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The primary source of soil pollution is a complex mixture of numerous inorganic and organic compounds (including chlorinated compounds, nutrients, and heavy metals, etc.). The presence of all of these compounds makes remediation and cleanup difficult. In this study, the phytoremediation ability of Jatropha curcas and Pongamia pinnata was tested to remove nickel (Ni) and Zinc (Zn) from paper mill and municipal landfill contaminated soils, to understand the uptake potential and to estimate the accumulation pattern of Ni and Zn in the vegetative parts of the plant. The experiments were carried out in pots (3 kg capacity) and the different combinations of soil were made by mixing the contaminated soil with a reference soil (forest soil) as T 0 , T 25 , T 50 , T 75 and T 100. The plant biomass, chlorophyll content, proline, nitrate reductase activity and metal removal efficiency (%)were determined after 120 DAS (i.e., the days after sowing). The results of the study showed that with increasing metal stress, there is a reduction in the above-ground biomass content in both the plant species with a slightly less impact on the root biomass. Over a period of 4 months, J. curcas and P. pinnata removed 82–86% and 93-90% Ni, respectively. The removal of Zn was significantly less as compared to Ni as most of the Zn remained in the belowground part (roots) and in the soil. Besides, the phytostabilization capacities of the plants were calculated on the basis of their tolerance index (TI), bioaccumulation factor (BAF) and translocation factor (TF). The low BAF and TF values with increasing heavy metals (HMs) content indicates its higher phytostabilization capacity in the root and rhizospheric region as compared to phytoaccumulation. [Display omitted] • J. curcas and P. pinnata removes 82 - 86 % and 93- 90 % Ni respectively. • High biomass and bioaccumulation factor (BAF) > 1: Suitable for metal phytoextraction. • Low biomass and BAF < 1: Suitable for metal phytostabilization. • Low translocation factor (< 1) indicated the phytostabilization capacity of the plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current applications in the energy sector are based largely on fossil fuels which release greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere. To face the issue of global warming, the energy sector has to transfer to and develop sustainable energy solutions that do not release carbon emissions. This is one of the primary motivators for the SDEWES conference as well as for this review, and previous ones, examining the most recent works based on sustainable and green energy production in such fields. The 17th Conference on the Sustainable Development of Energy, Water, and Environment Systems (SDEWES) was held on 6–10 November 2022 in Paphos, Cyprus. The SDEWES conference aims at solving complex and ongoing concerns that approach a long-term perspective and supporting innovative solutions and continuous monitoring and evaluation. This review paper aims at collecting the main presented papers focused on the following hot topics: low-carbon technologies based on renewable and clean-energy systems, including mainly biomass, solar, and wind energy applications; energy storage systems; hydrogen-based systems; energy-saving strategies in buildings; and the adoption of smart management strategies using renewable energy systems. These topics are investigated in order to propose solutions to address the issues of climate change, water scarcity, and energy saving. From the analyzed works, we note that some key issues for sustainable development remain to be further addressed: such as novel and advanced energy storage systems, green hydrogen production, novel low-temperature district heating and cooling networks, novel solar technologies for the simultaneous production of power and high temperature heat, solar desalination for hydrogen production systems, and agrivoltaic systems for the production of power and food. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nea Paphos, the Hellenistic-Roman capital of Cyprus, was established according to a regular Hippodamian street grid in the Hellenistic period. The city has been subjected to continuous archaeological research since the 1960s. Despite this, the possibilities for reconstructing its fabric were severely limited. This paper aims to gain a more in-depth understanding of the ways in which computational methods can be used in the analysis of ancient urban planning and the reconstruction of its elements, using the similarity of urban processes and social behavior in ancient Greek cities as its main premise. Therefore, a study based on Network and Space Syntax analysis was conducted for cities with a well-recognized urban layout of the Late Classical and Hellenistic periods, namely Olynthus and Priene, and other, less archaeologically explored harbor towns of the Hellenistic period, such as Piraeus and Ptolemais. The results of these studies were then extrapolated to hypothetical reconstructions of Nea Paphos in the Hellenistic period, mainly to propose the location of the main public buildings and to model the urban traffic. This methodology is experimental in its nature. The aim of this paper is to try to assess to what extent the adopted workflow can be useful in reconstructing the landscape of ancient cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lead telluride and germanium telluride are well-known IV-VI semiconductors, which is now the focus of research due to the perspective of application as thermoelectrics for midrange temperatures. Solid solutions and heterostructures on this basis, obtained by molecular beam epitaxy, are a promising direction for the development of these materials. In this paper, we have focused on the Raman spectra excited by the 514.5 nm laser line (out of resonance) of PbTe, GeTe, (Pb, Ge)Te, and (Pb, Ge, Eu)Te layers grown on BaF2 (111) monocrystalline substrates. The obtained phonon properties are related to the properties of the corresponding bulk materials or can be explained by a model that takes into account the difference in the masses of the constituent elements only, as is the case with the local mode of Ge in PbTe (registered at about 181 cm−1). Multiphonon processes registered for this phonon are a consequence of the change in the electronic structure of PbTe and electron-phonon interaction. An improvement in the quality of thin films due to doping with Eu ions was also registered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Architectus is the property of Oficyna Wydawnicza Politechniki Wroclawskiej and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper presents an overview for the Special Issue of Clean Technology and Environmental Policy journal (CTEP), and it includes accepted papers from: 5th South East European Conferences on Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems (SDEWES) held from May 22–26, 2022, in Vlore, Albania. 3rd Latin American Conferences on Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems (SDEWES) held from July 24–28, 2022, in Sao Paulo, Brazil. 17th Conferences on Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems (SDEWES) held from November 6–10, 2022, in Paphos, Cyprus. Considering CTEP's policy of high-quality research papers, guest editors have invited 35 research articles, presented at the SDEWES 2022 conference. After a vigorous review process, 13 papers have been accepted for publication in this special issue. All 13 accepted papers are briefly presented in this overview together with a wider view that presents research efforts within the SDEWES community published through previous SDEWES special issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Magazine General Union of Arab Archaeologists is the property of General Union of Arab Archaeologists and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Heavy-atom alkaline earth monofluoride molecules are considered as prospective systems to study spatial parity or spatial parity and time-reversal symmetry violating effects such as the nuclear anapole moment or the electron electric dipole moment. A comprehensive and highly accurate theoretical study of the electronic structure properties and transition energies in such systems can simplify the preparation and interpretation of the experiments. However, almost no attempts to calculate quantum electrodynamics (QED) effects' contribution into characteristics of these neutral heavy-atom molecules have been performed. Recently, we have formulated and implemented such an approach to calculate QED contributions to transition energies of molecules [L. V. Skripnikov, J. Chem. Phys. 154, 201101 (2021)]. In this paper, we perform a benchmark theoretical study of the transition energies in the Ba+ cation and BaF molecule. The deviation of the calculated values from the experimental ones is of the order 10 cm−1 and is more than an order of magnitude better than the "chemical accuracy," 350 cm−1. The achievement of such an agreement has been provided, in particular, by the inclusion of the QED effects. The latter appeared to be not less important than the high-order correlation effects beyond the coupled cluster with single, double, and perturbative triple cluster amplitude level. We compare the role of QED effects for transition energies with heavier molecules—RaF and E120F, where E120 is the superheavy Z = 120 homolog of Ra. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results of ceramic synthesis in the field of a powerful flux of high-energy electrons on powder mixtures. The synthesis is carried out via the direct exposure of the radiation flux to a mixture with high speed (up to 10 g/s) and efficiency without the use of any methods or means for stimulation. These synthesis qualities provide the opportunity to optimize compositions and conditions in a short time while maintaining the purity of the ceramics. The possibility of synthesizing ceramics from powders of metal oxides and fluorides (MgF2, BaF2, WO3, Ga2O3, Al2O3, Y2O3, ZrO2, MgO) and complex compounds from their stoichiometric mixtures (Y3Al3O12, Y3AlxGa(5−x) O12, MgAl2O4, ZnAl2O4, MgWO4, ZnWO4, BaxMg(2−x) F4), including activators, is demonstrated. The ceramics synthesized in the field of high-energy electron flux have a structure and luminescence properties similar to those obtained by other methods, such as thermal methods. The results of studying the processes of energy transfer of the electron beam mixture, quantitative assessments of the distribution of absorbed energy, and the dissipation of this energy are presented. The optimal conditions for beam treatment of the mixture during synthesis are determined. It is shown that the efficiency of radiation synthesis of ceramics depends on the particle dispersion of the initial powders. Powders with particle sizes of 1–10 µm, uniform for the synthesis of ceramics of complex compositions, are optimal. A hypothesis is put forward that ionization processes, resulting in the radiolysis of particles and the exchange of elements in the ion–electron plasma, dominate in the formation of new structural phases during radiation synthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The bandwidth adaptation factor (BAF), which is calculated as BW • (λ L - λ H): (d • f r), is a crucial evaluation parameter for designing ultrathin broadband absorbers. In this paper, a high BAF absorber is designed by utilizing an impedance frequency selective surface (FSS), which includes a six pinnacles FSS, a La-doped mullite ceramic dielectric layer and a metal backplane. The optimal numbers of pinnacled FSS is determined through comparison and optimization, and the power monitor results indicate that the main loss modes are electrical and ohmic loss. Subsequently, the impedance analysis reveals that the favourable absorption performance is attributed to good impedance matching and high loss coefficient. Furthermore, the observation of the current distribution on the surface confirms that the primary loss appears at the pinnacles. The proposed absorber has below −10 dB reflectivity in 12.26–18.00 GHz. Meanwhile, the BAF is 3.36 and the thickness is only 0.061 λ L (1.5 mm). The measured results are in good agreement with the simulation results, demonstrating an excellent BAF characteristic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In general, glasses have a random structure, but they can take on unique structures due to bond selectivity. In this paper, we introduce the bond selectivity of oxygen- and fluorine-containing glasses and the formation of glass structures derived from the bond selectivity of each anion. We present the relationship between BaMgBO3F crystals and BaF2-MgO-B2O3 glasses. The crystal is composed of oxide and fluoride layers. The corresponding glass is suggested to have a bicontinuous structure from structural analysis and simulation. The glass has a favorable structure for luminescence and shows higher luminescence efficiency than the corresponding crystal. Such a structure is also favorable for nucleation; the BaF2-ZnO-B2O3 glass precipitated fluoride crystals with a very small particle size distribution at 5 nm upon heat treatment. Various structural analyses suggest that the fluoride sites in the fluoride-rich domain of this glass structure are similar to the crystals. This paper suggests that various functionalities can be developed by utilizing the mixing heterogeneity derived from the selective binding of fluoride and oxide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Legal Records / Pravni Zapisi is the property of Union University Law School, Belgrade and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Given the enormous safety risks and environmental pollution that restrict the green development of isocyanate produced by phosgene reactions, we propose a new green and intrinsically safe route for synthesizing diisocyanates containing the furan ring from 5-hydroxymethylfurfural. In this work, the following novel reactions have been systematically investigated, including synthesizing a new compound methyl furan-2,5-dimethylene dicarbamate (FDC) using 2,5-bis(aminomethyl)furan (BAF) and dimethyl carbonate (DMC), the selective hydrogenation of FDC to a new compound methyl tetrahydrofuran-2,5-dimethylene dicarbamate (THFDC), and FDC and THFDC catalytic decomposition to produce corresponding furan-2,5-dimethylene diisocyanate (FDI) and tetrahydrofuran-2,5-dimethylene diisocyanate (THFDI). The results showed that CH3ONa could effectively catalyze the synthesis of FDC from BAF and DMC, and the separation yield of FDC was 98.1% under mild conditions including a nBAF : nDMC ratio of 1 : 10 at 70 °C for 4 h. CH3ONa can be recycled up to four times with high stability. A 0.5% Pd/γ-Al2O3 catalyst with low Pd loading was prepared, and it showed high catalytic activity and stability for FDC hydrogenation to THFDC, with a THFDC yield of 99.9% at 100 °C, 2 MPa H2 and 1 h, and the catalyst could be reused after simple treatment with ethanol. The structure–activity relationship of supported Pd catalysts was studied. The conditions for the thermal decomposition reactions of FDC and THFDC were optimized, resulting in FDI and THFDI yields as high as 89.6% and 92.8%, respectively. Owing to the urgent need for raw materials sustainability and environmental friendliness, the brand-new safe pathway for synthesizing FDI and THFDI was constructed, significantly improving the competitiveness of the non-phosgene method in preparing bio-based isocyanate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Er3+/Yb3+ codoped glass ceramics containing BaF2 crystals were obtained through a melt quenching process; the precipitation of BaF2 nanocrystals was confirmed by structural characterization. The effects of crystal quantity and size on the transmittance and upconversion fluorescence of the samples were analyzed. The precipitation of nanocrystals leads to a significant increase in upconversion luminescence intensity. The fluorescence spectra at different pump powers were measured. Er3+ and Yb3+ energy level diagrams and possible energy transfer routes during upconversion luminescence were explored. Furthermore, the functional relationship between temperature and the upconversion fluorescence intensity ratio of the samples was analyzed. When the temperature is 293 K, the relative sensitivity reaches the maximum of 1.38% K−1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the mystery of baryogenesis for isotropic and anisotropic universe models in the context of Rastall's theory of gravity (RTG). In the first part, we utilize the Rastall field equations (FEs) for the flat Friedmann Robertson Walker (FRW) metric to find the solutions of density ρ and Hubble parameter H. Additionally, Rastall parameter plays a crucial role to discuss baryogenesis and fulfilling its criteria on the observational ground. It is found that very large positive/negative values of Rastall parameter like λ ≥ 1 0 5 4 (for ω = 0) and λ ≤ − 1 0 2 2 (for ω = 1) are required to satisfy the observational bounds on baryon asymmetry factor (BAF), see Fig. 1. In the second part, we develop the FEs for RTG using the Locally Rotationally Symmetric (LRS) Bianchi type-1 line-element. Then we find the solutions of the FEs and use them to find the BAF using Rastall parameter as λ ≤ − 1 0 3 7 and anisotropic parameter n ≥ 2 to meet the consistency with the experimental limit, see Fig. 3. For n = 1 , the anisotropic model reduces to the isotropic FRW model, where we have a zero BAF. Finally, we conclude that RTG with both universe models is a good candidate to study baryogenesis in the early universe and the variable λ has a considerable impact on the BAF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer development is a complex process involving both genetic and epigenetic changes. The SWI/SNF (switch/sucrose non‐fermentable) chromatin remodelling complex, one of the most studied ATP‐dependent complexes, plays an important role in coordinating chromatin structural stability, gene expression and post‐translational modifications. The SWI/SNF complex can be classified into BAF, PBAF and GBAF according to their constituent subunits. Cancer genome sequencing studies have shown a high incidence of mutations in genes encoding subunits of the SWI/SNF chromatin remodelling complex, with abnormalities in one or more of these genes present in nearly 25% of all cancers, which indicating that stabilizing normal expression of genes encoding subunits in the SWI/SNF complex may prevent tumorigenesis. In this paper, we will review the relationship between the SWI/SNF complex and some clinical tumours and its mechanism of action. The aim is to provide a theoretical basis to guide the diagnosis and treatment of tumours caused by mutations or inactivation of one or more genes encoding subunits of the SWI/SNF complex in the clinical setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, Er3+ doped TeO 2 -ZnF 2 -BaF 2 -KF-Ta 2 O 5 tellurite glasses with low hydroxyl content (∼0.03 × 10−19 cm−3) were investigated employing both glass composition and glass melting process optimization. The Raman spectra and physical properties were characterized to analyze the structure of the glasses. Under the pumping of 980 nm LD laser, intense up-conversion fluorescence at 1.5 and 2.7 μm of samples and their lifetimes were detected and analyzed, and the related transition mechanisms with gradient-varying Er3+ doping concentrations were discussed. The maximum absorption and emission cross section at 2.7 μm was calculated to be 6.4 × 10−21 cm2 and 6.8 × 10−21 cm2, correspondingly, which were higher than those of traditional tellurite glasses. Using the calculated and measured spectroscopic parameters of bulk tellurite glass, a dual-wavelength pumping model was established to verify the feasibility of mid-infrared laser output in similar tellurite glass fiber. Experimental results support the assertion that the Er3+ doped tellurite glasses hold promise as a candidate laser gain medium for mid-infrared fiber laser systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A bubble-based acoustofluidic filtration (BAF) microfluidic device, which employs cross-flow filtration (CFF) and acoustic streaming, separates cells with high efficiency for forensic analysis. Forensic samples are typically complex and contain a substantial number of squamous epithelial cells from the female vagina, which tend to have fouling problems during filtration due to their morphological and cell adhesion differences. To overcome this issue, the BAF device utilizes bubble oscillation by bulk acoustic wave (BAW) to generate acoustic streaming, which offers additional hydrodynamic forces for side flushing cleaning and achieves effective removal within a mere 0.5 seconds. Our device is tested with imbalanced cell mixtures of sperm and epithelial cells with large disparity ratios. By concurrently employing CFF and acoustic streaming, the samples with our sperm-enrichment can achieve 91.72–97.78% for the recovery rate and 74.58–89.26% for the purity in the sperm enrichment. They are further subjected to short tandem repeat (STR) profiling, enabling the identification of perpetrators. Notably, even samples with minimal sperm cells demonstrated a significant increase in the male donor DNA ratio, while the peak heights of female alleles became virtually undetectable. The exceptional cell separation capability demonstrated by our BAF device highlights its potential applications in forensic sciences and other areas of cell biology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we present the results of the analysis performed with near edge absorption fine structure spectroscopy of barium edges in a B+BaF2 optical filter. The radiation was generated by a laser-plasma soft X-ray source based on a double-stream gas puff target. The use of a flat-field spectrometer based on a diffraction grating allowed us to collect the absorption spectra of the radiation transmitted by the analyzed optical filter. The results demonstrate the appearance of clear M-edges of barium (M4 and M5). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fast and heavy inorganic scintillators with suitable radiation tolerance are required to face the challenges presented at future hadron colliders of high energy and intensity. Up to 5 GGy and 5 × 1018 neq/cm2 of one-MeV-equivalent neutron fluence is expected by the forward calorimeter at the Future Hadron Circular Collider. This paper reports the results of an investigation of proton- and neutron-induced radiation damage in various fast and heavy inorganic scintillators, such as LYSO:Ce crystals, LuAG:Ce ceramics, and BaF2 crystals. The experiments were carried out at the Blue Room with 800 MeV proton fluence up to 3.0 × 1015 p/cm2 and at the East Port with one MeV equivalent neutron fluence up to 9.2 × 1015 neq/cm2, respectively, at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center. Experiments were also carried out at the CERN PS-IRRAD proton facility with 24 GeV proton fluence up to 8.2 × 1015 p/cm2. Research and development will continue to develop LuAG:Ce ceramics and BaF2:Y crystals with improved optical quality, F/T ratio, and radiation hardness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper concerns the Hellenistic and Early Roman cooking pottery originating from the area of Nea Paphos, Cyprus. Macroscopic examinations conducted on a few thousand local vessels and their fragments provided the detailed characterization of this group of pottery in terms of the appearance of fabric, typology, and chronology. The integration of these data with the results of laboratory analysis of selected samples revealed that the local production of cooking pottery changed through time in terms of clay composition, shapes, surface treatment, and firing techniques. The transformations observed within the local cooking pottery manufacture seem to correlate with political and social changes as well as the development of Nea Paphos. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biological aerated filters (BAF) are attached growth aerobic systems used for the treatment of wastewater. This system can establish the physical filtration of solids along with the biological decomposition of organic matter. The performance of the BAF depends on the type of support media and its ability to meet objective of the treatment process. Natural zeolites, with properties such as ion exchange, larger surface area, capability to form biofilm, adsorption, regenerative properties etc., are a promising filter material in BAF systems. This paper investigates and discusses the effect of various factors like hydraulic retention time (HRT), carbon to nitrogen (C/N) ratio, aeration rate, depth of filter and particle size of natural zeolite which influence the performance of BAF. Based on the experimental results and optimization study using response surface methodology, carried out on the BAF system with varying process variables like HRT, C/N ratio, aeration rate and depth of filter, the natural zeolite media with particle size 1-3 mm range showed improved performance as compared to the coarser particles, that is, 3-5 mm and 5-10 mm. On conducting a final run using natural zeolite particle size of 1-3 mm under optimized value of HRT = 3.25 h, C/N = 6.2, aeration rate = 69 L/h, depth of filter = 83 cm, the BAF system observed chemical oxygen demand, biological oxygen demand, NH3-N, turbidity and total dissolved solids removal percentage of 97%, 96%, 99%, 98% and 58%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ionic redistribution at solid interfaces in ionic materials is the keystone of nanoionics. An experimental master piece has been provided by CaF2-BaF2 heterolayers. Meanwhile this system and the involved heterojunctions are extraordinarily well-understood. The present paper gives an account of this model system by reviewing not only transport experiments and defect-chemical modeling as a function of temperature and spacing of the individual layers, but also transition from semi-infinite to mesoscopic conditions, transition from Mott–Schottky to Gouy–Chapman behavior as well as the impact of ionic redistribution on the electronic minority carriers. Owing to the availability of bulk transport data, the analysis works well for in-plane and out-of-plane measurements with only the space charge potential as fit parameter. Space charge effects are able to provide an interpretation of the annealing behavior, too. The experiments are corroborated by molecular dynamics simulations. Extrapolating the ionic redistribution effects down to the atomic level may even explain homovalent doping effects in non-equilibrium mixtures of the two fluorides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of CEDRUS is the property of Mediterranean Civilisations Research Institute and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper is the editorial for the virtual special issue (VSI) of Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews (RSER) dedicated to three Sustainable Development of Energy Water and Environment Systems (SDEWES) Conferences held in 2022, namely: (i) the 5th South East European Conference SEESDEWES 2022 held from May 22 to 26, 2022 in Vlore, Albania; (ii) the 3rd Latin American LASDEWES 2022 held from July 24 to 28, 2022 in Sao Paulo, Brazil and (iii) the 17th SDEWES 2022 held from November 6 to 10, 2022 in Paphos, Cyprus. The VSI collected both high quality review papers and original research articles presented at these conferences, aligning with the aims and scope of RSER. Following a rigorous peer review process, seventeen articles were accepted and published. These articles explore techniques and technologies essential for advancing feasible Renewable and Sustainable Energy Systems. Spanning multidisciplinary topics, many of them address almost all the Sustainable Development Goals, offering feasible solutions for much-needed decarbonization pathways. • The VSI SDEWES 2022 presents the ready solutions for Renewable and Sustainable Energy Systems. • Five clusters for presenting the Renewable and Sustainable energy cutting edge solutions. • The positioning in the scientific context of the Renewable and Sustainable Energy Systems. • Feasible solutions for much-needed decarbonization pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tuberculosis is a widespread disease all over the world. Early diagnosis plays a crucial role in the treatment of patients and can reduce the mortality rate. A new biosensor based on a binary photonic crystal is designed for the detection of mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria in the blood. The structure air/(A/B)N/(Defect)/(A/B)N/air is employed, where A, B and N are the first and second layers and the number of periods, respectively. Layers A and B are chosen as GaAs and BaF2, respectively. The defect layer is the blood sample. The transfer matrix method (TMM) is utilized to simulate the structure. Some parameters, such as central wavelength, defect layer thickness and incident angle are optimized to maximize the sensitivity. The optimum sensitivity is found 3197.18 nm/RIU, which is extremely high when compared to the most recent papers published in this field. In addition, our sensor has a simple design, tunable fabrication and low cost and can be useful for the detection of many organisms that can exist in the blood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metals can accumulate in different parts of plant species in high concentrations, which gives the basis for the plant-based technology called phytoremediation. Among annual species, Amaranthus is a well-studied, potential metal accumulator genus; however, some conflicts are found among published results. Thus, we studied the metal (Cd, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb, and Zn) accumulation potential of Amaranthus plant parts (root, stem, and leaf) by meta-analysis, furthermore, by calculation of bioaccumulation factor (BAF) values. After the extensive literature search and the calculation of relative interaction intensity (RII) values, we found significant accumulation for each metal by Amaranthus individuals growing on contaminated soils compared to plants collected from uncontaminated ones. Differences among plant parts were significant for Cu and Fe, minor for Ni, Pb, and Zn, and negligible for Cd. The BAF values indicated high accumulation in the leaf, moderate in root and stem for Cd, moderate in each plant part for Pb, and very low in each plant part for Fe, Ni, and Zn. We highlight that Amaranthus species are good prospects for metal phytoremediation projects, although, due to specific plant part-metal patterns, special attention should be paid to the harvesting practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fluorine (F) plays an important role in biology and geology but is hard to analyse and quantify using element-specific techniques. This is related to its high first ionisation potential and analytical methods depending on high energy sources for excitation and/or ionisation of F. In particular ICP-MS was initially found incapable of detecting F; however, recent methodological advances, i.e., the application of Ba as a plasma modifier and the application of tandem mass spectrometry, enabled its analysis by targeting BaF+. In this study, we suggest this approach in conjunction with laser ablation to perform the mapping of F in both biological and geological samples. In a proof of concept, tooth samples as biological samples and a Rhynie chert as a geological sample were analysed. For method development and to evaluate the performance of the developed method, gelatine-based F-standards were prepared and characterised using combustion ion chromatography. Standards were further interrogated to estimate LODs and LOQs. Depending on the required spatial resolution, figures of merit in the upper ng g−1 range and lower μg g−1 range were achievable. This is the first example of F mapping using LA-ICP-MS instrumentation and the developed methods close an important analytical gap by enabling the spatially resolved F analysis at relevant biological and geological concentrations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elemental analysis of fluorochemicals has received renewed attention in recent years stemming from the increased use of fluorinated compounds. However, fundamental drawbacks of in-plasma ionization have hindered ICPMS applications in this area. Recently, we have introduced post-ICP chemical ionization for BaF+ formation using Ba-containing reagent ions supplied by nanospray, leading to major improvements in F detection sensitivity. Here, we present further insights into this post-plasma chemical ionization. First, we examine the effect of oxygen introduced into the plasma (a necessity for organic solvent introduction) on BaF+ ion formation. The results indicate that excess plasma oxygen leads to abundant HNO3 in the post-plasma flow, shifting ionization reactions toward BaNO3+ formation and suppressing BaF+ sensitivity. To amend this, we utilize reagent ions with other metal centers to impart selectivity toward F detection. Our investigations show that robustness of F detection in the presence of abundant HNO3 improves in the order Al3+ ≈ Sc3+ > La3+ > Mg2+ > Ba2+ as the metal center in the reagent ions, consistent with the stronger metal–F bond in the series. Sc-based ionization resulting in ScNO3F+ shows the best balance between sensitivity and robustness in the presence of nitric acid. Similarly, this ion shows an improved tolerance relative to BaF+ for a Cl-containing matrix where HCl interferes with ionization. Finally, we demonstrate a unique feature of post-plasma chemical ionization for real-time flagging of matrix effects via monitoring reagent ions. These findings provide significant improvements of post-plasma chemical ionization for elemental F analysis, particularly for online chromatographic detection where solvent gradients are utilized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ever since 2002, when the first Conference on Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems (SDEWES) was held in Dubrovnik, the SDEWES conferences series has been providing a forum for world-wide scientists and those interested in learning about the sustainability of development, to present research progress and to discuss the state of the art, the future directions and priorities in the various areas of sustainable development. One of the main issues of the coming decades is to improve efficiencies by integrating various energy systems, using excess from one, as resource in another in the correct moment. Integrating electricity, heating, cooling, transport, water, buildings, waste, wastewater, industry, forestry and agriculture systems will be pivotal towards sustainable development. SDEWES has maintained high publishing standard as 2408 SDEWES papers were published in special issues of leading scientific journals including "Energy - The International Journal". In 2022, the 17th SDEWES Conference was held during November 6–10 in Paphos, Cyprus, the 5th SEE Conference took place in May 22–26, 2022 in Vlorë, Albania, the 3rd Latin American Conference was held through a virtual platform during July 24–28, 2022. The Energy journal has continued its cooperation with SDEWES launching a special issue dedicated to the 2022 Conferences. The special issue includes papers which traditionally cover a range of energy issues - higher renewables penetration and various technologies and fuels assessments at energy supply side, as well as, energy efficiency in various sectors, buildings, district heating, electric vehicles and demand modelling at energy demand side. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of high quality x%Pr3+:BaF2 (x = 0.6, 1, 2); (1%Pr3+, 2%Na+):BaF2; (1%Pr3+, y%Ca2+):BaF2 (y = 3, 5) and (0.6%Pr3+, 10%R3+):BaF2 (R = Y, Lu, Gd) crystals were grown by temperature gradient technique (TGT). The Raman spectra, absorption spectra, fluorescence spectra, and fluorescence decay lifetime were measured. XRD patterns indicate that the as-synthesized samples are pure BaF2 phase. The absorption cross-section of Pr3+ ions in the BaF2 matrix can be greatly improved by co-doping R3+ ions, while improvement by Na+ and Ca2+ ions is marginal. The fluorescence characteristic of Pr3+ ions can be effectively regulated by co-doping Na+, Ca2+, R3+ (R = Y, Lu, Gd) ions of different valence states. When R3+ ions are introduced, the fluorescence spectra show the strongest orange emission and the CIE chromaticity coordinates of Pr3+ ions are also in the orange region. When single-doped Pr3+ ions and Na+ or Ca2+ ions are introduced, the fluorescence lifetime of the 3P0 level is double exponential decay, and the short lifetime is the main proportion. However, the fluorescence centers tend to homogeneous and stable by R3+ ions co-doping and the fluorescence lifetime exhibits single-exponential decay, which is fitted to 49.7 μs, 47.8 μs and 49.6 μs of (0.6%Pr3+, 10%R3+):BaF2 (R = Y, Lu, Gd), respectively. All the results show that (Pr3+, Gd3+):BaF2 and (Pr3+, Na+):BaF2 are excellent laser gain media for high-efficiency orange and red laser operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide, with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) constituting 85% of cases. Among NSCLCs, squamous cell carcinoma (SqCC) is strongly associated with smoking. However, lung cancer in never smokers (LCINS) represents approximately 25% of lung cancer cases globally and shows increasing incidence, particularly in East Asia. LCINS-SqCC is less well-characterized, especially regarding its genomic alterations and their impact on clinical outcomes. We conducted a retrospective analysis over a 20-year period (July 2003–July 2023) at two major tertiary centers in the UK. The cohort included 59 patients with LCINS-SqCC who underwent radical surgical resection. Data collected included demographic information, comorbidities, histopathological details, and outcome metrics such as disease-free and overall survival. Molecular sequencing of tumor specimens was performed to identify genomic aberrations. The cohort had a median age of 71 years (IQR 62–77) and a median BMI of 25.4 (IQR 22.8–27.8), with a slight male predominance (53%). The majority of patients (93%) had a preoperative MRC of 1–2. Recurrent disease was observed in 23 patients (39%), and 32 patients (54%) had died at a median follow-up of 3 years. Median disease-free survival was 545 days (IQR 132–1496), and overall survival was 888 days (IQR 443–2071). Preoperative creatinine levels were higher in patients who experienced recurrence (p = 0.037). Molecular analysis identified biallelic SMARCB1 loss in two younger patients, associated with rapid disease progression despite R0 resection. These patients' tumors were PDL1-negative, TTF-1-negative, and positive for cytokeratin, CD56, and p40. SMARCB1-deficient SqCC in never smokers represents a highly aggressive variant with poor disease-free survival, highlighting the importance of integrating advanced molecular diagnostics in clinical practice. This study underscores the necessity for personalized treatment strategies, including targeted therapies such as EZH2 inhibitors and immune checkpoint blockade, to address the unique molecular pathways in SMARCB1-deficient cancers. Further clinical trials are essential to optimize therapeutic approaches for this challenging subgroup of lung cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increased applications of fluorochemicals have prompted development of elemental methods for detection and quantitation of these compounds. However, high-sensitivity detection of fluorine is a challenge because of difficulties in excitation and ionization of this element. Recently, a new approach has emerged to detect F as a diatomic ion (BaF+) in inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). However, formation of this species in the high-temperature plasma is inefficient, leading to low sensitivities. Here, we introduce a post-ICP chemical ionization approach to enhance analytical performance for F detection in liquid samples. Solutions of fluorochemicals are introduced into an ICP leading to formation of HF in the afterglow. Subsequently, reagent ions from nanospray of sodium acetate and barium acetate electrolytes are utilized to ionize HF to Na2F+ and BaF+, respectively, via post-plasma ion-neutral reactions. Both ions provide substantially better sensitivities compared to that of BaF+ formed inside the plasma in conventional ICP-MS methods. Notably, post-plasma BaF+ offers a sensitivity of 280 cps ppb−1 for F, near two orders of magnitude higher than that of conventional ICP-MS methods. Compound-independent response for F from structurally diverse organofluorines is confirmed by monitoring BaF+ and a limit of detection (LOD) of 8–11 ng mL−1 F is achieved. Importantly, isobaric interferences are substantially reduced in chemical ionization, leaving F background as the main factor in LOD determination. Insights into BaF+ formation via experimental and computational investigations suggest that BaNO2+ and Ba(H2O)n2+ serve as reagent ions while nonreactive BaCH3CO2+ is the dominant ion produced by nanospray. The facile development of effective post-plasma ionization chemistries using the presented approach offers a path for further improvements in F elemental analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mammalian SWI/SNF-like BAF complexes play critical roles during animal development and pathological conditions. Previous gene deletion studies and characterization of human gene mutations implicate that the complexes both repress and activate a large number of genes. However, the direct function of the complexes in cells remains largely unclear due to the relatively long-term nature of gene deletion or natural mutation. Here we generate a mouse line by knocking in the auxin-inducible degron tag (AID) to the Smarca4 gene, which encodes BRG1, the essential ATPase subunit of the BAF complexes. We show that the tagged BRG1 can be efficiently depleted by osTIR1 expression and auxin treatment for 6 to 10 h in CD4 + T cells, hepatocytes, and fibroblasts isolated from the knock-in mice. The acute depletion of BRG1 leads to decreases in nascent RNAs and RNA polymerase II binding at a large number of genes, which are positively correlated with the loss of BRG1. Further, these changes are correlated with diminished accessibility at DNase I Hypersensitive Sites (DHSs) and p300 binding. The acute BRG1 depletion results in three major patterns of nucleosome shifts leading to narrower nucleosome spacing surrounding transcription factor motifs and at enhancers and transcription start sites (TSSs), which are correlated with loss of BRG1, decreased chromatin accessibility and decreased nascent RNAs. Acute depletion of BRG1 severely compromises the Trichostatin A (TSA) -induced histone acetylation, suggesting a substantial interplay between the chromatin remodeling activity of BRG1 and histone acetylation. Our data suggest BRG1 mainly plays a direct positive role in chromatin accessibility, RNAPII binding, and nascent RNA production by regulating nucleosome positioning and facilitating transcription factor binding to their target sites. Here, the authors generate a mouse line by knocking in the auxin-inducible degron tag to the SMARCA4 gene, which encodes BRG1. They suggest that BRG1 primarily contributes positively to chromatin accessibility, RNAP binding, and nascent RNA production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brazil's Atlantic Forest (BAF) is a highly fragmented, strategic environmental and socio-economic region that represents the fourth biodiversity hotspot while also producing many commodities that are exported globally. Human disturbance plays a pivotal role as a driver of BAF's soil dynamics and behaviors. The soils under Late Primary and Secondary Semideciduous Seasonal Forests (LPSF and LSSF) were characterized by high to moderate resilience, with improved chemical properties as human disturbance decreased. The Transitional Forest to Cerrado (TFC) had the worst soil conditions. Disturbed Primary and Secondary Semideciduous Seasonal Forests (DPSF and DSSF) represent a transitional stage between LPSF/LSSF and TFC. Accordingly, SOCs stocks increased from TFC << DPSF, DSSF < LPSF, LSSF. In BAF soils, to avoid unreliable data, SOCs measurements should be (i) conducted to at least 1 m soil depth and (ii) quantified with a CHN analyzer. Human disturbance strongly affected the positive feedback between vegetation succession, SOCs, and soil nutrition. Soil development decreased as human disturbance increased, thus negatively affecting SOCs. Soils in the BAF require a long time to recover after the end of human disturbance, thus suggesting that preservation strategies should be prioritized in remnant BAF fragments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present sub-50 fs soliton pulse generation from a diode-pumped Kerr-lens mode-locked laser based on an Yb3+-doped BaF2 crystal. Utilizing a spatially single-mode, fiber-coupled InGaAs laser diode at 976 nm as a pump source, the Yb:BaF2 laser generates pulses as short as 46 fs at 1060.1 nm with an average output power of 45 mW at a pulse repetition rate of ~65.6 MHz via soft-aperture Kerr-lens mode locking. To the best of our knowledge, this represents the first demonstration of Kerr-lens mode-locked operation of the Yb:BaF2 crystal, as well as the shortest pulse duration ever achieved from any diode-pumped mode-locked laser based on an Yb3+-doped alkaline-earth fluoride crystal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The effect of protective layer on the performance of smart radiation devices is comprehensively evaluated. • The emission regulation can be enhanced to 0.65, while the solar absorption can be decreased to 0.18. • The performance of the proposed SRD meets the requirement of the spacecraft thermal control devices. • This work provides a theoretical basis for the design of more reasonable spacecraft thermal control devices. With the arrival of the space economy, the miniaturization of spacecraft and their multi-functional trends have put a greater demand on space thermal control systems. Smart radiation devices (SRDs) are gaining attention as a low-cost, light-weight material for the thermal control of spacecraft. Previous works have focused on how to enhance IR emittance tunability of SRDs. In fact, the SRDs performance and lifetime may be affected by the external space environment. Thus, researchers proposed to cover the SRDs with a protective layer to resist oxidation and other problems. However, the influence of protective layer on the performance of SRDs, including IR emittance tunability Δ ε and solar absorption α s , has not been studied systematically yet. In this paper, the impact of protective layer on the performance of SRDs is comprehensively evaluated in theory. Firstly, a three-layer SRD is composed of a vanadium dioxide (VO 2) film, BaF 2 , and a silver (Ag) substrate, which is optimized using the transfer matrix method. The IR emittance tunability and solar absorption can reach 0.64 and 0.29, respectively. Secondly, the smart thermal control device with three protection materials (BaF 2 , Al 2 O 3 and Si) is investigated. The results show that the performance of SRD can be enhanced or deteriorated, depending on the types of protection materials and the thickness. When the protection material is Si, the IR emittance tunability can be enhanced to 0.65, while the solar absorption can be decreased to 0.18. The performance of the proposed SRD meets the requirement of the spacecraft thermal control devices. We believe that this work provides a theoretical basis for the design of more reasonable spacecraft thermal control devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complex consists of more than ten component proteins that form a large protein complex of >1 MDa. The catalytic proteins Smarca4 or Smarca2 work in concert with the component proteins to form a chromatin platform suitable for transcriptional regulation. However, the mechanism by which each component protein works synergistically with the catalytic proteins remains largely unknown. Here, we report on the function of Smarce1, a component of the SWI/SNF complex, through the phenotypic analysis of homozygous mutant embryonic stem cells (ESCs). Disruption of Smarce1 induced the dissociation of other complex components from the SWI/SNF complex. Histone binding to DNA was loosened in homozygous mutant ESCs, indicating that disruption of Smarce1 decreased nucleosome stability. Sucrose gradient sedimentation analysis suggested that there was an ectopic genomic distribution of the SWI/SNF complex upon disruption of Smarce1, accounting for the misregulation of chromatin conformations. Unstable nucleosomes remained during ESC differentiation, impairing the heterochromatin formation that is characteristic of the differentiation process. These results suggest that Smarce1 guides the SWI/SNF complex to the appropriate genomic regions to generate chromatin structures adequate for transcriptional regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prior to the next generation sequencing and characterization of the tumor genome landscape, mutations in the SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complex and the KEAP1-NRF2 signaling pathway were underappreciated. While these two classes of mutations appeared to independently contribute to tumor development, recent reports have demonstrated a mechanistic link between these two regulatory mechanisms in specific cancer types and cell models. In this work, we expand upon these data by exploring the relationship between mutations in BAF and PBAF subunits of the SWI/SNF complex and activation of NRF2 signal transduction across many cancer types. ARID1A/B mutations were strongly associated with NRF2 transcriptional activity in head and neck squamous carcinomas (HNSC). Many additional tumor types showed significant association between NRF2 signaling and mutation of specific components of the SWI/SNF complex. Different effects of BAF and PBAF mutations on the polarity of NRF2 signaling were observed. Overall, our results support a context-dependent functional link between SWI/SNF and NRF2 mutations across human cancers and implicate ARID1A inactivation in HPV-negative HNSC in promoting tumor progression and survival through activation of the KEAP1-NRF2 signaling pathway. The tumor-specific effects of these mutations open a new area of study for how mutations in the KEAP1-NRF2 pathway and the SWI/SNF complex contribute to cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Acute lung injury (ALI) is a severe pulmonary disease characterized by damage to the alveoli and pulmonary blood vessels, leading to severe impairment of lung function. Studies on the effect of capsaicin (8-methyl-N-geranyl-6-nonamide, CAP) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced ALI in bronchial epithelial cells transformed with Ad12-SV40 2B (BEAS-2B) are still limited. This study aimed to investigate the effect and specific mechanism by which CAP improves LPS-induced ALI.Methods: The present study investigated the effect of CAP and the potential underlying mechanisms in LPS-induced ALI in vitro and vivo via RNA sequencing, Western blotting (WB), quantitative real-time reverse transcription PCR (qRT‒PCR), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The TRPV1 inhibitor AMG9810 and the AKT agonist SC79 were used to confirm the protective effect of the TRPV1/AKT axis against ALI. The autophagy agonist rapamycin (Rapa) and the autophagy inhibitors 3-methyladenine (3-MA) and bafilomycin A1 (Baf-A1) were used to clarify the characteristics of LPS-induced autophagy.Results: Our findings demonstrated that CAP effectively suppressed inflammation and autophagy in LPS-induced ALI, both in vivo and in vitro. This mechanism involves regulation by the TRPV1/AKT signaling pathway. By activating TRPV1, CAP reduces the expression of P-AKT, thereby exerting its anti-inflammatory and inhibitory effects on pro-death autophagy. Furthermore, prior administration of CAP provided substantial protection to mice against ALI induced by LPS, reduced the lung wet/dry ratio, decreased proinflammatory cytokine expression, and downregulated LC3 expression.Conclusion: Taken together, our results indicate that CAP protects against LPS-induced ALI by inhibiting inflammatory responses and autophagic death through the TRPV1/AKT signaling pathway, presenting a novel strategy for ALI therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report different growth modes and corresponding magnetic properties of thin EuSe films grown by molecular beam epitaxy on BaF2, Pb1−xEuxSe, GaAs, and Bi2Se3 substrates. We show that EuSe grows predominantly in the (001) orientation on GaAs(111) and Bi2Se3, but along the (111) crystallographic direction on BaF2 (111) and Pb1−xEuxSe (111). High resolution transmission electron microscopy measurements reveal a sharp and highly crystalline interface for both (001) and (111) EuSe films. In agreement with previous studies, ordered magnetic phases include antiferromagnetic, ferrimagnetic, and ferromagnetic phases. In contrast to previous studies, we found a strong hysteresis of the antiferromagnetic–ferrimagnetic transition. The ability to grow epitaxial films of EuSe on Bi2Se3 and of Bi2Se3 on EuSe enables further investigation of interfacial exchange interactions between various phases of an insulating metamagnetic material and a topological insulator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling SWI/SNF complexes exist in three subcomplexes: canonical BAF (cBAF), polybromo BAF (PBAF), and a newly described non-canonical BAF (ncBAF). While cBAF and PBAF regulate fates of multiple cell types, roles for ncBAF in hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) have not been investigated. Motivated by recent discovery of disrupted expression of BRD9, an essential component of ncBAF, in multiple cancers, including clonal hematopoietic disorders, we evaluate here the role of BRD9 in normal and malignant HSCs. BRD9 loss enhances chromatin accessibility, promoting myeloid lineage skewing while impairing B cell development. BRD9 significantly colocalizes with CTCF, whose chromatin recruitment is augmented by BRD9 loss, leading to altered chromatin state and expression of myeloid-related genes within intact topologically associating domains. These data uncover ncBAF as critical for cell fate specification in HSCs via three-dimensional regulation of gene expression and illuminate roles for ncBAF in normal and malignant hematopoiesis. BRD9 is a core non-canonical BAF component. Here the authors show that BRD9 plays a pivotal role in regulating the disease-related cell fate of hematopoietic stem cells. Its loss promotes myeloid skewing while impairing B cell development by altering CTCF-mediated chromatin states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mining activity is one of the main sources to pollute soil, water and plants. An analysis of soil and plant samples around the Atrevida mining area in Catalonia (NE Spain) was preformed to determine potentially harmful elements (PHEs). Soil and plant samples were taken at eight locations around the mining area. The topsoil (0–15 cm) samples were analysed for physico-chemical properties by standard methods, by ICP-MS for Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb and Zn, and were microwave-digested. Plant, root and shoot samples were digested separately, and heavy metals were analysed by AAS. Translocation factor (TF), biological concentration factor (BCF) and biological accumulation factor (BAF) were determined to assess the tolerance strategies developed by native species and to evaluate their potential for phytoremediation purposes. Soil pH was generally acid (5.48–6.72), with high soil organic matter (SOM) content and a sandy loamy or loamy texture. According to the agricultural soil values in southern Europe, our PHEs concentrations exceeded the toxicity thresholds. The highest root content of the most studied PHEs appeared in Thymus vulgaris L. and Festuca ovina L., while Biscutella laevigata L. accumulated more PHEs in shoots. The TF values were > 1 in B. laevigata L., but BAF obtained < 1, except Pb. B. laevigata L., and can be considered potentially useful for phytoremediation for having the capacity to restrict the accumulation of large PHEs amounts in roots and Pb translocation to shoots. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Malignant rhabdoid tumor (MRT) is a highly malignant and often lethal childhood cancer. MRTs are genetically defined by bi-allelic inactivating mutations in SMARCB1, a member of the BRG1/BRM-associated factors (BAF) chromatin remodeling complex. Mutations in BAF complex members are common in human cancer, yet their contribution to tumorigenesis remains in many cases poorly understood. Here, we study derailed regulatory landscapes as a consequence of SMARCB1 loss in the context of MRT. Our multi-omics approach on patient-derived MRT organoids reveals a dramatic reshaping of the regulatory landscape upon SMARCB1 reconstitution. Chromosome conformation capture experiments subsequently reveal patient-specific looping of distal enhancer regions with the promoter of the MYC oncogene. This intertumoral heterogeneity in MYC enhancer utilization is also present in patient MRT tissues as shown by combined single-cell RNA-seq and ATAC-seq. We show that loss of SMARCB1 activates patient-specific epigenetic reprogramming underlying MRT tumorigenesis. The regulatory landscape of malignant rhabdoid tumor (MRT) due to SMARCB1 loss remains to be explored. Here, the authors perform multi-omics analysis using patient-derived MRT organoids and characterise the epigenetic reprogramming events underlying SMARCB1 loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to remove pollutants in domestic wastewater more completely, the anaerobic–anoxic–oxic (A2O)–membrane bioreactor (MBR)–biological aerated filter (BAF)–O3 combination process was studied. The ultrafiltration membrane was placed inside the A2O reactor to form an integrated reactor. The experimental water was sequentially degraded by A2O–MBR, BAF, and O3 reactor. The three operating parameters of hydraulic retention time (HRT), reflux ratio, and ozone contact time were optimized. The optimal conditions were found in the experiment: HRT was 10 h, reflux ratio was 200%, and ozone contact time was 15 min. Under these optimal conditions, the removal rates of chemical oxygen demand (COD), ammonia nitrogen, total nitrogen (TN), total organic carbon (TOC), UV254, and chroma were 96.00, 99.43, 82.46, 96.6, 93.20, and 79.00%, respectively. The effluent quality satisfied standard of Class IV surface water in China. The ultraviolet–visible and excitation-emission matrix spectra of water samples during the ozone oxidation were analyzed. It showed that the reaction was effective in removing chroma and humic acid-like substances in the wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

TeO2-BaF2-Er2O3-Dy2O3 laser glasses were prepared using the melt-quenching method. The bound water that can capture the excited state energy was reduced by physical and chemical methods. We did not observe a significant Er3+ emission peak at 2.7 μm in fluorescence spectra, which may be due to the efficient energy transfer process (ET2). Meanwhile, we found a broadband gain span of approximately 400 nm in fluorescence spectra at the 2.85 μm band, attributed to the 'vector summation' of the energy level radiation transition and the change of the glass network. Subsequently, we explored the structural properties of the glass. The results indicated that the Gaussian peak located at 250 cm−1 drifts toward 370 cm−1, which may be caused by the fracture or recombination of Te-O-Te and a decrease in the bridge oxygen content with the increasing concentration of Er2O3. The topology cage structure around the luminescence center of rare earth ions is changed and the stability of the optically active center is enhanced, finally contributing to the enhancement of luminescence. Meanwhile, the maximum σemi and gain coefficient of Dy3+ reach up to 7.22 × 10−21 cm2 and 7.37 cm−1, respectively. The comprehensive results show that the fluorotellurite glass designed in this study is expected to be a gain medium for mid-infrared lasers in remote sensing monitoring, military, and other fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Group 3 medulloblastoma is one of the most aggressive types of childhood brain tumors. Roughly 30% of cases carry genetic alterations in MYC, SMARCA4, or both genes combined. While overexpression of MYC has previously been shown to drive medulloblastoma formation in mice, the functional significance of SMARCA4 mutations and their suitability as a therapeutic target remain largely unclear. To address this issue, we combined overexpression of MYC with a loss of SMARCA4 in granule cell precursors. Both alterations did not increase proliferation of granule cell precursors in vitro. However, combined MYC overexpression and SMARCA4 loss successfully induced tumor formation in vivo after orthotopic transplantation in recipient mice. Resulting tumors displayed anaplastic histology and exclusively consisted of SMARCA4-negative cells although a mixture of recombined and non-recombined cells was injected. These observations provide first evidence for a tumor-promoting role of a SMARCA4 deficiency in the development of medulloblastoma. In comparing the transcriptome of tumors to the cells of origin and an established Sonic Hedgehog medulloblastoma model, we gathered first hints on deregulated gene expression that could be specifically involved in SMARCA4/MYC driven tumorigenesis. Finally, an integration of RNA sequencing and DNA methylation data of murine tumors with human samples revealed a high resemblance to human Group 3 medulloblastoma on the molecular level. Altogether, the development of SMARCA4-deficient medulloblastomas in mice paves the way to deciphering the role of frequently occurring SMARCA4 alterations in Group 3 medulloblastoma with the perspective to explore targeted therapeutic options. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of CoCrFeNiMn high-entropy alloy matrix self-lubricating composites were prepared by spark plasma sintering. The composites are composed of an FCC phase, Cr7C3, Ag, and eutectic fluoride BaF2/CaF2 phases. The microstructure of the composites is uniform. The additional phases distribute along the boundary of equiaxed grains of the FCC phase. The compressive yield strength and fracture toughness decrease with the increase of eutectic fluoride BaF2/CaF2. The composites are susceptible to brittle cleavage fracture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of image-based localization (IBL) is to localize the real location of query image by matching reference image in database with GNSS-tags. Popular methods related to IBL commonly use street-level images, which have high value in practical application. Using street-level image to tackle IBL task has the primary challenges: existing works have not made targeted optimization for urban IBL tasks. Besides, the matching result is over-reliant on the quality of image features. Methods should address their practicality and robustness in engineering application, under metropolitan-scale. In response to these, this paper made following contributions: firstly, given the critical of buildings in distinguishing urban scenes, we contribute a feature called Building-Aware Feature (BAF). Secondly, in view of negative influence of complex urban scenes in retrieval process, we propose a retrieval method called Patch-Region Retrieval (PRR). To prove the effectiveness of BAF and PRR, we established an image-based localization experimental framework. Experiments prove that BAF can retain the feature points that fall on the building, and selectively lessen the feature points that fall on other things. While this effectively compresses the storage amount of feature index, we can also improve recall of localization results; implemented in the stage of geometric verification, PRR compares matching results of regional features and selects the best ranking as final result. PRR can enhance effectiveness of patch-regional feature. In addition, we fully confirmed the superiority of our proposed methods through a metropolitan-scale street-level image dataset. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We explore health and stress in the urban metropolis Nea Paphos (Cyprus) and its surrounding territory during the Hellenistic (312–58 BC) and Roman (58 BC to 395 AD) periods, through a bioarchaeological study. Data were acquired from macroscopic analyses of human remains from two necropoleis in Paphos district: the Eastern Necropolis of Nea Paphos (minimum number of individuals = 165) and the necropolis of Ktima‐Upper City (minimum number of individuals = 207). Data have been acquired from adult/nonadult and male/female individuals through analysis of specific health indicators. These are porotic hyperostosis (PH), cribra orbitalia (CO), and linear enamel hypoplasia. Overall, health indicators were recorded in low to moderate frequencies in both sites. Ktima‐Upper City showed higher frequency of linear enamel hypoplasia (31.8%) compared with Nea Paphos (9.4%), while PH and CO were more prevalent within Eastern Necropolis (CO: 31.3% vs 8% and PH: 29.2% vs 13.9%) suggesting that people living in the capital were more exposed to factors causing CO and PH, during childhood. Intrasite analysis showed differences between the two sexes and the occurrence of health stressors. These factors are likely linked with social, cultural, and dietary differences, subsequently reflecting a larger and more heterogeneous population within and between the two sites. The findings suggest that there are differences between urban Nea Paphos and Ktima‐Upper City. These differences are not major yet indicating some division between the two groups. This study is one of the first to investigate urbanism and health in ancient Cyprus, with focus on the Hellenistic–Roman periods. The comparison of the two sites provides new insights into the health of Hellenistic–Roman Cypriot populations, enabling future investigation and comparison between urban–rural regional and neighboring sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]