Hasil untuk "Biology (General)"

Lanbo Lai, Xiaolin Wang, Gholamreza Kefayati et al.

The indirect evaporative cooling system, which exploits the water evaporation process to generate cooling loads without introducing additional moisture, has been recognised as a viable alternative to conventional air-conditioning systems. This acknowledgment is due to its attributes of energy efficiency and environmental friendliness. The meticulous selection of wetting materials for an indirect evaporative cooler is of paramount importance as it significantly influences the heat and mass transfer performance of the system. Therefore, this paper experimentally examined a novel material produced by laser-resurfaced technology, and this material was compared with four other distinct materials (kraft paper, cotton fibre, polyester fibre, and polypropylene + nylon fibre) while considering the wicking ability, water-holding capacity, and thermal response performance. The results revealed that the fabric materials, specifically cotton fibre and polyester fibre, exhibited outstanding water-wicking ability, with a vertical wicking distance exceeding 16 cm. Cotton fibre also demonstrated an exceptional water-holding ability, registering a value of 0.0754 g/cm². In terms of thermal response performance, polypropylene + nylon fibre and the laser-resurfaced polymer achieved stable conditions within one minute, which could be attributed to the absence of a mechanical support plate and adhesive layer. All five materials attained stability after 4.2 min. Cotton and polyester fibres exhibited advantages in the duration of the evaporation process, maintaining stable conditions for 24 and 90 min, respectively. Based on the experimental results, appropriate water-spray strategies are proposed for each material.

Mengwen Gao, Yecui Hu, Xinwei Liu et al.

Spatial heterogeneity in the supply and demand of ecosystem services across multi spatiotemporal scales facilitates the formulation of ecosystem management policies at diverse administrative levels. We mapped the five ecosystem services (ESs) in China, analyzed the spatiotemporal evolution of ESs supply and demand pattern from 2000 to 2020, revealed the spatial distribution patterns and trade-off synergies of ecosystem services supply–demand ratio (ESDR) at multiple scales. Additionally, we explored ecosystem sustainable management pathways adapted to different scales of grid, city and basin. The results showed that, except for soil conservation, significant supply–demand imbalances existed in the other four ESs, with obvious deficits in food supply and water yield. Spatial clustering of ESDR slight variations in refinement level and regional synergy at different scales, with high-value predominantly observed in the southeast, low-value areas in the northwestern region. The increase of high-high (H-H) clustering units at the city and basin scales indicated an overall improvement in supply–demand imbalances on a larger scale. Moreover, the scale dependence of interactions between ESDRs was obvious. At the grid scale, most ESDRs exhibited a synergistic relationship with the strongest intensity. At the city scale, supply–demand ratio of food supply showed significant trade-offs with other types of ESDRs, and this effect was significantly weakened at the basin scale, even tended to shift toward synergistic effects. Consequently, this study suggested that the ESs supply–demand relationship should focus on multiple-scale dependence, enabling the effective design of refined ecosystem management strategies.

Riley B. Jackson, Tyler M. Wilson, Joseph S. Wilson et al.

<i>Lavandula angustifolia</i> Mill., lavender, is an aromatic plant in the Lamiaceae family. Lavender, which is native to the Mediterranean region but cultivated throughout the world, is an important economic plant. Several studies have investigated two aspects of this aromatic plant: (1) which pollinators, particularly bees, pollinate lavender, and (2) the composition of lavender essential oil. However, little research has been conducted to investigate how pollination affects either the yield or phytochemistry of lavender. The current study, which was conducted in North America, investigates which bee species visit lavender and how pollination affects plant chemistry, specifically the essential oil produced by lavender. Over the course of the 5-week observational period, a total of 12 species (across 10 genera) of bees were identified visiting lavender. Compared to previous studies on cultivated lavender at the same site (Mt. Nebo Botanical Farm, Mona, UT), four bee species not previously observed on lavender were identified. These included <i>Hoplitis producta</i>, <i>Nomada</i> sp., <i>Osmia trevoris</i>, and <i>Megachile snowi</i>. Pollinated lavender, compared to lavender excluded from pollinators, produced more essential oil (yield (<i>w</i>/<i>w</i>) = 1.49% vs. 1.07%), lower relative amounts of linalool (35.4% vs. 39.9%), and higher relative amounts of linalyl acetate (21.3% vs. 16.8%). The findings of this study demonstrate the ecological interactions between pollinators and lavender, and how those interactions impact phytochemistry.

Marcelo Viktor Gilge

Ernst Haeckel (1834-1919) foi um renomado pesquisador alemão da segunda metade do século XIX e início do século XX. Parte de sua produção científica foi devotada a defender e divulgar as ideias darwinianas de modificação das espécies em seu país. Entre as ideias de Haeckel, destaca-se a Lei Biogenética Fundamental, na qual ele afirmava que os estágios de desenvolvimento pelos quais passam os embriões recapitulam a história evolutiva do filo. Para explicar essa ideia, na obra Natürliche Schöpfungsgeschichte (História Natural da Criação) de 1868, Haeckel utilizou ilustrações de embriões que foram alvo de críticas e acusações de fraude e plágio. Este artigo tem por objetivos analisar o uso que Ernst Haeckel fez dessas ilustrações, relatando algumas das críticas de cientistas contemporâneas e posteriores e proporcionar um material para atividades pedagógicas voltadas ao ensino de evolução biológica e desenvolvimento embrionário. Em aproximação a análises realizadas por alguns historiadores da ciência, conclui-se que Haeckel se defendeu razoavelmente e que a motivação maior das críticas era o ataque ao darwinismo.

Qing Chen, Aihuang Guo, Yaodong Cui

To achieve the anticipated performance of massive multiple input multiple output (MIMO) systems in wireless communication, it is imperative that the user equipment (UE) accurately feeds the channel state information (CSI) back to the base station (BS) along the uplink. To reduce the feedback overhead, an increasing number of deep learning (DL)-based networks have emerged, aimed at compressing and subsequently recovering CSI. Various novel structures are introduced, among which Transformer architecture has enabled a new level of precision in CSI feedback. In this paper, we propose a new method named TransNet+ built upon the Transformer-based TransNet by updating the multi-head attention layer and implementing an improved training scheme. The simulation results demonstrate that TransNet+ outperforms existing methods in terms of recovery accuracy and achieves state-of-the-art.

Athanasios Michas, Vasileios Michas, Evangelos Anagnostou et al.

Colorectal carcinoma (colon and rectum) is currently considered among the most prevalent malignancies of Western societies. The pathogenesis and etiological mechanisms underlying colorectal cancer (CRC) development remain complex and heterogeneous. The homeostasis and function of normal human intestinal cells is highly regulated by microRNAs. Therefore, it is not surprising that mutations and inactivation of these molecules appear to be linked with progression of colorectal tumors. Recent studies have reported significant alterations of microRNA expression in adenomas and CRCs compared with adjacent normal tissues. This observed deviation has been proposed to correlate with the progression and survival of disease as well as with choice of optimal treatment and drug resistance. MicroRNAs can adopt either oncogenic or tumor-suppressive roles during regulation of pathways that drive carcinogenesis. Typically, oncogenic microRNAs termed oncomirs, target and silence endogenous tumor-suppressor genes. On the other hand, tumor-suppressive microRNAs are critical in downregulating genes associated with cell growth and malignant capabilities. By extensively evaluating robust studies, we have emphasized and distinguished a discrete set of microRNAs that can modulate tumor progression by silencing specific driver genes crucial in signaling pathways including Wnt/b-catenin, epidermal growth factor receptor, P53, mismatch repair DNA repair, and transforming-growth factor beta.

Dina V. Antonova, Dmitry A. Gnatenko, Elena S. Kotova et al.

Fibroblast activation protein (FAP) is an integral membrane serine protease that acts as both dipeptidyl peptidase and collagenase. In recent years, FAP has attracted considerable attention due to its specific upregulation in multiple types of tumor cell populations, including cancer cells in various cancer types, making FAP a potential target for therapy. However, relatively few papers pay attention to the mechanisms driving the cell-specific expression of the FAP gene. We found no correlation between the activities of the two FAP promoter variants (short and long) and the endogenous FAP mRNA expression level in several cell lines with different FAP expression levels. This suggested that other mechanisms may be responsible for specific transcriptional regulation of the FAP gene. We analyzed the distribution of known epigenetic and structural chromatin marks in FAP-positive and FAP-negative cell lines and identified two potential enhancer-like elements (E1 and E2) in the FAP gene locus. We confirmed the specific enrichment of H3K27ac in the putative enhancer regions in FAP-expressing cells. Both the elements exhibited enhancer activity independently of each other in the functional test by increasing the activity of the FAP promoter variants to a greater extent in FAP-expressing cell lines than in FAP-negative cell lines. The transcription factors AP-1, CEBPB, and STAT3 may be involved in FAP activation in the tumors. We hypothesized the existence of a positive feedback loop between FAP and STAT3, which may have implications for developing new approaches in cancer therapy.

Ruichen Rong, Yonglong Wei, Lin Li et al.

Summary: Background: Tissues such as the liver lobule, kidney nephron, and intestinal gland exhibit intricate patterns of zonated gene expression corresponding to distinct cell types and functions. To quantitatively understand zonation, it is important to measure cellular or genetic features as a function of position along a zonal axis. While it is possible to manually count, characterize, and locate features in relation to the zonal axis, it is labor-intensive and difficult to do manually while maintaining precision and accuracy. Methods: We addressed this challenge by developing a deep-learning-based quantification method called the “Tissue Positioning System” (TPS), which can automatically analyze zonation in the liver lobule as a model system. Findings: By using algorithms that identified vessels, classified vessels, and segmented zones based on the relative position along the portal vein to central vein axis, TPS was able to spatially quantify gene expression in mice with zone specific reporters. Interpretation: TPS could discern expression differences between zonal reporter strains, ages, and disease states. TPS could also reveal the zonal distribution of cells previously thought to be positioned randomly. The design principles of TPS could be generalized to other tissues to explore the biology of zonation. Funding: CPRIT (RP190208, RP220614, RP230330) and NIH (P30CA142543, R01AA028791, R01CA251928, R01DK1253961, R01GM140012, 1R01GM141519, 1R01DE030656, 1U01CA249245). The Pollack Foundation, Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center Cancer &amp; Obesity Translational Pilot Award, and the Emerging Leader Award from the Mark Foundation For Cancer Research (#21-003-ELA).

Gaolei Jiang, Nai'ang Wang, Dayou Zhai et al.

Limnocythere inopinata (Baird, 1843) is a widely distributed ostracod in modern non-marine waters and Quaternary sediments. Based on its morphological variation (the number and position of its nodes), different phenotypes have been identified. However, the factors controlling its morphological variation are currently open to debate, which hinders palaeoecological reconstructions based on this species. In this study, ostracod distribution and hydrochemical analyses of the ambient environment of 21 lakes in the Badain Jaran Desert were carried out. Three ostracod species belonging to two genera are identified as Limnocyhtere inopinata, Cypris cf. granulate and Cypris sp. with the dominant species L. inopinata represented by six phenotypes. The distribution features of these ostracods in the lakes and related ecological information are reported. In addition, the factors controlling the morphological variations of L. inopinata were analysed. Our data indicate that the noded individuals of L. inopinata prefer water with appropriate Ca2+ content (30–40 mg L−1) and low salinities (below 4.60 g L−1). The percentage of noded individuals of L. inopinata increases with increasing salinity only within a certain salinity range. Hence, caution should be exercised in reconstructions of palaeosalinity based on the morphological variability of L. inopinata.

Marilena Cozzolino, Antonio De Simone, Vincenzo Gentile et al.

The application of non-invasive geophysical techniques and digital surveys to explore cultural heritage is becoming a very important research field. The capability to detect inner and superficial changes in the inspected surfaces allows for imaging spatial inhomogeneity and material features and planning targeted conservation and restoration interventions. In this work, the results of a research project carried out on the famous Battle of Issus Mosaic, also known as the “Alexander Mosaic”, are presented. It is a masterpiece of ancient art that was found in 1831 in the House of Faun, the most luxurious and spacious house in Pompeii. It is notable for its size (3.41 × 5.82 m), the quality of workmanship and the subject that represents the culminating phase of the battle between Alexander Magno’s army and the Persian one of Darius. In 1916, it was moved inside the National Archaeological Museum of Naples, where the original horizontal location was changed with a vertical arrangement supported by an inner wooden structure, whose exact manufacture is unclear. Today, the mosaic is affected by important instability phenomena highlighted by the appearance of the significant detachment of tiles, superficial lesions and swelling of the surface. Given the important need to preserve it, a high-detail diagnostic study was realized through a digital survey and non-invasive geophysical surveys using ground-penetrating radar (GPR). The investigation was repeated after two years, in 2018 and 2020, with the aim of verifying the evolution of degradation. The work provided a high-resolution estimate of the state of the health of the mosaic and allowed for obtaining a three-dimensional reconstruction of the internal mosaic structure, including the formulation of hypotheses on the engineering supporting works of the twentieth century; this provides an essential tool for the imminent conservation project, which also implies restoring the original horizontal position.

J. Tuxhorn, G. Ayala, D. Rowley

J. Gurevitch, G. Fox, G. Wardle et al.

Marina M. Mennucci, Rodrigo Montes, Alexandre C. Bastos et al.

This work compares different electrodeposition procedures to produce nickel black coatings as greener and less toxic alternatives to Cr(VI)-based coatings used in different applications. Nickel and nickel-plated brass served as substrates in studies with a Hull cell and polarization curves. After a set of comparative experiments, the best electrodeposition procedure was further studied and optimized. Optimal conditions were found with a bath consisting of 75 g/L NiCl₂·6H₂O + 30 g/L NaCl and a current density of 0.143 A dm⁻² applied for 5 min at room temperature. Furthermore, a pre-treatment with 18.5 vol.% of hydrochloric acid in water was found to be necessary to warrant good coating adhesion to the substrate. The black color is attributed to the development of a nanostructured surface that absorbs the incident light. Corrosion testing was performed in 0.5 M NaCl aqueous solution using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and polarization tests.

Yinling Mao, Jiachen Lv, Li Jiang et al.

Abstract Background Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), acting as competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) have been reported to regulate the expression of targeted genes by sponging miRNA in colon adenocarcinoma (COAD). Methods However, their potential implications for recurrence free survival prognosis and functional roles remains largely unclear in COAD. In this study, we downloaded the TCGA dataset (training dataset) and GSE39582 (validation dataset) of COAD patients with prognostic information. Results A total of 411 differentially expressed genes (DElncRNAs: 12 downregulated and 43 upregulated), 18 DE miRNAs (9 downregulated and 9 upregulated) and 338 DEmRNAs (113 downregulated and 225 upregulated) were identified in recurrence samples compared with non-recurrence samples with the thresholds of FDR < 0.05 and |log2FC|> 0.263. Based on six signature lncRNAs (LINC00899, LINC01503, PRKAG2-AS1, RAD21-AS1, SRRM2-AS1 and USP30-AS1), the risk score (RS) system was constructed. Two prognostic clinical features, including pathologic stage and RS model status were screened for building the nomogram survival model. Moreover, a recurrent-specific ceRNA network was successfully constructed with 2 signature lncRNAs, 4 miRNAs and 113 mRNAs. Furthermore, we further manifested that SRRM2-AS1 predicted a poor prognosis in COAD patients. Furthermore, knockdown of SRRM2-AS1 significantly suppressed cell proliferation, migration, invasion and EMT markers in HT-29 and SW1116 cells. Conclusion These identified novel lncRNA signature and ceRNA network associated with recurrence prognosis might provide promising therapeutic targets for COAD patients.

A. S. Alvarado, P. Tsonis

Förster

Calvin H Jan

Advanced microscopy and labeling techniques reveal that bacteria localize mRNAs within their cells in a similar way to eukaryotes.

Cinzia Rizza, Silvia Scibetta, Antonella Pane et al.

The objective of this study was to investigate the health conditions of oak and beech stands in the three Regional Parks of Sicily (Etna, Madonie and Nebrodi). A total of 81 sampling areas were investigated, 54 in oak stands and 27 in beech stands. The phytosanitary conditions of each tree within the respective sampling area was expressed with a synthetic index namely phytosanitary class (PC). Oak stands showed severe symptoms of decline, with 85% of the sampling areas including symptomatic trees. In general, beech stands were in better condition, with the exception of Nebrodi Park, where trees showed severe symptoms of decline. On oak trees, infections of fungal pathogens were also observed, including Biscogniauxia mediterranea, Polyporus sp., Fistulina hepatica, Mycrosphaera alphitoides and Armillaria sp. By contrast, on beech trees Biscogniauxia nummularia, Fomes fomentarius and Neonectria radicicola were recognized. Furthermore, twenty-two permanent sampling areas were delimited with the aim of monitoring regularly the health conditions of forests in these three parks.

S. Siddell, H. Wege, V. ter meulen

A. Nasim, P. Young, Byron F. Johnson