Article
Environmental Sciences
Christina Quaassdorff, Robin Smit, Rafael Borge, Stefan Hausberger
Summary: Traffic-related air quality issues persist in urban areas worldwide, necessitating the estimation of road traffic's contribution to atmospheric emissions at a local level with high temporal and spatial resolution. Modal models, such as the Australian P Delta P and the simplified version of the European PHEM, are cost-effective tools for microscale studies that can emulate differences in emissions levels in road networks.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Mechanical
Aliaksandra Tsitova, Fabien Bernachy-Barbe, Benoit Bary, Christophe Bourcier, Francois Hild
Summary: The identification of fracture properties of mortar was achieved through numerical analyses of two in situ mesoflexural tests on small-scale specimens. The experimental kinematic fields were measured by processing the reconstructed volumes via Digital Volume Correlation. The simulated fracture paths and ultimate forces were consistent with the experiment thanks to representative microstructure and boundary conditions.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MECHANICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Aerospace
Chih-Yung Huang, Zhi-Chen Lin, Min-Kai Wu
Summary: The pressure distribution around wedge models inside a submillimeter supersonic wind tunnel was experimentally investigated using pressure-sensitive paint (PSP) and compared with numerical simulation. The study found a significant pressure rise at the front end of the wedge models and a low-pressure region downstream. However, there were differences between the experimental and simulation data for the middle layer, likely due to the spreading of pressure data caused by the location of the PSP coating at the bottom layer.
AEROSPACE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Tianjun Lu, Julian D. Marshall, Wenwen Zhang, Perry Hystad, Sun-Young Kim, Matthew J. Bechle, Matthias Demuzere, Steve Hankey
Summary: This study investigates the use of microscale variables to improve prediction accuracy in air pollution models, and finds that models combining microscale and traditional predictor variables outperform traditional methods. Microscale variables have potential as suitable substitutes for traditional variables in national empirical models.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Oncology
Robert J. Paproski, Desmond Pink, Deborah L. Sosnowski, Catalina Vasquez, John D. Lewis
Summary: Extracellular vesicles (EVs) in human biofluids contain biomarkers representative of tissue of origin and can communicate signals to promote tumour growth and progression. Microscale flow cytometry of circulating EVs is a promising alternative to biopsy for disease diagnosis. We developed a machine learning approach combined with EV microscale cytometry to generate predictive models and demonstrated the utility of this approach in predicting high-grade prostate cancer from patient samples.
MOLECULAR ONCOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Charlotte F. Narr, Pavel Chernyavskiy, Sarah M. Collins
Summary: Ecologists often avoid using fully non-stationary models due to difficulty in estimation and interpretation. However, by improving the interpretability of these models and applying them to study lake eutrophication, new insights can be gained into the spatial processes involved. This study demonstrates the importance of incorporating environmental predictors into covariance functions and visualizing spatial correlation patterns for a better understanding of ecological phenomena.
ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS
(2022)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Larissa Vieira Zezzo, Priscila Pereira Coltri, Vincent Dubreuil
Summary: This study conducted a literature review on urban heat island analysis methodologies, with a focus on the use of models. The results showed that traditional fieldwork methods are more commonly used in urban climate studies, while model research tends to be specific to certain regions, especially cities in the northern hemisphere. The difficulty of obtaining field data was highlighted as an important consideration for urban heat island and urban planning research.
ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Biomaterials
Daphne O. Asgeirsson, Avni Mehta, Anna Scheeder, Fan Li, Xiang Wang, Michael G. Christiansen, Nicolas Hesse, Rachel Ward, Andrea J. De Micheli, Ece Su Ildiz, Stefano Menghini, Nicola Aceto, Simone Schuerle
Summary: Mechanical cues play an important role in cancer cell metastasis. By mimicking dynamic deformation of the tumor matrix, we can better understand the influence of local strain on cancer cell invasion. Using microscale magnetic actuation, we can study tumor cell invasion and metastasis in a non-invasive manner. Our findings show that cyclic deformation has an influence on cancer cell invasion and leads to the upregulation of certain genes associated with migration and stress.
BIOMATERIALS SCIENCE
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Sung-Eun Choi, Harrison Khoo, Soojung Claire Hur
Summary: This article introduces the physical principles and design trends of microscale electroporation devices and discusses their applications in drug development and cell analysis, among other areas.
Article
Computer Science, Interdisciplinary Applications
Daniela Addessi, Paolo Di Re, Cristina Gatta, Elio Sacco
Summary: A novel two-scale modeling approach is proposed to describe the response of masonry walls with periodic texture by linking different structural models at macro and microscale. The model combines classical theory and three-dimensional models, enabling macro-micro information transition through defined kinematic maps and homogenization procedures.
COMPUTERS & STRUCTURES
(2021)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Liyuan Tan, Aaron C. Davis, David J. Cappelleri
Summary: Microscale machines are capable of carrying out a variety of tasks using smart polymer materials, which can undergo shape-morphing under stimulation to achieve complex tasks. Techniques such as microfabrication and 4D printing have been developed to fabricate structures with smart polymers for active microscale machines.
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Hao Yu, Qiang Zhao
Summary: Microscale thermophoresis (MST) technology has been used for studying molecular interactions through fluorescence responses of molecules to infrared laser heating. In this study, a DNAzyme-based MST method was developed for sensitive target detection, by combining the advantages of RNA cleaving DNAzymes and MST technology. This biosensing strategy showed high sensitivity and has broad applications.
ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Justin D. Glover, Xingwei Yang, Rong Long, Jonathan T. Pham
Summary: Glover et al. investigate the lateral motion of microparticles on a soft, adhesive surface and find that a moving microparticle can induce a cease at the leading front of the surface due to compressive stress buildup. They also discover that the surface forms a self-contacting crease at the leading front, and simulations show that interfacial strength plays a dominant role in the formation of the crease. The crease then propagates through the contact zone in a Schallamach wave-like fashion, facilitated by free slip at the adhesive, self-contacting interface.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Multidisciplinary
Leandro Lopes da Silva, Roque Luiz da Silva Pitangueira, Samuel Silva Penna
Summary: This paper presents a multiscale numerical strategy to obtain a macroscopic micromorphic description of a continuum. The strategy utilizes classical constitutive parameters and a cubic displacement ansatz to achieve the macroscopic micromorphic material response.
APPLIED MATHEMATICAL MODELLING
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Marco Rocca, Maxime Dufresne, Marie Salva, Christof M. Niemeyer, Emmanuel Delamarche
Summary: A new method is introduced for in situ formation of hydrogels with precise geometries using interfacial polymerization in a sealed microfluidic chip. The characteristics of the hydrogel can be easily adjusted, the method is fast and does not require specific laboratory equipment.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Justin L. Eagan, Breanne N. Steffan, Sebastien C. Ortiz, Milton T. Drott, Gustavo H. Goldman, Christina M. Hull, Nancy P. Keller, Rafael W. Bastos
Summary: In studying the development of tolerance to common hospital cleaners, it was found that the common yeast pathogen Candida glabrata can dominate mixed populations when exposed to these cleaners. This indicates that antimicrobial compounds can selectively choose stress-tolerant fungal pathogens. These findings highlight the importance of clinical disinfection practices in selecting for tolerant, pathogenic microbes.
Review
Microbiology
Kunlong Yang, Jun Tian, Nancy P. Keller
Summary: Post-translational modifications (PTMs) are important for regulating secondary metabolite biosynthesis in Aspergillus species. Histone modifications can be manipulated to activate silent biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs), while non-histone PTMs also play critical roles in regulating secondary metabolism.
ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Savini Thrikawala, Mengyao Niu, Nancy P. Keller, Emily E. Rosowski
Summary: The study identified the importance of cyclooxygenase enzymes in controlling invasive aspergillosis, revealing that COX signaling promotes phagocyte-mediated inhibition of fungal growth. This mechanism contributes to reducing infection rates and increasing host survival.
Article
Plant Sciences
Nathaniel M. Westrick, Sung Chul Park, Nancy P. Keller, Damon L. Smith, Mehdi Kabbage
Summary: Alcohol oxidases (AOXs) are ecologically important enzymes that play a significant role in plant-fungal interactions. This study found that AOX orthologues are commonly present in the genomes of nonmethylotrophic, plant-associating fungi and are highly expressed during infection. Knockout mutants of AOX in the pathogen Sclerotinia sclerotiorum showed reduced virulence in soybean. Chemical genomics suggested that SsAOX may function as an aromatic AOX and growth assays demonstrated its inability to properly utilize plant extract as a nutrient source.
MOLECULAR PLANT PATHOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Microbiology
Wenjie Wang, Xinle Liang, Yudong Li, Pinmei Wang, Nancy P. Keller
Summary: Mycotoxin contamination in food is a health hazard and current control methods have limitations. Environmental factors have been tested for their influence on mycotoxin production, revealing a complex regulatory network. Understanding the regulatory mechanisms of different regulators can lead to the development of more efficient methods to inhibit mycotoxin biosynthesis.
Article
Ecology
Milton T. Drott, Sung Chul Park, Yen-wen Wang, Lynn Harrow, Nancy P. Keller, Anne Pringle
Summary: The poisonous European mushroom Amanita phalloides (the death cap) is invading California, and the evolution of its toxic secondary metabolites is unknown. Researchers developed a bioinformatic pipeline to identify MSDIN genes related to toxicity, and found a diverse set of MSDINs in both core and accessory elements in death cap genomes. Each individual possesses unique MSDINs, and toxin genes differ significantly between Californian and European samples. MSDIN genes are maintained by natural selection, and chemical profiling confirms their expression and distinct phenotypes. The discovery of MSDINs in other basidiomycetes and their potential for drug prospecting is also highlighted.
Article
Microbiology
Joanna Tannous, Casey M. Cosetta, Milton T. Drott, Tomas A. Rush, Paul E. Abraham, Richard J. Giannone, Nancy P. Keller, Benjamin E. Wolfe
Summary: Using an antibacterial Penicillium isolate and a cheese rind microbial community, this study demonstrates that a fungal specialized metabolite can regulate the diversity of bacterial communities. It reveals the role of global regulators in controlling bacterial community assembly and highlights the ecological function of fungal specialized metabolites.
Article
Microbiology
Taylor Schoen, Dante Calise, Jin Woo P. Bok, Morgan G. Giese, Chibueze Nwagwu, Robert G. Zarnowski, David Andes, Anna G. Huttenlocher, Nancy Keller
Summary: This study reveals the important role of the transcription factor ZfpA in hyphal growth and infection of Aspergillus fumigatus. It protects the fungus from being killed by the immune cells and decreases the efficacy of antifungal drugs. These findings highlight the significance of ZfpA as a genetic regulator of stress tolerance during infection.
Article
Microbiology
Heungyun Moon, Mi-Kyung Lee, Ilhan Bok, Jin Woo Bok, Nancy P. Keller, Jae-Hyuk Yu
Summary: This study reveals the gene regulatory networks governed by VeA and LaeA in Aspergillus nidulans, shedding light on the understanding of fungal biology and genetics. The findings demonstrate the vital roles of these global regulators in developmental and metabolic processes.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Hadeel S. Almaliki, Mengyao Niu, Nancy P. Keller, Guohua Yin, Joan W. Bennett
Summary: Research shows that volatile organic compounds produced by Aspergillus fumigatus affect the metamorphosis and viability of fruit flies. Fruit flies exposed to VOCs from the oxylipin mutant strains exhibited reduced delays in metamorphosis and toxicity. Additionally, the immune system of fruit flies mediates the toxicity of fungal volatiles through the Toll signaling pathway.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Grant R. Nickles, Brandon Oestereicher, Nancy P. Keller, Milton T. Drott
Summary: The products of non-canonical isocyanide synthase (ICS) biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) play important roles in pathogenesis, microbial competition, and metal-homeostasis. By analyzing the biosynthetic potential and evolutionary history of these BGCs across the Fungal Kingdom, we identified and characterized 3800 ICS BGCs in 3300 genomes. Our results show that ICS BGCs are not evenly distributed across fungi, with gene-family expansions in several Ascomycete families. We also discovered the presence of the dit1/2 gene cluster family (GCF) in about 30% of all Ascomycetes, highlighting the potential convergence of ICS backbone domain.
NUCLEIC ACIDS RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Dianiris Luciano-Rosario, Hui Peng, Verneta L. Gaskins, Jorge M. Fonseca, Nancy P. Keller, Wayne M. Jurick
Summary: This study identified genes involved in blue mold infection in apple fruits using forward and reverse genetic approaches. It revealed the economic losses and food safety risks caused by the filamentous fungus Penicillium expansum, as well as novel signaling networks and genetic factors regulating fungal virulence during apple fruit decay.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Zili Song, Shuang Zhou, Hongjiao Zhang, Nancy P. Keller, Berl R. Oakley, Xiao Liu, Wen-Bing Yin
Summary: Production of secondary metabolites in eukaryotic cells is regulated by a complex network. Researchers find that the interaction between RNA-binding protein CsdA and regulator RsdA coordinates fungal secondary metabolism. CsdA binds to a specific motif of RsdA's pre-mRNA to control its expression, revealing a mechanism for coordinating fungal secondary metabolism.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Muralikrishnan Gopalakrishnan Meena, Matthew J. Lane, Joanna Tannous, Alyssa A. Carrell, Paul E. Abraham, Richard J. Giannone, Jean-Michel Ane, Nancy P. Keller, Jesse L. Labbe, Armin G. Geiger, David Kainer, Daniel A. Jacobson, Tomas A. Rush
Summary: Fungal specialized metabolites are important sources of beneficial compounds. This study introduces a data-driven algorithm based on network analysis to characterize the production of specialized fungal metabolites triggered by different exogenous compounds. The algorithm consists of two routes, the direct route and the auxiliary route, which provide insights into the influence of treatments on metabolite production. The algorithm was validated using chitooligosaccharides and lipids on the fungal pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus, and it was found to be effective in discovering new compounds for drug discovery.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Dianiris Luciano-Rosario, Omer Barda, Joanna Tannous, Dean Frawley, Ozgur Bayram, Dov Prusky, Edward Sionov, Nancy P. Keller
Summary: Epigenetic modification plays an important role in secondary metabolism and sporulation in filamentous fungal pathogens. The SntB protein, along with KdmB and RpdA, is crucial for the regulation of virulence, spore production, and mycotoxin synthesis in Penicillium expansum.
FUNGAL GENETICS AND BIOLOGY
(2023)
