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Premise: Understanding the responses of functional traits in tree species to climate variability is essential for predicting the future of tropical montane cloud forest (TMCF) tree species, especially in Andean montane environments where fog pockets act as moisture traps. Methods: We studied the distribution of Magnolia gentryi, measured its spatial arrangement, identified local hotspots, and evaluated the extent to which climate‐related factors are associated with its distribution. We then analyzed the variation in 13 functional traits of M. gentryi and the relationship with climate. Results: Andean TMCF climatic factors constrain M. gentryi spatial distribution with significant patches or gaps that are associated with high precipitation and mean minimum temperature. The functional traits of M. gentryi are limited by the Andean TMCF climatic factors, resulting in reduced within‐species variation in traits associated with water deficit. Conclusions: The association between functional traits and climate oscillation is crucial for understanding the growth conditions of relict‐endemic species and is essential for conservation efforts. Forest trait diversity and species composition change because of fluctuations in hydraulic safety‐efficiency gradients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Fagus mexicana Martínez (Mexican beech) is an endangered Arcto‐Tertiary Geoflora tree species that inhabit isolated and fragmented tropical montane cloud forests in eastern Mexico. Exploring past, present, and future climate change effects on the distribution of Mexican beech involves the study of spatial ecology and temporal patterns to develop conservation plans. These are key to understanding the niche conservatism of other forest communities with similar environmental requirements. For this study, we used species distribution models by combining occurrence records, to assess the distribution patterns and changes of the past (Last Glacial Maximum), present (1981–2010), and future (2040–2070) periods under two climate scenarios (SSP 3‐7.0 & SSP 5‐8.5). Next, we determined the habitat suitability and priority conservation areas of Mexican beech as associated with topography, land cover use, distance to the nearest town, and environmental variables. By considering the distribution of Mexican beech during different periods and under different climate scenarios, our study estimated that high‐impact areas of Mexican beech forests were restricted to specific areas of the Sierra Madre Oriental that constitute refugia from the Last Glacial Maximum. Regrettably, our results exhibited that Mexican beech distribution has decreased 71.3% since the Last Glacial Maximum and this trend will for the next 50 years, migrating to specific refugia at higher altitudes. This suggests that the states of Hidalgo, Veracruz, and Puebla will preserve the habitat suitability features as ecological refugia, related to high moisture and north‐facing slopes. For isolated and difficult‐to‐access areas, the proposed methods are powerful tools for relict‐tree species, which deserve further conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conducting polymers are semiconductors whose applications cover a wide range of devices. Their versatility is due, in addition to other factors, to properties that can be easily modulated according to the intended application. It is therefore important to study and map the electronic structure of these materials for a better correlation between structure and properties. Electrochemical scanning tunneling spectroscopy (EC‐STS) can be a powerful tool to characterize the electronic structure of the semiconductor interface. In this work, we have used image‐based EC‐STS (IB‐EC‐STS) to describe quantitatively the band structure of an electrochemically deposited polypyrrole film. IB‐EC‐STS located the band edge of the polymer's valence band (VB) at 0.95 V vs. RHE (‐5.33 eV in the absolute potential scale) and the intragap polaron states formed when the polymer is doped, at 0.46 V vs. RHE (‐4.84 eV). The IB‐EC‐STS data were cross‐checked with electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and Mott‐Schottky analysis of the interfacial capacitance. The DOS spectrum obtained from EIS data is consistent with the STS‐deduced location of the VB and the polarons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, few evidences have shown the possible involvement of autoimmunity in patients affected by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19). In this study, we elucidate whether severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus disease 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) stimulates autoantibody production and contributes to autoimmunity activation. We enrolled 40 adult patients (66.8 years mean age) admitted to Alessandria Hospital between March and April 2020. All the patients had a confirmed COVID‐19 diagnosis and no previously clinical record of autoimmune disease. Forty blood donors were analyzed for the same markers and considered as healthy controls. Our patients had high levels of common inflammatory markers, such as C reactive protein, lactate dehydrogenase, ferritin, and creatinine. Interleukin‐6 concentrations were also increased, supporting the major role of this interleukin during COVID‐19 infection. Lymphocyte numbers were generally lower compared with healthy individuals. All the patients were also screened for the most common autoantibodies. We found a significant prevalence of antinuclear antibodies, antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies, and ASCA immunoglobulin A antibodies. We observed that patients having a de novo autoimmune response had the worst acute viral disease prognosis and outcome. Our results sustain the hypothesis that COVID‐19 infection correlates with the autoimmunity markers. Our study might help clinicians to: (a) better understand the heterogeneity of this pathology and (b) correctly evaluate COVID‐19 clinical manifestations. Our data explained why drugs used to treat autoimmune diseases may also be useful for SARS‐CoV‐2 infection. In addition, we highly recommend checking patients with COVID‐19 for autoimmunity markers, mainly when deciding on whether to treat them with plasma transfer therapy. Study HighlightsWHAT IS THE CURRENT KNOWLEDGE ON THE TOPIC?☑ Recent data sustain the idea that autoimmune phenomena exist in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19), but other investigations are necessary to define the possible link between severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus disease 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) infection and autoimmune disease onset. WHAT QUESTION DID THIS STUDY ADDRESS?☑ In this monocentric study, we demonstrated how SARS‐CoV‐2 infection could be associated with an autoimmune response and development of autoantibodies. WHAT DOES THIS STUDY ADD TO OUR KNOWLEDGE?☑ Patients with COVID‐19 having an increased level of inflammatory markers and strong autoantibodies positivity (i.e., antinuclear antibodies and antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies) presented the worst clinical outcome. HOW MIGHT THIS CHANGE CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY OR TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE?☑ These results suggest that the drugs normally used to treat autoimmune diseases should also be considered during SARS‐CoV‐2, improving public health. In addition, before starting a transfer plasma therapy, it is important to also evaluate the autoimmunity conditions of the patients with COVID‐19. Transferring antibodies or trying to neutralize them should be done with precaution. It is possible that the risk of developing or increasing the autoimmune response may enhance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(Photo)electrochemical processes are involved in many fields of science and technology. The use of spectroscopic techniques coupled to (photo)electrochemistry, are mandatory to get information about interfacial processes on scale ranges from millimeters to the nanoscale. The development of spectroelectrochemical cells (SECs) contributes to the progress of the field of (photo)electrochemistry and their impact in science and technology. Therefore, in this work, we describe in detail the development of a versatile SEC that can be used for conventional electrochemical experiments and several in situ techniques just by changing its window. We performed electrochemical and computational experiments to analyze the response of our SEC as a function of the working electrode size, position, and distance to the window. Besides, we show in detail how the cell can be used to perform experiments of in situ FTIR, Raman, XAFS and ultrafast spectroscopy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A generically generated vector bundle on a smooth projective variety yields a rational map to a Grassmannian, called Kodaira map. We answer a previous question, raised by the asymptotic behaviour of such maps, giving rise to a birational characterization of abelian varieties. In particular we prove that, under the conjectures of the Minimal Model Program, a smooth projective variety is birational to an abelian variety if and only if it has Kodaira dimension 0 and some symmetric power of its cotangent sheaf is generically generated by its global sections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) (SPEEK)/zeolite/ionic-liquid composite membranes were prepared with different amounts of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium trifluoromethanesulfonate ([C4MI]CF3SO3) or 1-decyl-3-methylimidazolium trifluoromethanesulfonate ([C10MI]CF3SO3) ionic liquids (ILs). The structure of the composite membranes was investigated by FTIR-ATR spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, and by thermogravimetric analyses. The introduction of the IL, encapsulated in zeolite, into the SPEEK polymer leads to improvement of the water uptake, thermal stability, and proton conductivity of the composite membranes, compared with pristine SPEEK. The proton conductivity of the membranes with 1.5 % and 2.0 % [C4MI]CF3SO3 IL showed values of 3.34 mS cm-1 and 5.98 mS cm-1, respectively, under anhydrous conditions at 80 °C. The conductivity obtained for these membranes is about 100 times higher than for pristine SPEEK (0.038 mS cm-1). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Variability of the composition and properties of raw materials used for biodiesel production may cause a loss of productivity, since the same operating conditions give rise to different yields for alternative feedstock sources. The capability to re-optimize the process when the raw materials change may lead to a significant improvement in productivity. For yield optimization, first-principles models of a biodiesel reactor have limited prediction capabilities due to the complex kinetics involving transesterification and saponification reactions, which demands active learning of relevant data through optimal design of experiments. In this work, a Bayesian approach for integrating experimentation with imperfect models is proposed to optimize biodiesel production on a run-to-run basis. Parameter distributions in a probabilistic tendency model for the transesterification of triglycerides are re-estimated using data from a sequence of experiments designed to guide policy improvement. Global sensitivity analysis is used to formulate the optimal sampling strategy in each dynamic experiment as an optimization problem. Results obtained highlight that, even when there are significant errors in the tendency model structure and reduced information content in samples, a significant increase in biodiesel production can be achieved after a handful of runs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT The electrical properties of Al/PANI-DBSA/ABS/Au blend with PANI (5%) w/w have been investigated by using of current-voltage (I-V) measurements, in a temperature range of 100-313 K. The analysis of I-V characteristics in the forward direction was based on thermionic emission mechanism for applied electrical field till ∼3 × 102 V/cm. The thickness dependence of the current-voltage relationship, clearly demonstrates that the electrical current for larger fields is space charge limited current (SCLC). Temperature dependences of the ideality factor, barrier height, and series resistance have been calculated. The mobility of carriers which is temperature dependent was calculated using the trap free SCLC as 1.53 × 10−4 cm2 V−1 s−1 at room temperature. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014, 131, 40688. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Layered molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) is deposited by microwave heating on a reduced graphene oxide (RGO). Three concentrations of MoS2 are loaded on RGO, and the structure and morphology are characterized. The first layers of MoS2 are detected as being directly bonded with the oxygen of the RGO by covalent chemical bonds (Mo-O-C). Electrochemical characterizations indicate that this electroactive material can be cycled reversibly between 0.25 and 0.8 V in 1 m HClO4 solution for hybrids with low concentrations of MoS2 layers (LCMoS2/RGO) and between 0.25 and 0.65 V for medium (MCMoS2/RGO) and high concentrations (HCMoS2/RGO) of MoS2 layers on graphene. The specific capacitance measured values at 10 mV s−1 are 128, 265, and 148 Fg−1 for the MoS2/RGO with low, medium, and high concentrations of MoS2, respectively, and the calculated energy density is 63 W h kg−1 for the LCMoS2/RGO hybrid. This supercapacitor electrode also exhibits superior cyclic stability with 92% of the specific capacitance retained after 1000 cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simultaneously satisfying human and environmental demands requires overarching concepts to facilitate the conciliation of such demands. These concepts are particularly necessary in certain regions where, as a result of rapid population growth, a large demand for housing impinges upon vital and sensitive ecosystems. The object of the present paper is to focus on the building concept in natural and rarely disturbed environments. Starting with the organizational logic that underlies living systems, this paper proposes a new hierarchical level of organization or hypothetical Kiron System (KS) that lies between the ecosystem and the human biosystem. The hypothetical system would serve to reconcile the requirements of both systems. From within this new hierarchical level, it is possible to extract the entire concept of the artificial sub-system (the building) that would make such hypothetical system possible. Finally, the effects of this concept on the various functions of the building are analysed. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rate constants for the reactions of 2-methoxy-6-(trifluoromethyl)pyridine, diethylamine, and 1,1,3,3,3-pentamethyldisiloxan-1-ol with OH radicals have been measured at 298 ± 2 K using a relative rate method. The measured rate constants (cm3 molecule−1 s−1) are (1.54 ± 0.21) × 10−12 for 2-methoxy-6-(trifluoromethyl)pyridine, (1.19 ± 0.25) × 10−10 for diethylamine, and (1.76 ± 0.38) × 10−12 for 1,1,3,3,3-pentamethyldisiloxan-1-ol, where the indicated errors are the estimated overall uncertainties including those in the rate constants for the reference compounds. No reaction of 2-methoxy-6-(trifluoromethyl)pyridine with gaseous nitric acid was observed, and an upper limit to the rate constant for the reaction of 1,1,3,3,3-pentamethyldisiloxan-1-ol with O3 of <7 × 10− 20 cm3 molecule−1 s−1 was determined. Using a 12-h average daytime OH radical concentration of 2 × 106 molecule cm−3, the lifetimes of the volatile organic compounds studied here with respect to reaction with OH radicals are 7.5 days for 2-methoxy-6-(trifluoromethyl)pyridine, 1.2 h for diethylamine, and 6.6 days for 1,1,3,3,3-pentamethyldisiloxan-1-ol. Likely reaction mechanisms are discussed. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 43: 631-638, 2011 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Combining qualitative data from the chromatographic structure of 2-D gas chromatography with flame ionization detection (GC×GC-FID) and that from gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) should result in a more accurate assignment of the peak identities than the simple analysis by GC/MS, where coelution of analytes is unavoidable in highly complex samples (rendering spectra unsuitable for qualitative purposes) or for compounds in very low concentrations. Using data from GC×GC-FID combined with GC/MS can reveal coelutions that were not detected by mass spectra deconvolution software. In addition, some compounds can be identified according to the structure of the GC×GC-FID chromatogram. In this article, the volatile fractions of fresh and dehydrated pineapple pulp were evaluated. The extraction of the volatiles was performed by dynamic headspace extraction coupled to solid-phase microextraction (DHS-SPME), a technique appropriate for slurries or solid matrices. Extracted analytes were then analyzed by GC×GC-FID and GC/MS. The results obtained using both techniques were combined to improve compound identifications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We show the stability of certain syzygies of line bundles on curves, which we call line bundle transforms. Furthermore, we prove the existence of reducible theta divisors for the transforms having integral slope. A line bundle transform is the kernel of the evaluation map on a subspace of the space of global sections. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: Circadian entrainment involves photic stimulation of the suprachiasmatic molecular oscillator, including activation of the ERK/MAP kinase, which is phosphorylated endogenously during the day and in response to light during the night. We aimed to disrupt the diurnal cycle of ERK phosphorylation by in vivo transfection of a constitutively active form of MEK, a MAPK kinase. This procedure did not affect normal circadian parameters, but completely inhibited light-induced phase advances. Therefore, circadian regulation of the ERK pathway is not essential for the normal mechanism of the biological clock, but it is fundamental as an interface with environmental entrainment by light. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Circadian rhythms are entrained by light and by several neurochemical stimuli. In hamsters housed in constant darkness, i.c.v. administration of nerve growth factor (NGF) at various times in their circadian cycle produced phase shifts of locomotor activity rhythms that were similar in direction and circadian timing to those produced by brief pulses of light. Moreover, the effect of NGF and light were not additive, indicating signalling points in common. These points include the immediate-early gene c-fos and ERK1/2, a component of the mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) family. NGF activates c-FOS and ERK1/2-MAPK in the suprachiasmatic nuclei, the site of a circadian clock in mammals, when administered during the subjective night but not during the day. The effect of NGF on ERK1/2 activation was not inhibited by the administration of MK-801, a glutamate/NMDA receptor antagonist. These results suggest that NGF, acting through MAPK activation, plays a role in photic entrainment of the mammalian circadian clock. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The polysaccharide part of the lipopolysaccharide isolated from an enteroaggregative Escherichia coli isolated from a young child with diarrhea in Santiago, Chile (strain 17-2), has been investigated. Sugar and methylation analyses of native and partially degraded polysaccharide together with [¹]H-NMR and [&sup13;]C-NMR spectroscopies revealed that the polysaccharide is composed of pentasaccharide repeating units. The structure of the repeating unit of E. coli strain 17-2 O-polysaccharide is: formula The structure of the O-polysaccharide from E. coli O3 was shown to be identical to that of E. coli strain 17-2 by sugar and methylation analyses and by [¹]H-NMR and [&sup13;]C-NMR spectroscopies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Keywords: Spectroelectrochemistry; in situ spectroscopy; synchrotron; ultrafast spectroscopy; Comsol simulations EN Spectroelectrochemistry in situ spectroscopy synchrotron ultrafast spectroscopy Comsol simulations 4283 4283 1 11/16/20 20201102 NES 201102 B The Front Cover b shows an illustration of an electrochemical submarine station (the spectroelectrochemical cell) presenting an overly complex and unknown problem at its core. To solve it, researchers have sent three "electroships" equipped with high-power lasers that emit photons with different energies, to attack the problem using as many weapons as possible. Spectroelectrochemistry, in situ spectroscopy, synchrotron, ultrafast spectroscopy, Comsol simulations. [Extracted from the article]