Native Sites Research Articles

Stabilization of Cu2O through Site-Selective Formation of a Co1Cu Hybrid Single-Atom Catalyst

Single-atom catalysts (SACs) consist of a low coverage of isolated metal atoms dispersed on a metal substrate, called single-atom alloys (SAAs), or alternatively single metal atoms coordinated to oxygen atoms on an oxide support. We present the synthesis of a new type of Co1Cu SAC centers on a Cu2O(111) support by means of a site-selective atomic layer deposition technique. Isolated metallic Co atoms selectively coordinate to the native oxygen vacancy sites (Cu sites) of the reconstructed Cu2O(111) surface, forming a Co1Cu SAA with no direct Co–Ox bonds. The centers, here referred to as Co1Cu hybrid SACs, are found to stabilize the active Cu+ sites of the low-cost Cu2O catalyst that otherwise is prone to deactivation under reaction conditions. The stability of the Cu2O(111) surface was investigated by synchrotron radiation-based ambient-pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy under reducing CO environment. The structure and reduction reaction are modeled by density functional theory calculations, in good agreement with experimental results.

Invasive ectomycorrhizal fungi can disperse in the absence of their known vectors

Positive interactions between non-native species can accelerate their invasion rate and exacerbate their impacts. This has been shown for non-native mammals that disperse invasive ectomycorrhizal fungi (EMF), in turn facilitating the invasion of non-native tree species. Mammal-mediated dispersion is assumed to be the main mechanism of EMF long distance dispersal, being particularly critical for truffle-like EMF species. We asked whether the absence of non-native mammals is an obstacle for Pinaceae invasion given the lack of invasive EMF being dispersed. We studied EMF species colonization and Pseudotsuga menziesii (Douglas-fir) trees’ growth in soil from mainland sites where non-native mammals are highly abundant, and lake islets in which they have been historically absent. Contrary to what we expected, we found invasive EMF, including truffle-like species, in sites where invasive mammals have been historically absent. Douglas-fir trees grew equally well and had the same EMF colonization in soil from mainland and islets. Alternative mechanisms of EMF dispersal, such as saltation, bird dispersal, or human dispersal, can be involved in their arrival to native stands. The presence of invasive EMF makes native sites vulnerable to Pinaceae invasion, even in the absence of mammalian dispersers.

Introduced mangroves escape damage from marine and terrestrial enemies.

The enemy release hypothesis (ERH) posits that introduced species often leave their enemies behind when introduced to a new range. This release from enemies may allow introduced species to achieve higher growth and reproduction and may explain why some invaders flourish in new locations. Red mangroves (Rhizophora mangle) were introduced to Hawai'i from Florida over a century ago. Because Hawai'i has no native mangroves, the arrival of R. mangle fundamentally changed the structure and function of estuarine shorelines. While numerous enemies affect red mangroves in their native range (tropical America), in Hawai'i, mangroves apparently experience little herbivory, which may explain why introduced mangroves are so productive, fecund, and continue to spread. In this study, we compared the effects of enemies in native and introduced populations of brackish red mangroves (R. mangle) in 8-10 sites in the native range (Florida, Belize, and Panama) and introduced range of mangroves (Hawai'i). At each site, we measured the (1) occurrence of enemies using timed visual surveys, (2) occurrence of damage to different mangrove structures (leaves, apical buds, dead twigs, roots, propagules, and seedlings), and (3) rate of propagule herbivory using tethering experiments. Consistent with the ERH, we found an order of magnitude less damage and fewer enemies in introduced than native mangrove sites. While introduced mangroves harbored few enemies and minimal damage, native mangroves were affected by numerous enemies, including leaf-eating crabs, specialist bud moths, wood-boring insects and isopods, and propagule predators. These patterns were consistent across all plant structures (roots to leaves), among marine and terrestrial enemies, and across functional groups (browsers, borers, pathogens, etc.), which demonstrates enemy escape occurs consistently among different functional groups and via trophic (e.g., herbivores) and non-trophic (e.g., root borers) interactions. Our study is among the first biogeographical enemy release studies to take a comprehensive approach to quantifying the occurrence of damage from a broad suite of marine and terrestrial taxa across an array of wetland plant structures. Understanding how natural enemies alter this key foundation species will become increasingly relevant globally as mangroves continue to invade new regions through intentional plantings or range expansion driven by climate change.

Effects of primary seed dormancy on lifetime fitness of Arabidopsis thaliana in the field

Background and AimsSeed dormancy determines the environmental niche of plants in seasonal environments, and has consequences for plant performance that potentially go far beyond the seed and seedling stages. In this study, we examined the cascading effects of seed dormancy on the expression of subsequent life-history traits and fitness in the annual herb Arabidopsis thaliana.MethodsWe planted seeds of >200 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from a cross between two locally adapted populations (Italy and Sweden), and both parental genotypes at the native site of the Swedish population in three consecutive years. We quantified the relationship between primary seed dormancy and the expression of subsequent life-history traits and fitness in the RIL population with path analysis. To examine the effects of differences in dormancy on the relative fitness of the two parental genotypes, we planted dormant seeds during the seed dispersal period and non-dormant seeds during the germination period of the local population.Key ResultsIn the RIL population, strong primary dormancy was associated with high seedling survival, but with low adult survival and fecundity, and path analysis indicated that this could be explained by effects on germination timing, rosette size and flowering start. The relationship between primary seed dormancy and germination proportion varied among years, and this was associated with differences in seasonal changes in soil moisture. The planting of dormant and non-dormant seeds indicated that the lower primary dormancy of the local Swedish genotype contributed to its higher germination proportion in two years and to its higher fecundity in one year.ConclusionsOur results show that seed dormancy affects trait expression and fitness components across the life cycle, and suggest that among-year variation in the incidence of drought during the germination period should be considered when predicting the consequences of climatic change for population growth and evolution.

Soil phosphomonoesters in large molecular weight material comprise multiple components

AbstractThe majority of soil organic P is typically that of “unresolved” phosphomonoesters, which are associated with organic P (Po) in large molecular weight (MW) fractions. However, the composition of this pool of Po remains unclear and could contain more than one component. Our aim was to identify the number and nature of components in soil extracts of different MW using solution 31P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and spectral deconvolution fitting. Three surface soils were collected from native sites, which were extracted for Po using 0.25 M NaOH + 0.05 M Na2–EDTA (unfractionated), followed by size separation using ultrafiltration, resulting in four MW fractions (>10 kDa, <10 kDa, <10 kDa and >3 kDa, and <3 kDa). The NMR analyses revealed a diversity of Po species in all MW fractions across the three soils. In particular, the phosphomonoester region of the >10‐kDa fraction comprised up to 10 components of varying linewidth (0.5–18.6 Hz) and a broad signal (228 Hz). This broad signal was also present in the <3‐kDa fraction, albeit at a lower concentration (average was 29% of that in the unfractionated extracts). Furthermore, solution 31P NMR spectra on the <3‐kDa fraction revealed a diversity of sharp signals (up to 28) in the phosphomonoester region. Overall, our findings show that soil phosphomonoesters in large MW fractions comprise multiple components of varying linewidth.

THE AMAZONIAN Arapaima CHANGES ITS STATUS FROM THREATENED SPECIES TO AN INVADER OF EARTH’S FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEMS

A survey of the records was conducted regarding the locations on the planet in which Arapaima has been introduced from its natural habitats in areas of South America, whether for aquaculture or the aquarium trade. Originally, the global expansion of this species was intended to maintain its existence in the face of a perceived risk of extinction. However, the results of the intended and accidental spread of its distribution reveal that Arapaima is an invasive species that can endanger native fish species diversity. It is an air breather, which allows it to inhabit low oxygen conditions of warm tropical water, and a species that grows fast, attaining a large size when mature. It also presents parental care and is a generalist predator that feeds on many other species. Furthermore, it can escape from managed fish farms into natural waterways and establish viable populations without control. From the literature, 228 sites with records of Arapaima from around the world were identified, 95 of which are native sites for the species and 133 are sites where they were introduced. These sites are distributed in 28 countries in the Americas (North, Central and South), Europe, and Asia. Published results of introductions reveal that Arapaima has had negative impacts on native fish species, thus warranting closer attention in regards to how, when and where this species should be allowed.

National Identity and the Associative-Verbal Network: on a Hypothesis of Yu.N. Karaulov

The article presents the results of the study dedicated to native speakers sites of memory associated with key images of the Russian national culture. The investigation was inspired by the work of French historians Les lieus de mmoire (1984), whose ideas Yuri Nikolayevich Karaulov applied to the Russian Associative Dictionary (RAD). The study was initiated with the hypothesis elaborated by Yu. N. Karaulov that the Russian national memory could be studied through associative dictionaries. This provision is based on the linguistic personality concept formulated by Yu. N. Karaulov that is regarded as a personality expressed in a language / text and can be reconstructed on the basis of linguistic means. The texts that a language personality produces reflect the peculiarities of a persons vision of the environment (worldview). The hypothesis is tested on associative fields of the toponym Moscow and the lexemes war and Sunday using the data of several associative dictionaries compiled from 1988 to the current moment, i.e., the Russian Associative Dictionary, and Yu. N. Karaulov among the authors, as well as a number of later dictionaries developed on the basis of massive associative experiments carried out in the regions of Russia. The content and structural analyses of the associative fields of stimuli Moscow , war , and Sunday show that the associative material largely reflects the discursive space of the language personality and its functioning in texts that reproduce these sites of memory in a precedent form. The latter, however, can be found as various types of reactions (predications) of a non-stereotyped nature. Therefore, the sought-for data exist in different guises, obviously depending on the historical time and the discursive experience of native speakers of a language/culture, as well as on the region of their residence. This study confirms the psycholinguistic concept of meaning (including the associative one) as a sociocultural phenomenon.

Splenic auto-transplantation after splenectomy for trauma: evaluation of a new technique.

Splenic autotransplantation is a promising method to recover splenic functions after traumatic splenectomy. However, it is associated with several postoperative complications, such as subphrenic abscess, intestinal obstruction and torsion of the omentum with necrosis of the implanted splenic tissues. Therefore, the aim of this study is to evaluate a new splenic autotransplantation technique that could overcome those complications. A single segment of the spleen was implanted inside a pedunculated omental pouch and fixed in the native site of the spleen in 15 patients who underwent splenectomy for abdominal trauma. This group of patients was compared with the next 17 patients who underwent splenectomy alone. Additionally, splenic functions of the patient and control groups were evaluated 3months using peripheral blood smear [the presence of Howell-Jolly (HJ) bodies] and abdominal contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT). All patients who underwent splenic autotransplantation showed evidence of a well-vascularised splenic tissue on CECT and normal peripheral blood smear without HJ bodies 3months postoperatively. No postoperative complications related to splenic autotransplantation were observed, and platelet count after 3months was significantly higher in patients who underwent splenectomy only (p=0.04). Splenic autotransplantation using the aforementioned technique could restore splenic functions with minimum postoperative complications related to the procedure.

Impacts of oil well drilling and operating noise on abundance and productivity of grassland songbirds

Abstract Anthropogenic noise from natural resource extraction may negatively impact many species, particularly those reliant on acoustic communication. To compare the impacts of several types of noise resulting from oil extraction operations on habitat use and productivity of grassland songbirds, we designed and implemented a novel large‐scale, spatially and temporally replicated experiment. We recreated soundscapes produced by drilling and operating oil well noise, and compared impacts of noise‐producing and quiet playback infrastructure, in twenty‐nine 64.7‐ha native prairie sites in Alberta, Canada, from 2013 to 2015. Drilling noise recordings played 24 hr/day for 10 days, twice during each breeding season, while oil well operating noise played continuously, 24 hr/day, throughout each ~90‐day breeding season. Despite the much shorter duration of drilling noise playbacks, drilling noise negatively impacted three of our four focal species, and had a much greater impact on habitat use and productivity than did well operating noise. Infrastructure also impacted Vesper Sparrows and Sprague's Pipits, even in the absence of noise. Synthesis and applications. Acute oil drilling noise had a greater negative impact on breeding migratory birds when compared to chronic oil well noise, perhaps because drilling noise is unpredictable. While this study demonstrates that noise alone can negatively impact habitat use, nesting success and nestling quality, it is also clear that effective mitigation strategies require both noise and above‐ground infrastructure management to reduce impacts on wildlife.

CBIO-26. A NEW MODEL OF THE GABP-TERT REGULATORY AXIS IN MAINTAINING IMMORTALITY OF TERT PROMOTER MUTANT TUMOR CELLS

Abstract Tumor cell immortality is a fundamental hallmark of human cancers. Normally silenced during somatic cell differentiation, 90% of human tumors reactivate Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase (TERT) expression to achieve cellular immortality. TERT, the catalytic subunit of telomerase, complexes with the RNA template molecule TERC to maintain telomeres. Mutations in the TERT promoter (TERTp) are the most common non-coding mutation across all cancer types and the most frequent mutation within many cancers, such as IDH wildtype glioblastoma (GBM), Melanoma, and Bladder Cancer. TERTp mutations generate de novo E26 Transformation Specific (ETS) binding motifs that are spaced full helical turns from TERTp native ETS sites. Together the de novo and native ETS motifs specifically recruit the GABP tetrameric complex but not the GABP dimer. CRISPR-cas9 mediated insertion/deletion mutagenesis of the unique exon of GABP tetramer forming subunit, GABPB1L (B1L), reduces TERT transcriptional activity in a TERT promoter-mutation dependent manner. Here we show that GABPB1S (B1S), the GABP dimer restricted alternative isoform of GABPB1, is consistently and significantly increased following B1L reduction, a process we have determined to be driven by a conserved homeostatic mechanism whereby the GABP tetramer suppresses expression of one of its own components, GABPB1. In contrast to the native setting, in the absence of B1L the elevated B1S expression leads to dimer binding to the mutant TERTp and maintenance of TERT expression. Indeed, co-targeting B1L and B1S together, but not B1L alone, via CRISPR-cas9 knockout resulted in a near complete elimination of GABP recruitment to the TERTp and TERT expression, and lead to tumor cell death and eventual senescence in a telomere length dependent manner. Together, this data suggests a new model of the TERT-GABP axis involving the tetramer and dimer and highlights a new and potentially more potent therapeutic strategy to eliminate TERT expression and reverse tumor cell immortality.

Root Variation in Common Gardens: Divergent Responses in Native and Nonnative Field Sites of an Annual Ruderal Mediterranean Plant

Premise of research. Root traits of annual plants are known to vary across environmentally manipulated conditions in controlled settings. Roots absorb nutrients and water, essential for individual ...

Agricultural land‐use favours Mucoromycotinian, but not Glomeromycotinian, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi across ten biomes

Globally, agricultural land-use negatively affects soil biota that contribute to ecosystem functions such as nutrient cycling, yet arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are promoted as essential components of agroecosystems. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi include Glomeromycotinian AMF (G-AMF) and the arbuscule-producing fine root endophytes, recently re-classified into the Endogonales order within Mucoromycotina. The correct classification of Mucoromycotinian AMF (M-AMF) and the availability of new molecular tools can guide research to better the understanding of their diversity and ecology. To investigate the impact on G-AMF and M-AMF of agricultural land-use at a continental scale, we sampled DNA from paired farm and native sites across 10 Australian biomes. Glomeromycotinian AMF were present in both native and farm sites in all biomes. Putative M-AMF were favoured by farm sites, rare or absent in native sites, and almost entirely absent in tropical biomes. Temperature, rainfall, and soil pH were strong drivers of richness and community composition of both groups, and plant richness was an important mediator. Both fungal groups occupy different, but overlapping, ecological niches, with M-AMF thriving in temperate agricultural landscapes. Our findings invite exploration of the origin and spread of M-AMF and continued efforts to resolve the phylogeny of this newly reclassified group of AMF.

Reintroduction of native plants indicates the return of ecosystem services after iron mining at the Urucum Massif

AbstractTo reduce the net losses of biodiversity and ecosystem services caused by iron ore mining in Brazil, mineland rehabilitation using native plant species is necessary. However, systematic knowledge about which plant species are the best candidates for mineland rehabilitation is lacking. Therefore, iron mining companies working on the Urucum Massif reintroduce as many native herb and shrub species as possible to achieve the rehabilitation of savanna vegetation communities. To this end, seeds are collected from nearby native ecosystems, and seedlings are rescued from logged areas or produced in a local nursery. Monitoring is necessary to assess the persistence of the reinstated communities and their similarity to natural reference conditions. Ideally, monitoring efforts should compare the floristic composition of the rehabilitating sites with that of natural reference ecosystems. Here, we compared sites that had undergone two or three years of rehabilitation after iron ore mining on the Urucum Massif, MS, Brazil, with native reference sites. The species composition as well as structural, taxonomic, and phylogenetic diversity indices were compared between the reference and rehabilitating sites. Despite the differences in species composition between the rehabilitating and reference sites, we found more than 50 native species and partial recovery of the vegetation structure in the rehabilitating sites. Furthermore, we detected similar levels of animal‐dispersed plant species at rehabilitating and reference sites. These environmental indicators indicate that trial‐and‐error approaches are indeed able to establish considerable native species diversity during mineland rehabilitation. Furthermore, the partial recovery of the vegetation structure suggests the gradual return of soil functions in the long term, and the presence of zoochorous species is expected to attract seed‐dispersing animals that enable gene flow as well as the arrival of additional plant species. Nevertheless, the high cover values of alien exotic species, which are negatively correlated with the diversity of the reinstated communities, endanger the success of mineland rehabilitation in the Urucum Massif, and effective control methods for invasive populations are required. These efforts should be accompanied by enrichment plantings to maintain the diversity of native plant communities at the rehabilitation sites and ongoing environmental monitoring.

Are American Indian/Alaska Native Adolescent Health Behaviors Different? A Review of AI/AN Youth Involved in Native STAND Curriculum, 2014\u20132017 United States

ObjectivesTo explore health behavior profiles of AI/AN youth involved in native students together against negative decisions (STAND), a national culture-based curriculum.MethodsWe analyzed data from 1236 surveys conducted among AI/AN youth at 40 native STAND implementation sites located in 16 states throughout the US from 2014 to 2017. Health profiles included demographics, sexual orientation, sexual activity, STI testing, cigarette use, and suicide attempts in the past 12-months. We used t-tests and chi square tests of independence to compare risk behavior prevalence among the sample.ResultsHealth behavior profiles of AI/AN youth indicate that 45.6% of youth did not use condoms the last time they had sex, and 82.7% have never been tested for STIs. Differences in cigarette smoking were observed in questioning youth (questioning: 80.3%, straight/heterosexual: 63.8%, LGBTQ2S + : 49.9%, p = 0.03).Conclusions for PracticeHealth behaviors related to sex, substance, violence and self-harm, are at least as common for AI/AN youth as those observed in other US teens. Future research should consider similarities and differences in health profiles of AI/AN youth when designing interventions that affect them. Further, our findings underscore the need for culturally-relevant curricula like native STAND, not because their health behavior is different, but because their socio-ecologic environment is different.

Bioaugmentation and biostimulation of crude oil contaminated soil: Process parameters influence

In this study, investigation of bioaugmentation and biostimulation process parameters’ influence on biodegradation effectiveness of bacteria isolates in a crude oil polluted soil for 60 days was conducted. A native environment of crude oil polluted site was considered for bacteria isolation. Dilution plate technique was used for bacteria culturing under laboratory conditions. Central composite design embedded in design expert software was used for the design of experiment and optimum point prediction. The influence of nitrogen:phosphorus nutrient ratio and bacteria concentration at varying crude oil concentration and soil pH on percentage of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) biodegraded was investigated. Biostimulation was highly significant on the percentage of TPH biodegraded as revealed by experimental results. Degradation efficiency of 93.75% was obtained for a soil pH of 10 contaminated with 100 g/Kg of crude oil using 600 cell/g of bacteria supplemented with 8 g/g of nitrogen-phosphorus ratio. The model developed was effective for future prediction with better correlation between experimental and predicted values. A biodegradation efficiency of 77.42% was achievable at the optimum predicted point by central composite design. Hydrocarbons biodegradation in the crude oil contaminated soil via the action of supplemented bacteria isolates was revealed. Conclusively, bacteria isolates from native polluted site could be applied as effective scavenger for hydrocarbons in crude oil contaminated soil.

Impact of AR-V7 and Other Androgen Receptor Splice Variant Expression on Outcomes of Post-Prostatectomy Salvage Therapy

Radiotherapy (RT) with or without androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) plays a key role in the salvage treatment of prostate cancer recurrent after prostatectomy. However, not all patients benefit from salvage therapy, and there is an unmet need for biomarkers to distinguish responders from non-responders. Prostate cancer depends on androgen receptor (AR) signaling, and expression of AR splice variants (ARVs) that enable androgen-independent AR signaling is associated with resistance to ADT in the metastatic setting. Recent in vitro data suggest that ARVs also mediate DNA repair after irradiation, suggesting that ARV expression may also be a biomarker of resistance to RT. However, the landscape of ARV expression in primary prostate cancer and its effect on treatment outcomes remain unexplored. Here, we hypothesized that ARVs may be detectable in primary prostate cancer and furthermore may modulate response to salvage RT+ADT.We retrospectively identified 46 prostate cancer patients treated with prostatectomy followed by salvage RT+ ADT at a single institution from 1995 to 2012. Median age at salvage was 64.5 years. The indication for salvage therapy was biochemical failure after an undetectable post-operative PSA in 72%, gross local recurrence in 17%, and persistently elevated PSA after surgery in 11%. Median RT dose was 64.8 Gy, and all patients received concurrent ADT. We comprehensively interrogated the landscape of ARVs by performing ultra-deep targeted RNA-seq of archival formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded prostatectomy samples. Using a custom library of > 3000 primers spanning all AR exons and introns, we evaluated 21 native splice junction sites and 20 splice variants with a mean depth of coverage of > 5000x. We tested for association between splice variant expression and clinical outcomes using the log-rank test and Cox proportional hazards model.In total, 76% of patients had one or more detectable AR splice variants. The most commonly detected variants were AR-45 (exon 1b-2) in 41%, AR-V9 (exon 3-cryptic exon (CE) 5) in 20%, and AR-V7 (exon 3-CE3) in 13%. At a median follow-up of 33.8 months, biochemical progression-free survival (BPFS) at 3 years was 60%, distant metastasis-free survival was 90%, and overall survival was 100%. Among detected splice variants, only AR-V7 was associated with differential clinical outcomes, with a median BPFS of 10.9 months in AR-V7 positive vs 73.4 months in AR-V7 negative patients (P = 0.0020, HR 5.23, 95% CI 1.62-16.87).Using a custom ultra-deep targeted RNA-Seq approach, we provide among the first comprehensive descriptions of the AR splice variant landscape in primary prostate cancer. Moreover, we show that detectable AR-V7 expression in prostatectomy specimens was associated with inferior outcomes following subsequent salvage RT+ADT, suggesting for the first time that AR-V7 may modulate outcomes for localized as well as metastatic disease.

Solving Egypt’s Economic Crisis: The Strategic Role of Chinese, Russian, and Egyptian Media Narratives

ABSTRACT This study examined Chinese, Russian, and Egyptian news articles from December 2014 to December 2019 on 18 different native language news sites to determine how countries with close media-state relationships use Egypt’s economic crisis to build narrative alliances and boost national identity. Using a ratio-oriented approach to strategic crisis narratives, this article shows that Scene-driven ratios are instrumental for crisis-ridden countries to rhetorically rebuild their economic order for national audiences and for other countries to forge alliances and boost their national economic identities. Similarities in narrative ratios and shifts between Chinese and Egyptian national media suggest a dual strategy by which China exploits Egypt’s economic crisis to enhance its national identity and depict Egypt as an economic partner in its Road and Belt initiative. Russia’s narrative ratios and shifts highlight Russia’s economic and military actors as the dominant drivers influencing Russian-Egyptian relations, indicating more short-term and self-centered narrative strategies. This article advances ideas about strategic crisis narratives by introducing a framework for theorizing relationships between the (in)consistency of ratios and international actors’ ability to narrate crisis resolutions and elevate their crisis identities and interests for national audiences.

The Powhatan Landscape: An Archaeological History of the Algonquian Chesapeake

The Powhatan Landscape: An Archaeological History of the Algonquian Chesapeake

Front Cover: NAD(H)‐PEG Swing Arms Improve Both the Activities and Stabilities of Modularly‐Assembled Transhydrogenases Designed with Predictable Selectivities (ChemBioChem 3/2022)

The modular assembly of synthetic transhydrogenase catalysts is demonstrated using a PEG-NAD(H) modified formate dehydrogenase (FDH)-SpyCatcher fusion protein. The front cover highlights how any oxidoreductase enzyme can be outfitted with a simple SpyTag peptide and conjugated to FDH-SpyCatcher to create new cofactor-independent biocatalysts driven by formate oxidation. The stabilities and catalytic properties of the resulting transhydrogenases are improved without detriment to the selectivities of the native active sites, emphasizing the functional modularity and predictive nature of this synthetic approach to biocatalyst design. More information can be found in the Full Paper by N. Massad and S. Banta.

Using Cone-Beam Computed Tomography to Assess Changes in Alveolar Bone Width around Dental Implants at Native and Reconstructed Bone Sites: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

The aim of this study was to use a cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) to assess changes in alveolar bone width around dental implants at native and reconstructed bone sites before and after implant surgery. A total of 99 implant sites from 54 patients with at least two CBCT scans before and after implant surgery during 2010–2019 were assessed in this study. Demographic data, dental treatments and CBCT scans were collected. Horizontal alveolar bone widths around implants at three levels (subcrestal width 1 mm (CW1), subcrestal width 4 mm (CW4), and subcrestal width 7 mm (CW7)) were measured. A p-value of < 0.05 indicated statistically significant differences. The initial bone widths (mean ± standard deviation (SD)) at CW1, CW4, and CW7 were 6.98 ± 2.24, 9.97 ± 2.64, and 11.33 ± 3.00 mm, respectively, and the postsurgery widths were 6.83 ± 2.02, 9.58 ± 2.55, and 11.19 ± 2.90 mm, respectively. The change in bone width was 0.15 ± 1.74 mm at CW1, 0.39 ± 1.12 mm at CW4 (p = 0.0008), and 0.14 ± 1.05 mm at CW7. A statistically significant change in bone width was observed at only the CW4 level. Compared with those at the native bone sites, the changes in bone width around implants at reconstructed sites did not differ significantly. A significant alveolar bone width resorption was found only at the middle third on CBCT scans. No significant changes in bone width around implants were detected between native and reconstructed bone sites.