| 1. |
- Beal, Jacob, et al.
(author)
-
Robust estimation of bacterial cell count from optical density
- 2020
-
In: Communications Biology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2399-3642. ; 3:1
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Optical density (OD) is widely used to estimate the density of cells in liquid culture, but cannot be compared between instruments without a standardized calibration protocol and is challenging to relate to actual cell count. We address this with an interlaboratory study comparing three simple, low-cost, and highly accessible OD calibration protocols across 244 laboratories, applied to eight strains of constitutive GFP-expressing E. coli. Based on our results, we recommend calibrating OD to estimated cell count using serial dilution of silica microspheres, which produces highly precise calibration (95.5% of residuals <1.2-fold), is easily assessed for quality control, also assesses instrument effective linear range, and can be combined with fluorescence calibration to obtain units of Molecules of Equivalent Fluorescein (MEFL) per cell, allowing direct comparison and data fusion with flow cytometry measurements: in our study, fluorescence per cell measurements showed only a 1.07-fold mean difference between plate reader and flow cytometry data.
|
|
| 2. |
|
|
| 3. |
- Jarvis, Erich D., et al.
(author)
-
Whole-genome analyses resolve early branches in the tree of life of modern birds
- 2014
-
In: Science. - : American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). - 0036-8075 .- 1095-9203. ; 346:6215, s. 1320-1331
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- To better determine the history of modern birds, we performed a genome-scale phylogenetic analysis of 48 species representing all orders of Neoaves using phylogenomic methods created to handle genome-scale data. We recovered a highly resolved tree that confirms previously controversial sister or close relationships. We identified the first divergence in Neoaves, two groups we named Passerea and Columbea, representing independent lineages of diverse and convergently evolved land and water bird species. Among Passerea, we infer the common ancestor of core landbirds to have been an apex predator and confirm independent gains of vocal learning. Among Columbea, we identify pigeons and flamingoes as belonging to sister clades. Even with whole genomes, some of the earliest branches in Neoaves proved challenging to resolve, which was best explained by massive protein-coding sequence convergence and high levels of incomplete lineage sorting that occurred during a rapid radiation after the Cretaceous-Paleogene mass extinction event about 66 million years ago.
|
|
| 4. |
- Zhang, Kaicheng, et al.
(author)
-
SN 2014J in M82 : new insights on the spectral diversity of Type Ia supernovae
- 2018
-
In: Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0035-8711 .- 1365-2966. ; 481:1, s. 878-893
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We present extensive spectroscopic observations for one of the closest Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia), SN 2014J discovered in M82, ranging from 10.4 d before to 473.2 d after B-band maximum light. The diffuse interstellar band features detected in a high-resolution spectrum allow an estimate of line-of-sight extinction as A(v) similar to 1.9 +/- 0.6 mag. Spectroscopically, SN 2014J can be put into the high-velocity (HV) subgroup in Wang's classification with a velocity of Si II lambda 6355 at maximum light of upsilon(0) = 1.22 +/- 0.01 x 10(4) km s(-1) but has a low velocity gradient (LVG, following Benetti's classification) of (v) over bar = 41 +/- 2 km s(-1) d(-1), which is inconsistent with the trend that HV SNe Ia generally have larger velocity gradients. We find that the HV SNe Ia with LVGs tend to have relatively stronger Si III (at similar to 4400 angstrom) absorptions in early spectra, larger ratios of S II lambda 5468 to S II lambda 5640, and weaker Si II 5972 absorptions compared to their counterparts with similar velocities but high velocity gradients. This shows that the HV+ LVG subgroup of SNe Ia may have intrinsically higher photospheric temperature, which indicates that their progenitors may experience more complete burning in the explosions relative to the typical HV SNe Ia.
|
|
| 5. |
- Qi, Zhenyu, et al.
(author)
-
Blueshifting the Absorption of a Small -Molecule Donor and Using it as the Third Component to Achieve High-Efficiency Ternary Organic Solar Cells
- 2022
-
In: Solar RRL. - : WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH. - 2367-198X. ; 6:9
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Adding a small-molecule donor (SMD) to state-of-the-art nonfullerene organic solar cells (OSCs) is demonstrated as a useful strategy to construct ternary organic solar cells, as SMDs typically have high crystallinity and can tune charge transport properties of OSCs. However, the absorption of most SMDs overlaps with typical donor polymers (e.g., PM6), which is against the general guidelines of adopting materials with complementary absorption in ternary OSCs. Herein, the absorption of state-of-art SMDs (BTR-CI) by linking the beta position of the outer thiophene to the alpha position of the inner thiophene unit is intentionally blueshifted. The resulting molecule beta-S1 shows a maximum absorption peak at 505 nm in the film state, which exhibits wider bandgap and shows complementary absorption with the host system (PM6:Y6). The corresponding ternary OSCs with 20%wt beta-S1 show significantly enhanced efficiency from 16.2% to 17.1% due to the increased short-circuit current (J(sc)) and improved fill factor (FF). Herein, an effective strategy to design SMDs with both wider bandgaps and higher crystallinity for high-performance ternary OSCs is presented.
|
|
| 6. |
- Yang, Li, et al.
(author)
-
Premixed jet flame characteristics of syngas using OH planar laser induced fluorescence
- 2011
-
In: Chinese Science Bulletin. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1001-6538 .- 1861-9541. ; 56:26, s. 2862-2868
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Lean premixed flame characteristics of several typical low calorific value (LCV) syngases (basis CO/H-2/CH4/CO2/N-2), including bituminous coal, wood residue, corn core, and wheat straw gasification syngas, were investigated using OH planar laser induced fluorescence (PLIF) technology. OH radical distributions within the turbulent flame were measured for different turbulence intensities. Flame structures of syngases were analyzed and characterized with respect to burnt and unburnt regions, flame curvature (sharp cusp), local extinction (holes and penetration), OH reaction layer thickness, wrinkling, and other features, with OH-PLIF instantaneous images and statistical analysis. Results show that H-2 content, LCV, and turbulence intensity are the most effective factors influencing the OH radical intensity and thickness of OH radical layers. The bituminous coal gasification syngas with relatively higher LCV and H-2 content tends to burn out easily. Through changes in thickness of the OH radical layers and signal intensities, the reaction layer can be compressed by intensifying turbulence and thereby the combustion processes of syngas.
|
|
| 7. |
- Asayama, Kei, et al.
(author)
-
Setting Thresholds to Varying Blood Pressure Monitoring Intervals Differentially Affects Risk Estimates Associated With White-Coat and Masked Hypertension in the Population
- 2014
-
In: Hypertension. - 0194-911X .- 1524-4563. ; 64:5, s. 935-942
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Outcome-driven recommendations about time intervals during which ambulatory blood pressure should be measured to diagnose white-coat or masked hypertension are lacking. We cross-classified 8237 untreated participants (mean age, 50.7 years; 48.4% women) enrolled in 12 population studies, using >= 140/>= 90, >= 130/>= 80, >= 135/>= 85, and >= 120/>= 70 mm Hg as hypertension thresholds for conventional, 24-hour, daytime, and nighttime blood pressure. White-coat hypertension was hypertension on conventional measurement with ambulatory normotension, the opposite condition being masked hypertension. Intervals used for classification of participants were daytime, nighttime, and 24 hours, first considered separately, and next combined as 24 hours plus daytime or plus nighttime, or plus both. Depending on time intervals chosen, white-coat and masked hypertension frequencies ranged from 6.3% to 12.5% and from 9.7% to 19.6%, respectively. During 91 046 person-years, 729 participants experienced a cardiovascular event. In multivariable analyses with normotension during all intervals of the day as reference, hazard ratios associated with white-coat hypertension progressively weakened considering daytime only (1.38; P=0.033), nighttime only (1.43; P=0.0074), 24 hours only (1.21; P=0.20), 24 hours plus daytime (1.24; P=0.18), 24 hours plus nighttime (1.15; P=0.39), and 24 hours plus daytime and nighttime (1.16; P=0.41). The hazard ratios comparing masked hypertension with normotension were all significant (P<0.0001), ranging from 1.76 to 2.03. In conclusion, identification of truly low-risk white-coat hypertension requires setting thresholds simultaneously to 24 hours, daytime, and nighttime blood pressure. Although any time interval suffices to diagnose masked hypertension, as proposed in current guidelines, full 24-hour recordings remain standard in clinical practice.
|
|
| 8. |
- Franklin, Stanley S., et al.
(author)
-
The Cardiovascular Risk of White-Coat Hypertension
- 2016
-
In: Journal of the American College of Cardiology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0735-1097 .- 1558-3597. ; 68:19, s. 2033-2043
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND The role of white-coat hypertension (WCH) and the white-coat-effect (WCE) in development of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk remains poorly understood. OBJECTIVES Using data from the population-based, 11-cohort IDACO (International Database on Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring in Relation to Cardiovascular Outcomes), this study compared daytime ambulatory blood pressure monitoring with conventional blood pressure measurements in 653 untreated subjects with WCH and 653 normotensive control subjects. METHODS European Society Hypertension guidelines were used as a 5-stage risk score. Low risk was defined as 0 to 2 risk factors, and high risk was defined as >= 3 to 5 risk factors, diabetes, and/or history of prior CVD events. Age-and cohort-matching was done between 653 untreated subjects with WCH and 653 normotensive control subjects. RESULTS In a stepwise linear regression model, systolic WCE increased by 3.8 mm Hg (95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.1 to 4.6 mm Hg) per 10-year increase in age, and was similar in low-and high-risk subjects with or without prior CVD events. Over a median 10.6-year follow-up, incidence of new CVD events was higher in 159 high-risk subjects with WCH compared with 159 cohort-and age-matched high-risk normotensive subjects (adjusted hazard ratio [HR]: 2.06; 95% CI: 1.10 to 3.84; p = 0.023). The HR was not significant for 494 participants with low-risk WCH and age-matched low-risk normotensive subjects. Subgroup analysis by age showed that an association between WCH and incident CVD events is limited to older (age >= 60 years) high-risk WCH subjects; the adjusted HR was 2.19 (95% CI: 1.09 to 4.37; p = 0.027) in the older high-risk group and 0.88 (95% CI: 0.51 to 1.53; p = 0.66) in the older low-risk group (p for interaction = 0.044). CONCLUSIONS WCE size is related to aging, not to CVD risk. CVD risk in most persons with WCH is comparable to age-and risk-adjusted normotensive control subjects.
|
|
| 9. |
|
|
| 10. |
- Li, Han, et al.
(author)
-
Improvement of thermal stability of oyster (Crassostrea gigas) ferritin by point mutation
- 2021
-
In: Food Chemistry. - : Elsevier. - 0308-8146 .- 1873-7072. ; 346
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Ferritin can be widely used as functional nanomaterial. But the physiological activity of ferritin can be damaged under excessive temperatures, which affect the self-assembly property. In this study, point mutation was produced in Asp120 to Gly120 of ferritin amino acid sequence and the heat resistance was improved significantly. The thermal denaturation temperature of mutated ferritin is 89.17 degrees C and has increased by 13 degrees C more than the wildtype oyster ferritin. The effect of thermal treatment on the denaturation, aggregation state, particle size and the structure of ferritin was not changed before 90 degrees C. The computational modeling and analysis indicated that mutated ferritin promotes the overall structural stability assembly via decreasing the interaction energies of 62 percent energies in 3-fold interface. Improving the thermal stability of oyster ferritin by point mutation enhances its applications as a food ingredient.
|
|
