Clemson University Research Articles

Bee Diversity and Abundance During Peach Bloom in South Carolina, United States

ABSTRACTPeach (Prunus persica [L.] Batsch) is an important speciality fruit crop in the United States. Peach is self‐compatible, but bee pollination enhances fruit sets and diverse populations improve pollination efficiency. However, the bee diversity and abundance in peach orchards in South Carolina are unknown. To understand this, we sampled bees during peach tree bloom at two locations in South Carolina—the Clemson University Musser Fruit Research Center (MFRC) and a peach farm in Ridge Spring, South Carolina. Overall, a total of 651 bees were collected from peach orchards, of which Bombus (37%) and Apis (32%) were the most dominant genera, followed by Eucera (14%), Andrena (8%) and Habropoda (5%). Diversity indices indicate higher species richness and diversity at the Ridge Spring farm than at MFRC. Dominant species at the MFRC were Apis mellifera (36.77%), Bombus bimaculatus (29.1%), B. griseocolis (12%) and Eucera hamata (8%). In contrast, the Ridge Spring farm was dominated by A. mellifera (24.17%), Habropoda laboriosa (12%), Andrena barbara (12%), E. atriventris (11.72%) and B. bimaculatus (11.35%). In comparing the effectiveness of sampling methods, blue vane traps (BVTs) captured more bees than aerial sweep netting. Furthermore, BVTs predominantly captured larger‐sized bees, while smaller‐sized bees were more frequently collected using sweep netting. Throughout peach bloom, differences in bee abundance were observed over time as well. Our study sheds light on the bee diversity and abundance in South Carolina peach orchards, revealing variations between locations. This knowledge of bee diversity and abundance will provide baseline information on bee communities in peach orchards and will help develop suitable pollinator conservation programs.

(Invited) Novel High Entropy Perovskite Oxides for High-Performance Protonic Ceramic Electrochemical Cells

Due to the intermediate operating temperatures (400-600oC), protonic ceramic electrochemical cells have attracted significant attention in the last 10 years because of the demonstration of potential applications of fuel-flexible fuel cells, water electrolysis to produce hydrogen, solid-state ammonia synthesis, electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide to fuels, and fuel processing (e.g., natural gas to liquids). In addition to developing specific fuel electrodes for different electrocatalytic reactions, we need to discover new electrolyte and oxygen electrode materials generically for all the protonic ceramic electrochemical cells to further decrease the operating temperatures, increase performance, and prolong the long-term stability. The recently emerging materials of high entropy perovskite oxides have been reported to be able to serve as promising electrolyte and oxygen electrode materials. In this talk, we will summarize what Clemson University has done about developing, characterizing, understanding, and demonstrating high entropy perovskite oxides as high-performance and stable electrolyte and oxygen electrode materials for protonic ceramic electrochemical cells.

Implementing Digital Multispectral 3D Scanning Technology for Rapid Assessment of Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) Weed Competitive Traits

The economic significance of hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) as a source of grain, fiber, and flower is rising steadily. However, due to the lack of registered herbicides effective in hemp cultivation, growers have limited weed management options. Plant height, biomass, and canopy architecture may affect crop–weed competition. Greenhouse experiments conducted at the joint Clemson University Coastal Research and Education Center and USDA-ARS research facility at Charleston, SC, USA used 27 hemp varieties, grown under controlled temperature and light conditions. Weekly plant scans using a digital multispectral phenotyping system, integrated with machine learning algorithms of the PlantEye F500 instrument, (Phenospex, Heerlen, Netherlands) captured high-resolution 3D models and spectral data of the plants. Manual and scanner-based measurements were validated and analyzed using statistical methods to assess plant growth and morphology. This study included validation tests showing a significant correlation (p < 0.001) between digital and manual measurements (R2 = 0.89 for biomass, R2 = 0.94 for height), indicating high precision. The use of 3D multispectral scanning significantly reduces the time-intensive nature of manual measurements, allowing for a more efficient assessment of morphological traits. These findings suggest that digital phenotyping can enhance integrated weed management strategies and improve hemp crop productivity by facilitating the selection of competitive hemp varieties.

Ireland and partition: contexts and consequences. Edited by N. C. Fleming and James H. Murphy. Pp 388. Clemson, South Carolina: Clemson University Press. 2021. $150/£118 hardback.

I<scp>reland and partition: contexts and consequences</scp>. Edited by N. C. Fleming and James H. Murphy. Pp 388. Clemson, South Carolina: Clemson University Press. 2021. $150/£118 hardback.

Accumulation and Potential Remediation of Copper in Golf Course Putting Greens

The objective of this study was to determine the potential accumulation of copper (Cu) within a USGA golf green profile and analyze potential remediation techniques of soils containing toxic Cu concentrations. Accumulation study utilized: copper phthalocyanine pigment (Par), copper hydroxide (Junction DF), varying concentrations of copper sulfate (CuSO4) within irrigation, and combinations of each. Products were applied over 13 weeks at Clemson University horticulture greenhouses with samples taken at thatch depth, 0-5.1 cm below thatch, and 5.1-10.2 cm below thatch at conclusion of study. Average Cu concentrations in thatch layer was 634.7 kg Cu ha-1, with 0 - 5.1 cm and 5.1 - 10.2 cm depth concentrations of 11.26 and 6.84 kg Cu ha-1, respectively. Remediation studies exposed 5 mg Cecil sandy loam to 15 ml 1000 ppm of CuSo4-Cu followed by 4 sequential 20 ml filtration cycles of 1 N ammonium sulfate, 1 N calcium nitrate, 1 N gypsum, or water. Single filtration of ammonium sulfate removed similar or greater amount of Cu than cumulative impact of 4 filtrations of any other products with 2064 mg Cu kg-1. Studies suggest that the management or removal of thatch may alleviate toxic accumulation of copper, however the use of ammonium sulfate in irrigation water may provide additional remediation options to turfgrass managers.

An epidemiological modeling framework to inform institutional-level response to infectious disease outbreaks: a Covid-19 case study

Institutions have an enhanced ability to implement tailored mitigation measures during infectious disease outbreaks. However, macro-level predictive models are inefficient for guiding institutional decision-making due to uncertainty in local-level model input parameters. We present an institutional-level modeling toolkit used to inform prediction, resource procurement and allocation, and policy implementation at Clemson University throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. Through incorporating real-time estimation of disease surveillance and epidemiological measures based on institutional data, we argue this approach helps minimize uncertainties in input parameters presented in the broader literature and increases prediction accuracy. We demonstrate this through case studies at Clemson and other university settings during the Omicron BA.1 and BA.4/BA.5 variant surges. The input parameters of our toolkit are easily adaptable to other institutional settings during future health emergencies. This methodological approach has potential to improve public health response through increasing the capability of institutions to make data-informed decisions that better prioritize the health and safety of their communities while minimizing operational disruptions.

An Effective and Affordable Internet of Things (IoT) Scale System to Measure Crop Water Use

Scales are widely used in many agricultural applications, ranging from weighing crops at harvest to determine crop yields to regularly weighing animals to determine growth rate. In agricultural research applications, there is a long history of measuring crop water use (evapotranspiration [ET]) using a particular type of scale called weighing lysimeters. Typically, weighing lysimeters require very accurate data logging systems that tend to be expensive. Recent developments in open-source technologies, such as micro-controllers and Internet of Things (IoT) platforms, have created opportunities for developing effective and affordable ways to monitor crop water use and transmit the data to the Internet in near real-time. Therefore, this study aimed to create an affordable Internet of Things (IoT) scale system to measure crop ET. A scale system to monitor crop ET was developed using an Arduino-compatible microcontroller with cell phone communication, electronic load cells, an Inter-Integrated Circuit (I2C) multiplexer, and analog-to-digital converters (ADCs). The system was powered by a LiPo battery, charged by a small (6 W) solar panel. The IoT scale system was programmed to collect data from the load cells at regular time intervals and send the data to the ThingSpeak IoT platform. The system performed successfully during indoor and outdoor experiments conducted in 2023 at the Clemson University Edisto Research and Education Center, Blackville, SC. Calibrations relating the measured output of the scale load cells to changes in mass resulted in excellent linear relationships during the indoor (r2 = 1.0) and outdoor experiments (r2 = 0.9994). The results of the outdoor experiments showed that the IoT scale system could accurately measure changes in lysimeter mass during several months (Feb to Jun) without failure in data collection or transmission. The changes in lysimeter mass measured during that period reflected the same trend as concurrent soil moisture data measured at a nearby weather station. The changes in lysimeter mass measured with the IoT scale system during the outdoor experiment were accurate enough to derive daily and hourly crop ET and even detect what appeared to be dew formation during the morning hours. The IoT scale system can be built using open-source, off-the-shelf electronic components which can be purchased online and easily replaced or substituted. The system can also be developed at a fraction of the cost of data logging, communication, and visualization systems typically used for lysimeter and scale applications.

Understanding the Perspectives and Needs of Latinx Caregivers of Persons with Alzheimer's Disease in the Appalachians: An Interpretive Phenomenological Approach.

Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) disproportionately impact Latinx and other communities of color in the United States. The challenges for patients with ADRD and their informal caretakers can be attributed, in part, to the gaps that exist within health care services and systems. To understand the perspectives of barriers, beliefs, knowledge, and needs for the Latinx informal caregivers that take care of relatives with ADRD in the Upstate of South Carolina, region of Appalachia. This study was approved by the GHS-Prisma Health and Clemson University IRB, Study #Pro00086707. In-depth phone interviews were conducted with a sample of Latinx informal caregivers. A descriptive and interpretive phenomenological approach was used for analysis. Participants were recruited through community partnerships with local organizations. Salient themes identified in this study included the relevance of caregiver's degree of awareness about the disease and a perspective of Alzheimer's disease as a progressive and degenerative disease. Critical moments identified encompassed challenges related to patient engagement with the outside world, their attitudes, and behaviors, as well as caregiver-related challenges with access to culturally and linguistically relevant resources needed to provide proper care. Caregivers identified several culturally relevant coping strategies used and motivators in providing care for their relatives with ADRD. Linguistically and culturally sensitive programs and resources that account for knowledge, assets, and needs of Latinx informal caregivers of ADRD patients are needed to improve the quality of care and decrease disparities in health outcomes for Latinx older adults.

Ppe.RPT/SSC-1: from QTL mapping to a predictive KASP test for ripening time and soluble solids concentration in peach

Genomic regions associated with ripening time (RPT) and soluble solids concentration (SSC) were mapped using a pedigreed population including multiple F1 and F2 families from the Clemson University peach breeding program (CUPBP). RPT and SSC QTLs were consistently identified in two seasons (2011 and 2012) and the average datasets (average of two seasons). A target region spanning 10,981,971–11,298,736 bp on chromosome 4 of peach reference genome used for haplotype analysis revealed four haplotypes with significant differences in trait values among different diplotype combinations. Favorable alleles at the target region for both RPT and SSC were determined and a DNA test for predicting RPT and SSC was developed. Two Kompetitive Allele Specific PCR (KASP) assays were validated on 84 peach cultivars and 163 seedlings from the CUPBP, with only one assay (Ppe.RPT/SSC-1) needed to predict between early and late-season ripening cultivars and low and high SSC. These results advance our understanding of the genetic basis of RPT and SSC and facilitate selection of new peach cultivars with the desired RPT and SSC.

Celebration of the 50th Anniversary of ISOTT (September 27, 2023 Tokyo, Japan) : ISOTT-A Meaningful Idea That Is Successful.

In the early 1960s, I was working as a traditional chemical engineer studying inanimate objects without the slightest clue of the biological world. At that time, I met Dr Melvin H. Knisely and he encouraged me to use my engineering skills to improve on the Krogh capillary tissue cylinder. I derived a detailed mathematical model and performed a complex computer simulation to achieve that goal. We attended professional meetings on oxygen transport to tissue all over the world, but mainly in Europe, presenting case studies. It became my goal to honour Dr Knisely with a meeting on oxygen transport to tissue at Clemson University in South Carolina, USA. Melvin's wife, Verona, convinced me to also have the meeting at the Medical University of South Carolina located in Charleston, since it was meant to honour Dr Knisely's work with his quartz rod crystal for illumination. He is credited as the first human being to observe the particulate matter in blood flowing in the microcirculation. He was nominated for the Nobel prize four times as a result of his discoveries. When I decided to have part of the meeting at the medical school, I invited Dr Haim Bicher to work with me from there and I focused on Clemson University and the combined meeting structure. As the meeting evolved, we decided it would be a good idea to establish an international society and call it the "International Society on Oxygen Transport to Tissue" (ISOTT). I wrote a paper on the pillars of our young society, "ISOTT from the Beginning: A Tribute to Our Deceased Members (Icons)," and another that shares more detail about its beginnings, "The Founding of ISOTT: The Shamattawa of Engineering Science and Medical Science". The roots of ISOTT are all the members, new and old, who continue to make valuable contributions to an exceedingly important component of human health. I hope that the society lasts for a long time, continuing to make important contributions to the medical world. It is a society that has been instrumental in bringing together brilliant scientists from the medical, engineering, and natural science fields to work together. It has contributed to the evolution of "bioengineering" as we know it today.

Exploring the role of biomaterials in organ implants

There are several classifications that describe the way materials function in the body. Devices that mimic a portion or function of the body in a safe, dependable, cost-effective, and physiologically appropriate way are made using biomaterials. Numerous tools and substances are now employed in the treatment of illness or injury, including everyday objects like tooth fillings, sutures, needles, catheters, plates, and so on. As time goes on, a synthetic substance that functions in close contact with live tissue or replaces a portion of a biological system might be summed up as a biomaterial. A biomaterial is described as "a systemically and pharmacologically inert substance designed for implantation within or incorporation with living things" by the Clemson University Advisory Board for Biomaterials. Materials, whether synthetic or natural, that may be utilized in any system that treats, enhances, or substitutes any organ, tissue, or bodily function for any length of time or on the other hand, a biological substance is one that is created by a biological system, like skin or an artery.

Generation and Characterization of a Multi-Functional Panel of Monoclonal Antibodies for SARS-CoV-2 Research and Treatment.

The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is an ongoing threat to global public health. To this end, intense efforts are underway to develop reagents to aid in diagnostics, enhance preventative measures, and provide therapeutics for managing COVID-19. The recent emergence of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variants with enhanced transmissibility, altered antigenicity, and significant escape of existing monoclonal antibodies and vaccines underlines the importance of the continued development of such agents. The SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and its receptor binding domain (RBD) are critical to viral attachment and host cell entry and are primary targets for antibodies elicited from both vaccination and natural infection. In this study, mice were immunized with two synthetic peptides (Pep 1 and Pep 2) within the RBD of the original Wuhan SARS-CoV-2, as well as the whole RBD as a recombinant protein (rRBD). Hybridomas were generated, and a panel of three monoclonal antibodies, mAb CU-P1-1 against Pep 1, mAb CU-P2-20 against Pep 2, and mAb CU-28-24 against rRBD, was generated and further characterized. These mAbs were shown by ELISA to be specific for each immunogen/antigen. Monoclonal antibody CU-P1-1 has limited applicability other than in ELISA approaches and basic immunoblotting. Monoclonal antibody CU-P2-20 is shown to be favorable for ELISA, immunoblotting, and immunohistochemistry (IHC), however, not live virus neutralization. In contrast, mAb CU-28-24 is most effective at live virus neutralization as well as ELISA and IHC. Moreover, mAb CU-28-24 is active against rRBD proteins from Omicron variants BA.2 and BA.4.5 as determined by ELISA, suggesting this mAb may neutralize live virus of these variants. Each of the immunoglobulin genes has been sequenced using Next Generation Sequencing, which allows the expression of respective recombinant proteins, thereby eliminating the need for long-term hybridoma maintenance. The synthetic peptides and hybridomas/mAbs and quantitative antigen-binding data are under the intellectual property management of the Clemson University Research Foundation, and the three CDRs have been submitted as an invention disclosure for further patenting and commercialization.

First Report of Xanthomonas campestris Causing Leaf Blight on Buttercup (Ranunculus asiaticus) in South Carolina, USA.

Buttercup (Ranunculus asiaticus L.) is a popular and high value ornamental species grown in landscapes and gardens and as cut flowers. It is mostly cultivated in Europe, the Mediterranean, and the Americas (Beruto and Debergh, 2004). In January 2022, leaf blight was observed on approximately 24 of forty 4-month-old R. asiaticus plants grown in a high tunnel at a cut flower farm located in Anderson County, South Carolina, USA. Symptoms included irregular, vein-limited, and necrotic leaf lesions and yellowing. Some lesions had a chlorotic halo. Two diseased plants were submitted to the Clemson University Plant and Pest Diagnostic Clinic. Symptomatic leaves were surface sterilized with 10% bleach for 1 min and rinsed in sterile water. Small leaf portions (1 × 1 cm2) were excised from the margin of lesions. They were macerated in 500 µl of sterile water and incubated at room temperature for 10 min. A loopful of suspension was streaked on nutrient agar (NA). Slightly convex, yellowish-mucoid colonies appeared after incubation at 28°C for 48 h. Two isolates, 23A and 23B, from two plants were obtained by transferring single colonies to new NA plates. Both isolates were identified as X. campestris (probability values > 0.8) using a Biolog Microbial Identification System (GEN III Microplate; Identification Database v.2.8.0.15G). PCR amplification of these two isolates were performed for housekeeping genes gyrB, rpoD, and dnaK (Young et al. 2008). The amplicon sequences (GenBank accession nos.: OR101193 and OR101194 [dnaK]; OR101195 and OR101196 [gyrB]; OR101197 and OR101198 [rpoD]) were identical between the two isolates based on sequence alignment in MEGA11 (Tamura et al. 2021). Nucleotide BLAST of these three genes showed 94.6 to 98.9% identity (dnaK: 912 of 922 bp; gyrB: 827 of 839 bp; rpoD: 803 of 849 bp) with 100% coverage with the Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris type strain (AE008922). A neighbor joining phylogenetic tree with the concatenated sequences of these three genes showed that 23A and 23B had the closest match with X. campestris pv. campestris. However, these two isolates tested negative in the probe-based qPCR assay specific for X. campestris pv. campestris with only the positive control amplified (Köhl et al. 2011), suggesting that they may belong to a new pathovar of X. campestris. To confirm the pathogenicity of these isolates, three healthy R. asiaticus plants each were spray inoculated with suspensions of 23A and 23B in sterile tap water until runoff (OD600 = 0.1, approx. 108 CFU/ml). The non-inoculated control plants received a sterile tap water spray. The experiment was conducted twice. All plants were maintained in a growth chamber at 24°C with 10-h photoperiod. Seven to 15 days after inoculation, necrotic lesions with chlorotic halo and leaf yellowing, similar to those observed in the field, were observed on inoculated plants, while the non-inoculated control plants remained symptomless. Koch's postulates were fulfilled by reisolating the bacteria from the symptomatic plants and confirming the bacterial identity with the sequence analysis described above. The disease was first reported in California in 1996 (Azad et al. 1996) but to the best of our knowledge has not been reported again in the United States. This is the first report of X. campestris causing bacterial leaf blight in R. asiaticus in South Carolina. Since more than 50% of the flower producers/farmers grow Ranunculus in South Carolina, further work is necessary to determine how widespread the disease is and its economic impact.

On Cemetery Hill: The legacy of burials at Clemson University, a public university in the southern USA

AbstractGround‐penetrating radar (GPR) was used to map anomalies characteristic of unmarked graves on the grounds of the modern Woodland Cemetery on the campus of Clemson University. Hundreds of these anomalies are believed to represent newly discovered unmarked graves belonging to African Americans including enslaved people, convicted laborers, sharecroppers, domestic workers, tenant farmers and wage workers, who contributed to the wealth of the Fort Hill Plantation or to building and maintaining the university. These burials appear to be in an organized arrangement indicating the presence of a burial ground where the graves would have been marked at the time of internment. Analyses of reflections from the bottom of the grave shaft detected horizontal bases as well as possible chambered and vaulted burials, a common vernacular burial type among African Americans in the 19th and early 20th centuries. A fewer number of graves showed hyperbolic reflections that can be produced by graves that contain coffins or a large artefact. This may indicate burial practices that changed over time or the status of the interred individual. The estimated length of the grave shaft in GPR grid data suggests that small adults or adolescents made up most of the burials (58%), then adults (28%) and infants and children (13%). In 1924, Woodland Cemetery was developed on Cemetery Hill, which had its first recorded burial in 1837. Plots were then gifted to prominent University leaders, faculty, staff and their families. The unmarked burials were found juxtaposed among these modern graves requiring modification of the current protocol for the operating cemetery to preserve the sacred space and to prevent destruction of these burials. This work affirms ongoing efforts by this public university to address its origins from a plantation and segregation in the American South.

Antimicrobial food packaging: Challenges and achievements

Antimicrobial food packaging: Challenges and achievements Dr Kay Cooksey, Professor and Cryovac Chair at Clemson University, shares the potential of antimicrobial food packaging in mitigating microbial growth and the obstacles that have hindered the development of commercially available products thus far. Antimicrobial packaging is a segment of active packaging. The classical definition of active packaging is a package that senses the presence of something changing in the package and reacts to mitigate or affect the change. A good example is oxygen scavenging sachets that sense the presence of oxygen and use scavenger technology (iron powder is common) and can preferentially scavenge oxygen away from food. Antimicrobial packaging is similar in that it detects the presence of bacteria, yeast, or mold and either prevents it from growing or damages the microorganisms to the point that they cannot grow without optimal conditions. Research on antimicrobial packaging has been ongoing for over 40 years, yet there are few commercially available products. Those that are commercially available are currently in niche markets.

Phytophthora Root and Crown Rot of Lavender: New Host-Pathogen Relationships Involving Six Species of Phytophthora and Three Species of Lavandula.

Phytophthora root and crown rot has become a major threat to the lavender industry worldwide. Isolations from symptomatic plants between 2015 and 2019 revealed a number of potential causal agents in the United States. In this study, we tested nine species of Phytophthora and four species of Lavandula and used Koch's Postulates to prove pathogenicity for six new host-pathogen relationships and confirm two pathogenic relationships for the first time in the United States. A total of 10 experiments were conducted with each consisting of two independent trials. Only host-pathogen combinations that occurred in the field were evaluated. All isolates used in these experiments were recovered from diseased lavender plants or, for one isolate, soil associated with a diseased plant sent to our lab or the Clemson University Plant and Pest Diagnostic Clinic for diagnosis. Experiments were conducted over 3 years, 2017 to 2019, in a research greenhouse under relatively uniform environmental conditions following a standard protocol. Plants were evaluated weekly for foliage symptom severity, and, at the end of each trial, plants were scored for final foliage symptom severity and root rot severity, area under the disease progress curve was calculated, fresh plant mass was weighed, and isolation of pathogens from roots was attempted. These studies successfully demonstrated for the first time pathogenicity of Phytophthora nicotianae, P. palmivora, and P. cinnamomi to hybrid lavender (Lavandula × intermedia), P. nicotianae to sweet lavender (L. heterophylla), and P. cryptogea and P. drechsleri to English lavender (L. angustifolia). In addition, a soil isolate of P. tropicalis was shown to be potentially pathogenic to L. × intermedia. Our results also documented for the first time in the United States pathogenicity of P. palmivora and P. citrophthora to L. angustifolia. We were not able to confirm pathogenicity for three host-pathogen relationships: P. megasperma on English lavender, P. cactorum on hybrid lavender, and P. nicotianae on Spanish lavender (L. stoechas). Results from this study expand the list of Phytophthora species causing root rot on lavender (Lavandula species) in the United States and elsewhere.

Rapidly Direct Laser 3D Printing of High-Performance Protonic Ceramic Fuel Cells

Fuel cells with a dense ionic conducting electrolyte layer sandwiched between two porous electrode layers are one of the most efficient fuel-to-electricity energy conversion devices. Their reversible operation can also efficiently electrolyze water to hydrogen, reduce carbon dioxide to fuels, synthesize ammonia, upgrade fuels, and store energy on large scales. Compared with the popular low-temperature (~80 oC) proton exchange/polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells and the high-temperature (700-1000 oC) oxygen ion-conducting solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), initially used in electric vehicles, auxiliary powers, power plants, and hydrogen electrolyzers, the rising star of protonic ceramic fuel cells (PCFCs) based on proton conducting oxide electrolytes offers excellent suitability for operating at 400-700 oC, the optimum temperature range for electrochemical energy devices, enabling extensive superiorities (high efficiency and performance, long thermal and chemical stabilities, flexible fuels, and cost-effective compatible materials) compared to their counterparts. In recent ten years, many high-performance PCFCs have been reported. However, most performances were achieved using small-area button cells (<0.5cm2) fabricated using spin coating, drop coating, manual brushing, and screen printing of electrolytes on the dry-pressed anode supports, followed by co-firing. There are challenges to transferring the excellent microstructures and materials chemistries/properties obtained from small-area cells to large-area cells and stacks. Furthermore, the decrease in cell component layer thickness for high volumetric cell performance and the requirement for more efficient, faster, and more cost-effective manufacturing motivated the advanced manufacturing of PCFCs.This work will focus on the direct laser 3D printing (DL3DP) of PCFCs performed at Clemson University. The DL3DP integrated 3D printing (microextrusion and ultrasonic spraying) and laser processing (drying, sintering, and machining), allowing for manufacturing PCFC components, single cells, and stacks with the desired microstructures and geometries irrelevant to the area. The DL3DP could rapidly and cost-effectively manufacture PCFCs without conventional long-term furnace processing. The processing speed could be 2 orders of magnitude faster than the conventional tape-casting and furnace co-firing method. The achieved cells and stacks showed excellent fuel cell performance and less dependence on the effective area. The cells showed peak power densities 1.6-2.6 times that of the conventionally processed samples. The stacks demonstrated a peak power of 7 W and constant power outputs of 0.5-3.1 W for 110-260 hours. This DL3DP can be expanded to manufacturing other heterogeneous ceramics for energy conversion and storage devices. Figure 1

First report of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum causing stem canker on industrial hemp in South Carolina, USA.

On Jun. 20th, 2022, thirty industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) plants (cv. Peach Haze) were vegetatively propagated, grown in a greenhouse for 21 days, and transplanted to a field at The Hemp Mine located in Fair Play, SC. Near the time of harvest (Nov. 17th, 2022), significant mycelial growth was noticed within the floral structure on 30% of plants. Three diseased plants were submitted to the Clemson University Plant and Pest Diagnostic Clinic. Stem cankers were observed on all three plants. Sclerotia typical of Sclerotinia spp. were found inside the stems of two plants. Two pure isolates were obtained by placing a sclerotium from each plant onto an acidified potato dextrose agar (APDA) plate and transferring a hyphal tip to a new APDA plate. After a 7-day-long growth at 25°C under a 24-h photoperiod, both isolates (22-1002-A and B) produced white and sparse mycelia and dark brownish to blackish sclerotia typical of S. sclerotiorum (aver. 36.5 per 90-mm plate). Sclerotia (n=50) were spherical (46%), oval (46%), or irregular (8%) and measured 1.8 to 7.2 × 1.6 to 4.5 mm (aver. 3.6 ± 1.2 × 2.7 ± 0.6 mm). No spores were produced. Sequences of the internal transcribed spacer region including the 5.8S ribosomal RNA gene (GenBank accession no. OQ749889) and the glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenases (G3PDH) gene (OQ790148) of 22-1002-A are 99.8% and 100% identical to those of a S. sclerotiorum isolate LAS01 on industrial hemp (MW079844 and MW082601; Garfinkel 2021). The G3PDH sequence of 22-1002-A is also 100% identical to that of ATCC 18683 (JQ036048), an authenticated S. sclerotiorum strain used for whole genome sequencing (Derbyshire et al. 2017). Ten healthy 'Peach Haze' plants (approx. 10 to 15" tall) grown in 6" pots were used in a pathogenicity test. The epidermis layer of each main stem was slightly wounded (2 × 2 mm2, 1 mm deep) using a sterile dissecting blade. A 5 × 5 mm2 mycelial plug of 22-1002-A was placed onto the wound of each of five plants, while APDA plugs were used for five control plants. Parafilm was used to secure mycelial and sterile agar plugs. All plants were maintained in an indoor controlled environment (25°C, >60% humidity, 24-h photoperiod). Stem cankers were visible on all inoculated plants 5 days after inoculation (DAI). Four of the five inoculated plants had noticeable yellowing and wilting on the foliage 9 DAI, while control plants remained asymptomatic. Elongated and tan-colored cankers (44.3 to 86.2 mm long, aver. 63.1 ± 18.3 mm) were developed at the wounded sites of inoculated plants. Wounded sites of control plants remained green in color and only slightly expanded in length (aver. 3.6 ± 0.8 mm). Tissue was excised from the canker margin of each inoculated plant and the wounded site of each control plant, surface sterilized with 10% bleach for 1 min, rinsed in sterile water, placed onto APDA, and incubated at 25°C. Sclerotia-producing colonies typical of S. sclerotiorum were recovered from all inoculated plants after 6 days, but not from any control plants. Sclerotinia sclerotiorum has a host range of more than 400 plant species (Boland and Hall 1994). This fungus causing stem canker on industrial hemp were reported from MT (Shaw 1973) and OR (Garfinkel 2021) in the USA and Canada (Bains et al. 2000). This is the first report of this disease in SC. Industrial hemp is an emerging crop in SC. The detection of this disease helps SC growers to take actions to monitor and prevent disease outbreak as well as develop an effective management practice when it occurs.

The Highly Operational Team (HOT) toward f-Block Materials.

This invited Team Profile was created by the scientists in the Highly Operational Team (HOT) led by the Shustova group from the University of South Carolina (USA). HOT researchers are located at four universities (the University of South Carolina, Clemson University, the University of Florida, and Chulalongkorn University) and one national laboratory (Savannah River National Laboratory) from two different countries, USA and Thailand. The team recently published an article using the synergy among the HOT participants to reveal the synthetic pathways toward preparation of transuranic heterometallic extended metal-organic materials, providing mechanistic details for their formation, and establishing a structure-property relationship: "f-block MOFs: A Pathway to Heterometallic Transuranics", K. C. Park, P. Kittikhunnatham, J. Lim, G. C. Thaggard, Y. Liu, C. R. Martin, G. A. Leith, D. J. Toler, A. T. Ta, N. Birkner, I. Lehman-Andino, A. Hernandez-Jimenez, G. Morrison, J. W. Amoroso, H.-C. zur Loye, D. P. DiPrete, M. D. Smith, K. S. Brinkman, S. R. Phillpot, N. B. Shustova, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. Engl. 2023, 62, e202216349.

The Highly Operational Team (HOT) toward f‐Block Materials

AbstractThis invited Team Profile was created by the scientists in the Highly Operational Team (HOT) led by the Shustova group from the University of South Carolina (USA). HOT researchers are located at four universities (the University of South Carolina, Clemson University, the University of Florida, and Chulalongkorn University) and one national laboratory (Savannah River National Laboratory) from two different countries, USA and Thailand. The team recently published an article using the synergy among the HOT participants to reveal the synthetic pathways toward preparation of transuranic heterometallic extended metal–organic materials, providing mechanistic details for their formation, and establishing a structure–property relationship: “f‐block MOFs: A Pathway to Heterometallic Transuranics”, K. C. Park, P. Kittikhunnatham, J. Lim, G. C. Thaggard, Y. Liu, C. R. Martin, G. A. Leith, D. J. Toler, A. T. Ta, N. Birkner, I. Lehman‐Andino, A. Hernandez‐Jimenez, G. Morrison, J. W. Amoroso, H.‐C. zur Loye, D. P. DiPrete, M. D. Smith, K. S. Brinkman, S. R. Phillpot, N. B. Shustova, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. Engl. 2023, 62, e202216349.