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A monocular endoscopic image depth estimation method based on a window-adaptive asymmetric dual-branch Siamese network
Persistent acyclic Cp*Ir(III) complexes and their reactivities in cross-coupling reactions
Impact of dry rice grain packing density and time on the performance of two stage dehumidifier
Abstract This study presents the design and development of a multistage solid desiccant dehumidifier using rice grains as the desiccant material. The rice packing densities varied between 1100 and 4390 kg/m3, and experiments were conducted to assess performance over different time intervals. Results indicated that system performance improved with increasing packing density up to 3290 kg/m3, after which a decline was observed. Additionally, performance improved with time, stabilizing after approximately 15 min of operation. The system achieved a maximum moisture removal rate of 0.18 g/s, a dehumidification efficiency of 73.57%, a coefficient of performance (COP) of 4.35, and a mass transfer coefficient of 20.40 kg/m2·s. The highest dehumidification efficiency was recorded in the first stage, with a notable reduction in the second stage. Velocity reductions from top to bottom for packing densities of 1100 kg/m3, 2190 kg/m3, 3290 kg/m3, and 4390 kg/m3 were 25%, 38.88%, 51.51%, and 66.66%, respectively. While the exhaust air met ASHRAE thermal comfort standards, an increased pressure drop was observed, with a maximum value of 180 Pa recorded.
Dominant control of temperature on (sub-)tropical soil carbon turnover
Abstract Carbon storage in soils is important in regulating atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO 2 ). However, the sensitivity of the soil-carbon turnover time (τ soil ) to temperature and hydrology forcing is not fully understood. Here, we use radiocarbon dating of plant-derived lipids in conjunction with reconstructions of temperature and rainfall from an eastern Mediterranean sediment core receiving terrigenous material from the Nile River watershed to investigate τ soil in subtropical and tropical areas during the last 18,000 years. We find that τ soil was reduced by an order of magnitude over the last deglaciation and that temperature was the major driver of these changes while the impact of hydroclimate was relatively small. We conclude that increased CO 2 efflux from soils into the atmosphere constituted a positive feedback to global warming. However, simulated glacial-to-interglacial changes in a dynamic global vegetation model underestimate our data-based reconstructions of soil-carbon turnover times suggesting that this climate feedback is underestimated.
Coagulation profiles of breast cancer patients attending at cancer treatment centres in Northwest Ethiopia 2023: a comparative cross-sectional study
Optical multi-beam steering and communication using integrated acousto-optics arrays
A combined in silico and MD simulation approach to discover novel LpxC inhibitors targeting multiple drug resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa
irCLIP-RNP and Re-CLIP reveal patterns of dynamic protein assemblies on RNA
Structural dynamics and permeability of the TRPV3 pentamer
Social support and avoidance mediate positive and negative effects of emotion recognition ability on mental health in medical students
Abstract The ability to recognize others’ feelings from nonverbal expressions, known as emotion recognition ability (ERA), is considered a crucial socio-emotional competence that may enhance both intra- and interpersonal functioning in healthcare professionals. However, evidence for its association with mental health is mixed. The present longitudinal study examined whether medical students with higher ERA scores report better mental health over one year and whether this effect is mediated by a higher perceived availability of social support. Longitudinal mediation analyses were conducted with data from 986 medical students in Switzerland who completed questionnaires at two time points, one year apart. While ERA at T1 was not directly associated with mental health issues and burnout at T2, it predicted greater social support availability at T2, which in turn predicted fewer mental health issues and lower burnout. Exploratory analyses revealed that although ERA increased social support, it also predicted higher habitual avoidance coping, which was negatively related to mental health. Overall, this study sheds light on both positive and negative indirect pathways through which ERA may affect mental health in future healthcare professionals. These insights highlight the need for careful consideration of ERA intervention studies, addressing both positive and negative influences on mental health.
Tandem ketone reduction in pepstatin biosynthesis reveals an F420H2–dependent statine pathway
Abstract Pepstatins are potent inhibitors of aspartic proteases, featuring two statine residues crucial for target binding. However, the biosynthesis of pepstatins, especially their statine substructure, remains elusive. Here, we discover and characterize an unconventional gene cluster responsible for pepstatin biosynthesis, comprising discrete nonribosomal peptide synthetase and polyketide synthase genes, highlighting its trans-acting and iterative nature. Central to this pathway is PepI, an F420H2-dependent oxidoreductase. The biochemical characterization of PepI reveals its role in the tandem reduction of β-keto pepstatin intermediates. PepI first catalyzes the formation of the central statine, then produces the C-terminal statine moiety. The post-assembly-line formation of statine by PepI contrasts with the previously hypothesized biosynthesis involving polyketide synthase ketoreductase domains. Structural studies, site-directed mutagenesis, and deuterium-labeled enzyme assays probe the mechanism of F420H2-dependent oxidoreductases and identify critical residues. Our findings uncover a unique statine biosynthetic pathway employing the only known iterative F420H2-dependent oxidoreductase to date.
Directional deficits in reactive postural control during perturbations among groups of chronic ankle instability, ankle sprain coper, and healthy control
Hurricane Ida’s blackout-heatwave compound risk in a changing climate
Multiple deception resources deployment strategy based on reinforcement learning for network threat mitigation
GzESTY as an optimized cell-based assay for initial steps in GPCR deorphanization
Exploring dog and cat cohabitation within Japanese households
Holocene shifts in marine mammal distributions around Northern Greenland revealed by sedimentary ancient DNA
Abstract Arctic marine ecosystems have undergone notable reconfigurations in response to Holocene climate and environmental changes. Yet our understanding of how marine mammal occurrence was impacted remains limited, due to their relative scarcity in the fossil record. We reconstruct the occurrence of marine mammals across the past 12,000 years through detections based on sedimentary ancient DNA from four marine sediment cores collected around Northern Greenland, and integrate the findings with local and regional environmental proxy records. Our findings indicate a close association between marine mammals at densities detectable in marine sediments and the deglaciation of high Arctic marine environments at the onset of the Holocene. Further, we identify air temperature and changes in sea ice cover as significant drivers of community change across time. Several marine mammals are detected in the sediments earlier than in the fossil record, for some species by several thousand years. During the Early-to-Mid Holocene, a period of warmer climate, we record northward distribution shifts of temperate and low-arctic marine mammal species. Our findings provide unique, long-term baseline data on the occurrence of marine mammals around Northern Greenland, enabling insights into past community dynamics and the effects of Holocene climatic shifts on the region’s marine ecosystems.