Various Nodal Lines in P63/mmc-type TiTe Topological Metal and its (001) Surface State

Searching for existing topological materials is a hot topic in quantum and computational chemistry. This study uncovers P6₃/mmc type TiTe compound—an existing material—is a newly discovered topological metal that hosts the various type of nodal line states. Different nodal line states normally exhibit different properties; they may have their individual applications. We report that TiTe hosts I, II, and hybrid type nodal line (NL) states at its ground state without chemical doping and strain engineering effects. Specifically, two type I NLs, two hybrid-type NLs, and one Γ—centered type II NL can be found in the k_z = 0 plane. Moreover, the spin-orbit coupling induced gaps for these NLs are very small and within acceptable limits. The surface states of the TiTe (001) plane were determined to provide strong evidence for the appearance of the three types of NLs in TiTe. We also provide a reference for the data of the dynamic and mechanical properties of TiTe. We expect that the proposed NL states in TiTe can be obtained in future experiments.

Management of hard-to-heal leg ulcers with an acid-oxidising solution versus standard of care: the MACAN study

OBJECTIVE

The efficacy of available wound dressings in the treatment of hard-to-heal wounds is limited. A new therapeutic approach using an acid-oxidising solution (AOS) was developed. Its effect on healing progress, tolerability and safety properties were investigated in a clinical study, and compared with standard of care (SOC) wound dressings. The study aimed to demonstrate the non-inferiority of AOS to SOC in terms of wound healing progress.

METHOD

This open-label, randomised controlled trial was conducted at two study centres in Austria with patients with either infected or non-infected hard-to-heal leg ulcers of different aetiology. Patients were treated for six weeks either with AOS or SOC wound dressings. Outcome assessments included the percentage of granulation and re-epithelialisation tissue, wound size reduction, changes in wound pH, infection control and wound pain, local tolerability and adverse events (AEs). Healing time and rate were also assessed.

RESULTS

A total of 50 patients took part. In the AOS group, wounds exhibited higher amounts of granulation and re-epithelialisation tissue, and a faster and more pronounced wound size reduction compared with wounds in the SOC group. In the AOS-treated versus SOC-treated patients, a greater percentage of complete healing of hard-to-heal ulcers was achieved by the end of the study period (32% versus 8%, respectively). Furthermore, the wound pH decreased significantly faster in these wounds (p<0.0001). In all patients with infected leg ulcers, local infection was overcome more rapidly under AOS treatment. In the AOS group, one AE and no serious adverse events (SAEs) were detected versus 24 AEs and two SAEs in the SOC group.

CONCLUSION

In this study, AOS proved to be a highly effective treatment to support wound healing in infected or non-infected hard-to-heal leg ulcers of different aetiology. Efficacy was found to be not only non-inferior but superior to SOC wound dressings. Furthermore, tolerability and safety profiles were favourable for AOS.

Spin-Current Modulation in Hexagonal Buckled ZnTe and CdTe Monolayers for Self-Powered Flexible-Piezo-Spintronic Devices

The next-generation spintronic device demands the gated control of spin transport across the semiconducting channel through the replacement of the external gate voltage source by the piezo potential, as experimentally demonstrated in Zhu et al. ACS Nano, 2018, 12 (2), 1811-1820. Consequently, a high level of out-of-plane piezoelectricity together with a large Rashba spin splitting is sought after in semiconducting channel materials. Inspired by this experiment, a new hexagonal buckled two-dimensional (2D) semiconductor, ZnTe, and its iso-electronic partner, CdTe, are proposed herewith. These 2D materials show a strong spin-orbit coupling (SOC), which is evidenced by a large Rashba constant of 1.06 and 1.27 eV·Å, respectively, in ZnTe and CdTe monolayers. Moreover, these Rashba semiconductors exhibit a giant out-of-plane piezoelectric coefficient (d₃₃) = 88.68 and 172.61 pm/V, and can thereby generate a high piezo potential for gating purposes in spin field-effect transistors (spin-FETs). While the low elastic stiffness implies the mechanical flexibility or stretchability in these monolayers. The Rashba constants are found to be effectively modulated via external perturbations, such as strain and electric field. The wide band gap provides ample room for modulation in its electronic properties via external perturbations. Such scope is severely limited in previously reported narrow band gap Rashba semiconductors. The fascinating results found in this work indicate their great potential for applications in next-generation self-powered flexible-piezo-spintronic devices. Moreover, a new class of hexagonal buckled ZnX (X: S, Se, or Te) monolayers is proposed herein based on their previously synthesized bulk counterparts, while their electronic, mechanical, piezoelectric, and thermal properties have been thoroughly investigated using the state-of-art density functional theory (DFT).

The fire risk of portable batteries in their end-of-life: Investigation of the state of charge of waste lithium-ion batteries in Austria

The increased utilisation of lithium-ion batteries in the last years does not come without cost. Due to thermal runaway and exothermic degradation reactions, portable batteries pose enormous risks to waste management systems and infrastructure in their end-of-life phase. All over Europe, the number of waste fires caused by lithium-ion batteries are rising. The risk of a battery fire is mainly influenced by the probability and severity of a thermal runaway or exothermic degradation, which depends on the current state of charge (SOC) of the respective battery. In order to determine the distribution of the SOC which is one of the main influence factors to waste fires caused by lithium-ion batteries, 980 waste battery cells were representatively sampled, manually dismantled and analysed using a prototypic laboratory test stand. Approximately 24% of the analysed cells and batteries had a residual SOC of at least 25%, and approximately 12% had a residual SOC of at least 50%. Hence, approximately every fourth to eighth portable battery threatens to cause a waste fire when critically damaged. Furthermore, a distinct relationship between the actual cell voltage and the residual SOC was found for end-of-life portable batteries.

Transcriptome-based stemness indices analysis reveals platinum-based chemo-theraputic response indicators in advanced-stage serous ovarian cancer

Serous ovarian cancer (SOC) is a main histological subtype of ovarian cancer, in which cancer stem cells (CSC) are responsible for its chemoresistance. However, the underlying modulation mechanisms of chemoresistance led by cancer stemness are still undefined. We aimed to investigate potential drug-response indicators among stemness-associated biomarkers in advanced SOC samples. The mRNA expression-based stemness index (mRNAsi) of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) was evaluated and corrected by tumor purity. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was utilized to explore the gene modules and key genes involved in stemness characteristics. We found that mRNAsi and corrected mRNAsi scores were both greater in tumors of Grade 3 and 4 than that of Grade 1 and 2. Forty-two key genes were obtained from the most significant mRNAsi-related gene module. Functional annotation revealed that these key genes were mainly involved in the mitotic division. Thirteen potential platinum-response indicators were selected from the genes enriched to platinum-response associated pathways. Among them, we identified 11 genes with prognostic value of progression-free survival (PFS) in advanced SOC patients treated with platinum and 7 prognostic genes in patients treated with a combination of platinum and taxol. The expressions of the 13 key genes were also validated between platinum-resistant and -sensitive SOC samples of advanced stages in two Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets. The results revealed that CDC20 was a potential platinum-sensitivity indicator in advanced SOC. These findings may provide a new insight for chemotherapies in advanced SOC patients clinically.

Skin of Color Representation on Wikipedia: Cross-sectional Analysis

BACKGROUND

Wikipedia is one of the most popular websites and may be a go-to source of health and dermatology education for the general population. Prior research indicates poor skin of color (SOC) photo representation in printed dermatology textbooks and online medical websites, but there has been no such assessment performed to determine whether this discrepancy also exists for Wikipedia.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to investigate the number and quality of SOC photos included in Wikipedia's skin disease pages and to explore the possible ramifications of these findings.

METHODS

Photos of skin diseases from Wikipedia's "List of Skin Conditions" were assigned by three independent raters as SOC or non-SOC according to the Fitzpatrick system, and were given a quality rating (1-3) based on sharpness, size/resolution, and lighting/exposure.

RESULTS

We identified 421 skin disease Wikipedia pages and 949 images that met our inclusion criteria. Within these pages, 20.7% of images of skin diseases (196 of 949 images) were SOC and 79.3% (753 of 949 images) were non-SOC (P<.001). There was no difference in the average quality for SOC (2.05) and non-SOC (2.03) images (P=.81). However, the photo quality criteria utilized (sharpness, size/resolution, and lighting/exposure) did not capture all aspects of photo quality. Another limitation of this analysis is that the Fitzpatrick skin typing system is prone to subjectivity and was not originally intended to be utilized as a non-self SOC metric.

CONCLUSIONS

There is SOC underrepresentation in the gross number of SOC images for dermatologic conditions on Wikipedia. Wikipedia pages should be updated to include more SOC photos to mend this divide to ameliorate access to accurate dermatology information for the general public and improve health equity within dermatology.

Development of a Questionnaire for Measuring Employees' Perception of Selection, Optimisation and Compensation at the Leadership, Group and Individual Levels

This study is the first to develop a questionnaire to measure employees’ perceptions of the use of the action strategies selection, optimisation, and compensation (SOC) beyond the individual level, which has so far been lacking in research and practice. The study thus contributes an important tool for research into the role of SOC strategies at the leadership, group, and individual levels for long and healthy working lives. It may also be used by practitioners as a tool to provide input when developing targeted interventions to support long and healthy working lives. The development of the questionnaire was based on SOC theory, qualitative and cognitive interviews, and existing SOC questionnaires. The validity and reliability of the questionnaire were tested on data from a cross-sectional survey with responses from 785 nurses and 244 dairy workers. Results from confirmatory factor analyses supported the theoretically expected nine-factor structure of the questionnaire in both study populations (nurses and dairy workers). Furthermore, the results largely supported the criterion validity and internal reliability of the scales in the questionnaire. Nevertheless, further validation across additional occupational groups is needed.

Critical range of soil organic carbon in southern Europe lands under desertification risk

Soil quality is fundamental for ecosystem long term functionality, productivity and resilience to current climatic changes. Despite its importance, soil is lost and degraded at dramatic rates worldwide. In Europe, the Mediterranean areas are a hotspot for soil erosion and land degradation due to a combination of climatic conditions, soils, geomorphology and anthropic pressure. Soil organic carbon (SOC) is considered a key indicator of soil quality as it relates to other fundamental soil functions supporting crucial ecosystem services. In the present study, the functional relationships among SOC and other important soil properties were investigated in the topsoil of 38 sites under different land cover and management, distributed over three Mediterranean regions under strong desertification risk, with the final aim to define critical SOC ranges for fast loss of important soil functionalities. The study sites belonged to private and public landowners seeking to adopt sustainable land management practices to support ecosystem sustainability and productivity of their land. Data showed a very clear relationship between SOC concentrations and the other analyzed soil properties: total nitrogen, bulk density, cation exchange capacity, available water capacity, microbial biomass, C fractions associated to particulate organic matter and to the mineral soil component and indirectly with net N mineralization. Below 20 g SOC kg^-1, additional changes of SOC concentrations resulted in a steep variation of all the analyzed soil indicators, an order of magnitude higher than the changes occurring between 50 and 100 g SOC kg^-1 and 3-4 times the changes observed at 20-50 g SOC kg^-1. About half of the study sites showed average SOC concentration of the topsoil centimetres <20 g SOC kg^-1. For these areas the level of SOC might hence be considered critical and immediate and effective recovery management plans are needed to avoid complete land degradation in the next future.

Characterization and source apportionment of carbonaceous aerosols in fine particles at urban and suburban atmospheres of Ankara, Turkey

In order to find the spatial distribution characteristics of elemental (EC) and organic (OC) carbon in fine particles, daily PM_2.5 aerosol samples were collected at two different stations, between July 2014 and September 2015 in Ankara, Turkey. Concentrations of OC ranged from 2.1 to 42 μg m^-3 at urban station. These concentrations were higher than those obtained for suburban station whose values ranged from 1.3 to 15 μg m^-3. Concentrations of EC ranged from 0.7 to 4.9 μg m^-3 at the urban station. As in OC case, the corresponding levels were higher than those measured for suburban station. The associated EC levels ranged from 0.1 to 3.4 μg m^-3 for the suburban station. Daily changes in the levels of EC were larger than the OC levels. OC/EC ratios were lower with lower monthly variability in summer and higher with lower monthly variability in winter at the urban site. Medium and weak correlations were obtained between EC and OC in the winter and summer seasons, respectively, at both stations. Secondary organic carbon (SOC) was an important component of OC in PM_2.5 at the urban and suburban sites. The winter SOC level was higher than the summer SOC level at the urban site but slightly lower than the summer SOC level at the suburban site. Total carbon was apportioned using factor analysis for the eight carbon fraction data (OC1, OC2, OC3, OC4, EC1, EC2, EC3, and OP). The main sources of pollutants in the urban and suburban settings were from vehicular emissions, biomass and coal combustions, and road dust.

Effect of BTP2 on agonist-induced vasoconstriction in the mouse aorta in vitro

BTP2 is a potent inhibitor of store-operated Ca²⁺ entry (SOCE), which plays a vital role in vasoconstriction. However, the direct effect of BTP2 on the contractile response remains unclear. Here, we investigated the effects and mechanisms of action of BTP2 in the mouse aorta. Isometric tension was measured using a Multi Myograph System with two stainless steel wires. Ca²⁺ transient was recorded by confocal laser scanning microscope. The results showed that BTP2 markedly suppressed vasoconstriction mediated by SOCE and Ca²⁺ influx mediated by SOCE. The cumulative concentration of BTP2 had no effect on the baseline of mouse aortic rings, whereas it increased vasoconstriction stimulated by 3 μmol/L Phenylephrine. BTP2 (1 μmol/L) significantly increased vasoconstriction induced by 3 μmol/L Phe or cumulative concentration. BTP2 also promoted noradrenaline-induced aortic contraction. However, Phe- and noradrenaline-induced contraction was not affected by 0.3 or 3 μmol/L BTP2, and BTP2 at 10 μmol/L significantly suppressed aortic contraction. BTP2 inhibited 5-HT-evoked contraction in a concentration-dependent manner. BTP2 at higher concentrations (>3 μmol/L) inhibited CaCl₂ -induced and 60 mmol/L K⁺ -induced contraction with progressive reduction of maximal contraction in a concentration-dependent manner. These results suggest that 1 μmol/L BTP2 increases contraction evoked by α1 adrenoreceptor activation. BTP2 at higher concentrations may inhibit Cav1.2 channels.

Identification of AK4 as a novel therapeutic target for serous ovarian cancer

The present study aimed to assess the expression level of adenylate kinase 4 (AK4) in human serous ovarian cancer (SOC) tissues and investigate the possible involvement of AK4 in SOC progression. Bioinformatics analysis based on The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and immunohistochemical (IHC) assays were performed to assess the expression level of AK4 in human SOC tissues. Clinical pathological features of patients with SOC were also evaluated. Colony formation, MTT, wound healing and Transwell assays were conducted to investigate the effects of AK4 on the proliferation, migration, and invasion of SOC cells in vitro. Mouse xenograft and lung metastasis models were developed to evaluate the effects of AK4 on tumor growth and metastasis in vivo. High expression levels of AK4 were identified in human SOC tissues compared with in normal tissues according to TCGA database and the results of IHC assays. A contribution of AK4 to tumor growth and metastasis of SOC cells in vivo was also shown. The present study confirmed the involvement of AK4 in the progression of SOC, and the results indicated that AK4 could serve as a novel therapeutic target for SOC treatment.

Spatial Differentiation of Physical and Chemical Soil Parameters under Integrated, Organic, and Biodynamic Viticulture

Vineyard soils show an increased risk of degradation due to being intensively cultivated. The preservation of soil integrity and fertility is a key concept of organic and biodynamic farming. However, both systems are also subject to criticism due to their higher amount of plant protection products used and their increased traffic intensity compared to integrated viticulture, both detrimental to soil quality. The aim of this study was therefore to assess long-term effects of these three management systems on chemical and physical soil quality parameters. For this purpose, topsoil samples were taken in a long-term field trial vineyard at different positions and examined for bulk density, available water capacity (AWC), soil organic carbon (SOC), N, pH, and for total and bioavailable copper (Cu) concentrations. Biodynamic plots had a lower bulk density and higher SOC concentration than the integrated ones, which is probably due to the species-rich cover crop mixture used in the inter-row. However, organic and biodynamic farming showed an accumulation of copper in the under-vine area and in the tractor track, which is problematic for soil fertility in the long-term. Therefore, alternatives for copper in plant protection are necessary to ensure sustainable soil quality through organic and biodynamic viticulture.

Earthworms accelerate rice straw decomposition and maintenance of soil organic carbon dynamics in rice agroecosystems

Background

To promote straw degradation, we inoculated returned farmland straw with earthworms (Pheretima guillelmi). Increasing the number of earthworms may generally alter soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics and the biological activity of agricultural soils.

Methods

We performed soil mesocosm experiments with and without earthworms to assess the decomposition and microbial mineralization of returned straw and soil enzyme activity across different time periods.

Results

When earthworms were present in soil, the surface residues were completely consumed during the first four weeks, but when earthworms were absent, most of the residues remained on the soil surface after 18 weeks. On day 28, the SOC content was significantly higher in the treatment where both earthworms and residue had been added. The SOC content was lower in the treatment where earthworms but no residue had been added. The organic carbon content in water-stable macroaggregates showed the same trend. During the first 14 weeks, the soil basal respiration was highest in the treatments with both residues and earthworms. From weeks 14 to 18, basal respiration was highest in the treatments with residues but without earthworms. We found a significant positive correlation between soil basal respiration and soil dissolved organic carbon content. Earthworms increased the activity of protease, invertase, urease and alkaline phosphatase enzymes, but decreased β-cellobiohydrolase, β-glucosidase and xylosidase activity, as well as significantly reducing ergosterol content.

Conclusion

The primary decomposition of exogenous rice residues was mainly performed by earthworms. Over a short period of time, they converted plant carbon into soil carbon and increased SOC. The earthworms played a key role in carbon conversion and stabilization. In the absence of exogenous residues, earthworm activity accelerated the decomposition of original organic carbon in the soil, reduced SOC, and promoted carbon mineralization.

The Sense of Coherence, Self-Perception of Aging and the Occurrence of Depression Among the Participants of the University of the Third Age Depending on Socio-Demographic Factors

Purpose

The aim of the study was to assess the relationship between the sense of coherence and self-perception of aging and the risk of depression among attendees of the University of the Third Age (U3A). The influence of socio-demographic factors was studied.

Participants and Methods

The study involved 315 attendees of the U3A aged on average 68.4 years, age range 60–82 years old. The overwhelming majority were women (91.7%). Cross-sectional research was conducted using standardized questionnaires – the SOC-29 scale, the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS – brief version) and the author’s own questionnaire regarding self-perception of aging.

Results

The study participants showed an average level of sense of coherence (130.7± 23.2). The highest number of people obtained average results of sense of coherence, both in terms of global SOC (75.2%) and its components. The highest scores on the SOC-29 scale were found for the sense of comprehensibility (41.3%). The mean value of the self-perception of aging was 69.0±16.0 and indicates the lower range of results for positive attitude. Nearly ¾ (72.1%) of the respondents had a positive self-perception of aging. The values of the scale of self-perception of aging showed a statistically significant relation to the global level of sense of coherence and its components (p<0.001). In people without depression, positive self-perception of aging was significantly more frequent than among participants with depression of increasing intensity. Education was significantly correlated with the results of the SOC-29 scale, the self-perception of aging scale and the GDS scale.

Conclusion

From the U3A research group, better educated elderly people have a higher sense of coherence and show a more positive self-perception of aging. Moreover, these people are less likely to show signs of senile depression.

Chromogranin A (CGA)-derived polypeptide (CGA47-66) inhibits TNF-α-induced vascular endothelial hyper-permeability through SOC-related Ca2+ signaling

CGA_1-78 (Vasostatin-1, VS-1) a N-terminal Chromogranin A (CGA)-derived peptide, has been shown to have a protective effect against TNF-α-induced impairment of endothelial cell integrity. However, the mechanisms of this effect have not yet been clarified. CGA_47-66 (Chromofungin, CHR) is an important bioactive fragment of CGA_1-78. The present study aims to explore the protective effects of CHR on the vascular endothelial cell barrier response to TNF-α and its related Ca²⁺ signaling mechanisms. EA.hy926 cells were used as a vascular endothelial culture model. The synthetic peptides CHR and CGA_4-16 were assessed for their ability to suppress TNF-α-induced EA.hy926 cells hyper-permeability through Transwell® and TEER assays. Changes in [Ca²⁺]_i were measured through confocal laser scanning microscopy. SOC channel currents (Isoc) were measured via patch-clamp analysis. RT-PCR and western blot were used to analyze mRNA and protein expression of the transient receptor potential channels TRPC1 and TRPC4, respectively. FITC and rhodamine-phalloidin fluorescence were used to assess cell morphology and the distribution of MyPT-1 and F-actin. Compared to untreated cells, TNF-α increased the permeability of EA.hy926 cells that was inhibited by pre-treatment with CHR (10-1000 nM) in concentration-dependent manner, and the effect was most obvious at 100 nM, but CGA_4-16 (100 nM) had no effect. TNF-α treatment increased the phosphorylation of MyPT-1 and stress fiber formation. CHR (10-1000 nM) pretreatment inhibited the cytoskeletal rearrangements and increased [Ca²⁺]_i in response to TNF-α treatment. CHR also reduced TRPC1 expression following TNF-α induction. Similar to SOC inhibitor 2-APB, CHR suppressed IP₃ mediated SOC activation. These findings suggest that CHR inhibits TNF-α-induced Ca²⁺ influx and protects the barrier function of vascular endothelial cells, and that these effects are related to the inhibition of SOC and Ca²⁺ signaling by CHR.

GRHL2 Upregulation Predicts a Poor Prognosis and Promotes the Resistance of Serous Ovarian Cancer to Cisplatin

Background

GRHL2 has been shown to function in ovarian carcinogenesis. However, the relationship between GRHL2 and cisplatin (DDP) resistance in serous ovarian cancer (SOC) is not clear. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the function and mechanism of GRHL2 in DDP resistance of SOC.

Materials and Methods

Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was utilized to identify GRHL2 protein expression in DDP resistant and sensitive SOC tissues. GRHL2 mRNA and protein levels were identified using quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and Western blotting in SKOV3/DDP and SKOV3 cell lines. We conducted loss- and gain-of-function experiments to uncover the consequence of GRHL2 knockdown or overexpression on the sensitivity of ovarian cancer cells to DDP in vitro and in vivo and the underlying mechanism.

Results

It was observed that expression of GRHL2 was higher in DDP resistant SOC tissues relative to DDP sensitive SOC tissues. In addition, the increased expression of GRHL2 led to shorter progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Meanwhile, the GRHL2 transcript and protein levels in SKOV3/DDP were also higher than SKOV3. Small hairpin RNA (shRNA)-facilitated GRHL2 gene knockdown considerably heightened the sensitivity of SKOV3/DDP cells to DDP by inhibiting proliferation and promoting apoptosis, while up-regulation of GRHL2 significantly reduced the sensitivity of SKOV3 cells to DDP by promoting proliferation and decreasing apoptosis. In addition, GRHL2 promotes DDP resistance of SOC through activation of ERK/MAPK signaling pathways.

Conclusion

Our results suggest that GRHL2 up-regulation predicts a poor prognosis and promotes the resistance of SOC to DDP. Therefore, GRHL2 may be a possible treatment target for cisplatin-resistant serous ovarian cancer.

Floodplain soil and its bacterial composition are strongly affected by depth

We studied bacterial abundance and community structure of five soil cores using high-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. Shifts in the soil bacterial composition were more pronounced within a vertical profile than across the landscape. Soil organic carbon (SOC) and nitrogen (N) concentrations decreased exponentially with soil depth and revealed a buried carbon-rich horizon between 0.8 and 1.3 m across all soil cores. This buried horizon was phylogenetically similar to its surrounding subsoils supporting the idea that the type of carbon, not necessarily the amount of carbon was driving the apparent similarities. In contrast to other studies, Nitrospirae was one of our major phyla with relatively high abundances throughout the soil profile except for the surface soil. Although depth is the major driver shaping soil bacterial community structure, positive correlations with SOC and N concentrations, however, were revealed with the bacterial abundance of Acidobacteria, one of the major, and Gemmatimonadetes, one of the minor phyla in our study. Our study showed that bacterial diversity in soils below 2.0 m can be still as high if not higher than in the above laying subsurface soil suggesting that various bacteria throughout the soil profile influence major biogeochemical processes in floodplain soils.

Carbon Footprint of Mediterranean Pasture-Based Native Beef: Effects of Agronomic Practices and Pasture Management under Different Climate Change Scenarios

Simple Summary

The livestock sector requires a significant amount of natural resources and has an important role in climate change. Although the carbon footprint has become a widely accepted indicator for assessing the greenhouse gases emitted per unit of product, due to the lack of a commonly accepted methodology, there are still few studies that have included soil organic carbon sequestration in their calculations. In this study, by including soil organic carbon dynamics, the carbon footprint of a Mediterranean pasture-based beef cattle farm was estimated using current weather data and farming management policies. Subsequently, different soil management strategies, grazing systems, and climate scenarios were compared to the current ones to investigate the effects of these variables on the greenhouse gases emitted. The results showed that the current beef carbon footprint could be significantly reduced by switching to reduced tillage systems. The modeled combination of no-tillage practices with higher organic fertilizer application rates showed a greater potential carbon footprint reduction. No significant differences were found between carbon footprint values modeled under different climate scenarios and grazing systems. By including a process-based model into its carbon footprint calculations, this study highlights the climate mitigation potential of different farming practices and the importance of considering soil carbon sequestration.

Abstract

A better understanding of soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics is needed when assessing the carbon footprint (CFP) of livestock products and the effectiveness of possible agriculture mitigation strategies. This study aimed (i) to perform a cradle-to-gate CFP of pasture-based beef cattle in a Mediterranean agropastoral system (ii) and to assess the effects on the CFP of alternative tillage, fertilizing, and grazing practices under current (NCC) and future climate change (CC) scenarios. Minimum (Mt) and no-tillage (Nt) practices were compared to current tillage (Ct); a 50% increase (Hf) and decrease (Lf) in fertilization was evaluated against the current (Cf) rate; and rotational grazing (Rg) was evaluated versus the current continuous grazing (Cg) system. The denitrification–decomposition (DNDC) model was run using NCC as well as representative concentration pathways to investigate the effects of farm management practices coupled with future CC scenarios on SOC dynamics, N₂O fluxes, and crop yield. Within NCC and CtCf, an emission intensity of 26.9 ± 0.7 kg CO_2eq per kg live body weight was estimated. Compared to Ct, the adoption of Mt and Nt reduced the CFP by 20% and 35%, respectively, while NtHf reduced it by 40%. Conservation tillage practices were thus shown to be effective in mitigating greenhouse gas emissions.

Targeting Ku86 enhances X-ray-induced radiotherapy sensitivity in serous ovarian cancer cells

Drug resistance and recurrence are significant contributors to the poor prognosis of serous ovarian cancer (SOC). Radiotherapy is primarily used for the treatment of cancer recurrence; however, it is rarely applied in cases of SOC. Ku86, also known as XRCC5(X-ray repair cross complementing 5), has rarely been reported in the radiotherapy of SOC. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the role of Ku86 in the development of SOC and in radiotherapy sensitivity induced by X-ray. In vitro experiments and database analysis showed significantly elevated expression of Ku86 in SOC. Further, after down-regulating Ku86 using RNAi technology, cell proliferation was inhibited. Further, the cell cycle was blocked in the G2 phase, and G2/G1 was increased since X-ray irradiation led to an increase in γ-H2AX. Down-regulation of Ku86 in the case of X-ray irradiation will promote the above biological effects, with more γ-H2AX and higher G2/G1. Here, we further deduce that Ku86 promotes the X-ray induced effect is most likely to activate the ATR pathway to block the cell cycle while inhibiting the NHEJ pathway to inhibit DNA damage response(DDR). Together these findings suggest that the down-regulation of Ku86 can improve X-ray-induced radiotherapy by affecting ATR and NHEJ pathways, and provide a new strategy for the treatment of ovarian cancer.

Optimizing Outcomes of Single-Operator Cholangioscopy-Guided Biopsies Based on a Randomized Trial

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Although single-operator cholangioscopy is considered to be the most sensitive method for tissue acquisition in patients with indeterminate bile duct strictures (IBDS), methods are needed to optimize the specimen collection and processing techniques. We aimed to determine the optimal method for specimen processing and identify the number of biopsies required to establish a definitive diagnosis.

METHODS

Patients with IBDS were randomly assigned to groups that underwent specimen processing using the onsite (n = 32) or offsite (n = 30) method. The primary outcome was to compare operating characteristics of onsite vs offsite specimen processing techniques. The secondary outcome was number of biopsies needed to establish definitive diagnosis. A final diagnosis was established at surgery or after a minimum clinical follow-up period of 18 months RESULTS: The final diagnosis was benign disease in 33 patients and malignancy in 29 patients. There were no significant differences between the offsite and onsite groups in diagnostic accuracy (90% vs 87.5%; P=.99), sensitivity (76.9% vs 75%; P=.99), specificity (100% vs 100%; P=.99), positive predictive value (100% vs 100%; P=.99), or negative predictive value (85% vs 80%; P=.99). Although diagnoses were established by analysis of a median of 1 biopsy in the onsite cohort (interquartile range, 1-1.5), the diagnostic accuracy was identical (90%) in each group, regardless of whether 3 or 4 biopsies were collected from each patient in the offsite cohort.

CONCLUSIONS

In a prospective comparative study, we found that centers without onsite cytopathology support that analyze 3 single-operator cholangioscopy-guided biopsies of a biliary stricture and process the specimens offsite make the correct diagnosis for 90% of cases. ClinicalTrials.gov, Number: NCT01815619.

Seasonal variation, source apportionment and source attributed health risk of fine carbonaceous aerosols over National Capital Region, India

Deteriorating air quality with high levels of fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) over National Capital Region (NCR) of India is one of the serious environmental and scientific issues. In this paper, PM_2.5 samples were collected for 24 h twice or thrice a week during December 2016-December 2017 at three sites [Delhi (IG), Modinagar (MN) and Mahendragarh (HR)] over NCR to analyse the carbonaceous aerosols. Source apportionment of PM_2.5 was attempted using Principal Component analysis (PCA) and Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) based on the analysed carbonaceous fractions [Organic carbon, Elemental carbon, Secondary organic carbon (SOC)]. Organic compounds: alkanes, hopanes, steranes, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), phthalates, levoglucosan and n-alkanoic acids were analysed to distinguish the emission sources. Total Carbonaceous Aerosols (TCA) contributed significantly (∼26%) to PM_2.5 which revealed their importance in source apportionment. Estimated SOC contributed 43.2%, 42.2% and 58.2% to OC and 5.4%, 5.3% and 7.8% to PM_2.5 at IG, MN and HR sites respectively. PCA and PMF apportion five emission sources i.e., vehicular emissions (34.6%), biomass burning (26.8%), cooking emissions (15.7%), plastic and waste burning (13.5%) and secondary organic carbon (9.5%) for PM_2.5. Source attributed health risk has also been calculated in terms of Lung cancer risk (LCR) associated with PAHs exposure and concluded that vehicular emissions (40.3%), biomass burning (38.1%), secondary organic carbon (12.8%) contributed higher to LCR (503.2 × 10^-5; ∼503 cases in 1,00,000). Health risk assessment combined with source apportionment inferences signifies the immediate implementation of emissions reduction strategies with special target on transport sector and biomass burning over the NCR of India.

Role of biochar and plant growth promoting rhizobacteria to enhance soil carbon sequestration-a review

Global climate is undergoing significant changes due to extensive release of greenhouse gases (GHGs) such as CO₂ and methane in the atmosphere. These gases are produced and released as a result of anthropogenic activities and fossil fuel burnings which also result in depletion of soil carbon resources. Biochar has various distinctive properties, which contribute to make it an effective, economical, and eco-friendly approach for soil carbon sequestration. The versatility in physicochemical properties of biochar provides an opportunity to optimize its efficacy to obtain desired benefits. A critical review of the literature indicates that biochar and plant growth-promoting microbes have the potential to improve soil organic carbon (SOC). Recent studies have depicted a significant role of the combined application of plant growth-promoting microbes and biochar on SOC dynamics. In future, these areas need to be explored as these have the potential to improve SOC dynamics and it could be a better strategy to sustain natural resources and ultimately mitigation of the climate change.

The role of check dams in retaining organic carbon and nutrients. A study case in the Sierra de Ávila mountain range (Central Spain)

Soil organic carbon plays an important role in the global carbon cycle, accounting for 70% of the Earth's carbon. However, soil erosion can have a major impact on the stocks of soil carbon and other soil nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorous. Soil and water conservation techniques, such as the building of check dams, are usually employed to control sediment yields and the losses of other soil components. The aim of this research is thus to quantify the soil organic carbon (SOC), soil nitrogen (SN) and soil phosphorous (SP) retained by the check dams of a hydrologic and forest restoration project in the Sierra de Ávila mountain range (Ávila, Central Spain). Soil samples were taken from the sediment wedges of 30 check dams and from 30 native soils. Soil texture, electric conductivity, pH, C, N and P were measured in all the soil samples. The volume of sediment retained by the check dams was calculated by the Sections Method, which is very accurate in estimating the real volume of the sediment wedges. The total sediment yield in the area was thus estimated at 6.40 Mg·ha^-1·yr^-1 and the mean SOC, SN and SP densities were respectively 13.76, 0.48 and 0.05 kg·m^-2. These findings thus are very reliable and allow us to conclude that check dams constitute an important instrument for controlling losses of SOC, SN and SP, and preventing these substances from passing into watercourses downstream of the area.

Characterization and source estimates of primary and secondary carbonaceous aerosols at urban and suburban atmospheres of Düzce, Turkey

Düzce is one of the cities located in the western Black Sea region of Turkey with a population of 377,610 in 2017 (TUIK, 2017). There is no satisfying scientific information available to address the contribution of primary and secondary sources of carbonaceous aerosols to the observed PM₁₀ levels in the city. The main objective of the study is to determine the levels and sources of carbonaceous aerosols in PM₁₀. For this purpose, PM₁₀ samples were collected at urban and suburban locations in Düzce during winter and summer season in 2015. Average summer OC and EC concentrations in the urban area were 9.5 and 1.3 μg m^-3, respectively, while the corresponding concentrations were observed as 28.5 and 2.3 μg m^-3, respectively for winter season. Summer mean OC and EC levels at the suburban site were 5.46 and 0.37 μg m^-3, respectively, while those for winter were found as 6.68 and 0.61 μg m^-3.The contributions of OC and EC to measured PM₁₀ levels were found in the range of 10% to 60% and 1% to 7%, respectively, at the urban station while the associated contributions were in the range of 10% to 50% and 0.6% to 6%, respectively, at the suburban station. The concentrations measured during winter months in both areas were found to be higher than those measured during summer months. The EC tracer method was used in order to estimate the SOC contribution. The contribution of SOC concentrations to the total PM₁₀ mass was found to be higher during winter in the urban area and during summer in the suburban area.

Electrolyte-Supported Fuel Cell: Co-Sintering Effects of Layer Deposition on Biaxial Strength

The mechanical reliability of reversible solid oxide cell (SOC) components is critical for the development of highly efficient, durable, and commercially competitive devices. In particular, the mechanical integrity of the ceramic cell, also known as membrane electrolyte assembly (MEA), is fundamental as its failure would be detrimental to the performance of the whole SOC stack. In the present work, the mechanical robustness of an electrolyte-supported cell was determined via ball-on-3-balls flexural strength measurements. The main focus was to investigate the effect of the manufacturing process (i.e., layer by layer deposition and their co-sintering) on the final strength. To allow this investigation, the electrode layers were screen-printed one by one on the electrolyte support and thus sintered. Strength tests were performed after every layer deposition and the non-symmetrical layout was taken into account during mechanical testing. Obtained experimental data were evaluated with the help of Weibull statistical analysis. A loss of mechanical strength after every layer deposition was usually detected, with the final strength of the cell being significantly smaller than the initial strength of the uncoated electrolyte (σ₀ ≈ 800 MPa and σ₀ ≈ 1800 MPa, respectively). Fractographic analyses helped to reveal the fracture behavior changes when individual layers were deposited. It was found that the reasons behind the weakening effect can be ascribed to the presence and redistribution of residual stresses, changes in the crack initiation site, porosity of layers, and pre-crack formation in the electrode layers.