Influenza is a viral infectious disease considered as a source of many health problems and enormous socioeconomic disruptions. Conventional methods are inadequate for in-field detection of the virus ...and generally suffer from being laborious and time-consuming. Thus, studies aiming to develop effective alternatives to conventional methods are urgently needed. In this work, we developed an approach for the isolation and detection of influenza A virus subtype H9N2. For this aim, two specific influenza receptors were used. The first, anti-matrix protein 2 (M2) antibody, was attached to iron magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) and used for the isolation of the virus from allantoic fluid. The second biomolecule, Fetuin A, was attached to an electrochemical detectable label, gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), and used to detect the virus tacking advantage from fetuin-hemagglutinin interaction. The MNP-Influenza virus-AuNP formed complex was isolated and treated by an acid solution then the collected gold nanoparticles were deposited onto a screen printed carbon electrode. AuNPs catalyzes the hydrogen ions reduction in acidic medium while applying an appropriate potential, and the generated current signal was proportional to the virus titer. This approach allows the rapid detection of influenza virus A/H9N2 at a less than 16 HAU titer.
•Nanoparticles biosensor for influenza virus type A detection has been demonstrated.•Selective detection of H9N2 via specific antibodies and fetuin-gold nanoparticles.•Featuring high rapidity & sensitivity, small sample volume and a low detection limit.
This work presents a novel integrated MSF–MED thermal desalination technology and its techno-economics as compared to conventional systems such as MSF-BR, MED-TVC, MSF-OT-LT and plain MED. The new ...integrated MSF–MED benefits from (i) high top brine temperature (TBT) of natural dilution seawater feed of the once through (MSF-OT), (ii) lower pumping power of long tube MSF-LT, and (iii) the low heating steam quality and cost of MED.
The process calculation showed that the pumping power of the integrated MSF–MED is 58% lower than that of the traditional MSF-BR while it is 16%, lower than that of MED-TVC. The cost analysis showed that at subsidized oil price of 12$/bbl, the unit water cost of the integrated MSF–MED is 32% lower than that of MSF-BR and 21% lower than that of MED-TVC. The unit water cost of the integrated MSF–MED is the lowest value when the oil price is lower than 40$/bbl. This result showed the superiority of the integrated MSF–MED configuration for GCC countries since the oil price is generally subsidized. It also has a chance to utilize a diverse available energy such as waste heat and steam from backpressure or condensing turbine.
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•A novel integrated MSF-MED thermal desalination technology is developed.•Pumping power of the MSF-MED is 58 % lower than that of MSF-BR while it is 16 % lower than that of MED-TVC.•The unit water cost of the MSF-MED is 32 % lower than that of MSF-BR and 21 % lower than that of MED-TVC.•The MSF-MED is superior thermal process for GCC countries since the oil price is generally subsidized.•The MSF-MED has features to utilize a diverse of different types and different qaulity energy.
Photosynthetic water oxidation is catalyzed by a manganese–calcium oxide cluster, which experiences five “S-states” during a light-driven reaction cycle. The unique “distorted chair”-like geometry of ...the Mn4CaO5(6) cluster shows structural flexibility that has been frequently proposed to involve “open” and “closed”-cubane forms from the S1 to S3 states. The isomers are interconvertible in the S1 and S2 states, while in the S3 state, the open-cubane structure is observed to dominate inThermosynechococcus elongatus (cyanobacteria) samples. In this work, using density functional theory calculations, we go beyond the S3 +Y z state to the S3 n Y z • → S4 +Y z step, and report for the first time that the reversible isomerism, which is suppressed in the S3 +Y z state, is fully recovered in the ensuing S3 n Y z • state due to the proton release from a manganese-bound water ligand. The altered coordination strength of the manganese–ligand facilitates formation of the closed-cubane form, in a dynamic equilibrium with the open-cubane form. This tautomerism immediately preceding dioxygen formation may constitute the rate limiting step for O2 formation, and exert a significant influence on the water oxidation mechanism in photosystem II.
For 10,000 years pigs and humans have shared a close and complex relationship. From domestication to modern breeding practices, humans have shaped the genomes of domestic pigs. Here we present the ...assembly and analysis of the genome sequence of a female domestic Duroc pig (Sus scrofa) and a comparison with the genomes of wild and domestic pigs from Europe and Asia. Wild pigs emerged in South East Asia and subsequently spread across Eurasia. Our results reveal a deep phylogenetic split between European and Asian wild boars ∼1 million years ago, and a selective sweep analysis indicates selection on genes involved in RNA processing and regulation. Genes associated with immune response and olfaction exhibit fast evolution. Pigs have the largest repertoire of functional olfactory receptor genes, reflecting the importance of smell in this scavenging animal. The pig genome sequence provides an important resource for further improvements of this important livestock species, and our identification of many putative disease-causing variants extends the potential of the pig as a biomedical model.
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Dostopno za:
DOBA, IJS, IZUM, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Ever since the discovery that Mn was required for oxygen evolution in plants by Pirson in 1937 and the period‐four oscillation in flash‐induced oxygen evolution by Joliot and Kok in the 1970s, ...understanding of this process has advanced enormously using state‐of‐the‐art methods. The most recent in this series of innovative techniques was the introduction of X‐ray free‐electron lasers (XFELs) a decade ago, which led to another quantum leap in the understanding in this field, by enabling operando X‐ray structural and X‐ray spectroscopy studies at room temperature. This review summarizes the current understanding of the structure of Photosystem II (PS II) and its catalytic centre, the Mn4CaO5 complex, in the intermediate Si (i = 0–4)‐states of the Kok cycle, obtained using XFELs.
Water oxidation reaction in nature is catalysed by the Mn4CaO5 cluster in Photosystem II. We have developed operando X‐ray crystallography and X‐ray spectroscopy methods at the X‐ray free‐electron laser facilities and applied them to understand the catalytic mechanism and associated protein dynamics in Photosystem II.
Rapid processing of tactile information is essential to human haptic exploration and dexterous object manipulation. Conventional electronic skins generate frames of tactile signals upon interaction ...with objects. Unfortunately, they are generally ill-suited for efficient coding of temporal information and rapid feature extraction. In this work, we report a neuromorphic tactile system that uses spike timing, especially the first-spike timing, to code dynamic tactile information about touch and grasp. This strategy enables the system to seamlessly code highly dynamic information with millisecond temporal resolution on par with the biological nervous system, yielding dynamic extraction of tactile features. Upon interaction with objects, the system rapidly classifies them in the initial phase of touch and grasp, thus paving the way to fast tactile feedback desired for neuro-robotics and neuro-prosthetics.
The myelination of axons by oligodendrocytes has been suggested to be modulated by experience, which could mediate neural plasticity by optimizing the performance of the circuitry. We have assessed ...the dynamics of oligodendrocyte generation and myelination in the human brain. The number of oligodendrocytes in the corpus callosum is established in childhood and remains stable after that. Analysis of the integration of nuclear bomb test-derived (14)C revealed that myelin is exchanged at a high rate, whereas the oligodendrocyte population in white matter is remarkably stable in humans, with an annual exchange of 1/300 oligodendrocytes. We conclude that oligodendrocyte turnover contributes minimally to myelin modulation in human white matter and that this instead may be carried out by mature oligodendrocytes, which may facilitate rapid neural plasticity.
Nucleation is a fundamental part in most syntheses of ceramic materials. Yet, few techniques enable control of this step, which would offer possibilities to attain full-scale kinetic selectivity of ...the syntheses to reach novel compounds with unique properties. Herein, we present a nucleation-controlled crystallization pathway to synthesize coatings of aluminum titanate (Al 2 TiO 5 )─renowned for its low-to-negative thermal expansion─at significantly reduced temperatures than conventional solid-state techniques. Based on a kinetic study using in situ X-ray diffraction, detailed mechanistic insights into the crystallization process and phase evolutions within the Al–Ti–O system are obtained. The lowest activation energies for crystallization are given when the Al–Ti ratio is close-to-stoichiometric or Ti-enriched. Along with these compositions’ similar kinetics at the earliest stages of the transformation, a joint nucleation behavior is discovered, revealing the elemental role of titanium in nucleating the main Al 2 TiO 5 phase. Based on classical nucleation theory, we deduce the significant influence of the configurational entropy ( S config ) when crystallization occurs in the nucleation-controlled domain. Finally, peculiar transition features are observed in the Al-enriched regime during annealing at intermediate temperatures, whose causes are ascribed to the presence of secondary nucleation events and possibilities of structural relaxations in the amorphous matrixes when crystallizing.
Low-grade thermal desalination can contribute to reduce the energy and carbon footprint of the water sector since it can be coupled to both waste heat and renewable energy sources. In this work we ...present a new process, named FlashME, that integrates MSF and MED architectures in an innovative and compact configuration able to obtain desalinated water from non-conventional sources with the highest energy and exergy efficiency. The paper presents the overall process scheme and the related simulation campaign carried in the Aspen Plus environment. The sensitive analysis is implemented to highlight the effect of main independent variables and operative parameters. The results point out the role of the first flashing temperature that should be reduced as much as possible (in relation to the allowable temperature differences between stages) to increase the thermodynamic performances. FlashME simulations are compared with the data available from recent work on low-temperature MED and different “boosted-MED” configurations showing better performances, in particular at very low top brine temperatures where it shows the highest II-law efficiencies among the available thermal processes. In comparison with MED-based and boosted-MED configurations, this system has the advantage to avoid additional flashing stages and vapor injections with the advantage of less complexity as well as improved performance along with reduced energy consumption. In the lowest temperature range (65–70 °C) the results show that the FlashME production rate is increased by 20–28% compared to FB-MED and up to 100% relative to conventional MED.
•recovering the sensible heat at low temperature with a simple and flexible architecture.•doubling the performances of conventional MED architectures.•productivity increased by at least 20% compared to “improved MED” configurations at low temperatures.•greater distillate production and/or lower number of stages.•higher exergy efficiency thanks to reduced entropy generation.
Dans les années 80, Abdoulaye Mamani et Med Hondo se sont inspirés des récits oraux pour transformer Sarraounia Mangou, figure historique, en un mythe littéraire et cinématographique. Depuis lors, ...plusieurs autres types de média – chanson populaire, bande dessinée, peinture architecturale, sculpture joaillière, réseaux sociaux – reprennent à leur manière et réinscrivent dans l’imaginaire négro-africain l’épopée anti-impériale de cette monarque nigériènne. Face à cette prolifération des modes de narration, quel serait le rapport de l’oralité à l’historiographie quand le récit navigue entre plusieurs supports médiatiques, en l’occurrence scripturels, sonores, visuels, numériques? Quel rôle est assigné au griot dans ce contexte? Le présent article affirme que loin d’être de simples transcriptions de la parole du griot, les divers récits de Sarraounia s’appuient sur l’oralité non seulement comme instance achéologique de l’historiographie, mais surtout comme indice sémiologique d’interférence, d’hybridation et de différenciation.
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