Relative Temperature Changes Research Articles

Signaling of exercise stimuli: mitochondria as communicators

Regular exercise exerts a number of beneficial systemic effects and is associated with better health and performance as well as with reduced vulnerability and mortality from many diseases. While the working muscles are immediately affected by physical and biochemical consequences of physical activity, it is less well understood, how exercise-stimuli can lead to benefits in distant tissues and organs. Various modes of inter-tissue communication are likely involved and include physical-activity related systemic temperature and metabolic changes but also circulating signaling molecules, sometimes refered to as “exerkines”.
 We are particularly interested in a subgroup of these signaling molecules, namely those that are induced by mitochondrial stress and communicate such stimuli to remote organs, effecting mitochondrial changes there. This group of molecules is termed mitokines and includes peptides that are expressed in the nucleus, such as FGF21 and GDF15, and mitochondria-derived peptides, notably humanin. Mitokines are likely important contributors to beneficial exercise effects to organs such as the brain, heart or lung and therefore are involved in the well-acknowledged physical activity-induced protection from neurological, cardio-vascular diseases and pulmonary diseases.
 The activation of mitokine-signaling requires mitochondrial stress, which in healthy organisms is usually met with the induction of adaptive mechanisms that bolster cellular resilience, for example by an improving the efficiency of anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory defense mechanisms. Such adaptations are thought to be protective factors in many diseases from which regular exercise can protect. Mitochondrial stress, however, can also be detrimental under certain conditions and especially, if the stress exceeds the adaptive capacities of the system (cell, tissue, organ or organism) or, if the resilience of the system is compromised, for example due to disease, fatigue or insufficient regeneration time from previous stressors. The concept of such bi-phasic responses is termed hormesis and means that mild stress is met by beneficial adaptations and protections but severe stress has long-term detrimental consequences.
 The aim of this contribution is to present the evidence that mitochondrial stress due to exercising skeletal muscle leads to the release of mitokines, which in turn modulate mitochondrial quality control, dynamics, antioxidative capacities and respirational activity in a selection of target organs (with a focus on brain and lung). According to the hormetic principle, exercise improves the health of these organs. However, in some cases, mitochondrial communication may be involved in adverse effects of exercise, which will be discussed using the example of heart-kidney mitochondrial crosstalk.

Individual Characteristics and Abiotic Factors Influence Out-Migration Dynamics of Juvenile Bull Trout

Fragmentation of rivers through anthropogenic modifications poses an imminent threat to the persistence of migratory fish, necessitating direct actions such as trap-and-haul programs to restore and conserve the migratory life-history component in populations of partially migratory species such as bull trout Salvelinus confluentus. We used a PIT-tag system to assess how biological and abiotic factors influence the out-migration dynamics of juvenile bull trout in Graves Creek, Montana, USA. The largest fish within a cohort were more likely to out-migrate at age 1 when compared to smaller fish within the cohort, and this was particularly evident in a high-density year-class (2018), where large bull trout out-migrated an average of 115 days earlier than bull trout in the medium size category, and 181 days earlier than bull trout in the small size category. Relative changes in abiotic factors, including discharge, water temperature, and photoperiod, appeared to act as cues to out-migration, with the direction of change varying by season. These results highlight the complex interplay between individual characteristics, population dynamics, and environmental conditions, which influence out-migration dynamics and can be used to inform management actions to conserve the migratory component in bull trout populations.

Managing Agricultural Water Use in a Changing Climate in China

The United Nations predicts that over 40 % of the world's population (3.9 billion) would suffer from severe water deficiency by 2050, indicating that global water disequilibrium and deficiency will intensify, creating challenges for national and regional water supplies. With per capita water resources at a quarter of the world average level, China is one of the most water-scarce countries. Employing a single stage Stochastic Frontier Analysis, this paper studies the impact of climate change induced fluctuation in temperature and precipitation on agricultural water (AW) use efficiency in China and addresses its volatility and regional disparity over time and across region. We utilize fine-scale meteorological factors including temperature, precipitation, crop growing degree days and crop harmful degree days to proxy the changing climate condition. Our results reveal temperature-related climate change factors such as average annual temperature, crop growing degree days and crop harmful degree days demonstrate the negative impacts on AW use efficiency, and the decline in precipitation due to climate change lowers AW use efficiency. More importantly, we find that when the information on climate damage is provided to farmers, the negative effect of climate change on AW use efficiency can be alleviated. Furthermore, we conclude that the North China Plain, Southwest and Northeast regions with shortages of water endowment have the best AW use efficiency, followed by the Yangtze River Basin and the Northwest region. The South Coast region with ample water sources has the poorest performance. We therefore conclude that AW use efficiency in China is affected by climate change, with heterogeneous impacts across regions. Policy implications on risk management are drawn to enable better adaptation to climate change in agricultural water use.

Mild-temperature photothermal treatment method and system based on photoacoustic temperature measurement and control

As a non-invasive technology for tumor treatment, photothermal therapy (PTT) is increasingly applied during clinical treatment. However, due to the lack of non-invasive temperature measurement methods, excessive therapeutic light dose will damage the healthy tissue around the lesion. Monitoring and control the therapy temperature during PTT application is necessary to ensure effective therapy while minimizing thermal damage to adjacent tissue. In order to ensure that the therapy temperature in PTT is stable in the mild range (below 43 °C), it is necessary to design a mild-temperature PTT method and system that can detect and control the temperature in real-time. A mild-temperature photothermal treatment method and system based on photoacoustic temperature measurement and control is proposed in this paper. On the basis of reference temperature, the relative temperature change is measured based on the photoacoustic information, and the treatment temperature of the target area is precisely controlled in real time using the closed-loop temperature control algorithm. Based on the experimental results of agar-based phantoms and pig liver tissue, the proposed system can achieve temperature imaging in real time, and the control steady-state error and overshoot are 0.62 °C and 0.3 % respectively. The results show that our method has the potential for accurate temperature monitoring and closed-loop temperature control during PTT.

Latitudinal Variance in the Drivers and Pacing of Warmth During Mid‐Pleistocene MIS 31 in the Antarctic Zone of the Southern Ocean

AbstractEarly Pleistocene Marine Isotope Stage (MIS)‐31 (1.081–1.062 Ma) is a unique interval of extreme global warming, including evidence of a West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) collapse. Here we present a new 1,000‐year resolution, spanning 1.110–1.030 Ma, diatom‐based reconstruction of primary productivity, relative sea surface temperature changes, sea‐ice proximity/open ocean conditions and diatom species absolute abundances during MIS‐31, from the Scotia Sea (59°S) using deep‐sea sediments collected during International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Expedition 382. The lower Jaramillo magnetic reversal (base of C1r.1n, 1.071 Ma) provides a robust and independent time‐stratigraphic marker to correlate records from other drill cores in the Antarctic Zone of the Southern Ocean (AZSO). An increase in open ocean species Fragilariopsis kerguelensis in early MIS‐31 at 53°S (Ocean Drilling Program Site 1,094) correlates with increased obliquity forcing, whereas at 59°S (IODP Site U1537; this study) three progressively increasing, successive peaks in the relative abundance of F. kerguelensis correlate with Southern Hemisphere‐phased precession pacing. These observations reveal a complex pattern of ocean temperature change and sustained sea surface temperature increase lasting longer than a precession cycle within the Atlantic sector of the AZSO. Timing of an inferred WAIS collapse is consistent with delayed warmth (possibly driven by sea‐ice dynamics) in the southern AZSO, supporting models that indicate WAIS sensitivity to local sub‐ice shelf melting. Anthropogenically enhanced impingement of relatively warm water beneath the ice shelves today highlights the importance of understanding dynamic responses of the WAIS during MIS‐31, a warmer than Holocene interglacial.

Assessing Modern Calluna Heathland Fire Temperatures Using Raman Spectroscopy: Implications for Past Regimes and Geothermometry

Charcoal geothermometry continues to offer considerable potential in the study of palaeowildfires over decadal, centennial, millennial, and deep time scales—with substantial implications for the understanding of modern wildfire intensification. Recent developments in the application of Raman spectroscopy to carbonaceous organic material have indicated its capability to potentially reconstruct the palaeocharcoal formation temperature, and equivalent palaeowildfire pyrolysis intensity. Charcoal reflectance geothermometry (which also relies upon microstructural change with thermal maturation) has also been the subject of extensive modern evaluation, with multiple studies highlighting the key influence of energy flux on the resultant charcoal microstructure. The ability to accurately quantify modern wildfire temperatures based upon novel Raman-charcoal analyses has not yet been attempted. Using Raman band width-ratios (i.e., FWHMRa) and accompanying geothermometric trends to natural wildfire charcoals, our results identify differences between microstructurally-derived fire temperatures compared to those recorded during the fire event itself. Subsequent assessments of wildfire energy flux over time indicate no dominant influence for the observed differences, due to the inherent complexity of natural fire systems. Further analysis within this study, regarding the influence of reference pyrolysis methodology on microstructural change, also highlights the difficulty of creating accurate post-fire temperature reconstructions. The application of Raman spectroscopy, however, to the quantification of relative changes in fire temperature continues to prove effective and insightful.

Long-Term Warming of Baltic Sea Coastal Waters Affects Bacterial Communities in Bottom Water and Sediments Differently.

Coastal marine ecosystems are some of the most diverse natural habitats while being highly vulnerable in the face of climate change. The combination of anthropogenic influence from land and ongoing climate change will likely have severe effects on the environment, but the precise response remains uncertain. This study compared an unaffected “control” Baltic Sea bay to a “heated” bay that has undergone artificial warming from cooling water release from a nuclear power plant for ~50 years. This heated the water in a similar degree to IPCC SSP5-8.5 predictions by 2100 as natural systems to study temperature-related climate change effects. Bottom water and surface sediment bacterial communities and their biogeochemical processes were investigated to test how future coastal water warming alters microbial communities; shifts seasonal patterns, such as increased algae blooming; and influences nutrient and energy cycling, including elevated respiration rates. 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing and geochemical parameters demonstrated that heated bay bottom water bacterial communities were influenced by increased average temperatures across changing seasons, resulting in an overall Shannon's H diversity loss and shifts in relative abundances. In contrast, Shannon's diversity increased in the heated surface sediments. The results also suggested a trend toward smaller-sized microorganisms within the heated bay bottom waters, with a 30% increased relative abundance of small size picocyanobacteria in the summer (June). Furthermore, bacterial communities in the heated bay surface sediment displayed little seasonal variability but did show potential changes of long-term increased average temperature in the interplay with related effects on bottom waters. Finally, heated bay metabolic gene predictions from the 16S rRNA gene sequences suggested raised anaerobic processes closer to the sediment-water interface. In conclusion, climate change will likely alter microbial seasonality and diversity, leading to prolonged and increased algae blooming and elevated respiration rates within coastal waters.

Surface Properties and Architectures of Male Moth Trichoid Sensilla Investigated Using Atomic Force Microscopy

The surfaces of trichoid sensilla on male moth antennae have been sculpted over evolutionary time to capture pheromone odorant molecules emitted by the females of their species and transport the molecules in milliseconds into the binding protein milieu of the sensillum lumen. The capture of pheromone molecules likely has been optimized by the topographies and spacings of the numerous ridges and pores on these sensilla. A monolayer of free lipids in the outer epicuticle covers the sensillar surfaces and must also be involved in optimal pheromone odorant capture and transport. Using electro-conductive atomic force microscopy probes, we found that electrical surface potentials of the pores, ridges and flat planar areas between ridges varied in consistent ways, suggesting that there is a heterogeneity in the distribution of surface lipid mixtures amongst these structures that could help facilitate the capture and transport of pheromone molecules down through the pores. We also performed experiments using peak force atomic force microscopy in which we heated the sensilla to determine whether there is a temperature-related change of state of some of the surface lipid exudates such as the prominent domes covering many of the pores. We found that these exudates were unaffected by heating and did not melt or change shape significantly under high heat. Additionally, we measured and compared the topographies of the trichoid sensilla of five species of moths, including the distributions, spacings, heights and diameters of ridges, pores and pore exudates.

Effects of Measuring Devices and Sampling Strategies on the Interpretation of Monitoring Data for Long-Term Trend Analysis

A thorough and reliable assessment of changes in sea surface water temperatures (SSWTs) is essential for understanding the effects of global warming on long-term trends in marine ecosystems and their communities. The first long-term temperature measurements were established almost a century ago, especially in coastal areas, and some of them are still in operation. However, while in earlier times these measurements were done by hand every day, current environmental long-term observation stations (ELTOS) are often fully automated and integrated in cabled underwater observatories (UWOs). With this new technology, year-round measurements became feasible even in remote or difficult to access areas, such as coastal areas of the Arctic Ocean in winter, where measurements were almost impossible just a decade ago. In this context, there is a question over what extent the sampling frequency and accuracy influence results in long-term monitoring approaches. In this paper, we address this with a combination of lab experiments on sensor accuracy and precision and a simulated sampling program with different sampling frequencies based on a continuous water temperature dataset from Svalbard, Arctic, from 2012 to 2017. Our laboratory experiments showed that temperature measurements with 12 different temperature sensor types at different price ranges all provided measurements accurate enough to resolve temperature changes over years on a level discussed in the literature when addressing climate change effects in coastal waters. However, the experiments also revealed that some sensors are more suitable for measuring absolute temperature changes over time, while others are more suitable for determining relative temperature changes. Our simulated sampling program in Svalbard coastal waters over 5 years revealed that the selection of a proper sampling frequency is most relevant for discriminating significant long-term temperature changes from random daily, seasonal, or interannual fluctuations. While hourly and daily sampling could deliver reliable, stable, and comparable results concerning temperature increases over time, weekly sampling was less able to reliably detect overall significant trends. With even lower sampling frequencies (monthly sampling), no significant temperature trend over time could be detected. Although the results were obtained for a specific site, they are transferable to other aquatic research questions and non-polar regions.

Potential impacts of stratospheric aerosol injection on drought risk managements over major river basins in Africa

Most socio-economic activities in Africa depend on the continent’s river basins, but effectively managing drought risks over the basins in response to climate change remains a big challenge. While studies have shown that the stratospheric aerosol injection (SAI) intervention could mitigate temperature-related climate change impacts over Africa, there is a dearth of information on how the SAI intervention could influence drought characteristics and drought risk managements over the river basins. The present study thus examines the potential impacts of climate change and the SAI intervention on droughts and drought management over the major river basins in Africa. Multi-ensemble climate simulation datasets from the Stratospheric Aerosol Geoengineering Large Ensemble (GLENS) Project were analysed for the study. The Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) and the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) were used to characterize the upper and lower limits of future drought severity, respectively, over the basins. The SPEI is a function of rainfall and potential evapotranspiration, whereas the SPI is only a function of rainfall, so the difference between the two indices is influenced by atmospheric evaporative demand. The results of the study show that, while the SAI intervention, as simulated in GLENS, may offset the impacts of climate change on temperature and atmospheric evaporative demand, the level of SAI that compensates for temperature change would overcompensate for the impacts on precipitation and therefore impose a climate water balance deficit in the tropics. SAI would narrow the gaps between SPEI and SPI projections over the basins by reducing SPEI drought frequency through reduced temperature and atmospheric evaporative demand while increasing SPI drought frequency through reduced rainfall. The narrowing of this gap lowers the level of uncertainty regarding future changes in drought frequency, but nonetheless has implications for future drought management in the basins, because while SAI lowers the upper limit of the future drought stress, it also raises the lower limit of the drought stress.

Structural and functional analysis of p47 cofactor binding on the p97 disease mutant.

Human p97/VCP, an AAA+ ATPase, plays a pivotal role in the regulation of multiple cellular activities by interacting with various cofactor proteins. p97 is involved in the ubiquitin-dependent protein quality control and regulation of membrane-fusion in the Golgi apparatus in the presence of cofactor p47. Heterozygous missense mutations of p97 have been implicated in neurodegenerative diseases, such as IBMPFD (Inclusion body myopathy with early-onset Paget's disease and frontotemporal dementia) and ALS. The single amino-acid mutation of R155H on the N-domain is the highest mutated sites, leading to a rare degenerative disease MSP1, and resulting in abnormal ATPase activity and cofactor dysregulation. Our study aims to characterize the unknown protein interactions between p97R155H and p47 cofactor and identify the key complex structure to answer disease relevance of the p97R155H . Biochemical characterization along with single-particle cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM). Performed ATPase activity assays and fluorescent labeling to detect the temperature-related intensity change signals for quantitative determination of binding affinities of p97R155H-p47. First cryo-EM structures of the full-length p97R155H-p47 complex in different nucleotide-binding states. Without nucleotides, p97R155H is stable either as a hexamer or stacked as p97R155H-dodecamer. The p97R155H-dodecamer revealed a highly ordered C-terminal tail density and does not bind to p47 or nucleotides. It bears close resemblance to the inhibitor bound CB-5083:p97 structure, implying that the dodecameric form is inactive. In the full-length p97R155H-p47 complex structure without nucleotides, four N-domain densities and one p47UBX domain were identified interacting in an asymmetric manner implying a dynamic equilibrium. For the nucleotide-bound states, the flexibility of the p47UBX bound N-domains were less for the p97R155H|ATP𝛾S-p47, whereas fragmented in p97R155H|ADP-p47. Superimposition of the D1 and D2 domains of the three nucleotide states revealed that the D1-domains exhibit negligible structural change, whereas the D2-HTH motifs of the complexes with nucleotides are tilted downward. The C-terminal tails of the p97R155H|ATP𝛾S-p47 structure points in an opposite direction than that of p97R155H-p47/p97R155H|ADP-p47. The D1 and D2 arginine fingers play a critical role for the elevated p97R155H ATPase activity. These recent findings give us an insight into the disease mechanism of the R155H p97 mutation regarding its role in its pathological functions.

Estimate of The Dynamical Change of Air TemperAture, Relative Humidity and Dew Point TemperaTure for Some Selected Station in Iraq

Relative humidity can be inferred from the dew point values. When the air temperature and dew point temperatures are very close, the air has high relative humidity. The converse is true when there is a large difference between the air temperature and the dew point temperature, indicating the presence of low humidity air. To understand the expected changes in the climatic elements in the atmosphere, changes in temperature behavior, dew point, and relative humidity have been studied This study used data obtained from the European Center (ECMWF), which includes monthly and annual mean temperatures, dew, and relative humidity during the period (1988-2018) for selected stations in Iraq. The highest values of temperature and dew were recorded in July and August, and they were accompanied by a decrease in relative humidity. The highest value of relative humidity was recorded in December and January, accompanied by a decrease in temperature and dew, as we note through the results that there is an inverse relationship between relative humidity, temperature, and dew point Relative humidity changes when the temperature rises or falls, and the relative humidity may be higher in the morning when the temperature drops. The lowest amount of relative humidity during the day is when the temperature rises, the highest temperature value was recorded on 21July 2017 (12:00 PM) for Basra Station, while the highest relative value is humidity in Basra Governorate. Mosul station on January 21, 2014 (12:00 AM), and the reason is due to meteorological factors and the nature of the geographical area.

How the Updated Earth System Models Project Terrestrial Gross Primary Productivity in China under 1.5 and 2 °C Global Warming

Three Earth system models (ESMs) from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 6 (CMIP6) were chosen to project ecosystem changes under 1.5 and 2 °C global warming targets in the Shared Socioeconomic Pathway 4.5 W m−2 (SSP245) scenario. Annual terrestrial gross primary productivity (GPP) was taken as the representative ecological indicator of the ecosystem. Under 1.5 °C global warming, GPP in four climate zones—i.e., temperate continental; temperate monsoonal; subtropical–tropical monsoonal; high-cold Tibetan Plateau—showed a marked increase, the smallest magnitude of which was around 12.3%. The increase was greater under 2 °C of global warming, which suggests that from the perspective of ecosystem productivity, global warming poses no ecological risk in China. Specifically, in comparison with historical GPP (1986–2005), under 1.5 °C global warming GPP was projected to increase by 16.1–23.8% in the temperate continental zone, 12.3–16.1% in the temperate monsoonal zone, 12.5–14.7% in the subtropical–tropical monsoonal zone, and 20.0–37.0% on the Tibetan Plateau. Under 2 °C global warming, the projected GPP increase was 23.0–34.3% in the temperate continental zone, 21.2–24.4% in the temperate monsoonal zone, 16.1–28.4% in the subtropical–tropical monsoonal zone, and 28.4–63.0% on the Tibetan Plateau. The GPP increase contributed by climate change was further quantified and attributed. The ESM prediction from the Max Planck Institute suggested that the climate contribution could range from −12.8% in the temperate continental zone up to 61.1% on the Tibetan Plateau; however, the ESMs differed markedly regarding their climate contribution to GPP change. Although precipitation has a higher sensitivity coefficient, temperature generally plays a more important role in GPP change, primarily because of the larger relative change in temperature in comparison with that of precipitation.

Accuracy of Otolith Oxygen Isotope Records Analyzed by SIMS as an Index of Temperature Exposure of Wild Icelandic Cod (Gadus morhua)

Global warming is increasing ocean temperatures, forcing marine organisms to respond to a suite of changing environmental conditions. The stable oxygen isotopic composition of otoliths is often used as an index of temperature exposure, but the accuracy of the resulting temperature reconstructions in wild, free-swimming Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) has never been groundtruthed. Based on temperatures from data storage tags (DST) and corresponding salinity values, the stable oxygen isotope (δ18O) value was predicted for each month of tagging and compared with δ18Ootolith values measured in situ with secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). Paired-sample Wilcoxon tests were applied to compare measured and predicted δ18O values. The difference between measured and predicted mean and maximum δ18Ootolith values was not significant, suggesting a good correspondence between SIMS-measured and DST-predicted δ18Ootolith values. However, SIMS-measured and predicted minimum δ18Ootolith values were significantly different (all samples: p < 0.01, coastal and frontal cod: p < 0.05), resulting in overestimation of maximum temperatures. Our results confirm that otoliths are well-suited as proxies for mean ambient temperature reconstructions. A possible matrix effect and the absence of a reliable aragonite standard for SIMS measurements appeared to cause a small divergence between measured and predicted δ18Ootolith values, which affected the estimation accuracy of absolute temperature. However, relative temperature changes were accurately estimated by SIMS-analyzed δ18Ootolith values.

Precise Measurements of the Quadratic Electro-Optic Effect in KH2PO4 Crystals Using a Sénarmont-Type System.

This paper presents precise measurements of the temperature dependencies of the quadratic electro-optic coefficients and in KH2PO4 crystals. In addition to traditional electro-optic coefficients describing changes in the function of an applied electric field, intrinsic coefficients, defined in terms of induced polarization, are also considered. Both intrinsic coefficients decrease with increases in temperature, but the relative temperature changes are of different orders of magnitude: 10−4 and 10−3 K−1. A Sénarmont-type setup was used for the electro-optic measurements. To achieve the best accuracy, a new approach was developed, in which, instead of using only one specific point on the modulator’s transmission characteristic, the operating point is changed during the measurements.

Human thermal comfort under dynamic conditions: An experimental study

Although thermal comfort has been a research topic since the 1960s, some knowledge gaps still affect understanding of the human response to changing thermal environments. To enhance knowledge in this regard, an exploratory study is presented, which aims to understand human response to monotonic thermal variations by describing its relationship with covariates of interest. Thirty-eight participants (29 females, 9 males) worked in an office-like climate chamber and were exposed to dynamic and controlled heating and cooling ramps of the operative temperature with different speeds. Participants' perception, evaluation, preference and acceptability of the indoor thermal environment were recorded by filling in dedicated questionnaires. Additionally, participants could indicate when an uncomfortable event occurred during these temperature ramps by clicking a digital button on a dedicated app. This discomfort event was defined in behavioural terms as the decision to “take action to restore a comfort condition”. Survival analysis was used to study participants’ reactions to the dynamic thermal stimuli. It showed that two distinct mechanisms caused discomfort events due to overheating and undercooling: warm discomfort is driven by the absolute value of the achieved operative temperature, while the relative change in operative temperature mainly causes cold discomfort. Compared to the current recommendations regarding temperature cycles, drifts and ramps, this result shows that current standard recommendations underestimate the risk of thermal discomfort during a cooling process while overestimating it during a heating one. The new knowledge of human reaction to a dynamic thermal environment can lead to more energy-efficient and satisfactory building control strategies.

Single core-offset Mach-Zehnder interferometer coated with PVA for simultaneous measurement of relative humidity and temperature.

A single core-offset Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) coated with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) for simultaneous measurement of relative humidity (RH) and temperature is proposed in this paper. The sensing structure is fabricated by splicing dispersion compensating fiber (DCF) and no-core fiber (NCF) and splicing two single-mode fibers (SMF) at both ends, where the core-offset is located at the splicing of SMF and DCF. A part of the cladding of DCF is etched to excite the high-order cladding mode (LP10), and PVA is coated on the etched area. The refractive index of PVA varies due to the adsorption of water molecules. Therefore, when the ambient relative humidity and temperature change, the change of MZI phase difference causes the wavelength of the resonant dip to shift. The experimental results indicate that the proposed sensor has a sensitivity of 0.256 nm/RH% for RH range of 30%-95%, and a sensitivity of 0.153 nm/℃ for temperature range of 20℃-80℃, respectively. The simultaneous measurement of RH and temperature can be achieved by demodulating the sensitivity coefficient matrix. The proposed sensor has the characteristics of good repeatability, high sensitivity, and good stability, which make it potentially applications for the detection of RH and temperature measurement.

Fast Mek1 Hit Identification with TRIC Technology Correlates Well with Other Biophysical Methods.

The variety and complexity of drug targets are expanding rapidly. At the same time, there is significant interest in exploring a larger chemical space to identify new candidates. Fragment-based screening (FBS) has emerged as a popular alternative to traditional high-throughput screening campaigns to identify such drug candidates. FBS identifies hit fragments that exhibit weak interactions with the target of interest, thereby enabling the rational design of small-molecule compounds from the identified hit fragments, which serve as building blocks. This strategy reduces the number of molecules to screen while also allowing the exploration of a greater chemical space.Here we use temperature-related intensity change (TRIC) technology to perform FBS against the target MAPK/ERK kinase-1 (Mek1). TRIC describes the change in fluorescence intensity of a fluorescently labeled molecule upon a change in temperature. This intensity variation is dependent on the physicochemical environment in the vicinity of the dye and strongly affected by binding events. Thus, the detection of binding events is independent of mass, making TRIC an ideal tool for FBS.Using only 150 pmol of labeled Mek1, the authors screened 193 fragments from a prescreened library in less than 1 h of measurement time, leading to 66 hits. Among those hits, they identified more than 80% of the published top hits found using orthogonal techniques. Furthermore, TRIC allowed the identification of fragments that were of poor solubility but could be mistaken as false-positive hits in other methods.

Biological and environmental influences on the migration phenology of Atlantic salmon Salmo salar smolts in a chalk stream in southern England

Abstract Migration enables animals to access important resources throughout their lifetime but exists in a trade‐off with elevated mortality risk. In spring, juvenile Atlantic salmon (smolts) migrate from their natal rivers for marine feeding grounds, with the timing of their marine entry a potentially important determinant of their long‐term survival. However, there is relatively little known on how the interaction of biological and environmental factors affect smolt migration phenology at the individual level, and how these vary throughout the duration of the smolt seaward migration (run). Using 15‐year tag, recapture, and detection datasets of individual smolts (marked with passive integrated transponder tags) from a chalk stream in southern England, the influences of a range of biological and environmental variables were tested on the run timing of individual smolts, measured as the timing of their arrival in a lower river reach. The probability of smolts arriving earlier in the lower river reach was elevated following winters that were relatively warm, and when there were larger positive daily changes in water temperature and discharge during the run. Early migrants tended to be larger individuals and from sites lower in the catchment, from where the smolts had to migrate relatively shorter distances. Later migrants were more likely to migrate in schools, but with schooling behaviour also more likely to occur during daylight than at night. The relative influence of some of these variables altered throughout the run. Relative changes in daily water temperature were not important during the middle period of the smolt run but were important at the start and end of the run. Relative changes in daily discharge were most influential towards the end of the run, when even relatively small changes in discharge had a strong influence on migration. These results reveal the importance of a wide range of biological and environmental variables on the phenology of smolt migrations, and how their influence can alter throughout the run. With predictions of annually increasing river temperatures, more frequent and intense discharge events, and associated shifts to earlier migration, these results emphasise that such changes in climate are likely to have substantial consequences on the future success of smolt migrations and thereby future numbers of returning adult spawners.

Microwave-Based State Diagnosis for Three-Way Catalysts – A Promising Technology for Future Gasoline Exhaust Gas Aftertreatment

Microwave-Based State Diagnosis for Three-Way Catalysts – A Promising Technology for Future Gasoline Exhaust Gas Aftertreatment