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Earlier, we demonstrated the co-circulation of genetically distinct non-rodent-borne hantaviruses, including Boginia virus (BOGV) in the Eurasian water shrew ( Neomys fodiens ), Seewis virus (SWSV) in the Eurasian common shrew ( Sorex araneus ) and Nova virus (NVAV) in the European mole ( Talpa europaea ), in central Poland. To further investigate the phylogeny of hantaviruses harbored by soricid and talpid reservoir hosts, we analyzed RNAlater ® -preserved lung tissues from 320 shrews and 26 moles, both captured during 1990-2017 across Poland, and 10 European moles from Ukraine for hantavirus RNA through RT-PCR and DNA sequencing. SWSV and Altai virus (ALTV) were detected in Sorex araneus and Sorex minutus in Boginia and the Białowieża Forest, respectively, and NVAV was detected in Talpa europaea in Huta Dłutowska, Poland, and in Lviv, Ukraine. Phylogenetic analyses using maximum-likelihood and Bayesian methods showed geography-specific lineages of SWSV in Poland and elsewhere in Eurasia and of NVAV in Poland and Ukraine. The ATLV strain in Sorex minutus from the Białowieża Forest on the Polish-Belarusian border was distantly related to the ATLV strain previously reported in Sorex minutus from Chmiel in southeastern Poland. Overall, the gene phylogenies found support long-standing host-specific adaptation.

Warmer winters may lead to changes in the hibernation behaviour of bats, such as the barbastelle Barbastella barbastellus, which prefers to hibernate at low temperatures. The species is also known for its large annual fluctuations in the number of wintering individuals, so inference about population trends should be based on long-term data. Prior to 2005, analyses indicated stable or even increasing barbastelle population in Poland. We analysed the results of 13 winter bat counts (2005-2017) of the species from 15 of the largest hibernacula, and additional site of 47 small bunkers, in Poland. The total number of wintering individuals remained stable during the study period, because the barbastelle is not a long-distance migrant, this likely reflects the national population trend. On the basis of mean winter air temperatures we divided the country into four thermal regions. Analyses of barbastelle abundance in hibernacula in the four regions revealed a 4.8% annual mean increase in numbers in the coldest region, where mean winter temperatures were below -2°C, annual mean declines of 3.3% and 3.1% in two warmer regions of western Poland, but no trend in the region of intermediate mean winter temperatures of between -1°C and -2°C. Overall, there was a significant, but weak, negative correlation between the abundance of hibernating individuals and the mean winter temperature. On the other hand, the number of individuals hibernating in small bunkers increased, even though the site was located in one of the warm regions. The results indicate a warming climate will likely reduce the use of large, well-insulated winter roosts by species that prefer colder conditions-and that this is already happening. For forest-dwelling bats, such as the barbastelle, for which monitoring schemes are primarily based on winter surveys of large hibernacula, estimations of population trends may consequently become less reliable., Competing Interests: he authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Animals living in anthropogenic habitats bear a multitude of costs, which are directly or indirectly associated with human activities. Among others, an elevated exposure to environmental pollution can have negative consequences for wildlife populations. We examined the differences in the concentrations of trace elements between the field and forest ecotype of the European roe deer (Capreolus capreolus). Naturally, roe deer inhabited various types of woodlands (forest ecotype), but within the last century, they adapted to life in a human-transformed agricultural areas (field ecotype), which could be associated with an increased exposure to pollution. In this study, we measured concentrations of seven trace metals (barium, copper, iron, lead, manganese, strontium, zinc) and fluoride in skull bones and permanent teeth of more than 230 roe deer from 8 study plots in East-Central Europe. We found that field roe deer had higher concentrations of four trace metals (copper, iron, lead, strontium) and fluoride compared with forest roe deer. These differences were consistent with variations in the general level of environmental contamination within the study plots, as assessed with trace element content in wild plants. Our study indicates that bone and teeth of the European roe deer can be used as a valid indicator of environmental pollution. Also, we expect that elevated exposure of field roe deer to environmental pollution can have negative consequences for wild populations of this species, as well as for the consumers of venison.

Game animals, such as the roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), have long been used as bioindicators of environmental contamination. Most ecotoxicological research on ungulates has focused on trace element content in soft tissues and antlers. Also, only fragmentary information exists about whether and how trace element concentrations vary with the age of wild-living animals and whether these age-related patterns are similar for different types of tissues. The purpose of this study was to measure concentrations of seven trace metals (barium, copper, iron, lead, manganese, strontium, zinc) and fluoride in bone and teeth of roe deer and to determine whether significant variation is evident with individual age. For this purpose, we collected permanent molars and fragments of mandible bone from more than 130 female roe deer in Central Poland. We found that concentrations of four trace elements (barium, manganese, zinc, and fluoride) in teeth of deer showed positive linear relationships with individual age. No such trends were recorded for trace element content in bone. We suggest that these striking differences in age-related patterns of trace element bioaccumulation between bone and permanent teeth of roe deer might be explained by higher turnover rate and constant remodelling of bone tissue. The results suggest that analysis of permanent teeth may be useful for assessing throughout-life intoxication by environmental pollution in the roe deer and possibly in other mammal species. Our study reinforces the need to carefully account for age-related variation in ecotoxicological research on wild-living animals.

Hantaviruses are zoonotic viruses with a complex evolutionary history of virus-host coevolution and cross-species transmission. Although hantaviruses have a broad reservoir host range, virus-host relationships were previously thought to be strict, with a single virus species infecting a single host species. Here, we describe Bruges virus, a novel hantavirus harbored by the European mole (Talpa europaea), which is the well-known host of Nova virus. Phylogenetic analyses of all three genomic segments showed tree topology inconsistencies, suggesting that Bruges virus has emerged from cross-species transmission and ancient reassortment events. A high number of coinfections with Bruges and Nova viruses was detected, but no evidence was found for reassortment between these two hantaviruses. These findings highlight the complexity of hantavirus evolution and the importance of further investigation of hantavirus-reservoir relationships., (© The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution.)

Copyright of [i2]: Research & Innovation in Architecture / Investigación e Innovación en Arquitectura y Territorio is the property of Universitat D'Alacant 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.)

Genetically distinct hantaviruses have been identified in five species of fossorial moles (order Eulipotyphla, family Talpidae) from Eurasia and North America. Here, we report the isolation and partial characterization of a highly divergent hantavirus, named Nova virus (NVAV), from lung tissue of a European mole (Talpa europaea), captured in central Poland in August 2013. Typical hantavirus-like particles, measuring 80-120 nm in diameter, were found in NVAV-infected Vero E6 cells by transmission electron microscopy. Whole-genome sequences of the isolate, designated NVAV strain Te34, were identical to that amplified from the original lung tissue, and phylogenetic analysis of the full-length L, M and S segments, using maximum-likelihood and Bayesian methods, showed that NVAV was most closely related to hantaviruses harbored by insectivorous bats, consistent with an ancient evolutionary origin. Infant Swiss Webster mice, inoculated with NVAV by the intraperitoneal route, developed weight loss and hyperactivity, beginning at 16 days, followed by hind-limb paralysis and death. High NVAV RNA copies were detected in lung, liver, kidney, spleen and brain by quantitative real-time RT-PCR. Neuropathological examination showed astrocytic and microglial activation and neuronal loss. The first mole-borne hantavirus isolate will facilitate long-overdue studies on its infectivity and pathogenic potential in humans.

The complete genome sequence of Nova virus, a novel hantavirus isolated from a European mole (Talpa europaea) captured in central Poland, was determined. The availability of this sequence will facilitate the search for other mole-borne hantaviruses and will accelerate the acquisition of new knowledge about their phylogeography and evolutionary origin., (Copyright © 2015 Gu et al.)

Background: Rodent-borne orthohantaviruses are the causative agents of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome and hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. Apart from the classic rodent-borne hantaviruses, numerous species of hantaviruses have been identified in shrews and bats; however, their antigenicity and pathogenicity are unknown. This study focused on developing a serological method to detect antibodies against bat- and shrew-borne hantaviruses. Methodology/Principal findings: Five bat-borne (Brno, Dakrong, Quezon, Robina, and Xuan Song) and 6 shrew-borne (Asama, Altai, Cao Bang, Nova, Seewis, and Thottapalayam) viruses were selected based on the phylogenetic differences in their N proteins. The recombinant N (rN) proteins of these viruses were expressed as antigens in Vero E6 and 293T cell lines using the pCAGGS/MCS vector. Antisera against the Nus-tagged rN fusion proteins of these viruses (mouse anti-Brno, Dakrong, Quezon, Robina, Xuan Song, Asama, Cao Bang, and Nova, while rabbit anti-Altai, Seewis and Thottapalayam) were also generated. Antigenic cross-reactivity was examined in antisera and rN-expressing Vero E6 cells. The rN proteins of almost all the tested viruses, except for the Quezon and Robina viruses, showed independent antigenicity. For serological screening of bat samples, 5 rNs of the bat-borne viruses were expressed together in a single transfection protocol. Similarly, 6 rNs of shrew-borne viruses were expressed. Reactivities of the mixed antigen system were also examined across the singly transfected Vero cell lines to ensure that all antigens were expressed. Using these antigens, bat serum samples collected from Zambia were screened using the indirect immunofluorescence antibody test (IFAT). Selected positive samples were individually tested for the respective antigens by IFAT and western blot assays using rN-expressing 293T cell lysates. Of the 1,764 bat serum samples tested, 11.4% and 17.4% were positive for bat and shrew mixed antigens, respectively. These samples showed positive reactions to the Brno, Dakrong, Quezon, Xuan Son, Robina, Asama, Altai, Cao Bang, or Thottapalayam virus antigens. Conclusions/Significance: These observations suggest that the mixed-antigen screening system is useful for serological screening For Orthohantavirus infections and that bats in Zambia are likely exposed to not only bat-borne hantaviruses but also to shrew-borne hantaviruses. Author summary: Advancements in scientific research tools in areas of emerging and re-emerging zoonotic diseases of public health importance are crucial to understanding the epidemiology of these diseases. Hantaviruses are not an exception. Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) and hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) are the two main rodent-borne diseases of public health importance. However, bat- and shrew-borne hantaviruses have also been reported with serological detection of Thottapalayam and Altai shrew-borne hantavirus infections in humans in Sri Lanka and Thailand. Based on these recent public health discoveries, antigenic development and evaluation are part of the key components in efforts put forward to understand the epidemiology of these viruses. This study provides researchers with the first antigenic comparison between selected bat- and shrew-borne hantaviruses using their rN proteins with their application in screening epidemiological samples (Bat sera) from Zambia. Hence, this comprehensive study can serve as the basis for further scientific collaboration within research communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we used the depth-sensing indentation technique to determine the cracking resistance of different PVD hard coatings deposited on tool steel substrates. By comparison, with the load–displacement curves, measured at the sites of carbide inclusion and a tempered martensite matrix in the D2 tool steel substrate surface, we observed different fracture mechanisms on TiAlN hard coating prepared by sputtering. Additional information about the deformation and fracture phenomena was obtained from the SEM images of FIB cross-sections of both types of indents. We found that the main deformation mechanism in the coating is the shear sliding along the columnar boundaries, which causes the formation of steps on the substrate surface under individual columns. Using nanoindentation test, we also analyzed the cracking resistance of a set of nl-(Cr,Al)N nanolayer coatings with different Cr/Al atomic ratios, which were sputter deposited in a single batch. From the indentation curves, we determined the loads (Fc) at which the first pop-in appears and compared them with the plasticity index H3/E2. A good correlation of both parameters was found. We also compared the indentation curves of the TiAlN coating, which were prepared by cathodic arc evaporation using 1-fold, 2-fold and 3-fold rotation of the substrates. Additionally, on the same set of samples, the fracture toughness measurements were performed by micro-cantilever deflection test. The impact of growth defects on the cracking resistance of the hard coatings was also confirmed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: In Central Europe, one of the main issues in wildlife management at present is its increasing abundance. As population density increases, diseases that directly or indirectly affect humans are also becoming more prevalent. Although fibropapillomatosis is one of the diseases that does not threaten humans, the accumulation of some heavy metals in tumours has been shown to occur at concentrations that would already be toxic to humans and wildlife. In general, the heavy metal content in wild animal tissues is a partly known topic that was studied on muscle or internal organs but is almost unstudied in tumours. Therefore, we evaluated the content of selected heavy metals in roe deer—the most widespread wildlife species across Europe. If the accumulation of these heavy metals in the tumours also affects the muscle of the individual, which is then intended for consumption by the final consumer, such meat could be considered a health hazard. This pilot study is a cornerstone for further research to clarify the safety or otherwise of meat from wild game affected by fibropapillomatosis. In recent decades, there has been an increase in European wild ungulate populations, often associated with a decline in health and spread of disease. This is true for the roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), the most common European cervid, with populations apparently affected by fibropapillomatosis, an increasingly common cancer. To date, however, there has been little research into this disease, thus many interactions remain unclear and descriptions of tumour composition are poorly validated. The main aim of the present study was to evaluate the presence and concentration of toxic heavy metals in roe deer skin tumours. Our results confirmed the presence of virtually all the metals tested for, i.e., Pb, Hg, Cd, As, Cr, Mn, Al, Co, Cu, Ni, Se, Zn, and Fe, with the highest average concentrations found for Cr (0.99 mg/kg−1 ± 2.23 SD), Cd (0.03 mg/kg−1 ± 0.03 SD), and Hg (0.02 mg/kg−1 ± 0.02 SD), exceeding FAO limits for meat from slaughtered animals. We also observed a significant positive relationship between heavy metal concentration and age, especially for Pb, As, Hg, Mn, Se, Al, Zn, and Ni. Our findings provide a strong baseline for further research on the impact of fibropapillomatosis, not only on the welfare and health status of game but also on the final consumer of venison, which in many respects is regarded as a high-quality, ecological, and renewable wild resource. While deer with this disease are not considered qualitatively or medically defective, they could represent a potential reservoir of substances toxic to humans and could affect substance levels in adjacent tissues or the animal as a whole. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previously, we reported the discovery of a genetically distinct hantavirus, designated Boginia virus (BOGV), in the Eurasian water shrew (Neomys fodiens), as well as the detection of Seewis virus (SWSV) in the Eurasian common shrew (Sorex araneus), in central Poland. In this expanded study of 133 shrews and 69 moles captured during 2010-2013 in central and southeastern Poland, we demonstrate the co-circulation of BOGV in the Eurasian water shrew and SWSV in the Eurasian common shrew, Eurasian pygmy shrew (Sorex minutus) and Mediterranean water shrew (Neomys anomalus). In addition, we found high prevalence of Nova virus (NVAV) infection in the European mole (Talpa europaea), with evidence of NVAV RNA in heart, lung, liver, kidney, spleen and intestine. The nucleotide and amino acid sequence variation of the L segment among the SWSV strains was 0-18.8% and 0-5.4%, respectively. And for the 38 NVAV strains from European moles captured in Huta Dłutowska, the L-segment genetic similarity ranged from 94.1%-100% at the nucleotide level and 96.3%-100% at the amino acid level. Phylogenetic analyses showed geographic-specific lineages of SWSV and NVAV in Poland, not unlike that of rodent-borne hantaviruses, suggesting long-standing host-specific adaptation. The co-circulation and distribution of BOGV, SWSV and NVAV in Poland parallels findings of multiple hantavirus species co-existing in their respective rodent reservoir species elsewhere in Europe. Also, the detection of SWSV in three syntopic shrew species resembles spill over events observed among some rodent-borne hantaviruses., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

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Background: Guided by decades-old reports of hantaviral antigens in the Eurasian common shrew (Sorex araneus) and the Eurasian water shrew (Neomys fodiens) in European Russia, we employed RT-PCR to analyze lung tissues of soricine shrews, captured in Boginia, Huta Dłutowska and Kurowice in central Poland during September 2010, 2011 and 2012., Findings: In addition to Seewis virus (SWSV), which had been previously found in Eurasian common shrews elsewhere in Europe, a genetically distinct hantavirus, designated Boginia virus (BOGV), was detected in Eurasian water shrews captured in each of the three villages. Phylogenetic analysis, using maximum likelihood and Bayesian methods, showed that BOGV formed a separate lineage distantly related to SWSV., Conclusions: Although the pathogenic potential of BOGV and other recently identified shrew-borne hantaviruses is still unknown, clinicians should be vigilant for unusual febrile diseases and clinical syndromes occurring among individuals reporting exposures to shrews.

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Shrews (Soricidae) are common small wild mammals. Some species of shrews, such as Asian house shrews (Suncus murinus), have a significant overlap in their habitats with humans and domestic animals. Currently, over 190 species of viruses in 32 families, including Adenoviridae, Arenaviridae, Arteriviridae, Astroviridae, Anelloviridae, Bornaviridae, Caliciviridae, Chuviridae, Coronaviridae, Filoviridae, Flaviviridae, Hantaviridae, Hepadnaviridae, Hepeviridae, Nairoviridae, Nodaviridae, Orthoherpesviridae, Orthomyxoviridae, Paramyxoviridae, Parvoviridae, Phenuiviridae, Picobirnaviridae, Picornaviridae, Polyomaviridae, Poxviridae, Rhabdoviridae, Sedoreoviridae, Spinareoviridae, and three unclassified families, have been identified in shrews. Diverse shrew viruses, such as Borna disease virus 1, Langya virus, and severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus, cause diseases in humans and/or domestic animals, posing significant threats to public health and animal health. This review compiled fundamental information about shrews and provided a comprehensive summary of the viruses that have been detected in shrews, with the aim of facilitating a deep understanding of shrews and the diversity, epidemiology, and risks of their viruses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of trace elements, heavy metals, and their effect on the development of hard tissue mineralization balance is poorly documented and the available results are often contradictory. The aim of the present study was the assessment of the concentration of the selected elements in the teeth of deer (Capreolus capreolus) and red deer (Cervus elaphus) with respect to their potential role in maintaining biomineralization balance in teeth hard tissues. Moreover, the aim was to determine whether trace elements accumulate in teeth with age. This study was conducted on 22 molar teeth of red deer (Cervus elaphus) and 54 molar teeth of roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) from Poland. Samples were analyzed with the use of inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry equipped with a concentric nebulizer and cyclonic spray chamber in order to determine their Al, Ba, Cd, Fe, K, Li, Mg, Na, Ni, Pb, Sr, and Zn contents. There were strong positive correlations between strontium and zinc with heavy metals, particularly in dentine, which may affect the neutralization of the negative effects of heavy metals on tooth tissue and, consequently, maintaining ionic balance. The accumulation of trace elements with age in serenades has not been confirmed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Copyright of [i2]: Research & Innovation in Architecture / Investigación e Innovación en Arquitectura y Territorio is the property of Universitat D'Alacant 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.)

The ionome—an important expression of the physiological state of organisms—is poorly known for mammals. The focus on particular tissues—such as liver, kidney, and bones—in biomonitoring of environmental pollution and potential deficiencies is based on widely held assumptions rather than solid knowledge of full mammalian ionomes. We examined the full ionome of Red deer (Cervus elaphus) and Wild boar (Sus scrofa), two commonly used mammals for biomonitoring, in a Dutch protected nature reserve (Veluwezoom). We used four individuals per species. We dissected 13 tissues and organs from each individuals (eight in total) of each species and measured 22 elemental concentrations in each. We assessed, for each element, how concentrations varied across tissues within and between individuals. Based on existing literature, we put our findings in the context of their function in the mammalian body. We found that the ionome was highly variable between as well as within the two species. For most elements, tissues containing the highest and lowest concentration differed between individuals. No single tissue accurately represented the accumulation of toxic elements or potential deficiencies in the bodies. Our assessment of the element's biological roles revealed a serious lack of reference values. Our findings imply that analyses of commonly used tissues in biomonitoring do not necessarily capture bioaccumulation of toxins or potential deficiencies. We recommend establishing a centralized database of mammalian ionomes to derive reference values in future. To our knowledge, our study is one of the most complete assessments of mammalian ionomes to date. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Results of a long-term study conducted in large bat hibernacula of central Europe showed upward trends in populations of many species over the last three decades. This study was aimed to check if similar changes in numbers could be observed in smaller underground winter roosts of bats. Surveys were made in three military shelters near Warsaw between 2000 and 2023 (once a year in February). These roosts hosted relatively small number of hibernating individuals (up to 38). Six bat species were recorded: Myotis nattereri, Myotis daubentonii, Eptesicus serotinus, Plecotus auritus, P. austriacus and Barbastella barbastellus. The species preferring cold sites for hibernation (P. auritus and B. barbastellus) predominated in the studied roosts, representing together over 86% of the recorded individuals. The numbers of the two most abundant species and of all bats showed statistically significant upward trends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(1) In mammals, the mineral nutrient and trace elemental composition of the body - the ionome - differs among individuals. It has been hypothesized that these differences may be related to age and sex, both for ecotoxic and essential elements. (2) We investigated whether and how intraspecific ionomic variation is related to age and sex in Fallow deer (Dama dama). We tested the predictions that concentrations of ecotoxic elements increase with age, that ionomic variation is lower among young individuals than among older individuals, and that reproductive females (does) have the lowest concentrations of essential elements. (3) Culled animals of different sex and age were obtained from a single protected area. The animals were dissected to collect 13 tissues, and concentrations of 22 different elements were measured in a sample of each tissue. (4) We described substantial ionomic variation between individuals. Some of this variation was related to age and sex, as predicted. Based on the limited existing knowledge on chemical element allocation and metabolism in the body, sex-related differences were more difficult to interpret than age-related differences. Since reference values are absent, we could not judge about the consequences of the elemental values that we found. (5) More extensive ionomic surveys, based on a wide range of elements and tissues, are needed to enlarge the understanding of within-species ionomic variation and potential biological, ecological, and metabolic consequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The classical density topology is an extension of the natural topology on the real line, as the interior of arbitrary Lebesgue measurable set A is contained in the set of density points of A. Also each density point of A belongs to the closure of A for arbitrary measurable set A. In this paper, we concentrate on lower density operators for which the inclusions mentioned above are not fulfilled. In the first part, examples of such lower density operators generated by measure-preserving bijections are given. There are introduced three conditions to investigate lower density operators for which only the second inclusion holds. In the second part, the concept of operator D introduced by K. Kuratowski is applied to the characterization of such operators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Woodland bat assemblages are usually structured in a space according to the distance from the ground, water, and obstacles, features that often define chiropteran hunting tactics. Consequently, the bat species composition differs strongly among various habitats, even within the same forest patch. However, when conducting local bat surveys in Wolin National Park (WPN), we revealed an unexpected uniformity in the qualitative and quantitative structure of bat assemblages, based on mist netting and ultrasound recording. In total, 10 vespertilionid species were detected. Across all methods and sampled habitats, a single species, Pipistrellus pygmaeus, predominated, while no Barbastella barbastellus, an old forest specialist, were detected, despite the abundance of their preferred daily roosts. We also reviewed the literature for mist-netted bat samples in four different habitats in lowland Polish forests. The samples usually clustered based on habitats, and the same habitat classes often clustered very closely despite representing geographically distant forests. The exception was WPN, where all four habitat classes formed a tightly packed cluster. We hypothesize that P. pygmaeus might act as a hyperabundant native species, a successful generalist that reduces the contribution of more specialized taxa in the assemblage. It probably benefits from both forest renaturation and anthropogenic cross-boundary subsidy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Jiang and co-workers use high resolution STM to investigate the reaction and self-assembly of (3,6-dibromo-9,10-phenanthrenequinone, or DBPQ) molecules on Ag (100) and Ag (110) surfaces in order to understand the mechanism of bottom-up assembly on surfaces.[31] They show that, through the inclusion of multiple functional groups within a precursor molecule, it becomes possible to fabricate new low-dimensional materials with unique chemical, physical, and electronic properties. Herbst and Fransson consider the core-valence separation approximation that is often used in the calculation of core-level spectra.[5] They show how to quantify the errors in this approximation, thereby opening the door to error-quantified predictions relevant to x-ray spectroscopy. 153(16), 164108 (2020).10.1063/5.0019557 5 M. F. Herbst and T. Fransson, "Quantifying the error of the core-valence separation approximation", J. Chem. Phys. Zhu and co-workers tackle this problem for a model system containing a 2D semiconductor heterojunction and show convincingly the efficient hot electron transfer from photoexcited MoTe SB 2 sb to WS SB 2 sb .[30] This finding provides important insight into the competition between hot electron cooling and transfer at 2D semiconductor interfaces and suggests an intriguing possibility for the exploration of hot electron devices. [Extracted from the article]