Enriched Domains Research Articles

Global mantle isotopic anomalies linked to supercontinent-superocean evolution for the past 700 million years

Earth’s mantle isotopic composition is highly heterogeneous, with enriched and depleted regions1–3 shaped by a complex history of depletion and re-enrichment over 4.5 billion years. The spatial configuration of large-scale heterogeneity in the mantle is not random4,5, but the timing and mechanisms that caused such heterogeneity are still debated2,6,7. We compiled radiogenic isotope data of mid-ocean ridge and plume-induced basalts from both present-day and past oceans for the past 900 million years of the relatively isotopically enriched African mantle domain. Our analysis shows that oceanic rocks of the African mantle domain exhibit a relatively homogenous composition similar to the prevalent mantle estimates (PREMA8) until ca. 350 million years ago when plume-derived rocks started becoming isotopically enriched with maximum enrichment reached in the mid-Cretaceous. From that point in time, plume-derived rocks shift toward depletion, getting closer to the prevalent mantle value. The enrichment trend is interpreted to have resulted from the recycling of crustal material during the assembly and the early stage of a break-up of Gondwana and Pangea, whereas the subsequent depletion trend is due to the outward retreat of the subduction girdle during the break-up of Pangea, thus both are legacies of geodynamic processes related to the supercontinent cycle.

Genome sequencing and comparative genomics reveal insights into pathogenicity and evolution of Fusarium zanthoxyli, the causal agent of stem canker in prickly ash

BackgroundFusarium zanthoxyli is a destructive pathogen causing stem canker in prickly ash, an ecologically and economically important forest tree. However, the genome lack of F. zanthoxyli has hindered research on its interaction with prickly ash and the development of precise control strategies for stem canker.ResultsIn this study, we sequenced and annotated a relatively high-quality genome of F. zanthoxyli with a size of 43.39 Mb, encoding 11,316 putative genes. Pathogenicity-related factors are predicted, comprising 495 CAZymes, 217 effectors, 156 CYP450s, and 202 enzymes associated with secondary metabolism. Besides, a comparative genomics analysis revealed Fusarium and Colletotrichum diverged from a shared ancestor approximately 141.1 ~ 88.4 million years ago (MYA). Additionally, a phylogenomic investigation of 12 different phytopathogens within Fusarium indicated that F. zanthoxyli originated approximately 34.6 ~ 26.9 MYA, and events of gene expansion and contraction within them were also unveiled. Finally, utilizing conserved domain prediction, the results revealed that among the 59 unique genes, the most enriched domains were PnbA and ULP1. Among the 783 expanded genes, the most enriched domains were PKc_like kinases and those belonging to the APH_ChoK_Like family.ConclusionThis study sheds light on the genetic basis of F. zanthoxyli’s pathogenicity and evolution which provides valuable information for future research on its molecular interactions with prickly ash and the development of effective strategies to combat stem canker.

Deciphering mantle source heterogeneity in space and time in the back-arc of a contemporary subduction system: A regional study of the Sredinny Range, Kamchatka

We present here the first regional set of Sr-Nd-Pb isotopic compositions, major and trace element compositions and KAr ages for a representative suite of back-arc samples of the Sredinny Range (SR) of Kamchatka. Together with previously published analyses, this unique dataset allowed us to trace the source heterogeneity and invoke new mechanisms to explain the variably enriched geochemical signatures. Our results indicate that the Sr isotopic ratios and the LILE content of the studied rocks were mainly influenced by the subduction fluid. Neodymium isotopes, as well as the HFSE and REE distributions in the rocks, require a more complex explanation, depending on the geographical location of the studied samples and the age of their eruption. Melts representing Miocene rocks of the northern part of the SR and most of the rocks from the eastern and central flanks of the SR (from Miocene until present) were produced from a depleted MORB-like metasomatized mantle, and were then exposed to varying degrees of crustal assimilation and fractional crystallization. Higher HFSE contents and lower 143Nd/144Nd ratios in the western flank lavas, as well as high HFSE contents in the Quaternary lavas of the northern part of the SR and some of the lavas from the eastern flank of the southern part of the SR, require an alternative source for their enrichment. Delamination of the lithosphere explains the unusual, enriched signature of these rocks, whereas their variably enriched neodymium isotope ratios identify the various ages of the separation of the lithosphere from the mantle. The Nd isotopic composition of the rocks together with their HFSE content, therefore, serves as an unusual tracer for the enriched mantle domain, showing the presence of the older lithospheric blocks and indicating the timeframes for this source involvement in magma generation.

Extensive H2O degassing in deeply erupted submarine glasses inferred from Samoan melt inclusions: The EM2 mantle source is damp, not dry

Submarine glasses erupted at intraplate volcanic hotspot settings sampling enriched mantle (EM)—characterized by high 87Sr/86Sr—exhibit lower H2O/Ce than glasses representing less enriched mantle domains, leading to the interpretation that the EM mantle is H2O-poor (“dry”). We test whether low H2O/Ce observed in pillow glasses of EM lavas resulted from degassing of higher H2O/Ce primary melts by measuring H2O/Ce and 87Sr/86Sr in olivine-hosted melt inclusions from two deeply-erupted (3950 and 2190 m below sea level (mbsl)) Samoan submarine lavas from Vailuluʻu and Malumalu seamounts. Vailuluʻu (H2O/Ce = 161–275) and Malumalu (180–215) melt inclusions with 87Sr/86Sr data have an average H2O/Ce (197 ± 58 2SD, N = 15) that is nearly twice as high as H2O/Ce in pillow glasses from these two seamounts (average H2O/Ce = 106 ± 51, N = 65), and comparable to pillow glasses from non-EM hotspots. We show that lower H2O/Ce in submarine Samoan glasses compared to melt inclusions results from greater closed-system degassing, and concomitant loss of H2O, because EM melts have higher initial concentrations of CO2. We show that the lower H2O/Ce in global EM pillow glasses compared to non-EM pillow glasses can be modeled to be the result of more extensive degassing of H2O in EM melts, which owes to higher CO2 in primary melts (20,000–90,000 ppm) of EM sources compared to non-EM melts (300–50,000 ppm CO2). Instead of originating from a dry mantle, we conclude that EM lavas derive from a damp mantle, but EM melts lose more H2O by degassing than non-EM melts.

Microscopic clusters feature the composition of biochemical tetraspanin-assemblies and constitute building-blocks of tetraspanin enriched domains

Biochemical approaches revealed that tetraspanins are multi-regulatory proteins forming a web, where they act in tetraspanin-enriched-microdomains (TEMs). A microscopic criterion differentiating between web and TEMs is lacking. Using super-resolution microcopy, we identify co-assemblies between the tetraspanins CD9 and CD81 and CD151 and CD81. CD9 assemblies contain as well the CD9/CD81-interaction partner EWI-2. Moreover, CD9 clusters are proximal to clusters of the CD81-interaction partner CD44 and CD81-/EWI-2-interacting ezrin–radixin–moesin proteins. Assemblies scatter unorganized across the cell membrane; yet, upon EWI-2 elevation, they agglomerate into densely packed arranged-crowds in a process independent from actin dynamics. In conclusion, microscopic clusters are equivalent to biochemical tetraspanin-assemblies, defining in their entirety the tetraspanin web. Cluster-agglomeration enriches tetraspanins, which makes agglomerations to a microscopic complement of TEMs. The microscopic classification of tetraspanin assemblies advances our understanding of this enigmatic protein family, whose members play roles in a plethora of cellular functions, diseases, and pathogen infections.

Relationship between driver gene mutations and clinical pathological characteristics in older lung adenocarcinoma.

Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is the most common newly diagnosed malignant tumor in older people. As older patients age, organ function decreases, leading to increased adverse reactions to treatment. The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and anaplastic lymphoma kinase tyrosine (ALK) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) therapy are more effective and well-tolerated than chemotherapy, while the rate of genetic testing and subsequent targeted treatment among older patients remains relatively low, the clinical benefit limitation for those patients. This study aims to investigate the mutation characteristics of LUAD diver gene and its relationship with clinicopathological features in older LUAD. A total of 275 patients were diagnosed as LUAD and were over sixty years old. We utilized next-generation sequencing technology to detect and analyze gene mutations in postoperative tissue specimens, including EGFR, KRAS, ALK, ROS1, RET, MET, BRAF, HER2, PIK3CA and NRAS. A total of 90.18% (248/275) of older LUAD patients experienced genetic mutations. The EGFR (192, 69.82%) had the highest mutation rate among ten genes, followed by KRAS (21, 7.64%), MET (21, 7.64%), ERBB2 (15, 5.45%), RET (9, 3.27%), ALK (8, 2.91%), ROS1 (8, 2.91%), PIK3CA (6, 2.18%), BRAF (5, 1.82%) and NRAS (1, 0.36%). We also found thirty patients (15.63%) with EGFR mutations also having other gene mutations. The L858R mutation and exon19 deletion were the predominant EGFR mutations, accounting for 84.90% of EGFR-mutated patients. In addition, fifty-one kinds of EGFR mutations were detected, distributed in the protein tyrosine kinase catalytic domain (43, 84.31%), cysteine enriched domain (4, 7.84%), receptor binding domain (3, 5.88%), and EGFR transmembrane domain (1,1.96%). Ten cases of gene fusion mutation were detected. Two rare partner genes, PKHD1 (P60:R34) and STK39 (R33:S11), were detected by ROS1 gene fusion. RET gene fusion revealed a rare companion gene KCND2 (R11:K2). The EGFR mutations were more prevalent in female, non-smoking patients (p < 0.05), and the KRAS mutations were more common in male and smoking patients (p < 0.01). In addition, the BRAF mutations were more likely to occur in the right lung (p < 0.05). Older LUAD populations exhibit diverse genetic mutations, which may also exist simultaneously. Simultaneous detection of multiple genes by NGS can accelerate and enhance targeted treatment benefits for older LUAD patients, ultimately improving their quality of life.

Study on low methoxyl pectin (LMP) with varied molecular structures cross-linked with calcium inducing differences in the gel properties

The gel properties of pectin are significantly connected with its molecular structure. In this paper, we investigated the relationship between low methoxyl pectin (LMP) molecular structure and gel strength in the same degree of esterification (DE) range. LMP with DE of 31% ± 2% was prepared from citrus peels by acid, alkaline, enzymatic, and citric acid/sodium citrate solution methods. And based on data from monosaccharide composition, Mw, and NMR spectroscopy, the proportion of structural regions was speculated. The result revealed that C-LMP (pectin de-esterified by citric acid/sodium citrate solution method) was a highly branched macromolecular polysaccharide with short HG and enriched RG-I, with HG and RG-I proportions of 19.37% and 76.96%. According to the gel property investigation, of all the LMP samples, A-LMP-0.7 (pectin de-esterified by acid method at pH 0.7), which possessed lengthy HG and enriched RG-I domain, exhibited the best gel strength. C-LMP, A-LMP-0.5 (pectin de-esterified by acid method at pH 0.5), and B-LMP (pectin de-esterified by alkaline) failed to form a complete gel due to the low HG linearity, sparse RG-I and low Mw, respectively.

An isotopically enriched mantle component in the source of Rodrigues, Réunion volcanic hotspot

The Mascarene Islands in the western Indian Ocean, encompassing La Réunion, Mauritius, and Rodrigues, are the recent (<10 Ma) surface expressions of the Réunion hotspot. Ocean island basalts (OIB) from these islands exhibit a remarkably homogeneous long-lived radiogenic isotopic composition, coinciding with the convergence field of many global OIB trends in the mantle array. Réunion plume-related OIB therefore provide one of Earth’s most pristine representations of this “focal zone” component, which may have a primordial heritage. Besides this signature, Mascarene lavas have been suggested to retain contributions from sources with distinct compositions, including: (1) Archaean-aged zircons assimilated from continental crust within the oceanic lithosphere by trachytic magmas from Mauritius; (2) more deeply recycled continental crust components preserved by elevated 87Sr/86Sr and 208Pb/206Pb in lavas from the Piton des Neiges volcano of Réunion; and (3) an isotopically depleted mantle component resulting from interaction with Central Indian Ridge material.In this study we use Sr-Nd-Pb isotope systematics, along with major and trace element compositions of basaltic lavas from all three Mascarene Islands to investigate the relationship of their sources to well-characterized mantle endmembers. Among the Mascarene Islands, Rodrigues lavas are the most enriched in highly incompatible elements, likely reflecting shallower and lower degrees of partial melting than Réunion or Mauritius. Combined Sr-Nd-Pb isotope compositions indicate that lavas from the Older Series of Mauritius resemble those from Réunion, whereas lavas from the Younger and Intermediate Series, together with Rodrigues, are consistent with contributions from an isotopically depleted component. In addition, the Pb isotopic compositions of Rodrigues samples require an additional contribution from a component with a long-term enrichment in its Th/U ratio. Based on isotope mixing models, direct assimilation of continental crust embedded within the oceanic lithosphere is unlikely to account for the Pb isotopic variation of Rodrigues. A metasomatized mantle component, previously envisaged as a “fossil” Réunion plume near the Central Indian Ridge, is partially able to reproduce the trace element signature, but not the observed Sr-Nd-Pb isotopic compositions of Rodrigues. Instead, small proportions (<5%) of an EM1-like component provide a preferred endmember. The composition and origin of this component, which is exclusively reflected within Rodrigues lavas, may constitute a new geochemical feature of the Mascarene Islands and is consistent with geodynamical predictions that small-scale enriched mantle domains may be widespread in the source regions of hotspot volcanoes.

Heterogeneous Subcontinental Lithospheric Mantle below the South Margin of the Siberian Craton: Evidence from Composition of Paleoproterozoic Mafic Associations

Abstract —Paleoproterozoic mafic associations of the Irkut block from the Sharyzhalgai uplift are gabbro-dolerite dikes and small gabbronorite and monzodiorite massifs, which formed at 1.87–1.84 Ga and were coeval with granitoids and basite intrusions of the South Siberian magmatic belt (SSB). All the Paleoproterozoic mafic associations of the Irkut block are characterized by the presence of biotite and alkali feldspar, enrichment in K2O, LILE, Th, and light REE, highly fractionated multielement spectra with sharp Nb and Ti depletion, and extremely low εNd(T) from –5.1 to –10.1. In these compositional features, they are similar to mafic complexes in the central and eastern parts of the SSB (the Baikal uplift and the western Aldan shield). Their geochemical and isotopic characteristics did not result from crustal contamination but point to derivation from the subcontinental lithospheric mantle (SCLM) enriched by reaction with felsic subduction-related and OIB-like mafic melts formed at a low degree of melting. The geochemically contrasting Paleoproterozoic gabbronorites in the Onot block of the Sharyzhalgai uplift are marked by depletion in K2O, Ba, LILE, Th, and light REE, weak depletion in Nb, and higher εNd(T) from –0.3 to –1.4. The gabbronorites indicate not only an increase in the contribution of a depleted source to their genesis but also the heterogeneity of the subcontinental lithospheric mantle below the south margin of the Siberian Craton. The formation of enriched SCLM domains throughout the South Siberian belt was mainly the result of Archean subduction-related metasomatic processes. The wide distribution of Paleoproterozoic mafic complexes with subduction geochemical signatures and negative εNd(T) on most early Precambrian cratons is due to global change in the composition and an increase in the heterogeneity of the subcontinental lithospheric mantle toward the end of the Archean.

An agent-based approach for modelling and simulation of glycoprotein VI receptor diffusion, localisation and dimerisation in platelet lipid rafts

Receptor diffusion plays an essential role in cellular signalling via the plasma membrane microenvironment and receptor interactions, but the regulation is not well understood. To aid in understanding of the key determinants of receptor diffusion and signalling, we developed agent-based models (ABMs) to explore the extent of dimerisation of the platelet- and megakaryocyte-specific receptor for collagen glycoprotein VI (GPVI). This approach assessed the importance of glycolipid enriched raft-like domains within the plasma membrane that lower receptor diffusivity. Our model simulations demonstrated that GPVI dimers preferentially concentrate in confined domains and, if diffusivity within domains is decreased relative to outside of domains, dimerisation rates are increased. While an increased amount of confined domains resulted in further dimerisation, merging of domains, which may occur upon membrane rearrangements, was without effect. Modelling of the proportion of the cell membrane which constitutes lipid rafts indicated that dimerisation levels could not be explained by these alone. Crowding of receptors by other membrane proteins was also an important determinant of GPVI dimerisation. Together, these results demonstrate the value of ABM approaches in exploring the interactions on a cell surface, guiding the experimentation for new therapeutic avenues.

The Dynamic and Crucial Role of the Arginine Methylproteome in Myoblast Cell Differentiation.

Protein arginine methylation is an extensive and functionally significant post-translational modification. However, little is known about its role in differentiation at the systems level. Using stable isotope labeling by amino acids in cell culture (SILAC) proteomics of whole proteome analysis in proliferating or five-day differentiated mouse C2C12 myoblasts, followed by high-resolution mass spectrometry, biochemical assays, and specific immunoprecipitation of mono- or dimethylated arginine peptides, we identified several protein families that were differentially methylated on arginine. Our study is the first to reveal global changes in the arginine mono- or dimethylation of proteins in proliferating myoblasts and differentiated myocytes and to identify enriched protein domains and novel short linear motifs (SLiMs). Our data may be crucial for dissecting the links between differentiation and cancer growth.

Enrichment of intrinsically disordered residues in ohnologs facilitates abiotic stress resilience in Brassica rapa

Arabidopsis thaliana and Brassica rapa are in the same evolutionary lineage, although the latter experienced an additional whole genome triplication event. Therefore, it would be intriguing to investigate the traits that gene duplication imposes to mediate plant stress tolerance. Here, we noticed that B. rapa abiotic stress resistance (ASR) genes which code at least one stress responsive domain have a significantly higher number of paralogs than A. thaliana. Analysing the disordered content of the ASR genes in both species, we found that intrinsically disordered residues (IDR) are specifically enriched in whole genome duplication (WGD) derived paralogs. Subsequently, domain similarity analysis between WGD pairs of both species has revealed that majority of WGD pairs in B. rapa did not share domains with each other. Furthermore, domain enrichment analysis has shown that B. rapa paralogs contain 36 distinct stress responsive enriched domains, significantly higher than A. thaliana paralogs. Next, we performed MSA to investigate the domain conservation between orthologs and ohnologs pairs, we found that 80.13% of B. rapa ohnologs acquire new domains, depicting the fact that ohnologs play a significant role in stress-related behaviours. The average IDR content of the ohnologs enriching new domains after gene duplication in B. rapa (0.19), is also significantly higher than A. thaliana (0.04). Interestingly, we also found that all of these attributes i.e., exhibiting higher number of WGD paralogs and enhancement of IDR in ASR genes of B. rapa compared to A. thaliana is exclusive for ASR genes only. No such significant differences were observed in randomly selected non-ASR genes between the two species. Together these results provide strong support for the hypothesis that augmentation of IDR content followed by a whole genome duplication event imposes the stress resistance potentiality in B. rapa. This research will shed light on the mechanism of how B. rapa is able to successfully adapt to stress over the evolutionary timescale.

Enhanced mobility preservation of polythiophenes in stretched states utilizing thienyl-ester conjugated side chain

Recently, diverse approaches to synthesizing intrinsically stretchable conjugated polymers have been presented, such as incorporating the conjugation break spacers or intermolecular interactions in conjugated backbones, resulting in a compromise in the charge carrier mobility. In this study, polythiophenes with flexible [2,2':5′,2'':5″,2‴]-quaterthiophene (QT) or rigid 2-([2,2′-bithiophen]-5-yl)thieno[3,2-b]thiophene (BTTT) backbones were engineered with ester- (E−), thienyl- (T-), and thienyl-ester-substituted (TE) side chains for an enriched amorphous content and an improved mechanical tolerance. Polythiophene with QT backbone and TE side chain (PQT-TE) represents the best mobility−stretchability properties evidenced by the polarized UV–vis absorption, grazing incidence X-ray diffraction, and surface morphological analyses. Accordingly, PQT-TE presents a higher chain conformability and crack-onset strain than QT-based polythiophene with T (PQT-T) or E (PDCBT) side chains. This improvement originated from enriched amorphous domains and enhanced backbone planarity using a biaxially extended conjugation design. PQT-TE exhibits high orthogonal mobility preservations of (64, 90)% under 60% strain parallel/perpendicular to the channel direction. Notably, PQT-TE achieves high orthogonal mobility preservations of (48, 65)% after 800 cyclic stretch−release tests under 60% strain, and these improvements are similarly observed in that of BTTT-based polythiophene (PBTTT-TE). This study demonstrates that the jointed design of the biaxial extension and ester functional groups is efficacious in improving the mobility−stretchability properties of polythiophenes.

Screening and Analysis of Serum Protein Biomarkers Infected by Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread widely around the world, and in-depth research on COVID-19 is necessary for biomarkers and target drug discovery. This analysis collected serum from six COVID-19-infected patients and six healthy people. The protein changes in the infected and healthy control serum samples were evaluated by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The differential protein signature in both groups was retrieved and analyzed by the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Gene and Genomes (KEGG), Gene ontology, COG/KOG, protein-protein interaction, and protein domain interactions tools. We shortlisted 24 differentially expressed proteins between both groups. Ten genes were significantly up-regulated in the infection group, and fourteen genes were significantly down-regulated. The GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis suggested that the chromosomal part and chromosome were the most enriched items. The oxytocin signaling pathway was the most enriched item of KEGG analysis. The netrin module (non-TIMP type) was the most enriched protein domain in this study. Functional analysis of S100A9, PIGR, C4B, IL-6R, IGLV3-19, IGLV3-1, and IGLV5-45 revealed that SARS-CoV-2 was closely related to immune response.

Hemispheric Geochemical Dichotomy of the Mantle Is a Legacy of Austral Supercontinent Assembly and Onset of Deep Continental Crust Subduction

AbstractOceanic hotspots with extreme enriched mantle radiogenic isotopic signatures—including low 143Nd/144Nd indicative of subducted continental crust—are linked to plume conduits sampling the southern hemispheric mantle. However, the mechanisms responsible for concentrating subducted continental crust in the austral mantle are unknown. We show that subduction of sediments and subduction eroded material, and lower continental crust delamination, cannot generate this spatially coherent austral geochemical domain. However, continental collisions—associated with the assembly of Gondwana‐Pangea—were positioned predominantly in the southern hemisphere during the late Neoproterozoic appearance of widespread continental ultra‐high‐pressure metamorphic terranes, which marked the onset of deep subduction of upper continental crust. We propose that deep subduction of upper continental crust at ancient rifted‐passive margins during ca. 650‐300 Ma austral supercontinent assembly resulted in enhanced upper continental crust delivery into the southern hemisphere mantle. Similarly enriched mantle domains are absent in the boreal mantle plume source, for two reasons. First, continental crust subducted after 300 Ma—when the continents drifted into the northern hemisphere—has had insufficient time to return to the surface in plumes sampling the northern hemisphere mantle. Second, before the first known appearance of continental ultra‐high‐pressure rocks at 650 Ma, deep subduction of upper continental crust was uncommon, limiting its subduction into the northern (and southern) hemisphere mantle earlier in Earth history. Our model implies a recent formation of the austral enriched mantle domain, explains the geochemical dichotomy between austral and boreal plume sources, and may explain why there are twice as many austral hotspots as boreal hotspots.

Phase separation behaviors of polyethersulfone/ionic liquid blends and the correlation with the physical properties

Polyethersulfone (PES) is a widely used membrane material which shows excellent comprehensive performance, but the inherent hydrophobicity greatly limits its applications. Herein, we modified the PES with a hydrophilic ionic liquid, 1-vinyl-3-butylimidazole tetrafluoroborate, IL(BF4), by melt blending. The phase behavior and properties of the PES/IL(BF4) binary blends were investigated systematically. It was found that the sulfone group on PES can form a hydrogen bond with the H atom at the C-2 position of the imidazole ring of ionic liquid, which makes the good compatibility between PES and IL(BF4). Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) confirmed the existence of hydrogen bonding between PES and IL(BF4). It was further found that the homogenous PES/IL(BF4) blends undergo phase separation with increasing temperature and the blends have the typical lower critical solution temperature (LCST) phase behaviors. Small angle X-ray scattering analysis confirmed the microphase separation of the blends during the annealing at elevated temperature and the formation of the IL(BF4) enriched domains dispersed in PES matrix. In situ Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) revealed that such phase separation was attributed to the weakening of the hydrogen bonding with increasing temperature. Moreover, the addition of IL(BF4) endows the homogeneous PES/IL(BF4) blends with hydrophilicity and electrical conductivity; while the phase separation leads to the enhanced hydrophilicity and decreased electrical conductivity because of the enrichment of the IL(BF4).

TermitUp: Generation and enrichment of linked terminologies

Domain-specific terminologies play a central role in many language technology solutions. Substantial manual effort is still involved in the creation of such resources, and many of them are published in proprietary formats that cannot be easily reused in other applications. Automatic term extraction tools help alleviate this cumbersome task. However, their results are usually in the form of plain lists of terms or as unstructured data with limited linguistic information. Initiatives such as the Linguistic Linked Open Data cloud (LLOD) foster the publication of language resources in open structured formats, specifically RDF, and their linking to other resources on the Web of Data. In order to leverage the wealth of linguistic data in the LLOD and speed up the creation of linked terminological resources, we propose TermitUp, a service that generates enriched domain specific terminologies directly from corpora, and publishes them in open and structured formats. TermitUp is composed of five modules performing terminology extraction, terminology post-processing, terminology enrichment, term relation validation and RDF publication. As part of the pipeline implemented by this service, existing resources in the LLOD are linked with the resulting terminologies, contributing in this way to the population of the LLOD cloud. TermitUp has been used in the framework of European projects tackling different fields, such as the legal domain, with promising results. Different alternatives on how to model enriched terminologies are considered and good practices illustrated with examples are proposed.

Improved ultraviolet stability of fullerene-based organic solar cells through light-induced enlargement and crystallization of fullerene domains

• Ultraviolet stability of fullerene-based solar cells • Impact of thermal annealing on efficiency time evolution under illumination • Morphological and structural analyses of blend layers • Enhanced crystallinity and size of fullerene enriched domains under illumination Organic solar cells (OSCs) are a promising technology with the potential for low-cost manufacturing. However, to translate to economically viable applications, long-term stability is a fundamental requirement. Amongst intrinsic degradation pathways the sensitivity of OSC to ultraviolet (UV) light severely limits their photostability. Here, we focus on the impact of UV on the stability of solar cells based on well-known fullerene-based blends processed with 1,8-diidooctane (DIO) as additive. The post-annealed devices resulting in DIO-free blends are directly compared to as-cast devices containing residual DIO. After a pronounced initial burn-in, as-cast devices demonstrate a self-healing effect leading to stable solar cells under prolonged exposure to UV light. This initial burn-in can be considerably reduced in annealed devices with a suitable heating process, resulting in very stable solar cells under UV-containing light over a long time period. Under UV-free LED light, solar cells are stable, which implies a direct impact of UV on the performance evolution of devices. Advanced characterization techniques were used for in-depth morphological analyses under light exposure to distinguish the observed UV-related processes in the polymer blends. Our results point thus towards the presence of two processes occurring under UV-light within as-cast devices involving fullerenes, one causing a performance degradation and the other allowing a repair tending towards a performance stability. Due to an improved initial crystal order within annealed devices, the process related to the degradation is in the minority. The UV stability of devices can be attributed to the UV light-induced diffusion of fullerenes, leading jointly to the enlargement of the initial existing fullerene domains and to their crystallization under UV light. These results path the way for a better understanding of the stability of efficient normal OSCs under simulated sunlight.

Performance Analysis of Two-Loop Interleaved Boost Converter Fed PMDC-Motor System Using FLC

Nowadays, the Permanent Magnet DC (PMDC) motors are intended to achieve the maneuver with elevated exactness and accurateness. To elevate the exactness and accurateness of the Permanent Magnet DC motors, the two-loop Interleaved Boost Converter (ILBC) is intended to control methods. The projected Converter is located between DC load and Permanent Magnet DC motor loads. The united construction of Permanent Magnet DC motors and Interleaved Boost Converter may be miscarried owing to steady state error, speed disparity, and slow response. To condense the difficulties, the Fuzzy Logic Controller is intended in the recommended Converter and Permanent Magnet DC motor. This exertion enlightened the modelling, simulation, and relevance of the Interleaved Boost Converter with Permanent Magnet DC motor (ILBC-PMDCM). The recommended technique chief objective aims at upholding the mandatory DC voltage from the input supply voltage with the assistance of Fuzzy Logic Controller. Current mode Fuzzy Logic Controller is proposed in the present work. The objective is to improve small-scale stability of ILBC-PMDCM system. The recommended controller is functioning based on closed-loop alignment. The projected FL controller is simulated and equated with the Proportional Integral (PI) controller in Permanent Magnet DC motor. From the investigation, the projected controller presents the finest outcomes than the Proportional Integral controller. The projected controller has altered benefits such as declined steady state error and enriched time domain response. The hardware outcomes of the projected controller are also presented, which are evaluated against the simulation outcomes.

EventPointer 3.0: flexible and accurate splicing analysis that includes studying the differential usage of protein-domains.

Alternative splicing (AS) plays a key role in cancer: all its hallmarks have been associated with different mechanisms of abnormal AS. The improvement of the human transcriptome annotation and the availability of fast and accurate software to estimate isoform concentrations has boosted the analysis of transcriptome profiling from RNA-seq. The statistical analysis of AS is a challenging problem not yet fully solved. We have included in EventPointer (EP), a Bioconductor package, a novel statistical method that can use the bootstrap of the pseudoaligners. We compared it with other state-of-the-art algorithms to analyze AS. Its performance is outstanding for shallow sequencing conditions. The statistical framework is very flexible since it is based on design and contrast matrices. EP now includes a convenient tool to find the primers to validate the discoveries using PCR. We also added a statistical module to study alteration in protein domain related to AS. Applying it to 9514 patients from TCGA and TARGET in 19 different tumor types resulted in two conclusions: i) aberrant alternative splicing alters the relative presence of Protein domains and, ii) the number of enriched domains is strongly correlated with the age of the patients.