Sequential model-based design of experiments (MBDoE) uses information from previous experiments to select run conditions for new experiments. Computation of the objective functions for popular MBDoE can be impossible due to a non-invertible Fisher Information Matrix (FIM). Previously, we evaluated a leave-out (LO) approach that design experiments by removing problematic model parameters from the design process. However, the LO approach can be computationally expensive due to its iterative nature and some model parameters are ignored. In this study, we propose a simple Bayesian approach that makes the FIM invertible by accounting for prior parameter information. We compare the proposed Bayesian approach to the LO approach for designing sequential A-optimal experiments. Results from a pharmaceutical case study show that the Bayesian approach is superior, on average, to the LO approach for design of experiments. However, for subsequent parameter estimation, a subset-selection-based LO approach gives better parameter values than the Bayesian approach.

Purpose : Pulmonary ultrasound can rapidly identify the etiology of acute respiratory failure (ARF) and assess treatment response. The often-subjective classification of abnormalities makes it difficult to document change over time and communicate findings across providers. The study goal was to develop a simple, scoring system that would allow for standardized documentation, have high inter-provider agreement, and correlate with clinical metrics.Methods : rospective of adults intubated for ARF performed at intubation, 48-hours, and extubation. A total lung score (TLS) was calculated. Clinical metrics and final diagnosis were extracted from the medical record.Results : TLS correlated positively with mortality (p=0.0), ventilator hours (p0.00), intensive care unit and hospital length of stay (p=0.00, p=0.0), and decreasing PaO2/FiO2 (p0.00). Agreement of findings was very good (kappa=0.83). Baseline TLS differed significantly between ARF categories (non-pulmonary, obstructive, and parenchymal disease).Conclusions : A quick, was associated with clinical metrics including mortality among a diverse population of patients intubated for ARF. In addition to diagnostic and prognostic information at the bedside, a standardized and quantifiable approach to PU provides objectivity in serial assessment and may enhance communication of findings between providers.

Strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.) is an important fruit crop worldwide. Mutation of Arabidopsis thaliana ROOTY (RTY) results in increased endogenous auxin levels and root and shoot growth, but the effects of this gene in strawberry remain unclear. Here, we heterologously expressed Arabidopsis rty in strawberry plants and examined the effects of rty expression on the hormonal and physiological properties of the plants. Heterologous expression of rty induced IAA accumulation and increased the production of adventitious roots as well as trichomes on the abaxial leaf surface of the transgenic plants. Furthermore, the transgenic strawberry plants had increased ABA accumulation and stomatal closure. The transgenic strawberry plants exhibited enhanced water use efficiency and a reduced water loss rate. Additionally, peroxidase and catalase activities were significantly higher in the transgenic plants than in the untransformed controls, and the transgenic plants were more drought tolerant than the wild-type plants. Our results suggest that transgenic approaches can be used to overcome the inherent trade-off between plant growth and drought tolerance by enhancing water use efficiency and reducing water loss rate under water shortage conditions. This study provides the basis for future genetic modifications of strawberry to improve drought tolerance.

Recently, numerous synthetic small molecular peptidomimetics have been designed to overcome the shortcomings of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), such as protease instability and high production cost. TZP4 is a triazine-based amphipathic polymer designed to mimic the amphipathic structure found in AMPs. Compared to melittin, TZP4 showed superior antimicrobial activity against antibiotic-resistant pathogens, such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Results of membrane depolarization, SYTOX Green uptake, flow cytometry, and gel retardation assays suggested that the mechanism of antimicrobial action of TZP4 involved an intracellular target rather than the bacterial cell membrane. Furthermore, TZP4 suppressed the mRNA levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and inhibited the release of NO and TNF-α in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. BODIPY-TR-cadaverine displacement and dissociation of Fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) labelled lipopolysaccharides (LPS) assays revealed that TZP4 strongly bound to Escherichia coli-derived LPS and disaggregated the LPS oligomers. Additionally, flow cytometric analysis revealed that TZP4 inhibited the binding of FITC-conjugated LPS to RAW264.7 cells. These observations indicate that TZP4 may exert its anti-endotoxin activity by directly binding with LPS and inhibiting the interaction between LPS and CD14+ cells. Thus, we propose that TZP4 is a promising drug candidate for the treatment of endotoxic shock and sepsis caused by gram-negative bacterial infections.

In the present study, vertical propane jet fires are simulated using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) with Shear Stress Transport (SST), Eddy Dissipation Concept (EDC) and Monte Carlo. These models are used for turbulence, combustion and radiation, respectively, and the results are compared with the DNV-Phast 7.2 software. The predicted radiations are validated at three horizontal distance points. The results show that the average radiation error predicted by the DNV-Phast 7.2 software and the CFD method with experiments data were 98% and 10.5%, respectively. The simulation results also show that it is not possible to accurately predict the amount of radiation during a propane jet flame by using the DNV-Phast 7.2 software; whereas the CFD simulations determine the amount of radiation at all locations

Experimental results on pressure drop and flow patterns for gas-liquid flow through packed beds obtained in the International Space Station with two types of packing are presented and analyzed. It is found that the pressure drop depends on the packing wettability in the viscous-capillary (V-C) regime and this dependence is compared with previously published results developed using short duration low-gravity aircraft tests. Within the V-C regime, the capillary contribution is the dominant force contributing to the pressure drop for the wetting case (glass) versus the viscous contribution dominating for the non-wetting case (Teflon). Outside of the V-C regime, it is also found that hysteresis effects that are often strong in normal gravity gas-liquid flows are greatly diminished in microgravity and pressure drop is nearly independent of packing wettability. A flow pattern transition map from bubble to pulse flow is also compared with the earlier aircraft data.

Numerical investigation of a steam methane reforming process was performed from point of view to understand the heat flows inside a catalyst particle. To verify the numerical results, a new method based on the thermal conductivity equation has been developed to determine the temperature distribution inside the catalyst particle. The CFD-model was realized via ANSYS Fluent. To model the steam methane reforming process, the industrial Ni-based catalyst with a spherical particle was chosen. The temperature contours inside the catalyst particle and hydrogen mole fraction in the reaction space was calculated both numerically and analytically. The results show the irregularity in the distribution of the temperature field inside the catalyst. In the direction of flow, a minimum catalyst temperature occurs. In this case, the temperature decrease inside the catalyst occurs unevenly. Also, the temperature change on the catalyst surface as a function of flow time was analyzed.

Predator-prey interactions are critical to understand how communities function. However, we need to describe intraspecific variation in diet to accurately depict those interactions. Harbor seals (Phoca vitulina, Linnaeus 1758) are an abundant marine predator that prey on species of conservation concern. We estimated intrapopulation feeding diversity of harbor seals in the Salish Sea relative to sex, time, and location with a novel approach that combined molecular techniques, repeated cross-sectional sampling of scat, and a specialization metric (within-individual consistency in diet). Based on 1,083 scat samples collected from five haul-out sites during four non-sequential years, we quantified diet using metabarcoding techniques, and determined the sex of the scat depositor using a molecular assay. Results suggest that intrapopulation feeding diversity was pervasive. Specialization was high over short periods (24 - 48 hours,〖PS〗_i = 0.392, 95% CI = 0.013, R = 100,000) and variable in time and space. Females showed more specialization than males, particularly during summer and fall, and demersal and benthic prey species were correlated with more specialized diets. The latter finding suggests that this type of prey likely require specific foraging strategies and that there are trade-offs between pelagic and benthic foraging styles for harbor seals. This differential feeding on prey species, as well as between sexes of harbor seals, indicate that predator-prey interactions in harbor seals are complex and that each sex may have a different impact on species of conservation concern. As such, describing intraspecific variation in diet may unravel hitherto unknown complex predator-prey interactions in the community.

ABSTRACTLa complessità del mondo della cura ha fra le sue espressioni più indagate quella del paziente fragile, nonostante la sua definizione sia ancora dibattuta. Questo studio è il tentativo di utilizzare uno strumento messo a punto in ambito sociologico, l’Analisi Qualitativa Comparata, per ridurne la complessità descrittiva. La modalità olistica di questo approccio consente, anche nel campo della cura, di cogliere l’aspetto multi-dimensionale del paziente fragile, risultando utile alla sua analisi.Parole chiave : fragilità - AQC – tavola di verità – algebra booleana – olismoThe complexity of the world of care has among its most investigated expressions that of the frail patient, although its definition is still debated. This paper describes the attempt to use a tool developed in the sociological field, Comparative Qualitative Analysis, to reduce its descriptive complexity. The holistic modality of this approach allows, also in the field of care, to grasp the multi-dimensional aspect of the frail patient, resulting useful for his analysis.Key words : fragility - AQC - truth table - Boolean algebra - holismDa molti anni, la comunità medica, spinta della necessità di guardare il malato non solo come portatore di patologia ma anche di un patrimonio di motivazioni, esperienze, cultura, credenze, connessioni sociali ed ambientali, ha iniziato a riconsiderare il modo stesso di definire la malattia, le sue conseguenze, l’opportunità e perfino l’eticità di alcune pratiche di cura, soprattutto quando la malattia si inserisce in un quadro non complicato ma complesso, ossia quando la malattia stessa modifica, in modo spesso imprevedibile, una serie di fattori che non sono solo di natura biochimica o fisica ma anche psicologica, sociale, economica ed etica, determinando uno squilibrio al quale non è sufficiente rispondere con la sola terapia medica.Sono così diventate sempre più frequenti le connessioni e gli intrecci fra discipline e materie diverse, praticate da professionisti e studiosi che dal proprio punto di vista approcciano la complessità dell’individuo malato.Questo contributo va in questa direzione, nella convinzione che la complessità del mondo contemporaneo, compresa quella medica e sanitaria, non possa essere affrontata da prospettive singole ma dalla cooperazione fra gli studiosi di discipline scientifiche diverse.Lo scopo di questo studio è stato quello di verificare se uno strumento di ricerca, denominato Analisi Qualitativa Comparata (AQC), utilizzato nelle scienze sociali, potesse essere utile per analizzare un fenomeno che si presenta nel campo della cura medica e che è stato definito “paziente fragile” (PF).Il paziente fragile è oggi fra le espressioni più studiate della complessità del mondo della cura perché ne rappresenta più di altre la difficoltà di descrizione e di definizione nonché la natura multi-dimensionale, interconnessa e non di rado contraddittoria.La definizione di paziente fragile è tuttora un processo in evoluzione le cui tappe non riguardano le finalità di questo articolo però, sebbene manchi una versione definitiva e condivisa fra i professionisti della salute al momento, ci sono alcuni elementi che la caratterizzano e che possiamo così sintetizzare: la fragilità è una condizione che coinvolge prevalentemente soggetti anziani, affetti da patologie, disabili, con difficoltà mnemoniche e di \ref{109077}.\ref{109077}dizione può essere complicata da fattori socio-economici come solitudine, difficoltà relazionali o povertà.Soprattutto in ambito geriatrico si sono fatti sforzi per estendere il concetto di fragilità a dimensioni che non siano solo quelle fisiche e cliniche2, proponendo l’utilizzo di strumenti di valutazione multidimensionale per soggetti anziani, pur riconoscendone la difficoltà di utilizzo in ambito clinico33Pilotto A., Ferrucci L., Verso una definizione clinica della fragilità:utilità dell’approccio multidimensionale , G.Gerontol. 2011, 59, pp.125-29.Il concetto di paziente fragile, come tutti i concetti, dipende da quali casi si hanno in mente quando lo si definisce, per cui occorre porre molta attenzione ad inserire oppure omettere un criterio fra quelli che contribuiscono alla sua generalizzazione.Questa accortezza non sembri una semplice questione di procedura teorica perché le implicazioni possono essere molto concrete se, ad esempio, le immaginiamo nella sfera delle politiche socio-sanitarie. Da qui la necessità di approfondire la conoscenza di questo fenomeno da prospettive diverse.L’dea di partenza è stata quella di valutare la fragilità di un paziente non come unica condizione, quale viene considerata dal punto di vista medico44De Toni A., Giacomelli F., Ivis S., Il mondo invisibile dei pazienti fragili, Utet Università, 2010, ma come una configurazione di condizioni, in altre parole che la fragilità sia esaminata come un tutto, le cui cause sono collegate fra loro e possono essere analizzate solo nel contesto del caso e non separatamente come spesso avviene.In genere, in ambito medico, la fragilità viene catalogata fra i fenomeni complessi 55(ibidem), ossia quelli nei quali le variabili sono molte e le relazioni fra esse non sono di tipo lineare. In generale però, aldilà dell’azione classificatoria, l’assunzione di una tecnica di indagine basata sulle singole variabili non appare idonea a ridurre la complessità di analisi di questo fenomeno.Come appare evidente nelle definizioni su riportate, spesso vengono prese in esame le variabili che contribuiscono, con grado diverso, a determinare la condizione di fragilità. In altre parole, la fragilità è considerata l’output delle variabili anzianità, multi-patologie croniche, disabilità, solitudine, ecc.Nelle ricerche che si basano sulle tecniche statistiche di indagine multivariata si cercano proprio le cause multiple congiunturali, o meglio, si cerca di stimare il contributo di ciascuna causa. Le singole cause possono, indipendentemente l’una dall’altra, incrementare o ridurre la probabilità che un certo risultato si verifichi oppure il suo livello di intensità o la sua consistenza.Ipotizziamo che da un’indagine di questo tipo emerga che un problema di salute , ad esempio il diabete, aumenti del 10% la possibilità del paziente di diventare fragile e che un altro problema, la solitudine, aumenti tale probabilità del 20%. La conclusione che ne può coerentemente derivare è che il diabete sommato alla solitudine comporti per il paziente un aumento del 30% della probabilità di diventare fragile. Ma stimare il contributo di ogni singola causa indipendentemente dalle altre non raggiunge l’obiettivo di trovare la configurazione di condizioni che determinano la fragilità.Per le finalità della medicina, stimare in termini probabilistici la possibilità che un determinato evento, ad esempio una malattia, accada è di fondamentale importanza e questo tipo di approccio ha contribuito a produrre nel corso del secolo scorso i grandi successi raggiunti, sia nella prevenzione che nella terapia, però questo metodo non è altrettanto efficace nell’analisi di situazioni complesse nelle quali le variabili interferiscono l’una con l’altra e spesso non appartengono nemmeno allo stesso dominio, come nell’esempio sopra citato.La solitudine, la scarsità di risorse economiche o le difficoltà relazionali non sono pertinenza della scienza medica ma delle scienze sociali, politiche o psicologiche.E’ per questo che si è pensato di utilizzare, in una situazione complessa come quella del cosiddetto paziente fragile, un approccio che è stato sviluppato nel campo della sociologia. Questo vuol dire anche aggiungere una dimensione sociale ad un fenomeno considerato prevalentemente dal punto di vista medico.Definire fenomeni, situazioni o condizioni complesse comporta inevitabilmente il tener conto di alcuni aspetti e di trascurarne altri per non affondare in un mare di dettagli ma, fra la perfezione di un modello lineare nel quale A è causa di B e l’indescrivibilità del caos esistono molti stati intermedi che vale la pena indagare.Provare ad aggiungere ulteriori elementi che contribuiscono a definire un fenomeno o una situazione, non vuol dire necessariamente aumentarne la complessità, anzi, si possono adoperare metodi che servono a utilizzare ciò che è già noto per scoprire nuove dimensioni attraverso l’uso della logica.Uno di questi metodi è stato descritto da Lazarfeld e Barton, i quali così suggeriscono di affrontare tali situazioni:“ [..] l’analisi delle osservazioni qualitative deve affrontare una massa di fatti particolari di tal numero e varietà che non sembra pratico trattarli separatamente [..]. In tale situazione il ricercatore elaborerà un concetto descrittivo ad un livello superiore che cercherà di raggruppare e riassumere una grande abbondanza di osservazioni particolari in una singola formula .” 66Lazarsfeld, P.F., Metodologia e ricerca sociologica ,354-356 , Il Mulino, 1967.Un tale concetto descrittivo è quello di paziente fragile che esprime le caratteristiche del paziente in una formula sintetica, in una tipologia empirica formata a partire dalle combinazioni dei valori delle variabili.Costruire una tipologia vuol dire dare un nome unico ad una varietà di situazioni o cose che stanno insieme in modo frequente.77Becker H.S., Tricks of the Trade , University of Chicago Press, 1998, ed it. I trucchi del mestiere , Il Mulino, 2007 I metodi utilizzabili per ottenere queste tipologie sono concepiti per gestire e utilizzare la varietà delle situazioni rilevabili empiricamente.Si è già accennato all’inefficacia di alcune tecniche statistiche nell’analisi di fenomeni complessi, nei quali più che il contributo di ciascuna variabile al risultato che interessa, è importante individuare le configurazione dei fenomeni che, variamente combinati, producono il risultato stesso. A tal scopo Charles Ragin ha sviluppato il metodo dell’Analisi Qualitativa Comparata88Ragin C.C.,The Comparative Method: Moving beyond Qualitative and Quantitative Strategies , University of California Press, 1987. detta anche analisi booleana perché basata sull’algebra logica elaborata dal matematico inglese George Boole.Uno strumento fondamentale di questo metodo logico va sotto il nome di tavola di verità e serve a ridurre la complessità della gestione di molte configurazioni di situazioni, ossia di variabili, con il grande vantaggio di evitare il rischio di ometterne per errore qualcuna, in quanto la logica soggiacente al metodo garantisce che, con quelle variabili, non ci sono e non possono esserci altri tipi di configurazione oltre a quelli individuati. 99Becker H.S. (op.cit.)Un metodo probabilmente più conosciuto è quello che prevede la costruzione di tabelle a doppia entrata nelle quali le variabili si incrociano fra loro per determinare le tipologie possibili. Per fare un esempio (tab.1), scegliamo due variabili, esposizione ad un fattore di rischio e sviluppo di una malattia, e le facciamo incrociare dando luogo a quattro tipologie: malato esposto, sano esposto, malato non esposto e sano non esposto.

Soil carbon plays an important role in mediating global climate change and securing food production. Despite rapid declines in plant diversity worldwide, uncertainties remain concerning the relationships between tree diversity and soil carbon stock in natural forests, as well as the climatic factors that drive their directions and magnitudes. Using Canada's National Forest Inventory data, we tested the relationships between soil carbon stocks to tree functional diversity and identity, and how these relationships varied with stand age and climate gradients in the organic horizon, mineral horizon and entire soil profile. We found that the effects of functional diversity on soil carbon stocks were highly climate-dependent, shifting from negative in warm or moist climates to positive or null in cold and dry climates. In addition, tree species with acquisitive traits, such as high specific leaf area, leaf nitrogen content and phosphorus content, increased mineral soil carbon stocks in warmer sites, but decreased those in colder sites. Our results suggest that tree diversity effects on soil carbon are strongly dependent on climate context and promoting high functional diversity is important to increase soil carbon stocks of colder and drier sites in boreal and temperate forests.

The effects of rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) powder (RP) and grape seed (Vitis vinifera) powder (GSP) additions at 0.1%, 0.5% and 0.8% on melting, rheology, shelf life and antioxidant activity of dark chocolate and the oxidative induction time (OIT) of cocoa butter were investigated. The melting parameters and OITs were determined by using a differential scanning calorimetry and accelerated shelf-life analysis were monitored by the schaal oven test at 30, 40, 50 oC for 100 days. The melting properties and the rheology of the samples were not affected by the addition of RP or GSP, whereas OIT and the prevention factor (PF) of the cocoa butter increased with the additions. The temperature coefficient (Q10) and the activation energy (Ea) values for the samples decreased with the addition of GSP at 0.8%. Additions of RP at 0.8% or GSP at 0.5% and 0.8% increased the total phenolic contents of chocolate significantly. The outcomes indicated that the shelf-life and nutritional value of dark chocolate increased with the additions of RP or GSP whereas the main process characteristics kept constant.

A phenotype-genotype model is not a model with an evolutionary algorithm. It is a simple physical model of a population composed of individuals having genes and phenotypes, possibility of mutations of the genes and natural selection depending on phenotypes. The relationships between these phenomena were programmed according to the current vision in the genetic and evolutionary science. The evolution of such a population appears alone. The phenotype-genotype model of a population can be used to analyse the rate of the morphological evolution: the phenotype variation amounts many generations or/and molecular evolution: the genotype variation in time. It can be used to analyse relationships between rate of evolution and different physiological, population or environmental factors, for instance: an intensity of natural selection, population numbers and others. Exemplary results are presented in this paper.

Objectives: A change in the child policy could trigger a new baby boom with changes in birth-related characteristics. Besides, the adaption of the medical system to the policy needs demonstrating. Design: Retrospective study. Setting: Chongqing, China, in a comprehensive institution. Population: A total of 51,062 pregnant women with 52,589 neonates were included. Methods: All medical records involving delivery were obtained. The records of care-providers were from the HR department. Main Outcome Measures: The temporal patterns of deliveries, births and care-providers were displayed. The additional births and care-providers’ workload was calculated. The mothers’ constitution was described and the influence factors of obstetrical characteristics were identified. Results: The policy-leading upwards trends of deliveries and births were obvious. The percentage of mothers aged 35 and over increased (10.1% to 10.8% to 15.8%, p<0.001) and that of multipara also rose (17.8% to 25.9% to 37.6%, p<0.001). This new constitution of mothers was associated with additional births, and with a concurrent variation in CS rate (60.4% to 52.3% to 56.3%) but not sex ratio. The workload of care-providers decreased during this period. Conclusions: The baby boom and following pregnancy changes after the shifts of policies is obvious. The target women with hyper-age and multiparity contribute considerably to the additional births and to the policy’s general effects on various outcomes. Funding: National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 81771614 and No. 81771613), and the National Key Research and Development Program of China (No. 2016YFC1000407). Keywords: China’s Family Planning Policy; birth; obstetrical characteristics; pregnancy complications.

A document by Marzieh Zamaniyan. Click on the document to view its contents.

The impact of environmental fluctuation on species coexistence is critical for understanding biodiversity loss and the ecological impacts of climate change. Yet, determining how properties like the intensity, frequency, or duration of environmental variation influence species coexistence remains challenging because we lack a theoretical framework that generates testable predictions in realistic biological systems. Here, we model the impact of environmental change at different temporal scales on species coexistence in nonequilibrium systems by employing the concept of performance curves to incorporate niche differences within a stochastic Lotka-Volterra framework. We discover that short- and long-term environmental variability have contrasting effects on species coexistence, such that short-term variation favors species coexistence, whereas long-term variation promotes competitive exclusion. Consequently, we show the complex set of environmental variability and species coexistence relationships found in previous studies can all be synthesized within a general framework by explicitly considering both long- and short-term environmental variation.

Multiple epiphyseal dysplasia (MED) is a mild osteochondrodysplasia characterized by mild to moderate short stature and early-onset osteoarthritis. In this study, we found a family with MED with no linkage to known pathogenic genes. Whole-exome sequencing revealed a missense mutation (c.1076T>G, p.Leu359Arg， NM_001166412.2) in SPARC-related modular calcium binding 2 (SMOC2). We generated a mouse model by knocking-in the Smoc2 mutation. Mutant mice showed short-limbed dwarfism, disorganized and hypocellular proliferative zones and expanded hypertrophic zones in tibial growth plates. Study of the interaction between MED proteins and SMOC2 showed that SMOC2 and its extracellular calcium-binding (EC) domain could interact with collagen type IX α-1 (COL9A1), however, mutant SMOC2 could not. Our data indicated that SMOC2 mutation is responsible for the MED phenotype. The mutation in SMOC2 affected the interaction between SMOC2 and COL9A1.

Climate change has amplified eruptive bark beetle outbreaks over recent decades. However, for projecting future bark beetle dynamics there is a critical lack of evidence to differentiate how outbreaks have been promoted by direct effects of warmer temperatures on beetle life cycles vs indirect effects of drought on host susceptibility. To diagnose whether drought-induced host-weakening was important to beetle attack success we used tree death date demography during a spruce beetle outbreak to differentiate early and late-dying trees and then determined whether early-dying trees had greater sensitivity of tree-ring carbon isotope discrimination to drought. Drought-sensitivity did not differ among early- vs late-dying trees, suggesting proposed links between spruce beetle outbreaks and drought primarily reflect warming- amplified beetle life cycles rather than drought-weakened host defenses. Additional iso-demographic studies are needed to diagnose the role of direct vs indirect climate effects across wider regions and other species.

Emerging pathogens have been an eternal threat to mankind. In a series of pandemics caused by notorious coronaviruses, a newly emerged virus is creating panic among world population. Originating in late December, 2019 from Wuhan, China, the SARS-CoV-2 is spreading its terror throughout the world. The virus is rapidly transmitted due to unavailability of effective theranostics. In this study, multiple sequence alignment of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein was done and four novel inserts were found in comparison to SARS-CoV. Using computational informatics tool viz. IEDB B-cell epitopes prediction tool, B-cell immunogenic epitopes of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein was predicted. Five novel potent epitopes i.e. ‘71SGTNGTKRFDN81, 247SYLTPG252, 634RVYST638, 675QTQTNSPRRARSV687 and 1054QSAPH1058 were selected as antigenic determinants and their docking with the 3D structure of ACE2 receptor was delineated. The quantum of information generated by this study will prove beneficial for development of effective therapeutics, diagnostics and multiepitopic vaccines to combat this ongoing menace.

Evaluation of environmental acts of Iran highlights the gap that soil conservation and impacts of deforestation and guidelines for stockholders of forest areas have not been presented properly. Therefore, this research aimed to develop a conceptual model for stating the problems raised by deforestation, to present practical approaches, and to define conservation levels to achieve sustainable land uses. The model method is designated stepwise to estimate impacts of deforestation, to find road map of management practices in terms of thematic and spatial planning for forest watersheds. We emphasize on application of nuclear techniques to estimate on-site and off-site effects of deforestation. The model outcome is framework of management practices in which levels of conservation, protection and preservation will be implemented. Conservation as the lowest level authorizes stockholders to the wood harvest and specific land uses with regarding to environmental considerations. Framework emphasize on criteria by which all present and programmed land uses should be compatible with the forest watershed ecological capabilities. In protection level, this model guides locals and authorized companies to carry out restoration and revitalization practices as buffer zone of preservation level. The conceptual model presents the preservation level in forest watersheds to keep untouched bio heritages (flora and fauna) through the forest breathing and technical supports in terms of research and production of plants. The practical road map as main outcome of the conceptual model guides decision makers around the world to reach sustainable plan of conservation and land use in watershed scale with considering human demands.

Soil pH is strongly associated with soil biogeochemical cycles and biodiversity in terrestrial ecosystems. GE has been widely adopted as an effective practice to restore degraded grasslands. However, the effect of GE on soil pH is still poorly understood and remains inconclusive. We synthesized data from 63 sites in the literature and 43 additional field sites and investigated the dynamics of soil pH following GE across China’s grasslands. Mean pH decreased 0.13 units with GE (mean pH was 8.15 and 8.02 for grazed and GE groups, respectively, p < 0.001). The pH of surface soil (0–20 cm) showed greatest decrease rates in GE grasslands, whereas that of deep soil (20–100 cm) had limited responses to GE. In general, the largest decrease in the rates of soil pH occurred after medium-term periods (5–15 years) of GE, whereas a smaller rate of change was found over short- (≤5 years) and long-term periods (≥15 years) of GE. Of the factors examined, the rate of soil pH change was negatively correlated to MAP, but had no significant relationship with MAT. The rate of soil pH change decreased linearly with RCC, RNC, RAC and RBC. Sedge-dominated grassland had higher pH decrease rates at 0–10 cm soil depth than grass-dominated grassland, whereas grassland dominated by forbs and shrub species showed the highest decrease in pH at 20–30 cm. Our results indicate that GE causes significant soil acidification, especially in surface soil and humid areas, which provides an important reference for future management of China’s grasslands.

Superamphiphobic surfaces with extreme repellency toward both water and oily liquids have been developed from various nanocomposites with fluorinated compounds. However, the inherent rigidity and low-surface-energy of these composites restrict their adhesion and practical application in adjusting the surface wettabilities of materials. Here we report a strategy to create hybrid superamphiphobic coating with rapid contact adhesion to various kinds of substrates, strong and controllable adhesive strength, unprecedented capability of mechanical deformations, facile removal, repeatable adhesion, and simple recyclization. Our approach, inspired by snail's ideal combination of hard shell and soft epiphragm, is versatile and industrially-viable because we use the hydrogel primer to bond the fluorinated nanoparticle finish and substrates. Considering the unique characteristics of these coatings as well as the wide range of available hydrogels and nanomaterials that can be used via this approach, we envision that this snail-inspired strategy will facilitate the development and large-scale production of superamphiphobic coatings.

In this investigation, CO2 capture performance of zeolite 13X monoliths with 600 and 800 cpsi in presence of SO2/NO impurities under dry and humid conditions were evaluated and compared with that of 13X beads. Dynamic breakthrough tests demonstrated a drastic reduction in CO2 capture capacity and deterioration of kinetics under dry-clean conditions, whereas, upon switching the feed from a clean gas to contaminated gas which contained SO2 and NO, different adsorption performance was observed. Specifically, in dry-contaminated mode, the adsorbents retained their capture capacities with comparable kinetics to that of dry-clean feed conditions, however, in humid-contaminated mode, the adsorbents experienced improved CO2 uptake and CO2/N2 selectivity, albeit at the expense of deteriorated kinetics. These findings indicate that the presence of SO2 and NO contaminants, especially SO2 contaminants, lead to dramatic changes in the adsorption performance of zeolite 13X monoliths, indicating the importance of evaluating adsorbent materials under realistic conditions.

BackgroundThe epidemic of COVID-19 disease originating in Wuhan, China in December 2019 has continued to spread, with global outbreak size currently estimated at 372,757 cases (of which 81,747 occurred within China) \cite{who_novel_2020-2}. Initial concerns about cryptic localised spread have materialised, as human-to-human transmission is confirmed to have occurred within 110 countries \cite{who_novel_2020-2}, with the largest secondary outbreaks since February in Western Europe, the USA, and Iran. The causative virus was identified as a novel betacoronavirus \citep{zhu_novel_2020} and named as SARS-CoV-2 on the 11th February \citep{gorbalenya_severe_2020}.While scientific knowledge surrounding the current public health emergency continues to advance on a daily basis, an important driver in coordinating a research response to the outbreak has been the use of preprints. Uploading unreviewed manuscripts to open-access repositories as preprints can offer immediate knowledge sharing without restrictions from potentially lengthy journal submission and publication processes. Preprint usage can also bring wider benefits to academic research, including further citation potential and a more equitable system of credit for early career researchers \citep{sarabipour_value_2019}. Growth in preprint repositories has surged in the last five years \cite{asapbio_biology_2019}, becoming a more everyday element of scientific literature access and academic culture \citep*{abdill_tracking_2019}, with 31% of authors surveyed in 2016 reporting they have posted at least one preprint \citep{asapbio_survey_2016}. While posting preprints has been generally encouraged across life sciences \citep{desjardins-proulx_case_2013,berg_preprints_2016}, there have also been specific calls for better open platform science during active outbreaks \citep{yozwiak_data_2015}, in order to improve the potential for research to guide timely public health responses. Here I sought to a) review and characterise the use of academic preprints in research addressing the COVID-19 outbreak, and b) quantify their growth in comparison to previous infectious disease outbreaks.

Silicon (Si) has beneficial effects in a variety of plant species and environments. Soil and climate affect silica accumulation in given plant species. Their roles on biosilicification patterns and balance between silica and C-rich biopolymers as structural components is poorly known. Here, we studied silica deposition in situ in sugarcane leaves collected in three tropical environments differing in soil and climate. Plant silica deposits were physically extracted from leaves through wet digestion. Leaves were observed and mapped for Si by ESEM-EDX. The C-rich biopolymers in leaves were determined by the Van Soest method. Silicon accumulation in leaf was related to bioavailable Si in soil and plant transpiration. Epidermal silica deposits were either limited to silica cells or expanded to long and short cells arranged in prominent veins fully silicified, depending on whether the leaf Si concentration was lowest or highest. The size of silica deposits increased with increasing leaf Si through an increasing number of conjoined silicified cells. Ash-free cellulose and Si concentrations were negatively correlated. Soil and climate impacted markedly the magnitude of biosilicification and the counterbalance between silica and cellulose as leaf structural components.