More Like this

1. Aerosolized Harmful Algal Bloom Toxin Microcystin-LR Induces Type 1/Type 17 Inflammation of Murine Airways

   https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins16110470  

   Breidenbach, Joshua D; French, Benjamin W; Stanoszek, Lauren M; Lavik, John-Paul; Maddipati, Krishna Rao; Premathilaka, Sanduni H; Baliu-Rodriguez, David; Timalsina, Bivek; Aradhyula, Vaishnavi; Patel, Shivani C; et al (November 2024, Toxins)

   Harmful algal blooms are increasing globally and pose serious health concerns releasing cyanotoxins. Microcystin-LR (MC-LR), one of the most frequently produced cyanotoxins, has recently been detected in aerosols generated by the normal motions of affected bodies of water. MC-LR aerosol exposure has been linked to a pro-inflammatory influence on the airways of mice; however, little is understood about the underlying mechanism or the potential consequences. This study aimed to investigate the pro-inflammatory effects of aerosolized MC-LR on murine airways. C57BL/6 and BALB/c mice were exposed to MC-LR aerosols, as these strains are predisposed to type 1/type 17 and type 2 immune responses, respectively. Exposure to MC-LR induced granulocytic inflammation in C57BL/6 but not BALB/c mice, as observed by increased expression of cytokines MIP-1α, CXCL1, CCL2, and GM-CSF compared with their respective vehicle controls. Furthermore, the upregulation of interleukins IL-17A and IL-12 is consistent with Th1- and Th17-driven type 1/type 17 inflammation. Histological analysis confirmed inflammation in the C57BL/6 lungs, with elevated neutrophils and macrophages in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and increased pro-inflammatory and pro-resolving oxidized lipids. In contrast, BALB/c mice showed no significant airway inflammation. These results highlight the ability of aerosolized MC-LR to trigger harmful airway inflammation, requiring further research, particularly into populations with predispositions to type 1/type 17 inflammation. 

   more » « less
2. Photoluminescence Imaging vs. Transient Photoconductance Characterization at High Injection: Case of mc-Si

   Semichaevsky, Andrey (June 2018, 45th IEEE-PVSC)

   Band-to-band photoluminescence (PL) imaging is one of the experimental techniques widely used to assess non-radiative recombination rates at a fixed incident light intensity. Minority carrier lifetimes in semiconductors such as mc-Si are also affected by optical injection levels. These can be measured by transient photoconductance (TPC). In this paper, PL imaging of shunts and TPC lifetime results for incident intensities of up to 50 Suns are compared for multiple samples of mc-Si. 

   more » « less
3. Self‐healing efficiency of cinnamaldehyde‐crosslinked soy protein resins with elongated soy protein microcapsules

   https://doi.org/10.1002/app.55324  

   Yong, Vuthtyra; Netravali, Anil N (May 2024, Journal of Applied Polymer Science)

   Abstract Self‐healing green thermoset soy protein isolate (SPI) based resins, crosslinked with cinnamaldehyde (CA), were developed. Self‐healing was achieved using elongated microcapsules (MCs) as against spherical MCs that have been used in most earlier studies. MCs containing SPI solution as healant within poly(d,l‐lactide‐co‐glycolide) shells were prepared using Water‐in‐oil‐in‐water (w/o/w) emulsion solvent evaporation (ESE) technique. Process parameters such as sodium tripolyphosphate (STP) and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) concentrations and stirring speed were optimized to obtain elongated MCs. The average aspect ratio of MCs was over four. SPI resins crosslinked with 10% CA (10%CA‐SPI) increased Young's modulus and fracture stress by 54% and 87%, respectively, compared with their noncrosslinked counterpart. The resins containing 15% elongated MCs (15%MC‐10%CA‐SPI) showed self‐healing efficiencies of over 42% in fracture stress and about 35% in toughness recovery, after 24 h of healing. Improvement in self‐healing can be attributed to the high aspect ratio of the MCs that increases the probability of MCs being in the path of the microcracks and releasing the healant. Elongated MCs also contain higher amount of healant than spherical ones of same diameter. Self‐healing resins and composites can not only help prevent their premature failure but also improve their performance as well as service life and safety. 

   more » « less
4. Coupled machine learning and the limits of acceptability approach applied in parameter identification for a distributed hydrological model

   https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-4641-2020  

   Teweldebrhan, Aynom T.; Schuler, Thomas V.; Burkhart, John F.; Hjorth-Jensen, Morten (January 2020, Hydrology and Earth System Sciences)

   Abstract. Monte Carlo (MC) methods have been widely used in uncertainty analysis and parameter identification for hydrological models. The main challenge with these approaches is, however, the prohibitive number of model runs required to acquire an adequate sample size, which may take from days to months – especially when the simulations are run in distributed mode. In the past, emulators have been used to minimize the computational burden of the MC simulation through direct estimation of the residual-based response surfaces. Here, we apply emulators of an MC simulation in parameter identification for a distributed conceptual hydrological model using two likelihood measures, i.e. the absolute bias of model predictions (Score) and another based on the time-relaxed limits of acceptability concept (pLoA). Three machine-learning models (MLMs) were built using model parameter sets and response surfaces with a limited number of model realizations (4000). The developed MLMs were applied to predict pLoA and Score for a large set of model parameters (95 000). The behavioural parameter sets were identified using a time-relaxed limits of acceptability approach, based on the predicted pLoA values, and applied to estimate the quantile streamflow predictions weighted by their respective Score. The three MLMs were able to adequately mimic the response surfaces directly estimated from MC simulations with an R2 value of 0.7 to 0.92. Similarly, the models identified using the coupled machine-learning (ML) emulators and limits of acceptability approach have performed very well in reproducing the median streamflow prediction during the calibration and validation periods, with an average Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency value of 0.89 and 0.83, respectively. 

   more » « less
5. Complete Genome Sequences of Mycobacteriophages OKaNui and DroogsArmy

   https://doi.org/10.1128/MRA.00791-20  

   Fast, Kayla M.; Johnson, Kadaisha G.; Mayfield, Kaitlyn N.; Stephens, Leah A.; Reid, T. Hunter; Ryan, Emma D.; Keener, Tracy W.; Sandel, Michael W. (August 2020, Microbiology Resource Announcements)

   Roux, Simon (Ed.)

   ABSTRACT Mycobacteriophages OKaNui and DroogsArmy were isolated from soil using the bacterial host Mycobacterium smegmatis mc 2 155, which belongs to the phylum Actinobacteria . OKaNui was discovered in east Mississippi and DroogsArmy in west Alabama in the United States. The genomes of OKaNui and DroogsArmy were 51,424 bp and 53,254 bp long, respectively. 

   more » « less