Consistent Response Research Articles

How non-target chironomid communities respond to mosquito control: Integrating DNA metabarcoding and joint species distribution modelling

The conservation and management of riparian ecosystems rely on understanding the ecological consequences of anthropogenic stressors that impact natural communities. In this context, studies investigating the effects of anthropogenic stressors require reliable methods capable of mapping the relationships between taxa occurrence or abundance and environmental predictors within a spatio-temporal framework. Here, we present an integrative approach using DNA metabarcoding and Hierarchical Modelling of Species Communities (HMSC) to unravel the intricate dynamics and resilience of chironomid communities exposed to Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis (Bti). Chironomid emergence was sampled from a total of 12 floodplain pond mesocosms, half of which received Bti treatment, during a 16-week period spanning spring and summer of 2020. Subsequently, we determined the community compositions of chironomids and examined their genus-specific responses to the Bti treatment, considering their phylogenetic affiliations and ecological traits of the larvae. Additionally, we investigated the impact of the Bti treatment on the body size distribution of emerging chironomids. Our study revealed consistent responses to Bti among different chironomid genera, indicating that neither phylogenetic affiliations nor larval feeding strategies significantly contributed to the observed patterns. Both taxonomic and genetic diversity were positively correlated with the number of emerged individuals. Furthermore, our findings demonstrated Bti-related effects on chironomid body size distribution, which could have relevant implications for size-selective terrestrial predators. Hence, our study highlights the value of employing a combination of DNA metabarcoding and HMSC to unravel the complex dynamics of Bti-related non-target effects on chironomid communities. The insights gained from this integrated framework contribute to our understanding of the ecological consequences of anthropogenic stressors and provide a foundation for informed decision-making regarding the conservation and management of riparian ecosystems.

Assessing the effect of input motion duration on seismic site responses of layered soil deposits using spectrally equivalent records

The characteristics of input motions at bedrock have a significant impact on the dynamic behavior of soils at various sites. This study aims to statistically analyze the conditions under which the long-duration (LD) seismic responses of layered soil deposits differ from those common short-duration (SD) responses. Furthermore, this study provides thresholds for the amplification prediction of sites where the differences caused by the duration effect are large enough to be practically significant. To investigate the duration effect of input motions, a series of LD and SD record pairs are assembled from earthquake databases, specifically focusing on records with VS30 > 500 m/s. Each pair of records is carefully selected to ensure that the amplitude and frequency content are equivalent. Subsequently, numerous site response simulations are conducted using the time-domain nonlinear method for a range of soil profiles under all selected records. The relative differences in spectral accelerations at the surface between LD and SD motions are subsequently evaluated. The results indicate that the occurrence of LD/SD response differences strongly depends on the site condition, selected frequency (or period), and intensity level of input motions. For smaller peak ground acceleration levels (PGAinput), both LD and SD input motions with equivalent spectral shapes yield consistent site responses. However, for larger PGAinput levels, significant differences emerge for frequencies >0.5 Hz, especially at softer sites. Finally, frequency-dependent thresholds of PGAinput with 20 % differences are proposed as the conditions in which the duration effect of input motions cannot be ignored in site response analysis.

Late to the table: Australian law and policy on food security

Australia has no national food security strategy, and no overarching suite of law and policy to regulate the risks associated with food insecurity. We, as a nation, are long overdue for a comprehensive national response including law and policy to address critical regulatory deficits. This article considers possible explanations as to why food security as a fundamental responsibility of the State has been neglected in Australia and argues for a consistent regulatory response at all tiers of government and between government departments, informed by a national policy.

Forest management affects ecosystem functioning (predation and herbivory) but not ecosystem constancy: A comparative study across four forest ecosystems around the world

Forest management can affect both the functioning and stability of ecosystems. Constancy and persistence are key factors that contribute to the overall stability of an ecosystem. These factors can be highly variable and change across forest ecosystems. We studied the effects of forest management on the strength of resource–consumer interactions (bird predation and insect herbivory) as important measures of ecosystem functioning, as well as on their constancy in time in four different forested regions globally. Within each region, we selected (i) three heavily managed or plantation forests, and (ii) three urban/peri-urban forests or urban plantings, and paired each of them with pristine/semi-natural forests. Bird predation was estimated using plasticine caterpillars of different colors. Chewer, galler, and miner herbivory on leaves were estimated for 15 plants (shrubs and trees) per study site. Constancy was quantified as the invariability of both predation and herbivory during a period of three (exceptionally two) years. We found no consistent responses of either predation or herbivory to forest management practices across study regions. Bird predation was higher in urban/peri-urban forests than in pristine/semi-natural forests in Patagonian and boreal forest, with intermediate levels of predation in managed or plantation forests. These differences might be explained by the increase of resource availability during the winters and by the higher abundances of generalist predators due to increase of temperatures (i.e., urban heat effect), for those regions where winter temperatures could be a limiting factor. Chewing insect herbivory was lower in urban/peri-urban forests, probably due to the exclusion of certain herbivores in response to warming and the higher predation pressure relative to pristine forests. No differences were found in other types of herbivory, indicating that effects of urbanization are guild-specific. In addition, we consistently found no effects of forest management practices on predation invariability and herbivory, thereby demonstrating the high constancy of ecosystem functioning to different forest management practices across regions. These findings advance our knowledge of the generalized effects of forest management on ecosystem functions and stability by establishing a connection between the ecology and management and conservation of plantations and natural forests.

Flours from microwave-treated buckwheat grains improve the physical properties and nutritional quality of gluten-free bread

Microwave (MW)-assisted hydrothermal treatment of buckwheat grains was explored to improve the physical properties and nutritional quality of gluten-free (GF) bread. A mixture of 80% rice flour and 20% corn starch was used as control recipe (CR), whereas for fortification, 50% of the rice flour was replaced with native buckwheat flour (BN) or buckwheat flour from grains treated with several MW cycles (exposure/rest cycles of 10/50 s, BT1, 20/40 s, BT2, or 30/30 s, BT3, at 30% moisture content and 8 min MW exposure). The BN fortified dough showed increased consistency and elastic response, compared to CR, with the MW treatment further enhancing these effects. Due to the enormous increase in complex modulus (G1*) (from 1060 Pa for CR to 10,679 Pa for BT3), the hydration of doughs was subsequently adjusted to obtain similar G1*. The inclusion of MW-treated flours led to higher consistency and elastic recovery. The lower specific volume (SV) and higher crumb hardness encountered for BN (3.88 mL/g and 1.45 N) were alleviated by the inclusion of MW-treated flours (4.61 mL/g and 0.90 N for BT1, 4.39 mL/g and 0.85 N for BT3), resulting in similar SV and lower staling than CR. Moreover, compared to BN and CR, the BT2 and BT3 breads showed a significant reduction in glucose release during in vitro starch digestion (up to −25%), and an increase in protein digestibility (up to +23%). Overall, the experimental findings pointed to the feasibility of using MW to improve the physical and nutritional quality of buckwheat flour-enriched GF bread.

A high-performance dual-modal probe boosted by pKa manipulation for colorimetric and fluorescent detection of hydrogen sulfide in living cells and food spoilage

Since hydrogen sulfide (H2S) plays a vital role in physiological functions, it is significant to assess the dynamic levels of H2S in cellular levels and real samples. Nonetheless, a noteworthy challenge lies in the fluorescence fluctuations of probes partly attributed to the comparatively elevated pKa values, thereby complicating the achievement of consistent and stable responses. Herein, a strategy of pKa manipulation was proposed to address the dilemma, and a high-performance colorimetric and fluorescent probe CFB-H2S was rationally developed with a wide pH adaption range of 6.0–10.0. Significantly, the probe exhibits high sensitivity with superior signal-to-noise to 81-fold, rendering more benefits for application of H2S detection. Meanwhile, CFB-H2S can monitor Cys-induced H2S generation in living cells with excellent biocompatibility and low cytotoxicity. Importantly, CFB-H2S-based portable test strips were well prepared and its practical applicability was successfully verified in real food spoilage cases.

Nutrient and Microbiome-Mediated Plant-Soil Feedback in Domesticated and Wild Andropogoneae: Implications for Agroecosystems.

Plants influence the abiotic and biotic environment of the rhizosphere, affecting plant performance through plant-soil feedback (PSF). We compared the strength of nutrient and microbe-mediated PSF and its implications for plant performance in domesticated and wild grasses with a fully crossed greenhouse PSF experiment using four inbred maize genotypes (Zea mays ssp. mays b58, B73-wt, B73-rth3, and HP301), teosinte (Z. mays ssp. parviglumis), and two wild prairie grasses (Andropogon gerardii and Tripsacum dactyloides) to condition soils for three feedback species (maize B73-wt, teosinte, Andropogon gerardii). We found evidence of negative PSF based on growth, phenotypic traits, and foliar nutrient concentrations for maize B73-wt, which grew slower in maize-conditioned soil than prairie grass-conditioned soil. In contrast, teosinte and A. gerardii showed few consistent feedback responses. Both rhizobiome and nutrient-mediated mechanisms were implicated in PSF. Based on 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing, the rhizosphere bacterial community composition differed significantly after conditioning by prairie grass and maize plants, and the final soil nutrients were significantly influenced by conditioning, more so than by the feedback plants. These results suggest PSF-mediated soil domestication in agricultural settings can develop quickly and reduce crop productivity mediated by PSF involving changes to both the soil rhizobiomes and nutrient availability.

Neighbouring Scots pine populations from contrasting climatic regions show substantial variability but consistent response to warming

Natural tree populations consist of individuals that exhibit intraspecific adaptive variation at a range of geographic scales, as a result of the balance between gene flow and selection. The spatial distribution and magnitude of such variation will influence the capacity of populations to adapt to forthcoming changing environmental conditions. The native Scots pine populations in Scotland represent what remains of the iconic Caledonian forest. Despite being distributed within a relatively narrow geographic area these populations occur across a steep East-West environmental gradient of increasing rainfall and temperature. We hypothesised that western populations compared to those from the east may be better adapted to warmer conditions and as a consequence, may respond differently to the increased temperature predicted during climate change. We conducted an experiment lasting 22 weeks in controlled environment chambers using a nested hierarchical design based on material from different regions (west or east), populations and families (half sibs). We examined the effects of two temperature scenarios, current temperature and warmer predicted temperature on percentage germination as well as growth and morphology of above and below-ground traits. Most of the variation occurred at the family level. Nevertheless, significant regional and population differences were detected, where eastern populations invested more in roots, exhibited fewer stomatal rows per needle and produced thinner roots. In addition, warmer temperatures had strong effects on early growth that were consistent in material from both regions and resulted in earlier germination, greater growth and biomass, but these effects were not accompanied by shifts in biomass partitioning. Although the strong effect of warming suggested temperature limitation for early growth in the study areas under current conditions our results did not support the idea that low seedling recruitment resulting from poor emergence and early growth would lead to a decline in Scottish populations of Scots pine under a warmer climate. Our results are informative regarding the adaptive potential in the populations and will contribute to the development of appropriate forest conservation strategies.

Leaf and root traits are partially coordinated but they show contrasting multi-trait-based community trait dispersion patterns in a subtropical forest

Abstract The ecology of plant species relies on the synchronous functioning of leaves and roots, but few studies have simultaneously examined the community trait dispersion (CTD) patterns of both organs. We measured 16 analogous leaf and root traits on 44 co-occurring woody species in a subtropical forest in southern China, aiming to examine whether leaf and root traits were coordinated, organized into parallel trait axes, exhibited similar CTD, and displayed consistent responses in CTD and community-weighted means of (CWM) traits over environmental gradients. While the first axes of leaf and root trait variation similarly exhibited a fast–slow continuum, leaf traits covered a secondary “carbon economics” axis, contrasting to root traits depicting a collaboration axis reflecting species’ mycorrhizal dependency. Analogous leaf and root chemical traits were generally coordinated but less so for morphological traits. At the community level, changes in the CWM of the first axes were generally consistent among organs with more conservative traits found as increasing elevation but not for the second axis. While root traits became thinner and more conservative as soil phosphorus concentration decreased, leaf traits rarely varied. When different trait axes were combined, leaf traits were overdispersed but tended to converge with increased elevation and soil potassium and phosphorus levels, whereas root traits were clustered but tended to diverge along the same gradients. Our study highlights fine filtering of different suites of traits above- and belowground, which in turn might reduce overall niche overlap among species and promote coexistence with diverse functional designs.

Freshwater invertebrate responses to fine sediment stress: A multi-continent perspective.

Excessive fine sediment (particles <2 mm) deposition in freshwater systems is a pervasive stressor worldwide. However, understanding of ecological response to excess fine sediment in river systems at the global scale is limited. Here, we aim to address whether there is a consistent response to increasing levels of deposited fine sediment by freshwater invertebrates across multiple geographic regions (Australia, Brazil, New Zealand and the UK). Results indicate ecological responses are not globally consistent and are instead dependent on both the region and the facet of invertebrate diversity considered, that is, taxonomic or functional trait structure. Invertebrate communities of Australia were most sensitive to deposited fine sediment, with the greatest rate of change in communities occurring when fine sediment cover was low (below 25% of the reach). Communities in the UK displayed a greater tolerance with most compositional change occurring between 30% and 60% cover. In both New Zealand and Brazil, which included the most heavily sedimented sampled streams, the communities were more tolerant or demonstrated ambiguous responses, likely due to historic environmental filtering of invertebrate communities. We conclude that ecological responses to fine sediment are not generalisable globally and are dependent on landscape filters with regional context and historic land management playing important roles.

High phenotypic variation found within the offspring of each mother tree in Fagus sylvatica regardless of the environment or source population

AbstractAimClimate change challenges temperate forest trees by increasingly irregular precipitation and rising temperatures. Due to long generation cycles, trees cannot quickly adapt genetically. Hence, the persistence of tree populations in the face of ongoing climate change depends largely on phenotypic variation, that is the capability of a genotype to express variable phenotypes under different environmental conditions, known as plasticity. We aimed to quantify phenotypic variation of central Europe's naturally dominant forest tree across various intraspecific scales (individuals, mother trees (families), populations) to evaluate its potential to respond to changing climatic conditions.LocationEurope.Time Period2016–2019.Major Taxa StudiedEuropean beech (Fagus sylvatica L.).MethodsWe conducted a fully reciprocal transplantation experiment with more than 9000 beech seeds from seven populations across a Europe‐wide gradient. We compared morphological (Specific Leaf Area), phenological (leaf unfolding) and fitness‐related (growth, survival) traits across various biological scales: within single mother trees, within populations and across different populations under the contrasting climates of the translocation sites.ResultsThe experiment revealed significant phenotypic variation within the offspring of each mother tree, regardless of geographic origin. Initially, seedling height growth varied among mother trees and populations, likely due to maternal effects. However, the growth performance successively aligned after the first year. In summary, we observed a consistent growth response in different beech populations to diverse environments after initial maternal effects.Main ConclusionsThe study strikingly demonstrates the importance of considering intraspecific variation. Given the surprisingly broad spectrum of phenotypes each mother tree holds within its juvenile offspring, we conclude that Fagus sylvatica might have the potential for medium‐term population persistence in face of climate change, provided that this pattern persists into later life stages. Hence, we also suggest further investigating the inclusion of passive adaptation and natural dynamics in the adaptive management of forests.

Urbanisation reduced body size but potentially improved flight performance in bees and wasps

Urbanisation is a main driver of land-use change, leading to rising in temperatures and fragmentation and reduction of green areas. Bees and wasps, which are important insect groups due to the ecosystem services they provide, may respond to this disturbance via changes in morphological traits which are functionally relevant. To date, studies focusing on this aspect only investigated few social bee species, and often gave contrasting results even at intra-generic level. Here, we studied how body size, wing loading, wing aspect ratio and wing fluctuating asymmetry vary in a social ground-nesting bee (Halictus scabiosae), a solitary hole-nesting bee (Osmia cornuta) and a social paper wasp (Polistes dominula) along an urbanisation gradient within Milan (Italy). By assessing the effects of temperature, green areas fragmentation and vegetation productivity on the above-listed functional traits, we found the three species to variably respond to increasing urbanisation, albeit the driving environmental parameters differed among species. More specifically, smaller individuals were sampled in warmer (for bees) and in less productive (for wasps) areas along the urbanisation gradient. Furthermore, greater wing aspect ratio values were recorded at warmer locations for H. scabiosae, lower wing loading was recorded at more fragmented sites for O. cornuta, and greater wing loading was recorded at locations with greater productivity for P. dominula. H. scabiosae and P. dominula showed greater wing fluctuating asymmetry at more fragmented sites. Although distinct species seemed sensitive to different driving factors, our results point toward a consistent response: smaller body but potentially improved flight performance in more urbanised environments.

P1: Dosing and treatment outcomes of rTMS for treatment-resistant depressed older adults in a naturalistic outpatient clinic population.

Introduction:Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is an effective, safe, and well-tolerated option for treatment-resistant depression (TRD). The minimal medical and cognitive side effects are advantages of rTMS for all patients. However, the majority of rTMS studies in older adults are notable for underdosing rTMS relative to the corresponding FDA-protocol, as noted by recent international meta-analyses. This study utilizes the standardized rTMS FDA protocol and compares the response rates between older adult and non-older adult patients in a TRD clinic in Atlanta, Georgia with depressive symptoms as the primary outcome and anxiety symptoms as the secondary outcome.Methods:This retrospective chart review of patients who received rTMS between March 2017 to June 2022 used descriptive statistics to compare treatment parameters and dropout rates between older adult and non-older adult patients. A 2 x 3 repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) analyzed changes in self-reported depression and anxiety symptom severity throughout treatment course (baseline, treatment midpoint, and final treatment) between the two groups.Results:Eighty-nine patients were included for analysis: Group 1: &gt;55 years old (n= 42; M= 66.48, sd= 6.16; 71% female), and Group 2: &lt;55 years old (n = 47; M= 37.40, sd= 9.13; 60% female). All patients received at least 3000 pulses per session, with 85.71% of patients completing the FDA protocol in Group 1 and 85.11% of patients completing in Group 2. A &gt;50% improvement in depression scores at the end of treatment were seen in 38.1% of patients in Group 1 and 31.9% of patients in Group 2. Both groups demonstrated significant within-group reductions of depression throughout treatment (ps &lt; .001). A smaller subset of patients completed an anxiety questionnaire. Forty percent in Group 1 (n=24) and 33.3% in Group 2 (n=25) showed a &gt;50% improvement in anxiety scores by end of treatment. Both groups demonstrated significant within-group reductions of anxiety throughout treatment (ps &lt; .001). The between groups’ difference for change in depression and anxiety scores was not statistically significant.Conclusion:With FDA protocol dosing, older and non-older patients have consistent response and tolerability. While overall response rates were slightly lower than reported standardized clinical trials, our real-world sample highlights the effectiveness of rTMS for patients, including adults over 55, treated in an unselected, naturalistic outpatient sample.

Bendamustine impairs humoral but not cellular immunity to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in rituximab-treated B-cell lymphoma-affected patients.

Patients with B-cell lymphoma are a fragile category of subjects, particularly exposed to infections and characterized by an impaired vaccination response due to the disease itself and, even more, to the chemotherapy regimen. For this reason, extensive knowledge of the immune response status of these subjects is of fundamental importance to obtain possible indications for a tailored immunization strategy. We enrolled two cohorts of patients with B-cell lymphoma under rituximab treatment or 3-24 months after treatment. In all patients, we evaluated both humoral and cellular immunological memory toward SARS-CoV-2, after standard vaccination and upon one booster dose. We observed no Spike-specific IgG production in patients (n = 25) under anti-CD20 treatment, whereas patients (n = 16) vaccinated after the completion of chemotherapy showed a higher humoral response. Evaluating SARS-CoV-2-specific T-cell response, we found that patients in both cohorts had developed robust cellular immunity after vaccination. Of the 21 patients (51%) that experienced a breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 infection, only six patients developed severe disease. Interestingly, these six patients had all been treated with rituximab plus bendamustine. Notably, we observed that Spike-specific IgG levels in patients treated with rituximab plus bendamustine were absent or lower compared with those in patients treated with rituximab plus other chemotherapy, whereas Spike-specific T-cell response was not different based on chemotherapy regiment. Our results show that, in patients with B-cell lymphoma under rituximab therapy, anti-SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccination induces a weak or absent humoral response but a consistent T-cell response. In addition, chemotherapy regimens with bendamustine further reduce patients' ability to mount a Spike-specific humoral response even after a long time period from chemotherapy discontinuation. These results provide evidence that different chemotherapeutics display different immunosuppressive properties that could be taken in to account in the choice of the right drug regimen for the right patient. Moreover, they question whether immunocompromised patients, particularly those treated with bendamustine, need interventions to improve vaccine-induced immune response.

A re-engagement model to overcome the psychological distress of students

&lt;span lang="EN-US"&gt;COVID-19 lockdowns and lack of social interaction increased academic disengagement among students in India. This study aims to identify the student engagement pitfalls and the prevalent psychological distress in higher education institutions (HEIs) in India prior to the pandemic and during the same. An exploratory research design is adopted by executing a purposive sampling technique. Researchers collected data from undergraduate students of the top five universities, verified 600 consistent responses, and tested the hypothesis using relevant research tools. Results display that psychological distress (PD) is inversely correlated to student engagement (SE) and negatively impacts it. Researchers introduced a novel re-engagement model called “CAIS”, which is the combination of four variables, creativity, physical activity (PA), internship, service learning (SL), and tested their relationship with PD and SE. Each variable under CAIS shows an inverse correlation with PD and positively impacts SE. This study suggests to include “CAIS” in the curriculum to improve the productivity of students and reduce their stress levels. This investigation is the first of its kind to explore the connection between CAIS, SE, and PD in Indian HEIs. The results contribute to the stakeholders in education to re-engage the students in an innovative pattern during post-pandemic times.&lt;/span&gt;

Comparison of hydraulic, pneumatic and electric linear actuation systems

Different applications or industries use different systems for linear actuation, such as hydraulic, pneumatic or electric. Electric systems are becoming increasingly popular and are already replacing hydraulic systems in various applications. These are known to be potentially harmful to the environment, as large amounts of fluid can be released into the environment in the event of a pipe burst or other accident. This paper presents the results of a comparison between hydraulic, pneumatic and electric systems under variable conditions but with similar loads in all three systems. The common feature of all three systems is the input power, which was limited to 1.1 kW. There was no hydraulic accumulator in the hydraulic system and no pressure vessel in the pneumatic system, so no stored energy could influence the system behaviour or results. The main difference between the systems studied was the profile of displacement and power consumption. The most consistent response and lowest power consumption were obtained with the electric system, although both hydraulic and pneumatic systems can achieve consistent response with some modifications.

A Dose-Dependent Spatiotemporal Response of Angiogenesis Elicited by Zn Biodegradation during the Initial Stage of Bone Regeneration.

Zinc (Zn) plays a crucial role in bone metabolism and imbues biodegradable Zn-based materials with the ability to promote bone regeneration in bone trauma. However, the impact of Zn biodegradation on bone repair, particularly its influence on angiogenesis, remains unexplored. This study reveals that Zn biodegradation induces a consistent dose-dependent spatiotemporal response in angiogenesis,both in vivo and in vitro. In a critical bone defect model, an increase in Zn release intensity from day 3 to 10 post-surgery is observed. By day 10, the CD31-positive area around the Zn implant significantly surpasses that of the Ti implant, indicating enhanced angiogenesis. Furthermore,angiogenesis exhibits a distance-dependent pattern closely mirroring the distribution of Zn signals from the implant. In vitro experiments demonstrate that Zn extraction fosters the proliferation and migration of human umbilical vein endothelial cells and upregulates the key genes associated with tube formation, such as HIF-1α and VEGF-A, peaking at a concentration of 22.5 µM. Additionally, Zn concentrations within the range of 11.25-45 µM promote the polarization of M0-type macrophages toward the M2-type, while inhibiting polarization toward the M1-type. These findings provide essential insights into the biological effects of Zn on bone repair, shedding light on its potential applications.

A synergistic approach to enhance sensitivity and selectivity of room temperature operable ammonia gas sensor with humidity assistance using RGO/WO3 nanocomposite

In this study, the fabrication of an ultrahigh selective NH3 gas sensor based on RGO/WO3 nanocomposite has been proposed. The hydrothermal method was employed to synthesize the RGO/WO3 nanocomposite. The formation of RGO/WO3 nanocomposite and the elemental composition, structure and morphology of the as-synthesized materials were confirmed through an array of analytical techniques, including XRD, Raman, FT-IR, XPS and TEM. For gas sensing applications, pure RGO and RGO/WO3 have effectively spin-coated onto the interdigitated electrodes (IDE’s) based on fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) respectively, and their sensitivity towards NH3 was tested. Gas sensing characteristics of prepared materials were analyzed at room temperature (25 °C) under different relative humidity (RH) levels. The developed RGO/WO3 sensor was subjected to different NH3 concentrations, demonstrating a high sensing response of 89% towards 500 ppm NH3 under 11%–97%–11% RH conditions. Notably, the sensor exhibited rapid response and recovery times with an average response time of 92 s and recovery time of 26 s when exposed to 500 ppm NH3 under the specified RH conditions. To gauge the material selectivity, the prepared nanocomposite was exposed to a range of volatile organic compounds and the results showcased the sensor’s remarkable selectivity and sensitivity specifically toward NH3 vapor. This superior performance can be attributed to the abundant active sites and the excellent electron transport properties inherent to the RGO component. Importantly, the RGO/WO3 sensor displayed high reproducibility and consistent responses, with minimal degradation (1.98% degradation) over 30 d at 11%–97%–11% RH. Furthermore, we examined the sensor’s response with varying levels of relative humidity to assess its potential for real-world applications. The sensor exhibited extremely low power consumption, outperforming a commercially available metal oxide sensor while operating at ambient temperature. The robust performance of RGO/WO3 coupled with low power requirements and ambient temperature operation, positions it as a promising candidate for next-generation gas sensing technologies.

Properties of Hyper-Elastic-Graded Triply Periodic Minimal Surfaces.

The mechanical behaviors of three distinct lattice structures-Diamond, Gyroid, and Schwarz-synthesized through vat polymerization, were meticulously analyzed. This study aimed to elucidate the intricacies of these structures in terms of their stress-strain responses, energy absorption, and recovery characteristics. Utilizing the described experiments and analytical approaches, it was discerned, via the described experimental and analytical procedure, that the AM lattices showcased mechanical properties and stress-strain behaviors that notably surpassed theoretical predictions, pointing to substantial disparities between conventional models and experimental outcomes. The Diamond lattice displayed superior stiffness with higher average loading and unloading moduli and heightened energy absorption and dissipation rates, followed by the Gyroid and Schwarz lattices. The Schwarz lattice showed the most consistent mechanical response, while the Diamond and Gyroid showed capabilities of reaching larger strains and stresses. All uniaxial cyclic compressive tests were performed at room temperature with no dwell times. The efficacy of hyper-elastic-graded models significantly outperformed projections offered by traditional Ashby-Gibson models, emphasizing the need for more refined models to accurately delineate the behaviors of additively manufactured lattices in advanced engineering applications.

Isolation and Quantification of Bacterial Membrane Vesicles for Quantitative Metabolic Studies Using Mammalian Cell Cultures.

Bacterial membrane vesicles (BMVs) are produced by most bacteria and participate in various cellular processes, such as intercellular communication, nutrient exchange, and pathogenesis. Notably, these vesicles can contain virulence factors, including toxic proteins, DNA, and RNA. Such factors can contribute to the harmful effects of bacterial pathogens on host cells and tissues. Although the general effects of BMVs on host cellular physiology are well known, the underlying molecular mechanisms are less understood. In this study, we introduce a vesicle quantification method, leveraging the membrane dye FM4-64. We utilize a linear regression model to analyze the fluorescence emitted by stained vesicle membranes to ensure consistent and reproducible vesicle-host interaction studies using cultured cells. This method is particularly valuable for identifying host cellular processes impacted by vesicles and their specific cargo. Moreover, it outcompetes unreliable protein concentration-based methods. We (1) show a linear correlation between the number of vesicles and the fluorescence signal emitted from the FM4-64 dye; (2) introduce the "vesicle load" as a new semi-quantitative unit, facilitating more reproducible vesicle-cell culture interaction experiments; (3) show that a stable vesicle load yields consistent host responses when studying vesicles from Pseudomonas aeruginosa mutants; (4) demonstrate that typical vesicle isolation contaminants, such as flagella, do not significantly skew the metabolic response of lung epithelial cells to P. aeruginosa vesicles; and (5) identify inositol monophosphatase 1 (SuhB) as a pivotal regulator in the vesicle-mediated pathogenesis of P. aeruginosa.