95%CI 1.22–1.41, p 〈 0.001), increases in work burden after resuming work (1.77, 1.65–1.90, p 〈 0.001), occupational exposure risk to COVID-19 (1.26, 1.14–1.40, p 〈 0.001) and living in places severely affected by initial COVID-19 peak (1.21, 1.04–1.41, p = 0.01) or by a COVID-19 resurgence (1.38, 1.26–1.50, p 〈 0.001). Compliance with self-protection measures, such as wearing face masks (0.74, 0.61–0.90, p = 0.003), was associated with lower long-term risk of mental problems. The findings reveal a pronounced and prolonged mental health burden from the initial COVID-19 peak through to its aftermath in China. We should regularly monitor the mental health status of vulnerable populations throughout COVID-19.

Description: Low-cost air quality stations can provide useful data that can offer a complete picture of urban air quality dynamics, especially when integrated with daily measurements from reference air quality stations. However, the success of such deployment depends on the measurement accuracy and the capability of resolving spatial and temporal gradients within a spatial domain. In this work, an ensemble of three low-cost stations named “AirQino” was deployed to monitor particulate matter (PM) concentrations over three different sites in an area affected by poor air quality conditions. Data of PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations were collected for about two years following a protocol based on field calibration and validation with a reference station. Results indicated that: (i) AirQino station measurements were accurate and stable during co-location periods over time (R2 = 0.5–0.83 and RMSE = 6.4–11.2 μg m−3; valid data: 87.7–95.7%), resolving current spatial and temporal gradients; (ii) spatial variability of anthropogenic emissions was mainly due to extensive use of wood for household heating; (iii) the high temporal resolution made it possible to detect time occurrence and strength of PM10 concentration peaks; (iv) the number of episodes above the 1-h threshold of 90 μg m−3 and their persistence were higher under urban and industrial sites compared to the rural area.

Description: Retinal dystrophies (RD) are clinically and genetically heterogenous disorders showing mutations in over 270 disease-associated genes. Several millions of people worldwide are affected with different types of RD. Studying the relevance of disease-associated sequence alterations will assist in understanding disorders and may lead to the development of therapeutic approaches. Here, we established a whole exome sequencing (WES) pipeline to rapidly identify disease-associated mutations in patients. Sanger sequencing was applied to identify deep-intronic variants and to verify the co-segregation of WES results within families. We analyzed 26 unrelated patients with different syndromic and non-syndromic clinical manifestations of RD. All patients underwent ophthalmic examinations. We identified nine novel disease-associated sequence variants among 37 variants identified in total. The sequence variants located to 17 different genes. Interestingly, two cases presenting with Stargardt disease carried deep-intronic variants in ABCA4. We have classified 21 variants as pathogenic variants, 4 as benign/likely benign variants, and 12 as variants of uncertain significance. This study highlights the importance of WES-based mutation analyses in RD patients supporting clinical decisions, broadly based genetic diagnosis and support genetic counselling. It is essential for any genetic therapy to expand the mutation spectrum, understand the genes’ function, and correlate phenotypes with genotypes.

Description: Developments in the design of wind turbines with augmentation are advancing around the globe with the goal of generating electricity close to the user in built-up areas. This is certain to help lessen the power generation load as well as distribution and transmission network costs by reducing the distance between the user and the power source. The main objectives driving the development and advancement of vertical-axis wind turbines are increasing the power coefficient and the torque coefficient by optimizing the upstream wind striking on the rotor blades. Unlike horizontal-axis wind turbines, vertical axis turbines generate not only positive torque but also negative torque during operation. The negative torque generated by the returning blade is a key issue for vertical-axis wind turbines (VAWTs) that is counterproductive. Installation of wind deflectors for flow augmentation helps to reduce the negative torque generated by the returning blades as well as enhance the positive torque by creating a diversion in the upstream wind towards the forwarding blade during operation. This paper reviews various designs, experiments, and CFD simulations of wind deflectors reported to date. Optimization techniques for VAWTs incorporating wind deflectors are discussed in detail. The main focus of the review was on the installation position and orientation of the deflectors and their potential contribution to increasing the power coefficient. Topics for future study are suggested in the conclusion section of the paper.

Description: Exploring differences in clinical outcomes based on race and origin among patients hospitalized for COVID-19 is a controversial issue. The ALC COVID-19 Registry includes all confirmed COVID-19 patients admitted to hospital from 3 March 2020 to 17 December 2020. The data were obtained from electronic health records in order to evaluate the differences in the clinical features and outcomes among European and Latin American patients. The follow-ups occurred after 156 days. A propensity score weighting (PSW) logistic regression model was used to estimate the odds ratio (OR, 95% CI) for Latin American origin and outcome associations. Of the 696 patients included, 46.7% were women, with a median age of 65 (IQR 53–67) years, 614 (88.2%) were European, and 82 (11.8%) were Latin American. Latin American patients were younger, with fewer comorbidities, and a higher incidence of extensive pneumonia. After adjusting for residual confounders, Latin American origin was not associated with an increased risk of death (PSW OR 0.85 (0.23–3.14)) or with the need for invasive mechanical ventilation (PSW OR 0.35 (0.12–1.03)). Latin American origin was associated with a shorter hospital stay, but without differences in how long the patient remained on mechanical ventilation. In a public healthcare system, the rates of death or mechanical ventilation in severe COVID-19 cases were found to be comparable between patients of European and Latin American origins.

Description: The huge energy potential of Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) makes them perspective sources of non-intermittent renewable energy for the future. This paper focuses on potential scenarios of EGS development in a locally and in regard to geothermal exploration, poorly known geological setting—the Variscan fold-and-thrust belt —for district heating and cooling of the Göttingen University campus. On average, the considered single EGS doublet might cover about 20% of the heat demand and 6% of the cooling demand of the campus. The levelized cost of heat (LCOH), net present value (NPV) and CO2 abatement cost were evaluated with the help of a spreadsheet-based model. As a result, the majority of scenarios of the reference case are currently not profitable. Based on the analysis, EGS heat output should be at least 11 MWth (with the brine flow rate being 40 l/s and wellhead temperature being 140 °C) for a potentially profitable project. These parameters can be a target for subsurface investigation, reservoir modeling and hydraulic stimulation at a later stage. However, sensitivity analysis presented some conditions that yield better results. Among the most influential parameters on the outcome are subsidies for research wells, proximity to the campus, temperature drawdown and drilling costs. If realized, the EGS project in Göttingen might save up to 18,100 t CO2 (34%) annually.

Description: Transport infrastructure (TI) plays a crucial role in socioeconomic development. The increase of TI inequality, an all-pervading phenomenon in both developed and developing countries, has been an obstacle to sustainable economic growth. The relationship between TI inequality and economic growth has attracted considerable interest over the past three decades. However, the relationship remains obscure, and people find it impossible to utilize to develop economies. This study collected a panel of empirical data from 1982 to 2015 from China to calculate the Gini coefficient and conduct the Granger causality test. The data analysis results show that TI inequality is not always conducive to economic growth. A softening TI inequality helps address the issues of uneven economic growth across regions in the long term. The short-term effects of improving TI inequality at the national level are reflected in the network effect. In addition, the “social filters” facilitate the region to absorb the economic benefits brought by the improvement of TI inequality. These findings offer a way to address the increase of TI inequality and shed light on the ways to improve transport investment from the perspective of economic growth.

Description: Black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae (BSFL) are a promising, sustainable source of nutrients, however, there is limited knowledge regarding the food safety of consuming BSFL. This study determined the safety of consuming BSFL for direct human consumption in terms of microbial, heavy metal and allergen content. Microbial counts were determined using ISO (International Organization for Standardization) methods, heavy metals were determined using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and allergens were determined via Orbitrap mass spectrometry and ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) kits. Feed and killing method influenced the presence of Bacillus cereus (p = 0.011), and only the killing method influenced Escherichia coli (p 〈 0.00) and total viable count (TVC) (p 〈 0.00). Blanching resulted in a 3-log reduction in E. coli and a 3.4 log reduction in the TVC counts. Salmonella spp. and Listeria spp. were not detected in the BSFL samples. Heavy metals were detected although they were below maximum legal limits. Cross-reactive allergens, tropomyosin and arginine kinase, were detected in the BSFL samples, although the clinical significance requires research. The feed fed to the BSFL and blanching were found to influence the safety of consuming BSFL, highlighting the importance of incorporating sufficient decontamination steps, such as blanching, to ensure food safety.

Description: Malaysia implemented its first Movement Control Order (MCO) during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic to slow the transmission of the virus. This study aimed to explore the public perception of the MCO implementation and people’s experiences during this period. The study employed qualitative explorative in-depth interviews conducted with 23 Malaysian adults from various demographic backgrounds. Thematic analysis was performed using NVivo 12. Three main themes were identified: a period of information surge, heterogeneous emotional response, and attempts to adapt. During the MCO, the participants obtained information from multiple platforms. They suggested the need for clear and repeated instructions to avoid confusion and misinformation. They also acknowledged the importance of the MCO in breaking the chain of transmission and safeguarding high-risk groups; however, they also expressed that stricter enforcement from the authorities was warranted. The changes in the participants’ work–life routines, lack of physical interaction, and uncertainty about their health and the economy due to the MCO negatively impacted their psychological states. Despite these challenges, the participants attempted to adapt to life under the MCO in different ways. The findings imply that during a crisis, the public tends to seek clear and reliable information, experience emotional turmoil, and adapt to changes. The MCO implementation can be improved through an effective communication strategy and efforts to battle misinformation.

Description: This case series study aimed to evaluate the safety, feasibility, and positive outcome of the neurorehabilitation multimodal protocol (NRMP) in 16 chronic post-surgical IVDD Hansen type I dogs, with OFS 0/DPP− (n = 9) and OFS 1/DPP+ (n = 7). All were enrolled in the NRMP for a maximum of 90 days and were clinically discharged after achieving ambulation. The NRMP was based on locomotor training, functional electrical stimulation, transcutaneous electrical spinal cord stimulation, and 4-aminopyridine (4-AP) pharmacological management. In the Deep Pain Perception (DPP)+ dogs, 100% recovered ambulation within a mean period of 47 days, reaching OFS ≥11, which suggests that a longer period of time is needed for recovery. At follow-up, all dogs presented a positive evolution with voluntary micturition. Of the DPP− dogs admitted, all achieved a flexion/extension locomotor pattern within 30 days, and after starting the 4-AP, two dogs were discharged at outcome day 45, with 78% obtaining Spinal Reflex Locomotion (SRL) and automatic micturition within a mean period of 62 days. At follow-up, all dogs maintained their neurological status. After the NRMP, ambulatory status was achieved in 88% (14/16) of dogs, without concurrent events. Thus, an NRMP may be an important therapeutic option to reduce the need for euthanasia in the clinical setting.

Description: Increasing the bearing capacity of reinforced concrete structures, reducing material consumption, and ensuring quality are critical in modern construction. The article presents an experimental study of the ultimate compressive strains of short fiber basalt reinforced concrete columns and provides recommendations for increasing the bearing capacity using steel reinforcement bars with greater strength. The columns were tested in an upright position using a hydraulic press. Strains were measured with dial indicators and a strain gauge station. It was shown that the addition of 10% coarse basalt fiber increased the ultimate compressibility of concrete on ordinary crushed stone by 19.8%, and expanded clay concrete by 26.1%, which led to the strain hardening of concrete under compression by 9.0% and 12%, respectively. Ultimate compressive strains in fiber-reinforced concrete short columns with combined reinforcement increased 1.42 times in columns on a lightweight aggregate and 1.19 times on heavy aggregate. An increase in the ultimate compressibility of concrete makes it possible to use steel reinforcement with greater strength in compressed elements as the concrete crushing during compression occurs primarily due to the reaching of critical values by tensile stresses in the transverse direction. This makes it possible to manufacture structures with a higher load-bearing capacity and less material consumption. A practical example of the application of the proposed approach is given.

Description: The threshing of frozen corn is accompanied by breakage and adherence, which influence the cleaning performance when the corn-cleaning mixture is separated and cleaned. In order to reduce the impurity ratio and loss ratio during frozen corn cleaning and provide theoretical support for frozen corn combine harvesting, this study employed a self-made air-screen cleaning system with adjustable parameters. The optimal process parameters of frozen corn cleaning were determined by using the response surface method (RSM). The influences of the fan speed (FS), vibrational frequency (VF), and screen opening (SO) on the cleaning performance were explored. The results showed that all three process parameters had significant effects on the impurity ratio (IR) and loss ratio (LR). The fan speed had the most significant impact. The cleaning performance was optimal when the fan speed was 102.7 rad/s, the vibration frequency was 6.42 Hz, and the screen opening was 21.9 mm, corresponding to a 0.80% impurity ratio and a 0.61% loss ratio. The predicted values of the regression models were consistent with the experimental results with a relative error of less than 5%. The reliability and accuracy of regression models were established and confirmed.

Description: Prophylactic antibiotic usage during delivery is a common practice worldwide, especially in low- to middle-income countries. Guidelines have been published to reduce antibiotic overuse; however, data describing the use of prophylactic antibiotics and clinician adherence to guidelines in low- to middle-income countries remain limited. This study aimed to describe the prevalence of prophylactic antibiotic use, factors associated with its use, and clinician adherence to guidelines. A retrospective review was conducted for all deliveries from 1 January 2016 to 31 December 2018 at a tertiary level hospital in Indonesia. The prevalence of prophylactic antibiotic use during delivery was 47.1%. Maternal education level, Ob/Gyn specialist-led delivery, a history of multiple abortions, C-section, premature membrane rupture, and antepartum hemorrhage were independently associated with prophylactic antibiotic use. Clinician adherence to the guidelines was 68.9%. Adherence to guidelines was the lowest in conditions where the patient had only one indication for prophylactic antibiotics (aOR 0.36, 95% CI 0.24–0.54). The findings showed that the prevalence of prophylactic antibiotic use during delivery was moderate to high. Adherence to local guidelines was moderate. Updating the local prescribing guidelines may improve clinician adherence.

Description: Phenolic compounds have long been of great importance in the pharmaceutical, food, and cosmetic industries. Unfortunately, conventional extraction procedures have a high cost and are time consuming, and the solvents used can represent a safety risk for operators, consumers, and the environment. Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) are green alternatives for extraction processes, given their low or non-toxicity, biodegradability, and reusability. This review discusses the latest research (in the last two years) employing DESs for phenolic extraction, solvent components, extraction yields, extraction method characteristics, and reviewing the phenolic sources (natural products, by-products, wastes, etc.). This work also analyzes and discusses the most relevant DES-based studies for phenolic extraction from natural sources, their extraction strategies using DESs, their molecular mechanisms, and potential applications.

Description: Fungi from the Candida genus are widespread commensals and, at the same time, are the leading cause of fungal infections worldwide. For instance, vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) affects approximately 75% of women at least once in their lifetime, remaining the second most common gynecological infection. On the contrary, hospital-acquired fungal bloodstream infections (BSIs), although less frequent, are characterized by a high mortality rate. Undoubtedly, the main reason for this situation are virulence factors that these yeast-like fungi can produce, and the ability to form a biofilm is one of the most important of them.. Due to the low effectiveness of classic antimycotics against Candida biofilms, an intense search for new drugs capable of eradicating this structure is highly demanded. One of the most promising groups of compounds exhibiting such properties are antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). This study focuses on a comparison of the efficacy of Omiganan and fluconazole alone and in combination against Candida strains isolated from BSIs. The obtained results are consistent with our previous reports on the effectiveness of Omiganan against clinical strains isolated from VVC. This is also the first report on the combinatory application of Omiganan in the context of fungal BSI. The majority of combinations with fluconazole showed an additive effect, as well as a synergistic effect in the range of certain concentrations. Importantly, such effects are visible at concentrations much lower than for those compounds used individually. Potentially, this entails the possibility of limiting the adverse effects (e.g., toxicity) of Omiganan and fluconazole applied in vivo, thus improving the safety profile of this particular antifungal therapy.

Description: This empirical study assesses the effect of CO2 emissions, urbanization, energy consumption, and agriculture on Thailand’s economic growth using a dataset between 1970 and 2018. The ARDL and the frequency domain causality (FDC) approaches were applied to assess these interconnections. The outcome of the bounds test suggested a long-term association among the variables of investigation. The ARDL outcomes reveal that urbanization, agriculture, energy consumption, and CO2 emissions positively trigger Thailand’s economic growth. Additionally, the frequency domain causality test was used to detect a causal connection between the series. The main benefit of this technique is that it can detect a causal connection between series at different frequencies. To the understanding of the authors, this is the first study in the case of Thailand that will apply the FDC approach to capture the causal linkage between GDP and the regressors. The outcomes of the causality test suggested that CO2 emissions, urbanization, energy consumption, and agriculture can predict Thailand’s economic growth in the long term. These outcomes have far-reaching implications for economic performance and Thailand’s macroeconomic indicators.

Description: The muskrat is a neozoon species that has occupied many countries of continental North Europe after its introduction from north America as fur animals. Due to its burrowing activity it damages river and canal banks and structures of flood control. For this reason, the eradication of this alien species is recommended. Muskrats are also of parasitological interest since they can act as suitable intermediate hosts for Echinococcus multilocularis. On the other hand, little is known on the other helminths that infect muskrats. A total of 130 muskrats of different age groups trapped in different habitats in the Barnim district of the Brandenburg state by a professional hunter were examined for parasites and seven trematodes (Echinostoma sp., Notocotylus noyeri, Plagiorchis elegans, Plagiorchis arvicolae, Psilosostoma simillimum, P. spiculigerum, Opisthorchis felineus and four larval cestode species (Hydatigera taeniaeformis, Taenia martis, Taenia polyacantha, Taenia crassiceps) were detected. Larval stages of E. multilocularis were not found. O. felineus was found for the first time in muskrats in Germany. All the named parasites were present in Europe prior to the introduction of muskrats. With a prevalence of 48.9%, Strobilocercus fasciolaris, the larval stage of the cat tapeworm, H. taeniaeformis, was the most frequent parasite found in adult muskrats.

Description: C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP) is an important vascular regulator that is present in the brain. Our previous study demonstrated the innate neuroprotectant role of CNP in the neonatal brain after hypoxic-ischemic (HI) insults. In this study, we further explored the role of CNP in cerebrovascular pathology using both in vivo and in vitro models. In a neonatal mouse HI brain injury model, we found that intracerebroventricular administration of recombinant CNP dose-dependently reduces brain infarct size. CNP significantly decreases brain edema and immunoglobulin G (IgG) extravasation into the brain tissue, suggesting a vasculoprotective effect of CNP. Moreover, in primary brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs), CNP dose-dependently protects BMEC survival and monolayer integrity against oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD). The vasculoprotective effect of CNP is mediated by its innate receptors NPR2 and NPR3, in that inhibition of either NPR2 or NPR3 counteracts the protective effect of CNP on IgG leakage after HI insult and BMEC survival under OGD. Of importance, CNP significantly ameliorates brain atrophy and improves neurological deficits after HI insults. Altogether, the present study indicates that recombinant CNP exerts vascular protection in neonatal HI brain injury via its innate receptors, suggesting a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of neonatal HI brain injury.

Description: The number of medically compromised dental patients is increasing every year with the increase in the super-aged population. Many of these patients have underlying psychiatric problems and diseases, which need to be recognized by dental professionals for better treatment outcomes. The aim of this narrative review article is to summarize the psychological and psychiatric backgrounds of medically compromised patients who are frequently visited and taken care of by dentists using findings from recent systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Anxiety and symptoms of depression, post-traumatic stress disorders, panic disorders, poor cognitive functions, and poor quality of life were some of the common psychological backgrounds in medically compromised patients. Additionally, the consequences of these psychological problems and the considerations that need to be taken by the dentist while treating these patients have been discussed. Dental professionals should be aware of and recognize the different psychological backgrounds of medically compromised dental patients in order to provide appropriate dental treatment and to prevent oral conditions from worsening.

Description: Water uptake is a seminal process in seed germination. Salt and polyethylene glycol (PEG) are known to retard seed germination rates and percentages, which is often attributed to osmotic effects. Here, we quantified water uptake in wheat seeds killed with a hot needle, finding evidence of three distinct water uptake pools. The fast pool was unaffected by salt, and likely represents cell walls and other apoplastic material. Water uptake into the medium and slow pools was slowed by salt addition, with the medium pool thought to be cellular, while the slow pool is presumably related to endosperm hydration. Salt caused a minor decrease in the water uptake rates and maximum seed water content, while PEG strongly suppressed both parameters. Seeds transferred between water and salt solutions followed the water uptake trajectories of the solution into which they were transferred. Seeds transferred from PEG to water achieved final seed water contents similar to water control seeds, while seeds transferred from water to PEG achieved significantly higher final water contents than PEG controls. This work confirms that salt and PEG have distinct effects on water uptake by wheat seeds.

Description: Power Factor Correction (PFC) single-phase AC/DC converters are used in several power electronics applications as full wave control rectifiers improving power quality and providing high standards of efficiency. Many papers dealing with the description or use of such topologies have been published in recent years; however, a review that describes and organizes their specific details has not been reported in the technical literature. Therefore, this paper presents an extensive review of PFC single-phase AC/DC converters operating with the Boost converter topology for low and medium voltage as well as and power appliances. A categorization of bridge, semi-bridgeless, and bridgeless, in accordance with the construction characteristics, was carried out in order to unify the technical terminology. Benefits and disadvantages are described and analyzed in detail. Furthermore, a comparison performance in terms of PFC, Total Harmonic Distortion (THD), power capacity, electromagnetic compatibility (EMC), number of elements, and efficiency is included.

Description: Evaluation and monitoring of wireless sensor networks (WSN) and the parameters defining their operations and design, such as energy consumption, latency, and stability, is a complex task due to interaction with real devices. For greater control of these variables, the use of simulators arises as an alternative. Cooja is a WSN simulator/emulator which handles the devices’ controllers and multiple communication protocol implementations, such as RPL (RPL is one of the most used protocol in IoT). However, Cooja does not consider either the implementation of an energy model (it has infinite energy consumption) nor the visual behavior of the topology construction, although these aspects are crucial for effective network analysis and decision taking. This paper presents the design and the implementation of ViTool-BC, a software built on top of Cooja, which allows the creation of different energy estimation models and also to visualize in real time the behavior of WSN topology construction. In addition, ViTool-BC offers a heat map of energy consumption traces. Therefore, this tool helps researchers to monitor in real time the topology construction, node disconnection, and battery depletion, aspects to be considered in the analysis of the available routing protocols in Cooja.

Description: Small nucleolar RNA (snoRNA) were one of our earliest recognised classes of non-coding RNA, but were largely ignored by cancer investigators due to an assumption that their activities were confined to the nucleolus. However, as full genome sequences have become available, many new snoRNA genes have been identified, and multiple studies have shown their functions to be diverse. The consensus now is that many snoRNA are dysregulated in cancers, are differentially expressed between cancer types, stages and metastases, and they can actively modify disease progression. In addition, the regulation of the snoRNA class is dominated by the cancer-supporting mTOR signalling pathway, and they may have particular significance to immune cell function and anti-tumour immune responses. Given the recent advent of therapeutics that can target RNA molecules, snoRNA have robust potential as drug targets, either solely or in the context of immunotherapies.

Description: The south of Portugal is one of the regions that will be most affected by the impacts of climate change (CC), with an expected increase in water scarcity. Irrigated super-intensive olive orchards occupy a large area of the used agricultural surface in the Alentejo region, south of Portugal, making it necessary to adapt this crop to the effects of CC. This study assessed the impacts of CC and defined adaptation measures concerning irrigation management of the super-intensive olive orchard. To compute the crop irrigation requirement (CIR), the soil water balance model ISAREG was combined with climate data relative to the reference period 1971–2000 and to the representative concentration pathways RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 for the periods 2011–2040, 2041–2070, and 2071–2100. The growing degree-days (GDD) approach was used to estimate olive phenology for these CC scenarios. Unchanged irrigation management with an average CIR increase up to 16% in RCP4.5 and 31% in RCP8.5 is expected. By adopting higher levels of water deficit, water savings of up to 22% can be realized. The results showed that the anticipated CIR increase for the CC scenarios can be mitigated through regulated deficit irrigation strategies.

Description: 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA), a key precursor in the biosynthesis of porphyrins, can improve plant tolerance to various environmental stresses. However, it is unclear whether ALA can improve tolerance in poplar. Here, we investigated the effects of ALA on poplars under drought and salt stresses. ALA pretreatment exhibited less morphological damage, reduced leaf malonaldehyde content (MDA) and electrolyte leakage (EL), and increased leaf relative water content (RWC), proline (PRO), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and peroxidase (POD) content under stresses. Furthermore, exogenous ALA mitigated the decrease in photosynthetic capacity, and restored the chlorophyll content (Chl), net CO2 assimilation rate, stomatal conductance (Gs), transpiration rate (Tr), maximal photochemical quantum yield of PSII (Fv/Fm), actual quantum yield of photosynthesis (YII), and electron transfer rate (ETR) of poplar under various stresses. qRT-PCR showed that ALA up-regulated the expression of antiporters and aquaporins genes, which are associated with Na+ exclusion in the leaf cells and the transport activity of aquaporins. In summary, ALA pretreatment significantly improved the stress tolerance of poplar, decreasing the degree of membrane lipid peroxidation and promoting the photosynthesis and antioxidant capacity of leaves. In addition, our results showed that ALA might mediate Na+ transporter and aquaporins activity, thereby increasing the salt tolerance of poplar.

Description: This paper presents the design of NaviPBx, an ultrasound-navigated prostate cancer biopsy system. NaviPBx is designed to support an affordable and sustainable national healthcare program in Senegal. It uses spatiotemporal navigation and multiparametric transrectal ultrasound to guide biopsies. NaviPBx integrates concepts and methods that have been independently validated previously in clinical feasibility studies and deploys them together in a practical prostate cancer biopsy system. NaviPBx is based entirely on free open-source software and will be shared as a free open-source program with no restriction on its use. NaviPBx is set to be deployed and sustained nationwide through the Senegalese Military Health Service. This paper reports on the results of the design process of NaviPBx. Our approach concentrates on “frugal technology”, intended to be affordable for low–middle income (LMIC) countries. Our project promises the wide-scale application of prostate biopsy and will foster time-efficient development and programmatic implementation of ultrasound-guided diagnostic and therapeutic interventions in Senegal and beyond.

Description: High interstitial level of ATP and its lysate adenosine in the cancer microenvironment are considered a halo mark of cancer. Adenosine acts as a strong immune suppressor. However, the source of ATP release is unclear. We clarified the release of ATP via volume-regulated anion channels (VRACs) in breast cell lines using an ATP luminescence imaging system. We detected a slowly rising diffuse pattern of ATP release that was only observed in undifferentiated cells, not in differentiated primary cultured cells. This was confirmed by suppression with DCPIB, a blocker of VRACs, and shRNA for LRRC8A, an indispensable subunit of VRACs. We herein demonstrated that the inflammatory mediator sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P), which exists abundantly in the cancer microenvironment, induced a diffuse pattern of ATP release isovolumetrically. The response was dose-dependent and suppressed by the knock-down of LRRC8A. It was also suppressed by blockers of S1P receptor 1 and 2 (W146 and JTE013, respectively). RTqPCR demonstrated the prominent presence of S1PR1 and S1PR2 mRNAs. We discussed the roles of S1P-induced ATP release in the cancer microenvironment.

Description: Seaweeds are an important ingredient of functional foods recommended for daily food, due to their unique compositions and nutritional value. Padina tetrastromatica is a brown edible seaweed that is commonly found along the coastal regions of Peninsular Malaysia and consumed as food by some coastal communities. This study investigates the nutritional and antihyperglycaemic potential of P. tetrastromatica extracts, which is generally accepted as an important functional food. In our methodology, we induced diabetes intraperitoneally in experimental animals with a dose of 65 mg kg−1 body weight of streptozotocin. Oral treatment with 200 and 400 mg kg−1 of P. tetrastromatica ethanolic and ethyl acetate extracts were initiated, respectively, to experimental rats once daily for 18 days. Metformin was used as the positive control. Biochemical estimations and histopathological analysis were included in this study. Treatment with P. tetrastromatica extracts significantly lowered the plasma glucose levels in Streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. In addition, P. tetrastromatica extract treatment also showed a significant reduction in serum alanine transaminase levels. However, no significant changes were observed in serum aspartate transaminase levels. The ethyl acetate extract of P. tetrastromatica at 400 mg kg−1 dose shows some nephroprotective effect, which is observed from the significant increase in the plasma albumin levels. Histopathological evaluation revealed no marked morphological changes in tissues of the isolated organs of the ethyl acetate extract-treated group, revealing the safe nature of P. tetrastromatica.

Description: The number of fatalities in the construction industry is highest among all industries; thus, various losses in the form of fatalities in construction represent a significant factor for safety management. If a fatality occurs, it is important to estimate the overall loss, as a significant financial loss occurs for each project participant. However, in studies of the cost of accidents involving a fatality conducted abroad, the framework cannot be applied as it is because insurance types, systems, and legal cost systems differ by country. Therefore, we developed a framework for calculating the fatality loss considering various aspects of labor, industry, and regulations in Korea. This was done in four steps: (i) data collection and criteria selection; (ii) proposed framework development; (iii) conduct of questionnaire surveys for the case study; and (iv) analysis and evaluation of the case study. As a result of the data analysis after the case study of general construction companies, the total fatality loss was estimated to be 2,198,260 USD/person. The contributions of this study are the development of a framework composed of newly discovered items that can acquire reliable data in consideration of the properties of the construction industry.

Description: Traditional research methods in software defect prediction use part of the data in the same project to train the defect prediction model and predict the defect label of the remaining part of the data. However, in the practical realm of software development, the software project that needs to be predicted is generally a brand new software project, and there is not enough labeled data to build a defect prediction model; therefore, traditional methods are no longer applicable. Cross-project defect prediction uses the labeled data of the same type of project similar to the target project to build the defect prediction model, so as to solve the problem of data loss in traditional methods. However, the difference in data distribution between the same type of project and the target project reduces the performance of defect prediction. To solve this problem, this paper proposes a cross-project defect prediction method based on manifold feature transformation. This method transforms the original feature space of the project into a manifold space, then reduces the difference in data distribution of the transformed source project and the transformed target project in the manifold space, and finally uses the transformed source project to train a naive Bayes prediction model with better performance. A comparative experiment was carried out using the Relink dataset and the AEEEM dataset. The experimental results show that compared with the benchmark method and several cross-project defect prediction methods, the proposed method effectively reduces the difference in data distribution between the source project and the target project, and obtains a higher F1 value, which is an indicator commonly used to measure the performance of the two-class model.

Description: In this study, the sequential extraction method was applied to extract selected potentially toxic elements (PTEs) (Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb and Zn) in river sediments collected from the Blood River situated in Seshego area, Limpopo Province, South Africa. The study aimed to assess a possible trend of mobilisation of these elements from sediment to water. The accuracy of the sequential extraction method was confirmed by analysing sediment-certified reference material, and quantitative percentage recoveries ranging from 86 to 119%, 81 to 111% and 77 to 119% were achieved for exchangeable, reducible and oxidisable fractions, respectively. The potential risk of the PTEs in sediments was evaluated. The calculated values of contamination factor (CF) as well as risk assessment code (RAC) for Cd, Cu, Ni and Pb revealed the mobility of these elements. The PTEs in river sediments are at a high toxicity-risk level and could therefore cause a threat to organisms dwelling in sediments and humans via consumption of crops irrigated with the polluted river water.

Description: This paper discusses the performance of the short pitch-based carbon fiber reinforced mortar (CFRM) composite considering its key properties and cost-effectiveness. Five different types of mortar composite were produced using 0–4% volume contents of short pitch-based carbon fibers. The mortar composites were tested for inverted slump cone flow (flow time and volume flow), unit weight, air content, compressive strength, flexural strength, impact resistance, and water absorption. The cost-effectiveness of CFRM was assessed based on the performance to cost ratio (PCR), which was calculated for each mortar composite, considering its workability, mechanical properties, and durability. The inverted slump cone volume flow was counted as a measure of workability, whereas the compressive strength, flexural strength, and impact resistance were considered as the major attributes of the mechanical behavior. In addition, the water absorption was used as a measure of durability. The test results revealed that the mortar composite made with 3% carbon fibers provided adequate workability, a relatively high unit weight and low air content, the highest compressive strength, excellent flexural strength, good impact resistance, and the lowest water absorption. It was also found that the PCR increased up to 3% carbon fibers. Beyond a 3% fiber content, the PCR significantly decreased. The overall research findings revealed that the mortar with 3% carbon fibers was the optimum and most cost-effective mortar composite.

Description: The large production of non-degradable petrol-based plastics has become a major global issue due to its environmental pollution. Biopolymers produced by microorganisms such as polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are gaining potential as a sustainable alternative, but the high cost associated with their industrial production has been a limiting factor. Post-transcriptional regulation is a key step to control gene expression in changing environments and has been reported to play a major role in numerous cellular processes. However, limited reports are available concerning the regulation of PHA accumulation in bacteria, and many essential regulatory factors still need to be identified. Here, we review studies where the synthesis of PHA has been reported to be regulated at the post-transcriptional level, and we analyze the RNA-mediated networks involved. Finally, we discuss the forthcoming research on riboregulation, synthetic, and metabolic engineering which could lead to improved strategies for PHAs synthesis in industrial production, thereby reducing the costs currently associated with this procedure.

Description: Black garlic (BG) is a form of aged garlic obtained from raw garlic (Allium sativum) via Millard reaction under high temperature (60–90 °C) and humidity (70–90%) for a period of time. Several studies reported higher contents of water-soluble antioxidants compounds (S-allyl cysteine, S-allyl-mercapto cysteine), 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, organosulfur compounds, polyphenol, volatile compounds, and products of other Millard reactions compared to fresh garlic after the thermal processing. Recent studies have demonstrated that BG and its bioactive compounds possess a wide range of biological activities and pharmacological properties that preserve and show better efficacy in preventing different types of diseases. Most of these benefits can be attributed to its anti-oxidation, anti-inflammation, anti-obesity, hepatoprotection, hypolipidemia, anti-cancer, anti-allergy, immunomodulation, nephroprotection, cardiovascular protection, and neuroprotection. Substantial studies have been conducted on BG and its components against different common human diseases in the last few decades. Still, a lot of research is ongoing to find out the therapeutic effects of BG. Thus, in this review, we summarized the pre-clinical and clinical studies of BG and its bioactive compounds on human health along with diverse bioactivity, a related mode of action, and also future challenges.

Description: Objective. The main objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between poverty, religion, and suicidal thoughts among U.S. youth. The disparities regarding gender, race, and ethnicity with regard to suicidal thoughts were also assessed. Methods. A cross-sectional correlational research design was used for this study and a national representative sample of 1945 young adults aged 18 to 25 was selected from the 2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Logistic regression analysis with interaction effects was utilized to determine if poverty and religion were associated with suicidal thoughts. Results. About 43 percent of the sample reported having suicidal thoughts when things got worse and this prevalence rate varied by gender and race/ethnicity with white males self-disclosing the highest rate of suicidal thoughts. After adjusting for demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, black males who lived up to two times the poverty line had a higher likelihood of suicidal thoughts (p = 0.011), and religion protected against suicidal thoughts (p = 0.012). Youth with lower education and poor health were more inclined to have suicidal thoughts than their peers. Conclusions. Suicide is the second leading cause of death for American young adults aged 18 to 25. Understanding these differences between social determinants of suicide can help public health researchers strategize how to make evidence-based recommendations for suicide prevention efforts.

Description: In mammalian cells, two cellular organelles, mitochondria and peroxisomes, share the ability to degrade fatty acid chains. Although each organelle harbors its own fatty acid β-oxidation pathway, a distinct mitochondrial system feeds the oxidative phosphorylation pathway for ATP synthesis. At the same time, the peroxisomal β-oxidation pathway participates in cellular thermogenesis. A scientific milestone in 1965 helped discover the hepatomegaly effect in rat liver by clofibrate, subsequently identified as a peroxisome proliferator in rodents and an activator of the peroxisomal fatty acid β-oxidation pathway. These peroxisome proliferators were later identified as activating ligands of Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor α (PPARα), cloned in 1990. The ligand-activated heterodimer PPARα/RXRα recognizes a DNA sequence, called PPRE (Peroxisome Proliferator Response Element), corresponding to two half-consensus hexanucleotide motifs, AGGTCA, separated by one nucleotide. Accordingly, the assembled complex containing PPRE/PPARα/RXRα/ligands/Coregulators controls the expression of the genes involved in liver peroxisomal fatty acid β-oxidation. This review mobilizes a considerable number of findings that discuss miscellaneous axes, covering the detailed expression pattern of PPARα in species and tissues, the lessons from several PPARα KO mouse models and the modulation of PPARα function by dietary micronutrients.

Description: Euphorbia species have a rich history of ethnomedicinal use and ethnopharmacological applications in drug discovery. This is due to the presence of a wide range of diterpenes exhibiting great structural diversity and pharmacological activities. As a result, Euphorbia diterpenes have remained the focus of drug discovery investigations from natural products. The current review documents over 350 diterpenes, isolated from Euphorbia species, their structures, classification, biosynthetic pathways, and their structure–activity relationships for the period covering 2013–2020. Among the isolated diterpenes, over 20 skeletal structures were identified. Lathyrane, jatrophane, ingenane, ingenol, and ingol were identified as the major diterpenes in most Euphorbia species. Most of the isolated diterpenes were evaluated for their cytotoxicity activities, multidrug resistance abilities, and inhibitory activities in vitro, and reported good activities with significant half-inhibitory concentration (IC50) values ranging from 10–50 µM. The lathyranes, isopimaranes, and jatrophanes diterpenes were further found to show potent inhibition of P-glycoprotein, which is known to confer drug resistance abilities in cells leading to decreased cytotoxic effects. Structure–activity relationship (SAR) studies revealed the significance of a free hydroxyl group at position C-3 in enhancing the anticancer and anti-inflammatory activities and the negative effect it has in position C-2. Esterification of this functionality, in selected diterpenes, was found to enhance these activities. Thus, Euphorbia diterpenes offer a valuable source of lead compounds that could be investigated further as potential candidates for drug discovery.

Description: Rotifers are the most diverse group in freshwater zooplankton and play an important role in food webs and ecosystems. DNA barcoding has become a useful approach to investigate species diversity at local and regional scales, but its application is still limited by efficient primers for the group. To test a pair of primers 30F/885R recently designed for rotifers, we applied them to investigating regional species diversity in the freshwater of South China. We sequenced the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene of rotifers collected from the investigated 23 reservoirs in a large river basin and obtained 145 COI sequences from 33 species in 14 genera. The mean PCR success rate for all tested species was 50%. The 145 sequenced mtCOI in this study covered 33 of 64 identified morphological taxa, including most of the common species in the basin. The intraspecific genetic distance was calculated with a K2P model for 24 rotifer species occurring in the quantitative samples, in which 15 rotifers, such as Keratella cochlearis and Brachionus calyciflorus, had a genetic distance higher than 5%. The high intraspecific genetic differentiation indicates that cryptic species are probably common in (sub)tropical China.

Description: The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, has had a significant impact on people’s daily lives. The rapidly spreading B.1.617 lineage harbors two key mutations—L452R and E484Q—in the receptor binding domain (RBD) of its spike (S) protein. To understand the impact and structural dynamics of the variations in the interface of S protein and its host factor, the human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (hACE2), triplicate 500 ns molecular dynamics simulations were performed using single (E484Q or L452R) and double (E484Q + L452R) mutant structures and compared to wild type simulations. Our results indicate that the E484Q mutation disrupts the conserved salt bridge formed between Lys31 of hACE2 and Glu484 of S protein. Additionally, E484Q, which could favor the up conformation of the RBD, may help in enhanced hACE2 binding and immune escape. L452R introduces a charged patch near the binding surface that permits increased electrostatic attraction between the proteins. An improved network of intramolecular interactions observed is likely to increase the stability of the S protein and conformational changes may prevent the binding of neutralizing antibodies. The results obtained from the molecular dynamics simulations suggest that structural and dynamic changes introduced by these variations enhance the affinity of the viral S protein to hACE2 and could form the basis for further studies.

Description: In modern society, it is impossible to imagine life without polymeric materials. However, managing the waste composed of these materials is one of the most significant environmental issues confronting us in the present day. Recycling polymeric waste is the most important action currently available to reduce environmental impacts worldwide and is one of the most dynamic areas in industry today. Utilizing this waste could not only benefit the environment but also promote sustainable development and circular economy management. In its program statement, the European Union has committed to support the use of sorted polymeric waste. This study reviews recent attempts to recycle this waste and convert it by alternative technologies into fine, nano-, and microscale fibers using electrospinning, blowing, melt, or centrifugal spinning. This review provides information regarding applying reprocessed fine fibers in various areas and a concrete approach to mitigate the threat of pollution caused by polymeric materials.

Description: The present study aims to compare the levels of micro-RNA-146a and micro-RNA-126 in oral subgingival plaque and coronary plaque from artery walls in patients with coronary artery disease who suffer from generalized periodontitis. A total of 75 participants were selected and grouped into three categories of 25 patients each: GP+CAD, GP, and HP groups. GP+CAD consisted of patients diagnosed with generalized periodontitis (GP) and coronary artery disease (CAD). The GP+CAD group was further divided into two groups—GP+CADa: where subgingival plaque samples were collected; GP+CADb group: where coronary plaque samples were collected while the patient underwent a coronary artery bypass grafting surgery. The GP group consisted of 25 patients diagnosed with only generalized periodontitis. The HP group consisted of 25 systemically and periodontally healthy controls. miRNA-146a and miRNA126 levels were assessed in subgingival plaque (SP) samples from all groups. Results revealed that miRNA-146a was expressed at higher levels and miRNA-126 was downregulated in the GP+CAD group. microRNAs in subgingival plaque samples showed a significant correlation with the coronary plaque samples in the GP+CAD group. miRNA-146a and miRNA-126 were present in coronary artery disease patients with periodontitis. These micro-RNAs may serve as risk biomarkers for coronary artery disease and generalized periodontitis.

Description: For α∈[0,1], let Aα(Gσ)=αD(G)+(1−α)A(Gσ), where G is a simple undirected graph, D(G) is the diagonal matrix of its vertex degrees and A(Gσ) is the adjacency matrix of the signed graph Gσ whose underlying graph is G. In this paper, basic properties of Aα(Gσ) are obtained, its positive semidefiniteness is studied and some bounds on its eigenvalues are derived—in particular, lower and upper bounds on its largest eigenvalue are obtained.

Description: Electronic e-waste (e-waste) is a growing problem worldwide. In 2019, total global production reached 53.6 million tons, and is estimated to increase to 74.7 million tons by 2030. This rapid increase is largely fuelled by higher consumption rates of electrical and electronic goods, shorter life cycles and fewer repair options. E-waste is classed as a hazardous substance, and if not collected and recycled properly, can have adverse environmental impacts. The recoverable material in e-waste represents significant economic value, with the total value of e-waste generated in 2019 estimated to be US $57 billion. Despite the inherent value of this waste, only 17.4% of e-waste was recycled globally in 2019, which highlights the need to establish proper recycling processes at a regional level. This review provides an overview of global e-waste production and current technologies for recycling e-waste and recovery of valuable material such as glass, plastic and metals. The paper also discusses the barriers and enablers influencing e-waste recycling with a specific focus on Oceania.

Description: Heavy metal is released from many industries into water. Before the industrial wastewater is discharged, the contamination level should be reduced to meet the recommended level as prescribed by the local laws of a country. They may be poisonous or cancerous in origin. Their presence does not only damage people, but also animals and vegetation because of their mobility, toxicity, and non-biodegradability into aquatic ecosystems. The review comprehensively discusses the progress made by various adsorbents such as natural materials, synthetic, agricultural, biopolymers, and commercial for extraction of the metal ions such as Ni2+, Cu2+, Pb2+, Cd2+, As2+ and Zn2+ along with their adsorption mechanisms. The adsorption isotherm indicates the relation between the amount adsorbed by the adsorbent and the concentration. The Freundlich isotherm explains the effective physical adsorption of the solute particle from the solution on the adsorbent and Langmuir isotherm gives an idea about the effect of various factors on the adsorption process. The adsorption kinetics data provide valuable insights into the reaction pathways, the mechanism of the sorption reaction, and solute uptake. The pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order models were applied to describe the sorption kinetics. The presented information can be used for the development of bio-based water treatment strategies.

Description: A field experiment was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of different herbicides for controlling wild onion (Asphodelus tenuifolius) in cumin (Cuminum cyminum L.) during the rabi seasons (2018–2019 and 2019–2020) at Agricultural Research Station, Agriculture University, Jodhpur, Rajasthan. The experiment comprised eight herbicidal weed management treatments for wild onion applied to cumin in a three-replication randomized block design. Among the herbicidal weed management treatments, early post-emergence (8 DAS) application of oxyfluorfen 200 g/ha resulted in the lowest weed density and dry matter of Asphodilus tenuifolius, with maximum weed (Asphodilus tenuifolius) control efficiency at 40 days after sowing (DAS) during both experimental years. Likewise, the highest total efficiency of weed control was recorded with the application of oxyfluorfen 200 g/ha at 8 DAS. Oxyflourfen 200 g/ha used early post emergence (8 DAS) reduced the weed index more effectively than the other herbicides. It also recorded the highest number of branches/plant, plant height, umbels/plant, umbellates/umbel, seeds/umbellates, and seed yield. However, application of oxyflourfen @ 200 g/ha 8 DAS–early POE and pendimethalin 38.7 CS 500 g/ha + oxyfluorfen @ 150 g/ha 8 DAS–early POE were statistically similar in terms of plant growth, yield, and yield attributes. The net returns (366.49 USD/ha in 2018–2019 and 175.72 USD/ha in 2019–2020) and B:C ratio (1.70 and 1.33 in 2018–2019 and 2019–2020, respectively) were also superior, with oxyfluorfen 200 g/ha applied early post emergence.

Description: Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP) are detectable viable in milk and other dairy products. The molecular mechanisms allowing the adaptation of MAP in these products are still poorly understood. To obtain information about respective adaptation of MAP in milk, we differentially analyzed the proteomes of MAP cultivated for 48 h in either milk at 37 °C or 4 °C or Middlebrook 7H9 broth as a control. From a total of 2197 MAP proteins identified, 242 proteins were at least fivefold higher in abundance in milk. MAP responded to the nutritional shortage in milk with upregulation of 32% of proteins with function in metabolism and 17% in fatty acid metabolism/synthesis. Additionally, MAP upregulated clusters of 19% proteins with roles in stress responses and immune evasion, 19% in transcription/translation, and 13% in bacterial cell wall synthesis. Dut, MmpL4_1, and RecA were only detected in MAP incubated in milk, pointing to very important roles of these proteins for MAP coping with a stressful environment. Dut is essential and plays an exclusive role for growth, MmpL4_1 for virulence through secretion of specific lipids, and RecA for SOS response of mycobacteria. Further, 35 candidates with stable expression in all conditions were detected, which could serve as targets for detection. Data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD027444.

Description: The industrial use of enzymes generally necessitates their immobilization onto solid supports. The well-known high affinity of enzymes for metal-organic framework (MOF) materials, together with the great versatility of MOFs in terms of structure, composition, functionalization and synthetic approaches, has led the scientific community to develop very different strategies for the immobilization of enzymes in/on MOFs. This review focuses on one of these strategies, namely, the one-pot enzyme immobilization within sustainable MOFs, which is particularly enticing as the resultant biocomposite Enzyme@MOFs have the potential to be: (i) prepared in situ, that is, in just one step; (ii) may be synthesized under sustainable conditions: with water as the sole solvent at room temperature with moderate pHs, etc.; (iii) are able to retain high enzyme loading; (iv) have negligible protein leaching; and (v) give enzymatic activities approaching that given by the corresponding free enzymes. Moreover, this methodology seems to be near-universal, as success has been achieved with different MOFs, with different enzymes and for different applications. So far, the metal ions forming the MOF materials have been chosen according to their low price, low toxicity and, of course, their possibility for generating MOFs at room temperature in water, in order to close the cycle of economic, environmental and energy sustainability in the synthesis, application and disposal life cycle.

Description: The aims of this study were (1) to design a user-friendly instrument to assess and optimize patient information material (PIM), (2) to develop an English version, and (3) to test its psychometric properties. The instrument was needed to optimize the top-down developed PIM of the psycho-oncological care programme isPO. First, a literature-based PIM checklist was developed by a team of patient representatives, cancer care experts and professional researchers. Next, the checklist’s reliability and validity were analysed by having cancer survivors assess the initial and optimized version of the isPO-leaflet. The User-friendly Patient Information Material Checklist (UPIM-Check), developed participatorily, was found to be effective for evaluating PIM. It uses a traffic light scale, and suggestions for improvement can be given for each criterion. Its reliability appeared to be excellent (α = 0.927). The optimized leaflet was rated significantly better than the initial one. The UPIM-Check is a reliable and valid instrument, which enables end-users (e.g., patients) to assess and optimize the quality of PIM according to scientific criteria and the needs of end-users. A bottom-up approach was essential for developing and validating the UPIM-Check. End-users constantly contributed with their specific knowledge. Thus, their position as co-researchers was significantly strengthened.

Description: The nature of the chemical bond is important in all natural sciences, ranging from biology to chemistry, physics and materials science. The atomic force microscope (AFM) allows to put a single chemical bond on the test bench, probing its strength and angular dependence. We review experimental AFM data, covering precise studies of van-der-Waals-, covalent-, ionic-, metallic- and hydrogen bonds as well as bonds between artificial and natural atoms. Further, we discuss some of the density functional theory calculations that are related to the experimental studies of the chemical bonds. A description of frequency modulation AFM, the most precise AFM method, discusses some of the experimental challenges in measuring bonding forces. In frequency modulation AFM, forces between the tip of an oscillating cantilever change its frequency. Initially, cantilevers were made mainly from silicon. Most of the high precision measurements of bonding strengths by AFM became possible with a technology transfer from the quartz watch technology to AFM by using quartz-based cantilevers (“qPlus force sensors”), briefly described here.

Description: This paper combines the interval analysis tools with the nonlinear model predictive control (NMPC). The NMPC strategy is formulated based on an uncertain dynamic model expressed as nonlinear ordinary differential equations (ODEs). All the dynamic parameters are identified in a guaranteed way considering the various uncertainties on the embedded sensors and the system’s design. The NMPC problem is solved at each time step using validated simulation and interval analysis methods to compute the optimal and safe control inputs over a finite prediction horizon. This approach considers several constraints which are crucial for the system’s safety and stability, namely the state and the control limits. The proposed controller consists of two steps: filtering and branching procedures enabling to find the input intervals that fulfill the state constraints and ensure the convergence to the reference set. Then, the optimization procedure allows for computing the optimal and punctual control input that must be sent to the system’s actuators for the pendulum stabilization. The validated NMPC capabilities are illustrated through several simulations under the DynIbex library and experiments using an inverted pendulum.

Description: The purpose of our study was to evaluate the role of macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) in the differentiation of tendon-derived stem cells (TdSCs) under hyperglycemic conditions. In the in vivo experiment, rats were classified into diabetic (DM) and non-DM groups depending on the intraperitoneal streptozotocin (STZ) or saline injection. Twelve-week after STZ injection, the supraspinatus tendon was harvested and prepared for histological evaluation and real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction for osteochondrogenic (aggrecan, BMP-2, and Sox9) and tenogenic (Egr1, Mkx, scleraxis, type 1 collagen, and Tnmd) markers. For the in vitro experiment, TdSCs were isolated from healthy rat Achilles tendons. Cultured TdSCs were treated with methylglyoxal and recombinant MIF or MIF gene knockdown to determine the effect of hyperglycemic conditions and MIF on the differentiation function of TdSCs. These conditions were classified into four groups: hyperglycemic-control group, hyperglycemic-recombinant-MIF group, hyperglycemic-knockdown-MIF group, and normal-control group. The mRNA expression of osteochondrogenic and tenogenic markers was compared among the groups. In the in vivo experiment, the mRNA expression of all osteochondrogenic and tenogenic differentiation markers in the DM group was significantly higher and lower than that in the non-DM group, respectively. Similarly, in the in vitro experiments, the expression of all osteochondrogenic and tenogenic differentiation markers was significantly upregulated and downregulated, respectively, in the hyperglycemic-control group compared to that in the normal-control group. The hyperglycemic-knockdown-MIF group demonstrated significantly decreased expression of all osteochondrogenic differentiation markers and increased expression of only some tenogenic differentiation markers compared with the hyperglycemic-control group. In contrast, the hyperglycemic-recombinant-MIF group showed significantly increased expression of all osteochondrogenic differentiation markers, but no significant difference in any tenogenic marker level, compared to the hyperglycemic-control group. These results suggest that tendon homeostasis could be affected by hyperglycemic conditions, and MIF appears to alter the differentiation of TdSCs via enhancement of the osteochondrogenic differentiation in hyperglycemic conditions. These are preliminary findings, and must be confirmed in a further study.

Description: WD is caused by ATP7B variants disrupting copper efflux resulting in excessive copper accumulation mainly in liver and brain. The diagnosis of WD is challenged by its variable clinical course, onset, morbidity, and ATP7B variant type. Currently it is diagnosed by a combination of clinical symptoms/signs, aberrant copper metabolism parameters (e.g., low ceruloplasmin serum levels and high urinary and hepatic copper concentrations), and genetic evidence of ATP7B mutations when available. As early diagnosis and treatment are key to favorable outcomes, it is critical to identify subjects before the onset of overtly detrimental clinical manifestations. To this end, we sought to improve WD diagnosis using artificial neural network algorithms (part of artificial intelligence) by integrating available clinical and molecular parameters. Surprisingly, WD diagnosis was based on plasma levels of glutamate, asparagine, taurine, and Fischer’s ratio. As these amino acids are linked to the urea–Krebs’ cycles, our study not only underscores the central role of hepatic mitochondria in WD pathology but also that most WD patients have underlying hepatic dysfunction. Our study provides novel evidence that artificial intelligence utilized for integrated analysis for WD may result in earlier diagnosis and mechanistically relevant treatments for patients with WD.

Description: A major advantage of the use of passive sonar in the tracking multiple underwater targets is that they can be kept covert, which reduces the risk of being attacked. However, the nonlinearity of the passive Doppler and bearing measurements, the range unobservability problem, and the complexity of data association between measurements and targets make the problem of underwater passive multiple target tracking challenging. To deal with these problems, the cardinalized probability hypothesis density (CPHD) recursion, which is based on Bayesian information theory, is developed to handle the data association uncertainty, and to acquire existing targets’ numbers and states (e.g., position and velocity). The key idea of the CPHD recursion is to simultaneously estimate the targets’ intensity and the probability distribution of the number of targets. The CPHD recursion is the first moment approximation of the Bayesian multiple targets filter, which avoids the data association procedure between the targets and measurements including clutter. The Bayesian-filter-based extended Kalman filter (EKF) is applied to deal with the nonlinear bearing and Doppler measurements. The experimental results show that the EKF-based CPHD recursion works well in the underwater passive multiple target tracking system in cluttered and noisy environments.

Description: In order to enhance the corrosion resistance of concrete to chloride salt, 5% NaCl solution was used to corrode ordinary concrete (OC) and rubber concrete (RC) with 5%, 10%, and 15% rubber content, respectively. By testing the compressive strength, mass, chloride ion concentration at different depths and relative dynamic elastic modulus, the erosion mechanism was analyzed by means of SEM scanning and EDS patterns, and the mechanical properties and deterioration degree of ordinary concrete (OC) and rubber concrete (RC) under the corrosion environment of chloride salt were studied. The results show that: the quality of rubber mixed into concrete increases first and then decreases, and rubber can increase the compressive strength of concrete, improve its internal structure. At the same time, the mechanical properties of concrete in the corrosion environment of chloride salt are improved to a certain extent, and the deterioration degree is reduced. Considering the comprehensive performance of OC and RC in the dry–wet alternation mechanism under chloride salt corrosion, the best content of rubber is 10%.

Description: Cervical laminoplasty is a valuable procedure for myelopathy but it is associated with complications such as increased kyphosis. The effect of ligament damage during cervical laminoplasty on biomechanics is not well understood. We developed the C2–C7 cervical spine finite element model and simulated C3–C6 double-door laminoplasty. Three models were created (a) intact, (b) laminoplasty-pre (model assuming that the ligamentum flavum (LF) between C3–C6 was preserved during surgery), and (c) laminoplasty-res (model assuming that the LF between C3–C6 was resected during surgery). The models were subjected to physiological loading, and the range of motion (ROM), intervertebral nucleus stress, and facet contact forces were analyzed under flexion/extension, lateral bending, and axial rotation. The maximum change in ROM was observed under flexion motion. Under flexion, ROM in the laminoplasty-pre model increased by 100.2%, 111.8%, and 98.6% compared to the intact model at C3–C4, C4–C5, and C5–C6, respectively. The ROM in laminoplasty-res further increased by 105.2%, 116.8%, and 101.8% compared to the intact model at C3–C4, C4–C5, and C5–C6, respectively. The maximum stress in the annulus/nucleus was observed under left bending at the C4–C5 segment where an increase of 139.5% and 229.6% compared to the intact model was observed for laminoplasty-pre and laminoplasty-res model, respectively. The highest facet contact forces were observed at C4–C5 under axial rotation, where an increase of 500.7% and 500.7% was observed compared to the intact model for laminoplasty-pre and laminoplasty-res, respectively. The posterior ligaments of the cervical spine play a vital role in restoring/stabilizing the cervical spine. When laminoplasty is performed, the surgeon needs to be careful not to injure the posterior soft tissue, including ligaments such as LF.

Description: Microwave-absorbing materials have attracted increased research interest in recent years because of their core roles in the fields of electromagnetic (EM) pollution precaution and information security. In this paper, microwave-absorbing material NiFe-layered double hydroxide (NiFe-LDH) was synthesized by a simple co-precipitation method and calcined for the fabrication of NiFe-mixed metal oxide (NiFe-MMO). The phase structure and micromorphology of the NiFe-LDH and NiFe-MMO were analyzed, and their microwave-absorbing properties were investigated with a vector network analyzer in 2–18 GHz. Both NiFe-LDH and NiFe-MMO possessed abundant interfaces and a low dielectric constant, which were beneficial to electromagnetic wave absorption, owing to the synergistic effect of multi-relaxation and impedance matching. The optimum reflection loss (RL) of NiFe-LDH and NiFe-MMO was −58.8 dB and −64.4 dB, respectively, with the thickness of 4.0 mm in the C band. This work demonstrates that LDH-based materials have a potential application in electromagnetic wave absorption.

Description: Al2O3 and Al2O3-ZrO2 coatings were deposited on stainless steel using atmospheric plasma spraying. The influence of arc current and zirconia addition on the surface morphology of the coating, phase composition and tribological properties under dry sliding conditions were investigated. The addition of zirconia reduced the surface roughness of the coatings. The X-ray diffraction measurements indicated that the Al2O3 coatings were composed of β-Al2O3, α-Al2O3, and γ-Al2O3 phases. The addition of zirconia led to the formation of tetragonal and monoclinic phases of zirconia in the as-sprayed coatings. The friction coefficients of Al2O3 and Al2O3-ZrO2 coatings were similar and varied in the range of 0.72–0.75. The specific wear rates of the as-sprayed coatings were reduced with the increase of arc current. It was obtained that the wear rates of the Al2O3-ZrO2 coatings were at least three times lower compared to Al2O3 coatings.