Abstract
The CNIa0.02 project aims to collect a complete, nearby sample of Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) light curves, and the SNe are volume-limited with host-galaxy redshifts
z
host
< 0.02. The main ...scientific goal is to infer the distributions of key properties (e.g., the luminosity function) of local SNe Ia in a complete and unbiased fashion in order to study SN explosion physics. We spectroscopically classify any SN candidate detected by the All-Sky Automated Survey for Supernovae (ASAS-SN) that reaches a peak brightness <16.5 mag. Since ASAS-SN scans the full sky and does not target specific galaxies, our target selection is effectively unbiased by host-galaxy properties. We perform multiband photometric observations starting from the time of discovery. In the first data release (DR1), we present the optical light curves obtained for 247 SNe from our project (including 148 SNe in the complete sample), and we derive parameters such as the peak fluxes, Δ
m
15
, and
s
BV
.
The spread of nonindigenous species by shipping is a large and growing global problem that harms coastal ecosystems and economies and may blur coastal biogeographical patterns. This study coupled ...eukaryotic environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding with dissimilarity regression to test the hypothesis that ship‐borne species spread homogenizes port communities. We first collected and metabarcoded water samples from ports in Europe, Asia, Australia and the Americas. We then calculated community dissimilarities between port pairs and tested for effects of environmental dissimilarity, biogeographical region and four alternative measures of ship‐borne species transport risk. We predicted that higher shipping between ports would decrease community dissimilarity, that the effect of shipping would be small compared to that of environment dissimilarity and shared biogeography, and that more complex shipping risk metrics (which account for ballast water and stepping‐stone spread) would perform better. Consistent with our hypotheses, community dissimilarities increased significantly with environmental dissimilarity and, to a lesser extent, decreased with ship‐borne species transport risks, particularly if the ports had similar environments and stepping‐stone risks were considered. Unexpectedly, we found no clear effect of shared biogeography, and that risk metrics incorporating estimates of ballast discharge did not offer more explanatory power than simpler traffic‐based risks. Overall, we found that shipping homogenizes eukaryotic communities between ports in predictable ways, which could inform improvements in invasive species policy and management. We demonstrated the usefulness of eDNA metabarcoding and dissimilarity regression for disentangling the drivers of large‐scale biodiversity patterns. We conclude by outlining logistical considerations and recommendations for future studies using this approach.
This work presents a <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">{D} </tex-math></inline-formula>-band (110-170 GHz) receiver (RX) with integrated analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and phase-locked ...loop (PLL). The receiver front end (RXFE) consists of a coupled-line-based Guanella balun matching network, 140-GHz low-noise amplifier (LNA), and Cherry-Hooper (CH) amplifier providing <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">> </tex-math></inline-formula>20-GHz baseband bandwidth. A quadrature PLL provides I/Q local oscillator (LO) signals for down-conversion. Two 32-GS/s hybrid voltage- and time-domain ADCs digitize the RXFE output. The fully integrated 22-nm FinFET CMOS prototype achieves a peak data rate of 128 Gb/s using 16-QAM modulation with -15.2-dB EVM and consumes 246 mW for 1.95-pJ/b efficiency. The stand-alone RXFE without ADC provides 160-Gb/s data rates with -16.4-dB EVM and consumes 166 mW for 1.04-pJ/b efficiency.
The U.S. places approximately 53% of its total municipal solid waste (MSW) in landfills, but state and local governments across the country are now setting ambitious environmental and waste diversion ...policies requiring, among other things, diversion and utilization of organics. Municipalities across the U.S. are employing anaerobic digestion (AD) as part of their strategy to divert organic MSW from landfills, produce biogas, and yield other beneficial coproducts such as compost and fertilizer. However, AD faces many technical, regulatory, and economic barriers to greater deployment, including upstream waste contamination, local odor and air pollution concerns, lengthy siting and permitting processes, and requirements and sizable costs for interconnecting to the electric grid. We identify a combination of scientific, operational, and policy advancements that are needed to address these barriers.
Molecular dynamics of histone H1 Flanagan, Thomas W.; Brown, David T.
Biochimica et biophysica acta,
03/2016, Volume:
1859, Issue:
3
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
The H1 or linker histones bind dynamically to chromatin in living cells via a process that involves transient association with the nucleosome near the DNA entry/exit site followed by dissociation, ...translocation to a new location, and rebinding. The mean residency time of H1 on any given nucleosome is about a minute, which is much shorter than that of most core histones but considerably longer than that of most other chromatin-binding proteins, including transcription factors. Here we review recent advances in understanding the kinetic pathway of H1 binding and how it relates to linker histone structure and function. We also describe potential mechanisms by which the dynamic binding of H1 might contribute directly to the regulation of gene expression and discuss several situations for which there is experimental evidence to support these mechanisms. Finally, we review the evidence for the participation of linker histone chaperones in mediating H1 exchange. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Histone H1, edited by Dr. Albert Jordan.
•H1 histones bind dynamically to chromatin in living cells and exchange rapidly between nucleosomes.•A kinetic pathway for H1 binding is presented.•Potential mechanisms for the regulation of transcription by dynamic binding of H1 are presented.•The evidence for linker histone chaperones is reviewed.
Abstract Extracellular matrix (ECM) scaffolds prepared from different tissue sources or using different methods have been demonstrated to have distinctive effects upon cell adhesion patterns and the ...ability to support and maintain differentiated phenotypes. It is unknown whether the molecular composition or the ultrastructure of the ECM plays a greater role in determining the phenotype of the cells with which it comes into contact. However, when implanted, the topology and ligand landscape of the material will determine the host molecules that bind and the type and behavior of cells that mediate the host response. Therefore, a comprehensive understanding of surface characteristics is essential in the design of scaffolds for specific clinical applications. The surface characteristics of ECM scaffolds derived from porcine urinary bladder, small intestine, and liver as well as the effects of two commonly used methods of chemical cross-linking upon UBM were investigated. Electron microscopy and time of flight secondary ion mass spectroscopy were used to examine the surface characteristics of the scaffolds. The results show that ECM scaffolds have unique morphologic and structural properties which are dependant on the organ or tissue from which the scaffold is harvested. Furthermore, the results show that the surface characteristics of an ECM scaffold are changed through chemical cross-linking.
Dry anaerobic digestion (AD) of organic municipal solid waste (MSW) followed by composting of the residual digestate is a waste diversion strategy that generates biogas and soil amendment products. ...The AD-composting process avoids methane (CH4) emissions from landfilling, but emissions of other greenhouse gases, odorous/toxic species, and reactive compounds can affect net climate and air quality impacts. In situ measurements of key sources at two large-scale industrial facilities in California were conducted to quantify pollutant emission rates across the AD-composting process. These measurements established a strong relationship between flared biogas ammonia (NH3) content and emitted nitrogen oxides (NO x ), indicating that fuel NO x formation is significant and dominates over the thermal or prompt NO x pathways when biogas NH3 concentration exceeds ∼200 ppm. Composting is the largest source of CH4, carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrous oxide (N2O), and carbon monoxide (CO) emissions (∼60–70%), and dominate NH3, hydrogen sulfide (H2S), and volatile organic compounds (VOC) emissions (>90%). The high CH4 contribution to CO2-equivalent emissions demonstrates that composting can be an important CH4 source, which could be reduced with improved aeration. Controlling greenhouse gas and toxic/odorous emissions from composting offers the greatest mitigation opportunities for reducing the climate and air quality impacts of the AD-composting process.
Mucociliary clearance is dysfunctional in people with primary ciliary dyskinesia, resulting in the accumulation of dehydrated mucus in the airways that is difficult to clear. We undertook a study to ...assess the benefit on lung function of treatment with a nebulised epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) blocker, idrevloride, with or without hypertonic saline, in people with primary ciliary dyskinesia.
The CLEAN-PCD trial was a phase 2, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial conducted at 32 tertiary adult and paediatric care centres and university hospitals in Canada, Denmark, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, the UK, and the USA. People with a confirmed diagnosis of primary ciliary dyskinesia, aged 12 years or older, with a percentage of predicted FEV
(ppFEV
) in the range of 40% to <90%, were randomly assigned in a 2:2:1:1 ratio (block size=6), stratified by ppFEV
at screening, to one of four sequences: (1) idrevloride in hypertonic saline in treatment period 1 then hypertonic saline in treatment period 2; (2) hypertonic saline in treatment period 1 then idrevloride in hypertonic saline in treatment period 2; (3) idrevloride in treatment period 1 then placebo in treatment period 2; and (4) placebo in treatment period 1 then idrevloride in treatment period 2. The idrevloride dose was 85 μg and hypertonic saline was 4·2% NaCl. 3 mL of each study treatment was nebulised twice daily for 28 days in treatment periods 1 and 2; the two 28-day treatment periods were separated by a 28-day washout period. The primary endpoint was absolute change from baseline in ppFEV
after 28 days. Safety assessments and reports of adverse events were made at clinic visits during each treatment period and by a follow-up telephone call 28 days after the last dose of study drug. Additionally, adverse events could be reported at a follow-up telephone call 3 days after the start of dosing and as they arose. Participants who received at least one dose of study drug were included in the safety analyses (safety set), and those who also had spirometry data were included in the efficacy analyses (full analysis set). The completed study is registered (EudraCT 2015-004917-26; ClinicalTrials.govNCT02871778).
Between Sep 14, 2016, and May 31, 2018, 216 patients were screened and 123 were randomly assigned to one of four crossover sequences. Across the two treatment periods, treatment with idrevloride in hypertonic saline was initiated in 80 patients and completed in 78 patients (all 78 had data available and were included in the analysis); hypertonic saline initiated in 81 patients and completed in 76 patients (75 had data available and were included in the analysis); idrevloride initiated in 37 patients and completed in 35 patients (34 had data available and were included in the analysis); and placebo initiated in 36 patients and completed in 34 patients (all 34 had data available and were included in the analysis). Greater absolute increases in ppFEV
from baseline to 28 days of treatment were seen with idrevloride in hypertonic saline (least-squares mean absolute change from baseline 1·0 percentage points, 95% CI -0·4 to 2·4) than with hypertonic saline alone (least-squares mean absolute change from baseline of -0·5 percentage points, -2·0 to 0·9; difference 1·5 percentage points, 95% CI <0·1 to 3·0; p=0·044). There was no significant difference in ppFEV
for the parallel comparison of idrevloride in hypertonic saline compared with placebo or the crossover comparison of idrevloride with placebo. Adverse events were similar across treatments (57 to 65% of patients). Cough occurred in a greater proportion of participants during treatments that contained idrevloride or hypertonic saline compared with placebo, and oropharyngeal pain occurred in a greater proportion of participants during idrevloride treatments than during treatment with hypertonic saline alone or placebo, whereas chest discomfort was more common during treatments that included hypertonic saline.
In this phase 2 crossover study, idrevloride in hypertonic saline was safe and associated with improved lung function over a 28-day period in people with primary ciliary dyskinesia compared with hypertonic saline alone. Larger, longer clinical studies are warranted to explore the potential benefits of idrevloride in combination with hypertonic saline in people with primary ciliary dyskinesia.
Parion Sciences, under agreement with Vertex Pharmaceuticals.
Most central neurons in the mammalian brain possess an appendage called a primary cilium that projects from the soma into the extracellular space. The importance of these organelles is highlighted by ...the fact that primary cilia dysfunction is associated with numerous neuropathologies, including hyperphagia-induced obesity, hypogonadism, and learning and memory deficits. Neuronal cilia are enriched for signaling molecules, including certain G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), suggesting that neuronal cilia sense and respond to neuromodulators in the extracellular space. However, the impact of cilia on signaling to central neurons has never been demonstrated. Here, we show that the kisspeptin receptor (Kiss1r), a GPCR that is activated by kisspeptin to regulate the onset of puberty and adult reproductive function, is enriched in cilia projecting from mouse gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons. Interestingly, GnRH neurons in adult animals are multiciliated and the percentage of GnRH neurons possessing multiple Kiss1r-positive cilia increases during postnatal development in a progression that correlates with sexual maturation. Remarkably, disruption of cilia selectively on GnRH neurons leads to a significant reduction in kisspeptin-mediated GnRH neuronal activity. To our knowledge, this result is the first demonstration of cilia disruption affecting central neuronal activity and highlights the importance of cilia for proper GPCR signaling.
Iflavirus is a group of viruses distributed mainly in arthropod species. We surveyed
(
) in different laboratory strains and in Sequence Read Archives (SRA) in GenBank.
is highly specific to only
and ...is not found in seven other Tenebrionid species, including the closely related species
. The same strains from different laboratories and different strains displayed largely different degrees of infections in the examination of 50 different lines by using Taqman-based quantitative PCR. We found that ~63% (27 out of 43 strains) of
strains in different laboratories are positive for
PCR with large degrees of variation, in the range of seven orders of magnitude, indicating that the
is highly fluctuating depending on the rearing conditions. The
was prevalent in the nervous system with low levels found in the gonad and gut. The transovarial transmission was supported in the experiment with surface-sterilized eggs. Interestingly,
infection did not show observable pathogenicity.
offers an opportunity to study the interaction between the virus and the immune system of this model beetle species.
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